Discussion
Okay, bear with me here as lot's to say. If you've something better to do for 5 minutes don't bother reading my below account..
And I should just preface by saying to be honest my GTR has been like dating an Italian Glamour Model, you get lot's of attention, lot's of heartache and every now and then you get the joyous feeling like you're on top of the world (or on top of a nimble 21year old), then she breaks your heart (again).
After yesterday's wiper issues, the £12K odd I've spent over the last 10 months and the constant list of niggling issues I was starting to lose faith. So much so I was awake at 4am this morning thinking through the list of things to do, costs etc...
So utilising full 'Man Logic' I decided to drive the damn thing into work, a trip of 75 miles one way to Milton Keynes and hopefully, hopefully, back again.
Begun with the normal preperations for a longish drive in an Ultima:
Sunglasses - Check (driving into the morning sun for first part of trip and no sunvisors)
AA Card - Check
Phone Charged (to call AA) - Check
Warm coat (for sitting beside the motorway) - Check
Food - Check
Basic Tools - Ah, no. I'm hopeless anyway.
Tell wife I'm taking the GTR - Nasty things are said about waking the neighbours and kids and the not so gentle reminder that I'm to sell it to pay for a new house in Australia soon.
6.20am, car has been left outside and is cold, slightly damp.
Jump in, ignition on, no warning lights hooked up so just hear some electrical clicks from the engine, lifter pump on (now it's noisy), push the start button....
The LS2 catches first go and doesn't have the misfire it's had all week, things are looking good. Have to rush to get out of the drive though, all too aware that wifey wife is in bed embarrased that I'm waking the neighbourhood.
Start to head off down the road and still good, my crap job yesterday on the wiper means I can only clean part of the windscreen so as I turn into the sun I have to angle my head sideways and because there's no fans set up on the inside the fresh internal condensation is creating more visibility issues, soon clears up with the side vents pointed in though but that does mean it's cold, real cold.
Start to relax a little, I now know how pilots feel ---'take off' acomplished.
Do the B and A roads nothing to report BUT then, misfire starts. Again I call on my 'Man Logic' and floor the throttle, nothing nothing nothing and thud, whoosh, roar...it's firing on all eight again and I'm fishtailing in third. Settle down and all is well again.
Get onto M6, now nerves creep in a bit, this is like your first time at High School, looking sidewways you get good views of Truck Wheel Nuts, but it's running well at around 70-80 Pistonheads MPH (which means you need to add a little if you get my drift) do around 4 miles and suddenly the engine cut's again and misfire starts, feels like the hand of god is slowing me down (or at least Diego Maradona sitting on the rear spoiler). But I'm ready for it now and drop from 5th into 3rd, floor it, cough cough, whoosh back up to "Ramming Speed" again.
Going past Coventry, even at 6.30am, traffic is pretty heavy on the M6 I keep the headlights on (Full Beam too) and it's like parting the Red Sea, only White Van's don't seem to move over but the compact size and power means you can get up behind them and then Pass the Dutchie on the Left Hand Side with no issues. You're TED (Time Exposed to Danger) is quite low in the GTR.
Meet the junction of the M6/M1, long sweeper to the right, keep the power on and can feel the downforces working, can't help but think "Did I shut the rear Clam properly??"
Car feels good though, new suspension and set up done last year pays off.
M1 is heavy though, lotsa trucks, vans and rep mobiles so decide to come off around Daventry and go the A5...
Which as it turns out was the RIGHT DECISION....There's no traffic on it what so ever.
Pull the Camera phone out (driving an Ultima you always need to have at least 20% of your brain free to concentrate on things other than driving like "What's that strange sound" "where's my stupid indicator switch" "oh no my wiper has fallen off" which means when all is running well you've no problems holding something up and taking photos).
See this sign:
Accelerate to a speed that makes you smile
Road looks like this:
Smile is bigger now, misfire can't happen because I'm keeping the revs up..
A5 is deserted:
And whatever cars I do come across are dispatched with ease.
The steering wheel dances in my hands it's very much like my old Elise, you can feel the road surface, it weighs up nicely as I take corners, I'm smiling, foreplay is over and the real thing is happening now
All too soon I'm at the outskirts of town near my office, this car has the ability to fold time, it's felt like 15 minutes but was 40 at least.
Traffic builds quickly, if the Italian Glamour model analogy continues then she must have huge baps as I'm getting loads of attention, especially from the schoolkids waiting for their bus. Pedo's are missing a trick, instead of offering sweets from Grey Audi's and Mondeo's they should get one of these...but sadly women seem to make a point to look the other way and appear disinterested. Must be due to my MR Bean looks
Driving this it's not the done thing to wave or gesture thumbs up back to the people doing likewise to you, all Ultima owners must look cool, notchilant "oh yeah baby, the GTR, it's just my track thing don't you know"
I fail, smile lots and wave back. Finally having fun because I know if I break down I can walk to work from here.
I arrive, buzzing from the drive, kiddy with joy that I made it, ready to bore you all with my account of it. Only two people in the office today, both want rides at lunch time but I'm happy...
Now to do some real work to help pay for the next list of things that need to be done...
PS Kyle, I fixed the brake lights last night, was a loose wire in the rear clam connector (I know you'd be worred about those)
And I should just preface by saying to be honest my GTR has been like dating an Italian Glamour Model, you get lot's of attention, lot's of heartache and every now and then you get the joyous feeling like you're on top of the world (or on top of a nimble 21year old), then she breaks your heart (again).
After yesterday's wiper issues, the £12K odd I've spent over the last 10 months and the constant list of niggling issues I was starting to lose faith. So much so I was awake at 4am this morning thinking through the list of things to do, costs etc...
So utilising full 'Man Logic' I decided to drive the damn thing into work, a trip of 75 miles one way to Milton Keynes and hopefully, hopefully, back again.
Begun with the normal preperations for a longish drive in an Ultima:
Sunglasses - Check (driving into the morning sun for first part of trip and no sunvisors)
AA Card - Check
Phone Charged (to call AA) - Check
Warm coat (for sitting beside the motorway) - Check
Food - Check
Basic Tools - Ah, no. I'm hopeless anyway.
Tell wife I'm taking the GTR - Nasty things are said about waking the neighbours and kids and the not so gentle reminder that I'm to sell it to pay for a new house in Australia soon.
6.20am, car has been left outside and is cold, slightly damp.
Jump in, ignition on, no warning lights hooked up so just hear some electrical clicks from the engine, lifter pump on (now it's noisy), push the start button....
The LS2 catches first go and doesn't have the misfire it's had all week, things are looking good. Have to rush to get out of the drive though, all too aware that wifey wife is in bed embarrased that I'm waking the neighbourhood.
Start to head off down the road and still good, my crap job yesterday on the wiper means I can only clean part of the windscreen so as I turn into the sun I have to angle my head sideways and because there's no fans set up on the inside the fresh internal condensation is creating more visibility issues, soon clears up with the side vents pointed in though but that does mean it's cold, real cold.
Start to relax a little, I now know how pilots feel ---'take off' acomplished.
Do the B and A roads nothing to report BUT then, misfire starts. Again I call on my 'Man Logic' and floor the throttle, nothing nothing nothing and thud, whoosh, roar...it's firing on all eight again and I'm fishtailing in third. Settle down and all is well again.
Get onto M6, now nerves creep in a bit, this is like your first time at High School, looking sidewways you get good views of Truck Wheel Nuts, but it's running well at around 70-80 Pistonheads MPH (which means you need to add a little if you get my drift) do around 4 miles and suddenly the engine cut's again and misfire starts, feels like the hand of god is slowing me down (or at least Diego Maradona sitting on the rear spoiler). But I'm ready for it now and drop from 5th into 3rd, floor it, cough cough, whoosh back up to "Ramming Speed" again.
Going past Coventry, even at 6.30am, traffic is pretty heavy on the M6 I keep the headlights on (Full Beam too) and it's like parting the Red Sea, only White Van's don't seem to move over but the compact size and power means you can get up behind them and then Pass the Dutchie on the Left Hand Side with no issues. You're TED (Time Exposed to Danger) is quite low in the GTR.
Meet the junction of the M6/M1, long sweeper to the right, keep the power on and can feel the downforces working, can't help but think "Did I shut the rear Clam properly??"
Car feels good though, new suspension and set up done last year pays off.
M1 is heavy though, lotsa trucks, vans and rep mobiles so decide to come off around Daventry and go the A5...
Which as it turns out was the RIGHT DECISION....There's no traffic on it what so ever.
Pull the Camera phone out (driving an Ultima you always need to have at least 20% of your brain free to concentrate on things other than driving like "What's that strange sound" "where's my stupid indicator switch" "oh no my wiper has fallen off" which means when all is running well you've no problems holding something up and taking photos).
See this sign:
Accelerate to a speed that makes you smile
Road looks like this:
Smile is bigger now, misfire can't happen because I'm keeping the revs up..
A5 is deserted:
And whatever cars I do come across are dispatched with ease.
The steering wheel dances in my hands it's very much like my old Elise, you can feel the road surface, it weighs up nicely as I take corners, I'm smiling, foreplay is over and the real thing is happening now
All too soon I'm at the outskirts of town near my office, this car has the ability to fold time, it's felt like 15 minutes but was 40 at least.
Traffic builds quickly, if the Italian Glamour model analogy continues then she must have huge baps as I'm getting loads of attention, especially from the schoolkids waiting for their bus. Pedo's are missing a trick, instead of offering sweets from Grey Audi's and Mondeo's they should get one of these...but sadly women seem to make a point to look the other way and appear disinterested. Must be due to my MR Bean looks
Driving this it's not the done thing to wave or gesture thumbs up back to the people doing likewise to you, all Ultima owners must look cool, notchilant "oh yeah baby, the GTR, it's just my track thing don't you know"
I fail, smile lots and wave back. Finally having fun because I know if I break down I can walk to work from here.
I arrive, buzzing from the drive, kiddy with joy that I made it, ready to bore you all with my account of it. Only two people in the office today, both want rides at lunch time but I'm happy...
Now to do some real work to help pay for the next list of things that need to be done...
PS Kyle, I fixed the brake lights last night, was a loose wire in the rear clam connector (I know you'd be worred about those)
Oh...Lordie!Rob, you should publish a book!!!!
Guys i had the pleasure of thrashing Robs Ultima the other night, think i managed to scare rob in the process!!! Yes Rob has gone for the unique Rat Rod approach to his ultima, but as soon as your strapped in a destroying everything in your path then all is forgiven. I had a top time the other night and i have to say was great fun. Rob keep the posts coming, hate to say it but your bad luck is great reading, the wiper incident will keep me smiling for a while yet.
Speak later buddy.
Guys i had the pleasure of thrashing Robs Ultima the other night, think i managed to scare rob in the process!!! Yes Rob has gone for the unique Rat Rod approach to his ultima, but as soon as your strapped in a destroying everything in your path then all is forgiven. I had a top time the other night and i have to say was great fun. Rob keep the posts coming, hate to say it but your bad luck is great reading, the wiper incident will keep me smiling for a while yet.
Speak later buddy.
Pb3 said:
Hi, Rob, now your confidence should be building... I managed a 5 day 2200 mile Alpine trip last year with no issues (other than having to buy as much oil as fuel).
Do you have any ideas as to the cause of your misfire though?
Misfire was funny, took it to Kyle's last night and I swear to god he blew on the connector and hey presto, it's working again. Do you have any ideas as to the cause of your misfire though?
Like a Horse Whisperer but for Ultima's - Kyle is the 'Ultima Whisperer'. He then did spend some time softly talking to my LS2 motor, telling it how sorry he was to have sold it too me and that he'd do his best to look after it....
Hoping to get to Nurburgring in three weeks so that'll be around the same miles 2000 odd miles as well (plus a hammering around the 'ring).
Just on Demon Tweeks now buying some insulation stuff (for my ears haha).
Robin you are a mad man....
To answer your question Phil, the coil packs have a central connector that supplies them and simply one of the connections had worked loose, i expect as a result of all the wheelspins and doughnuts!! I drove the car home last night and it was perfect, i did get overtaken by a Porsche Turbo as well Pete! I think he wanted me to give chase but its not my car so i had to control myself. These fly by wire throttles are awesome.
To answer your question Phil, the coil packs have a central connector that supplies them and simply one of the connections had worked loose, i expect as a result of all the wheelspins and doughnuts!! I drove the car home last night and it was perfect, i did get overtaken by a Porsche Turbo as well Pete! I think he wanted me to give chase but its not my car so i had to control myself. These fly by wire throttles are awesome.
robm3 said:
Hoping to get to Nurburgring in three weeks so that'll be around the same miles 2000 odd miles as well (plus a hammering around the 'ring).
Hi Rob.Do you have a free passenger seat?
I'd like to see an Ultima lap with a more experienced driver before I try on my own
- or vice versa
Mr.Snood said:
robm3 said:
Hoping to get to Nurburgring in three weeks so that'll be around the same miles 2000 odd miles as well (plus a hammering around the 'ring).
Hi Rob.Do you have a free passenger seat?
I'd like to see an Ultima lap with a more experienced driver before I try on my own
- or vice versa
Won't know until a few days beforehand though (around 6th May).
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