Dad driving memories, the good, the bad and the ugly
Discussion
This post may age me a bit but with only a couple of years until my eldest starts driving I was thinking back to what my Dad was like as a driver and some of my best memories of him driving. Weirdly the best 2 were both in the same car and much as it hurts me to say, it was a 1983 Vauxhall Cavalier SRI.
The first was just after we bought the car and I was meant to be picked up by a friends dad to play rugby but due to a mess up, no one arrived. My Dad, annoyed as he was planning to play golf, chucked 3 of us into the Cav and told us to all 'buckle up'. Now I'm sure there wasn't a single faster driver on the roads that Sat am and so we arrived just in time to be promptly evicted from the car with a "Right, we made it, don't lose the game" and a screech of departing tyres. The look of cool/fear/excitement of my friends face said it all! The reality was he drove a bit quicker than I'd seen before all so as to make his golf game!
The other memory was a bit more poignant as Dad arrived back from work to say his Dad was dying in Ireland and he was off to see him. It was half term so I volunteered to go, not expecting to be taken but after a 2 min grab of stuff we were off to Holyhead. Traffic was bad and so we made Shrewsbury (old A5 route) behind time and so proper Dad driving was required. The next 90 mins or so was a blur of tight bendy roads, a lot of overtaking, outbreak of Dad swearing and some serious speed (for a Cavalier, even the SRi) once we hit Anglesey. Just made the ferry, got taught how to play poker on the ferry crossing and made it to the hospital just in time to say goodbye.
The Cav didn't last much longer as he moved onto Mercs and now Jags and I haven't seen proper Dad driving in may years but good to know he once had it!
The first was just after we bought the car and I was meant to be picked up by a friends dad to play rugby but due to a mess up, no one arrived. My Dad, annoyed as he was planning to play golf, chucked 3 of us into the Cav and told us to all 'buckle up'. Now I'm sure there wasn't a single faster driver on the roads that Sat am and so we arrived just in time to be promptly evicted from the car with a "Right, we made it, don't lose the game" and a screech of departing tyres. The look of cool/fear/excitement of my friends face said it all! The reality was he drove a bit quicker than I'd seen before all so as to make his golf game!
The other memory was a bit more poignant as Dad arrived back from work to say his Dad was dying in Ireland and he was off to see him. It was half term so I volunteered to go, not expecting to be taken but after a 2 min grab of stuff we were off to Holyhead. Traffic was bad and so we made Shrewsbury (old A5 route) behind time and so proper Dad driving was required. The next 90 mins or so was a blur of tight bendy roads, a lot of overtaking, outbreak of Dad swearing and some serious speed (for a Cavalier, even the SRi) once we hit Anglesey. Just made the ferry, got taught how to play poker on the ferry crossing and made it to the hospital just in time to say goodbye.
The Cav didn't last much longer as he moved onto Mercs and now Jags and I haven't seen proper Dad driving in may years but good to know he once had it!
My entire childhood is made up of awesome Dad driving moments. It's in the blood as most of his childhood was made up of Dad driving moments too.
I won't post specifics here as it might anger the to the letter of the law brigade. Suffice to say he's left a lasting impression on me about smooth and quick driving with a large degree of mechanical sympathy and technical understanding.
I won't post specifics here as it might anger the to the letter of the law brigade. Suffice to say he's left a lasting impression on me about smooth and quick driving with a large degree of mechanical sympathy and technical understanding.
My dad didn't learn to drive until I was 7, needless to say he's not a petrol head...
Best memory - Driving a Vauxhall Carlton over a series of crests in the Gower and feeling like were catching some air.
Bad memory - Towing caravan on motorway when it started snaking badly. Fair dos though, he managed to slow it down safely.
Best memory - Driving a Vauxhall Carlton over a series of crests in the Gower and feeling like were catching some air.
Bad memory - Towing caravan on motorway when it started snaking badly. Fair dos though, he managed to slow it down safely.
I also grew up with a total petrol head Dad with a list of fast but not quite exotic cars.
A few naughty tales of near misses with the cops, many mad drives to Scotland (from Surrey) and a few mates with similar passions.
A selection of his cars while I was around were;
Lancia Beta Turbo (new)
BMW E21 323i (new)
Porsche 928s
2x 924 turbos
3x Audi uR Quattros (the last a Treser)
The 7th mk1 Golf GTI in the UK (new)
One of the last mk1 GTIs bought new then modded to death; it was very quick
Ford P100 Cortina pickup with 400bhp V8
BBR Mitsi Shogun with about 280bhp
And stacks more.
He absolutely loves our M135i and reckons it's a true successor to his 323i; but much quicker.
A few naughty tales of near misses with the cops, many mad drives to Scotland (from Surrey) and a few mates with similar passions.
A selection of his cars while I was around were;
Lancia Beta Turbo (new)
BMW E21 323i (new)
Porsche 928s
2x 924 turbos
3x Audi uR Quattros (the last a Treser)
The 7th mk1 Golf GTI in the UK (new)
One of the last mk1 GTIs bought new then modded to death; it was very quick
Ford P100 Cortina pickup with 400bhp V8
BBR Mitsi Shogun with about 280bhp
And stacks more.
He absolutely loves our M135i and reckons it's a true successor to his 323i; but much quicker.
My dad was a 45mph everywhere idiot. Uncle driving moments, though, in his works van, were mad. In the back, no seats or belts, boxes and tools flying around, sometimes in the front doing the gear changes and steering from the passenger seat. Slalom around the concrete pillars in the multistory was his favourite. He was always in court, but never lost his license, pleaded widower dad every time.
I remember my dad going sideways in the snow at every (low speed) opportunity in the beige Morris Ital...
...also remember waiting at the bus stop, and most wet mornings I'd see my mates dad gently drift his Talbot Sunbeam off the roundabout, in busy traffic! He spotted me once, and gave me a wave, still a little sideways!
...also remember waiting at the bus stop, and most wet mornings I'd see my mates dad gently drift his Talbot Sunbeam off the roundabout, in busy traffic! He spotted me once, and gave me a wave, still a little sideways!
My Dad didn't really know much about the technical side of cars or driving fast, but he had plenty of practice. Three things stand out:
1. Overtaking other cars in the 1983 Cavalier 1.6 GL
2. Sliding into the kerb of a roundabout when entering it a little too briskly in the wet (Cavalier, again).
3. Trying to get from Paris to Calais in the early 90s to make the ferry in a Granada, occasionally going over 125.
1. Overtaking other cars in the 1983 Cavalier 1.6 GL
2. Sliding into the kerb of a roundabout when entering it a little too briskly in the wet (Cavalier, again).
3. Trying to get from Paris to Calais in the early 90s to make the ferry in a Granada, occasionally going over 125.
when i was about 5-6 years old my dad had a sierra. on rainy weekends if i was bored/restless i would be a typical kid and act up. my dad's solution was to drive me down to the supermarket car park [empty on sundays in those days] and sit me on his lap. he'd work the pedals and i'd steer. it was great fun!
Dad Driving Moments:
1/ Driving along with two inches of drooping ash on the end of his cigarette and the inevitable descent of the burning ember towards the trouser area.
2/ Engaging steering-lock when trying to coast down a steep winding hill.
3/ Driving along any straight piece of road at one MPH below the speed limit, then gassing it around any worthwhile bends at the absolute limit of whatever piece of s
te he was driving at the time, while berating any drivers behind for "not being able to keep up when it gets twisty".
Dad Maintenance Moments:
Repairing rust spots on a porous SD1 with gingham sticky-back plastic
Lying on the road at the age of 70, levering the flywheel on an old Austin Land-Crab around with a screw driver to get to a bit with teeth for the starter motor to engage with.
1/ Driving along with two inches of drooping ash on the end of his cigarette and the inevitable descent of the burning ember towards the trouser area.
2/ Engaging steering-lock when trying to coast down a steep winding hill.
3/ Driving along any straight piece of road at one MPH below the speed limit, then gassing it around any worthwhile bends at the absolute limit of whatever piece of s
te he was driving at the time, while berating any drivers behind for "not being able to keep up when it gets twisty". Dad Maintenance Moments:
Repairing rust spots on a porous SD1 with gingham sticky-back plastic
Lying on the road at the age of 70, levering the flywheel on an old Austin Land-Crab around with a screw driver to get to a bit with teeth for the starter motor to engage with.
Sweet jebus he's st at driving.
Will do 50 on the motorway.
Has no lane discipline on roundabouts.
Has no way of working out which way to go.
The first time i realised that london wasnt three hours away was on a coach trip to and from wimbledon (inpromise this is a true story) and we made it in less than 2. On a bus.
But then hes always had fairly interesting cars, from sierra cosworths to elans (granted a +2 but still) and now has an audi r8 which is still driven at 50mph or lower!
My mum is roughly the same but a member of the IAM so thinks shes a brilliant driver while revving the st out of the car with barely any clutch let out when reversing.
Luckily they also have an audi a1 which is their main car.
My dad was a very highly regarded engineer and mum was in finance so both should have a certain level of competence you would of thought.
t at driving. Will do 50 on the motorway.
Has no lane discipline on roundabouts.
Has no way of working out which way to go.
The first time i realised that london wasnt three hours away was on a coach trip to and from wimbledon (inpromise this is a true story) and we made it in less than 2. On a bus.
But then hes always had fairly interesting cars, from sierra cosworths to elans (granted a +2 but still) and now has an audi r8 which is still driven at 50mph or lower!
My mum is roughly the same but a member of the IAM so thinks shes a brilliant driver while revving the s
t out of the car with barely any clutch let out when reversing. Luckily they also have an audi a1 which is their main car.
My dad was a very highly regarded engineer and mum was in finance so both should have a certain level of competence you would of thought.
Our Dad was a bit Jekyll & Hyde when driving us kids. 99.9% of the time Mr Blunder (remember him?) and 0.1% of the time James Hunt.
He had this annoying habit of driving way over to the left, so as a passenger you felt the crunch of every drain cover and could see this cloud of roadside dust billowing up at the car behind. He'd have made a great road-sweeper driver.
But, just occasionally, he would surprise us all. Notable moments were doing three figures up-hill on the A50 Uttoxeter by-pass in our fully-laden 25 year-old 1964 Jaguar S-Type 3.8 litre MOD. Also he was a man possessed when at the wheel of our unique road-going Lola T590 Sports 2000: he even spun it on the public road one icy Christmas Day morning, whilst I was passenger.
He's still around, but I haven't had the "pleasure" of his driving for quite some time, so best say no more.
He had this annoying habit of driving way over to the left, so as a passenger you felt the crunch of every drain cover and could see this cloud of roadside dust billowing up at the car behind. He'd have made a great road-sweeper driver.
But, just occasionally, he would surprise us all. Notable moments were doing three figures up-hill on the A50 Uttoxeter by-pass in our fully-laden 25 year-old 1964 Jaguar S-Type 3.8 litre MOD. Also he was a man possessed when at the wheel of our unique road-going Lola T590 Sports 2000: he even spun it on the public road one icy Christmas Day morning, whilst I was passenger.
He's still around, but I haven't had the "pleasure" of his driving for quite some time, so best say no more.
Nothing that stands out for the former, but the last two in one incident.
It's the early 2000's and we've gone to France on a booze cruise / day trip with my Nan. 5 up in an Accord Type R. We went for lunch in Boulogne old town. Coming back to Calais along the autoroute we start drifting towards the concrete central reservation... Dad's fallen asleep... Mum shout's... Dad wake's up... Yanks the car away from the barrier then again to correct the over correction...
As all the weight, 5 people and a load of grog, transferred from one side of the car to the other and back again... How it didn't roll, I will never know.
It's the early 2000's and we've gone to France on a booze cruise / day trip with my Nan. 5 up in an Accord Type R. We went for lunch in Boulogne old town. Coming back to Calais along the autoroute we start drifting towards the concrete central reservation... Dad's fallen asleep... Mum shout's... Dad wake's up... Yanks the car away from the barrier then again to correct the over correction...
As all the weight, 5 people and a load of grog, transferred from one side of the car to the other and back again... How it didn't roll, I will never know.
My dad, being Scots, always drove for maximum mpg - he was very pleased that at 50 on the M1 his Metro would do 60mpg (but take forever to get there!)
When I was learning to drive (1974), the RAC rally went past our house and Dad suggested we went to see where they were going (a long time before the internet so no easy way of looking it up) so we set off in the 1100 Mk 1 Escort and followed a Mini. (Bradford Road Pudsey, to Thornbury and along Dick Lane for anyone who knows it)
The roads were 40 then 30 speed limit, but in those days limits were obviously optional for competitors as they were doing at least 60. It's the only time I saw my dad use any revs over about 2000, he was thrashing the ***** off it through the gears, overtaking the ordinary drivers going off to do their Saturday shopping, and still failing to keep up.
We gave up when they turned on to the M606, can't imagine what speed they were doing when they got on there! We then swopped and I drove back at 30!
When I was learning to drive (1974), the RAC rally went past our house and Dad suggested we went to see where they were going (a long time before the internet so no easy way of looking it up) so we set off in the 1100 Mk 1 Escort and followed a Mini. (Bradford Road Pudsey, to Thornbury and along Dick Lane for anyone who knows it)
The roads were 40 then 30 speed limit, but in those days limits were obviously optional for competitors as they were doing at least 60. It's the only time I saw my dad use any revs over about 2000, he was thrashing the ***** off it through the gears, overtaking the ordinary drivers going off to do their Saturday shopping, and still failing to keep up.
We gave up when they turned on to the M606, can't imagine what speed they were doing when they got on there! We then swopped and I drove back at 30!
Not my Dad, but had some funny memories of my Granddad.
The battery on his Fiesta died overnight in the garage. So with me in the passenger seat, he started pushing it out of the garage backwards. It went down the slope and it rolled away from him, heading towards his Lada Riva taxi! I must have only been about 8 years old, but I pulled up the handbrake and it stopped inches away from the Lada! I got spoilt that day!
Another time, same car. His door hadn't shut properly, so he decided to open it whilst turning left. Resulting in it flying open and him nearly falling out of the car!
He was also terrible at switching off main beam and he pretty much never indicated. So used to do it for him when I was in the car!
The battery on his Fiesta died overnight in the garage. So with me in the passenger seat, he started pushing it out of the garage backwards. It went down the slope and it rolled away from him, heading towards his Lada Riva taxi! I must have only been about 8 years old, but I pulled up the handbrake and it stopped inches away from the Lada! I got spoilt that day!
Another time, same car. His door hadn't shut properly, so he decided to open it whilst turning left. Resulting in it flying open and him nearly falling out of the car!
He was also terrible at switching off main beam and he pretty much never indicated. So used to do it for him when I was in the car!
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