Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[richardmorris]

On 3/4/2022 at 9:18 AM, hairnet said:

Who is the old man trying to steal the hubcaps

That’s no old man. That’s the faithful old retainer @Slowsilver !

[richardmorris]

I’m possibly passing that weekend, but after a trip to north wales for Mothering Sunday I need to stop in oxford on the way back to swap with my sisters captur to bring here to get my mechanic to fix it.

[Six-cylinder]

12 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Own up. Is that a recent photo?

March 2009! I over indulged in the pub one night with some friends and hatched up a plan to ride mopeds to the Isle of man TT. In the morning riding 200 miles each way on mopeds did not seem such a good idea, but one of the guys came up with a solution to load the mopeds into his Dodge Ram pickup and unload them when we got to the Isle of Man. We all got mopeds including me buying the Honda. I geared myself up for the trip, then we had a drop out who owned the pickup and the trip was over before it started.

I rode the Honda a few times locally, but did not enjoy being passed by lorries 1 foot away at 50 mph on the A421. I took it out to some county lanes thinking this is nice and then a Audi TT passed my doing at least 80 mph and I hung up my helmet.

12 hours ago, richardmorris said:

That’s no old man. That’s the faithful old retainer @Slowsilver !

He thought it was strange I made him ride with a protective cushion under his coat!

[Crackers]

I've picked the short straw and will be working that entire 26/27th weekend.

Bumhats.

[Fumbler]

One* of my New Year's Resolutions was to attend the FoD this year... of course the first time it's open I'm at college but oh well. Plenty more opportunities ahoy.

[Six-cylinder]

29 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

One* of my New Year's Resolutions was to attend the FoD this year... of course the first time it's open I'm at college but oh well. Plenty more opportunities ahoy.

Yes the next days I have pencilled in are 16/17 April subject to weather.

[Tommyboy12]

The Honda express takes me back a bit. I did my original CBT 16 years ago on one of them! I seem to remember it could barely muster 30mph 😅

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, Tommyboy12 said:

The Honda express takes me back a bit. I did my original CBT 16 years ago on one of them! I seem to remember it could barely muster 30mph 😅

it was not just my excess weight then!

[beko1987]

I'm child free on the Saturday, so pencil me in for very much maybe depending on if I've got enough money for any fuel by then 😂🤑

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, Tommyboy12 said:

The Honda express takes me back a bit. I did my original CBT 16 years ago on one of them! I seem to remember it could barely muster 30mph 😅

 

9 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

it was not just my excess weight then!

They are slow AF.  The one I had would only do 28 and it was screaming its tits off at that speed.

[Bear]

Pencil us in for a daytrip down! Too early for the Tavria to be remotely working, but the BMW or MX-5 can go for a jaunt

[Six-cylinder]

Six Cylinder dances with the Devil again!

Another change for me to keep up with the modern world presented itself and I have a Mini e on loan.

Effortless strong performance, comfortable driving position and seats, looks good. I like the little Heads Up display screen that puts up the number just in the right place below my normal looking area. I do like those rear lights. I could easily live with the Mini e.

It has a cheapness about some things such as Manual seats in top spec level 3 model, a small mainly black & white handbook just shows a bit of penny pinching has gone on with a car that costs £35,000 pounds.

When I picked it up it said I had 86 miles range with 96% charge. Figures state a range of 140-145 miles on a full charge. I have done 58 miles so far and the range has dropped from 86 miles to 35 miles so 58 miles has cost 57% of the battery capacity. I am not sure if I could live with a range of less than 100 miles.

The picture I have parked in the street shows I parked well clear of the kerb to make sure there was no damage to those vulnerable 17 inch alloy wheels!

 

[High Jetter]

IMHO those rear lights are great - why did it take the Germans to do it first though?

[beko1987]

Wonder how 'nippy' and 'chuckable' it is compared to the clio (auto box aside) 

[wuvvum]

<100 miles is pretty rubbish for a new electric car nowadays.  Also what on earth is all that rubbish around the edge of the central screen?

[Six-cylinder]

20 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

<100 miles is pretty rubbish for a new electric car nowadays.  Also what on earth is all that rubbish around the edge of the central screen?

It went mad when I parked next to the hedge!

[New POD]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

IMHO those rear lights are great - why did it take the Germans to do it first though?

Imho, those rear lights are shit. I wonder where they are made, and who supplies them to Oxford.  I bet that they are made in Central or Southern Europe. 

[Crackers]

These Minis, in petrol form, drive quite well for a Modern. I still don't like the exterior styling but the interior is well thought out and everything falls to hand nicely as it's all physical buttons, what a rarity in 2022!

Only problem is the (proper, lever-operated) handbrake, which is impossible to operate if the car is fitted with a central armrest... although this one looks more like it has an electric parking brake?

Unless I was missing something with the HUD on the one I drove, it was completely obscured by the wheel when I had the seat lowered down to my preferred position and the wheel adjusted accordingly.

I still don't like the rear lights but never mind. 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

Imho, those rear lights are shit. I wonder where they are made, and who supplies them to Oxford.  I bet that they are made in Central or Southern Europe. 

Not often that we disagree. Seeing the flag makes me smile tho.

[Six-cylinder]

Normal service has resumed!

I took the Mini e back today. I loved driving it but the range is so dismal that I could not live with it. 85 mile range is just not enough.

I collected the Clio from it overnight stay with the BMWs, it defiantly felt a bit noisier and flimsy lighter compared with the Mini. Still a useful little car that will do 70 mph on a duel carriageway and more when I visit Mexico!

[grogee]

23 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

... a car that costs £35,000 pounds.

When I picked it up it said I had 86 miles range with 96% charge. Figures state a range of 140-145 miles on a full charge...

This is 2022! What are they doing trying to flog this? Those figures are shocking! 

Who buys this and not a Leaf with 200+ miles range?

Oh yeah, twats, that's who. 

[Six-cylinder]

8 minutes ago, grogee said:

This is 2022! What are they doing trying to flog this? Those figures are shocking! 

Who buys this and not a Leaf with 200+ miles range?

Oh yeah, twats, that's who. 

I am hoping to get an electric Fiat 500 for 3 day. Claimed range 199 miles so it will be interesting to compare.

[hairnet]

you tube mr ev

even his italian missis hated it

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

15 minutes ago, hairnet said:

you tube mr ev

even his italian missis hated it

I don't want to watch any reviews of the 500 e until I have tried it for myself.

[hairnet]

maybe youre a bigger tart than she is

 

[Six-cylinder]

26/27 March First FoD of 2022

What we are doing.

• Triumph Toledo - fit the parts I have and check what else I need to buy.
• Take the cylinder head off the Carlton 2.0i Club estate to check the damage.
• Make a couple of the mopeds run.
• If you have a project you would like to tackle please let me know.
• Work on you own car/stuff
• Drink tea and chat.

If the grass is very wet we can park on the hard standing in the yard

All subject to weather as I see no pleasure to be there in pouring rain and a howling gale.

[wuvvum]

15 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

If the grass is very wet we can park on the hard standing in the yard and take the FOD Express to the field

Sounds like a plan to me.

Assuming it goes ahead and the bank manager approves my loan to pay for the fuel I'm up for it.

[davidfowler2000]

Cannot FoD. Working those days. Sads.

[Six-cylinder]

A nice car day today started with taking my Clio to storage and collecting my BX.

My cordless tyre pump played up, but I have taken a cigar lighter electric air pump to leave in storage which was a good plan.

The BX is now with my garage to be MOTed  next week.

I collected the Mercedes 230TE. A cup of tea was provided with the old calliper discussion. It had a new brake calliper fitted and now the brakes don't pull. The exhaust was repaired and does not blow now. I had the Auto gearbox serviced, oil and filter change. The gearbox is definitely smoother now. 

I have done 100 miles in the 230TE today and had two people ask if they could buy it!

 

[hairnet]

bx oof