FAO Dave The Explosive Newt

[Beany]

....really?

What on bloody earth have you been up to in the last....too many years?

[Explosive Newt]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

[Jobbo]

Have you finished your PhD? You were off to Cambridge, last I remember, which must be quite a while ago. Welcome back

[Beany]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

Worked in London. Did some contracting for the Govt. Had nervous breakdown. Lived with brother in Scarbados. Got job after about a year of chilling, needed driving license. Got license, got Micra, sold Micra, got silly yellow Puma rustbucket and loved it.

Got job in York, got fucked over by them and given the boot the day after my dads funeral. Sat on dole for a year having had another breakdown, got job in Leeds sysadmining for a telecoms outfit, moved to Leeds, got girlfriend in Herts, bought Mondeo to see her, got dumped, sold Mondeo, bought 330Ci ragtop because fuck it I'm treating myself. That was six months ago.

Currently trying to get a pre-fab MySQL server to do a 50mil row migration and it's pissing me off (Although thankfully isn't time critical, but I'd like to get it done for Monday as it's been annoying me a while). Think I'll have a bottle of wine and a pizza and try shouting at it harder.

So, your tarted up Mondeo any good then?

Edit:

[Explosive Newt]

Have you finished your PhD? You were off to Cambridge, last I remember, which must be quite a while ago. Welcome back

Gosh yes, that was 2007! Finished med school in Cambridge and currently a year into the PhD... which I am doing at Oxford University. It’s been a nice change of pace doing research so I’m enjoying it while I can. I was working in the heart transplant unit before I left so life was crazy.

The tiny, angry, feisty significant other remains in Cambridge however so I traded in my hooligan Focus ST170 for a high spec 04 X-type 3 litre I picked up for peanuts to do the M40-M25-A1 run every weekend. I shall choose to ignore the Mondeo comments but I did a Porsche track day last week and was reminded how dynamically wank it is. Although it is fun to surprise some sportier numbers with the accelleration... and some of those electronics amazingly still work!

[Explosive Newt]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

Worked in London. Did some contracting for the Govt. Had nervous breakdown. Lived with brother in Scarbados. Got job after about a year of chilling, needed driving license. Got license, got Micra, sold Micra, got silly yellow Puma rustbucket and loved it.

Got job in York, got fucked over by them and given the boot the day after my dads funeral. Sat on dole for a year having had another breakdown, got job in Leeds sysadmining for a telecoms outfit, moved to Leeds, got girlfriend in Herts, bought Mondeo to see her, got dumped, sold Mondeo, bought 330Ci ragtop because fuck it I'm treating myself. That was six months ago.

Currently trying to get a pre-fab MySQL server to do a 50mil row migration and it's pissing me off (Although thankfully isn't time critical, but I'd like to get it done for Monday as it's been annoying me a while). Think I'll have a bottle of wine and a pizza and try shouting at it harder

So you do computers then?

[Beany]

[Mike1215]

a high spec 04 X-type 3 litre I picked up for peanuts to do the M40-M25-A1 run every weekend. I shall choose to ignore the Mondeo comments but I did a Porsche track day last week and was reminded how dynamically wank it is. Although it is fun to surprise some sportier numbers with the accelleration... and some of those electronics amazingly still work!

I guess a lot of the underpinnings are pretty tired at a bargain price though

They were very good handling when new, I got to try a 2.5 at the CCIA days they had at Millbrook. Wondered what a 3-litre would be like

They also used to test them round launch time over the Milltir pass in the week by me - the test drivers made them shift. They were like the old Peugeot Gtis as well as they had a very distinctive smell from new when being thrashed

[Beany]

Yeah, the X-type got pretty rave reviews at the time (a couple of UK rags giving it good reviews you could dismiss, but I don't recall any bad reviews, period, handling wise), and no-one really has a bad thing to say about them today yet. Mondeo underpinnings might sound 'cheap' but the Mondeo was a smart steer in the first place; giving it 4WD and real power was never going to be a recipe for disaster, was it?

[Explosive Newt]

A lot of grip but a bit let down by the brakes imo. Still you can chuck it into a lot of corners with abandon then be surprised that you have appeared right as rain on the other side, and lining up a series of S-bends remains fun because of the revvy AJP30 V6. Lacks something of the alacrity of my ST170 but I think that is down to mass.

They are imo much maligned cars (probably mostly down to mondeo jokes) but as as result you can get high spec powerful card as cheap as chips. Possibly lack all the dynamics of the equivalent Beamer but come close at about half the price.

There is a daily mail reader vibe to them but I mostly dress like an old man these days anyway...

[Explosive Newt]

Yes but do you remember the episode when it was heavily implied that he had his massive cock out?

[Mike1215]

Yeah, the X-type got pretty rave reviews at the time (a couple of UK rags giving it good reviews you could dismiss, but I don't recall any bad reviews, period, handling wise), and no-one really has a bad thing to say about them today yet. Mondeo underpinnings might sound 'cheap' but the Mondeo was a smart steer in the first place; giving it 4WD and real power was never going to be a recipe for disaster, was it?

EVO tested it against the Mondeo - 2.5s in both

[mik]

I kinda have an x-type too.

#wingmirrorfwends

[Beany]

Yes but do you remember the episode when it was heavily implied that he had his massive cock out?

I remember every episode.

[Orange Cola]

I’ve always preferred Jags to BMW’s for the driving dynamics. I think a lot of that was down to the run flat they fitted and the fact Jag managed to get their heads round steering feel much better than the Germans. If I was driving I wouldn’t have a 7 series over an XJ, for example.

Beany, I didn’t know you got an E46 330 - tres cool! I’m enjoying my ‘rag top’ in this weather, give me a shout if you want to talk yourself into boredom about maintinaing a convertible.

[Alex_]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

Dr. Dr.

[Mike1215]

A lot of grip but a bit let down by the brakes imo. Still you can chuck it into a lot of corners with abandon then be surprised that you have appeared right as rain on the other side, and lining up a series of S-bends remains fun because of the revvy AJP30 V6. Lacks something of the alacrity of my ST170 but I think that is down to mass.

[Mike1215]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

Dr. Dr.

Thompson Twins - number 3 July 84

[nuttinnew]

Tinin.

Alas I know nowt of newt, but of X-Types I've heard on here that rusty sills are not unheard of which seems to doom them.

[Explosive Newt]

Went to uni. Became a doctor. Accumulated debt. Worked for a bit. Stopped to do a PhD. Accumulated more debt. Sold house. Bought Jaguar.

You?

Dr. Dr.

Not yet. But soon. But then Prof has a nice ring to it. Nerdy friends have suggested Dr^2...