So was anyone else's trip better than ours?
Discussion
So year 10 of heading to Le Mans.
2 Italian bikes
1 DB9
1 Triumph Stag
1 Nissan pick up with all the s
te in
2 Italian bikes missing the ferry
1 Italian bike running out of fuel
1 owner of said Italian bike pouring fuel all over said Italian bike and himself
1 DB9 breaking down terminally (still somewhere in France waiting repatriation!)
1 DB9 replaced with a Renault Megane
1 blow out on the Stag
1 crash by the Stag (driver ok & Stag driveable)
Numerous "getting lost & separated!"
Numerous over heating issues in the Stag
Large impressive 12 man tent leaking like a fecking sieve during the thunderstorm
75% of the party sleeping in their cars due above tent malfunction
25% of the party sleeping in a puddle
1 Stag loosing it's clutch operation
1 Italian bike almost running out of fuel again, only saved by detour off motorway to small village where petrol station was just opening at 8am!
1 owner of above Italian bike loosing credit card from pocket somewhere prior to arriving at the toll booth
1 Stag written off by insurance company
Anyone else have this much fun?
Roll on next year!
2 Italian bikes
1 DB9
1 Triumph Stag
1 Nissan pick up with all the s
te in2 Italian bikes missing the ferry
1 Italian bike running out of fuel
1 owner of said Italian bike pouring fuel all over said Italian bike and himself
1 DB9 breaking down terminally (still somewhere in France waiting repatriation!)
1 DB9 replaced with a Renault Megane
1 blow out on the Stag
1 crash by the Stag (driver ok & Stag driveable)
Numerous "getting lost & separated!"
Numerous over heating issues in the Stag
Large impressive 12 man tent leaking like a fecking sieve during the thunderstorm
75% of the party sleeping in their cars due above tent malfunction
25% of the party sleeping in a puddle
1 Stag loosing it's clutch operation
1 Italian bike almost running out of fuel again, only saved by detour off motorway to small village where petrol station was just opening at 8am!
1 owner of above Italian bike loosing credit card from pocket somewhere prior to arriving at the toll booth
1 Stag written off by insurance company
Anyone else have this much fun?
Roll on next year!
Edited by Jammez on Thursday 2nd July 17:35
Edited by Jammez on Thursday 2nd July 18:21
Sounds like a right adventure. Nice one, glad you're all back safe.Sounds like a real adventure.
My issues were a roll pin coming out of the gear linkage. Trip (in son's reliable F Type) to a French 'B&Q' to buy tools and assorted pins/bolts. Jury rig gear linkage with split pin but due to 'slack' I can only have reverse or 5th (also accidentally dislodge wire to aircon unbeknown to me and out of sight).
Enjoy race, loads of foie gras, succulent beef, French wine, Champagne, Biere, cheese, clean crisp sheets, lovely French hosts, short tram ride to circuit, grandstand seats (yes, Ok, a bit OTT).
2 nights in the Hotel De France with more biere, wine and good food before the journey home after adjusting the linkage again to get 5th. But by then I only had 3rd,4th and 5th. Still managed the 450 miles home including 2 fuel stops and the tunnel, all with no aircon and no opening windows on the Ultima. Yes, a little warm!!!
Bloody great trip. Classic for 2016 I think, just for a change.
My issues were a roll pin coming out of the gear linkage. Trip (in son's reliable F Type) to a French 'B&Q' to buy tools and assorted pins/bolts. Jury rig gear linkage with split pin but due to 'slack' I can only have reverse or 5th (also accidentally dislodge wire to aircon unbeknown to me and out of sight).
Enjoy race, loads of foie gras, succulent beef, French wine, Champagne, Biere, cheese, clean crisp sheets, lovely French hosts, short tram ride to circuit, grandstand seats (yes, Ok, a bit OTT).
2 nights in the Hotel De France with more biere, wine and good food before the journey home after adjusting the linkage again to get 5th. But by then I only had 3rd,4th and 5th. Still managed the 450 miles home including 2 fuel stops and the tunnel, all with no aircon and no opening windows on the Ultima. Yes, a little warm!!!
Bloody great trip. Classic for 2016 I think, just for a change.
Not in the same league but a bit stressful.
Complex travel arrangement for my party.
Two coming overland from Denmark
On coming directly from DK to LM by plane via Paris and TGV
One coming from Holland
One coming from DK to Stansted and being picked up by me in a hire car...
First general elections were called at short notice in DK and the car owner had his leave annulled as he was working for the local council... Those two unable to make it.
When I was collecting the hire car on Tuesday afternoon prior to an early departure on Wednesday, the agent said "Going anywher nice?" "Le Mans in France!" " You can't - it was not booked for abroad and I can't process the paperwork in time" I had booked on the company website and nowhere did it say that use was restricted to the UK, but that is another matter. Walk home contemplating my options. Phoned another more local hire company and they sorted me out one hour before they closed. Longmarsh in Milton Keynes supplied a very nice Jetta and the cost was only around £50 more than the other place. A bit too close to call..
Other than that the trip went well... Our gazebo even withstood the thunderstorm without special pegs.
and on the trip home when I was driving alone the GPS packed in and I had to rely on road signs which to my surprise worked fine...
Complex travel arrangement for my party.
Two coming overland from Denmark
On coming directly from DK to LM by plane via Paris and TGV
One coming from Holland
One coming from DK to Stansted and being picked up by me in a hire car...
First general elections were called at short notice in DK and the car owner had his leave annulled as he was working for the local council... Those two unable to make it.
When I was collecting the hire car on Tuesday afternoon prior to an early departure on Wednesday, the agent said "Going anywher nice?" "Le Mans in France!" " You can't - it was not booked for abroad and I can't process the paperwork in time" I had booked on the company website and nowhere did it say that use was restricted to the UK, but that is another matter. Walk home contemplating my options. Phoned another more local hire company and they sorted me out one hour before they closed. Longmarsh in Milton Keynes supplied a very nice Jetta and the cost was only around £50 more than the other place. A bit too close to call..
Other than that the trip went well... Our gazebo even withstood the thunderstorm without special pegs.
and on the trip home when I was driving alone the GPS packed in and I had to rely on road signs which to my surprise worked fine...
Edited by Great Dane on Friday 3rd July 19:14
Went over in a v70 est with over 200k on the clock, no breakdown cover not even uk AA. Ran like a dream, got all 4 of us and our gear there.
Only problem we had was my mate getting pissed, falling asleep on my bonnet and then puking right outside his tent.
Great Le mans roll on next year.
Only problem we had was my mate getting pissed, falling asleep on my bonnet and then puking right outside his tent.
Great Le mans roll on next year.
Went over in a v70 est with over 200k on the clock, no breakdown cover not even uk AA. Ran like a dream, got all 4 of us and our gear there.
Only problem we had was my mate getting pissed, falling asleep on my bonnet and then puking right outside his tent.
Great Le mans roll on next year.
Only problem we had was my mate getting pissed, falling asleep on my bonnet and then puking right outside his tent.
Great Le mans roll on next year.
Oldwolf said:
The storm was quite amazing, we held the gazebo up for an hour or so while the thunder and lightening blew.
All the equipment survived thankfully
Haha. Done that. Doesn't seem like a true Le Mans without a thunderstorm and having to hold a gazebo in place while you watch badly put up tents collapse with people stuck inside and others filling up with inches of water as the dips in the field turn into lakes. All the equipment survived thankfully
Always amazed me how jovial everyone was who had had all their kit demolished at the start of the weekend by the rain and how everyone helped out. It was when the real Le Mans spirit shone through.
Gassing Station | Le Mans | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff