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

[berlintaxi]

Upgraded headlights, but still needs infrared night vision googles.............I'm convinced it's genuine.

[Speed addicted]

Gad-Westy said:

Both of these ahem, chinny reckon stories seem to start off with the odd premise of using big-engined petrol cars. The second one "I needed something with a V8 block", bks. If you really wanted to do this -and honestly I have no idea why you would- then surely you'd be well served to use just about any modern TDi which would be more than capable of sustaining high speeds when needed and would likely manage the whole thing on two short stops, possibly even one. None of this chopping up decent cars to fit needlessly large fuel tanks for the sake of one short and entirely unverifiable internet story. And rolling refuelling? FFS.

Otherwise, yep. Seems legit

I was thinking much the same as I read it, I'd be looking at something with a big diesel and a big fuel tank, something big and German would do nicely like a 5 or 7 series with the twin (or triple) turbo 3.0. It would also be a nice place it sit for 10 hours, reducing fatigue.
Fast enough to deal with most things on the road while still doing decent MPG. On long runs it's the need to stop and refuel that kills average speed.

The mentalist that did the11 hour run in 1984 on a Kawasaki GPZ750 turbo didn't bother to mod the bike, he just bungeed a fuel can to the back seat and wen for it. A GPZ 750 turbo, while being fast in its day, made all of 112 bhp and had an 18l tank.

Something that's fast now, say a Hayabusa has 200bhp, better brakes and suspension, and room for a fuel cell on the back seat to get the stops down to every 300 miles or so. It would also comfortably sit at whatever speed you dare ride at (derestricted ones will do 200mph, restricted ones only 186mph) for as long as you want.

The biggest problem now would be getting caught. Too many cameras, too much traffic. Plus the possibility of Police helicopters getting involved if you're really going for it.
I've ridden motorbikes in Germany at well over 130mph for whole tanks of fuel, but the realities of doing it all day In the UK while avoiding detection and other drivers is completely different.

To carry that kind of speed for that distance you could well be looking at prison if caught, more so if they can see you've modified the vehicle just for the attempt.

[CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL]

Morning gentleman,

I was going to wait till i finished the story to post some pictures, but i appreciate that its easy to write a story on a forum and disappear,
I wouldn't of expected any other response. If i had read it, I would have said the same things 5 years ago. However regarding the V8 petrol v diesel, I cant see the benefit, unless it can do it non stop? We did it with one stop, the additional tank gave us a range of about 450 miles at 18mpg roughly. The US Records all used V8 petrols as well, I just don't think a TDI could cover that sort of distance in the time we wanted, but that's more because I have not much experience in diesels so i maybe wrong. As for the comment regarding IR Binoculars and upgraded lights, they were purely for spotting. IR reflects of police cars like you wouldn't believe, We could see something in the distance much sooner than your lights would be on it. Honestly they were very handy.

[url]
View of the tank
|https://thumbsnap.com/9jNHUCt8[/url]
Countermeasure controls

Refuelling Kangoo


I guess these pictures dont' really prove anything but i would have loved to have seen some pics of the OP attempt, you would expect there would be one or two?

[Gad-Westy]

CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL said:

Morning gentleman,

I was going to wait till i finished the story to post some pictures, but i appreciate that its easy to write a story on a forum and disappear,
I wouldn't of expected any other response. If i had read it, I would have said the same things 5 years ago. However regarding the V8 petrol v diesel, I cant see the benefit, unless it can do it non stop? We did it with one stop, the additional tank gave us a range of about 450 miles at 18mpg roughly. The US Records all used V8 petrols as well, I just don't think a TDI could cover that sort of distance in the time we wanted, but that's more because I have not much experience in diesels so i maybe wrong. As for the comment regarding IR Binoculars and upgraded lights, they were purely for spotting. IR reflects of police cars like you wouldn't believe, We could see something in the distance much sooner than your lights would be on it. Honestly they were very handy.
?

Thank you for the explanation. I am still very sceptical I'm afraid. You seem to have gone to extraordinary lengths planning this, buying a car specifically for it. Fitting an extra tank to your can and kitting out a van with a storage tank and pump and presumably therefore also having to enlist the help of additional labour to rendezvous with in the dead of night. But you write off the idea of a modern diesel with seemingly no thought given at all. I hate diesels but they seem the ideal tool for this job. And the diesel may do it with one stop but even if it were two like your's, there is no time lost and refueling would be much quicker when you don't have to pump 140l. And you haven't had to hack a nice car up. It just seems like you (and the OP) plan everything to the n'th degree but start off by getting the most basic element oddly wrong. Or at least my take on it. I admit, I have given it no thought whatsover until reading these tales.

My comment about the night vision was in relation to the original story which was done in daylight.

[Vaud]

Gad-Westy said:

Thank you for the explanation. I am still very sceptical I'm afraid. You seem to have gone to extraordinary lengths planning this, buying a car specifically for it. Fitting an extra tank to your can and kitting out a van with a storage tank and pump and presumably therefore also having to enlist the help of additional labour to rendezvous with in the dead of night. But you write off the idea of a modern diesel with seemingly no thought given at all. I hate diesels but they seem the ideal tool for this job. And the diesel may do it with one stop but even if it were two like your's, there is no time lost and refueling would be much quicker when you don't have to pump 140l. And you haven't had to hack a nice car up. It just seems like you (and the OP) plan everything to the n'th degree but start off by getting the most basic element oddly wrong. Or at least my take on it. I admit, I have given it no thought whatsover until reading these tales.

My comment about the night vision was in relation to the original story which was done in daylight.

Diesel performance can drop off significantly once you get to the higher speeds and lots of bursts of acceleration. You may get 40+mpg at 70mph, but you might expect to be in the high 20s (for say a 3.0tdi) when pushing hard, so I think the difference becomes more marginal?

[Gad-Westy]

Vaud said:

Gad-Westy said:

Thank you for the explanation. I am still very sceptical I'm afraid. You seem to have gone to extraordinary lengths planning this, buying a car specifically for it. Fitting an extra tank to your can and kitting out a van with a storage tank and pump and presumably therefore also having to enlist the help of additional labour to rendezvous with in the dead of night. But you write off the idea of a modern diesel with seemingly no thought given at all. I hate diesels but they seem the ideal tool for this job. And the diesel may do it with one stop but even if it were two like your's, there is no time lost and refueling would be much quicker when you don't have to pump 140l. And you haven't had to hack a nice car up. It just seems like you (and the OP) plan everything to the n'th degree but start off by getting the most basic element oddly wrong. Or at least my take on it. I admit, I have given it no thought whatsover until reading these tales.

My comment about the night vision was in relation to the original story which was done in daylight.

Diesel performance can drop off significantly once you get to the higher speeds and lots of bursts of acceleration. You may get 40+mpg at 70mph, but you might expect to be in the high 20s (for say a 3.0tdi) when pushing hard, so I think the difference becomes more marginal?

Yes, no, maybe. But in the original story. The trip was done in daylight on some of the busiest stretches of motorway the UK has to offer. Like it or not, much of the journey would have to be done at entirely normal speeds. Not so sure on the second example having not had the full story so powder is a bit drier on that one. But either way, I was surprised by the 'it must be a V8' comment. Seems an odd premise to start out with.

[CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL]

Of course I expect you to be sceptical, I would be too, Just to clarify, this is my only car, I bought it with this in mind but not purely for this one run, I've driven all round Europe in it and its my pride and joy so i didnt want a diesel for that and believe it or not the the fuel tank can be totally removed from the boot and it would only leave one small 6mm hole, that i have a cap for, that makes it looks like it was originally there.

Also just to be clear, we stopped once for fuel, it took under 9 mins to refuel both tanks and check tyre pressure etc. so the diesel would have to have a range of 900 miles to be on the safe side, for it to be at a an advantage. Can a diesel do those speeds and carry enough fuel to cover that mileage as well? it is something i didn't give much thought to if I m honest. As for the OP story, i want it to be true, but having done the journey myself, red flags kept popping up that it was less and less likely.

[Europa1]

Did you have to pay any extra to your insurers as a result of plumbing in the new fuel tank?

[Gad-Westy]

CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL said:

Of course I expect you to be sceptical, I would be too, Just to clarify, this is my only car, I bought it with this in mind but not purely for this one run, I've driven all round Europe in it and its my pride and joy so i didnt want a diesel for that and believe it or not the the fuel tank can be totally removed from the boot and it would only leave one small 6mm hole, that i have a cap for, that makes it looks like it was originally there.

Also just to be clear, we stopped once for fuel, it took under 9 mins to refuel both tanks and check tyre pressure etc. so the diesel would have to have a range of 900 miles to be on the safe side, for it to be at a an advantage. Can a diesel do those speeds and carry enough fuel to cover that mileage as well? it is something i didn't give much thought to if I m honest. As for the OP story, i want it to be true, but having done the journey myself, red flags kept popping up that it was less and less likely.

Okay makes more sense. My sceptism is dwindling

I thought you'd made two stops because you had a photo at a BP garage but since that's in daylight, I guess that was nothing to do with this trip and just to show us the tank.

Apologies if it's buried in the text, but other than the marginal time saving, why the need for fueling up via a van rather than just a planned stop at a motorway services? I might be missing something obvious but it seems a lot of effort to go.

[FoxtrotOscar1]

Some people just have to piss on everyone's chips.


Fantasy or not, it makes for fking fantastic reading. Thumbs up from me to OP and second contributor.

[Siy]

i wouldnt want to do it in a diesel - and given the option, yes absolutely a V8!!!

Good on you guys - lets hear the end to the story!

[CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL]

Gad-Westy said:

Okay makes more sense. My sceptism is dwindling

I thought you'd made two stops because you had a photo at a BP garage but since that's in daylight, I guess that was nothing to do with this trip and just to show us the tank.

Apologies if it's buried in the text, but other than the marginal time saving, why the need for fueling up via a van rather than just a planned stop at a motorway services? I might be missing something obvious but it seems a lot of effort to go.

I mean the whole thing was huge effort so it didn't seem that much more to do it. Lancaster services was bang in the middle of the run, you couldn't have built it in a better place, and although our mpg would be worst in Scotland, we had allowed for it and knew we wouldn't need to be totally brimmed at the stop. However it was mentioned one evening, after reading through parts of the OP that having our own refuel point would be beneficial, also the next junction north of Lancaster services just comes off to nowhere, meaning we could quickly pull off, refuel and be back on. I guess I had a fear we would pull into the forecourt and there would be an officer just sat there, I Just didn't want to risk it ,is the truthful answer, the van is my works van and the team felt more comfortable with that option as well. Was it completely necessary? maybe not, but it just helped us minimise the variables and put us abit more at ease with that part of the trip.

Ill finish the story tonight, you all still don't know if we made it? I might be in Strangeways as type this...

[RDMcG]

Great story and beats the usual snarls about speeding etc

[Gad-Westy]

CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL said:

I mean the whole thing was huge effort so it didn't seem that much more to do it. Lancaster services was bang in the middle of the run, you couldn't have built it in a better place, and although our mpg would be worst in Scotland, we had allowed for it and knew we wouldn't need to be totally brimmed at the stop. However it was mentioned one evening, after reading through parts of the OP that having our own refuel point would be beneficial, also the next junction north of Lancaster services just comes off to nowhere, meaning we could quickly pull off, refuel and be back on. I guess I had a fear we would pull into the forecourt and there would be an officer just sat there, I Just didn't want to risk it ,is the truthful answer, the van is my works van and the team felt more comfortable with that option as well. Was it completely necessary? maybe not, but it just helped us minimise the variables and put us abit more at ease with that part of the trip.

Ill finish the story tonight, you all still don't know if we made it? I might be in Strangeways as type this...

Will look out for that later.

What were you concerned about regarding a police officer? Them getting curious about the second tank?

[Vaud]

CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL said:

Ill finish the story tonight, you all still don't know if we made it? I might be in Strangeways as type this...

In the second photo (which is a bit blurry) are you on the A55 (squinting at the Satnav)? Or was this from another trip just to show the set up?

[M1C]

Brill story from the OP. I hope it's true but as others have said, it's still a great read if not.

I just want do LEJOG as it...just to do it.

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

All those suggesting a diesel for a non-stop run seem very at ease with idea of pissing in a fast-moving car and not spilling it - particularly on the twisty section into Lands End.

I'm looking forward to part two - particularly if there's a way to avoid plod interest and average cameras without doing anything seriously illegal.

I looked into this before the A9 cameras were installed, and decided that for a solo effort the risk / reward balance wasn't right. A team effort makes more sense though.

[Gad-Westy]

S. Gonzales Esq. said:

All those suggesting a diesel for a non-stop run seem very at ease with idea of pissing in a fast-moving car and not spilling it - particularly on the twisty section into Lands End.
.

You'd have to stop to refuel in any car, diesel or not. Although interesting that the second story only involved one stop. Might be an interesting story there.

The question behind using a diesel was simply based on the fact that OP had gone to such extraordinary lengths to refuel on the move when there are many options that would have offered similar performance (or at least enough performance) but consume far less fuel in the process and take less time to re-fuel by virtue of having a smaller tank.

I admit a diesel would be a dull way to do it, but since the agenda seems to be purely about time taken from A-B, I was curious to find out if it had been considered.

[CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL]

Vaud said:

In the second photo (which is a bit blurry) are you on the A55 (squinting at the Satnav)? Or was this from another trip just to show the set up?

I believe it was the on the A9 somewhere on the way to JOG the day before. Sorry just looked again, it was the A55 by Chester. Sharp eyes my friend.

Edited by CONVOIEXCEPTIONNEL on Wednesday 11th April 12:02

[thegreenhell]

To do it properly you need revolving numberplates. You should also paint the car in white emulsion, assuming you're doing the run in dry weather, that you can then wash off during your fuel stop for a complete colour change. Thus you will now be in a red Lamborghini while the police are all looking for a white Lamborghini.