The best car related things you've ever experienced

[Dyslexic Viking]

As a counterthread to the thread I made yesterday. The best car related things you've ever experienced.

It's difficult because I can't come up with a clear one. But the 2014 road trip to North Cape through Skanidinavia has to be up there. 

A 10-day trip through Norway, Sweden and Finland, covering over 5600km in a tired 740 that I also lived and slept in.

[Matty]

Burnley to Skye and back via Ayr on the way up and Seahouses on the way down.

Glencoe

Oban

Syke bridge.

[wesacosa]

Route 66 in a Camero (first part in a yellow convertible one but no pics on my phone, second part in this red coupé)

 

and France/Switzerland/Italy/Monaco trip in my Favorit

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/469986-favorit-european-adventure/

[Schaefft]

Oddly enough probably renting a fairly basic Panamera in Nashville. Not necessarily because of the driving experience but the novelty of being in the States for the first time (while having a pretty nice car for 10 days or so).

If not that the probably road trips through the Alps or a lap on the Nordschleife, or the NC500 in October last year.

[sierraman]

Between a few junctions on the M18 in about 2006. 

[chaseracer]

37 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

As a counterthread to the thread I made yesterday. The best car related things you've ever experienced.

It's difficult because I can't come up with a clear one. But the 2014 road trip to North Cape through Skanidinavia has to be up there. 

A 10-day trip through Norway, Sweden and Finland, covering over 5600km in a tired 740 that I also lived and slept in.

Brilliant!

I'm thinking about a trip to the North Cape in honour of the Owd Giffer, who used to sail there in his merchant navy days back in the late 1950s.

[Dyslexic Viking]

2 hours ago, chaseracer said:

Brilliant!

I'm thinking about a trip to the North Cape in honour of the Owd Giffer, who used to sail there in his merchant navy days back in the late 1950s.

It is a great trip and recommended.

There are several routes north, my favorite being the E45 through Sweden. In the northen parts It goes through quite remote areas at times and has been pretty empty of traffic every time I've been on it. 

Hours and hours of this interrupted occasionally by small villages and a few towns.

And are great stopping places along the E45.

 

And if you take off the E45, you will find gravel roads that can take you far from everything and deep into the woods.

 

And the road up to North Cape along the coast has many nice views.

 

E6 towards Alta.

 

E6 from Alta south through Troms to north of Narvik.

 

The E6 through Norway is a much slower road than Sweden and mostly only 2 lanes and more traffic than the E45.

I really want to do this trip again and take a month so I can take my time. I'm thinking a week driving up, two weeks exploring the northern areas, then a week down and back home. The biggest limitation I have is my cat. I would hate to leave her for a whole month as she misses me a lot when I'm away, so I just got to see when I can make this happen.

[Matty]

3 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

It is a great trip and recommended.

There are several routes north, my favorite being the E45 through Sweden. In the northen parts It goes through quite remote areas at times and has been pretty empty of traffic every time I've been on it. 

Hours and hours of this interrupted occasionally by small villages and a few towns.

And are great stopping places along the E45.

 

And if you take off the E45, you will find gravel roads that can take you far from everything and deep into the woods.

 

And the road up to North Cape along the coast has many nice views.

 

E6 towards Alta.

 

E6 from Alta south through Troms to north of Narvik.

 

The E6 through Norway is a much slower road than Sweden and mostly only 2 lanes and more traffic than the E45.

I really want to do this trip again and take a month so I can take my time. I'm thinking a week driving up, two weeks exploring the northern areas, then a week down and back home. The biggest limitation I have is my cat. I would hate to leave her for a whole month as she misses me a lot when I'm away, so I just got to see when I can make this happen.

Possibly the most stupid thing I've said but can't she come with you?

[High Jetter]

Are erotic experiences allowed?

[Bren]

1990. Ex work colleague bought a rover SD1 3500 SE. It was leggy and tired but I remember being a passenger and being really impressed how well it went when the auto was shifted manually.

[warren t claim]

14 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Are erotic experiences allowed?

My son was conceived in a 1987 Dodge Caravan on the middle row of seats, Do I win £5?

[High Jetter]

4 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

My son was conceived in a 1987 Dodge Caravan on the middle row of seats, Do I win £5?

Dodge Cummer van? 😄

[Imhotep]

Got a couple in mind, they’re corny and shit so apologies in advance…

One of the best was the first time I insured my first car and drove it 3 miles to my then girlfriend’s house. It was only a 1.4 litre automatic Corsa B but it was the first time I’d driven on my own in my own car. I don’t think anyone has ever been happier driving a 1998 Corsa B with about 50bhp. I can remember putting a Ministry of Sound CD on for the drive there. I even remember the track that played which was Show Me Love by Robyn S. 
 

Another time was recently when I got the ZS 180, and it was far, far better than I ever expected it to be. As I wanted one for a very long time but never did, this was a pleasant surprise, I’d set myself up to assume it would be slightly shit, and it just isn’t. 

[Spiny Norman]

54 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Are erotic experiences allowed?

I had sex in a Mini Metro once, when I was much younger and more bendy than I am now. 

[Lord Sterling]

Driving the Jag to Belgium was a great experience, the attention it got there is like nothing I've really properly experienced before, it's a head turner of a car, probably down to the fact that these are extremely rare to see. People pay €multiple thousands to have cars but only experience half something of which I've paid just £1200 for.

Getting the Vectra sorted recently. Although not completely done, it's hopefully we'll on the way to be refreshed mechanically. 

When I owned this Mk1 827 Sterling, I had some pretty good times. I remember driving around central London like some old-money type. Then the shot just above was taken at one of the PoL gatherings in Cofton Park. I regret not taking it abroad.

In about 1998/1999 I worked as a tea boy/MoT helper in a local garage in Telford (Delamere Motors) a long-haired dude-type bus driver had brought in his F-reg Supra in for an MoT. I think it passed and as he drive around the u it's to the front, he gave me a lift and proceeded to go sideways. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

6 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Are erotic experiences allowed?

Yes.

[Dyslexic Viking]

7 hours ago, Matty said:

Possibly the most stupid thing I've said but can't she come with you?

It's a thought but there's one thing that few people seem to realize  cats don't like to be moved around, they like to be where they live. And add to that the fact that mine is a rescue and easily scared.  I see taking her on a trip like this as animal cruelty. So it won't happen.

[Snipes]

It's a little thing but one of my favorite things about car show days is the "random" spots as everyone converges on the show ground

[chaseracer]

7 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Are erotic experiences allowed?

It's possible - though very uncomfortable - in a 2CV, as long as the gearbox is in second or fourth.  Just saying...

[Six-cylinder]

I have been lucky enough to experience quite a few epic road trips but one stands out because you couldn’t set it up, it just happened.

I have a good friend who used to drink in a pub with the owner of a specialist towing company and as I visited the pub I got to know the owner.  Sometimes when he ran out of his staff drivers and his regular call up drivers, he would ask me to do a day driving. While paid, I did it because I enjoyed being given an almost new Land Rover Defender to play with and experiences like having to drive on the grass in Hyde Park in spite of all the warning not too to collect a mobile toilet block after a concert.

Then the trip of a life time, I was asked if I would double hand a F1 car to Barcelona for testing in their specialist 3500KG truck using car speed limits. An HGV was to slow, I was paired with my friend and the plan was to run pedal to the metal. At 3pm we collected the F1 car that was placed in a Themo bag and we agreed 3 hour driving stints as this would give the resting driver time for a nap. Sometime in the wee small hours we were due for a driver change but my friend was fast asleep and I was wide awake so I just carried on enjoying the trip. The whole journey, a little over 1,000 miles took about 16 hours including Le shuttle. When we got to the pits we were show around by the team and allowed to use their canteen.

The plan for the return was a night stop halfway up France at Dijon and to meet with another crew who had delivered a display car. A meal and hotel all paid for and lovely evening for the four of us.

While I have used Le Shuttle many times, I got to experience being a freight driver. I felt a bit of a fraud sitting next to an artic tanker driver who chatted with me like I had a full-sized lorry on the train as well.

It was a very strange feeling stopping for fuel on the way down in the night and looking out of the shop window at a very plain, not especially new, curtain sider knowing there was a real F1 car in it we had been trusted with.

[Metal Guru]

Owning a Subaru Impreza WRX for twenty years. 

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, chaseracer said:

It's possible - though very uncomfortable - in a 2CV, as long as the gearbox is in second or fourth.  Just saying...

*shudder

 

[hairnet]

car - the roadtrip from new orleans to charlotte (in a fiesta but hey)

bike - near limoges to monaco via millau

group of 12 did millau i carried on parked the bike at loews hairpin then rode back to limoges after failing to get near the casino

bike - figure of 8 on south island new zealand

bike - to norway

car - to gothenburg

bike - to orkney - 3 days to get there via not the motorway

7.5 hours to get home after 3-4 beautiful days

[juular]

Two weeks living in a van exploring France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands without having any itinerary other than having to be in Hamburg one night for a Devin Townsend gig (which was epic). We slept in forests, rural walking car parks and next to canals, and it was incredibly peaceful.

I also really enjoyed the time @Andyrew came up in his VP and @captain_70s  and I convoyed with him up the back roads to Blair Atholl. It was the start of spring and we took our time and stopped for coffee.  A great day out.

 

[bezzabsa]

Hmmm 

Bike - 1st time doing "the clock" on my GSX750E

Car - Ex wife and I "christening Every vehicle we ever owned...including motorbikes  "

HGV - 1st time doing a oversize load, felt like a 'proper' trucker

[junkyarddog]

Finding €10.00 behind the center console of an Hyundai Accent that I'd stripped out to remove the gearcables.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Passing my test first time 4 months after turning 17.

[Remspoor]

16 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Are erotic experiences allowed?

I have read about you before.

[Remspoor]

Not really a car, but driving an Alvis Stalwart, but never got near a river.

Also got to drive a Saracen, which is sort of the same thing as a Stalwart. plus a Ferret armoured car. (So I got to a car in the end)

When I use to do gliding they were launched using cables. Getting the cables from the which to the glider the club had two ex BRS parcel trucks.

Neither had any tread on the tyres, no with weight in the back, driving on a grass field, the fun I had "drifting"

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

41 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

.

If this isn't you, it must be a member here.

Who here likes Range Rovers a lot?