Lacking Enthusiasm...

[coppice]

Turbobanana said:

21st Century Man said:

2CV's are great cars, lovely on a chilled out lazy paced road trip. I can understand why some people don't like them if they're simply not their thing, but those who write them off as rubbish, and with some vehemence at that, are just idiots. Not only do they have no idea, they have no idea of the scale by which they have no idea.

You're absolutely right, 21CM.

I've often been roasted on PH for my defence of cars that don't fit with the mantra of "Speed Matters", but I maintain that it can work both ways. 2CVs are great because of their speed: it just happens that their speed is low, so you enjoy other things like the view, other people's reactions, maintaining momentum at all costs etc.

I view this forum as a safe place.

Loving the updates, OP: keep it up, but enjoy your rest period.

Quite so . I'm always amused by the PH macho men who bluster that any car with less than , say, 300bhp /tonne , is 'dangerously underpowered' and 'impossible to overtake in'. Very unfairly I admit, I visualise them as 4th hand M3 owners with a steroid habit and a perma scowl. Like everybody who has had a 2CV in their life , you know that overtaking is little to do with power and much more to do with anticipation, observation and timing . And what can be more fun than slipstreaming a coach doing 2mph less than your own V max and drafting by on the motorway ? Happy days ...

[lowdrag]

I was 14 when I learned to drive, when in 1960 my uncle's car failed the first MOT with a rotten chassis. He then bought my mother's Moggie 1000 when she had failed her test for the second time and gave up driving, my uncle leaving his car at our house.It was totally illegal of course, but I couldn't help it, living in deepest Hampshire as we did, risking a drive out in the country. And I'll never forget overtaking for the first time at Warnford on the A32. Of course, I have been known to say that my first car was an E-type when it as actually a Morris series E. Ah, the sins of youth.

[Mark A S]

lowdrag said:

And I'll never forget overtaking for the first time at Warnford on the A32. Of course, I have been known to say that my first car was an E-type when it as actually a Morris series E. Ah, the sins of youth.

Ha, i well recall the A32 as a wonderful road for having "Fun" back then, sadly festooned with camera's and 50 mph signs now such is the way these days.

As mentioned above, no, you do not need lots of BHP to have fun, all depends on your mood and vehicle your in. OP's motor comes to mind

[Sideways Tim]

That’s more like it. A day by the pool after a quick check over. Tyres all full of air, wheel nuts tight, engine and gearbox oil both fine, everything else visually O.K.

One last night on Gib and then off to Caceres tomorrow. Big drive through the hills inland. Fuel here is cheap, £1 a litre. Might bring some home with me…

[Turbobanana]

Sideways Tim said:

That’s more like it. A day by the pool after a quick check over. Tyres all full of air, wheel nuts tight, engine and gearbox oil both fine, everything else visually O.K.

One last night on Gib and then off to Caceres tomorrow. Big drive through the hills inland. Fuel here is cheap, £1 a litre. Might bring some home with me…

What's that big blue thing in the top of the picture? We have something like it, but ours is grey. Not seen one in that colour before.

[Rumdoodle]

Turbobanana said:

Sideways Tim said:

That’s more like it. A day by the pool after a quick check over. Tyres all full of air, wheel nuts tight, engine and gearbox oil both fine, everything else visually O.K.

One last night on Gib and then off to Caceres tomorrow. Big drive through the hills inland. Fuel here is cheap, £1 a litre. Might bring some home with me…

What's that big blue thing in the top of the picture? We have something like it, but ours is grey. Not seen one in that colour before.

For God's sake, man, don't look directly at it!

[Sideways Tim]

That’ll do nicely

Plenty of this today. 220 miles to go until Caceres…

[tog]

I thought of you just now as I followed a Méhari being driven on its doorhandles, sans windscreen out of Swindon just now. The driver looked like he was having much more fun than the Ferrari driver I saw parking in Sainsbury's.

[Sideways Tim]

Phew. Long sweaty day, but we have landed at our digs in Caceres. Around 290 miles today. I think that’s our longest stint, but the hills and roads of mid-western Spain have been brilliant. Again the 2CV has done us proud

Off into town for a bit of the foreign and some sustenance…

Edited by Sideways Tim on Friday 10th May 18:20

[Sideways Tim]

tog said:

I thought of you just now as I followed a Méhari being driven on its doorhandles, sans windscreen out of Swindon just now. The driver looked like he was having much more fun than the Ferrari driver I saw parking in Sainsbury's.

[Bobupndown]

Loving your trip, keep updating us with updates!
What's with the LJZ plate? Co. Down, Northern Ireland from 2006/7, a bit newer than the vehicle its screwed on to.

[Sideways Tim]

Bobupndown said:

Loving your trip, keep updating us with updates!
What's with the LJZ plate? Co. Down, Northern Ireland from 2006/7, a bit newer than the vehicle its screwed on to.

Will do.

Went into town for some grub. Today is the second day of the WOMAD Festival, hence the place is rammed! Back to the hotel for a very nice meal in a very quiet restaurant!

We’ve had the plate for a few years originally on my Daughters Defender (which is now my son’s Defender with a private reg on it).
I stuck this one on the 2CV as it looks a bit French if you squint

[Sideways Tim]

Coffee and a biscuit just outside Perales del Puerto, on our way to stay in a converted grain silo in Portugal tonight…

[ferret50]

Sideways Tim said:

Whoever said that we might be underwhelmed by Gibraltar was correct. It’s basically an English seaside town on a hill with its own permanent cloud generator. We haven’t even been able to relax by the pool as it’s been overcast and frankly chilly since we arrived

Still, the hotel is fine and I’ve a day tomorrow to check over the 2CV before we head for Caceres and the sunshine once more.

I have no one to blame but myself, I allowed my BiL’s wife to book the accoms and clearly her version of 150 miles a day leaves about 100 miles a day to be desired

Still, we’re here and we’re enjoying it. Seems difficult to believe we’re on the return journey in a day!

Stay tuned…

Edited by Sideways Tim on Wednesday 8th May 18:59

Sorry to take you back a page, OP, but did you drive into Gibralter?

We are thinking of calling there late Sept but I'm uneasy about taking the camper in, thinking more about parking on the Spanish side and using Mk1 feet....any advice, please?

[Sideways Tim]

ferret50 said:

Sorry to take you back a page, OP, but did you drive into Gibralter?

We are thinking of calling there late Sept but I'm uneasy about taking the camper in, thinking more about parking on the Spanish side and using Mk1 feet....any advice, please?

Yep, we stayed there three nights. Parking would be an issue unless you’re staying in a hotel I think. Probably best to park in Spain and enter on foot if only there for a day. Google Gibraltar Hopper and you can buy a day ticket for all the buses for £6.60. Great way to get about the place.

[ferret50]

Sideways Tim said:

ferret50 said:

Sorry to take you back a page, OP, but did you drive into Gibralter?

We are thinking of calling there late Sept but I'm uneasy about taking the camper in, thinking more about parking on the Spanish side and using Mk1 feet....any advice, please?

Yep, we stayed there three nights. Parking would be an issue unless you’re staying in a hotel I think. Probably best to park in Spain and enter on foot if only there for a day. Google Gibraltar Hopper and you can buy a day ticket for all the buses for £6.60. Great way to get about the place.

Top man!

Many thanks for first hand info.

[Sideways Tim]

We have arrived at our stopover in Portugal. What a drive. M611, a mini Stelvio. Scenery galore! Superb





We’re staying in a converted grain silo, which is actually pretty damn cool!



Left Spain on a sour note though, as the parking that I thought meant five hours free, wasn’t. Ticket for a €60 fine

Edited by Sideways Tim on Saturday 11th May 16:18

[harrycovert]

Be careful parking just outsde Gib in campervan lots of scams .Prepay for parking which doesn't exist ,fellow campers running out of fuel etc.

ferret50 said:

Sorry to take you back a page, OP, but did you drive into Gibralter?

We are thinking of calling there late Sept but I'm uneasy about taking the camper in, thinking more about parking on the Spanish side and using Mk1 feet....any advice, please?

[Bobupndown]

Sideways Tim said:

Bobupndown said:

Loving your trip, keep updating us with updates!
What's with the LJZ plate? Co. Down, Northern Ireland from 2006/7, a bit newer than the vehicle its screwed on to.

Will do.

Went into town for some grub. Today is the second day of the WOMAD Festival, hence the place is rammed! Back to the hotel for a very nice meal in a very quiet restaurant!

We’ve had the plate for a few years originally on my Daughters Defender (which is now my son’s Defender with a private reg on it).
I stuck this one on the 2CV as it looks a bit French if you squint

Suppose it does a bit the way you have it spaced and the font.

[21st Century Man]

We used to have a UK registered MKI Panda, F95 GNN, but had it on French plates spaced F9 5G NN and a BZH country oval sticker. It always puzzled people. We used to tow it on an A frame behind our motorhome.