Yet more frivolous purchases, stuff you don't need...

[ChemicalChaos]

Penny Whistle said:

You're in the wrong thread. That's not frivolous, it's essential. It's even got hill-start !

Do you mean the brick?

SistersofPercy said:

I absolutely love that. I can imagine it’s great fun to drive.

Speaking of, the frivolity from ten months ago caught up with me today when this was delivered.
Extra frivil points because there was nothing wrong with the car I had already, I barely do 3,000 miles a year anyway and it won’t reach my daughters house in Milton Keynes without a charge stop, but you know what, I absolutely love it.

Never driven auto before, and the whole concept of one pedal/foot driving is a habit I need to get into now as I keep finding myself left foot braking because my instinct is to clutch.
Tomorrow afternoon I intend to just drive for an hour or two and retrain my feet

Give me about 5 years and I'll be able to answer questions on how it drives!

Yes, getting used to the first auto is an interesting challenge - just dont "dip the clutch" when slowing down

I actually started to deliberately left foot brake in my last auto, and got it refined it (on empty country roads) to the point where I could modulate the left foot just as well as the right. It helped, to be fair, that the brake pedal in said Jeep was American-style squishy, plus I had experience from racing karts and 2-pedal single seaters.....
I've somewhat lost the knack now that I've DD'd manuals again for the last 3 years

[SistersofPercy]

Other half spent most of last night shouting at me to tuck my foot in as I drove around the local estate, I also nearly sent him through the window when I 'dipped the clutch' as you say @chemicalchaos, though I reckon thats revenge for laughing at me

In theory I should use this a lot more. I was a bit daft really, I had a Fiat 500 which was nice, but a bit dull. Decided I wanted to go bigger and fancier so went down the route of a Freelander 2. Soon discovered it was probably way too big for my needs, a pain in the arse to fit into tight spots and being a diesel not the cheapest.
Next job is to give the Landy a good clean and polish and get it gone. He's making noises about keeping it because it comes in useful for tip runs and trips to Milton Keynes, but we don't need yet another car...

[silentbrown]

ChemicalChaos said:

Yes, getting used to the first auto is an interesting challenge - just dont "dip the clutch" when slowing down

That time when you first 'dip the clutch' on auto makes you realize the very different levels of sensitivity needed for left and right feet when driving a manual. (after you've unpeeled your face from the windscreen)

[Penny Whistle]

ChemicalChaos said:

Penny Whistle said:

You're in the wrong thread. That's not frivolous, it's essential. It's even got hill-start !

Do you mean the brick?

That's it.

[ChemicalChaos]

Calling Sisters of Percy

I've found your new FP

[Celtic Dragon]

If I had the space, I so would!

[jimmyjimjim]

I've a vague recollection that she was on the lookout for one.....

[SistersofPercy]

ChemicalChaos said:

Calling Sisters of Percy

I've found your new FP

[Img]https://i.imgur.io/EltoSpW_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium[/thumb]

Now this wont shock you....



Picked it up on marketplace a few years ago, wasn't expensive, about £60 from memory. Currently resides in the eaves of the garage as it's bigger than it looks (I've driven it down the drive!) and is awaiting a grandchild in a few years

[Sporky]

If you had two you could have races...

[SistersofPercy]

Sporky said:

If you had two you could have races...

Tell you what, they are surprisingly quick. From memory there is a limiter on there to reduce the speed down a bit. Original plan was to put it in the star wars room but it is far too big really.

[jimmyjimjim]

SistersofPercy said:

Now this wont shock you....

Nope.

I couldn't remember if you were looking, or had found. I vaguely recalled pictures from before...

[SistersofPercy]

jimmyjimjim said:

Nope.

I couldn't remember if you were looking, or had found. I vaguely recalled pictures from before...

Someone local has just put a Dalek up for sale
I'm not much of a Dr Who fan but I am keen on it. It's a bit too rich for me though.

[hairy v]

ChemicalChaos said:

AKA concrete?


My latest FP was delivered on Saturday - it's a lot bigger than I remembered from viewing it

It's a 1913 Cadillac, 6 litre 50hp speedster. Coming not very soon at all to a VSCC race series!

It's got all the mod cons - electric start, a 3-speed gearbox and twin-plug ignition - and being pre 1915, it's RHD too

Of course, if I tell people that I've bought a Cadillac with 25 inch wheels and button-back upholstery, they tend to get quite a different image in their head

Good work CC - I'm guessing there's no rake and reach adjustment on the steering wheel?

[OzzyR1]

ChemicalChaos said:

AKA concrete?


My latest FP was delivered on Saturday - it's a lot bigger than I remembered from viewing it

It's a 1913 Cadillac, 6 litre 50hp speedster. Coming not very soon at all to a VSCC race series!

It's got all the mod cons - electric start, a 3-speed gearbox and twin-plug ignition - and being pre 1915, it's RHD too

Of course, if I tell people that I've bought a Cadillac with 25 inch wheels and button-back upholstery, they tend to get quite a different image in their head

That is cool, hopefully there will there be a Reader's Cars thread to follow... ???

[ChemicalChaos]

SistersofPercy said:

ChemicalChaos said:

Calling Sisters of Percy

I've found your new FP

[Img]https://i.imgur.io/EltoSpW_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium[/thumb]

Now this wont shock you....



Picked it up on marketplace a few years ago, wasn't expensive, about £60 from memory. Currently resides in the eaves of the garage as it's bigger than it looks (I've driven it down the drive!) and is awaiting a grandchild in a few years

Oh crikey yes I remember now, you had a picture of your dog in it?

I definitely agree with the suggestion that you need two of them, to enable some racing

SistersofPercy said:

Someone local has just put a Dalek up for sale
I'm not much of a Dr Who fan but I am keen on it. It's a bit too rich for me though.

You'd probably get on like a house on fire with my new GF, she is a huge SciFi fan too (Dr Who, Star Wars - she spent nearly an hour once explaining the plot of all the films to me as she was shocked I'd never seen them - and Marvel) .. she has quite the collection of DW memorabilia but her main focus is MCU, and one character in particular




It has been noted that our most in-common feature is a lack of self control for buying new models - me with cars, her with Funkos!

[ChemicalChaos]

OzzyR1 said:

That is cool, hopefully there will there be a Reader's Cars thread to follow... ???

There will indeed, though I want to actually start work on it first so I have something to post updates about - currently it's in a queue behind a couple of other things!

hairy v said:

Good work CC - I'm guessing there's no rake and reach adjustment on the steering wheel?

The steering column is set for the original 4-seat "touring" body the car would have worn, this speedster body sits much lower and further back. I'm told it's possible to move the column/box a few splines round on the steering arm which will bring it to the correct height and reach

[P5BNij]

SistersofPercy said:

ChemicalChaos said:

Calling Sisters of Percy

I've found your new FP

[Img]https://i.imgur.io/EltoSpW_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium[/thumb]

Now this wont shock you....



Picked it up on marketplace a few years ago, wasn't expensive, about £60 from memory. Currently resides in the eaves of the garage as it's bigger than it looks (I've driven it down the drive!) and is awaiting a grandchild in a few years

Flashback alert : in December '77 there was a small exhibition in the Science Museum in Kensington of various Star Wars props and gadgets, amongst them was the Landspeeder, the body of which was made of wood! I was there with my dad and uncle, the following day we went to Leicester Square to see the film. Also in the exhibition were Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and C3PO costumes and a couple of R2 droids in glass cases.

[SistersofPercy]

P5BNij said:

Flashback alert : in December '77 there was a small exhibition in the Science Museum in Kensington of various Star Wars props and gadgets, amongst them was the Landspeeder, the body of which was made of wood! I was there with my dad and uncle, the following day we went to Leicester Square to see the film. Also in the exhibition were Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and C3PO costumes and a couple of R2 droids in glass cases.

It’s amazing any of it was on display as most of the props were thrown in skips at the back of pinewood.
By Return of The Jedi they had so few stormtrooper helmets left they had to re cast one of the remaining, and the cast collapsed. That’s why ROTJ lids are a bit weird looking.

My R2 is cast from skip bits, as is my Stormtrooper.
Madness how little survived

[P5BNij]

SistersofPercy said:

P5BNij said:

Flashback alert : in December '77 there was a small exhibition in the Science Museum in Kensington of various Star Wars props and gadgets, amongst them was the Landspeeder, the body of which was made of wood! I was there with my dad and uncle, the following day we went to Leicester Square to see the film. Also in the exhibition were Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and C3PO costumes and a couple of R2 droids in glass cases.

It’s amazing any of it was on display as most of the props were thrown in skips at the back of pinewood.
By Return of The Jedi they had so few stormtrooper helmets left they had to re cast one of the remaining, and the cast collapsed. That’s why ROTJ lids are a bit weird looking.

My R2 is cast from skip bits, as is my Stormtrooper.
Madness how little survived

I read somewhere that in the first film the Stormtrooper's boots were just cheap Chelsea boots painted white, I can well believe it. On one hand the budget was quite small when it came to costumes and props, on the other the money that they sank into Industrial Light & Magic was well placed as they produced stunning visuals for the time in 1976/77. A distant cousin of mine is named in the credits as a 'Foley Operator', presumably he was something to do with post production.

[SistersofPercy]

P5BNij said:

I read somewhere that in the first film the Stormtrooper's boots were just cheap Chelsea boots painted white, I can well believe it. On one hand the budget was quite small when it came to costumes and props, on the other the money that they sank into Industrial Light & Magic was well placed as they produced stunning visuals for the time in 1976/77. A distant cousin of mine is named in the credits as a 'Foley Operator', presumably he was something to do with post production.

That’s exactly what they are. Im a cleared Stormtrooper with the UKG (501st Legion) and they require screen accuracy. Painting the boots is the way it’s done.
You’d be surprised how much of it was cobbled together. You know those two little breathing tube things on the front of a Stormrooper lid? Aerators from taps lightsabers? Flash guns from cameras and again bits of tap. Snow trooper buttons? Volume sliders from old stereo decks. The one that amuses me most is the breathing apparatus on the scout trooper nose. That’s half a toy motorbike engine.
Once you know this stuff you never unsee it.