An XS-ive weekend in Wales AKA show us your own favourite driving road pics....

[KitKat]

Thought it would be good to not only share mine, but also invite other forumites to share any of their car-on-their-favourite-road pictures...

 

Having family in Mid-Wales has both its advantages and disadvantages. True enough, I find summoning enthusiasm for my leaving my native land of Somerset cider, cheese and sun for the drizzly expanses of Cawl, cattlegrids and errant sheep twice a year sometimes rather difficult to find. Ordinarily, when visiting duties come around, I try to soften the blow and combine the journey with scouring the route for some form of "collection-only" trinket I never previously knew I needed. But thanks to said relatives remote rural location, eBay and Gumtree searches consistently fall short of providing any tools, retro road cycling paraphernalia, Myford lathe parts or additional chod within any sensible locality.

      There are advantages too though, among these being (besides stunning views and walks and cycle routes...) Wales's wealth of phenomenal driving roads. Said Welsh B-road nirvana has been wasted on my previous visits in mundane Micras and Focuses, so this time I was determined to take the 205, and sample these before the weather got any sourer and I SORN'ed her for the winter.

      With a recent Saab purchase and my ongoing Ford Falcon restoration sapping my money and time like offspring, I've again been pondering whether its time I finally sold the Pug in the not too distant. Ordinarily such wicked thoughts are stubbed out with a TU warble and twin-choke kick, seeing my camera and eBay listing draft duly discarded. But the time will eventually come, and sell or otherwise, I still had itches to scratch by the name of the A4069/ Black Mountain Pass, and the Elan valley, both routes I've read are worth the drive alone. So I booked Friday off work and set off, rain and traffic as expected.....

 

 

.........what wasn't expected, however, was the pleasant discovery I no longer had to pay for the Severn Bridge privilege, so this funded a celebratory pasty and ales purchase

 

 

Now let me say, I am definitely not a fast driver, always preferring the "leave-a-bit-earlier-and-plod-on" approach to my motoring journeys. Which is another reason I love cars like 205s; you get the sensation of speed at such low actual MPH. You don't need to break the speed limit to enjoy them!!

 

 

There's always painfully cliched hyperbole in magazine road tests when describing trips similar to this . They usually include phrases like "sweeping corners" and "rolling hills". So I'll dispense with these and just leave you these few pics, and my confident assurance that driving an 80's French hatchback on these roads is fucking fantastic.

 

 

Another advantage to Wales: stunning scenery

 

 

 

Those were mine, lets see yours!!

 

 

[dome]

I had 2 1.9GTis back in the day and an xs more recently. The xs was just as much fun and the handling far more accessible on its skinny tyres. Loved them all!

[Broadsword]

Looks fantastic and so does the scenery!

[Scruffy Bodger]

It's great down by the dams isn't it  Did you carry on through to Devils bridge?

No photos of the road itself but one of my other faves is

[jon.k]

Did that one on our tandem bicycle... going up was hard but going down was terrifying!

[Noel Tidybeard]

BON reg- George Heath Motors, Clock Garage, Regal Motors?

[KitKat]

20 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

BON reg- George Heath Motors, Clock Garage, Regal Motors?

Regal I think 

[Noel Tidybeard]

ah a Yam-yam car then

[KitKat]

3 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

ah a Yam-yam car then

‘Tis indeed. I understand it always resided in and around Brum, until I bought it. 

[Bucketeer]

1 hour ago, sickboy said:

Which is another reason I love cars like 205s; you get the sensation of speed at such low actual MPH. You don't need to break the speed limit to enjoy them!!

I couldn't agree more. We both know how much fun this thing is on any road with it's neck breaking power and porcelain tyres.

 

I quite recently discovered The Long Causeway, between Mereclough and Hebden Bridge, which is a lovely stretch of road for both hoonery and scenery.

 

Another favourite bit of driving for me is the run down the Galloway Peninsula to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. It's fun even in a big Swedish paddle steamer.

 

Also, I've said it before but don't ever sell your XS. Unless it's to me for my entire budget of 12 pence and an assortment of pocket fluff obvs.

[KitKat]

1 minute ago, Bucketeer said:

I couldn't agree more. We both know how much fun this thing is with it's neck breaking power and porcelain tyres.

 

I quite recently discovered The Long Causeway, between Mereclough and Hebden Bridge, which is a lovely stretch of road for both hoonery and scenery.

 

Another favourite bit of driving for me is the run down the Galloway Peninsula to the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. It's fun even in a big Swedish paddle steamer.

 

Also, I've said it before but don't ever sell your XS. Unless it's to me for my entire budget of 12 pence and an assortment of pocket fluff obvs.

Hey Alex. That AX pic made my day!! Good to hear from you. I agree, I found the Forte equally as appropriate a tool for the job.

Was/is the Volvo yours, or just another item for express Bucketeer delivery? T5?

P.S check your PMs ?

[Jamie]

a couple of weeks ago in Snowdonia at the entrance of a place called Barmouth? I belive? The roads were great, however, being on coilovers 2mm from the floor was not great.

[sutty2006]

Got the Peak District near me so always like a hoon over to Buxton, Ashbourne and the like....

[MorrisItalSLX]

The are plenty of fun roads around my village.

Providing the car isn’t broken, that is.

[LightBulbFun]

sadly not on the road yet!

but I like this particularly scenic shot of REV in the FoD

[anonymous user]

Not really the obvious choice for forestry tracks