Wally brain Monaro driver?!
Discussion
Been lurking around piston heads for a while now, but haven`t contributed much so here goes.......
Left work to go home last night about 5pm. I live in Watton, Norfolk, about 5 mins drive away, so not much opportunity to blast around on the way home without taking a detour etc....unlike the wally-brain driver of the silver VXR Monaro. Got to the main road, looked left/right, only to see the Monaro(reg:FL55 ...)blasting towards me from the right, setting up for the sharp right hairpin bend (which signifies the impending built up area) where I was waiting to emerge onto the same main road.
He took it spot-on, not on the limit but "making progress" I guess you call it. I pulled out and then watched him disappear into the distance, oblivious of the then 30 limit, pedestrian crossing etc etc. Now, I`m all for driving quickly,I`ve actually got an LS1 in my Capri, but he must have been doing 70/80mph right up to the point where he had to stop for traffic lights.
Ironically, I caught him up in the old Mondeo diesel and sat next to wally brain at the lights. He was miles away in day-dream land and didn`t spot the car in front moving off! I moved to turn right, he woke up and blasted away, still in Watton driving like the flash dillon he obviously is.
I hope this driver of the car I can only dream of, appreciates just how fast he was going.....oblivious to his surroundings. Beyond Watton in any direction are some fantastic roads to fully explore all aspects of car performance. Next time matey.....remember that! Oh, and look out for said Capri....I`ll be waiting!
Left work to go home last night about 5pm. I live in Watton, Norfolk, about 5 mins drive away, so not much opportunity to blast around on the way home without taking a detour etc....unlike the wally-brain driver of the silver VXR Monaro. Got to the main road, looked left/right, only to see the Monaro(reg:FL55 ...)blasting towards me from the right, setting up for the sharp right hairpin bend (which signifies the impending built up area) where I was waiting to emerge onto the same main road.
He took it spot-on, not on the limit but "making progress" I guess you call it. I pulled out and then watched him disappear into the distance, oblivious of the then 30 limit, pedestrian crossing etc etc. Now, I`m all for driving quickly,I`ve actually got an LS1 in my Capri, but he must have been doing 70/80mph right up to the point where he had to stop for traffic lights.
Ironically, I caught him up in the old Mondeo diesel and sat next to wally brain at the lights. He was miles away in day-dream land and didn`t spot the car in front moving off! I moved to turn right, he woke up and blasted away, still in Watton driving like the flash dillon he obviously is.
I hope this driver of the car I can only dream of, appreciates just how fast he was going.....oblivious to his surroundings. Beyond Watton in any direction are some fantastic roads to fully explore all aspects of car performance. Next time matey.....remember that! Oh, and look out for said Capri....I`ll be waiting!
Got lots of piccies but not sure how to upload them. Use one of them as screensaver!
Bought the car 23yrs ago (my first!)as a 1.6GL. Upgraded to Rover 3.5, then to 350ci Chevy (ran 12.8/108 in the 1/4) and now onto LS1. Leda coilovers/anti-dive on front, poly bushes etc etc, usual Capri stuff.
Put the engine in over a year ago then moved house which meant renovating our new property, so car got put on hold for a while.
It`s a 2000 camaro engine with ECU reprogrammed by Injection Specialties in Houston, Texas. Uses standard LS1 sump/power steering(which incidently, mated straight up to capri rack!) alternator etc. No modifications to steering shaft were required although engine is offset to passenger side about 1" to leave clearance for brake servo on offside. A Mcleod flywheel/dual friction clutch assembly using hydraulics from a v12 jaguar.....works perfectly. Gearbox is a new Tremec TKO11 5speed. However it failed its m.o.t on incorrect braking to the rear. In the back of my mind I new the brakes were not correct due to the Mustang 8.8" axle having huge rear wheel cylinders which has completely messed up the action of the brake master cylinder. So it is sitting in the garage while I do some plastering at home and ponder over which m/c to use!.
Bought the car 23yrs ago (my first!)as a 1.6GL. Upgraded to Rover 3.5, then to 350ci Chevy (ran 12.8/108 in the 1/4) and now onto LS1. Leda coilovers/anti-dive on front, poly bushes etc etc, usual Capri stuff.
Put the engine in over a year ago then moved house which meant renovating our new property, so car got put on hold for a while.
It`s a 2000 camaro engine with ECU reprogrammed by Injection Specialties in Houston, Texas. Uses standard LS1 sump/power steering(which incidently, mated straight up to capri rack!) alternator etc. No modifications to steering shaft were required although engine is offset to passenger side about 1" to leave clearance for brake servo on offside. A Mcleod flywheel/dual friction clutch assembly using hydraulics from a v12 jaguar.....works perfectly. Gearbox is a new Tremec TKO11 5speed. However it failed its m.o.t on incorrect braking to the rear. In the back of my mind I new the brakes were not correct due to the Mustang 8.8" axle having huge rear wheel cylinders which has completely messed up the action of the brake master cylinder. So it is sitting in the garage while I do some plastering at home and ponder over which m/c to use!.
Engine bay tidied up since these photos taken. Just got to get these brakes sorted. Currently using cosworth calipers on BMW 7 series crossed drilled /ventilated discs via Hi Spec Motorsport. Large wheel cylinders on axle make pedal travel either massively long, or, using a Landrover m/c which loads of people suggested, rock hard!
About to turn the inlet manifold 180degrees to get the inlet/throttle body/air filter assembly to sit in the cut-out area you can see beneath the grills in front of the screen. (old heater plenum intake).
About to turn the inlet manifold 180degrees to get the inlet/throttle body/air filter assembly to sit in the cut-out area you can see beneath the grills in front of the screen. (old heater plenum intake).
Mmmm, ........."explore all aspects of a cars performance" is probably taking it a bit far on country roads, national speed limit or not.....accepted. But you surely can see the point I`m making. I`m taking no moral high ground here. I drive quicker on country roads than in a restricted built up area, as do I suspect most of the car enthusiasts on this web site. How much quicker? Depends. Wide open A1065.....70/80/90mph, narrower B1108, who knows ......40/50/60mph because of the blind bends etc etc. I used to regularly get passed in my 350Chevy Capri when it came to max speed on A roads `cos flat out doesn`t bother me. However acceleration and mid range "oomph" do and those same cars were normally swiftly despatched when leaving a 30/40mph area!
The point I was trying to make was that this chap was fortunate to own a desirable car which caught my attention because of hugely inappropriate speed by someone who looked like he should to know better. The fact that he took the trouble to drive/own/rent/borrow a Monaro shows a healthy interest in motors, he`s not a young lad with a jazzed up hatchback who`s only been driving a short time. If that were the case it probably wouldn`t have evoked quite the same reaction from me.
In short, he looked old enough and responsible enough to save the showboating to a more "appropriate" stretch of road
The point I was trying to make was that this chap was fortunate to own a desirable car which caught my attention because of hugely inappropriate speed by someone who looked like he should to know better. The fact that he took the trouble to drive/own/rent/borrow a Monaro shows a healthy interest in motors, he`s not a young lad with a jazzed up hatchback who`s only been driving a short time. If that were the case it probably wouldn`t have evoked quite the same reaction from me.
In short, he looked old enough and responsible enough to save the showboating to a more "appropriate" stretch of road
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