John 'O' Groats To Lands End - Our Story & Potential Record?

[JDFR]

Even if it is complete fiction it's more interesting than a lot of posts on GG.

[Six Fiend]

Utter fiction but an enjoyable read and a harmless giggle

My obs points...

You don't leave JOG at 5am. You leave in the evening and travel on quiet/night roads. Done enough driving from the South West up to Scotland and back to know this.

Rolling refuel in daylight around Madchester?

M6 Toll? Yeah, er, NO! If you did that you took a very wrong turn..

http://www.m6toll.co.uk/maps/

Edited by Six Fiend on Tuesday 12th February 11:07

Edited by Six Fiend on Tuesday 12th February 11:08

[Coldfuse]

Enjoyable read - don't care if its true or not.

As a point tho, you could ask the two people in the hotels at either end of the country to verify...

[AJS-]

Six Fiend said:

Utter fiction but an enjoyable read and a harmless giggle

My obs points...

You don't leave JOG at 5am. You leave in the evening and travel on quiet/night roads. Done enough driving from the South West up to Scotland and back to know this.

Rolling refuel in daylight around Madchester?

M6 Toll? Yeah, er, NO!

Yes, by way of improving the story, leave about 9pm in mid summer, so you hit Glasgow around midnight when all the police are busy with drunks, blast past Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol in the small hours and get off the motorway at first light around 5 so you do the long A road spell down through Devon and Cornwall in daylight before the tourist traffic builds up.

Drop the refueling thing - I reckon you lose about 8 minutes total for a refueling stop at 2am. You could have someone passing you a jerry can at more normal motorway speeds, but that leaves the problem of getting it in the tank. You could be a bit more ambitious with the M5 too. Maybe have a hold up around Birmingham then make up lost time with a sustained blast at 150, as the gearbox oil temperature climbs.

[LocoCoco]

Coldfuse said:

Enjoyable read - don't care if its true or not.

As a point tho, you could ask the two people in the hotels at either end of the country to verify...

You wouldn't go to all the trouble they did to not get caught then get someone to prove what you did. Records like this will always seem like urban myths imo.

If this was my dying girlfriends wish I'd make it happen somehow.

edit, that reads like I believe the OP, I don't. Wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world if it turned out to be though.

[edo]

A current obvious choice would a high performance diesel; 640d, Panamera etc.

In normal driving I can get 700 miles out of the 640d. An extended tank in one of those would mean no need to stop at all.

[andym1603]

If true well done hats of to you, but from JOG to Perth in a little over 2hrs 45s is hard to swallow.
Great story though gets you thinking if it is possible. We need more like this.

[clockworks]

Nobody attempting a record run would take the A38 via Plymouth from Exeter to Bodmin. Maybe on a Saturday during the summer holiday period, but not if they were in a hurry any other day of the year.
A30 is totally dual carriageway until you cross Bodmin Moor, and a very good road when the emmets aren't visiting.
A38 Devon Expressway is always busy, and from Plymouth to Bodmin it's mostly single carriageway.

[DocJock]

Circuit Driver magazine (remember them ) organised Outrun 2003, with a report in the Dec 2003 issue.

The winning time was well over an hour quicker than our fantasising friend, without need for modified 911s or ridiculous rolling refuels. Just a modern diesel, plenty of Redbull and a healthy amount of denial.

[Cyder]

It's the pacenotes bit that makes me scratch my chin. On a rally you'd generally be looking at a page/mile or so. So for this journey surely they'd have to have hundreds of pages of pacenotes even just for the A-roads around Scotland that would take forever to write.

If you were on a quick mission there's no reason why you'd take the A38 instead of the A30 either imho. The A30 is a far quicker road than the A38 west of the Tamar.

I just don't buy it. Sorry.

[TDFPELTD]

missingK said:

"just like loosing my virginity all over again, safe journey"

Think you'll find I actually said "That was harder than loosing my virginity" and it wasnt a bit of paint swapping the first time it was a full on collision!!!!!!

Great to read this J

[TheTurbonator]

simon1987 said:

what a dick

Oh fk off back to spending your spare time at brake! meetings and discussing how poor old Mrs. Stevens was disgusted that a car drove past her house at 22mph the other day.

[jambo103]

andym1603 said:

If true well done hats of to you, but from JOG to Perth in a little over 2hrs 45s is hard to swallow.
Great story though gets you thinking if it is possible. We need more like this.

Know of someone who has done JOG to Inverness in 1 hour 20, and on another occasion Perth to Inverness 1hr 30. At busy times, so stated time seems achievable.

[callmedave]

I love the story, I get the impression this was written from the experience of it being done, not from 'fantasizing' what it would be like.

I hope this was true! would love to of been involved in this little 'secret' mission!

[leggly]

If I was a midget butler living with a spaniard I'd be pointing my pudgey fingers to the sky shouting "Boss Boss it's the plane" as Fantasy Island is the only place this took place.

[Big Fat Fatty]

TDFPELTD said:

missingK said:

"just like loosing my virginity all over again, safe journey"

Think you'll find I actually said "That was harder than loosing my virginity" and it wasnt a bit of paint swapping the first time it was a full on collision!!!!!!

Great to read this J

Is this confirmation?

[mph]

TheTurbonator said:

simon1987 said:

what a dick

Oh fk off back to spending your spare time at brake! meetings and discussing how poor old Mrs. Stevens was disgusted that a car drove past her house at 22mph the other day.

I think his comment is on the load of BS that's written, not the speed.

[RZ1]

Great story, sorry about K

[Paul Dishman]

clockworks said:

Nobody attempting a record run would take the A38 via Plymouth from Exeter to Bodmin. Maybe on a Saturday during the summer holiday period, but not if they were in a hurry any other day of the year.
A30 is totally dual carriageway until you cross Bodmin Moor, and a very good road when the emmets aren't visiting.
A38 Devon Expressway is always busy, and from Plymouth to Bodmin it's mostly single carriageway.

The OP said this was back in the 80s, when was the A30 dualled between Exeter and Launceston?

[emicen]

Paul Dishman said:

clockworks said:

Nobody attempting a record run would take the A38 via Plymouth from Exeter to Bodmin. Maybe on a Saturday during the summer holiday period, but not if they were in a hurry any other day of the year.
A30 is totally dual carriageway until you cross Bodmin Moor, and a very good road when the emmets aren't visiting.
A38 Devon Expressway is always busy, and from Plymouth to Bodmin it's mostly single carriageway.

The OP said this was back in the 80s, when was the A30 dualled between Exeter and Launceston?

Said late 90s, but lets not fuss over a decade here or there

For some hair splitting of my own, he references a short blast on the M80 before joining the M73/74. At the time we are discussion, you would drive on to the M73 leading to the M74. The M80 stopped at Stepps and blasting down it would take you to Glasgow the M8, not the M73.