collection mission to SPAIN!!!! COMPLETED IT M8

[Rustybullethole]

A great read already shall be watching with interest. 

Anticipation gets the shits dripping when you're  out of touch with being out the comfort zone. Like you say am sure it'll come back when you get under way. 

Had to do a cross London A frame the other night with a rather undersized tow vehicle tugging my mwb high top transit. Amongst other questionable legalities I couldn't find any 7 core to lengthen the light board so was hazards only mission which was shit for both not attracting unwanted or letting people know when i were braking or which way I was going to be taking a wide swing next. 

All fine in the end though you may be right on age playing a part in 'the fear'.

Good luck sir, sure you'll be a ok. 

[Cavcraft]

I'd think anyone would be a bit nervous about even thinking of doing it, but at least you've had the conkers to actually book it and forge ahead with your plan.   We can't tell you not to be a bit apprehensive, but we can  wish you luck and ask you to enjoy the adventure. Which I'm sure you will.

Look forward to the photo dump.

[lesapandre]

As someone who drives very old cars a lot in Europe I'd recommend: (you probably know all this but hey)

Get as many documents together from the owner in case you are stopped anywhere.

Take away few sets of nitrile gloves in case of needing to do oily stuff.

Stop at the first big supermarket you come to and stock up on oil and bottled water.

Get some fruit, bananas are good and some baked goods and crisps/nuts chocolate for the trip (anything that won't go off).

Take some sun glasses to lessen glare.

Basic kit to pick up out there - I'd try for gaffertape and WD40 at least.

Find some decent screenwash and check the wiper blades.

Get some paper towel at the supermarket - useful and the service areas often have no bog roll.

If you can - I'd take a light sleeping bag and pillow in case of an FTP and good for a quick kip if too tired enough route.

I always carry two phones - and the charger probably won't work in the car so useful to take an extra power pack. Don't forget a travel plug.

Carry at least €300 in cash if all else fails.

Take or buy a paper road atlas - they are useful if needing to work out an alternative route etc.

Stick to the autoroutes as much as possible to save time and energy.

I take Red Bull to drink if  really tired - but a banana and water works just as well.

Try if possible to get off the autoroutes at lunch time in some town - cafes do great lunches.

If it plays up try and limp it to a place with a railway station and leave it somewhere that looks safe - being in French plates it can be left a bit.

French garages are pretty helpful but often very busy so can't help with immediate repairs all the time.

Take some decent warm clothes and a fold up brolly - it can be very wet.

Keep the petrol tank topped up and don't expect to find any attended pumps - most are now card only self service except on the autoroutes - test your card does work in them at the first opportunity.

Make sure the jack and wheel brace are with the car - if not stop in a town and go to the local DIY shed.

Pack extra bulbs and make sure you have the warning triangle and first aid kit and hi-viz required under French law - you might also need them... anything basic is fine.

Little LED torch can be very handy.

Like has been said there are some French holidays coming up - those days there are quite a lot of villages markets/boot fairs going selling second hand stuff - if you find one there will often be good tools for sale if desperate. Local newsagents sell guides.

La Vie De La Auto classic car paper has the weekly guide to car events on - you may be passing on en route.

Buy some window cleaner in the supermarket to keep the screen clean - easier than using the probably puny washers all the time.

Probably loads I have forgotten.  The transport network runs pretty smoothly and a classic car will get a warm welcome from the (very may) French petrolheads.

Enjoy.

[Dick Longbridge]

Saw this. Thought of this thread. Flash forward to Bollox' solution to bringing the Simca and its friends over from le France? 

[Lankytim]

Could you get any parts you fancy couriered to MA BolloXs house? 
 

Also, don’t let the anxiety put you off, remember the Avenger we A framed back from Essex? We absolutely pissed it and that had been off the road for something like 57 years. (Ish) 

[MJK 24]

Not gonna lie, I wish I was going on this trip!

 

 

[Pieman]

6 hours ago, lesapandre said:

As someone who drives very old cars a lot in Europe I'd recommend: (you probably know all this but hey)

Get as many documents together from the owner in case you are stopped anywhere.

Take away few sets of nitrile gloves in case of needing to do oily stuff.

Stop at the first big supermarket you come to and stock up on oil and bottled water.

Get some fruit, bananas are good and some baked goods and crisps/nuts chocolate for the trip (anything that won't go off).

Take some sun glasses to lessen glare.

Basic kit to pick up out there - I'd try for gaffertape and WD40 at least.

Find some decent screenwash and check the wiper blades.

Get some paper towel at the supermarket - useful and the service areas often have no bog roll.

If you can - I'd take a light sleeping bag and pillow in case of an FTP and good for a quick kip if too tired enough route.

I always carry two phones - and the charger probably won't work in the car so useful to take an extra power pack. Don't forget a travel plug.

Carry at least €300 in cash if all else fails.

Take or buy a paper road atlas - they are useful if needing to work out an alternative route etc.

Stick to the autoroutes as much as possible to save time and energy.

I take Red Bull to drink if  really tired - but a banana and water works just as well.

Try if possible to get off the autoroutes at lunch time in some town - cafes do great lunches.

If it plays up try and limp it to a place with a railway station and leave it somewhere that looks safe - being in French plates it can be left a bit.

French garages are pretty helpful but often very busy so can't help with immediate repairs all the time.

Take some decent warm clothes and a fold up brolly - it can be very wet.

Keep the petrol tank topped up and don't expect to find any attended pumps - most are now card only self service except on the autoroutes - test your card does work in them at the first opportunity.

Make sure the jack and wheel brace are with the car - if not stop in a town and go to the local DIY shed.

Pack extra bulbs and make sure you have the warning triangle and first aid kit and hi-viz required under French law - you might also need them... anything basic is fine.

Little LED torch can be very handy.

Like has been said there are some French holidays coming up - those days there are quite a lot of villages markets/boot fairs going selling second hand stuff - if you find one there will often be good tools for sale if desperate. Local newsagents sell guides.

La Vie De La Auto classic car paper has the weekly guide to car events on - you may be passing on en route.

Buy some window cleaner in the supermarket to keep the screen clean - easier than using the probably puny washers all the time.

Probably loads I have forgotten.  The transport network runs pretty smoothly and a classic car will get a warm welcome from the (very may) French petrolheads.

Enjoy.

Remember he's flying out on Ryanair, so he'll have to buy all these once he arrives - probably the most Ryanair will let him take on board without paying about a grand is probably a pack of condoms.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah I've already paid £9000 for a check in bag so my tools are going in there

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Our man with the blue door seems coherent and keen "Yes its in excellent condition of course, thats why I'm asking 70€ for it" 😅

Its only a half-hour diversion for me as well so I'm hoping that's got that issue covered

[MJK 24]

Are you on your way yet?!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Setting off Weds morning 

[MJK 24]

Ages away 😢

[Mr_Bo11ox]

A bit too close if you ask me. Was up till 2am last night studying Spanish motorway junctions on Google street view!!!!

[lesapandre]

14 hours ago, Pieman said:

Remember he's flying out on Ryanair, so he'll have to buy all these once he arrives - probably the most Ryanair will let him take on board without paying about a grand is probably a pack of condoms.

Most of it can be scored in a single hit at a Hypermarche like Le Clerc's.

Personally I'd pick up some hydraulic fluid and a spare battery and even a charger to avoid any problems. Cheap enough in comparison to the price of recovery etc.

I always lay siege to these trips and sounds like @Mr_Bo11oxdoes too if he's checking junction layouts (I do that too).

Sounds like it's shaping up. 

[Split_Pin]

I have a dull working week ahead but this is certainly gonna brighten things up. The last time I was this excited about a collection thread on here was the whole thing around the Bortniteidentity Sierra base.

[sutty2006]

This is going to be the euro version of vice grip garage…. Stopping at most petrol stations and auto shops on the way home 👌

[dollywobbler]

16 hours ago, Pieman said:

Remember he's flying out on Ryanair, so he'll have to buy all these once he arrives - probably the most Ryanair will let him take on board without paying about a grand is probably a pack of condoms.

Good job he's packing those. French and Spanish women will the throwing themselves at him when they see his sexy machine.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

got a handy tip here for anyone thinking of doing this sort of mission. This company:

www.atel.fr

Is a French insurance company that do temporary cover. Their insurance seems to operate over the whole 'green card area' which is (I think) the EU single market plus Switzerland and UK. They seem to not be fazed by a UK policy holder with a UK license taking out their insurance on a French-plated car (currently registered to someone else). I've uploaded photos of my license and a photo of the Carte Grise for the Simca, and bought 1 month of insurance for €170 (about £150). But you can buy individual days for like €15/day or something. I've insured it for a month so I have some cover in UK while I am sorting out the UK registration. I think driving a French-plated car despite being a UK citizen and resident is slightly illegal anyway, so I don't plan on using it for commuting but at least i can say its legitimately insured if I am moving it about now and then.

Not sure what its like if you have to make a claim, but at least you can pay a not too horrendous sum of money and get some legit paperwork that should hopefully keep les Poulets and the bacon boys off your back for a while.

 

[wuvvum]

Admittedly this was 25 years ago but when I did my "year in France" as part of my degree I drove out there in my Mk3 Escort van.  The insurance lapsed while I was over there so I rang around a few insurers in France and found to my surprise that they were quite happy to cover a UK resident with a UK-registered car.  Not sure it would have been as easy had it been the other way round.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Wow!!! Our man's been polishing the Simca ahead of its mega journey!!!

[lesapandre]

Less wind resistance...

Yellow bulbs? Looks like it...Retro fog lights too.

Cool antenna attached to the gutter...

It's sporting it's green insurance vignette - try to keep that in even though you've insured it separately - unless they have emailed you a replacement vignette to put in. It will attract less attention. You'll need to print off your insurance docs.

Black plate cars don't need to show their CT vignette - but you will need to keep the CT certificate that comes with the car in the glove box to produce if asked.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah I'd not noticed that aerial, looks cool.

The seller is unwittingly doing more to assuage my anxiety than I'm doing myself. Who polishes their old motor before it goes? He messaged me yesterday saying it was all ready to start its new life. He's leaving the insurance on it and says we'll have a beer together before I set off. They guy seems totally genuine and I'm sure he wouldn't do any of this if he just wanted a shit old car out of his driveway. So he must have faith in the car, even if I haven't (yet)!!!

[lesapandre]

I've found old car folk in France pretty chilled and nice.

Anyone who has gone to the trouble of getting the car onto black plates should be pretty good. It's obviously been treasured.

[hairnet]

43 minutes ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

 

 

sooooooooo brown

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It looks so cool, I can't wait to have a proper look at it.

I showed it to Mrs_Nutz who took one look at it and said "well that's never going to make it home is it, even I can see that. What are you gonna do???" 🤣🤣🤣

She'll be laughing on the other side of her face when I pick her up from some event or other in my clattering brownmobile and ask her to 'tell me if/when it's safe to overtake stuff cos I can't see shit'

[lesapandre]

Indeed...let's celebrate with a song...

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

49 minutes ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Wow!!! Our man's been polishing the Simca ahead of its mega journey!!!

Seeing how HOT the weather looks in that photo brings a fresh perspective to how far away it is! 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 

[jim89]

26 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Seeing how HOT the weather looks in that photo brings a fresh perspective to how far away it is! 

Hawaiian shirt on the packing list? 😎

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No but I did order a new pair of sunglasses today (from Screwfix obvs)