Your fleet running reports

[Broccers]

Cheers. I know you don’t really exist, but I also know you have a stronng relationship with your (imaginary) dad. Soak it up whilst he’s still here dude. (That doesn’t read very positively, but it really was my intent).

Too true. Nice car Mik.

I may have mentioned my brother in law won Morse's Jag in a competition. It was a bit rotten and full of holes where they mounted the TV cameras. Nice tho.

[drcarlos]

Strange urge yesterday to take out the scooby for a spin, so after uncovering and topping up the battery I took the long way to the gym. 330bhp is quick, but feels even faster after a winter driving the l200 and combo. Then got home and saw the top gear preview for tonight, odd.

[mik]

He garaged it as soon as we got home - never drove it again - and it deteriorated badly without use. Clutch and brakes locked on, lots of rust coming through, and unloved leather developed some cracks. When he decided he wanted it no more I had no money or space to take it on - and it needed loads of work. If he’d offered it to me earlier I would have been in the same situation, so no point whining about what might have been - it just couldn’t have happened.

Maybe it's just because I'm a car person, but my dads cars are always a key anchor point for loads of my memories. Unfortunately 80's Vauxhall Cavalier estates (with overdrive 5ths!) and Rover 214SEi's aren't quite as cool as a Jag!

Was the S-Type scrapped or sold?
Edit - sold I guess....last taxed in 2009

I have loads of other car-related memories, but are based around far more ordinary wheels like Austin 1100, Maxi’s, Ambassador, Maestro! I am not sure if my dad was a CG at all - but he had a garage full of tools and worked on everything (car n house) himself. Learned loads from him in that respect.

The Jag was purchased when he was car shopping and realised he could buy this from a small museum - immaculate - with around 50k miles on it for the same price as an ordinary FWD saloon. He was car-sharing with 3 other blokes at the time for work, so bought this as his daily! It was very out of character (mid-life-crisis?) but it was CAF.

[Broccers]

Spent a day with this. Top box on to take a few of us to our deaths later this month.

Isn't it funny when you have the ability to carry loads you never use it....then.....

Still mega fun. I really do love our Mini.

[Explosive Newt]

Nearly died today. Went out for a little drive as it was sunny. Top down, cruise through Chatsworth the world was good.

Stopped for fuel at Matlock and while paying the heavens opened and it hailed, hard. After putting up the top headed off through Matlock Bath the climb up to the A6.

Doing about 60 hit a river which had formed off a cliff. I literally had no control for 4 seconds and only by steering straight and not letting off the throttle managed not to crash big time.

Then it snowed.

All in all no good for my ticker.

Despite some real hairiness through standing water on one or two occasions, the Porker has never gone awry but I think that is luck rather than skill on my part or the car’s. I really need a bad weather car as things have been a challenge this winter, even though I don’t drive it much. Although I thought about going back to the Porsche experience centre and going for their skid pan and gravel circuits to build up some experience of what to do if it really does go wrong.

In other news, I finally found out where the button to wash the headlights is.

[Broccers]

Nearly died today. Went out for a little drive as it was sunny. Top down, cruise through Chatsworth the world was good.

Stopped for fuel at Matlock and while paying the heavens opened and it hailed, hard. After putting up the top headed off through Matlock Bath the climb up to the A6.

Doing about 60 hit a river which had formed off a cliff. I literally had no control for 4 seconds and only by steering straight and not letting off the throttle managed not to crash big time.

Then it snowed.

All in all no good for my ticker.

Despite some real hairiness through standing water on one or two occasions, the Porker has never gone awry but I think that is luck rather than skill on my part or the car’s. I really need a bad weather car as things have been a challenge this winter, even though I don’t drive it much. Although I thought about going back to the Porsche experience centre and going for their skid pan and gravel circuits to build up some experience of what to do if it really does go wrong.

In other news, I finally found out where the button to wash the headlights is.

What is this button you speaketh?

Been bombing around in our mini which is more suited to town and does 29 mpg instead of 14

[Mito Man]

Sounds like a Doug DeMuro button.

[JonMad]

Fabia battery really doesn't like being left off trickle charge. Tried connecting my charger and it complained the battery was too low. Tried my emergency starter battery pack and first off the car was still dead, then after a few tries it gave it enough so I could start the car. Went for a little run and put it on the trickle charger so hopefully starting it at the weekend for Bramley Targa Rally with [mention]Sundayjumper[/mention] will be a trivial matter.

I am also now 1/4 owner of a set of these.

[DeskJockey]

Fabia battery really doesn't like being left off trickle charge. Tried connecting my charger and it complained the battery was too low. Tried my emergency starter battery pack and first off the car was still dead, then after a few tries it gave it enough so I could start the car. Went for a little run and put it on the trickle charger so hopefully starting it at the weekend for Bramley Targa Rally with @Sundayjumper will be a trivial matter.

I am also now 1/4 owner of a set of these.

Linky no worky

[scotta]

Found some photos (ie hard copy prints) of my late dad’s old ‘65 3.8 Manuel S-Type today. Delighted as I didn’t think I had any images of it!

Car was about 25yrs old when these were taken - just after he got it - as some are with the modern white/yellow plates as opposed to the black/silver ones I got him at his next birthday.

I was too young to get on the insurance for years, but after losing interest and taking it off road for 2-3 solar cycles he got it roadworthy for our wedding. We took it up North for a few days before we went off on foreign honeymoon - which was just awesome. Such an event to drive and people waved and flashed constantly. Detuned e-type engine with limited silencing - the XK straight6 makes a great range of sounds. Independent rear axle and 4-wheel disc brakes that the more desirable MkII didn’t have, so it was actually a better drive. Box was only a 4-speed, but separately activated overdrive on 3rd and 4th meant loads of shifting fun. Massive sliding Webasto roof was a rare option that added an extra element too.

He garaged it as soon as we got home - never drove it again - and it deteriorated badly without use. Clutch and brakes locked on, lots of rust coming through, and unloved leather developed some cracks. When he decided he wanted it no more I had no money or space to take it on - and it needed loads of work. If he’d offered it to me earlier I would have been in the same situation, so no point whining about what might have been - it just couldn’t have happened.

Look back with great fondness.

My Dad also had one of these. He used to run a garage with a couple of other guys so bought this at the time. Said he had it doing 130mph at one point which was apparently terrifying.

[scotta]

3 series in for MOT today - See how these LED bulbs fair.

[Sundayjumper]

Fabia battery really doesn't like being left off trickle charge. Tried connecting my charger and it complained the battery was too low. Tried my emergency starter battery pack...

Often connecting the charger & the booster to the car at the same time is enough to persuade the charger to start charging.

[integrale_evo]

3 series in for MOT today - See how these LED bulbs fair.

Technically they should fail for a light source incompatible with the light unit, but hopefully if the beam pattern is ok and the tester isn't an arse they should pass it.

[scotta]

3 series in for MOT today - See how these LED bulbs fair.

Technically they should fail for a light source incompatible with the light unit, but hopefully if the beam pattern is ok and the tester isn't an arse they should pass it.

[Jobbo]

Best fuel economy ever achieved for my Volvo today: 33.4mpg. I managed over 38mpg on a shorter journey on my similarly powerful, similarly heavy, petrol 6-cyl BMW 535i Touring.

I’m not going to be doing my new commute in the Volvo for very long because paying the excess mileage on top of the fuel consumption isn’t cost effective. So, economical new car next month...

[Broccers]

So, economical new car next month...

What you getting?

Even my boxster does 30 on a run.

[16vCento]

Best fuel economy ever achieved for my Volvo today: 33.4mpg. I managed over 38mpg on a shorter journey on my similarly powerful, similarly heavy, petrol 6-cyl BMW 535i Touring.

I’m not going to be doing my new commute in the Volvo for very long because paying the excess mileage on top of the fuel consumption isn’t cost effective. So, economical new car next month...

That's not great is it! Is there a lot of stop start traffic in that journey?

[Jobbo]

No, that was about 70 miles of M5/M6, mostly on cruise at 70-75mph. Hey, 33.4mpg is good compared to the usual a
low 20s average and overall 26.1mpg for the last 8000 miles

Broccers, not sure exactly. 330d or 530d Touring most likely, but possibly Golf GTD. Or Merc CLS.

[Broccers]

Broccers, not sure exactly. 330d or 530d Touring most likely, but possibly Golf GTD. Or Merc CLS.

I'd expect some offloading of cars very soon. Be good time to buy.

[Jobbo]

Broccers, not sure exactly. 330d or 530d Touring most likely, but possibly Golf GTD. Or Merc CLS.

I'd expect some offloading of cars very soon. Be good time to buy.

Yeah, irritatingly there was loads of choice last month and I’m sure there will be with March trade-ins, but currently there’s very little.

Obvious how many BMWs are leased, too; almost all 2016 cars for sale have no options at all