180 mile drive in recently returned to the road Lancia
Discussion
I have made plans to collect a Lancia Flavia and drive it back to East Kent from Bristol this Saturday.
The vendor...Fender Broad Cars are recommending that they trailer it over to me, and they are offering to do it half price...£180.
Thing is, I've booked my train fare down there, have arranged to meet my son in Bristol and pick up the car and drive it home...bit of adventure and all that.
The car has had a few local runs since it's road return...but not a proper long run yet and Fender Broad are worried it may burst a pipe...or any number of teething issues that could crop up on a classic car that hasn't been used for a while.
Anyhow, I have break down cover, and I'm up for driving it and taking the risk (I am one to use old cars...not for a daily commute...but use them all the same) the weather looks fair for Saturday.
The last time I picked up a classic car (Alfa Spider 2000 last spring) the water pump disintegrated on the Chelmsford bypass after about 20 mins..RAC trailered us home....but that was March...not December!
Am I mad to attempt this? Or should I be sensible and get it trailered.
The vendor...Fender Broad Cars are recommending that they trailer it over to me, and they are offering to do it half price...£180.
Thing is, I've booked my train fare down there, have arranged to meet my son in Bristol and pick up the car and drive it home...bit of adventure and all that.
The car has had a few local runs since it's road return...but not a proper long run yet and Fender Broad are worried it may burst a pipe...or any number of teething issues that could crop up on a classic car that hasn't been used for a while.
Anyhow, I have break down cover, and I'm up for driving it and taking the risk (I am one to use old cars...not for a daily commute...but use them all the same) the weather looks fair for Saturday.
The last time I picked up a classic car (Alfa Spider 2000 last spring) the water pump disintegrated on the Chelmsford bypass after about 20 mins..RAC trailered us home....but that was March...not December!
Am I mad to attempt this? Or should I be sensible and get it trailered.
Drive it. A friend of mine had a car delivered on the vendors insistence, when it arrived and he took it out for a decent run it was very clear why, a major issue which had been covered up during the test drive was immediately apparent. If there is a fault, better you discover it when you're in a position to dump it straight back on the dealers doorstep rather than when you're 150+ miles away.
I once drove home a car that hadn't been used for months - distributor fell out within 100 yards of the dealer (just needed tightening up / timing, by the dealer) AND THEN fan belt snapped after 120 miles (had to wait for RAC as I foolishly forgot to carry a spare)
Providing you have breakdown cover WITH RELAY........ it'll just be an 'adventure'.....
Seriously, take a few obvious spares (points / condenser fan belt selection of fuses etc) and appropriate tools. As you imply sometimes if a car has been standing components fail when first used ....... surely better now than in a couple of months time. The dealer would, I hope, be honour bound to sort out a breakdown on the drive home......
Best of luck.
PS carry a fire extinguisher and 1 gallon of fuel (ie take a plastic can & fill up when you fill car) - who knows the Lancia's petrol tank / gauge might fail!
PPS If you fancy a trip back to Bristol the BIAMF is a date for your diary (April next year) http://colinoncars.com/2017/05/02/bristol-italian-...
Providing you have breakdown cover WITH RELAY........ it'll just be an 'adventure'.....
Seriously, take a few obvious spares (points / condenser fan belt selection of fuses etc) and appropriate tools. As you imply sometimes if a car has been standing components fail when first used ....... surely better now than in a couple of months time. The dealer would, I hope, be honour bound to sort out a breakdown on the drive home......
Best of luck.
PS carry a fire extinguisher and 1 gallon of fuel (ie take a plastic can & fill up when you fill car) - who knows the Lancia's petrol tank / gauge might fail!
PPS If you fancy a trip back to Bristol the BIAMF is a date for your diary (April next year) http://colinoncars.com/2017/05/02/bristol-italian-...
I once bought a GT6 from a mate of a mate in London. My recent experience with TRs meant I was dubious about the car's ability to make even this simple 120 mile journey. But the guy insisted it was good to go. So rather than spend the rail fair to buy myself a ticket to London and face an uncertain journey home, I got the vendor to drive the car to Bristol, than paid his fare back.
Of course the car worked great and was my mainly reliable (and now much missed) daily hack for the next five years.
Of course the car worked great and was my mainly reliable (and now much missed) daily hack for the next five years.
When I bought our aircooled T25 (it was 30 years old at the time), I drove from Taunton to the Isle of Wight (about 140 miles). After the first five miles I stopped for fuel and then proceeded to flood the engine and couldn't get it started! Waited 15 minutes and it fired up again. Then had a trouble-free journey back home.
It was a great time to get used to the new vehicle, listening for unusual noises and getting acquainted to your new wheels..
Do it...
Mike
It was a great time to get used to the new vehicle, listening for unusual noises and getting acquainted to your new wheels..
Do it...
Mike
Case closed I see - good. I drove my first Mustang back from Bristol Docks to Peterborough on New Year's Eve, on Yank plates and no heater (dry state car). An experience, but good to do, looking back.
Also drove a '67 Mustang from Surrey back to Peterborough - and the fuel pump went on the A1, but that was in April, so lucky ... trailered home, as it was pissing fuel all over the tarmac.
You'll be fine.
Also drove a '67 Mustang from Surrey back to Peterborough - and the fuel pump went on the A1, but that was in April, so lucky ... trailered home, as it was pissing fuel all over the tarmac.
You'll be fine.
Have done over 100,000 miles in my classic with only two breakdowns we couldn't fix roadside. In the spare wheel well are spare points, rotor arm, condenser, fan belt, bulbs, emery paper, spare fuel pump (it's Lucas!) and other odds and ends. And the unfixable times? Dynamo failure where the bronze bush went and the armature got destroyed. A new dynamo overnighted and away we went.
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