Weekly trip to shop for 90yr old uncle.
Popping along minor A-roads, little traffic, Panda purring quietly. Strangely seems more lively of late, no idea why, usually slower with the aircon running, but seems a very happy car right now.
Exiting Lyneham, was being pushed by an Audi. The police car sitting on a garage forecourt made him back off for a few moments, but resumed once out of sight.
A series of tight turns, steep downhill, Panda on 155 tyres will understeer frighteningly here if pushed. Then into a village, 40mph limit, Audi still pushing.
Exit the village, into national speed limit. Gently increase the speed through a few mild bends, at 50mph start to pull ahead, at 60mph pulling away quite quickly. Through a few more bends, left him a long way back. He arrives again when I stopped at some temporary traffic signals, then lost him again soon after. He arrived again entering Chippenham, ignoring the speed limit.
I'm sure his female passenger pointing at the orange Panda each time helped him cope with the embarrassment.

portland_bill said:

Weekly trip to shop for 90yr old uncle.
Popping along minor A-roads, little traffic, Panda purring quietly. Strangely seems more lively of late, no idea why, usually slower with the aircon running, but seems a very happy car right now.
Exiting Lyneham, was being pushed by an Audi. The police car sitting on a garage forecourt made him back off for a few moments, but resumed once out of sight.
A series of tight turns, steep downhill, Panda on 155 tyres will understeer frighteningly here if pushed. Then into a village, 40mph limit, Audi still pushing.
Exit the village, into national speed limit. Gently increase the speed through a few mild bends, at 50mph start to pull ahead, at 60mph pulling away quite quickly. Through a few more bends, left him a long way back. He arrives again when I stopped at some temporary traffic signals, then lost him again soon after. He arrived again entering Chippenham, ignoring the speed limit.
I'm sure his female passenger pointing at the orange Panda each time helped him cope with the embarrassment.

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I really upset a Golf VR6 driver behaving just the same. I came around a bend onto a straight and there he was rammed up the A end of a slower car. I had a better view ahead so kept my toe down and overtook them both. Sure enough Mr Fast soon appears but he could not handle the corners so didn't get past until the next straight. Obviously not happy at the horrible little Panda holding him up. At the next set of bends he was in my way with wall to wall brake lights. An utterly useless driver. His car was wasted on him.

DaveMcT said:

I really upset a Golf VR6 driver
An utterly useless driver. His car was wasted on him.

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Might be another case of..
'Car is £3.5k per month.. so I cannot afford tyres'

DaveMcT said:

I really upset a Golf VR6 driver behaving just the same. I came around a bend onto a straight and there he was rammed up the A end of a slower car. I had a better view ahead so kept my toe down and overtook them both. Sure enough Mr Fast soon appears but he could not handle the corners so didn't get past until the next straight. Obviously not happy at the horrible little Panda holding him up. At the next set of bends he was in my way with wall to wall brake lights. An utterly useless driver. His car was wasted on him.

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Reminds me of a silly moment, I suppose two years ago now.
Leaving home and joining the main road, A BMW had to wait for me at the roundabout, a huge disappointment for him. So he passed very quickly on the uphill straight off the roundabout, into the face of oncoming, so lots of headlamps and horns. I'm not going to push any car up the hill on a cold engine, but this was the AA Driving School Fiesta, 1.0 100hp.
He then proceeded to sit tight behind the truck he'd been following for the last few miles anyway.
3 miles on, we have a long, straight-ish section, downhill into the dip and up again. Before the foliage greens up in Spring, visibility is good. Around the left bend at the start a good view can be had down the nearside. No view if your nose is pressed against the truck.
Out I went, passed him and the truck in one go.
He was stuck there for the next few miles to the outskirts of Swindon, where lanes at the roundabout allowed him to come alongside. Off he went around the roundabout, as a bus pulled out in front of him, and I passed again, gently in the other lane. So much effort for so little reward.

Observation, anticipation, planning.

Our road had a few potholes. Some quite deep if small in diameter.
10 days ago, yellow paint arrived on the road around the holed areas, looking like small sections would be fixed, not just filling holes.
Today the machinery arrived.
First a 'Bobcat'. Wonderful toy. A small four-wheeled unit, with no steering. It is steered and manoeuvered like a tank, by locking wheels and it skips around on its own axis. 'Skidsteer' is the term I think.
First attachment was a narrow scarifier. Several passes over an area created a nice wide shallow trench filled with gravel.
After a while, having travelled to the top of the road doing patches, he returned with a wider attachment, like a heavy duty vacuum cleaner. This passed over the trench and sucked up all the gravel. When the container was full, it was emptied onto the truck like a normal shovel loader. (I think the poor truck was overweight, judging by the low stance and significantly not round tyres.) Amazingly efficient cleanign machine.
Then a little later, the next team arrived and plopped in some new tarmac, and pounded it level.
Looks lovely. Hopefully won't sink.

varesecrazy said:

Might be another case of..
'Car is £3.5k per month.. so I cannot afford tyres'

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Half the time I think that the drivers have never learned how to drive “quickly” anyone can slam their foot on the throttle when going in a straight line, but corners require gears and brakes and throttle and timing, as well as an understanding of what the given car can do.

On my way from Norwich to home I encounter a nice few mile dual carriageway, where a dozen or so black German saloons and hatch backs will hurtle past at full chatter as they have just spent the last 20 miles like myself stuck behind someone doing the speed limit. At the end of this dual carriageway I turn off onto a nice twisty country road to my town, this is maybe a mile or two long. Every time these lunatics who hurtle past at warp speed 7 are doing 40mph on a national speed limit wide but twisty road not because the car can’t go faster it’s just out of the limits of the driver.

Bear in mind my daily driver is a very heavy version of the golf with no roof for structure and only 150 ponies.

I do have good tyres though

As Sabine Schmitt proved, even a transit can shift if the driver is up to the task.

More often than not the experience to get a move on comes with age, not w heavy right foot and a fast car.

AndyRKett said:

Half the time I think that the drivers have never learned how to drive “quickly” anyone can slam their foot on the throttle when going in a straight line, but corners require gears and brakes and throttle and timing, as well as an understanding of what the given car can do.

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What I quite enjoy is that I've had a group of friends since school, 3 of us learned to drive together at 17/18 the other waited until he was 30 odd.

We tend to go karting or do grass track buggies every few years. The guy who learned to drive at 30 he's always at the back he just doesn't have it in him I think he does it to go along his hearts not in it and fair play he drives an Astra with 2 child seats in it...badly looking at the body damage so you'd expect nothing more.

Next fastest is, the guy who has written off 3 cars and has always had hot hatches (on his third vxr now). Basically he has no finesse or fine control, he loves going fast but is unequipped to do so. You can feel it in the car with him on the road he just lets the driver aids save him or happily does 110 on the straights and 40 in the corners. On a go kart track or in a rage buggy he has no where to hide. There was lovely moment last time out where he got stuck behind someone on a kart track for 5 laps. So stuck I came round to lap him. Now despite the helmet you could tell it was him due to hand gestures, taking his hand off the wheel and pumping his fist in frustration, also the whole body language of the kart was angry. But having always had fast cars, momentum conservation and thinking a few corners ahead is not in his repertoire. I sized it up dropped back a few lengths before a corner where they were slow and carried speed round to do them both on the following straight, he was still behind the same guy at the end.

Me and the other guy are the 2 fastest...I've always had slow cars but enjoy driving he's had quite a mixture up to and including a v8 monaro and a Yahama R6 but started in the school of mk1 punto before moving on. Basically I think I'm technically better on loose surface, I beat him at grass track but my self preservation instinct kicks in before his so he's better at wringing the neck of a cart on a sealed surface. That and he's 5'4 so has a distinct weight advantage..

So what's my point? mainly that I think you need to have a feel for the car under you to drive fast properly which comes from practice, and also taking an interest.

StevenRB45 said:

The guy who learned to drive at 30 he's always at the back he just doesn't have it in him

So what's my point? mainly that I think you need to have a feel for the car under you to drive fast properly which comes from practice, and also taking an interest.

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Teaching learners for 16 years gives a nice selection to make sweeping generalisations.
17-19, eager, impatient, try too hard, and beat themselves up when things don't work as they'd hoped.
Often too cocky, heading along a 'single-track with passing places' road, used as a peak time rat-run, against the flow, usually makes them pay attention and accept that they have more to learn. (Cruel, or making them safer?)

20-24, more mature, listen, think, take more care, usually make better drivers. Much easier to teach, very rewarding. Become the best drivers.

25-30, like the 20-24, but usually a little slower to learn, as driving is more a need than a want.

30-45, have left it too long. Didn't do it earlier as no enthusiasm or interest. Now learning to drive because of need, so a bit of a chore. Hard work to teach, at best become adequate, not good. These will always be the ones at the front of the queue, having caused it, dithering at every junction, including the one at the end of their street!

45+ Sorry, I'm fully booked, for the foreseeable future, for ever. Other instructors are available.

I had a colleague who either specialised in older ladies, or unluckily just attracted them somehow. Got to 55+, always driven everywhere by their husband. Death or illness now means they either learn to drive, or always take buses or taxis. Most would take over a year, average was about 15-18 months, some 2-3 years. That would do my head in.
He had one lady, took two years to learn. 18 months after, she contacted him, asking if he'd sit with her on a new journey from home to her new workplace, so that she would cope on the Monday. In 18 months she had only driven to work and back, and to the shops. New job meant new journey, so asked for help.

Farming people are excellent at manoeuvres, tend to plateau at 40mph, also tend to just roll along a slip road and move on out, like they do with a tractor with flashing beacons. Brings some exciting moments.

Fork truck drivers manoeuvre very well.

Lads off 'the estate' are easiest to teach. Good car control, excellent mirror use (always looking for blue lights), great peripheral observation. Just get them to add signals and we're done. (Never get out of the car without the keys)

Don't do many learners now (horrid creatures), concentrate on fleet drivers. Experience, and mileage bring a good base. Usually still lots to do to improve and reduce risk. Supermarket drivers, mostly about using the brain before stuffing the van into any hole and planning their manoeuvres and parking.

What is good is listening to them talk after, in general we all enjoy it but for different reasons and you can see the difference in thought processes.

Astra man...it's been that second before a crash when you know it's coming but you can't do anything but hope..stretched over a 20 minute session.

Hot Hatch man, he has loved it and we need to do this more often! He would have been faster if his cart had been as fast as ours also it kept on snapping sideways on corners where ours didn't. It's like listening to a less knowledgeable Geordie Jeremy Clarkson.

Me and the bloke who trade fastest times are usually discussing things like using the 1 way diff lock in a Rage buggy to negate understeer by intiating a mild drift.

The difference in level of mental capacity it takes each of us to drive fast is quite stark. At one end you've got survival..and the other you've got well how can I go faster?

I think living in the country (Scottish Borders for me) when you're young helps too as you tend to get your kicks rushing - far to fast in my case - around slippery (read mud and cow dung etc, especially good fun if you add in a little bit of rain) winding small roads which are not full of other traffic. You learn a great deal about car control. Then, with age, comes the "thinking bit" where you suddenly realize how easy it is to kill and main yourself and others (luckily my "incidents" only involved minor bodywork damage and embarrassment) so when both are combined you end up with a driver who is, mostly, safe and can make rapid progress without being "flamboyant" - look at how the Sweeds can drive. Generally our cars were all pretty old and under powered - 850 minis and 997 Anglias or even the old side valve Prefect - (I learned skid control in a field driving a 1930 Morris Minor - which looks nothing like what you probably think of as a Morris Minor - and when I'd "broken" it a 1936 Morris 8 tourer. I still am almost reduced to tears when I think of the abuse I handed out to these cars and I'd give a lot to have one to drive gently down country roads on sunny days. The Minor was called Esmiralda and the 8 was Genefine. I'm so sorry girls!

I had a go at rallying later in my 1275 Cooper "S" but was far too worried about damaging the car to have any real success! However it all came to fruition a number of years ago when my youngest boy got married. One of the Stag activities was to go Go Cart racing in "propper" fast carts - top speeds around 60 mph I think? - I had a go at that too when young with my Trocart and it's uncompetitive Clinton engine, again I was usually and pathetically at the back of the field. I was expecting all these youngsters to absolutely wipe the floor with me, but no! In the first heat I came 4th, mostly because my glasses were bouncing up and down on my nose so much that I couldn't focus on what I was doing or judge distances. Before the next heat I dived into the office and "liberated" some substantial elastic bands which I used to securely strap the glasses to my face. I came second in that one
and 3rd in the final. This was out of a field of maybe 20 young testosterone fuelled chaps. His friends still talk of it to this day.

I experienced a similar surprised reaction when we went shooting Clays when my older boy got married. I got 2nd highest score, being beaten only by one of his fellow Marines. All that target practice in the ACF stood me in good stead. Whilst having done a fair amount of shooting with small bore .22 (I had a BSA Martini International Mk2 at one time) and a wee bit of larger .303 stuff the only shotgun I used regularly when younger was a 20 bore Remington which my father bought for me to "chum" him when he went pidgeon shooting. The 12 bore I knew was going to kick more so was ready for it and I took care to hold it good and snug to my shoulder. I was not expecting to end up with a darned great bruise on my right cheekbone due to the kick! However the chap running the event did ask me afterward if I would like to join their club which inflated my ego no end and seemed to impress "the lads". I have to say that by my early 20's I got a massive dose of guilt/compassion and felt sick at the thought of ever killing anything ever again so that was when I bought the target rifle and only ever shot inanimate objects from then on.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

I think living in the country (Scottish Borders for me) when you're young helps too as you tend to get your kicks rushing - far to fast in my case - around slippery (read mud and cow dung etc, especially good fun if you add in a little bit of rain) winding small roads which are not full of other traffic. You learn a great deal about car control.

I experienced a similar surprised reaction when we went shooting Clays...
The 12 bore I knew was going to kick more so was ready for it and I took care to hold it good and snug to my shoulder. I was not expecting to end up with a darned great bruise on my right cheekbone due to the kick!

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The DAF 66, with its good weight balance, engine in front, transmission under the back seat, despite skinny tyres would stick and handle well. BUT. When it let go, it did so abruptly, no warning, and all four at once. Needed space and quick reactions to catch that and stay on the tarmac. Luckily only ever suffered embarrassment.

I did do a lot of minor motorsport events, autotests mostly, around cones on an old airfield. In a Triumph Stag auto. An uncompetitive car, but quick on the straight sections where the more nimble cars lost time changing gear. It was Dad's car, he modified the gearchange gate so that a straight push forwards or back would run from 1 to R. Drove it one foot on each pedal, one handon the wheel, the other on the gear lever. When we ran out of room, we could shunt it very quickly. Often on the twisty bits we could spin the steering faster than the pump could keep up. I did collect quite a few trophies.
We still have the car, needs a full restoration, and is worth almost nothing, anyone want a Stag as a hobby?
Did a couple of production car trials in it too, over fields and up very steep grassy/muddy hills. Somewhere I have a pic of me cresting a rise with one front wheel waving in the air.
Had a wonderful session around Castle Combe race circuit. 3rd fastest car, behind race prepared TR7 and TR6.

Went clay shooting once.
Thinking back, poorly organised and run. No advice on clothing, or padding, none avialable for participants.
Fired the first two shots, hit both clays. Joined the queue for the next turn. By the time I got to go again, the shoulder hurt like hell. The next two shots missed as a result, as I was stiffening ready for the pain.
Didn't bother to join the queue again.

Felt like royalty today every village i drove through loads out people out side their houses waving to me with flags
Not my own village though miserable gits no one was outside.

portland_bill said:

I did do a lot of minor motorsport events, autotests mostly, around cones on an old airfield. In a Triumph Stag auto.

We still have the car, needs a full restoration, and is worth almost nothing, anyone want a Stag as a hobby?
Did a couple of production car trials in it too, over fields and up very steep grassy/muddy hills. Somewhere I have a pic of me cresting a rise with one front wheel waving in the air.

Went clay shooting once.
Thinking back, poorly organised and run. No advice on clothing, or padding, none avialable for participants.

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Wow PB. Autotesting in an automatic Stag. I found it difficult enough in my Mini Cooper! Massive respect to you.

Does the Stag still have it's original engine? If so you might find it's worth more than you think. So many have had the Rover 3.5 substituted. A friend of mine up here has one and it has one of the best exhaust notes around. The Daimler Dart (SP 250) makes a lovely noise too.

Our clay shoot was very well organized. Started off with an informal get together in the club house during which the organizers mingled and asked questions. I realize now that what they were doing was a preliminary appraisal of who knew their way around gun use and who didn't and making sure no-one had been drinking etc. Then we got a quite sharp safety talking to but pleasantly done. Finally we were fitted, as far as possible, to suitable guns and the least experienced taken to one side and given a familiarization session. There were three loaders looking after the novices and two others who watched us all the time and immediately pulled anyone up who even looked as if he was going to do something dangerous - like not keeping a gun pointed down range or failing to keep it "broken" until ready to take the firing point - where the cartridges were handed out. In fact the guns stayed by the firing points. It was a great day out. We were there for at least a couple of hours. My boy was in the Marines at that time and a number of the guests were regimental friends who were, of course, pretty handy with the "gear" I think the shooting centre staff were really enjoying having them there. Most of the clays presented during the "official" entertainment were simple "going away" or "coming at you" shots. But towards the end they were giving us a few "crossing" and "rolling along the ground" ones - running rabbits I think they're called? - the "lads" seldom missed, it was all very entertaining and I had a jolly good time - which is just as well because it lightened my pocketbook considerably!

dave said:

Felt like royalty today every village i drove through loads out people out side their houses waving to me with flags
Not my own village though miserable gits no one was outside.

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I sat in my back garden this morning, looking up towards the town, hoping to see the Typhoon flight which I understood was going to overfly Edinburgh today - didn't see or hear them though. Sometimes there's old planes too - DC3 Dakota etc, I love the sound of a radial engine - but not today. They fired the Castle "one o'clock" gun to signify the silence and again when it was finished and I stood and thought about my Dad fighting in Burma (but I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like) He had shrapnel from a shell in his neck and serious scars on his bottom, through being shot, to the day he died. It used to astonish me that he used to joke about it having taught him how to "army crawl" properly and keep his a*s* down! I also thought about my Mum who did "military" work in London right through the worst of the Blitz. The sacrifices this generation made for us all is something we can only think about and be thankful to them for doing for us. I would very occasionally overhear some of the conversation from the kitchen when my Dad's two Burma Star pals were round for a drink. Disturbing stuff, but I was always chased away before I could hear very much - I'd have been maybe 5,6 or 7 years old. I remember how, for many years, loud "sharp" noises would "spook" him. A slamming door, a big metal spoon dropped on the kitchen floor slabs, etc. The look in his eyes I can not forget. What have I ever done to deserve to have never had to fight a war in my life? I feel very privileged.

After lunch we took our usual walk down past the big "posh" houses standing in their own grounds, so it's very quiet with no-one around, to the harbour. Several cars going much much to fast. Maybe it's youngsters getting frustrated with the lockdown? The tide was fully in and people were working on their boats with a couple even running engines. The two big fishing boats were out. The wee Cafe on the corner was open doing take away food - haven't seen that for a while, unfortunately, the pie shop is still closed! Noticeably more cars going along the sea front road and also saw more people out in the park, on our way home, than usual with at least 3 small groups sitting on rugs and a number of unsupervised children running around. Lots of people and dogs too throwing balls with those long "ball throwing" sticks so excited dogs running around. Do people really not realize how dangerous this is? I suppose they might just have been large families who all live together though? Then, just as we were turning into our road end two young sweaty heavy breathing young men ran up behind and right on past us within inches! We didn't hear them coming and it actually gave us quite a fright. Why did they choose not to give us, obviously doddery oldies, a wide berth? There was no lack of room. Just didn't think about it I suppose? Wonder how much longer our Nicola can keep the lid on it all?

Stay safe everyone, kind regards
Jock

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

I suppose they might just have been large families who all live together though? Then, just as we were turning into our road end two young sweaty heavy breathing young men ran up behind and right on past us within inches! We didn't hear them coming and it actually gave us quite a fright. Why did they choose not to give us, obviously doddery oldies, a wide berth? There was no lack of room. Just didn't think about it I suppose? Wonder how much longer our Nicola can keep the lid on it all?

Stay safe everyone, kind regards
Jock

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The people i see were all just in their own front gardens, very strange to see but also nice, some were even in military uniform or dressed as land girls etc.

I also saw speeding drivers though on the A12 and A14 very fast like over 100. But not much traffic at all, it felt very strange and even more so when i remembers it was a Friday on a bank holiday weekend.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Does the Stag still have it's original engine?

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It still has a Stag engine.
When Dad bought it, at 35k miles, it had a factory replacement engine already, and had had work done.
Over the years he has done work several times, and when taken off the road, needed a full overhaul.
He was capable of good mechanical work, but sadly would prefer to bodge, doing it right only as a last resort. He decided it needed an oil cooler, so fitted one. I asked if he'd got a high capacity oil pump to go with it, but no, theory of hydraulics is that pressure will be equal throughout the oil, so the longer distance for the oil to travel should make no difference. That's the theory, but experience says an oil cooler needs a bigger pump pushing more oil.
He started it, drove about 500 yds and realised the oil pressure gauge was not going to rise off the stop. Disconnected the cooler pipework, but of course, damage already done.

1984 (I think) we did the Club Triumph Round Britain Run. Start at Cockfosters, North London at teatime Friday, breakfast at John O Groats Saturday morning, breakfast at Land's End Sunday morning, then back to London around teatime. Still got the Barclaycard bill for the fuel. On top of that, he had started in Bristol, down to Weymouth to collect me, then off to London. Then return. I got to bed around midnight, him a couple of hours later.

The Stag had a reputation for overheating.
Blocks were not cleaned of casting sand, restricting coolant flow, water pumps were marginal, as was the radiator size.
Additionally, he discovered that teh air passing through the radiator had nowhere to go. Usually it will pass along the tunnel and dissipate under the rear bumper. It cannot get out below the engine as that is high pressure. The autobox bellhousing fills the transmission tunnel, so little air can pass, so where does the hot air go.
He set fire to an oily rag, let it smoulder to create lots of smoke, and deposited it under the bonnet. Then drove up the road, roof off, to see where the smoke was exiting. It didn't. The air passes through the radiator, then travels forward past the headlamps, and circles back into the radiator, so the 'cooling' air is circulating.
The fix. Two stout cardboard baffles beside the headlamps, and slots in the front of the bonnet to let the air escape. Found the right position by sticking lots of bits of wool to the outside, driving up the road with my brother hanging out over front, back and sides watching how the wool moved. At the front of the bonnet they stood upright, showing poor airflow, but a low pressure area. he cut some neat slots, set fire to another rag, and off he went. Now two lovely plumes of smoke up out of the slots.
Never overheated again, even around Castle Combe, or at 113mph up the A38 from Plymouth, where a Lotus Elan blew its engine keeping up, - oops. To rub it in, we towed him to the services.

portland_bill said:

The Stag had a reputation for overheating.

He set fire to an oily rag, let it smoulder to create lots of smoke, and deposited it under the bonnet. Then drove up the road, roof off, to see where the smoke was exiting. It didn't.

driving up the road with my brother hanging out over front, back and sides watching how the wool moved.

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We would occasionally see a Stag in our workshop but not often, I always thought they were a good looking car but did indeed have a reputation for overheating. Although I never worked on one I seem to remember there being a real "who Ha" when a rear hub had to be dismantled. My memory is unclear but I think it involved a lot of corroded fixings in an alloy hub/suspension arm?

I read an article, not that long ago, may have been in Car Mechanics? about a wee business which has specialized in making the Stag engine reliable. Water pumps were an area especially singled out for attention.

The "development" work carried out by your Dad and brother conjure up wonderful images in my imagination - I highly approve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHL8WfTLgR4

3:05

I know that car

Eklipze3k said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHL8WfTLgR4

3:05

I know that car

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“The Dodge Ram sprayer, mainly because it’s got the biggest f##king bracket bolted right to the front of it” lmfao

God this boy is dangerous....May the Lord protect him in what unless he decides to be an idiot is still an entirely safe situation.



Americans... You can tell he means business cos he's put the torque converter auto into manual mode as well switching the esp and traction off.