Slipperyness - What will you be driving this winter?

[wuvvum]

I will be driving this

 

You're a brave man, driving a Renner Fourteen on salted roads! My Six is staying safely tucked away in the shed until spring.

[Mr Lobster]

^ Indeed, same with my R4.

[theorganist]

As long as we don't get the "wrong kind of snow" eh!

 

Its leaves giving the problem at the moment, its very entertaining hearing the wheel slip whilst pulling away up Old Hill Bank, especially when the engines cut out the other morning!

 

You're a brave man, driving a Renner Fourteen on salted roads! My Six is staying safely tucked away in the shed until spring.

 

Unfortunately I don't have any covered accomodation anyway, only a car cover. I only tend to drive evenings and weekends and have access to a 206, so probably won't drive it too much.

 

I was told by someone that in 'the old days' he used to coat the underneath of the car in used engine oil! Was thinking about doing it to the 14, although it is actually fairly solid, the main problem were the sills, I have also discovered a 'tame welder'!!

[wuvvum]

As long as we don't get the "wrong kind of snow" eh!

 

Its leaves giving the problem at the moment, its very entertaining hearing the wheel slip whilst pulling away up Old Hill Bank, especially when the engines cut out the other morning!

I took the train to Sheffield in January during the worst of the snow to pick up a Townace I'd bought on eBay, and the poor old Class 156 was wheelspinning like a chav in a Saxo at every station. At Peatboghorror there was a Turbostar a couple of platforms across which was kicking up rooster-tails of snow from the rails as it tried to pull away. I've never seen trains struggle for traction as much as they did that day.

[theorganist]

and the poor old Class 156 was wheelspinning like a chav in a Saxo at every station.

 

The class 150's I catch are getting past it now, they have been banned from the Lickey incline as they struggle to get up it. They were supposed to be replaced last year by new 172's however, these are late and aren't coming until next summer.

 

I do like the 150's though, they are comfortable, I think if there was 'Railshite' site the 150's and probably the 142's would be the 'weapon' of choice, the Maestro of the railway world, maybe.

[Inspector Morose]

150's? They're still new to me! Give me a 101 or similar every day. Any train shite that the driver doesn't have to change gear is not shite to me!

[theorganist]

Give me a 101 or similar every day.

 

Now your talking, it was mainly class 116's round here, loads of room and quick loading times. Used to love sitting behind the driver.

[Inspector Morose]

You can sit by the driver in the stourbridge shuttle!

[theorganist]

Stourbridge Town station is right at the bottom of my road.

 

I tend to walk to the Junction, partly to keep fit and also the Parry 'Chicken Shed' People Mover is packed in the mornings (not sure why they ordered the smallest one possible). It is not very comfortable imho especially on jointed track.

[wuvvum]

You can sit by the driver in the stourbridge shuttle!

You mean this thing?

 

 

I'd love to have a ride in that. The SNCF seem to have replaced their decrepit 1950s DMUs with similar designs to this on the more remote parts of their network - again, the driver sits in with the passengers rather than in a separate cab. I think the SNCF versions are powered by something slightly meatier than a Ford Galaxy engine though...

[theorganist]

There is a partition behind the driver, so strickly speaking you can't really sit by the driver. Sometimes the staff let one or two in the 'cab' when it is really busy, i.e. every morning, I have even seen people left on the platform due to lack of room. They replaced a 70 seat train with a 30 seat one.

 

It is a lively ride and you do get a good view, would be nice to see some of the old rural branch line re-opened and these utilised.

[Inspector Morose]

Erm, I helped design and project manage these

The chap in the picture above is Caspar Lucas, the lead project manager of the, well, project.

 

They were longer than any that had been built at the time. The next step was to be an articulated version. I left just before they went into service so I don't know if more are planned.

[garethj]

It was officially 0 this morning so I poured some water over the Volvo's windscreen to get rid of the ice. I left the mirrors alone to see if the heating element works.

 

The heater was pushing out slightly warm air within half a mile, warm air within a mile and the heated mirrors do work although the heated seats don't. I'm thinking of writing to Volvo to see if they'll honour the warranty after 22 years.

 

Following a truck up a steepish hill today and I had to slow down to about 25mph, dropped from third gear into second and found that even on a light throttle it was wheelspinning in places. Snow is good fun, but ice is just tedious and dangerous

[Richard]

I'd be seeing if there's power getting to your seats.

[Guest]

Was a mild frost overnight, saw three different smashed-up cars on the 2 mile trip home. People are bloody useless, I hate them.

[KruJoe]

We have a lot of useless drivers crawling up Malhamdale for 'a nice day out'. This last week there have been plenty dithering about and stopping in the middle of the road when they see a LandRover/ highland cow / patch of ice / Malham Cove etc etc...

 

 

Last year we were almost unstoppable in our blue predecessor of these:

 

 

This year, I will mostly be in the middle one of the above, with my old steel rims and Colway 175x14 knobblies. Winnar.

Last Monday (a week ago) we saw our first snow over the tops here, but it didn't last long.

I hope there's still some fun to be had when Mrs KJ and I return from the foreign at the end of Jan. Next week we'll be back in Chiang Mai for some more spotting (between other activities). We hope to be doing a deal on this:

 

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/automot ... 69161.html

 

That's if the seller can sort out the paperwork... it's still registered to the original owner from 1969!

[eddyramrod]

We hope to be doing a deal on this:

 

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/automot ... 69161.html

 

That's if the seller can sort out the paperwork... it's still registered to the original owner from 1969!

 

Top shite skillz KJ! Looks a sweetie!

[aled]

this but this Year I have some proper m+s tyres because its a bit uncontrolable on the wide tarmac tyres!

 

cracking photo that one gurn, but you do get a bit more of the white stuff up there than us coasties do.

 

can't wait for some whitestuff down here so i can have some fun with my rear wheel drive celica.

[forddeliveryboy]

Slipperyness in abundance this afternoon and evening, the numpties flashed past down the A1 in freezing rain at 80 while most sensible folk crawled along at 55-60 until one of those 4x4 crewcab vehicles had a bit of a moment in the outside lane, right under a gantry sign spelling out 'SLOW FREEZING RAIN". I just hope someone has it on dashcam and uploads it. Salt doesn't work brilliantly well when it's pouring with rain, does it really take a big brain to work this out?

 

Worst bit was Sutton Bank https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Bank with a dozen or more vehicles stuck - it didn't help having rather old winter tyres and a bootful of heavy clobber given the old V70's wheelbase short enough to convince people it's a driven back axle, but we slalomed up between vans, cars, a truck and several 4x4s, wheels spinning all the way.

 

Are we still expected to have a nasty winter? - may invest in a new set of winter grips if so.

[iainrcz]

Hopefully nothing, my car will be quite happy being left on the drive.

 

It doesn't need people who can't drive sliding in to it.

 

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[red5]

Frontera.

Discovery.

Escort Cab.

GSXR.

 

Looool.

[barefoot]

Scirocco and VS, both on winter tyres. 

 

I have no worries.

[Lord Sterling]

At the moment, a Frontera. Before the Winter is out it may be the BMW or something else.

[nisfan]

Honda ballade, on mud and snow tyres, handled a light coating of snow /freezing rain easily, might dissolve before winters over though

[Spottedlaurel]

Camry now in very regular use as my winter hack - roads are filthy and I go to site almost every day which is even worse. It's getting a bit tatty and if it picks up any damage I have spare lights, panels etc. Ideal for chucking materials, dirty boots etc in the back of it.

 

I'm justifying it all sorts of different ways, but it's been running well and ultimately I prefer driving it to the Avensis.  

 

Still contemplating getting proper winter tyres on my spare steels, will have a word with my garage and see if they can get close to the online prices.

 

The Datsuns are firmly locked away in the dry and even the '88 Sunny doesn't see much use at present. I'm not sure if there'd be much of them left after a winter or two of salt.

[DVee8]

The same as the last 12 years a Nissan X-Trail,not the same car mind my 3rd.

[somewhatfoolish]

Solihull tractor will tackle any ZOMGSNOKAOS that arrives, assuming it doesn't take a huff and FTP.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I was talking to a guy I get a bit of airport work from today. Apparently one of his customers is insisting he has a 4x4 available, "That's OK, my Passat is 4 wheel drive" I say.

" Great" says he " You might be busy if it snows"

Going to order a 4-motion badge off eBay , WCPGW? I've never got stuck in 37 years on the road, so I'm sure it'll be alright.

[Tamworthbay]

V70 shod is Avon winter tyres, but have striven all sorts and never had a problem.

[2MB]

The 4x4 Nissan Elgrand on snow tyres and diff lock is parked on the drive uninsured to protect it from the salt. It is brilliant in the snow, mud and oomska, but this winter the mrs’ Astra G 1.7 dti on winters will have to do the business, of it can stop fuckin breaking down