The new news 24 thread

[tabact]

I'm in the Chilterns so hilly. Just spent 15 minutes clearing the snow off the car then another 30 minutes sodding about on the local roads and managed to get a mile from home so turned round as nobody seems to be able to get up the first steepish hill.. Just looked at the AA traffic map and the A41 from Aylesbury to Hemel looks fucked as usual and the forecast is snow all day so why struggle into work and then have more trouble getting home. Only a couple of inches at the moment but very icy and not enough traffic to help clear the main roads.

[SiC]

All quiet down here in Bristol still. It's expected mid day today though. Wish I had my winter tyres but they're all worn out and probably no better than what I have on. My current tyres are all less than 1k miles and so plenty of tread. Hopefully enough to perform alright.

 

£354 for 4 winter Avon boots. Very tempting to refresh my winter wheels.

[Asimo]

View from bedroom: sod snow testing the CrossClimates, I'm staying here.

 

[beko1987]

[fordperv]

[Mally]

Robin Hoods are kit cars from Nottingham originally, hence the name.  Surprisingly long-lived too for a kit-car company, starting in the early 80s and still producing new stuff today.

 

I've had one with a 2.0 Pinto in. Stainless steel body most of them, cheepos were mild steel.

Mine was a good one. Bloke called Richard started it up, now run by GB Sportscars? maybe.

[catsinthewelder]

We can haz snowdrifts!!

 

 

The cat isn't happy

[cobblers]

I've had one with a 2.0 Pinto in. Stainless steel body most of them, cheepos were mild steel.

Mine was a good one. Bloke called Richard started it up, now run by GB Sportscars? maybe.

 

What was the story with that weird front suspension some of them ran? When I was 18 I really really wanted to built one, I think the kit was called sub 2k or something in that you could technically build one for a couple of grand if you were tight.

Anyway the cheap ones came with some "sliding tube" suspension and I remember people saying it was strange or shit or something.

[dollywobbler]

 

Also,

 

Want to do some tyre testing, also want to stay warm...

[danthecapriman]

Lovely to see all the snow pics.

As usual it's rain and gale force winds here!

[New POD]

 

This is how much snow we have here.

 

 

The second picture shows how big the BINI is compared to an omega

[plasticvandan]

 

Some neighbours built a snowman,I may* have vandalised it

[MorrisItalSLX]

I drove a car with a manual gearbox for the first time in a long time today.

 

I am definitely on team Junkman when it comes to the type of stick poking out of the floor.

[egg]

Not much here

[wuvvum]

The Rover of Doom passed its MOT yesterday.  I was supposed to be putting the winter tyres on the front today, but it's pissing with rain so I can't be arsed.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I think I'm going to pass on driving anywhere today...

 

[Lord Sterling]

 

Lol. Took the BMW out to the Post Office which, despite advertising that they are open today between 10am and 2pm, are in fact; closed.

 

Got to Kidderminster and back within 20 mins despite there being a couple of people driving at 20mph or walking with thier families in the middle of the road. The BMW acted as if there wasn't any snow. Though it helps that it has very grippy winter tyres on the back.

[Zantimisfit]

Southern Sweden. No snow at all. Not one flake. This isn't what we signed up for!!

[richardmorris]

Surrey in omg sno kaos!

 

Went out on the mountain bike round swinley Forrest earlier. That was fun but wet.

[RobT]

The Rover of Doom passed its MOT yesterday.  I was supposed to be putting the winter tyres on the front today, but it's pissing with rain so I can't be arsed.

That's a result, I thought it was slightly fucked. Or am I confusing it with the now departed Vi?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Anyway the cheap ones came with some "sliding tube" suspension and I remember people saying it was strange or shit or something.

 

It wasn't a sliding pillar (a la Morgan), it was a coilover version of the Sierra McPherson strut :

 

 

 

Looks a bit Heath Robinson compared to the traditional double wishbone setup of other Sevens, and carrying over the Sierra's geometry can't have been brilliant for handling.

[fordperv]

Been out playing again, the snow is a nice depth and it's still snowing

 

[dollywobbler]

Snow depth has reached Fanta-stick levels here in Wales.

[Guest Hooli]

I can confirm 4-5" of snow in the middle of Brum this morning. I went for an hours walk around the town centre in it at 7am today, it was lovely out & I got too hot in my coat. It was a lovely day for drive, I enjoyed it much more than in good weather. Just an excess of tards who don't know how to use cars as normal.

 

[Supernaut]

 

Heavy FWD barge with heated seats and riding on winter tyres = very good.

 

I even turned off the ESP and was dicking about a bit. It would only spin the wheels / slide about when provoked though. While driving like a non-twat it was rock solid.

[Guest Hooli]

I didn't bother turning my ESP off as I could get it around junctions with 10mph liftoff oversteer anyway

[Mally]

What was the story with that weird front suspension some of them ran? When I was 18 I really really wanted to built one, I think the kit was called sub 2k or something in that you could technically build one for a couple of grand if you were tight.

Anyway the cheap ones came with some "sliding tube" suspension and I remember people saying it was strange or shit or something.

 

Mine was Series 2, Cortina front, Sierra rear. Folded Stainless steel construction.

Bought it already built £2,600, drove it 18 months, sold it £3,200.

The crap one was called 2B, had a tubular chassis.

[dollywobbler]

Having found the limits of the Nokian Weatherproof tyres, I'm wishing I had a proper set of winters to compare with. Mind you, out of the 2 wheel drive vehicles I've owned, the only ones that have managed to get off our driveway in deep snow are the Citroen CX and Mini. The 2CV couldn't do it (on Toyo tyres) without a push from Mrs DW. 

[tommotech]

Having found the limits of the Nokian Weatherproof tyres, I'm wishing I had a proper set of winters to compare with. Mind you, out of the 2 wheel drive vehicles I've owned, the only ones that have managed to get off our driveway in deep snow are the Citroen CX and Mini. The 2CV couldn't do it (on Toyo tyres) without a push from Mrs DW.

 

What’s the tread depth like on your Nokians? I had Nokian winters on a Mondeo and they were very good, Nokian supply Porsche with winter rubber.

 

I have winters on our Scenic, Dunlops but they are much less effective now they are below 3mm. The sipes in the tread cannot hold as much snow and grip is reduced as a result. Still better than a set of summers though.

[dollywobbler]

They aren't even half worn I don't think. A good few mil of tread left. I feel a bit better now, because our neighbours can't get off their drive even with snow socks on.