Millipede Monaro (it's a bit leggy!)
Discussion
So, next week it's time for a ROAD TRIP!!!
Planning to cover around 700 miles doing a mini tour from Loch Lomond to Mull via Fort William, and then on to Oban and Callander. To be fair, most of the miles are going to be motorway slog just getting there and back!! Still beats being in the office though!!
Thought it might be wise to give the old girl a check over before we set off, dipped the oil and kicked the tyres, all ok. Then thought I'd better peer underneath, only to find the bracket supporting the back box had rusted through
To be honest, there really wasn't much left to weld back on, and trying to do so resulted in some of the nastiest, ugliest and most blobby welding I've ever produced, but strangely it seems to have taken so hopefully it will last the duration.
In a moment of pity, I then decided to wash the car for the second time in my ownership! Doing so on old cars is always depressing as it just uncovers new areas of damage and rust of which I was previously happily unaware. The nearside front wing seems to be stone chipping particularly easily...
...whilst the bonnet appears to be attempting to go "rat look" all on its own.
However, stand back far enough (this picture was taken from two miles away with a pap-spec lens) and she still looks to scrub up ok.
Will try to update on the trip daily, subject to the three W's that may interfere with that plan. Wife, Wi-Fi and Whisky!!
p.s. just seen the suitcase the first W is planning on taking and am now glad I got a "big boot" CV8!!
Planning to cover around 700 miles doing a mini tour from Loch Lomond to Mull via Fort William, and then on to Oban and Callander. To be fair, most of the miles are going to be motorway slog just getting there and back!! Still beats being in the office though!!
Thought it might be wise to give the old girl a check over before we set off, dipped the oil and kicked the tyres, all ok. Then thought I'd better peer underneath, only to find the bracket supporting the back box had rusted through
To be honest, there really wasn't much left to weld back on, and trying to do so resulted in some of the nastiest, ugliest and most blobby welding I've ever produced, but strangely it seems to have taken so hopefully it will last the duration.
In a moment of pity, I then decided to wash the car for the second time in my ownership! Doing so on old cars is always depressing as it just uncovers new areas of damage and rust of which I was previously happily unaware. The nearside front wing seems to be stone chipping particularly easily...
...whilst the bonnet appears to be attempting to go "rat look" all on its own.
However, stand back far enough (this picture was taken from two miles away with a pap-spec lens) and she still looks to scrub up ok.
Will try to update on the trip daily, subject to the three W's that may interfere with that plan. Wife, Wi-Fi and Whisky!!
p.s. just seen the suitcase the first W is planning on taking and am now glad I got a "big boot" CV8!!
wormus said:
Excellent behaviour. Mine's covered less than 30k miles in 7 years but it's on its 4th engine because I keep blowing them up! Great that yours has seen some use.
As previously said, these engines are solid when looked after. How has it managed to get through 4 in only 30k miles? Even with poor/no maintenance I would have only expected maybe 1 change??dancole90 said:
wormus said:
Excellent behaviour. Mine's covered less than 30k miles in 7 years but it's on its 4th engine because I keep blowing them up! Great that yours has seen some use.
As previously said, these engines are solid when looked after. How has it managed to get through 4 in only 30k miles? Even with poor/no maintenance I would have only expected maybe 1 change??wormus' profile said:
Forged Ligenfelter LSA V8 with TVS2300 supercharger.
824hp.
824hp.
ManOpener said:
dancole90 said:
wormus said:
Excellent behaviour. Mine's covered less than 30k miles in 7 years but it's on its 4th engine because I keep blowing them up! Great that yours has seen some use.
As previously said, these engines are solid when looked after. How has it managed to get through 4 in only 30k miles? Even with poor/no maintenance I would have only expected maybe 1 change??wormus' profile said:
Forged Ligenfelter LSA V8 with TVS2300 supercharger.
824hp.
824hp.
Essentials packed!
Journey up was smooth and uneventful. I've not done many long journeys in this car and had forgotten how effortlessly the Monaro cruises. Arrived at Loch Lomond fresh and ache free after an easy 3 and half hours from Preston. The exhaust is still in place!!
Roads should get a bit more interesting tomorrow
Journey up was smooth and uneventful. I've not done many long journeys in this car and had forgotten how effortlessly the Monaro cruises. Arrived at Loch Lomond fresh and ache free after an easy 3 and half hours from Preston. The exhaust is still in place!!
Roads should get a bit more interesting tomorrow
Day three was a drive from Corpach to Barrachandroman which is properly out in the sticks on the Isle of Mull. This is a drive of about 78 miles and a high proportion of that is on single track roads. The forecast rains finally arrived too, just to add to the fun!!
Pace was kept sensible, especially as only two miles into the first single track section we were nearly wiped out around a blind bend by a fully laden forestry artic coming the other way.
Plenty of non-motorist locals to watch out for too...
Great roads though
By the time we reached the Lochaline ferry the sun was breaking through and we had pole position for the next boat!!
Once on Mull, the roads to Barrachandroman became increasingly rustic (basically read as cart-track) and the poor exhaust system took quite a battering. Although it still appears to be holding together, I think this holiday will probably finish it off.
After an all too brief 24 hours on Mull it was time to get the ferry to Oban. We arrived just as the 1pm ferry should have just been sailing, but it hadn't started loading yet. The guys managed to squeeze us on, just...
Tonight, great fish and chips on Oban. Tomorrow the A85 to Callander...
Pace was kept sensible, especially as only two miles into the first single track section we were nearly wiped out around a blind bend by a fully laden forestry artic coming the other way.
Plenty of non-motorist locals to watch out for too...
Great roads though
By the time we reached the Lochaline ferry the sun was breaking through and we had pole position for the next boat!!
Once on Mull, the roads to Barrachandroman became increasingly rustic (basically read as cart-track) and the poor exhaust system took quite a battering. Although it still appears to be holding together, I think this holiday will probably finish it off.
After an all too brief 24 hours on Mull it was time to get the ferry to Oban. We arrived just as the 1pm ferry should have just been sailing, but it hadn't started loading yet. The guys managed to squeeze us on, just...
Tonight, great fish and chips on Oban. Tomorrow the A85 to Callander...
99t said:
Essentials packed!
Journey up was smooth and uneventful. I've not done many long journeys in this car and had forgotten how effortlessly the Monaro cruises. Arrived at Loch Lomond fresh and ache free after an easy 3 and half hours from Preston. The exhaust is still in place!!
Roads should get a bit more interesting tomorrow
Taking your life in your hands parking there for a pic !! right next to a fast bit of the A82 lolJourney up was smooth and uneventful. I've not done many long journeys in this car and had forgotten how effortlessly the Monaro cruises. Arrived at Loch Lomond fresh and ache free after an easy 3 and half hours from Preston. The exhaust is still in place!!
Roads should get a bit more interesting tomorrow
Out of sequence but a couple more Mull pics from Mrs 99t's camera:
330hp mobile inflator!
Which eventually led to this... (and note the road surface!)
..and a relaxed paddle around the southern end of Loch Spelve. We remained impressively upright and afloat throughout
Back on the mainland, the run between Oban and Callander saw another mini-mileage milestone passed
Before arriving in Callander we detoured to Go Ape at Aberfoyle, which was great fun but left us running late for our meal reservation in Callander.
The 12 miles between the two locations were thus dispatched at rather closer to 10/10ths than I would have liked on unfamiliar roads, given that it was raining and starting to go dark. Other than one occasion when the ABS was definitely still operating mid-corner (ahem!) I had total confidence leaning hard on the chassis and even the much maligned standard CV8 brakes held up fine (although the wet weather probably helped them).
In Callander, both our B&B and the meal we enjoyed were the best of the holiday, so a special mention to Roslin Cottage B&B and Callander Meadows respectively, they rounded off our time in Scotland in great style.
Final pic, just north of Carlisle on the way home, quick picnic stop
Trip summary:
796 miles, 30.56 gallons of petrol and approximately 27 fairly annoying midge bites.
Mille missed not a single beat during the trip, used no oil or water and even the exhaust stayed attached throughout, although I'm in no doubt I need to start investigating exhaust replacement options.
Fuel consumption worked out at a smidge over 26mpg, which isn't bad considering we were travelling really fairly quickly at times and then very, very slowly in low gear quite a lot of the time on the single track roads. Not that this trip was ever intended to be an economy run, but more to reconnect with the love of driving on some great roads, and there it succeeded completely.
330hp mobile inflator!
Which eventually led to this... (and note the road surface!)
..and a relaxed paddle around the southern end of Loch Spelve. We remained impressively upright and afloat throughout
Back on the mainland, the run between Oban and Callander saw another mini-mileage milestone passed
Before arriving in Callander we detoured to Go Ape at Aberfoyle, which was great fun but left us running late for our meal reservation in Callander.
The 12 miles between the two locations were thus dispatched at rather closer to 10/10ths than I would have liked on unfamiliar roads, given that it was raining and starting to go dark. Other than one occasion when the ABS was definitely still operating mid-corner (ahem!) I had total confidence leaning hard on the chassis and even the much maligned standard CV8 brakes held up fine (although the wet weather probably helped them).
In Callander, both our B&B and the meal we enjoyed were the best of the holiday, so a special mention to Roslin Cottage B&B and Callander Meadows respectively, they rounded off our time in Scotland in great style.
Final pic, just north of Carlisle on the way home, quick picnic stop
Trip summary:
796 miles, 30.56 gallons of petrol and approximately 27 fairly annoying midge bites.
Mille missed not a single beat during the trip, used no oil or water and even the exhaust stayed attached throughout, although I'm in no doubt I need to start investigating exhaust replacement options.
Fuel consumption worked out at a smidge over 26mpg, which isn't bad considering we were travelling really fairly quickly at times and then very, very slowly in low gear quite a lot of the time on the single track roads. Not that this trip was ever intended to be an economy run, but more to reconnect with the love of driving on some great roads, and there it succeeded completely.
Edited by 99t on Sunday 10th August 16:44
shambolic said:
Lochaber said:
Taking your life in your hands parking there for a pic !! right next to a fast bit of the A82 lol
Exactly what I was thinking. Wrong side o the carraigeway there is madness to stop. 
Very quiet at the time and only that one white car passed in the 45 seconds I was stationery there. My wits were kept very much about me whilst out of the car taking the pictures.
Madness is a tad strong perhaps. Calculated risk at worst I think.
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