derskine Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 The general public still loves it (no surprise).
UmBongo Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 I didn't see the prog, but re the Ricardo lap time, isn't he in a newer, better car than Hamilton was? Nope.
UmBongo Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 I'd pretty much given up on Plop Gear until this episode. That propulsion delivery system from the Chevy van was hilarious. scruff 1
Negative Creep Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 I haven't seen it yet but I'm appalled/outraged they did that. It's been crap for years bu I'd better watch it now just so I can be even more appalled/outraged
garbaldy Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 I'd pretty much given up on Plop Gear until this episode. That propulsion delivery system from the Chevy van was hilarious. so was the speed humps the van looked like Zebedee
inconsistant Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 I only tune in for the racism I R DISPOINT.
forddeliveryboy Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 They had Chile mugs on the table. Well noticed! There's quite a bit of subtle stuff which most miss on TG, as well as the unsubtle stuff - like the comment about the entire BBC management team sitting bolt upright in their sitting rooms at their mention of 'immigrantion' - "Well, relax ladies, don't choke on your...". I reckon they have a good point about glacial ambulances in Britain - if you live in London or suburbia then fine that your chariot to save your life is a slow old thing, but I find it toe-curlingly awful when I overtake an ambulance taking a heart attack to hospital, which is struggling at 65mph into a head wind. Obviously I only go past when it's impossible to become an obstacle in its path - it rather concentrates the mind, overtaking something which is trying to go as fast as possible in order to save someone's life. There's a sweet irony that the traffic police have the latest, most expensive and fast things to catch speeding motorists yet the money spent on the (old and slow) machines to save your life is so minimal. I imagine a dash to hospital, hearing plod screaming past in their newest bling. The French have it right in many ways, seeing a CX Safari with a raised roof/V6 Grande Espace barreling past on a 2 lane autoroute at 120mph+ made you have some hope for the patient, especially given they also had a doctor and nurse. Just less chance of the catheter being employed en route. I remember the catalogue in the days when Andyspares were the Citroën parts suppliers - their spheres options included a list of 'ambulance spheres' - 'longer' in spring but taughter in damping iirc.
wuvvum Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 forddeliveryboy, on 09 Feb 2015 - 11:34 PM, said:I find it toe-curlingly awful when I overtake an ambulance taking a heart attack to hospital, which is struggling at 65mph into a head wind. Obviously I only go past when it's impossible to become an obstacle in its path - it rather concentrates the mind, overtaking something which is trying to go as fast as possible in order to save someone's life.I remember years ago in central France overtaking a Saviem fire engine on a steep motorway hill - he had the blues and twos going and must have been doing about 35. It did make me feel bad. We had Chevy / GMC V8-powered ambulances here for a while. They were a bit quicker than a Sprinter in a straight line (although the top Sprinter at the time was the 412D so a bit down on power compared to today's versions), but they fell over every time the driver tried to take a corner with any degree of urgency. I often wondered why they never used those heavy duty Transits with the 200 bhp 3.2-litre 5-pot, but I think they may have had reliability issues.
stuboy Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Ah, of course it was Lydd, I should have remembered the tip off from my old local paper because Clarkson was complaining that trying to drive around a road in Ashford with speed cushions (The Street/Utley Road in Kennington to Stuboy, Robinmasters and Vantman if they read this) in the ambulances (and ecnalubma) was "dangerous". Tetanus fact: Michael Schumacher had a prang down at Lydd whilst filming an ad for Fiat.yeah ulley rd/ street nightmare... but i found a road with more speed humps in sittingbourne..swanstree ave
stuboy Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Filmed at the FIBUA village in Lydd and edited massively because there is no way you could drive round Lydd for an hour. think i can leave home drive to around lydd and be home in hour Taff 1
forddeliveryboy Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 - makes the Scorpio hearse look slightly bland. Obviously would have to be a DS ambulance in Swanstree Ave, couldn't have any of that half-brained Hydractive nonsense when you're poorly. NHS wouldn't like the cost of the extra spheres, either.
cort16 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 To travel to the hospital in style it's got to be in a v8 Sherpa . scruff, HMC, inconsistant and 1 other 4
oman5 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I owned a '92 ex-ambulance Transit, with the 2.9 efi V6. It would run out of revs at about 90mph but it didn't take long to get there and didn't slow on hills at all. I reckon these and the V8 Sherpas represent the pinnacle of British ambulance design. It's all diesel sprinters today, what price mpg? dollywobbler and scruff 2
andy18s Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Worst thing about ambulance drivers in the UK? They don't get Any sort of advanced driving lessons . They are just left to it unfortunately
Volksy Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Most white ambulances in France are private (certainly the fancypants ones like that XM will be). Generally owned by the local taxi company in my experience and cost an absolute fortune to use, these are used for patient transport and not for emergencies.Should you call the ambulance service, the operator will send out either SAMU (newish sprinter diesel) or the Pompiers, who will turn up in a rattly old Renault Master or equivalent depending on the type of emergency. Nicola H 1
UmBongo Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I'd be happier going to A&E in this. Or possibly this... DS20, Taff, AnthonyG and 1 other 4
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Good episode, but there grinning horse faced F1 bloke was supremely irritating.
scruff Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I bought an engine out of a written off P reg London Ambulance Service LDV Convoy. It was one of the last on carbs and it was BEAUTIFUL, the sweetest running Rover V8 I have heard. The bloke at the breakers reckoned it was fast as fuck. A few years later I was on a magazine job in Guernsey and they had a V8 ambulance in service, it was a big favourite with the crews despite the small distances needed, wonder if they still use it? HMC 1
garbaldy Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 lying down with broken bones was the most painfull ride I have ever taken and that was down the A1 so not a bad road for bumps,I honestly think I would have been more comfortable in the car although the ambulance doods wouldn't let me take myself to hospital.
rml2345 Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I think the amount of kit carried in an ambulance nowadays makes up for any shortfall in top speed. Also, I've followed relatives in them without blues and twos and even then they don't hang about.Shame there's no V8 soundtrack but you can't have everything. BTW, didn't watch Top Gear but I'm sure it was hilarious*.
messerschmitt owner Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I had a Mercedes 416cdi motorhome with the 159bhp 2.7 cdi engine - went like shit off a shovel - all the way to almost 100mph (98) and that was with 4.2 tons weight and the aerodynamics of a Luton body,
dugong Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 I've been carried in the back of an ambulance as a patient. I couldn't see what was going on and we got stuck in traffic. . They did use the FO blues and siren which I thought was very sporting. HMC 1
fordperv Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Shall we now call ambulances Dugong deliverers? dugong 1
Taff Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 My only experience of ambulance’s to date involved test driving Landrover 101 variants in Kuwait City after the punch-up there in 1991. You haven't lived until you have thundered through Kuwait in the world’s fastest, most unstable, camouflaged ambulance. AnthonyG, scruff and Nicola H 3
AnthonyG Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 They had Chile mugs on the table.Cheers for clearing that up, I thought it was Texas and was confused a bit when I saw them!
Inspector Morose Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Tiny ambulances, pah! oldcars, Junkman and rml2345 3
Negative Creep Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Genuine LOL at Clarkson's "what if I go over a speedbump?" moment. Can't help but notice they always dub the same collision sounds over everything though
messerschmitt owner Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Tiny ambulances, pah!image.jpgIs this the Lourdes Express?
Inspector Morose Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 It was. The jumbulances have moved to pastures new now. One, at least is being converted into a motorhome!Years ago me and a mate bought a crash damaged rigid jubulance for relief trips to Romania. My mate repaired the front with the side screen from a Van Hool coach and built a new front end around that. He didn't straighten the gear linkage though (rear engined Merc) as he was built like a steam shovel and had no problems driving it. Took me two hands from gear to gear! Did a few trips then sold on to another charity. Weird machine it was. messerschmitt owner 1
Taff Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 never driven a 101 but i've driven a 130 V8 ambi the forward control one? That's the ones we were fixing. I never realised they had a different designation. Shit things to drive, either way!
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now