Norwich-Nice-Norwich what car?

[busta]

In Spetember I will be driving from Norwich to Nice, Southern France, with my girlfriend to pick up a friend who will have just finished an 8 week solo cycling tour of the alps, and then bringing him and his bike back to Norwich

I have yet to plan routes, stops etc. I'd like to get there in a day but I feel arriving in un-familiar Nice in the dark after 14-16hrs driving might not be so wise. On the way back we will be seeing as much of the alps as we can, and hopefully driving along some pretty special roads.

But my main concern is the vehicle in which I do it.

Currently I have a choice of a Peugeot 106 track car that does 4500rpm at 70mph, or a 200,000-mile-old Volvo 940 TDI that does a very un-diesel like 3200rpm at 70mph.

The trip back will involve plenty of alps, which would be awesome in the 106, but I will have 2 passengers and a bike which makes me think Volvo. The rest of the trip will involve lots of mile munching which makes me think buy something that doesn't sound like death at 70+mph.

I have up to £1000 to spend on car modifications or new vehicles. The Volvo is worth about £500, the 106 about £1500 but I'd be reluctant to sell both. Basically I'm using the trip as an opportunity to improve what I have or get something better.

The vehicles in question- 140hp, 750kg 106
and a 130hp, 1,500kg Volvo

Ideas, opinions and spelling/grammar police all very welcome!

[109 Bob]

Well I hate to say it but the Volvo is the sensible option, there are many reasons I can think of why you should take it over the 106. Why don't you use the Volvo & then sell it when you return.

Edited by 109 Bob on Friday 16th April 20:50

[Pilgrim20vt]

Bugger sensible Flog the pug, add the grand, negotiate hard and get one of these (and a bike rack):

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009...

or one of these:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

or this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

You only live once.

Edited by Pilgrim20vt on Friday 16th April 21:03

Edited by Pilgrim20vt on Friday 16th April 21:07

[tws1]

Id probably take the huge green tank off the roof of the volvo, that should improve performace a fair bit.



...Ill get my coat......


Mondeo ST type thing?

[busta]

Pilgrim20vt said:

Bugger sensible Flog the pug, add the grand, negotiate hard and get one of these (and a bike rack):

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2009...

or one of these:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

or this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

You only live once.

Edited by Pilgrim20vt on Friday 16th April 21:03

Edited by Pilgrim20vt on Friday 16th April 21:07

Nice choices, definitely some I han't thought of. Of course, if you carry on along those lines you end up with one of these! I'll go do some barge hunting.

[busta]

109 Bob said:

Well I hate to say it but the Volvo is the sensible option, there are many reasons I can think of why you should take it over the 106. Why don't you use the Volvo & then sell it when you return.

Edited by 109 Bob on Friday 16th April 20:50

Deep down I know this, but it's also a very dull car to drive on nice roads. If I can chop it in for something that'll do the job and be more involving to drive I will!

[gizlaroc]

Sell them both and get this...

http://www.tinyurls.co.uk/M1413


2.7T allroad

Will remap to 310bhp and do the sprint to 60mph in a smidge over 6 seconds.

Now the air suspension doesn't work on that car but they have dropped the price to £3k and would take £2700.

You can buy a new compressor for £300 and the front air shocks can be had for £600 delivered.

So your £2500 for both cars plus the grand you can put in = £3500.

He wants £2700 + £300 + £600 = £3600.


So you are almost there.

Seems like a lot of car for little money to me.

Edited by gizlaroc on Saturday 17th April 14:47

[busta]

Another good find. Who does he think he's kidding by listing body coloured bumpers though?! I'll have a look for a non-allroad version, must be some for less and I don't need any of that high riding chunky monkey allroad jazz!

[Pilgrim20vt]

busta said:

Nice choices, definitely some I han't thought of. Of course, if you carry on along those lines you end up with one of these! I'll go do some barge hunting.

Now you're just being silly

[davidjpowell]

Given the distance and not knowing how reliable the cars are or indeed if you upgraded how reliable the replacement would be as still fairly low value, I would be tempted to hire a car I think.

Mondeo estate £250 for a week from Hertz. Probably cost a bit more because of Europe.

Edited by davidjpowell on Tuesday 20th April 20:46

[NORTS]

Sounds like good fun!! I started from a similar location last summer and ended up in Marbella. France loves the tolls so make sure you take into account the money for these, they soon add up. Also fuel is a fair bit more in France than here, well last summer it was anyway.

Send Thainy on here a message, he done Norwich to St. tropez last summer in his T350. I'm sure he will advise you on the best routes.

French roads are great! Have a good trip.

[Chris_w666]

Take the Volvo after a good service or drive to the ferry, get a hire car at the other side drive to Nice and back then leave hire car at the port.

[StefV]

Saab 9000 2.3T, ideally Aero. 500-1000 should get you a good one. You can tune them rather easily for peanuts, a home-made remap will give you 270bhp for beer money.
Great at french motorway speeds, quicker than most cars you are likely to encounter there if you don't go too close to Monaco, and the seats are ultra confy on the Aero. Makes a big difference on long trips in my experience.
And you can put your friend's bike in the cavernous boot, so no need for a bike rack. (you might have to fold one of the back seats, but that's ok if you are three in the car. I carried my sister's bike in mine with three people in and one back seat folded, without even bothering to remove the front wheel!)

[MrLou]

Chris_w666 said:

Take the Volvo after a good service or drive to the ferry, get a hire car at the other side drive to Nice and back then leave hire car at the port.

This sounds very sensible to me.

But, in the true spirit of PH, the OP will undoubtedly buy a shed-o-matic barge, have multiple mechanical breakdowns and enjoy every minute of his trip.

[Harry Flashman]

gizlaroc said:

Sell them both and get this...

http://www.tinyurls.co.uk/M1413


2.7T allroad

Will remap to 310bhp and do the sprint to 60mph in a smidge over 6 seconds.

Now the air suspension doesn't work on that car but they have dropped the price to £3k and would take £2700.

You can buy a new compressor for £300 and the front air shocks can be had for £600 delivered.

So your £2500 for both cars plus the grand you can put in = £3500.

He wants £2700 + £300 + £600 = £3600.


So you are almost there.

Seems like a lot of car for little money to me.

Edited by gizlaroc on Saturday 17th April 14:47

Audi Allroad is GROUP 19 INSURANCE?

Jesus - are there any cars below group 16 anymore?

I wa thinking of one for when my Volvo dies. Sod that - I'll spend the extra and by the S6 or a 4.2 quattro avant instead.

[The Wookie]

I spent a week touring Europe in my Evo IX, a far more sensible car than a track prepped 106, including Alpine passes and a trip back from Antibes to Norwich in one hit.

Anything over two hours at speed would result in you being deaf, stiff and skint. I'd have given my right arm for the 928 for 90% of the trip. I sold it about a month after I got back.

[5lab]

if its the kind of bike worth doing 8 weeks riding on, might be worth checking he'd be happy with it on the back of a car over 1,000 miles. Especially if you're having stops etc - the French are very keen on their road bikes and will spot a nice one a mile off

[Egbert Nobacon]

tws1 said:

Id probably take the huge green tank off the roof of the volvo, that should improve performace a fair bit.

Tee hee ...

Take the Volvo, driving that stty little Peugeot that distance revving it's nuts off will drive you barmy. Also the French Gendarmes will constantly stop you as they associate chavved up British stboxes with crime ...

HTH

[gizlaroc]

Egbert Nobacon said:

Also the French Gendarmes will constantly stop you as they associate chavved up British stboxes with crime ...

HTH

Unlike the British police!!

[busta]

Egbert Nobacon said:

tws1 said:

Id probably take the huge green tank off the roof of the volvo, that should improve performace a fair bit.

Tee hee ...

Take the Volvo, driving that stty little Peugeot that distance revving it's nuts off will drive you barmy. Also the French Gendarmes will constantly stop you as they associate chavved up British stboxes with crime ...

HTH

Except it's not a British 'chavved up stbox', it's as British as brie! It's aFrench car with bucket seats and a black bonnet. Other than those 2 things it looks entirely like the french intended it to, so I can't see they'd really be that bothered. It'll have a different gearbox in by then so won't be revving quite so high, but still not ideal.

I like the idea of leaving one car in Calais and hiring something on the other side. Would also mean LHD which would remind me to drive on the wrong side of the road! I'll go look into french car hire...

5lab said:

if its the kind of bike worth doing 8 weeks riding on, might be worth checking he'd be happy with it on the back of a car over 1,000 miles. Especially if you're having stops etc - the French are very keen on their road bikes and will spot a nice one a mile off

It's a steel framed tourer so pretty robust, and nothing fancy by bike standards so hopefully prying eyes will go elsewhere!

StefV said:

Saab 9000 2.3T, ideally Aero. 500-1000 should get you a good one. You can tune them rather easily for peanuts, a home-made remap will give you 270bhp for beer money.
Great at french motorway speeds, quicker than most cars you are likely to encounter there if you don't go too close to Monaco, and the seats are ultra confy on the Aero. Makes a big difference on long trips in my experience.
And you can put your friend's bike in the cavernous boot, so no need for a bike rack. (you might have to fold one of the back seats, but that's ok if you are three in the car. I carried my sister's bike in mine with three people in and one back seat folded, without even bothering to remove the front wheel!)

I have been looking out for these. Other than Aero models though, I can't work out which are HPT and which aren't- Is there an obvious way to tell the difference? I wouldn't want any namby pamy LPT jibberish!

Disassembling the bike won't be an issue so I'd imagine with both wheels off it'd all fit in the boot quite nicely- I've fitted a mountainbike in the boot of a 205 in the same way.

Not sure what the girlfriend would think of a Saab- it was hard enough convincing her of the Volvos merits, but I guess she doesn't have much choice if she wants to come on holiday!

Rather irritatingly my friend has now decided that if he has enough time he will do the Pyrenees too, so he may end up where Spain and France meet the Atlantic. That will rule out driving through the Alps, but hopefully there's still some interesting roads on that side of France!

Edited by busta on Thursday 22 April 00:33

Edited by busta on Thursday 22 April 00:35