French roadtrip shite

[scruff]

Bit of a long story this - briefly, a bunch of us from the OLLR forum (http://ollr.10.forumer.com/index.php) got together and chipped in to take a new Series III Land Rover galvanised chassis out to an ex-pat friend and general diamond geezer, Drew, in France. We went out in a 1979 Series III 109 station wagon and the journey was eventful to say the least, including a cylinder head change before we even got to Dover.

 

After the engine blew up 150 miles from our destination, we left the 109 behind (after towing it, and the galvy chassis, to a tractor dealership with Drew's R5) and made a plan to get home. After several cockups it came to pass that Drew would drive us the 625km back to Calais - in his 1988 R5.

 

As big Autoshite fans we took some pics of, er, shite we saw on the trip back and here is my collection of completely rubbish snaps!

 

'The Five' at the Europcar place in Ruffec, where they told us that, in fact, they didn't have a hire car we could take to Calais...

 

Back to base for food, then setting off - note shite R5 spares wagon in background

 

Mint Pug 104

 

"My grandad had one of those"

 

Awesome truck shite

 

Car park - those Renault Trafics used to be everywhere when I was growing up in Worthing

 

Battered Five

 

Civic (?)

 

Boshed Renner MGDHOOT

 

One of many, many Twingos we saw

 

OMG RETRO No. 1

 

OMG RETRO No. 2

 

Wow! Remember these?

 

Tidy Fiat and cool Michelin man

 

H Van and a 309 in here somewhere

 

SEAT fights crashed van and mongy R5 for shite points

 

Pikeys have much more style over there

 

We macho Land Rover men laughed at the gayness of this, then remembered what we were driving and why

 

Love it

 

Four

 

RUBBER DUCK SHITE

 

Excellent van, trying to think of an excuse for one

 

 

CRANE SHITE

 

Sierra and assorted French tat behind a garage

 

Top Eighties transport

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd267/kevatwork/IMG_7973.jpg

 

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd267/kevatwork/IMG_7974.jpg

 

Fab Five & trailer combo

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd267/kevatwork/IMG_7975.jpg

 

MASSEY FERGIE SHITE

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd267/kevatwork/IMG_7982.jpg

 

Finally - Diesel 505. Had the Corgi model. ACE

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd267/kevatwork/IMG_7986.jpg

 

 

More to come in a few weeks when we go back to change the engine and drive the Land Rover home...

[michiel]

Nice one! Love the Pharmacie:

 

[pompei]

Wahey, Honda CRX!

[scruff]

Ah ha, I thought I recognised it! Anyone remember the Mobil 1 racers and the CRX race series (Castle Combe?)

[retrogeezer]

Ah ha, I thought I recognised it! Anyone remember the Mobil 1 racers and the CRX race series (Castle Combe?)

The CRX Challenge....the company I was a painter for raced 2 cars in that series. I did all the paintwork on the cars and I have some of the videos that dealers had of the series.

[Mr Lobster]

C'est tres qualitie. That makes me feel a little bit sad inside that I am sat here in Liverpool in the pissing rain and not in a French village happily watching the traffic.

[VWPowered]

86 is the next region to me...

[scruff]

I'll wave as we go past in a haze of fine blue smoke

[Drew]

I've got to thank Scruffy for putting these snaps up. Excellent chronicling and memory stimulation of a marathon Shite-trip that defines the very underlying essence of the relationship between 'The 5' and myself.

[Owain-328i]

France is still littered with shite isnt it!! Are the MOT's not as strict as ours here in the uk?

[Drew]

Well when I bought the blue R5, it came with 2 years test, that being the duration of validity here. I reckon it'd have been cubed in Britain.That's not to say they're over-lax at the cost of safety here. I just reckon the UK has a policy from the top to rid the roads of quality shite...roadworthy or not.The French are proud of their kit.

[VWPowered]

they dont like welding much here, the CT is pretty much on par with a MOT, emissions checks, all major parts etc.. just we got a fly 2 years between them... plus if we fail you still get a 2 month sticker to get the car fixed..

[Fat_Pirate]

I would really, really like an original Twingo. How much pain is it to import and register a French car here?

[Guest]

Early Twingo shouldnt be a problem, anything over 10 years old just needs an MoT then pay the road tax, reg fee and make sure French reg doc/customs papers are in order. Under 10 years old it needs to be type approved otherwise its SVA time but I dont think thats an issue with a EU market car. You will need RHD beam pattern headlamps, rear fog on (our) offside, speedo reading MPH but nothing too tricky, there have been a fair number of Twingos come to the UK over the years (earliest examples getting on for 20 years old now!!)