The Voyage Home...

The Voyage Home...

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Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Someone else posted about eventful journeys back- I think mine warrants a whole new post!
It's almost 9 pm here and I just got here into my place in Germany.
I got up at 6 am in London to go to the Eurotunnel and made it on time, very little traffic.

Out in Calais heading toward Belgium- I've done this drive back loads of times.
I can usually make it from Calais to my place in Germany in 5 hours, mainly because I chose a route that goes through Germany lots.
Well I look in my rear window and see smoke belching out of the rear of my car from one side.
Assuming the worst- I thought one of the Turbos had gone (both of which were changed last year).
I then find one of rear tyres is flat and shredding and totally out of shape- with smoke pouring out of the wheel arch. Some of the shredded tyre was over the rear silencer. This happened to me twice before- once on the M1 where because the tyres are such low profile- you could barely tell it was flat.
Guess I should count my blessings, that this time the 3 piece alloy seems intact, and it wasn't raining when I was changing the wheels.

Now during PF Fort Jefferson was talking about the impracticalities of a non-full size spare/space saver. What an omen and what a friggin nightmare!I get the old collossal 18 inch 285/30 rubber off which is still hot and I pump up the little 165 space saver with my electric pump. My car was packed full. However I ended up using my tent (glad I didn't throw it away as Warren suggested now wink)and bedding to cover the leather of the front passenger seat and get the massive wheel into the car. I tell you one thing- it absoultely reeked. I'm still coughing! To make things worse- with my hazards on and using the cigerette lighter powered pump my battery went flat and the car would no longer start on the hard shoulder laugh My hearty thanks to the Polish Truck drivers who graciously stopped and helped push start the Porsche. Of course now I couldn't exceed 50 mph/80km/h with the space saver on so the journey home took about 10 hours instead! What worse a punishment than driving on derestricted Autobahns, with the allure of the open road with the the unbridled potential of the Aircooled legend muzzled! Oh well, I'll say this- when the 993 Turbo is driven with some restraint it can turn in some decent fuel economy figures. I drove from near Gent in Belgium all the way here to near Frankfurt, Germany, on a smidgen under half a tank!


Edited by Marquis_Rex on Monday 28th May 20:04

ali_kat

31,992 posts

222 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
So good you had to tell it twice 'eh hehe

deevlash

10,442 posts

238 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Nightmare! Sounds horrific, glad you're home safe though, was good meeting you thumbup

Bodo

12,375 posts

267 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Good to hear you've made it home OK, mate!

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
So good you had to tell it twice 'eh hehe
Whoops!

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Bodo said:
Good to hear you've made it home OK, mate!
Thanks mate!

Anyone know how far it is from Gent to Hessen/Germany?
Im such a sad git, I want to calculate the fuel consumption of my car!

Mattt

16,661 posts

219 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
476km roughly.

Was good to meet you MR! smile

Prof Beard

6,669 posts

228 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Sounds like a bit of an epic!

Really enjoyed meeting you...

madbadger

11,565 posts

245 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Glad you got home in the end.

Nice to meet you.

smile

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
You too, mattt, Proff beard and madbadger!
And cheers wink

Kinky

39,574 posts

270 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Yeah - good news that you got home safe and sound eventually.

thumbup

K

pies

13,116 posts

257 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Thats the problem with space savers,what are you supposed to do with the wheel you take off frown

iluvmercs

7,541 posts

228 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Damn Marquis!

What a journey home!!!

Still it as nice to meet you and chat about German cars and engines for a fair while! nerd
thumbup

Hope to meet you again!

Darren

staceyb

7,107 posts

225 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Glad you got home in one piece Ru, even if it did take a lifetime. Good to meet you.

Stacey & Paddy

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Thanks Darren, Stacey and Andy.
Andy I promised you a ride out in the Porsche, if i still own it next time, may be then?

Frik

13,542 posts

244 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Good to catch up again rup.

Good luck in the week wink

missdiane

13,993 posts

250 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Nice to see you again Rex smile

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Frik said:
Good to catch up again rup.

Good luck in the week wink
Thanks mate!
missdiane said:
Nice to see you again Rex smile
You too, except I rememeber the conversation this time wink

Fort Jefferson

8,237 posts

223 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Sorry mate, wish I had'nt mentioned it now, but at least you knew what to do with the tyre you took off. Great to meet you by the way, had some fantastic conversations about techy stuff, we must get together some time. John

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
You too mate.
Shame I didn't get to show you those VE curves.
Next time I'm in the midlands I'll give you a shout.