Delta's Earl Grey Break 2014

[Eric Falce]

I put it on the roof of the Citroen and changed out of my overalls then drove off in the Fiesta and young James drove off in the Citroen, so its James fault.

[GORDON STREETER]

When I had mine nicked my supplier sent me a new one within a couple of days under the insurance, however the first day that I got it I left it on the roof of a car and backed out of the workshop, as it was downhill out of my old workshop it fell off and I ran it over !!!!
I must admit the suppliers were brilliant and just gave me another one

[delta]

Just on the ferry on way back from hockenheim . Funny you should be talking about the volpini . Engine blown in qualy a long way to go for a few laps . Much more sad news I am afraid there was a fatality yesterday . Don't know much more and don't want to post any news of the accident just in case family and friends don't know yet . Very very sad start to the year

[Peter Mallett]

Sorry to read that Iain. Yup a sad start to the season indeed.

[Tim Falce]

I thought my day wasn't going too well but Iain's post makes it seem just fine now. I MOTd the MG this morning and found that the front brakes were binding and on inspection the calliper pistons are knackered and seized, so on removing one I've managed to break a brake pipe, I can't seem to remove the flexi hose from the calliper and I've also chucked a load of cooking oil down my trousers.

I've just started rearranging and clearing out my shed, I've been at it for about an hour and can now just about get inside the doorway. I've got to sit down for a while as it's all been too much for me today.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by delta

Just on the ferry on way back from hockenheim . Funny you should be talking about the volpini . Engine blown in qualy a long way to go for a few laps . Much more sad news I am afraid there was a fatality yesterday . Don't know much more and don't want to post any news of the accident just in case family and friends don't know yet . Very very sad start to the year

There is an entry on the HSCC web site that confirms Friday's fatality.

Very sad news.

I assume there was only one that you are aware of ...

[delta]

I always remember my dad telling me he drove a 1000 miles in 24 hours in the JW Auto Truck back in the 60's. I've just done hockenheim to Henley on Thames which is around 600 miles so I can't imagine how he did that back than . I guess he would of of had to stop at every country for customs . Mind you the French customs stopped and searched me at Calais r then the U K border stopped me and had a look . Then waiting for the ferry the Brits came along again and had a look . Got to Dover and yep you got it searched again . On top of all that Mrs Delta not overjoyed I'm back early started talking about me mowing the grass,

[GORDON STREETER]

That was good going in a truck years ago without modern creature comforts !
I used to drive to Mojacar from Calais via Madrid/Burgos non stop 1300mls in 24hrs in an Anglia van towing a speedboat.
But that was in my "yoof" and now I tend to get tired after about 6hrs on modern motorway roads, and I think that's half the problem as they are boring !

[GORDON STREETER]

I'm not a "morning person" but last night gave me a new lease of life !

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by delta

I always remember my dad telling me he drove a 1000 miles in 24 hours in the JW Auto Truck back in the 60's. I've just done hockenheim to Henley on Thames which is around 600 miles so I can't imagine how he did that back than . I guess he would of of had to stop at every country for customs . Mind you the French customs stopped and searched me at Calais r then the U K border stopped me and had a look . Then waiting for the ferry the Brits came along again and had a look . Got to Dover and yep you got it searched again . On top of all that Mrs Delta not overjoyed I'm back early started talking about me mowing the grass,

I think we turn into lightweights as we get older. I used to do that mileage twice a week to just south of Florence, exactly 1000 miles. I used to get an afternoon ferry to Calais, park up in Saint Omer and start off about 8 the following morning. I normally reached Prato by 6am the following morning just in time for the agent collect the paperwork for customs clearance.
Customs control at Ventimiglia was normally taken care of with some Gitanes and 10 Francs. The Gendarmes at Mont Blanc were a bit stricter hence the additional 400 miles to the journey.
The worst part of the journey would be when you got near to Genoa as you'd be so tired you'd start hallucinating, I think you'd need an Irish registered truck with two or three driver cards to do that now.

[Colin McKay]

What you forget is that we didn't have speed limiters back then, makes a difference!!!

From what I recall Gitanes didn't really cut the mustard in Italy, Marlboro was the official currency and more widely accepted. In Yugo a pair of Levis got you almost anything

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

What you forget is that we didn't have speed limiters back then, makes a difference!!!

I used to drive a 1418 Merc (180bhp, them was the days...not) sometimes grossed up to 45 tons and I could never get much more than 60 out of it with a tail wind and a steep hill in my favour, going up anything more than a speed bump was another story altogether. Fun times though.

[Moosehead]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

I think we turn into lightweights as we get older. I used to do that mileage twice a week to just south of Florence, exactly 1000 miles. I used to get an afternoon ferry to Calais, park up in Saint Omer and start off about 8 the following morning. I normally reached Prato by 6am the following morning just in time for the agent collect the paperwork for customs clearance.
Customs control at Ventimiglia was normally taken care of with some Gitanes and 10 Francs. The Gendarmes at Mont Blanc were a bit stricter hence the additional 400 miles to the journey.
The worst part of the journey would be when you got near to Genoa as you'd be so tired you'd start hallucinating, I think you'd need an Irish registered truck with two or three driver cards to do that now.

Tim, you sound like a guy my dad used to work with - them trips to Italy wasn't hauling so called 'antique furniture' was it?

[MartinSmith]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

That was good going in a truck years ago without modern creature comforts !
I used to drive to Mojacar from Calais via Madrid/Burgos non stop 1300mls in 24hrs in an Anglia van towing a speedboat.
But that was in my "yoof" and now I tend to get tired after about 6hrs on modern motorway roads, and I think that's half the problem as they are boring !

I did Mojacar to Halstead Essex in 22 hours 1498 mls exactly....in a 330 Diesel M Sport non stop

[delta]

O dear started something now . I'm going to keep quiet just in case VOSA watching .

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Moosehead

Tim, you sound like a guy my dad used to work with - them trips to Italy wasn't hauling so called 'antique furniture' was it?

Ermmm, amongst other stuff such as rags and ships anchors, yes.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by ClaireSmith

I did Mojacar to Halstead Essex in 22 hours 1498 mls exactly....in a 330 Diesel M Sport non stop

Bloody luxury Claire, a bit different to an Anglia Van(with speedboat) in the early 70s, plus most of the roads were single carriageway through little villages as well as getting Franco's cops stopping us (just because they could) and pointing machine guns through the vans windows asking for a peseta bribe!!!!!!!

[Colin McKay]

Ha ha, quite right Iain. BTW it's not vosa anymore, DVSA now. 1418 Merc, spent the first week trying to find that (non existent) top gear but it had a bed in the back which counted for more than the mega 240 bhp in my A series ERF. What a pile of ****. On that topic and because I'm still in espana, do Pegaso still exist? They built some beautiful cars back in the day.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

On that topic and because I'm still in espana, do Pegaso still exist? They built some beautiful cars back in the day.

Sadly, no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegaso


Quite an interesting history though.

[terence]

BMWs seem to be very economical.

[MartinSmith]

Originally Posted by terence bower

BMWs seem to be very economical.

Really?...my M3 is a joke for fuel...Im going back to a D I think

[John Turner]

Yeah, the M cars are truly great, but everything costs at least twice as much!

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Bloody luxury Claire, a bit different to an Anglia Van(with speedboat) in the early 70s, plus most of the roads were single carriageway through little villages as well as getting Franco's cops stopping us (just because they could) and pointing machine guns through the vans windows asking for a peseta bribe!!!!!!!

Where's my violin?

You loved it Gordon; it's what made you the carefree man you are today!

[GORDON STREETER]

We think things were brilliant all those years back regards transport but if you drive today some of the old stuff we had you would realise how good modern cars are.
I actually used to swap engines over as I had a twin cam in the van for "normal" tearing about and traffic light GPs and a 1500 GT for long hauls abroad.
Of course as things were easy to work on it was no problem to repair them at the side of the road and I remember changing a clutch in France once in the p***ing rain !

[delta]

Pah!!! that's nuffink Gordon, My first trip to Spa in very old transit way back and the gearbox started making a terrible noise going up that last hill on the E42. Got to the track filled box up with oil and as far as I know she is still running.
What was funny when we came out the paddock to go home in them days you drove up Eau Rouge and all the way around the track to La Source. I could not get up the hill, had to back the van and trailer all the way to the pits and had a good old run up it. Happy days.