Jump to content

ex Pete Fleet Vauxhall Senator collection roadtrip stuff!


cms206

Recommended Posts

"As with many things in this life, grace and beauty on the surface often belie the activity beneath...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNTh_gTjxVw&list=FLho1preS1yYeeU4FRNeq8Gw&index=11&feature=plpp_video

 

I was temporarily overtaken by insanity last week and decided that the only sensible thing to do in light of OMG FYOOL KHAOZ and petrol prices never having been higher, was to sell everything I own and purchase a 3.0i 24v Vauxhall Senator from the esteemed Mr Pete M. Esq. of this parish. With cheerful prodding from rml245/Abe along the lines of "do it you grunting mong" a date was set and on Sunday April 1st we set off from the end of my street for the North West, or as we call it up here, the South.

 

We set off at 8.45am in Abe's 164k ex driving school British Leyland Yaris, a jolly frugal little thing and surprisingly comfortable. It did approximately 70mph all the way down with ease...

 

7041953573_326c1fa85a_z.jpg

70... ish. by cms206, on Flickr

 

... after stopping at Westmorland, my preferred service station for journeys so far away, to procure noms we sat for a bit waiting for chod. A W-reg Hyundai Sonata was all that showed up and the bloke didn't get out, so no pics.

 

As I am a technophobe I purchased a map here which was not required. Boo, hiss.

 

We continued South, on what turned out to be a remarkably chod free Sunday morning. After ignoring Pete's directions we drove past his house, and he came to find us in the 604 - a bloody glorious machine which was a top save by anyone's standards - which more than made up for the lack of chod on the road down.

 

Senator was poked and prodded and deemed to be as Pete described. Cash was counted, papers were signed...

 

6890496850_bbb5fc5b04_z.jpg

Doing the Deed by routemaster2345, on Flickr

 

... and attention was turned to the 604, which was photographed to within an inch of it's life. Pete kindly offered to take us a run round the block in it, which was confirmed by two fat hairy men shouting "SHOTGUN!" and running in it's general direction.

 

7036609291_177348a943_z.jpg

Project 365+1 (90) by routemaster2345, on Flickr

 

After a most pleasant hurl and dealing with resultant tumescence in the male generative member, we shook hands and headed for the North. Remarkably chod free that journey was too, although as we sat in traffic caused by some mouth breather managing to roll a Renault Clio on a straight stretch of three-lane blacktop there was some mental bastard A-framing a Bedford Rascal pickup behind a Nissan Serena.

 

7036614707_d8041b26d1_z.jpg

A-Framin' by routemaster2345, on Flickr

 

Stopped again to empty bladders and take another couple of photos...

 

7036619005_4d59b7fa4a_z.jpg

DSCF0180 by routemaster2345, on Flickr

 

7041954399_45ff2d4b1c_z.jpg

J455 PKX by cms206, on Flickr

 

... and then up the road. Worked out to be about 260 miles from Chez Pete to my house including a bit of cocking about to go for fish suppers on arrival here, averaging a thoroughly reasonable 33.2mpg. It's now sitting at about 305 miles or thereabouts on the trip computer and the shit eating grin hasn't yet left my face. It's a bloody lovely thing and other than a couple of mildly irritating faults which developed on the journey north which I've not yet bothered to investigate I can't honestly fault it. My mate Ian has decreed that he is now looking for one after a quick blezz in mine, and his father in law who worked in traffic at Strathclyde Police is apparantly itching for a shot as well; as he does some fettling for me on occasion, I think that is only fair...

 

So to sum up, big, wafty, surprisingly economical, unbelieveably comfortable and absolutely the best 695 eurodollarpounds I have ever spent ever.

 

Thanks to Pete for selling me it, Admiral for insuring it, Abe for running me down to get it, the Senator for behaving itself impeccably and the general public for not yet managing to steal it.

 

Also to the bloke in the Volvo FM tipper last night who said I was to run past his depot as they've got two lying, if I need any bits. Cheers!

 

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mmmmmm - chip cutter.

I'll be keeping my eye eagled for this as I'm pretty sure you're not far from my work.

Seems like a great buy for the money and nice work in the light footed department for getting 33mpg. Just shows you big engines can do decent mpg when driven sensibly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can confirm it's lack of shite credentials Dolly...Having been properly green with jealousy since Andy picked it up. Must say thanks to him for letting me run him down and to Pete for a trip round in the 604.

YOU KAN HAZ WAFTAGE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great photo's, love reading threads like this.

 

Always fancied a Senator, I think they are really imposing looking vehicles. No wonder the motorway police used them I imagine seeing one of those coming up behind you in your rear view mirror would have been quite disturbing!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mmmmmm - chip cutter.

I'll be keeping my eye eagled for this as I'm pretty sure you're not far from my work.

Seems like a great buy for the money and nice work in the light footed department for getting 33mpg. Just shows you big engines can do decent mpg when driven sensibly.

 

I'm probably not that far away, actually; if you see me gimme a wave :)

 

I wasn't even driving that sensibly... I upset a cockend in a Kia Rio with it, but the rest of the time it was sitting at 70-80mph on the cruise with the aircon on and the stereo on - I've retuned all the presets to Radio 2 as that seems the decent thing to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've loved these big straight 6 Vauxhalls ever since my first Royale many years ago. Excellent purchase and so glad to see it's gone to someone who'll appreciate the epic waftage of the thing and not some RWDGR84Driftzorzzzz mong like so many of them do.

If I see you out and about in the mean streets of Glasgow I'll definitely give you a flash and a wave. :D

 

Great story and pics too. Now if only we had a "shite parking" thread on here...... :lol::lol:

 

7036619005_4d59b7fa4a_z.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm officially jealous. If I hadn't been set to look for a small car for someone who doesn't like Vauxhalls, I'd have been counting the pennies for this. I kept reminding myself it was A Long Way Away*, and the roadtrip back up the A702 wouldn't end well, so not to do it. Now it's somewhat nearer here...

Seriously tho', well done. Nice to think it's still 'in the family'. It looks a lovely old thing, and I'll be keeping an eye out any time I'm over your way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've retuned all the presets to Radio 2 as that seems the decent thing to do.

 

All of them?

 

What happens when Vanessa Feltz comes on?

 

It's got a CD autochanger.... some of the presets will be R2 anyway. It's about all the radio I listen to in the car. Occasionally R4.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've retuned all the presets to Radio 2 as that seems the decent thing to do.

 

All of them?

 

What happens when Vanessa Feltz comes on?

 

 

Vanessa Feltz is infinitely preferable to listen to than that cockend Jeremy Vine. He makes my shit itch... :evil:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vice versa for me, Vanessa really winds me up when i hear her first thing in the morning and she prattles on so quickly i can't even keep up with her on Jeremy's show, still at least she isn't as boring as the women who stood in for Jeremy a few weeks ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too cannot stand Jeremy "Daily Mail" Vine. In fact, the amount of time he's on before I want to wrench the radio from the dash and hurl it screaming through the passenger window can be measured in seconds.

I reckon the Senator would be the perfect place to listen to Radio 3...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...