RE: PH Blog: roadsters in Scotland
Discussion
I hate to be pedantic but this part "absolutely stunning A82" should be A83 
However it is a fantastic road with sensational views over to N.I., Islay, Jura and Gigha on a clear day. You'll have driven it today, but the A816 from Lochgilphead to Oban is a brilliant driving road. Enjoy your trip guys
However it is a fantastic road with sensational views over to N.I., Islay, Jura and Gigha on a clear day. You'll have driven it today, but the A816 from Lochgilphead to Oban is a brilliant driving road. Enjoy your trip guys
Edited by stevoknevo on Sunday 6th May 22:25
cvega said:
I really like the idea of getting a MX5. Will I be massively dissapointed if I switch from a 2007 Civic Type R to a 2005 MX5? 1.8
..the mk3 wasn't quite as well received as other versions, my advice take a long test drive and decide, make sure you do abit of dual carriage way driving as this is where the 5 lack of power is most evident...About 42 years ago 3 of us, who were all sponsored by the RAF at London University, decided to go an a trip to Jockistan during the Easter vacation. I supplied the car, another chap sorted out the tents from RAF Bracknell, then we went into a camping shop in Maidenhead for sleeping bags, a stove and sundry bits of kit. After a night in the White Waltham Officers Mess, everything, including 3 aircrew holdalls, was squeezed in and off we chugged at 0900 on our northern adventure...
I should perhaps mention that the car we were using was a 13 year old Ford 100E Anglia. Blessed with 36 bhp when brand new, it was hardly in the prime of life. Perhaps not the best choice for a 2000 mile trip, but we had no other choice.
We succesfully made it to Gretna on the first day and camped for the night, then off to Tummel Bridge for the following night, plus a walk up Schiehallion. Coming out of Stirling, it was obvious that the poor old Anglebox was down on power. But we carried on, camped the night in Tummel Bridge and then drove on to Forres, camping next to RAF Kinloss. On the way back from the pub, the temperature gauge was in the red, so we stopped and filled up with water, then the following day I took the car to a garage in Lossiemouth who changed the head gasket.
That improved matters sufficiently, so off we headed to Gairloch, taking the scenic route. After queuing for ages at Strome Ferry, we finally made it and camped for the night, only to be eaten alive by midges. The car was definitely suffering now, so we decided that enough was enough and set off south at 0900 the following morning. Across to Inverness, then Perth, the Forth Bridge and over to Carlise at about 45 mph flat out...
Now, we'd somehow discovered that turning the ignition off briefly with the car in gear, then on again, caused a thunderous backfire. Spotting the only Scotsman we'd seen in a kilt the whole trip walking along the road, it seemed like a good idea to make him jump with this trick, to check the truth of the old story. Well, that worked but it blew a hole in the silencer. Our little car was now really struggling; the characteristic 100E hissing and wheezing now including loud farting. The trip over Shap Fell (this was before the days of the M6 in Westmoreland) wasn't much fun as the temperature gauge climbed ominously, but then fell back after we made the summit. We'd established a rota of 2 hours at the wheel, 2 hours kipping in the back and 2 hours keeping the driver awake and kept on going. However, the rear left footwell was very hot due to the hole in the silencer, causing the rubber mat to smell horribly.
We finally made it back to White Waltham after driving through the night, stopping only to refuel and to grab a sandwich. Then I dropped off my 2 partners in crime and struggled back to Somerset via Reading and Basingstoke to the A30 / A303 - no M4 west of Maidenhead then!
It took 30 hours to cover the 800 miles home and the car was never the same again! Was it fun? Yes, mostly! A kind of 'Three Men in a Boat' for 1970. Of course there were far fewer motorways back then, but also fewer cars on the road. Petrol price was about 6/6d a gallon (adjusted for inflation that'd be about about 79p per litre today), so almost half the price it is today. The Anglia should have done about 30 mpg, but with the engine failure it was probably a lot worse than that.
Cause of the failure was eventually discovered to be a burnt inlet valve, which effectively killed compression on the middle 2 cylinders due to the sidevalve design.
The same trip in my SLK32 AMG would be great, but perhaps lacking in quite so much adventure.
I should perhaps mention that the car we were using was a 13 year old Ford 100E Anglia. Blessed with 36 bhp when brand new, it was hardly in the prime of life. Perhaps not the best choice for a 2000 mile trip, but we had no other choice.
We succesfully made it to Gretna on the first day and camped for the night, then off to Tummel Bridge for the following night, plus a walk up Schiehallion. Coming out of Stirling, it was obvious that the poor old Anglebox was down on power. But we carried on, camped the night in Tummel Bridge and then drove on to Forres, camping next to RAF Kinloss. On the way back from the pub, the temperature gauge was in the red, so we stopped and filled up with water, then the following day I took the car to a garage in Lossiemouth who changed the head gasket.
That improved matters sufficiently, so off we headed to Gairloch, taking the scenic route. After queuing for ages at Strome Ferry, we finally made it and camped for the night, only to be eaten alive by midges. The car was definitely suffering now, so we decided that enough was enough and set off south at 0900 the following morning. Across to Inverness, then Perth, the Forth Bridge and over to Carlise at about 45 mph flat out...
Now, we'd somehow discovered that turning the ignition off briefly with the car in gear, then on again, caused a thunderous backfire. Spotting the only Scotsman we'd seen in a kilt the whole trip walking along the road, it seemed like a good idea to make him jump with this trick, to check the truth of the old story. Well, that worked but it blew a hole in the silencer. Our little car was now really struggling; the characteristic 100E hissing and wheezing now including loud farting. The trip over Shap Fell (this was before the days of the M6 in Westmoreland) wasn't much fun as the temperature gauge climbed ominously, but then fell back after we made the summit. We'd established a rota of 2 hours at the wheel, 2 hours kipping in the back and 2 hours keeping the driver awake and kept on going. However, the rear left footwell was very hot due to the hole in the silencer, causing the rubber mat to smell horribly.
We finally made it back to White Waltham after driving through the night, stopping only to refuel and to grab a sandwich. Then I dropped off my 2 partners in crime and struggled back to Somerset via Reading and Basingstoke to the A30 / A303 - no M4 west of Maidenhead then!
It took 30 hours to cover the 800 miles home and the car was never the same again! Was it fun? Yes, mostly! A kind of 'Three Men in a Boat' for 1970. Of course there were far fewer motorways back then, but also fewer cars on the road. Petrol price was about 6/6d a gallon (adjusted for inflation that'd be about about 79p per litre today), so almost half the price it is today. The Anglia should have done about 30 mpg, but with the engine failure it was probably a lot worse than that.
Cause of the failure was eventually discovered to be a burnt inlet valve, which effectively killed compression on the middle 2 cylinders due to the sidevalve design.
The same trip in my SLK32 AMG would be great, but perhaps lacking in quite so much adventure.
Edited by nickwilcock on Monday 7th May 09:31
thewheelman said:
have an opinion that differs to yours
In my opinion, the MX5 is vastly overrated.
but it's not this amazing "drivers" car that some people claim it to be.
It seems your opinion differs to most of the motoring world, being in the minority is no bad thing though, ive made a few comments on here that have scorned hatred from being in a minority about a certain PH favourite car! In my opinion, the MX5 is vastly overrated.
but it's not this amazing "drivers" car that some people claim it to be.
However, i am sure people would love to hear why you think its overrated, what would make you buy another one if that was you view and then another after that?
There has been a lot of chat on here recently with regard to the phrase "a drivers car" with the release of the Toyota 86, like it is some kind of holy grail that to be a "driver" and worthy of comment, you must like lightweight, rwd fine handling cars. Anyone who has said otherwise is instantly dismissed as if their view or opinion is not valid as they cant be, "drivers"! Laughable really, but each to their own and if your going to spurn what is renowned as a fine car it would be good to hear your reasons?
Dave_ said:
I feel guilty being in central Scotland that some of the greatest roads in the UK and some of the best scenery in the world is almost on my doorstep and i havnt seen half of it.
I was the same till I got into biking. Over the last year, near enough every weekend Ive been out on some amazing roads less than half an hours ride from my door that I never knew existed. MX-5's are not that cheap - look at any other car of similar vintage and engine size and they are actually pretty expensive.
yes they are a drivers car (I believe) but so are MGTF and MR2, having owned none of these I can't really pass comment on their relative merits.
Back on topic ............ I love Scotland its 25 ish years since I last did any serious Highlands driving and this just twists the knife in my desire to get back. The scenery and the roads are just epic
yes they are a drivers car (I believe) but so are MGTF and MR2, having owned none of these I can't really pass comment on their relative merits.
Back on topic ............ I love Scotland its 25 ish years since I last did any serious Highlands driving and this just twists the knife in my desire to get back. The scenery and the roads are just epic
I have driven over many parts of West Scotland like Loch Lommond, Dukes Pass, Glenn Coe, Ben Nevis, Oban, Mull, Isle of Bute, etc... All are great roads, but this weekend I found a route that I enjoyed more than any other so far (maybe its because I was driving my new elise sc), and as a bonus it is far closer to Glasgow, the B822. Lennoxtown > Fintry > Kippen > Callander > Loch Tay > Crieff then back home via the A9. Its a very quiet route up, only needed a couple of overtakes.
The scenery along this route is very different than the west, very twisty all the way on mostly well surfaced and well sighted roads, you start off high on the side of a mountain then it opens up into the big valley and you can see all the mountains in the far west north and east. Awesome.
Wish I'd went back the same way I came.
I have also been around the far east in Dundee and St Andrews, there are also great roads there, but I thought there was a much higher concentration of cameras.
This summer I hope to reach the far north
The scenery along this route is very different than the west, very twisty all the way on mostly well surfaced and well sighted roads, you start off high on the side of a mountain then it opens up into the big valley and you can see all the mountains in the far west north and east. Awesome.
Wish I'd went back the same way I came.
I have also been around the far east in Dundee and St Andrews, there are also great roads there, but I thought there was a much higher concentration of cameras.
This summer I hope to reach the far north
I was also going topless on the west coast this weekend!
The weather was weird, we started off in Spean Bridge (or near enough) with the top down as it was such a glorious day, then about 10 miles down the road it started hailing. My mate in his Elise chickened out and put his top on (gay boy that he is) but we carried on through alternating glorious sunshine, rain, hail, sunshine, torrential rain, sunshine, all the way back to Dunkeld. Along some great roads.
It was one of those days that makes you glad to live in Scotland and have a convertible sports car.
I have a lot of Alfa love at the moment
The weather was weird, we started off in Spean Bridge (or near enough) with the top down as it was such a glorious day, then about 10 miles down the road it started hailing. My mate in his Elise chickened out and put his top on (gay boy that he is) but we carried on through alternating glorious sunshine, rain, hail, sunshine, torrential rain, sunshine, all the way back to Dunkeld. Along some great roads.
It was one of those days that makes you glad to live in Scotland and have a convertible sports car.
I have a lot of Alfa love at the moment
kirsty-s2k said:
Lovely. Occasionally I see an advert on the TV showing a supposedly involving bit of road and the fun you can have in there car. it should show something more like this. 
[/url]Fox- said:
Intersting thread, off on a similar trip next month. Heading up the A82 from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William then back down the A9 to Edinburgh. Hopefully the scenery will be nice.
The A82 and the A9 can fill up with slow-moving tourist convoys. You might want to check out some alternative routes, even if only for part of the journey.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff