Car, guitar, europe.
Discussion
limpsfield said:
Just to say I really enjoy reading your trips. I have been meaning to do similar for years and no idea why I haven't. No excuses. Hope you are having a great time.
There are no excuses really mate. I mean ill health or family issues aside anyone can do this and it's brilliant. I know many family blokes would rather an all inclusive somewhere hot with the kids and I totally get that but if you can find a sneaky week and a car you enjoy then a euro hoon is still an awful lot of fun.
Won't last forever, anyone who enjoys driving is a target right now, make hay.
Kananga said:
Must admit your traji-comic €50 barrier story had me in stitches.
Looking forward to the rest of the journey.
Thank you! Looking forward to the rest of the journey.
If you enjoyed that you should dig out the total disaster of me chucking my wallet in a bin from a trip a few years ago! I do have a habit of making a tit of myself!
The white R8 behind the Merc was owned by a proper bell end who shouted at the baggage guys and had a real "Don't you know who I am" type attitude. His wife was also abusing the reception staff who could not be nicer.
I made a deliberate point of taking pics of everything in the vicinity except his car.
I made a deliberate point of taking pics of everything in the vicinity except his car.
Climbed another mountain (well, a little one) getting used to it!
Bloody brakes are squealing like mad again. I put the car into McLaren before I came out and they half sorted it but it came back really bad.
Searching through some American sites I found these instructions:
"Do 8-10 80mph-25mph decelerations at 50-60% of your max pedal effort, without letting the brakes cool down in between.
Do 3 100-25mph decelerations at 80-90% of your max pedal effort, without letting the brakes cool down immediately after the first 80-25's.
Then, drive around for 10-15 minutes without using the brakes to cool it all off (preferably on a freeway with clean airflow).
This will put a bunch of pad material onto the rotors and then not only will your brakes stop better, but your brakes will last longer and not squeak. you will hear a small scuff type noise when you slow down but that's the pad material scraping pad material. totally normal."
I went out at 5 one Saturday morning to do this and it worked, that was just before I came out but it's as bad as ever now so I got about 1500 miles out of the cure.
I now have to find somewhere out here I can do it again without getting nicked!
Bloody brakes are squealing like mad again. I put the car into McLaren before I came out and they half sorted it but it came back really bad.
Searching through some American sites I found these instructions:
"Do 8-10 80mph-25mph decelerations at 50-60% of your max pedal effort, without letting the brakes cool down in between.
Do 3 100-25mph decelerations at 80-90% of your max pedal effort, without letting the brakes cool down immediately after the first 80-25's.
Then, drive around for 10-15 minutes without using the brakes to cool it all off (preferably on a freeway with clean airflow).
This will put a bunch of pad material onto the rotors and then not only will your brakes stop better, but your brakes will last longer and not squeak. you will hear a small scuff type noise when you slow down but that's the pad material scraping pad material. totally normal."
I went out at 5 one Saturday morning to do this and it worked, that was just before I came out but it's as bad as ever now so I got about 1500 miles out of the cure.
I now have to find somewhere out here I can do it again without getting nicked!
The drive over the Alps from France into Switzerland was stunning. I didn't get any pics but managed some real balls out stuff on the twisting bits. As you come down the other side there were a couple of really gut wrenching moments where you are looking straight over a few thousand meters drop at Martigny with no barriers.
I slowed right down on those bits!
I took the D1506, superb road.
Managed to get right through Switzerland without buying the Vignette as well. German border control stopped me and had a good long look at the windscreen but then just waved me through.
Bloody great to be back in Germany after the stress of speed limits in Switzerland.
Some De-restricted Autobahn as you come up through the Black Forest and as a UK driver you just never get used to this.
After the third Audi has hammered past you at about 120mph you start to warm up.
Had a lot of fun. I'm not so keen on just sitting there at 140 but I really enjoy letting them hurtle past me and then flooring it.
These are nice, quick German cars we are talking about but this 650 is so fast they can't believe it when you are suddenly right there with them!
The roof down at 140 plus is some experience!
Lost some paperwork at one point! Straight out the roof! Kept my looper (a heavy guitar pedal) on top of everything after that.
I slowed right down on those bits!
I took the D1506, superb road.
Managed to get right through Switzerland without buying the Vignette as well. German border control stopped me and had a good long look at the windscreen but then just waved me through.
Bloody great to be back in Germany after the stress of speed limits in Switzerland.
Some De-restricted Autobahn as you come up through the Black Forest and as a UK driver you just never get used to this.
After the third Audi has hammered past you at about 120mph you start to warm up.
Had a lot of fun. I'm not so keen on just sitting there at 140 but I really enjoy letting them hurtle past me and then flooring it.
These are nice, quick German cars we are talking about but this 650 is so fast they can't believe it when you are suddenly right there with them!
The roof down at 140 plus is some experience!
Lost some paperwork at one point! Straight out the roof! Kept my looper (a heavy guitar pedal) on top of everything after that.
Cold said:
Any better? Not sure. 
Fab thread.
Thank you Cold! Fab thread.
I was sitting very comfortably in the hotel bar but your pic inspired me to go back down to the underground car park and look again. Found loads of stuff I'd previously missed.
But I'll start with another go at those E Type pipes:
Now, while they were faffing about with my brakes they offered me some coloured calipers, had silver previously.
I chose the orange but it is McLaren orange, my car is Torroca Orange.
When they first bought it back I thought oh f
k, what have I done!
But it's grown on me slowly and now I like it.
The OH thinks it's awful.
Should I change it? Would you buy this car with these calipers?
I chose the orange but it is McLaren orange, my car is Torroca Orange.
When they first bought it back I thought oh f
k, what have I done! But it's grown on me slowly and now I like it.
The OH thinks it's awful.
Should I change it? Would you buy this car with these calipers?
Yeah sorry guys, the thread just ran out of steam.
I'm happy to post up what I'm doing on these trips but if there's no interest I have to stop before I bore everyone to death!
I did a long update that took me a few hours and I had one reply consisting one line, you've got to know when to quit!
It was a brilliant trip. I went mountain biking in the German forests, climbed an Alp, raced like a feckin lunatic through the Bavarian countryside with a beautiful SLS owned by a German guy who was staying at the same hotel as me, got drunk in Düsseldorf with a bunch of heavy metal guys on a stag do and a thousand other things.
I stopped taking pics after the thread died off but I'll post up the remaining ones, just cars really:
And then of course the most important reason for my trip was to remember Russ and Lily, and to play the guitar wherever I stayed. I found many beautiful spots in which to sit and think about Russ and his selfless friendship to me. This was probably the best:
I'm happy to post up what I'm doing on these trips but if there's no interest I have to stop before I bore everyone to death!
I did a long update that took me a few hours and I had one reply consisting one line, you've got to know when to quit!
It was a brilliant trip. I went mountain biking in the German forests, climbed an Alp, raced like a feckin lunatic through the Bavarian countryside with a beautiful SLS owned by a German guy who was staying at the same hotel as me, got drunk in Düsseldorf with a bunch of heavy metal guys on a stag do and a thousand other things.
I stopped taking pics after the thread died off but I'll post up the remaining ones, just cars really:
And then of course the most important reason for my trip was to remember Russ and Lily, and to play the guitar wherever I stayed. I found many beautiful spots in which to sit and think about Russ and his selfless friendship to me. This was probably the best:
lucido grigio said:
Your guitar road trip threads are never boring Brad.
They're way better than mine which I usually fail to conclude properly.
I might go further but your destinations are way better.
Just checked your profile lucido, have you blogged those trips? Would love to know more.They're way better than mine which I usually fail to conclude properly.
I might go further but your destinations are way better.
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