The £73 Suzuki Alto... Now sold.

[Jim Bergerac]

I think the only problem you will have getting home is that it will be so slow you won't get back until some time in 2017.

[Alexg]

Get your arse behind a slow moving lorry and settle there, you'll be alright...

[barrett]

The first proper journey I did in the standard was coming down the M25/M23 in busy afternoon traffic after not havong slept for a day and it was fine. Being overtaken by lorries is great, you'll soon get used to it and learn to dial in a little correction in the steering to stop you getting buffeted into the Armco. Driving tiny underpowered cars on fast busy roads is character-building.

[skattrd]

It's the 2spd auto mated to asthmatic 30yr old engine that makes me think it'll be a tad interesting on any fast roads

[Lord Sterling]

Had I had a day off today, I'd have offered to tow you down on the back of the Rover. Now that would've been scary, and weird.

 

Good luck for your journey, and be careful of Walsall, because it's Walsall.

[londonm]

Alternatively. If you have a satnav, set it to get you home the fastest route avoiding motorways. Nine times out of ten it's actually quicker.

[pandamonium]

UPDATE Number 1!!

 

I'm up and out of bed...

[Rocket88]

That's always a good start........

[Cavcraft]

'Most of the above'

 

When I drove Ken's black cab home from the smoke it wasn't exactly a ball of fire, so for large chunks of the journey I just settled in between or behind the trucks and let a few come past me. It was actually quite an enlightening experience, whilst I usually like to maintain a decent speed it was nice to pootle along not causing anyone any bother. 

[cms206]

I reckon you'll make it home safe and sound. It's a £73 Suzuki - WCPGW?

[dollywobbler]

Driving a 2CV on a motorway is something all drivers should have to do. You learnt that an overtaking truck (or one you're overtaking) blows you across the road first as the bow wave hits, then sucks you in as it goes past. You learn to check for gradients as if you try overtaking up hill, you WILL fail, which clogs everything up and makes you look an idiot.

 

I still occasionally get it wrong. I've been overtaking a truck, a gradient starts slowing me down and then I find I can't batter my way through the bow wave of air coming off the front of the truck. This once happened on the A14 and I was absolutely stuck. Couldn't overtake the truck but the queue of cars behind wouldn't let me slow down to get back behind it either!

[twosmoke300]

This is brilliant . I dont really know where you are going to /from but I predict you will get within 2 miles of home and it will let you down.

[fordperv]

I reckon you will get home, slowly but you'll get there

 

Any Updates? Don't forget the petrol station picture on this one

[pandamonium]

Nothing exciting. On train to London now.

[Partridge]

Had I had a day off today, I'd have offered to tow you down on the back of the Rover. Now that would've been scary, and weird.

 

Good luck for your journey, and be careful of Walsall, because it's Walsall.

That would be epic. Because we know ALL ROVERZ R SH1T LOLZ you will break down with OMFGHGF, and then you will need Breadvan to come and tow you in his Range Rover! Just imagine that!

[UmBongo]

Driving a 2CV on a motorway is something all drivers should have to do. You learnt that an overtaking truck (or one you're overtaking) blows you across the road first as the bow wave hits, then sucks you in as it goes past. You learn to check for gradients as if you try overtaking up hill, you WILL fail, which clogs everything up and makes you look an idiot.

 

I still occasionally get it wrong. I've been overtaking a truck, a gradient starts slowing me down and then I find I can't batter my way through the bow wave of air coming off the front of the truck. This once happened on the A14 and I was absolutely stuck. Couldn't overtake the truck but the queue of cars behind wouldn't let me slow down to get back behind it either!

 

I had a D reg Fiat Panda.

 

The end.

[pandamonium]

After a mild panic where I got lost in London, I'm now safely on the Birmingham bound train. Hour and a half and I'll be changing onto last train.

[Lankytim]

I predict that this bargain car will cost £750 in petrol to get home due to it's overstressed engine and box. other than that it will all go swimmingly.

[Junkman]

Nothing exciting. On train to London now.

 

This is more exiting than the infrequent train user may imagine.

A train actually arriving at its destination is a notable event, if it even arrives on time, it's nothing short of a sensation.

[Angrydicky]

For the last six years or so, scrap metal prices have been through the roof, which means the price of old chod has had a minimum level (usually about £150) as "that's what I could get for scrapping it mate".

 

To see someone purchase a car, and a running legal one at that, for £73 shows the scrap prices must be on their way down. This can only bode well for the likes of us and cheap chod purchases in the future.

 

Still regretting not buying that gold Metro for £20 in 2003 - Ah well!

[Bobthebeard]

After a mild panic where I got lost in London, I'm now safely on the Birmingham bound train. Hour and a half and I'll be changing onto last train.

Autoshite 'live collection' thread.

Gripping stuff....

I was going to go out this afternoon but I don't want to miss anything!

[pandamonium]

Ironically, the only hitch so far was due to a broken down train causing delays.

[Bobthebeard]

Ironically, the only hitch so far was due to a broken down train causing delays.

 

Possibly*the cause?

[plasticvandan]

i predict it will appear on here for sale in 3 weeks (usualy logbook time) then bridged because no one wanted it after 3 hours.

[wuvvum]

 

Still regretting not buying that gold Metro for £20 in 2003 - Ah well!

 

Would you not have been about 12 at the time?

[hairnet]

Driving a 2CV on a motorway is something all drivers should have to do. You learnt that an overtaking truck (or one you're overtaking) blows you across the road first as the bow wave hits, then sucks you in as it goes past. You learn to check for gradients as if you try overtaking up hill, you WILL fail, which clogs everything up and makes you look an idiot.

 

I still occasionally get it wrong. I've been overtaking a truck, a gradient starts slowing me down and then I find I can't batter my way through the bow wave of air coming off the front of the truck. This once happened on the A14 and I was absolutely stuck. Couldn't overtake the truck but the queue of cars behind wouldn't let me slow down to get back behind it either!

 

 

I had a D reg Fiat Panda.

 

The end.

 

see also 125cc scooter from black pool to whitby (we r da modz etc ) (ish )

[pandamonium]

6 miles so far. No breakdowns yet.

[Angrydicky]

Would you not have been about 12 at the time?

Yes. My dad wouldn't lend me the cash.

[scooters]

I've done the tiny car on long motorway journeys thing and it really isn't a big deal, you will feel lorries and what-not tugging gently on the steering wheel but at the end of the day you just make a mild adjustment as they pass. Their limiters are on 56mph, unless you're going at non-motorway speeds they're not likely to be tear-arsing past you. If any want to overtake, you just let off the pedal and flash them back in - takes seconds and you're back to where you were. Most of the time you'll just end up coasting in the slipstream of the same lorry for as long as you like, just find one doing a speed you're happy with and tag along behind it.

 

It's a mid-80s small hatchback at the end of the day, motorways had been invented by then. Provided it isn't screwed, it'll buzz along at a steady 55-60mph no trouble, daft transmission or not (I suspect it'll have overdrive on it or something rather than just be two massive gears and nothing else). It's a small lightweight car but at the end of the day it's heavier than a motorbike and people ride them up motorways. Just stick the radio on for some company and be prepared to pull over at the services for a stretch more often than you would with a big car. If you're not in a hurry, you'll have a much better time of it.

 

 

+1

 

for true terror try driving an old series land rover on a busy motorway, at least for the first dozen times until you understand that steering is a matter of faith and not mechanics and that 55mph is very very fast in one of these.

 

I did 600 miles in an 845cc , 1954 moggy once, most important rule is to be seen at nightime, 1950s cars have dynamos so the LITES R SHIT, I stick a couple of strips of motorway quality diamond stripes to the back - modern headlamps will pick this up from a mile away

[fordperv]

angrydicky my mum wouldnt let me have a y plate brown 2.3 ghia mk1 sierra (it literally was the sex) in about 1998 she wasnt even paying for it as it was the money id saved from doing my paper round 

 

this isnt the one but it looked just like it