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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

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!

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

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?

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

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.

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
Good to meet you too Becca.

Cheers Burianna!
Did you bring your Carrera? I didn't get to see it frown

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Monday 28th May 2007
quotequote all
chrisbr68 said:
Hello mate,

We had a flying hello and bye as our stuff was flying round the place. I must add to the compliments for the car - absolutely awesome! Must have been agony on those roads!

How was the weather over there?
Better than the UK. It's raining a little.
When the krauts where I work make the usual complains about ENgland and our whether and food, I usually defend our Island, however, I think may be it DOES rain more in the UK relative to where I am now.

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Tuesday 29th May 2007
quotequote all
You too Ems

Marquis_Rex

Original Poster:

7,377 posts

240 months

Wednesday 30th May 2007
quotequote all
OSR said:
Hi Ru,

Glad you made it home ok. It was nice meeting someone else who's tried working with the krauts smile Think changing an engine on a 2CV is probably easier then a wheel on your Porsche biggrin

Charlie
Hi Charlie,
was great to meet you too, nice to compare notes on the Krauts and with someone who has worked in the automotive industry also.

Re: the wheel on the Porsche, it was virtually still smoking when I took it off laugh