OV9

That was an interesting drive home last night, couldn’t have picked a more appropriate vehicle for the weather.

Driving from Bridgnorth to Stamford the following happened....

Watched a big Audi virtually do an emergency stop in the outside lane of the M6, dart hard left and get rear ended by some poor sod who had nowhere to go. Lots of standing water and even a small sections where lane 1 and 2 were covered. The water was going over the roof of the Landy. We were doing about 50 when that all happened.

Watching a Renault Clio Sport, the 197 shape with a spoiler go past me at 70ish. Thinking what’s that tut doing and seeing him gently oversteer on the M6 as he hit a particularly wet bit you could see from miles out. He bounced off the central reservation and then crossed all lanes to hit the verge.

Lorry drivers being utter bellends on the backroads from the A14 to Collyweston. Very deep standing water so 30/40mph was the order of the day and lorries were doing normal speeds and drenching cars. Had both wing mirrors shoved near horizontal from the force.

Roads closed between Collyweston and Deeping, 2 foot deep and rivers as water flooded from one field to another over the road.

Multiple cars abandoned and I had to take a detour round the edge of a field as I saw a big bubble cauldron thing going on in the road. I didn’t know if it was a raised drain or debris so went mudding.

All in all it was a fun trip but people can’t drive in the rain. I could sit at 60 for the most part, deep tread, high suspension and heavy. Some were just panicking about hitting standing water and acting very abruptly and jumping infront and behind people. So if you are scared just bloody slow down if I was in the Audi or my car I’d say at 40 or just get off the main roads.

Think I’ll park the cars up till Boxing Day and leave the mess to be tidied.

Stay safe out there folks!!

Dave!

Fucking hell Dave, not what I'd call a fun trip

I’ve never seen it like it for such an extended period

Dave!

Main road through a local town where I’ve never even seen a decent size puddle in the 15 odd years I’ve driven through twice a day was flooded Last night.

One of the backroads to our work has been flooded across and needed to crawl through for the past two weeks, I’ll bet it was impassable to normal cars yesterday.

East anglia isn’t usually too badly hit as it’s so flat you don’t get the build up then overflow from high areas like a lot of places, but the ground is just saturated.

Looks like there’s another big storm coming through on Boxing Day too.

I came back to my parents place last night. M20 was alright with the contraflow but there were lorries parked absolutely everywhere. I felt particularly bad for one Italian couple parked up in an old Punto - surely some hotels must be open.
The council have put out signs on unsuitable roads for trucks over 5 tonnes to avoid but still a lorry got wedged under the local railway bridge late last night which took ages to remove.

V8Granite wrote: Thu Dec 24, 2020 6:39 am
All in all it was a fun trip but people can’t drive

You didn'n need anything more than that.

Thought headlights were getting progressively more dazzling over the years.

Turns out the glare resistant coating had worn off my glasses.

Reading @V8Granite 's post reminded me of being chucked the keys of my friends new 911 a day before xmas eve. The weather was horrific but it proved to me that having 4 wheel drive is a godsend in those circumstances. It's a lovely motor. I will only buy manual cars if they are the choice tho as I really dont enjoy driving flappy paddles. It removes the fun for me.

Broccers wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 1:35 pm Reading @V8Granite 's post reminded me of being chucked the keys of my friends new 911 a day before xmas eve. The weather was horrific but it proved to me that having 4 wheel drive is a godsend in those circumstances. It's a lovely motor. I will only buy manual cars if they are the choice tho as I really dont enjoy driving flappy paddles. It removes the fun for me.

I had a similar experience in my friends 997 C4S. He's bought it just before Crimbo and said he'd meet me at my parents and I could take it for a spin. It had been snowing so I didn't think he'd show. He did, bless him. I got to drive it fairly hard when I could and it was lovely.

McSwede wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:05 pm

Broccers wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 1:35 pm Reading @V8Granite 's post reminded me of being chucked the keys of my friends new 911 a day before xmas eve. The weather was horrific but it proved to me that having 4 wheel drive is a godsend in those circumstances. It's a lovely motor. I will only buy manual cars if they are the choice tho as I really dont enjoy driving flappy paddles. It removes the fun for me.

I had a similar experience in my friends 997 C4S. He's bought it just before Crimbo and said he'd meet me at my parents and I could take it for a spin. It had been snowing so I didn't think he'd show. He did, bless him. I got to drive it fairly hard when I could and it was lovely.

Glad you did

If my 85k (which I dont have) was going in a car it would be rwd.

Broccers wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:17 pm

McSwede wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:05 pm

Broccers wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 1:35 pm Reading @V8Granite 's post reminded me of being chucked the keys of my friends new 911 a day before xmas eve. The weather was horrific but it proved to me that having 4 wheel drive is a godsend in those circumstances. It's a lovely motor. I will only buy manual cars if they are the choice tho as I really dont enjoy driving flappy paddles. It removes the fun for me.

I had a similar experience in my friends 997 C4S. He's bought it just before Crimbo and said he'd meet me at my parents and I could take it for a spin. It had been snowing so I didn't think he'd show. He did, bless him. I got to drive it fairly hard when I could and it was lovely.

Glad you did

If my 85k (which I dont have) was going in a car it would be rwd.

I'd be inclined to agree. The C4S was perfect for my first 911 experience in less than perfect weather as I wouldn't have pushed a C2S as hard.

Lovely things!

McSwede wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:24 pm I'd be inclined to agree. The C4S was perfect for my first 911 experience in less than perfect weather as I wouldn't have pushed a C2S as hard.

Lovely things!

First 911 I drove was a 996 gt3 club sport and it made a proper a porsche noise. My boxster does a bit with a pipercross and soon to be fitted back boxes. New car didnt, no drama just really quick. 3 litre twin turbo doesnt have the character.

Anyone driving today after the storm?
Saw 3 cars turned into boats Some piss poor judgement going on today.
A Jeep Cherokee decided to enter 2 foot deep water at 20 mph. It emerged the other side with a half torn undertray and rear bumper
Further up cars were queued up on the dual carriageway as one lane was pretty flooded whereas the right hand one was passable. A Transit wasn’t having it so gunned it through, aquaplaned off into the ditch beside the road. That was satisfying

Mito Man wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 5:09 pm Anyone driving today after the storm?
Saw 3 cars turned into boats Some piss poor judgement going on today.
A Jeep Cherokee decided to enter 2 foot deep water at 20 mph. It emerged the other side with a half torn undertray and rear bumper
Further up cars were queued up on the dual carriageway as one lane was pretty flooded whereas the right hand one was passable. A Transit wasn’t having it so gunned it through, aquaplaned off into the ditch beside the road. That was satisfying

Southerners

Saw a lot of rain on the way up north on Weds. I drove past three accidents on the M1, had to steer round an over tuned car at one point.

Got my last pair of winter tyres changed yesterday, As the sky was getting heavy I was expecting the snow to come as I bolted the last one up to thoroughly justify my actions.

Unfortunately it never came, and still hasn’t

Had a bit of a drama when my second spare jack decided to not play any more, managed to cobble together one working one from two dead ones and decided it’s time to stop using cheap crap jacks and buy a half decent one.

Also turns out the 225 45 on an 8.5in rear doesn’t look as bad as expected. Could do with some spacers though

The Jag has failed its MOT on rear drop links but remarkably the tyres are fine.

The electricals are full of niggles, though. The DSC decided to go on strike on the way to Halfords. I gave it some beans to get out the a junction and found myself broadside in the road. Only through some expert level mashing and sawing did I get it back under control while fishtailing it up the road.

God, I missed rear wheel drive!

Manual tyre change. Simples.

integrale_evo wrote: Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:03 am Manual tyre change. Simples.

Glad you got a quick cat scan of the wheel whilst it was apart.