lesapandre Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 I'm off to Europe again in the next couple of weeks I hope with MB1241989 - Last summers trip got over 7000 views so somebody must have enjoyed my distress. So here is a bit more. In France last summer the car: went in a ditch up to axles and was pulled out by a tractor); had two punctures including shredding a tyre and a new tyre; had a leaking fuel pump (which involved having new pipework, pump and filter - spending a month at French garage waiting for parts; had it's air filter, power steering fluid and filter changed by me at the side of the road (I used some kind of agricultural pump from an 'Agrial' farm supplies shop to get the old fluid out). Apart from that I had to walk 5 miles in 38° from the garage; drive a replacement van which promptly boiled dry and lost its brakes simultaneously on a county road; rapidly improve my French vocabulary to sort out the garage; work out how to use the Autodoc app (I got parts delivered to the local cafe); got multiple bites on the arm from a cloud of horseflys requiring antibiotics (that was when the van broke down); travel on two French school buses (they double as public transport in France); spend a night in a very unwelcoming AirB&B - the lady did not like the look of me at all; get a very strange reaction at local tyre-sales depot (I think I witnessed the staff pinching tyres - which made them very hostile); have a filling fall out requiring copious mouthwash until I got home; an unscheduled trip on Eurostar and getting a heavy frisking at the Gare du Nord (note to self - don't travel in camouflage clothing). All-in all pretty costly but interesting. I met some nice people and got through it OK. Was quite 'fun'. Here is the culprit enjoying the recent snow. I mean what can go wrong....😂 Leyland Worldmaster, CreepingJesus, mk2_craig and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Nowt left to go wrong reading that. Best of luck, looking forward to reading the updates 👍 tommytwo, lesapandre, N Dentressangle and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanH Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Enjoyed last year's tales. Makes me want to do a similar trip. Looking forward to this year's vicarious holiday. Matty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Worst I get is an hours delay on the flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 15 Author Share Posted April 15 At last limbering up for the off - life and death delayed me. Stocking up on supplies... Now what to drive - hmmmm...the 'sensible' option is the 124 but there is always this... Not sure it will get to Dover tho. Many moons ago I had a Mercedes 500 that broke down on the ferry...and got towed away by Les Flics - or Les Cilfs in verlan... (Verlan is new slang among French youth apparently, where words are formed by switching the order in which the syllables are pronounced. The word verlan itself is an example of verlan because it is à l'envers (which means reverse) backward.) So I can take the Sedcrem or Neortic...rash decisions rash decisions.. Dyslexic Viking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs6C Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 The XM of course... big wafty, comfy French barge... Also, if anything goes wrong with it, every village garage will probably still be able to get all the parts for it from the local motor factor and then fix it for you... lesapandre and sutty2006 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 15 Author Share Posted April 15 Ohhhhhh...99% of these are long gone off French roads... it's only the English who drive these type of wacky cars in France 🇫🇷 😆 Last time I saw one in the wild was 2019...the new very tough CT test has really change things in France. But yes Autodoc have most service stuff and I have put some good tyres on. Taking it tho I will have to stay off the autoroutes - it has a massive chance of FTP... Many village garages have closed alas... Though my Mercedes breakdowns last year showed it can still be fun n'est pas.... Ah les decisions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 Well I'd be mad not to take the Mercedes after all... after it's continental shake-down last year. I was just looking at last year's French garage invoices - about €600... Surely nothing can go wrong this time... Lacquer Peel and PicantoJon 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 Ah big cars... So giving it a good fettle and sorting the documents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 Fettling continues. Funny thing I have the bonnet up and my neighbour, who has a new E-class, says "trouble?". I'm not sure anyone actually checks their oil/atf/power steering/coolant/screenwash these days at all. I'm going a long way - better to make sure. This car spent all winter outside. AxWomble, Dyslexic Viking, sdkrc and 8 others 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedking Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 2 hours ago, lesapandre said: Fettling continues. Funny thing I have the bonnet up and my neighbour, who has a new E-class, says "trouble?". I'm not sure anyone actually checks their oil/atf/power steering/coolant/screenwash these days at all. I'm going a long way - better to make sure. This car spent all winter outside. My neighbour says exactly the same thing when I have the bonnet up to check the fluids "what's wrong with it?" Clueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Dentressangle Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 I suppose with moderns there's usually a little idiot light on the dash to tell you to add oil or screenwash etc. Plus most people nowadays wouldn't recognise mechanical underbonnet issues even if everything weren't hidden with black plastic covers. So no point lifiting the bonnet, I guess. Oh, and I'd take the XM. WCPGW?* lesapandre and sutty2006 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 I had a lot of WCPGW last year...I'm hoping this year not to walk for miles, buy a folding bike, travel on a local bus, get Eurostar, leave the car for a month in a French garage and undertake work at the side of the road and order car parts to pick up at a local cafe... And the Mercedes is really so very nice to drive... It will also do this: Which is reassuring on Foreign roads. This trip all being well takes me across France and into Spain - which will be too much for an elderly XM this time. This is is a common sight in France - seen last year... Lacquer Peel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Dentressangle Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Picky picky picky 😉 lesapandre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 27 Author Share Posted April 27 Well we're off. Deserted ferry last night... Not a puncture...so soon...alas yes spare on... France seems to be very en vacances already... I forget how laid-back it is here...we are running up to Mayday which is a big deal here. First proper car I've seen a1970's 'French Connection' Lincoln on the Autoroute AnnoyingPentium, N Dentressangle, Mrs6C and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 27 Author Share Posted April 27 Coals to Newcastle...Just enjoying a nice cuppa - I bring my own tea bags.. Tyre now at a village garage for collection demain - driving long distances with no spare not great. Cookiesouwest, Dyslexic Viking, Matty and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 27 Author Share Posted April 27 Enjoy some architecture.. . Rust Collector, AnnoyingPentium, eddyramrod and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 27 Author Share Posted April 27 The person who lives in the disused station has a Peugeot habit...neither look used. Other spots of the day...various Defenders (old type), Clios, one AX, a Chrysler Alpine and a 2CV. I stopped for lunch - a roadside stall...steak hache and frites in a bagette called an 'American' apparently. No Michelin star tho... Shite Ron, N Dentressangle, MiniMinorMk3 and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedracer Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 But your car was white in the earlier pictures! 😉 GagaStan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 28 Author Share Posted April 28 Hoooog...a few touring bikes about. (And an 'American' is a thing I am told - I asked someone - that's a baguette filled with a chopped up burger and chips with mayo and ketchup). Rust Collector and Dyslexic Viking 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk2_craig Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 On 4/27/2023 at 4:16 PM, lesapandre said: Chrysler Alpine Just reading that you saw one of those makes me smile. Matty and lesapandre 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 A couple of new tyres have just gone on at a village garage. Look what they had in for work: mk2_craig, 500tops, GagaStan and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 These too: Jim Bell, Rust Collector, Dyslexic Viking and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 I'm off to the cycle race tomorrow: Rust Collector, Nullzwei, Jim Bell and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 All 2CV seem to be restored. This one 'as new'. Just beautiful. Shite Ron, Cookiesouwest, Dyslexic Viking and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 'The British are coming'...well once up a time. Jim Bell, Shite Ron, Dyslexic Viking and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 A lot of these very sensible Dacias about in rural areas. Mrs6C and Dyslexic Viking 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 Just picked up this book about the new 2000's Renault Technocentre just west of Paris - built as their new extensive R&D site. Dyslexic Viking, Jim Bell, Rust Collector and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 Another 2CV. Again totally restored. I see at least one every day. And why not? Totally practical. Dyslexic Viking, chaseracer, De Selby and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesapandre Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 It's a microcar...it says so on the front. These Voiture Sans Permis are everywhere... Dyslexic Viking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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