What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[eddyramrod]

It is great, I totally agree. I could park my Capri outside a shop and not get in there for 20 minutes... only my 1962 Cadillac gave me reactions like that, because it looked like something from another planet. The Capri pushed the nostalgia button... well, whacked it with a sledgehammer! The Granada (perhaps being pale blue instead of bright red) doesn't get quite the same attention, but people do still look, and I love that. Long may we enjoy these feelings!

[Negative Creep]

Japfest was awesome (photos to come) and I'm very pleased with how my wheels turned out. I appreciate they won't be to most people's taste, but I really like the colour

 

 

 

 

Also had a couple of kids asking me about it, and one of them exclaiming "I like the way it uses one of those old fashioned key things"

[Lufthansa-Terminal]

[trigger]

I need to get a life.

 

In other news.

 

[morris_ital_lover]

Pastor Maldonado, you legend!

[Lord Sterling]

I love old cars.

 

I went out in the Cortina this afternoon, Firstly whilst i was stuck in traffic some ginger chav on a undersized BMX stopped dead and just sat staring at my car, It was a bit embarrassing really, Then i went to a Motor factors in Marks Tey where all the shop staff came out to take photos, next thing i knew i had a crowd of about 7 random blokes who were passing the shops standing around me (I wasn't dogging) taking photos and chatting about it, some bloke even asked if I'd sell it to him as he was after one.

 

There's nothing like a cool old car to make you feel good about life.

 

Thats a great response to get. I dont get the same (or any) response in my Sterling sadly, but hey, I like my car and thats all that counts.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Beat my Tetris high score last night. 368,185. Beating the previous 345,170. Been working on that since the early '90s.

 

wheels

They look awesome, I love the colour.

[Spiny Norman]

Pastor Maldonado, you legend!

 

THIS

 

So good to see Williams on the top step after 8 years in the wilderness. Well done PM.

[morris_ital_lover]

Feck there's been an explosion in their garage and some people have been hurt... not good.

[Formula Autos]

Pastor Maldonado, you legend!

 

THIS

 

So good to see Williams on the top step after 8 years in the wilderness. Well done PM.

 

Even more of a legend is former Williams driver Rubens Barrichello - currently employed to drive this Indycar, sponsored by BMC and Hyundai*:

 

*In neither case an actual shite car company, but as Talbot are highly unlikely to sponsor a racing car, this is probably as Autoshite as motor racing will get in 2012.

 

EDIT - Flippant comments were posted before I heard about the fire/explosion. Bloody hell, on their day of days as well.

[michiel]

I have been planning on going to Cambodia to volunteer, but chatting to charities an opportunity has come up to work as a paid director of one for a couple of years. Means that hopefully all the money I have saved wont be needed still got to jump through hoops etc but looking good

 

That is ace. I support the Dutch Oxfam branche and Doctors without Borders with monthly donations, but actually working for a charity must be hard and gratifying at the same time. I'm a wuss.

[ashmicro]

It appears that no-one has been seriously hurt in the fire @ the Williams Pit, a hand injury appears to be the worst. Props to the Force India Crewman who went charging in to help.

[willswitchengage]

The moment you realise that you haven't won the league title:

 

[Mr Lobster]

Sad to hear about the explosion but otherwise what a superb race. And even better that it was live on the BBC.

[Lankytim]

Chodley castle was fab!

[M'coli]

Yes, it was fantastic. Many thanks to Hillman Imp for having a spare ticket and for Cavette for organising the meet-up.

[dollywobbler]

This month, there are three cars in the Ebay thread that friends of mine have bought!

[trigger]

I've just seen 3 rod style Ford Zodiac MkII's and 2 1920's hot rod's in a convey on the A14 going over the Orwell bridge, In heavy rain.

 

The people in the rod's were all wrapped up in full wet suits and goggles which made me grin.

[Albert Ross]

1st MOT on a fleet operated Insignia this morning, checked oil level, warmed to 60 degrees, fitted sample hose, revved it gently, Bang rattle rattle rattle clang..... 82000 miles and the engine's kenked. Ah well, Vauxhalls are shit.

[scaryoldcortina]

It's ok for you (mr Vauxhall dealer mechanic) but I'm in a world of shite if that happens to me and I'm explaining to Boris and Doris why I killed their car during a MoT! I flipping hate the diesel smoke test - has my arse twitching every time.

[willswitchengage]

1st MOT on a fleet operated Insignia this morning, checked oil level, warmed to 60 degrees, fitted sample hose, revved it gently, Bang rattle rattle rattle clang..... 82000 miles and the engine's kenked. Ah well, Vauxhalls are shit.

 

That's what happens when you source Fiat engines

 

Bit pointless having all these Euro X standards when just the tiniest amount of turbo lag will produce 100s times more black smoke in that instance - I notice this the hard way when cycling behind old Dennis Darts

[Craig the Princess]

1st MOT on a fleet operated Insignia this morning, checked oil level, warmed to 60 degrees, fitted sample hose, revved it gently, Bang rattle rattle rattle clang..... 82000 miles and the engine's kenked. Ah well, Vauxhalls are shit.

 

That's what happens when you source Fiat engines

 

Bit pointless having all these Euro X standards when just the tiniest amount of turbo lag will produce 100s times more black smoke in that instance - I notice this the hard way when cycling behind old Dennis Darts

 

I had the 'pleasure' of following a 55-plate Saab 9-5 (I think) 1.9TD down the A47. I couldn't really tell you because everytime I got close to it at a roundabout it when up the road with more smoke than my Brown Allegro with knackered piston rings put out.

[Black_GT]

Speaking of new cars and MOTS... Wasn't sure if this was a grin or a grump - MSN article basically saying that 4 year old Bentleys and Aston Martins are more likely to pass an MOT than a 15 year old Escort - really?

 

http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/the-car ... ot#image=1

 

This sentence is particular is quality:

"The Ford Fiesta is the nation's most popular car - which makes it extremely worrying that so many models from 1996 are failing their MOT"

Written by the aptly named Dick Aucock

[dollywobbler]

MSN motoring articles are ALWAYS a grump. Of course Astons will do well come MOT time. Their owners do about six miles a year, and rebuild them every other year!

[peter9000uk]

Well, mate's C63 AMG merc failed it's first MOT with 18k on the clock and it wa that bad the MOT station wouldn't let him drive it away. Mercworld picked it up in a covered truck and fixed FOC. Least they could do after a major service 2 weeks prior. Needless to say he no longer owns said POS, told him he should have kept the Vanquish

[Cavcraft]

'Picture the scene: a badly sunburnt, blistered and shaved Boris Johnson carries two red Space Hoppers accross the surface of Mars. This is an accurrate description of the current state of my genital region 3 weeks after a liberal application of this product.'

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews ... ewpoints=1

[dollywobbler]

I applied for the BX Club to have a stand at the NEC Classic Motor Show this year, seeing as it's the 30th anniversary n' all. Got confirmation today that we have a stand! Planning on my Mk1 estate being there and probably some nice ones too.

[M'coli]

The new French president being paraded through Paris in a big Citroen. You might not like his politics or whatever, but still - it's a Citroen.

[Spiny Norman]

The new French president being paraded through Paris in a big Citroen. You might not like his politics or whatever, but still - it's a Citroen.

 

Just saw that on the news, did look quite impressive, didn't it?

 

Reminds me of the probably apocryphal story I once heard about the Peugeot 607.

After the massive failure that was the 605, Peugeot weren't going to replace it, but someone in the French Government 'had a quiet word' along the lines of, "Look, the Brits have their Jags, the Germans have Mercedes Benz, even the Italians have their Alfa 166s, Monsieur Chirac is not going to rock up to a G8 summit in a bloody 406, build something big!"

So they built 'something big', and the 607 was born.

[dollywobbler]

It's not exactly the best-looking Citroen is it? I prefer the presidential SMs. They were utterly bonkers.