Inaugural Shite (The Collection)

[davidfowler2000]

So here it is. The anticipated collection/road trip thread/diary for my first Autoshite. It's been a week now and cms206 has given me into trouble for not doing it. Anyways;

 

Week Commencing 13/08/12

In typical nuisance fashion, my two days off are Tuesday / Wednesday which interferes with Pop-up Comedy - Free stand up comedy at The Halt Bar, Woodlands Road, Glasgow (Come along...it's free. I may have mentioned that before). I can't do the overnighter on Monday night 'cos I've just done a backshift therefore it'll have to be Tuesday night. Anyways...

 

14/08/12, 19:00, House

Time to get ready for the trip. I gather together everything I could hope to need for a 23 hour trip away - Travel arrangements, camera, phone, MP3 player, FM transmitter and cash. No english notes - here's hoping I don't get any funny looks with my Clydesdale £20 notes :\. Oh wait, I've got a BoE fiver. Phew - I'll be able to buy some food in Englandshire.

 

After confirmation of cms206's attendance at Pop-up Comedy (It's free BTW - The Halt, Woodlands Rd!!!), it's time to shove all my effects into my bag and hit the road. It'll be a bus from the house to the city centre, then to the west end, then back to the bus station at the appropriate time so it look's like I'll be buying an all-day ticket. £4.50?!? PAUL KINNEL!!! I remember the day when all this - *Gestures* - was fields and it used to cost £1.85! Right, best pay it. It's all for a greater cause.

 

14/08/12, 19:32, Main Road (Apologies for this bit. I'm a bit of a bus nut at times)

City travel arrives courtesy of FirstBus - a rather thrashy Volvo Olympian / Northern Counties Palatine II with Volvo / ZF drive train provides a swift journey into the city centre. A short walk later and I'm on a dull-as-dish-water Volvo B9 Gemini out to the west end. Pub arrival time, approx 20:25 - Marvellous

 

14/08/12, 22:10, The Halt

Suitably refreshed and after having some jolly banter with cms206, Mick (cms206's Scottish friend as seen in Shitefest pics) and Mick's missus, it's time to get around to the main part of the journey. After a quick 10 minute journey on the bus back into the city centre and a short walk into the bus station, I'm stood waiting for my conveyance that will be taking me to London.

 

14/08/12, 23:00, Buchanan Bus Station

So in it rolls, megabus.com Sleeper 51097 (aka T97JHN). A Volvo B10MA-55 / Jonkheere Modulo operated by Stagecoach Glasgow:

51097 T97 JHN Stagecoach Glasgow by Jimbosbus Flickr Stream, on Flickr

 

Brandishing 1 x ticket at a cost of 1 x Zero pounds (working for Stagey Glasgow has benefits ) I get allocated my bed and proceed to board HMS Snoozy Sid. Tonight's driving being done by Jim and Gary - double manned, direct service. At bang on 23:10, we depart and other than a small diversion due to a partly shut M74, nothing much really happens. Some banter was had with Jim while Gary drove it to Tebay. At Tebay, a quick driver change happens and we're on our way again so at this point I decide it's time to try and get some snooze or I may not get myself home the next day.

After some rather crap and broken sleep (it's not easy sleeping above an engine roaring it's head off for 400 odd miles while being jiggled about) I finally arose, sweat pissing off me, at Watford Gap. After a quick bit of fresh air and some banter with a Rugby megabus driver while Gary grabs a quick smoke, we're off again. Hold on....Jim's taking it into London....after another change?!? I must have slept through a 2nd change at Keele. Well at least some snooze is better than none.

 

15/08/12, 06:35, Victoria Station

"RIGHT. EVERYBODY UP!!!" We have arrived at Victoria Arrivals. Hold on why is there a megabus luggage trailer in the corner with the reg plate for SV59CGU on it? Why is said trailer not attached to SV59CGU? Pfft, it's my day off - leave these complaints for when I'm driving SV59CGU with no trailer and I do my back in loading luggage.

Now, we have a slight problem. I'm not meeting the guy I dealt with over eBay until 10am at the dealer and it's a 45 min journey from Waterloo to Ashtead. Time for a wander I think. And in what could possibly be the most enthusiastic episode of "I'Z IN UR CITY BEIN A TOURIZT", I managed to walk about 6 miles while snapping the obvious city sights. To my disappointment though, I hadn't realised how much shite lives rather close to London city centre or I would have spent more time shite hunting. The following snaps were found on 3 streets adjacent to each other -

 

J194 FGF by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

N170 UOH by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

L973 GYV by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Three WINNARS in one photo by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

N292 PHS by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

B117 YUR by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

E884 NUW by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

15/08/12, 08:25, Somewhere around St George's Drive, Pimlico

Right, best think about heading to the train station now. After about half an hour walk to Waterloo, it turns out my train to Ashtead is at 09:09. It's currently 08:55. Best go about getting a ticket and some food before it goes. Thankfully the train gets delayed 'till 09:20 giving me ample chance to get in the required supplies. M&S Simply Food Roast Chicken Salad sandwich, £3.50. Sake. Bugger it - I'm hungry. Food in hand and standing under the boards at Platform 14 - 18, I patiently await the platform to be announced. Platform 1. Sake. Quick March!

 

15/08/12, 10:00, Ashtead Station

One empty sandwich box and one spent £6.60 train ticket later, I'm within spitting distance of the new shite. A mere 2 minute walk from the train station and I arrive at the dealer - Volkspeed of Ashtead - and I meet the man I've been talking to on the phone. After some pleasant small talk about the logistics of travelling from Glasgow to London on a bus with beds for the cost of 1 x Zero Pounds, we traverse the showroom to the office. The V5 is done, all I need to do is sign it. Before heading to the car, I am greeted with a large D-Ring binder containing a metric fuck-load of service history. Everythere is there. Every invoice. Every service sheet. Every MoT. Every Inspection Sheet. Every note left from the previous owner to the service centre. All there.

 

And with that, I am whisked off to the car. Due it's position of parkedness, I only managed to get these two shots -

 

DSC_1665 by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

DSC_1666 by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

By this point it's nearing 10:30 and I think it's best time to get moving. Fuel will be required before heading off and it's 440 miles up the road.

So after a very short drive to the Shell garage (Yay i'll get points), my MP3 player all queued up with The Volvo Album "I Am Rolling", Rolf Harris' Greatest Hits and Goldon Giltrap's "The Carnival"...LET THE JOURNEY COMMENCE

 

15/08/12, 10:30, M25 Clockwise

After only about 5 minutes, I've settled down for the cruise.

Windows open, check.

MP3 player, check.

FM Transmitter, check.

Radio - "code". Sake. Sod it, I'll get the code when I get home - it'll be the player's built in speaker for now.

 

So what's it like? Engine is smooth, gearchange is smooth and of course being a ZF, changes gear much like my southbound transport the previous evening. All the windows open, the leccy sunroof works, the heaters work (if I so need them) and everything seems well sorted.

 

15/08/12, 11:00, M25 Clockwise

Right this is where it gets boring. The M25 isn't moving as usual and it's raining. Said precipitation will not stop all the way home so, alas, I do not manage another single picture of the car on the way home save for one at Gretna.

So to save time I will quickly gloss over the toilet stop at Norton Canes, the fuel stop at Todhills and the KFC at Gretna Service where I did manage this picture -

 

DSC_1667 by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Possibly it's first time over the border? Who knows.

 

15/08/12, 18:30, House

I have returned. New shite at it's new home. So in conclusion...

 

Am I happy with new shite?

Rather!

Did the journey home go OK?

Not a single beat was missed!

Fuel consumption?

35mpg according to calculations between Ashtead and Todhills.

 

One last snap at the house courtesy of cms206 about 2 nights after it's arrival. Being a seriously lazy wee shite, I havn't got round to getting any more of my own - even with the Autoshite dealer sticker in the back window courtesy of, you guessed it, cms206. Thanks Andy. Thandy!

 

H211 GPC by cms206, on Flickr

 

-Dave

[messerschmitt owner]

oh, fu*k, not another bloody Vulva!!!!!!!

 

Megabus sleeper!!! - I must try that sometime.

 

 

 

Looks good in a boxy Swedish sort of way.

[michiel]

Excellent thread. As for sleeping on a bus... I doubt I could.

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

Love these road trip topics, you only get the real classy ones like this here on autoshite I find.

[MrBen]

Excellent road trip. I don't post here much, but I got rather excited at images of Ashtead (which I call home!). Hope you enjoyed the many speed bumps in your comfy Volvo!

 

The service history on the ebay ad for that car looked amazing, must have spent a fortune getting that serviced at Volvo dealers all it's life.

 

Enjoy!

[skattrd]

Great tat collection thread, I must spend more time/effort doing mine in future.

 

Anyway, whats with this place turning into the Volvo owners club? says another Volvo owner

[Shep Shepherd]

Looks like a fine purchase

 

I also have "I Am Rolling" on my MP3 player, which I often listen to/sing along to when driving The Volvo

 

Great tat collection thread, I must spend more time/effort doing mine in future.

 

Anyway, whats with this place turning into the Volvo owners club? says another Volvo owner

 

This place is a far better forum than the VOC forum, which in my experience tends to be over-populated with megamongs.

[davidfowler2000]

Thanks all. Wasn't sure if I was starting to ramble too much.

 

Seeing as there seems to be some interest in it, I thought I should post some interior pics of the bus. Really should have done it in the original post...

 

Megabus sleeper coach 51062 by interbeat, on Flickr

 

megabus.com 51092 (WLT 917) - Interior by Marty 16853, on Flickr

 

megabus.com 51092 (WLT 917) - Interior Trailer by Marty 16853, on Flickr

 

Although it's a 60 foot long bendy, it only takes 24 folk + 2 drivers. Beds are stacked 3 high on each side of the bus - 18 in the "Tractor" section and the rest in the trailer. Your ticket gets you a seat and a bed so you're not confined to either during the journey. There are plans afoot for new buses - 52 foot long (not bendy) Van Hool TDX27 double deckers with hopes to carry around 42 passengers.

 

Excellent road trip. I don't post here much, but I got rather excited at images of Ashtead (which I call home!). Hope you enjoyed the many speed bumps in your comfy Volvo!

 

The service history on the ebay ad for that car looked amazing, must have spent a fortune getting that serviced at Volvo dealers all it's life.

 

Enjoy!

Thankfully I only had to endure the 298643865429837 speed bumps on Woodfield Lane between Volkspeed and the Shell garage on The Street to get fuel. From there it was directly onto the M25 and up the road. Seems a lovely wee town / 'burb though. And according to the guy at the dealer, the total servicing cost came to approx £17,000 over the car's life.

 

Also, finally got round to taking some snaps of the brick during a short break in the weather this afternoon...

Mini miles by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Cockpit by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Boot space by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Spare Wheel by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

H211 GPC by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Euro-brick meets Euro-blob by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

 

Autoshite by davidfowler2000, on Flickr

[Shep Shepherd]

An H-reg 740 estate with 27,316 miles? Yes, please!

[davidfowler2000]

An H-reg 740 estate with 27,316 miles? Yes, please!

 

27,316 + 153,000 from when the speedo was changed

[Shep Shepherd]

An H-reg 740 estate with 27,316 miles? Yes, please!

 

27,316 + 153,000 from when the speedo was changed

 

Still fewer miles than The Volvo, which has done 221,000

[rml2345]

Fewer than mine as well. Bah!

That looks bloody lovely Dave and nice to see another 740 on AutoVolvoShite

[dollywobbler]

Nice one. That sleeper coach looks like a novel form of torture! Usually you have to sign up to be on the submarines for that sort of discomfort. Oh well. It only cost 1xzero pounds!

 

Volvo looks very tidy. I'm crap at these road trip threads. MUST TRY HARDER.

[cms206]

*coughs* 144k miles *coughs*...

[DSdriver]

Great thread, love the VERY BLUE interior of the bus. As an ex Volvo owner your road trip brought back happy memories, I had three of the beasts and did over half a million miles combined, eventually I decided life was far too dependable and bought my 1970 DS Safari as a daily driver which has been, touch wood, just as dependable.

[Tayne]

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