New Car suggestions

[Pinch]

I used to chuckle every time I passed this farm on the M62 West Yorkshire. The original owners back in the early 70's refused to sell their farm when the motorway was built, so the solution was to separate the carriageways and build round the farm as thus;



The last time I passed it a couple of years ago, it was still a working farm.

[Pinch]

I used to enjoy every journey I made along the infamous A9, Scotland. This used to be Scotland's most dangerous major road. I have on many occasions witnessed dawn breaking whilst travelling on this amazing road.

[Tusses]

When I lived up near Manchester a few years back, I was a Trade Plate Driver for a large national company. During peak season, the firm was shifting 1200 cars a day all over the UK - that's 3 cars per driver every weekday - we weren't insured to use the plates during the weekend.

I've done that a few times .. hated it every time .. the only way to make any money way to drive like an idiot and it's more like 4-5 cars a day now ! Plus, your "crew", put pressure on you driving like an idot so they can get to places to move cars to make their money too ...

I "sharnt" be doing it again !

[Tusses]

I was thinking of all this "tech" stuff in cars ..

One of the most tech cars I has was a 67 Old's Toronado.

7l V8 386HP .. mounted traditionally , north south.

but !

it had a split gearbox, half each side of the engine, linked by a tripple pre stretched drive chain, so that it could be front wheel drive !
That left a flat floor in the passenger compartment, with no prop tunnel.

It was pillar-less
All electric windows
Air Con
Cruise Control
Elec seats - front back recline etc.
Power brakes
Power Steering
Auto pop up headlight (vacuum)
Vacuum wiper drive
Adjustable steering column
Foot switch Headlight flash (more cars should have them !
Auto box.
..

it was an ace car .. and what's more, you could work out your journey costs simply .. it was £1 per mile ! lol

[Pinch]

When I lived up near Manchester a few years back, I was a Trade Plate Driver for a large national company. During peak season, the firm was shifting 1200 cars a day all over the UK - that's 3 cars per driver every weekday - we weren't insured to use the plates during the weekend.

I've done that a few times .. hated it every time .. the only way to make any money way to drive like an idiot and it's more like 4-5 cars a day now ! Plus, your "crew", put pressure on you driving like an idot so they can get to places to move cars to make their money too ...

I "sharnt" be doing it again !

It wasn't United Fleet was it?

I should think 4-5 cars a day would mean much more local driving. I used to get all the long distance hauls and it wasn't unusual to be on the road 3-4am. I enjoyed the cars and the driving and had some very good experiences. Our pay was self-employed; 'x' amount per car and then 'x' amount per mile after the first 30 miles, and then you had to know your perks and work them hard to make it worth while.

[Pinch]

My most expensive trip was first drop of the day to Inverness, then collect car 2 from Elgin and deliver to Grangemouth, then collect car 3 from somewhere outside Grangemouth for Liverpool delivery. The last leg of the journey cost me 6 points by two separate Scottish mobile speed jobbies.

[Commander]

Wow, this thread moved a bit since my previous post!

Ok so my current A4 is the only car I have ever owned that applies the brakes if it picks up that coasting alone won't slow you down enough in the appropriate time, I tested it again yesterday and it does apply the brakes, you can feel the difference between coasting (with instantaneous consumption showing 0l/100km) to the brakes being applied. There is however no internal indication that this is happening, I'm sure the brake lights must also illuminate otherwise it would be down right dangerous, and the CC remains engaged. I'm guessing it would be useful in areas where the posted limit changes regularly.

On a side note, DSG is the VAG group's double clutch transmission, it has 1st,3rd and 5th on one shaft and 2nd, 4th and 6th on the second shaft (shaft 1 is inside shaft 2 which is hollow) each shaft is connected to a separate clutch. This allows for very fast and seamless shifts as both 1st and 2nd can be engaged at the same time, as the clutch on 1st is being disengaged the clutch on 2nd is being engaged allowing for near instantaneous shifts.

Regarding the long journey, it was a bit taxing for sure, but we took it easy and stopped for nice breaks ever so often (having a toddler and a pregnant wife in the car ensures the stretches can never be too long! ) I used to do onsite work (call outs to customers, some of which were rather far afield) so I'm rather used to long drives.

[RogerS]

My most expensive trip was first drop of the day to Inverness, then collect car 2 from Elgin and deliver to Grangemouth, then collect car 3 from somewhere outside Grangemouth for Liverpool delivery. The last leg of the journey cost me 6 points by two separate Scottish mobile speed jobbies.

Not sure if you're familiar with Argee on t'other forum but he, IIRC, was an ex-police traffic/high-speed instructor/the very best an when he retired had the wonderful job of ferrying very exotic cars from A to B although I do recall that there was one car that even he, with all his years of skill and experience wasn't insured to drive

[Pinch]

My most expensive trip was first drop of the day to Inverness, then collect car 2 from Elgin and deliver to Grangemouth, then collect car 3 from somewhere outside Grangemouth for Liverpool delivery. The last leg of the journey cost me 6 points by two separate Scottish mobile speed jobbies.

Not sure if you're familiar with Argee on t'other forum but he, IIRC, was an ex-police traffic/high-speed instructor/the very best an when he retired had the wonderful job of ferrying very exotic cars from A to B although I do recall that there was one car that even he, with all his years of skill and experience wasn't insured to drive

No I'm not familiar with Argee. I never got to drive the top end exotic cars like Maserati, Ferrari, Lambos etc, and I don't think our firm catered for any of these. I think these jobs went out to more specialist firms - we were a quantity commercial outfit. I manly drove Audi, BMW and Mercs, some of which were the top end of the fleet in terms of performance and also executive. Some had plenty of grunt with top end speeds around 170 mph. I'm not saying I drove any to their limits, but I had a few adrenaline filled moments during the early hours.

[Phil]

and a pregnant wife in the car )

Congratulations Erich!

Regarding the long journey, it was a bit taxing for sure, but we took it easy and stopped for nice breaks

Take it easy coming back, there are lots of idiots on the roads.

[Phil]

Bob, did you ever consider one of these cars?
They appear to have a good reputation, reliable and comfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufDnUlMim8

[Commander]

and a pregnant wife in the car )

Congratulations Erich!

Regarding the long journey, it was a bit taxing for sure, but we took it easy and stopped for nice breaks

Take it easy coming back, there are lots of idiots on the roads.

Thanks Phil! and we are home safe and sound, as a matter of fact I'm back at the office...

[TrimTheKing]

I used to chuckle every time I passed this farm on the M62 West Yorkshire. The original owners back in the early 70's refused to sell their farm when the motorway was built, so the solution was to separate the carriageways and build round the farm as thus;



The last time I passed it a couple of years ago, it was still a working farm.

Lovely story that. Not true one iota, but a lovely story!

Bit of an urban myth that one, while the farmer didn't want to sell the land, he would have had to under compulsory purchase but then it was found that geologically they couldn't get all 6 lanes next to each other right there because it's too steep, so rather than mess about any longer they let him keep the land and went around him.

Cheers
Mark

[Tusses]

but "Damn" that's a nice pond !

[TrimTheKing]

[RogerS]

but "Damn" that's a nice pond !

It's not. It's a cash crop of Gentian Violets

[Phil]

but "Damn" that's a nice pond !

It's not. It's a cash crop of Gentian Violets