The "I came back on a low-loader" thread
Discussion
I went down in a Chim as well and was worried about it starting following all tbe rain over the weekend. However, in all fairness it performed brilliantly aside from some pretty high temperatures in the traffic at Rouen on the way back.
The only other problem was an operator error situation when we run out of fuel queueing to get into the circuit on Thursday night!
The only other problem was an operator error situation when we run out of fuel queueing to get into the circuit on Thursday night!
Mucho hooning in France, god I love the N138 and a top time had by all our group. Roadworks and standing traffic on the M1 at midnight on Monday night(!) finally killed off my TVR. A big cloud of white smoke and a nasty burning smell left me suspecting the head gasket but off for testing this afternoon, fingers crossed it's not.
If you saw a blue and white stripey Chim on the hard shoulder that was me!
If you saw a blue and white stripey Chim on the hard shoulder that was me!
I got down there with only a couple of incidents.
Around brum I blew a fuse which mnt no horn or indicators.
Just after Rouen My actuator came off my turbo resulting in a no boost drive the last 100miles to lemans
Then coming back at the last toll booth we had to pull over in the parking bay and tighten up the steering wheel as it was about to drop of.
So if anyone saw a green escort cossie with yellow stickers with either the bonnet up or tools in hand it was me
Around brum I blew a fuse which mnt no horn or indicators.
Just after Rouen My actuator came off my turbo resulting in a no boost drive the last 100miles to lemans
Then coming back at the last toll booth we had to pull over in the parking bay and tighten up the steering wheel as it was about to drop of.
So if anyone saw a green escort cossie with yellow stickers with either the bonnet up or tools in hand it was me
Our Mondial threw off a cooling hose in Dover, then lost aircon, fan and finally fuel pump on the way down! Lashed up a feed to the fuel pump from the sidelights to get us going again - at least no-one would be able to steal the thing during the day 
During the week the LSD got progressively more grumbly and jumpy to the point that we were wondering if it would get us home. Made it ok in the end - had the engine cover flipped up for extra cooling in the Monday queue to get off the A28 which raised a few grins.
During the week the LSD got progressively more grumbly and jumpy to the point that we were wondering if it would get us home. Made it ok in the end - had the engine cover flipped up for extra cooling in the Monday queue to get off the A28 which raised a few grins.
lockup said:
Our Mondial threw off a cooling hose in Dover, then lost aircon, fan and finally fuel pump on the way down! Lashed up a feed to the fuel pump from the sidelights to get us going again - at least no-one would be able to steal the thing during the day
During the week the LSD got progressively more grumbly and jumpy to the point that we were wondering if it would get us home. Made it ok in the end - had the engine cover flipped up for extra cooling in the Monday queue to get off the A28 which raised a few grins.
Ah the A28 queue, that was fun. Got burnt to a crisp with the roof off stuck in the queue!During the week the LSD got progressively more grumbly and jumpy to the point that we were wondering if it would get us home. Made it ok in the end - had the engine cover flipped up for extra cooling in the Monday queue to get off the A28 which raised a few grins.
Anyway just had the car checked, all is well with the HG. Seems I had a tiny barbecue under the bonnet involving the manifold and a plug lead separator!
A28 queue claimed a few victims steaming on the hard shoulder. Missed our ferry slot at calais too, despite giving the car a hammering to make up time.
Took a blue alfa 155 this year- bought for peanuts on ebay. To general amazement the only thing that let it down was when the wipers failed in one of the monsoons on Friday.
Big thanks to the neighbouring guys on the Houx who rallied round and helped out with tools to get the car fixed - Those gazebos made an excellent pitbay for working under!
Took a blue alfa 155 this year- bought for peanuts on ebay. To general amazement the only thing that let it down was when the wipers failed in one of the monsoons on Friday.
Big thanks to the neighbouring guys on the Houx who rallied round and helped out with tools to get the car fixed - Those gazebos made an excellent pitbay for working under!
went down in a friends BMW 520i and all was well until we got stuck in le mans rush hour traffic on wednesday night...
developed a problem with the VANOS unit (supposed to be fixed... wasn't!) and the clutch started slipping...
it was quite funny though as in traffic/peage's/ferry port etc it involved moving off using at least 3k revs so most people tried racing us or revving their throttles too.
tbh, it sounds like a 540i (blowing exhaust) and was even mistaken for an M5 throughout the weekend... everyone was quite disapointed when they realised how slow it was.
other than that it was fine, took an Alfa too and that amazingly performed faultlessly!
developed a problem with the VANOS unit (supposed to be fixed... wasn't!) and the clutch started slipping...
it was quite funny though as in traffic/peage's/ferry port etc it involved moving off using at least 3k revs so most people tried racing us or revving their throttles too.
tbh, it sounds like a 540i (blowing exhaust) and was even mistaken for an M5 throughout the weekend... everyone was quite disapointed when they realised how slow it was.
other than that it was fine, took an Alfa too and that amazingly performed faultlessly!
Not my car but mate in a Murcielago LP640 in our convoy punctured on the way down through France. Called Lambo Assistance to be told there were no tyres available in either France or the UK 
Ended up leaving it in a service area to be recovered and getting a lift in another car. Lots of phone calls later and by the next day they thought his car was 'probably' in Paris ... then quoted him an obscene amount to recover it back to Blighty. It's the 3rd Murcie he's bought from Lambo London in as many years. Certainly put me off buying anything with a bull on it.
Ended up leaving it in a service area to be recovered and getting a lift in another car. Lots of phone calls later and by the next day they thought his car was 'probably' in Paris ... then quoted him an obscene amount to recover it back to Blighty. It's the 3rd Murcie he's bought from Lambo London in as many years. Certainly put me off buying anything with a bull on it.
Very nearly did...
Smart has a problem with the manifold cracking which meant it didnt run great anyway, just done my post LM oil check and its almost empty.
Should have taken the TVR... only left it as its done huge miles this year and we thought the smart would be alot cheaper on fuel, it also allowed me to drive too.
Smart has a problem with the manifold cracking which meant it didnt run great anyway, just done my post LM oil check and its almost empty.
Should have taken the TVR... only left it as its done huge miles this year and we thought the smart would be alot cheaper on fuel, it also allowed me to drive too.
Practically had to push the MG round Le Mans from Wednesday night onwards, unresolved engine issues which prevented anything approaching idling or decent running under 2.5k caused no end of grief, it packed up in Mulsanne on the Friday, got it going again, ran well for about 20 mins then all the grief came back. Every time I tought I'd sorted it, it ran well for about 20 mins then started packing up again. Puncture in the parking for the Mulsanne corner on the Saturday night, and a blow out on the autoroute about 80 miles from Calais (just before the peage on the A16) resulted in being towed about 30 miles in the wrong direction to a garage that had a tyre that the recovery guy could fit. Back on the road and basically pushed it home (or at least it felt like it). Took us 14 hours to NW london. What a joyus return trip it was. Reliable classic motoring........not available to us.
Spent three months of all available time building a Gulf Blue 911rsr replica almost back to a bare shell, new arches/wings /respray and interior etc Thrashed the car around for 3 weeks (to prove reliability!!) prior to leaving on Monday morning fo Dover ferry Tuesday morn.......got about hr and half from Calais and the Fecking electronic ign burnt out 
Arranged for new parts to come over via friend of a friend going to Belgium via Dunkirk so Taxi and 3 trains there and Taxi back car was away again
......Just hr and half later same prob 
Gave up and got a taxi rest of the way so I could go playing on our judge dredd toy !!!
Got back with car on the back of the lorry with the big flashing lights on the roof at 5am yesterday
Guess thats what I get for taking the p*ss out of some lads with a Alfa in the pub on Monday night telling them there car will break down before it gets there!!
STEVE
Arranged for new parts to come over via friend of a friend going to Belgium via Dunkirk so Taxi and 3 trains there and Taxi back car was away again
......Just hr and half later same prob Gave up and got a taxi rest of the way so I could go playing on our judge dredd toy !!!
Got back with car on the back of the lorry with the big flashing lights on the roof at 5am yesterday
Guess thats what I get for taking the p*ss out of some lads with a Alfa in the pub on Monday night telling them there car will break down before it gets there!!
STEVE
GULFBLUE RSR said:
Spent three months of all available time building a Gulf Blue 911rsr replica almost back to a bare shell, new arches/wings /respray and interior etc Thrashed the car around for 3 weeks (to prove reliability!!) prior to leaving on Monday morning fo Dover ferry Tuesday morn.......got about hr and half from Calais and the Fecking electronic ign burnt out
Arranged for new parts to come over via friend of a friend going to Belgium via Dunkirk so Taxi and 3 trains there and Taxi back car was away again ......Just hr and half later same prob
Gave up and got a taxi rest of the way so I could go playing on our judge dredd toy !!!
Got back with car on the back of the lorry with the big flashing lights on the roof at 5am yesterday
Guess thats what I get for taking the p*ss out of some lads with a Alfa in the pub on Monday night telling them there car will break down before it gets there!!
STEVE
So , this'll be you then!! Arranged for new parts to come over via friend of a friend going to Belgium via Dunkirk so Taxi and 3 trains there and Taxi back car was away again
......Just hr and half later same prob Gave up and got a taxi rest of the way so I could go playing on our judge dredd toy !!!
Got back with car on the back of the lorry with the big flashing lights on the roof at 5am yesterday
Guess thats what I get for taking the p*ss out of some lads with a Alfa in the pub on Monday night telling them there car will break down before it gets there!!
STEVE
Travering down on the Wednesday, Supercharger belt broke taking out the oil line to the oil cooler.
Recovery lorry broke down on the way to LeMans, second lorry got me to St Saturnin
A friend brought down a new belt and oil bypass pipe to get me on the move on Thursday but garage refused to fit the bypass pipe insisting they ordered the correct parts. Got my car back the following Thursday, pocket a lot lighter.
I had a hire car for LeMans but my idea of doing the Millau Bridge after went to the wall
Recovery lorry broke down on the way to LeMans, second lorry got me to St Saturnin
A friend brought down a new belt and oil bypass pipe to get me on the move on Thursday but garage refused to fit the bypass pipe insisting they ordered the correct parts. Got my car back the following Thursday, pocket a lot lighter.
I had a hire car for LeMans but my idea of doing the Millau Bridge after went to the wall
The A Team van had a small electrical fire on the Weds before we left putting it out of action.....
Minty's 260Z lost a gear linkage pin just south of Caen on the outward journey...we made him walk up and down the road until he found it again...
My Testarossa suffered fuel starvation going round the M25 ending up with me limping it there and back on 6 cylinders. Apologies if a very slow moving TR held you up on the hills going home....
Robbo & Campbed destroyed their mint '78 Corvette after getting overenthusiastic on the Mulsanne on Mad Friday.....
The 7 litre Buttmonkey Support Van blew a head on the A28 just south of Aire de Herras on the way home. Abandoned it to EuropAssist and it reappeared home yesterday...
Mad Dog's 911 Carrera blew up on the M20 / M25 junction heading home on the Monday necessitating a low loader journey home to Manchester
All in a typical ButtMonkey tour
Minty's 260Z lost a gear linkage pin just south of Caen on the outward journey...we made him walk up and down the road until he found it again...
My Testarossa suffered fuel starvation going round the M25 ending up with me limping it there and back on 6 cylinders. Apologies if a very slow moving TR held you up on the hills going home....
Robbo & Campbed destroyed their mint '78 Corvette after getting overenthusiastic on the Mulsanne on Mad Friday.....
The 7 litre Buttmonkey Support Van blew a head on the A28 just south of Aire de Herras on the way home. Abandoned it to EuropAssist and it reappeared home yesterday...
Mad Dog's 911 Carrera blew up on the M20 / M25 junction heading home on the Monday necessitating a low loader journey home to Manchester
All in a typical ButtMonkey tour
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