AC Cobra - to the south of France

[duggan]

Afternoon All,

After a cracking week in France I thought I’d share the pictures with the PH collective. The plan was to leave North London and head, first to Poitiers, then onto the South of France to my Parents place, deep in driving country – being an hour from the coast (great for sunbathing), but more importantly, and hour from the mountains (and their roads) around the French/Spanish Boarder – cue the holiday:

Which to choose:



Abarth - Mrs Duggans Favourite - but not an "adventure"
Exige S1 (under the cover) - great, but a handbag of luggage space
AC Cobra 212 S/C - loud like you cannot even begin to imagine, fast in the same quantity and a big boot - the plan was on.....

Firstly.....sort out the sound for Mrs Duggan:

Communication - WRC Coms!


Windows (with ticket holes )


Off LeMans



Hotel first night - 69 euros a night!




Next morning - a little wet....not good in an AC Cobra with over 400bhp/tonne:



Arrival in SoF - bliss, but in 30 degree heat - a pain...



Boot - got a LOT of brownie points for this:



Cleaned and parked:



Mergez on:


To the mountains - Helicopter Building anyone:


Into Andora:




Local Mechanic:


....Real Local Mechanic - side exhaust mount went & dropped a bold on the other side:


...and the sum, he wouldn't take a thing for getting the chance to work on the car (had to give hime 20 euros for a drink )

Back home now and totally knackered after an 800 mile non-stop (other than for petrol) trip back - tiring, but setting off at 2am and seeing the sun come up (inky blue and still stars visable) over the French countryside, over an AC Cobra's bonnet, is one of lifes great experiences.

Thanks for reading

[duggan]

Thanks for the replies gents – to answer the questions:

C2James – DB of the Cobra – I’ve never actually got it tested, but I had DK Engineering fit a few “show-off” pipes a few months ago which are essentially straight through from the turbos back – loud doesn’t even describe it – not quite F1, but not too far away. To give you a real world example, Mrs Duggan drove infront of me later tonight (dropping the car off at my parent garages where it usually lives) and she couldn’t hear her radio in the Abarth as I drove at 40mph behind her! (ok childish, but the noise it makes at 7.5k revs is the best sound I’ve heard)

S1 RS - Spec – it’s only one of two AC 212 S/C made (most engineering details here – the pics are of my car - http://www.supercars.net/cars/7.html - it’s running a bit more BHP that that now)

Use Psychology – Mergez (sic – my mistake) are these - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merguez - my advice in France is SuperU (perfect) over Carfor (slimey…)

Grey Ghost – the hotel is called Manoir De Beauvoir (http://www.monalisahotels.com/manoir-beauvoir/fr/www-manoirdebeauvoir-com-presentation.html - website really does not give the place, or the experience justice) – chanced across it a few years ago and just perfect for a driving stop-off mid France (south of Potiers) – plan is always: get there at 4pm, jet-wash just before the entrance (sad I know), hotel, beer on terrace, nap, champers, dinner, cocktails on terrace overlooking car – really a great find and good value)

Skylinecrazy – I’ve actually had two Lotus Cortinas – still love them and will get back into another one soon…here’s a pic of the last one, now racing with Roger Wills in the HSCC:

[duggan]

nonplussed said:

Legendary. Well done!

I remember seeing a 212 at the Birmingham Motor Show in around 2000. Was that yours or the other one?

Wow! the Birmingham Motorshow Car is mine! I remember seeing the 212 S/C in CAR magazine in 2000 and for me it was everything I ever wanted in a car – an AC Cobra (which shape I’ve always loved) and a Lotus Engine (which, again, I’ve always loved…). I really never thought I’d be able to get one, especially after they only made one other one, let alone afford one – just feel so lucky that I’ve now got it and after this holiday, makes owning it and sharing it so much better – I even had the gendarmes in Carcassonne asking me to drop the hammer down the main square (which I did, rude not too…)

[duggan]

Sorry chaps - missed the responses to this - I've been on PH for god knows how long and didn't see the "2" on the thread page

Mrs. Duggan is indeed a "Keeper" - she's put up with going down to the SoF in an S1 Exige many years ago so this was just a bit more of an "adventure"...

NotNormal - see you at the MB SS?

Caulkhead - Wheels/Tyres have indeed changed. The car used to be in 16 inch rims and Avon low profile tyres:



..to 15 inch halibrands and Avon racing tyres:



..and they've totally changed the handling of the car for the better (except in standing water/torrential rain conditions - truely terrifying as the car feels as though it's on ice and very much a case of waiting until the downpour finishes). With the old set-up it was very easy to spin the wheels up in any gear - the new rubber has much more grip and really does make the car stick to the road under hard acceleration.

Swerni - what car were you in? Sat in that queue, with it bucketing it down outside, really did make me question my decision on bringing the car

fbrs - I've had a look (on tut'internet) at that car before (http://www.myhotcars.com/inventory/?vin=CSX6011XXXXXXXXXX) - trying to persuade Mrs Duggan that buying it, driving it across America & then shipping it home as a partner for the 212, is a good idea....