Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Thanks for the comments and all the 'likes'!Next thing I need to do is get it out into an empty car park or big layby and get some good quality pics for the agreed value insurance. There wasn't really anywhere to pull over today that wasn't a wet muddy mess.Take it to Nevada. Lots of room and no mud. Not like the UK.... danthecapriman and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Nevada eh? I'd love to, and I'd stay there too.I'd love to never be cold again or see another drop of rain for the rest of my life. Bobthebeard and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Nevada eh? I'd love to, and I'd stay there too.I'd love to never be cold again or see another drop of rain for the rest of my life.Currently planning a trip to the USA with Mrs Beard. Can't afford it this year, but planned for 2017. A four week road trip. If it wasn't for the Bearddog and Motherbeard we would never come back given the choice. Mrs Beard has arthritis in her hands and the cold, damp weather here makes her miserable in winter. I just hate the damp weather period. Maybe one day... tooSavvy and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Currently planning a trip to the USA with Mrs Beard. Can't afford it this year, but planned for 2017. A four week road trip. If it wasn't for the Bearddog and Motherbeard we would never come back given the choice.I'd love to do a USA road trip holiday.In fact, what you could (and definitely should) do is, fly out there, buy a big old yank tank then drive it across the country and enjoy the holiday. Then finish the trip somewhere like Florida or New York and fly home, after having loaded the car onto a ship to bring back with you! Of course you could also fill the trunk with spares for your other yanks too... Bobthebeard and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'd love to do a USA road trip holiday.In fact, what you could (and definitely should) do is, fly out there, buy a big old yank tank then drive it across the country and enjoy the holiday. Then finish the trip somewhere like Florida or New York and fly home, after having loaded the car onto a ship to bring back with you! Of course you could also fill the trunk with spares for your other yanks too...Strangely enough... All part of the plan.I haz a contact in Newark who is up for supplying a car. The rest is up to me! danthecapriman, eddyramrod and Skizzer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 You've got to do it! It's just crying out to be done. I don't think it's all that expensive if you can do everything you can yourself either. That's the way I'm going to do the next one (or few!). Plus if it's old enough it's exempt from duty, or one of those stupid taxes anyway, once it gets here. This Mercury came in as a collectors item and I didn't have to pay it. Bobthebeard and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 You've got to do it! It's just crying out to be done.I don't think it's all that expensive if you can do everything you can yourself either. That's the way I'm going to do the next one (or few!). Plus if it's old enough it's exempt from duty, or one of those stupid taxes anyway, once it gets here. This Mercury came in as a collectors item and I didn't have to pay it.It will be done. One way or the other! Mrs Beard spent a couple of months back in the '70's with her first husband driving across the USA doing driveaways. Delivering cars. She is well up for going back there. We are saving up. I have always been a bit meh about foreign travel. Been all over the place, but never America. I just want to go there now. It draws me. Yeah, lots of stereotype stuff, but hey! eddyramrod and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm not that into travel. Not been on a foreign holiday since 2002! Tbh though, the only places in the world I'm interested in going to are USA, Canada, and maybe Aus or NZ. The rest of the world doesn't really interest me at all. tooSavvy, eddyramrod, STUNO and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm not that into travel. Not been on a foreign holiday since 2002!Tbh though, the only places in the world I'm interested in going to are USA, Canada, and maybe Aus or NZ. The rest of the world doesn't really interest me at all.Malaysia is good... Been there lots. Australia was ok.. New Zealand also ok...... Never been to Canada. The yanks have the best cars and and such a varied country. So much to see and experience IMHO. danthecapriman and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I missed this thread as it progressed but have just read through it. It is a fabulous car and I don't think that what you have paid to get it fettled is excessive if it gets the car back to "as new". There are "restored" Fiat 500's for sale with higher asking prices than that! Good on you and I hope you really enjoy the car! Bobthebeard and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm not that into travel. Not been on a foreign holiday since 2002!Tbh though, the only places in the world I'm interested in going to are USA, Canada, and maybe Aus or NZ. The rest of the world doesn't really interest me at all.Az the recruiting posters never say... "Join up, travel all over the globe, visit interesting places, meet foreigners & kill them" TS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Az the recruiting posters never say..."Join up, travel all over the globe, visit interesting places, meet foreigners & kill them"TSErrmm... Now why would he, or I do that? Odd reply! tooSavvy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'd love to do a USA road trip holiday.I'm doing one in a couple of months - Chigaco to LA. Unfortunately I'm doing it in a modern Econoline-based camper, not a '70s land yacht. Still can't wait though. danthecapriman, Bobthebeard and alf892 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Errmm... Now why would he, or I do that? Odd reply!A somewhat jaundiced slant on 'not really interested in the rest of the world'. I'm not being profound - heaven forbid TS Bobthebeard and STUNO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Odd reply! You sound surprised... tooSavvy, on 16 Jan 2016 - 5:14 PM, said: /\That was the clue right there. DeeJay, tooSavvy, STUNO and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Rustbucket Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Well, this is just magnificent. Every time I look at photos of this car I am reminded why I love old American cars. It is beautiful - as so many of them are. And so bloody charismatic! eddyramrod and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort1977 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Great to see this back and hope it now behaves itself. It must have some real presecence on Uk roads. Bobthebeard - wouldn't you be better to buy a dry state car in the southwest than in Newark? danthecapriman and Clanger 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Great to see this back and hope it now behaves itself. It must have some real presecence on Uk roads. It does really stand out. It's so big and the styling just looks so out of place over here!I drove it through East Meon, which is a small typically English village. It looks ridiculous in places like that! Over sized and very loud American styling mixed in with old English buildings, stone church on the hill and narrow roads! eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_earwig Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I'm doing one in a couple of months - Chigaco to LA. Unfortunately I'm doing it in a modern Econoline-based camper, not a '70s land yacht. Still can't wait though.I did a small scale version of this with some mates, must have been 30 years ago (my god!), just the usual couple of weeks though. We hired a big old Chrysler (can't remember what but it had Avenger/180 styling, we called it The Blue Whore) from a company called "Rent A Heap Cheap". Drove it from Santa Cruz California out to Yosemite via Big Sur. The car was fine, apart from half the dials were static and the brake lights didn't work. danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 I've done a bunch of road trips, but always with a rental car. I haven't had the means or, tbh, the courage, to go out and buy one to ship back. I came close though, in 2010! If we hadn't already shipped ourselves to Cyprus I would have been driving a 1978 Mercury Cougar, and left myself with no spending money at all. danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 I've done a bunch of road trips, but always with a rental car. I haven't had the means or, tbh, the courage, to go out and buy one to ship back. I came close though, in 2010! If we hadn't already shipped ourselves to Cyprus I would have been driving a 1978 Mercury Cougar, and left myself with no spending money at all.You should have bought it Eddy. That's exactly what spending money is for! Isn't it? eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 When I'm on the other computer I'll show you.... you will repeat yourself! If we had been coming back to UK I would have found a way, and I'd still have it now because it was gorgeous. I only didn't because we were living in Cyprus then. Shipping to there and registering it would have been extra headaches and expense, and the tax on a 5.8 litre V8 would have ruined me faster than the healthcare bills did! danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 That looks wonderful, get out there and enjoy it! Can you get some photos of it next to a modern car, interested to see how it stacks up next to a new big Merc or something. I bet a modern car is wider, but if there was a Top Trumps category for overhang, you'd have the best car in the pack. tooSavvy and danthecapriman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 This things longer than most modern cars. In fact it's actually longer than a lot of normal size vans! My mk2 Transit is a LWB model and it's shorter than the Mercury.Width wise I'd say it's got most cars beat too. It's almost exactly the same width as my 60 plate Mercedes Sprinter van, I think it's only the vans door mirrors that give it the edge, so I'd guess very few cars will be as wide or wider.I'll try to get some pics next time it's out though but as a rough guide it won't fit in one car park parking bay, you need two to get the length in. It just about goes in width wise but you'd struggle to open the doors if someone was parked next to it. You have to drive it like you'd drive a big van too, leave plenty of room on corners at junctions or you'll cut the back wheels over the pavement. Same on country lanes, keep well over or it blocks the road! Edit, length is 222.5'' Width is 79.6'' eddyramrod and garethj 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 This things longer than most modern cars. In fact it's actually longer than a lot of normal size vans! My mk2 Transit is a LWB model and it's shorter than the Mercury. Width wise I'd say it's got most cars beat too. It's almost exactly the same width as my 60 plate Mercedes Sprinter van, I think it's only the vans door mirrors that give it the edge, so I'd guess very few cars will be as wide or wider. I'll try to get some pics next time it's out though but as a rough guide it won't fit in one car park parking bay, you need two to get the length in. It just about goes in width wise but you'd struggle to open the doors if someone was parked next to it. You have to drive it like you'd drive a big van too, leave plenty of room on corners at junctions or you'll cut the back wheels over the pavement. Same on country lanes, keep well over or it blocks the road! Edit, length is 222.5'' Width is 79.6'' We have a Tenth Gen 1994 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe and yours is 20 inches longer and 4 inches wider! Length 202.2 in (5,140 mm) (1992–94) Width 75.5 in (1,920 mm) danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Thing is, all the length must be in the bonnet and boot, sorry, hood and trunk areas as I don't actually think the cabin area is particularly big. I mean it's big inside but not when you consider how big the car is if that makes sense. Plus the bumpers are pretty chunky and stick out a fair way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I took our Eldorado to Shitefest 2015 and somebody tried to ride in the back but did't stay for long in that cramped space! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy18s Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Currently planning a trip to the USA with Mrs Beard. Can't afford it this year, but planned for 2017. A four week road trip. If it wasn't for the Bearddog and Motherbeard we would never come back given the choice. Mrs Beard has arthritis in her hands and the cold, damp weather here makes her miserable in winter. I just hate the damp weather period. Maybe one day...In the planning stages of something similar, but on a bikeThe Mrs spends time at a horse ranch in Arizona, ala City Slickers but with horses,so I'll have time to buy a bike and take off Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 We did our grand tour in 2002 when Mrs Cyl was working in the States, 6 weeks 11,000 miles in a rented 2002 Chrysler Sebring convertible. We started in Houston, Texas where she was working, headed East to Washington DC back to Houston to show them we had not sold the rental car (they serviced it for us)and then onto California, a trip of a lifetime. Sigmund Fraud, danthecapriman, chaseracer and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I did LA to San Francisco in a Sebring convertible in 2005. anonymous user, eddyramrod, Sigmund Fraud and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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