Will My Wedge Make It From Kent To Devon?
Discussion
Hi folks.
Rooodgirl and I are having a few days away down in south Devon at the end of this month.
We are staying in a yurt, luxury camping, or 'glamping', if you like.
She drives an MR2 Roadster, which has no boot in the front or back, just a couple of small cubby holes behind the seats, so totally impractical and silly really.
That leaves my trusty and extremely practical Wedge (with its massive boot and huge storage shelf behind the seats).
Rooodgirl keeps going on about the Wedge breaking down before we've reached the M25, and every few miles after that, or something, and that we should hire a Vauxord Boringano to go in.
It's a bit of an on-going 'discussion' at the moment!
Getting there and back and some driving around down there should make it around 600-700 miles.
Is it not romantic and exciting to travel away in an edgy sports car?
What do you guys reckon?
Will it make it?
Rooodgirl and I are having a few days away down in south Devon at the end of this month.
We are staying in a yurt, luxury camping, or 'glamping', if you like.
She drives an MR2 Roadster, which has no boot in the front or back, just a couple of small cubby holes behind the seats, so totally impractical and silly really.
That leaves my trusty and extremely practical Wedge (with its massive boot and huge storage shelf behind the seats).
Rooodgirl keeps going on about the Wedge breaking down before we've reached the M25, and every few miles after that, or something, and that we should hire a Vauxord Boringano to go in.
It's a bit of an on-going 'discussion' at the moment!
Getting there and back and some driving around down there should make it around 600-700 miles.
Is it not romantic and exciting to travel away in an edgy sports car?
What do you guys reckon?
Will it make it?
Hi Mate..If its all doing what it should i dont see why not..I once had an old 1600GL auto escort and i took it to cornwall..Left my oil cap on the engine after a half way stop..Luckily enough it was still there when i had to stop as the car was filling up with black smoke..I had made the decision that i was going to leave it there and get the train home if it died on me..(Not that you would do that with a wedge)..It ended up doing around 1500 miles by the time i got back after a week..Then i popped down to meopham to visit some friends and on the way back home the bonnet decided to wrap itself over the windscreen..And after a near terminator ordeal with a 40 ton lorry broadsiding i decided to get rid..Have you got green flag or AA or RAC..If not then you wont have much room for clothes and stuff with your toolbox in the boot..You could always hire a boring reliable tin box and have nothing to talk about when you get back..Wheres your sense of adventure..Ziga
Edited by mrzigazaga on Wednesday 6th July 00:18
That's what I'm struggling to get across, that it will make the week much more exciting and more of an adventure.
Rooodgirl isn't seeing it that way!
She's just reminded me of the time the passenger door flew open half way round a roundabout, and my recent bonnet bolt falling out experience!
Exciting and memorable moments if you ask me!
Rooodgirl isn't seeing it that way!
She's just reminded me of the time the passenger door flew open half way round a roundabout, and my recent bonnet bolt falling out experience!
Exciting and memorable moments if you ask me!
I knew I could post on this forum for a rational and un-biased response! 
I can't wait, I think it will be brilliant!
The way I see it, I've done just over 9,000 miles in the car and it's let me down once when I fitted a dodgy ecu, oh and once when the battery failed in the middle of winter.
Ok, I've done a lot of other repairs, mostly wear and tear stuff, but I think that's not a bad track record so far!
It's still got an intermittant misfire, but it doesn't stop it going, just slows it down occasionally!
I can't wait, I think it will be brilliant!
The way I see it, I've done just over 9,000 miles in the car and it's let me down once when I fitted a dodgy ecu, oh and once when the battery failed in the middle of winter.
Ok, I've done a lot of other repairs, mostly wear and tear stuff, but I think that's not a bad track record so far!
It's still got an intermittant misfire, but it doesn't stop it going, just slows it down occasionally!
When I was a youf I bought an MOT failure 1972 Daytona Yellow two door Mk111 Cortina for £50.00.
That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
Chimpafrolic said:
When I was a youf I bought an MOT failure 1972 Daytona Yellow two door Mk111 Cortina for £50.00.
That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
Can't wait for a few more of these storys at the bbwf when we are all pissed chimp. You sound like a cracking laugh and looking forward to meeting you bud.That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
Dix
dixiebabes said:
Oh aye and the answer to your question roodboy about trusting the wedge my answer is well aye just buy some breakdown cover and that will put roodgirls mind at rest. May all the miles be loud and fast on yet hols
Dix
Thanks Dix.Dix
I do have breakdown cover, but I might just check the small print to make sure it doesn't exclude TVRs or something!
Chimpafrolic said:
When I was a youf I bought an MOT failure 1972 Daytona Yellow two door Mk111 Cortina for £50.00.
That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
Great story, and so much reminded me of my own youthful adventures too. That week the washing machine in my rented flat broke down so I cut the sides out of it & used the steel to patch the sills, not sure what the landlord thought of this?
A week later she passed her MOT.
One evening while on the beer, my mates & I were looking at our very yellow £90.00 investment and the idea was born!
Lets try & drive it to Greece and see how far we get?
In those days you could skip a week of signing on by saying you were looking for work in another place (something to do with Norman Tebbit & a bicycle I think)
Any how, I figured if I signed on just before I left, use the spare week, & singed on again the moment I got back, I could squeeze a three week holiday (sorry I mean job hunting trip) out of Maggie.
By the time we got from Norwich to Dover the exhaust had already fallen off twice, I wired it on with some bits of a farmer's fence I borrowed along the way.
By Germany we had thrown the rear section of the exhaust in a convenient skip, but that old yellow Tina marched on regardless.
Into Switzerland we encountered the officials who when we came over the Dolomites stopped us and insisted we demonstrated the brakes, this was to prove we could do the 3000 meter pass without killing ourselves.
I did a wicked emergency stop and nearly pulled the handbrake out of the floor pan at the same time.
They let us go
That old 1.3 Tina (yes she was the 1.3 model) took Italy in her stride, providing a welcome dry home for three smelly British dole scroungers when one dark night in San Marino it rained so hard our tent collapsed.
Press on boys we're half way there!!!
Another 500 miles saw us in Brindisi boarding a rusty ferry to Greece, good job it wasn't as rusty as our old Tina!
Stopping in Athens we used the money we saved by not paying the toll on the Autostada & bought another ticket to take Tina on a Greek island tour.
(In those days if you didn't pay the toll in Italy they gave you a naughty boy form that you were meant to take to the post office so you could clear your debts, I still have one of the 10 forms we collected mounted in a frame)
So then came the return journey, & old Tina carries us home to Norwich like a Rolls Royce and returns me to the job centre just in time to sign on.
The lady at the job centre said: "my word you look brown".
I said "yes, I've been looking for a job in Cornwall"
"Any luck?" she said
"No" I said "but the weather was good"
So if you are worried about taking your Wedge on a 700 mile spin, just remember my old £90.00 1972 Daytona yellow 1.3 Tina.
She did 3,633 miles on that trip and never missed a beat.
By the way, the Benefit Office would have given you a 'Holiday Form' if you'd asked, and then you'd have had a free pass for up to 2 weeks. I used to work there in the 70s.... commuting in my Sunbeam Alpine convertible.
Well, tomorrow is the day when I will find out!
I spent most of today cleaning it inside and out, tightening up a loose rear hub nut
and genreally fettling and checking bits and peices, as well as packing a small selection of spare parts and tools.
Look out for me crossing country from Kent to Devon tomorrow from around 11am.
Bye for now folks, be back on saturday or sunday.
I spent most of today cleaning it inside and out, tightening up a loose rear hub nut
and genreally fettling and checking bits and peices, as well as packing a small selection of spare parts and tools.Look out for me crossing country from Kent to Devon tomorrow from around 11am.
Bye for now folks, be back on saturday or sunday.
Haha, yeah, I did try and blame her at the time. I'm still sure it was her fault.
Although it also happened when a mate of mine was in the passenger seat. He must suffer from the same inability to shut a door properly!
My torque wrench doesn't go up high enough but I used a breaker bar with a length of exhaust pipe on the end to tighten the hub nuts to f.t., and I've marked them with paint so I'll know if they move.
Thanks guys, I'm sure I'll be back with some interesting tales from our trip!
Although it also happened when a mate of mine was in the passenger seat. He must suffer from the same inability to shut a door properly!
My torque wrench doesn't go up high enough but I used a breaker bar with a length of exhaust pipe on the end to tighten the hub nuts to f.t., and I've marked them with paint so I'll know if they move.
Thanks guys, I'm sure I'll be back with some interesting tales from our trip!
My 280i has (last year) done Cornwall from Newbury then the following weekend Le Mans from Newbury if its running right you should have no worries.
I'd have no hesitation taking my wedge on any long run these days in fact its happier on a long run than it is on short journeys.
When I initially got my first 280i and it was having some Issues the RAC covered it no problem at all.
whats not to know? Apart from the (potentially) different TVR wiring the engines are standard Ford/Rover Lumps and breakdown man should be able to take on most issues TBH.
GO FOR IT, you know the wedge is the way to go!
I'd have no hesitation taking my wedge on any long run these days in fact its happier on a long run than it is on short journeys.
When I initially got my first 280i and it was having some Issues the RAC covered it no problem at all.
whats not to know? Apart from the (potentially) different TVR wiring the engines are standard Ford/Rover Lumps and breakdown man should be able to take on most issues TBH.
GO FOR IT, you know the wedge is the way to go!
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