Dollywobbler's Hols - French content

[dollywobbler]

We're actually having a proper, road-tripping holiday for the first time in a goodly while. It's marvellous. The story so far.

 

First off, we spent a weekend in Somerset at a very, very grand house. It was a bit dishevelled so my sister managed to bag it for a not-too-scary rate. Split between many family members, it was ideal. Owned by the family of Admiral Hood no less.

 

From there, we headed to Portsmouth. I decided to start spotting French cars a bit early.

 

Naturally, there was much time spent in a queue waiting to board. First 'shite' spot was this Transit A-framing a Punto. Right-hand drive and French reg.

 

Things got better. A lot better.

 

Driving aboard the ferry.

 

We landed in France at 2130hrs local time. It was very dark. The next two hours looked a lot like this.

 

Thank a combination of utterly dreadful XM headlamps, utterly dreadful XM headlamps fitted with headlamp adapters and the French ignorance of the legendary invention know as the cat's eye. We should have brought the Dyane.

 

To be continued. Hopefully with infuriatingly obvious Le Mans pit lane photo.

 

 

[jonny69]

Waiting...

[dollywobbler]

You could be waiting a while. I'm sat in a deckchair inside a rain-lashed house while being shouted at by a Borzoi hound at the moment. May head out for a little spotting session after lunch.

[panhard65]

Can you still get on the pit lane at Le Mans as it is inside the circuit and not normally open to the public. You used to be able to get trackside after the race a few years ago. I have got a great picture of my old Jensen under the clock somewhere. Unless you are thinking of Reims which is the favourite for a photo shoot.

[dollywobbler]

Having never been to Le Mans, I've no idea. I'll see what happens.

 

Anyway, Part Deux.

 

We went out to visit a château. This is just an entrance hall. Oddly, the only vehicle other than ours (and a relative's Berlingo) was a white, UK-plate Dacia Sandero.

 

Then I spotted another XM in Carrouges centre ville. 

 

As we drove away from the village, I saw another in the same colour. That's three in total so far. Not rare.

 

This is though. NEEDS MOAR CAMO.

 

The trip continues.

[HMC]

Great spots! Just about the perfect transport for wafting down quiet French minor roads.

 

I IZ jealous

[mouseflakes]

we spent a weekend in Somerset at a very, very grand house...Owned by the family of Admiral Hood no less.

 

Goood, goood.......

 

[chaseracer]

We landed in France at 2130hrs local time. It was very dark. The next two hours looked a lot like this.

 

 

Thank a combination of utterly dreadful XM headlamps, utterly dreadful XM headlamps fitted with headlamp adapters and the French ignorance of the legendary invention know as the cat's eye. We should have brought the Dyane.

 

I can relate completely!  Following our Chumley chat, I will look out the best lamps from the parts stash.

[skoda_fan]

Scary to think a Dyane is rare even en France. Last time I was there you were tripping over them and their ilk all over the place. That'll be a good few years ago then.

[andrew e]

Not a hope in hell of a Le Mans pit photo. Anyway, excuse the thread-nap: If you go in the museum (good value, there's a 2cv inside too) you can buy a paddock walk about ticket to wander in, or if your lucky you can just wander in nonchalantly. 99% of the time everything is unlocked and you can wander wherever. To follow the track put "Tetre rouge" bar in the satnag, then just drive the track all the way round to the Porsche curves, then you run the track parallel round to the start/finish line. A photo outside the Tetre rouge is easy, and plenty of chances on the kerbs along the Mulsane straight. On certain Sunday mornings there is a good local car meet in the Leclerc. Bloody good fresh produce market on Wednesday and Sunday too.

 

It's a shame you missed this: http://www.nuitdeschimeres.com/infos-pratiques/?lang=en however if you visit the track in Reims (satnag: Gueux) you can see the "Dream of colours" show projected on the Cathedral (link won't work, google it!)

 

 

Last month outside the museum, black plates still too! Been holidaying in Le Mans for 10 years I love it!

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. Hoping to head there tomorrow, with the emphasis on checking out the town before grabbing a few 'track' shots. Doubt there will be much spotting today but hopefully I'll find some shonky old sheds tomorrow.

[Six-cylinder]

Please see if you can photograph any Visas for me!

[dollywobbler]

Please see if you can photograph any Visas for me!

 

Sadly, have only seen dishevelled C15s so far. No shortage of those...

[dollywobbler]

Le Mans. Almost ended up at the museum, for which I imagine you have to pay. Instead, we went off for a drive of the circuit - or the bit you can drive on anyway. Race tracks are HUGE.

 

We then headed for Le Mans Centre Ville. Very glad we did too. Mrs DW was first to spot this - our first 2CV of the trip.

 

This is Autoshite though, so you'll probably be more interested in this Rover Metro LD with faux bodykit.

 

Le Mans must be a bit fancy, as there's not much chod floating about. Spot what you can here. Gorgeous city though. WUD RECKOMEND.

 

Cars I didn't manage to get photos of include W115, W123 and W124 Mercs (and loads of 190s), two Renault 9s, three Renault 4s (one a van) and (sorry six-cylinder) a burgundy Visa in typically shabby condition.

[Six-cylinder]

Cars I didn't manage to get photos of include W115, W123 and W124 Mercs (and loads of 190s), two Renault 9s, three Renault 4s (one a van) and (sorry six-cylinder) a burgundy Visa in typically shabby condition.

What! you missed a Visa turn round and go and find it at once. They are so rare in regular use even in France now.

 

I like C15s as well especially if they are long body or chassis with unusual body fitted but any will do.

[Junkman]

Le Mans must be a bit fancy, as there's not much chod floating about.

I found France extremely challenging in the chod spottage department on my last trip, too.

[dollywobbler]

Main issue with spots is I really can't be arsed to keep stopping, so you only see what I spot walking around really. And I'm in the middle of nowhere most of the time.

Get out into the smaller, rural towns and there's plenty of old shite in regular use. XMs are still very much just old bangers here. Hoping for more spotting opportunities tomorrow, but I have to be careful as it's apparently not Mrs DW's idea of sight seeing.

[chodweaver]

Slightly off topic so, sorry for this but, I've long entertained ideas of retiring to France, and part of that plan was the unlimited opportunities to drive cheap French chod without the disadvantage of the steering wheel being on the wrong side for overtaking etc. But I have to be realistic in some respects: my brain is too old and shit to learn French properly and I can't afford to retire like, ever, SOOO,

The question is, how difficult is it to change an Xm from LHD to RHD? I remember a local garage having a job lot of preregistered Marina estates in LHD waiting to be converted to RHD with the kits that were in their boots. This was about 1974 and I was already showing nerdy car tendencies...

 

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2

[dollywobbler]

I'm not sure why you'd bother. There are still quite a few right hand drive XMs in the UK, and I bet they're cheaper to buy too.

 

Another update to come later. It has been a good day for spots.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Nice posts. The small towns on the west coast still had plenty of chod last summer.

 

Le-mans is a mighty fine place to visit. I watched the Friday drivers parade from the steps on the left of your cutting picture.

 

Enjoy the rest of the holiday.

[Six-cylinder]

How can I concentrate on work when dollwobbler is beavering away finding Visas for me!

[dollywobbler]

No Visas today. However, the day did start very well indeed when we visited a hardware shop (essential holiday business).

 

Of course it's a diesel and yes, it does have headlamp wipers. Nice early Extra (or Express as some are badged) next to it too.

 

Shabby 205s would not get you many points in a French i-Spy book. They're everywhere. 0.2 points.

 

Feast your eyes on this deliciously French scene. Marvel at the overall shabbiness of the buildings. Admire the glamour of an Opel Kadett.

 

Then things got a bit not-Autoshite.

 

However, it didn't take long to get back on a proper, Autoshite menu. A beige Renault 4 is just perfect. First one I've actually managed to get a photo of.

 

Try finding a Lancia Lybra estate in the UK. My father-in-law and wife did both question what on earth I was taking a photo of at this point.

 

Then they began to edge away and pretend they weren't with me any more.

 

If you want to know what a big, black man looks like driving a 2CV, while wondering why someone is filming them, here's the answer.

https://twitter.com/dollywobbler/status/647383680575512576

 

That's all for today. Off to a car boot sale/flea market on Sunday so hoping for some hopeless commercial content.

[HMC]

Some great spots! Rural France still has plenty of gems but as you say, it's harder in cities these days to find half decent chod. All this Le Mans talk has reminded me I would love to go to the classic at some point ( think its next year?)

 

Also for an instant french chod fix for the frustrated I can recommend the (very) short film C'etait un Rendezvous.

 

 

 

Edit- Voici....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwjy0qED2Lo

[eifion]

Congratulations on spotting a DS. In two trips to France I've never seen one there (apart from the one I was in). Even 2CVs and 'H' vans were thin on the ground.

[dollywobbler]

I think all of the H vans are now selling coffee in England.

[EssDeeWon]

Some nice spots.

[Six-cylinder]

Congratulations on spotting a DS. In two trips to France I've never seen one there (apart from the one I was in). Even 2CVs and 'H' vans were thin on the ground.

In August I was in France with my DS the only other DS was also British!

[andrew e]

Sorry to jump in, but here you go:

 

 

Behind here!

 

 

In Bonnetable.

[chodweaver]

I'm not sure why you'd bother. There are still quite a few right hand drive XMs in the UK, and I bet they're cheaper to buy too.

 

That's encouraging. I've obviously got to look harder!

 

Loving this thread. Keep the shite coming.

 

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2

[dollywobbler]

Worth signing up at www.club-xm.co.uk as this really is a car where it pays to do your homework first. Conversion would be an absolute nightmare I suspect. You just wouldn't want to go there.

 

Back to the action, though this may be my last post from France. Yesterday, we attended an Onion Fair. I was told it was like a cheap market/car boot in a small town. I reckoned it'd be an ideal place for shite spotting. My first picture is what I expected to see a lot of. Estafette!

 

Sadly, that was about as old as things got. Certainly no H vans, as they're long gone and now serving horrible coffee to trendy people all over the UK. Citroen spottings really were thin on the ground amongst the commercials, as you can see here.

 

I'm pretty sure this is the only forum where this photo would be appreciated though. Another bloody Renault.

 

At the end of town, I found a Peugeot 405 pre-facelift and a rather splendid house.

 

I was also reminded how much I like the original Dacia Logan. Estates are even better.

 

Finally! Not a Renault.

 

Then a spot of huge magnificence. Not just a BX estate, but a super povo one judging by the lack of black window highlighting. Badged as an Evasion, so must be one of the last.

 

But it was a disappointing day overall. Not as many spots as I'd hoped for. Did see several XMs at inopportune moments, and we did pass a garage that had a yard containing a Peugeot 403, Dyane, 2CV and some other old chod. Sadly, I was a passenger and the driver could not be persuaded to stop.

 

So, I leave you with this. It contains some of the utter merde being sold at the event, and another bloody Renault.

 

We start heading back tomorrow. Maybe there will be a few last-ditch spots. We'll see...