Pieman

5 hours ago, jakebullet said:

Mad Jean's cat has escaped and it's tipped her into being full blown bonkers marbles lost.

Mega paranoia that we're in league with the devil son (the one the mrs last saw 10 years ago). N she's decided to private message Pastor with wild accusations and pray for me, except she stuck in on her facebook wall so the entire world can read it.

You remember that during the air conditioning saga I suspected that your chav neighbours were growing drugs?

I reckon it's your family buying them.

1 minute ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Look at the glint off that rust bleb

Calendar pic, for sure.

Maybe Photonicinduction's Big Boy Power Supply hooked up to their nether regions might make them remember...

(Did anyone find out why he disappeared, reappeared, then disappeared suddenly again from YouTube?)

On 03/05/2024 at 19:23, Matty said:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fuming-dad-banned-parking-vintage-32719113

DO NOT PAINT. Bastards.

Stick another vehicle there that's all shiny and new, then set it on fire and tell them someone else did it.

@Zelandeth - sorry to hear your sad news, hope you eventually have something good happen in life. -hug-

6 hours ago, lesapandre said:

As someone who drives very old cars a lot in Europe I'd recommend: (you probably know all this but hey)

Get as many documents together from the owner in case you are stopped anywhere.

Take away few sets of nitrile gloves in case of needing to do oily stuff.

Stop at the first big supermarket you come to and stock up on oil and bottled water.

Get some fruit, bananas are good and some baked goods and crisps/nuts chocolate for the trip (anything that won't go off).

Take some sun glasses to lessen glare.

Basic kit to pick up out there - I'd try for gaffertape and WD40 at least.

Find some decent screenwash and check the wiper blades.

Get some paper towel at the supermarket - useful and the service areas often have no bog roll.

If you can - I'd take a light sleeping bag and pillow in case of an FTP and good for a quick kip if too tired enough route.

I always carry two phones - and the charger probably won't work in the car so useful to take an extra power pack. Don't forget a travel plug.

Carry at least €300 in cash if all else fails.

Take or buy a paper road atlas - they are useful if needing to work out an alternative route etc.

Stick to the autoroutes as much as possible to save time and energy.

I take Red Bull to drink if  really tired - but a banana and water works just as well.

Try if possible to get off the autoroutes at lunch time in some town - cafes do great lunches.

If it plays up try and limp it to a place with a railway station and leave it somewhere that looks safe - being in French plates it can be left a bit.

French garages are pretty helpful but often very busy so can't help with immediate repairs all the time.

Take some decent warm clothes and a fold up brolly - it can be very wet.

Keep the petrol tank topped up and don't expect to find any attended pumps - most are now card only self service except on the autoroutes - test your card does work in them at the first opportunity.

Make sure the jack and wheel brace are with the car - if not stop in a town and go to the local DIY shed.

Pack extra bulbs and make sure you have the warning triangle and first aid kit and hi-viz required under French law - you might also need them... anything basic is fine.

Little LED torch can be very handy.

Like has been said there are some French holidays coming up - those days there are quite a lot of villages markets/boot fairs going selling second hand stuff - if you find one there will often be good tools for sale if desperate. Local newsagents sell guides.

La Vie De La Auto classic car paper has the weekly guide to car events on - you may be passing on en route.

Buy some window cleaner in the supermarket to keep the screen clean - easier than using the probably puny washers all the time.

Probably loads I have forgotten.  The transport network runs pretty smoothly and a classic car will get a warm welcome from the (very may) French petrolheads.

Enjoy.

Remember he's flying out on Ryanair, so he'll have to buy all these once he arrives - probably the most Ryanair will let him take on board without paying about a grand is probably a pack of condoms.

On 01/05/2024 at 19:16, bunglebus said:

Fiat 600 hydrid electric thingy

Those headlamps make it look drunk.

2 hours ago, jim89 said:

You sound like the gendarme from allo allo 😅 crabtree?

56 minutes ago, dozeydustman said:

Trying to find insurance has been an absolute nightmare. For me and the wife we can get covered for about 50p (exaggeration). To add stepdaughter it shoots up to insane amounts.

Can anyone recommend young driver friendly classic insurance?

Tell her not to bother driving til she's 40.

Also - Tamworth, you were close to my neck of the woods!

On 29/03/2024 at 22:44, EyesWeldedShut said:

(Backtracking her driving record does suggest that she is very arrogant and/or very daft)

I think it's the latter - I remember when she was interviewed by Clarkson on Top Gear many moons ago, and she blatantly didn't have a clue what he was saying to her.  She just doesn't seem able to think for herself at all, sadly.

Brilliantly sunny day here in the Midlands, got some washing dried and some work done on the garden, then cooked a nice dinner.

Decided to go for a walk for the first time in weeks after dinner as I need to exercise more.  Got to the end of my road and you can guess what fucking happened.

I think I'll just stay in my house gaining weight until my heart packs up, cos I'm clearly not allowed to go outside.

Yesterday I drove to Redcar and back for work.  Left at 11am and got there in a little over three hours, only hold-up being roadworks on the A1M which I already knew about and the usual Friday traffic.

On the way back (I live in south Staffs)....

M18 down to one lane heading to the M1.
M1 50mph all the way with average cameras and down to one lane in at least one place.
Signs then display "A38 closed past Derby".
Decide to take the A42/M42 down to Tamworth and take the A5 across.
Get to J23A and nearly crash through the cones as that is closed with no prior warning, apart from one sign adjacent to said cones.
Continue on M1 which is again down to one lane.
Come off at J23 and take the A512 across through Shepshed to pick up the A42 there, behind two cars which brake for every slight bend all the way.
Get onto the M42 and start seeing signs warning of various bits of the A5 being closed as well.
Finally lose temper and start driving in flat-out wanker mode.
Get onto the A5 at Tamworth and find the bit I need isn't actually closed.
Sit at 40mph through yet more fucking roadworks.
Nearly get pushed out of the way by a car and a lorry both of whom don't want to do the 40mph speed limit.
Nearly get taken out by another lorry who thinks red lights on roundabouts don't apply to him.
Cane clutch pulling away from said roundabout in sheer anger.
Finally get home an hour after I should have done having taken longer than it did the other way in Friday daytime traffic.


Next time I go I'll spend the two days leading up to it watching Love Island for 48 hours straight so my brain rots and I die.

Oddest thing I've seen in an art car parade was this...

Take all the plastic crap off the outside and I might kinda like it.

There are barely any Edsels left even in the US, which prat decided to do that to one?!

Been trying to find info on that thing but Google isn't turning up anything.  Looking at the shape of what appears to be the front wheel, are there a pair of bicycles underneath the "helmet"?

The only girlfriend I have ever had never learned to drive.  Hugely ironic considering her mother was a driving instructor!

WOMAN = singular.
WOMEN = plural.

Even BBC news reporters cannot get this right in written content any more.  How hard can it be?

This is brilliant!  I love a 309 and am looking forward to seeing more and more progress on these two.

You know all these people with decrepit cars on their driveways and when anyone asks about them the answer is "I'm gonna get round to doing it up one day"?  Well you, sir, have gone and done it!

Some fantastic stuff on this thread!  That DeSoto....OOOFFF!

15 minutes ago, louiepj said:

I was also unimpressed with the revamp and do not think this old shop front near it on Valebridge rd will survive much longer

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk
 

Is that a ratchet strap holding the bay window in place?  Good grief!

That reminds me of a tiny junk shop just outside Wolverhampton on the A460 that I've mentioned on here before, the sign read "Everything: All goods bought and sold" and still had the old pre-1995 "Phone Day" number next to it.  Last time I went past would have been in the late 2010s, and the place never looked open but there was sometimes a light on, and there was all manner of junk piled almost floor to ceiling.

14 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Is 'bin lorry juice' just a specific thing round here or does anyone else know what I'm talking about?

Not nearly as bad as the dirty water that comes out of a blocked-up washing machine.  That fucking STINKS.

2 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

I think that motorways should have the speed limits removed on sections outside of urban areas and away from junctions/slip roasd etc., Autobahn style.

Driving across Germany in the V8 Lexus was an absolute joy.

Was in Germany at the weekend, did the same thing in our hired VW Tiguan - I had it up to 100mph a few times.

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Speaking of roofing, been trying to get hold of the company who did a whole bunch of work for us last year as there have been a couple of things that have failed over the winter.  Emails bounce and they're not answering their phone.  Great.  So much for the ten year warranty then.

Is every trade or business in your area run by Dominic fucking Chappell or something?

Making me grumpy early yesterday morning was driving from Birmingham to Oxford on the M40 in very heavy rain, and about one quarter of the vehicles I encountered had no lights on at all.  

I spotted a red MG6 the other day and was reminded of this thread.  How's progress?

On 13/03/2024 at 16:49, Wack said:

What does this woman have to do before she sees a prison cell

People can be sent to prison for not paying a TV licence fine FFS 

She didn't even turn up to court 

She's got her licence back but they gave her 8 points so she's now on 11 

What are they going to do when she hits 12, give her another ban she'll ignore 

From what I see of her, she's too fucking thick to understand what the punishments mean.  

I recently saw the TG episode where she was the SIARPC, and she blatantly couldn't understand a single word Clarkson was saying to her.

41 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Give me strength...

Just had another letter from the Council.  Apparently they're under the impression that I have started operating a vehicle restoration or repair business out of my property, in contravention with the local planning regulations.  They are investigating the matter and invite me to provide evidence to prove that I am not in fact operating said business.  Um, how exactly am I supposed to provide evidence of NOT doing something?

Guess that's going to be a fun hour sitting on hold tomorrow trying to get through to speak to an actual person.

This is in addition to the planning enforcement notice received from them a few weeks ago about us having apparently built a fence on their land - despite every single set of plans I've had sight of (including from the land registry) clearly showing our boundary to butt up right against the footpath.  Still waiting for them to confirm the details on that one, though at least they have acknowledged they've received my initial response.

Write back and say "It is quite obvious that you and everyone else just plain don't want me living here, so please find me an alternative and pay for it."