10 Years Ago Today.....

[Negative Creep]

I passed my driving test

 

 

24 cars (currently bidding on a possible 25th)

0 points

0 convictions

0 injuries, aside from countless grazed knuckles attempting car repair

0 write offs

3 Police stops

1 minor fault accident

4 non fault accidents

3 coming-togethers with inanimate objects

2 spins

£best not to think about how much I spent

A lot of breakdowns

 

A pretty good record overall. I remember being told shortly afterwards that the novelty would wear off within weeks, but it still hasn't, even in our speed camera, bus lane, and speed bump infested roads. It's certainly expensive, but you can't put a price on the freedom a licence bestows upon you.

 

Now I need another 10 years of half arsed projects, impulse buys and shite collection missions

[eddyramrod]

That's not a bad record, NC! When I'm on the other computer later I'll go through my records and see how many I'd been through at the 10-year mark (June 88). Here's to many more years...

[eddyramrod]

I've just realised, too: it's December 5th. 31 years ago today I went with my then-girlfriend to her driving test in Crosby. She failed.

[DSdriver]

My girlfriend at the time said that the driving instructor that was teaching us both to drive had "wandering hands". Not with me he didn't, but I wasn't wearing a miniskirt.

[andrew e]

I could use my provisional licence in anger 20 years yesterday....

[eddyramrod]

I just looked at the list... it's a bit jumbled because my parents' cars are in among mine, but as far as I can make out, I had reached exactly the same count at the 10-year mark! The landmark car was this one...

It's long gone now of course.

[Craig the Princess]

I'm six months past the ten year mark

 

18 cars (16 still owned - never spend more than £400. Never driven the one that cost £400)

250,000 miles

0 points

0 convictions

0 injuries, aside from countless grazed knuckles attempting car repair

0 write offs

1 Police stop

0 minor fault accident

2 non fault accidents (Driven into by 2 K-series vehicles)

2 coming-togethers with inanimate objects

1 spin

£best not to think about how much I spent

A lot of breakdowns

 

No not much difference except I hoard

[dollywobbler]

10 years ago today, I had a red and white 2CV, which I still own. Everything else has changed though!

 

I also got told by people that the novelty of driving would wear off. Silly people! Sure, the novelty of driving around cities in rush hour traffic wore off pretty quickly, but there's nowt like a bit of wheel time! I'm finding it quite tricky to remember what other cars I owned ten years ago. I didn't get a digital camera until 2002. I think I probably still owned my Subaru Impreza Sport - which I'd stuffed into a tree after 2 days of ownership. Go me!

[eddyramrod]

Ah, now 10 years ago today... I still had my first Cadillac, and Mrs R was still enjoying her Proton.

We still lived in the house shown, too, although I think I had moved-on the black Metro by then. I rather think I was driving my green Montego, J433 SOP.

[Negative Creep]

I bought number 25 yesterday which is a good way to round it off. Still many cars left on the bucket list, plus I have a vague plan on owning a car from every mainstream manufacturer who have sold cars in this country. Think I'm about halfway there on that one.......

[Skizzer]

Good game. Me, I'm four weeks past 25 years:

 

14 cars and 3 motorbikes plus countless rentals

About 500,000 miles

0 points now but 9 over the years (never had more than 6 at a time and then only briefly, honest officer)

2 police stops

0 injuries apart from some scratches after crawling out of the window and through a hedge after the second of...

...2 coming-togethers with inanimate objects (both in first 18 months after passing test )

1 accidental spin (leading to the first coming-together) but lots of deliberate ones involving a Porsche Cayman and an empty car park full of snow

0 coming-togethers with other vehicles/people, but 1 with a pheasant (RIP pheasant)

£dunno, don't wanna know

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Slightly off-topic, but I am amazed at everyone's low number of police stops. During the early noughties, it felt like I spent half of my time in the back of a Leicestershire Constabulary patrol car, more often than not having been stopped for no reason or for looking 'a bit young to be driving such a big car'. They did get me once in the end, a couple of weeks before I moved out of Leicester in 2006, for allegedly not keeping my distance on the motorway (I wasn't that near, just got fed up at the van driver doing 62 in the inside lane and flashed my lights at him. The traffic police managed to take offence at that from about 40 metres behind, in the slow lane).

 

The most interesting police stops, however, happened outside this country. While on summer holiday from uni, I had taken my Granada to Greece and went to Corfu (my parents live in Thessalonika) with a couple of mates. We decided to pay a visit to the infamous resort of Kavos which is a bit like a chavtown outpost on an otherwise pleasant island. The local police convinced themselves we were carrying drugs and proceeded to send a special squad (about 10 heavily armed men) to investigate. Now that was fun!

 

The other time I won't ever forget was a couple of years ago in Senegal. I rented a Jimny and was driving from Dakar to St Louis. The main 'autoroute' of the country is essentially a B-road for about 80% of the distance. I was fined for illegally overtaking a lorry (continuous white line). Being a white person in West Africa, I stupidly assumed that they would be interested in a bribe of sorts, so I relayed the information through my girlfriend of that week (white man in sub-saharan Africa = GR9 D8IN prozpetks), only to be rebuffed and just asked to pay the regular fine, with receipts and all, which came to the equivalent of 30 quid or so. To top it all off, I was also stopped on the way back by a policeman demanding to see the fire extinguisher and warning triangle that were buried under scores of luggage and other assorted tat in the boot!

[CIH]

10 cars in 10 years - Golf mk2, Seat Cordoba, Polo mk2, Punto mk2, Manta GTE, Manta GTE Exc; Manta GT, Silvia, Bluebird, 924

3 points

1 conviction - does a fixed penalty notice count ? as above anyway

1 injury - got a punch in the face after I bumped a 3-series about a month or so after passing my test lol

2 write offs - One stolen written off, one my fault

0 Police stops - slippin' under the radar!

0 minor fault accident - *cough* offically

1 not so minor fault accident - no one hurt though

1 non fault accident - bumped in the rear when in my Polo

a few coming-togethers with inanimate objects - ha ha nowt serious just a scouple of minor bumps here and there

several spins - trying my luck on frosty a-road roundabouts in my manta, late at night. Expect many more when I take the Silvia to Drift pratice days

£ - wouldn't even like to hazard a guess. Ofcourse, if I had kept the Golf for 10 years I'd probably have £10k in the bank right now.

A couple of minor breakdowns. No big deal.

 

Only 2 regrets, the 924 accident and buying a mk2 punto instead of an AE86 Corolla....

[dollywobbler]

I found it pretty hard to get a tug from the rozzers in Birmingham. In the end, I only managed it once in a Citroen Dyane by doing 50mph in a 30mph zone and overtaking a Police car! (it pulled out of a junction in front of me, though there were two lanes). I got away with just a telling off as well.

 

In the spirit of the game though, it's now 16 years since I passed my test.

50+ cars in 16 years - Can't actually remember, but at least 16 of those have been flat-twin Citroens

0 points

0 convictions

0 injuries

0 write offs - though my Subaru Impreza was pretty mangled.

1 Police stops - Or two if you include getting pulled over by a road block, which doesn't really count.

0 minor fault accident - also *cough* offically. Probably 3 minor fault accidents, none of which involve hitting another car.

1 not so minor fault accident - Subaru. Thankfully no-one was hurt!

1 non fault accident - 2CV got thumped up the backside by a rampant Mondeo

a few coming-togethers with inanimate objects - My first car met a few inanimate objects, including a railing which was my first accident. Scared the shit out of me!

1 spin - that was the Subaru. Skidded along sidewards on two wheels before smashing into a tree. Ended up facing the way I had come. Have had a few scary understeer issues on ice, and one tail-out incident in a 2CV with a flat rear tyre, but I just about held on to it.

£ - many, many thousands!

Quite a few breakdowns, though I've not called for recovery in several years.

[Tayne]

14 years and only 6 cars of my own. Numerous company vehicles, rentals, friend's, family's and even stranger's ("you're english[!], you can drive a stick shift") cars driven.

Three points at the moment and a further nine in the past (two traffic stops, two cameras).

Three other stops (two being out late at night, one for passing a stationary bus).

 

Lots of bumps and scrapes when deliberately off-road and one bad one when unintentionally off-road.

Freshly done by Tayne, on Flickr

[HBR]

It'll be 18years in March since I passed my test.

 

 

13.5 cars used on the road, many more either raced or never got used one way or another.

0 points

0 convictions

0 injuries, aside from countless grazed knuckles attempting car repair & a dodgy knee which could be connected to the write off.

1 write off

2 Police stops

1 major fault accident, see above write off!

2 non fault accidents

3 coming-togethers with inanimate objects

Dont know how mnay spins, some caught & held, at least 3 not, see coming-togethers with inanimate objects

It angers me how much I must have spent, with a bit of guidance I could have had just as much or more fun with cars for much less money!

Far too many breakdowns till I learned I sould fix my own stuff properly!

[Cavcraft]

Passed my car test in 1981, bike test in 1983.

Car ownership well into the hundreds, bikes/scooters/'peds probably about 50 odd.

Got done for no insurance, no MOT, failure to display tax (I didn't actually have any!) and no working indicators in one hit, three or four speeding charges and accused of jumping a red light (which I hadn't done) which I took to court and won my case.

Don't think I've ever had a single point on my licence from car driving, it was always two wheelers that got me into trouble.

[hairnet]

good game good game (rrrrr) (chin etc)

 

13 cars in 20 years passed test in march 91 - passed bike test on same day 5 years later

10 bikes in 15 years

9 points at one stage (all in works vans and all cameras - been clean for 12 years)

1 conviction - does a fixed penalty notice count ? as above anyway

1 injury - a week with concussion after i got pulled out on on the bike

2 write offs - One written off, bike totalled although it still lives non fault horizon written off after a goof gti turned right on a green in front of me

2 Police stops - one a long time ago after i was sat at a light and didnt notice it change dibble behind decided to bore me witha lecture - funnily enuff stopped for speeding in dublin on the bike on sunday - let off cos they cant issue tickets to non irish residents

0 minor fault accident -

1 not so minor fault accident - see above

1 non fault accident - hit by a bus in the fiesta waiting to turn right 40 quid turned into 400

a few coming-togethers with inanimate objects - nope

several spins - beetle on damp A50 roundabout heading for m6 - omg drift yo but didnt catch it oops (and ive just read below lmao)

 

cost horizon free

escort 100 quid

metro 400 quid

bmw e21 800 quid i think

triumph 800

fiesta 40 quid

skoda rapid 300 i think

beetle cant remember 67 i wish id not sold

polo ranger

A couple of minor breakdowns. polo dropped its hall sender but was local so got it home

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Passed test in 2002...

 

2 cars (of my own)

0 points

0 convictions

0 injuries, aside from countless grazed knuckles attempting car repair

0 write offs

0 Police stops

0 minor fault accident

0 non fault accidents

0 coming-togethers with inanimate objects

0 spins

£ Lots

A few breakdowns

 

Bloody hell I'm dull

[warren t claim]

Shit, where do I start? My driving history is somewhat chequered at best.

 

Car and bike test 1987 HGV 2004 and 2006.

 

FUCK KNOWS how many points. Several baldy tyres, no MOT, insurance convictions. A few speeding tickets, 6 months totting up ban and a short term ban for driving at between 111 and 118 mph on the East Lancs Road, 14 days IIRC, About 1988ish and it was a Greater Manchester Police Capri that caught me after the plod Maestro (I think) had given up. I honestly didn't know he was there! Got found not guilty on failing to stop for a traffic Senator 24v on the M53 on a FZR1000 after I showed the magistrate the for sale ad in Auto Trader. The bench put it down to person or persons unknown . A few seat belt tickets and that's about it.

[Pete-M]

Passed test in 1988.

Number of cars I have owned and used as my own - unknown but somewhere between 3-400

Pulled by Dibble - hundreds of times.

Miles covered - average is around 30k year I should imagine.

Accidents (involving other cars, my fault) - 1

Accidents (no other cars, my fault) - 3

Accidents (other cars fault) - 3

Points currently on licence - 0

Longest period without points - 9 years

Highest speed reached in a road car (Germany) - 199 mph

Cost of insurance when test passed £374. Cortina 2.0 Ghia

Most economical car ever owned - Xantia TD

Least economical car ever owned - Range Rover 3.5 Turbo

Shortest period of car ownership - 6 mins

Longest period of car ownership - 2.5 years (and counting)

Most miles covered in one 24 hr period - 1060

Car that covered the most mileage in my ownership - Escort RS2000 Mk5. 30k, 5 months.

[trigger]

As i said in the grin thread, I've been driving since June 1997.

 

31 cars

3 points (SP30)

0 convictions

1 injuries, bad back I'm still suffering with.

1 write offs - Boy racer ploughing into the back of my E reg Fiesta 1.1 at traffic lights.

Several Police stops in my younger years including a drug search and a 5 mile police chase from Braintree (I failed to see a police trying to stop me in the road).

0 minor fault accident

4 non fault accidents - A lady in a R21 Savanna pulled out on me in 2001 crashing my Escort, boy racer crash above, Foreign man in Mk3 Cavalier backing in to my works Citroen C15 van and my big M11 pile up last year.

A few coming together with inanimate objects, a fox and two badgers for starters.

1 spins

£ shed loads

Quite a few breakdowns but mostly from my car delivery days (They never had petrol)

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Slightly off-topic, but I am amazed at everyone's low number of police stops. During the early noughties, it felt like I spent half of my time in the back of a Leicestershire Constabulary patrol car, more often than not having been stopped for no reason or for looking 'a bit young to be driving such a big car'.

 

Don't wish to tempt fate, but I'm surprised that I was never stopped when I was younger. I was either driving my dad's posh new cars or my mum's with 'stop this car if driver looks under 25' stickers. Then when I got my own car I committed a number of ridiculous blunders in front of police cars. In the dark, a lightbar kind of looks like a roof rack!

[Tayne]

Passed test in 1988.

Number of cars I have owned and used as my own - unknown but somewhere between 3-400

Pulled by Dibble - hundreds of times.

Miles covered - average is around 30k year I should imagine.

Accidents (involving other cars, my fault) - 1

Accidents (no other cars, my fault) - 3

Accidents (other cars fault) - 3

Points currently on licence - 0

Longest period without points - 9 years

Highest speed reached in a road car (Germany) - 199 mph

Cost of insurance when test passed £374. Cortina 2.0 Ghia

Most economical car ever owned - Xantia TD

Least economical car ever owned - Range Rover 3.5 Turbo

Shortest period of car ownership - 6 mins

Longest period of car ownership - 2.5 years (and counting)

Most miles covered in one 24 hr period - 1060

Car that covered the most mileage in my ownership - Escort RS2000 Mk5. 30k, 5 months.

 

I have to ask, what car was it?

And was that a speedo reading?

[Pete-M]

I have to ask, what car was it?

And was that a speedo reading?

 

A very mental 500+ bhp 911 Turbo, and that was a sat nav reading.

[RoadworkUK]

Passed test in 1988.

Licence held 12.5 years.

 

Number of cars I have owned: Only 6. I R Underacheeva.

Number of company cars I have been issued: 15ish

Number of cars I've driven; loat count. I've written about at least sixty of them. Probably driven about two hundred.

Pulled by Dibble - Three times. All under ridiculous circumstances and most recently three years ago.

Miles covered - 15k PA commuting, recently at least 15k PA during working hours. Now dropping.

Accidents (involving other cars, my fault) - 1 (managed to find a Ford Taurus to crash into. No damage)

Accidents (no other cars, my fault) - depends how you classify "accident". Probably a dozen or so forecourt mishaps. One idiotic moment including a hydraulic bollard...

Accidents (other cars fault) - 1:- Glancing sideswipe to front bumper of 820e by dozy bint making a phone call. £35 damage to my car, her Escort written off.

Points currently on licence - 3 with 3 currently being removed. Both from "safety partnership" vans in ultra-low-risk areas.

Longest period without points - 9 years. I managed a clean license from 18-27, then my luck changed.

Highest speed reached in a road car - 168 mph

Cost of insurance when test passed £424. Triumph Acclaim!

Most economical car ever owned - Triumph Acclaim!

Least economical car ever owned - Saab 9000 n/a auto.

Shortest period of car ownership - 3 months (Alfa 156)

Longest period of car ownership - 7 years (820e)

Most miles covered in one 28 hr period - 1009 miles, Frinton-On-Sea to Marseille.

Longest Roadtrip: Frinton-On-Sea to Gothenberg, Sweden, via Millau Viaduct, France. 4061 miles in 8 days. Audi A4 1.8t.

Car that covered the most mileage in my ownership - Audi A4 1,8t. 50K, 4 years.

 

And that concludes the voting from the Frinton-On-Sea Jury.

[Pete-M]

Passed test in 1988.

Licence held 12.5 years.

 

Uh?

[Cavcraft]

Oh, fogot about accidents:

 

Started off on a Honda Placcy, had been on the road about 3 days bloke walked out in front of me and I tried to avoid him but hit him. Not nice.

 

Fell off same Honda Placcy on a housing estate after doing Barry Sheene impressions. Pissed off by mates laughing at me for having such a shit bike, I took a few corners leaning right over and was impressed with the sparks off the footpegs. Until I took one corner too many, leant it right over and the start dug into a pot hole resulting in my being catapulted off up the road and coming round a few minutes later with my mates taking in turns to kick me then fall about laughing. Severe gravel rash was the worse injury but it didn't half hurt.

 

Various minor car related bumps, one being when the handbrake failed on my old BX and rolled across the car park straight into a car. Now I always leave cars in gear.

 

Approaching a busy roundabout one morning going to work. I'm in left hand lane, bus in centre lane. Bus pulls out so I think road must be clear and nail my car. Bus suddenly stops and for a split second I wonder why until a I see a Vauxhall Nova and realise I'm going to hit it. Nova spins, hits kerb, goes up in the air and luckily comes back onto four wheels.

Felt sorry for the owner as he was a sound bloke and really shook up. His car got written off which he wasn't happy with but it didn't have cause some damage. I had to get a second hand wing, bonnet and bumper I think and it cost me next to sod all.

[RoadworkUK]

Passed test in 1998.

Licence held 12.5 years.

 

Uh?

 

Edited for having sausage-fingers.

[MK5 Escort]

I've been driving for ten years next June (14th or 16th - can't remember) and I've not long had the reminder through from the Doovla demanding that I update my photo and pay £20 for the privilege...

 

So, from me...

 

Number of cars I have owned and used as my own - Somewhere in the high teens at a rough guess.

Company vehicles in my care for more than a few weeks - 5 (had countless pools cars)

Pulled by Dibble - 0

Miles covered - Approximately 194k company miles and 131k privately.

Accidents (involving other cars, my fault) - 0

Accidents (no other cars, my fault) - 0

Accidents (other cars fault) - 2 - only very minor slow speed shunts

Points currently on licence - 0

Spins - 0

Longest period without points - June 2002 to date

Highest speed reached in a road car - 135mph (Oulton Park). Slow compared to others here

Cost of insurance when test passed - £900 (and that was only as a 'named' driver )

Most economical car ever owned - Audi A3 2.0TDi (squeezed 64.9mpg out of it once, according to the trip computer)

Least economical car ever owned - Has to be the Escort (but it's 21 years old next month to be fair! It's not exactly ever going to win any eco-wars on that front!)

Shortest period of car ownership - Approximately three months

Longest period of car ownership - The Escort, in our family since new and inherited by me in June 2002 and counting...

Most miles covered in one 24 hr period - 745 (Aberdeen and back in a day)

Car that covered the most mileage in my ownership - ‘'91 Mk5 Escort 1.4 LX, estimated around 65k of my own miles and counting since passing my test in 2002. I'm not the only one that drives it though, so likely to be a few thousand out either way.