Reply With QuoteHi,
Skoda Octavia 1.6; because I wanted a VW Bora but didn't need the VW badge. 8)
that must be great fun :DOriginally Posted by JonW
2005 Honda Accord for everyday and Caterham for fun:
Old one in background... new one to the fore...
Fullhouse Caterham R300 engine (roller barrel throttle bodies etc) in Caterham Roadsport body with widetrack and a whole host of other extras... :) just over the 300bhp/ton according to my calcs from the figs I have for my car... its a bit quick... ;)
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Hi,
Skoda Octavia 1.6; because I wanted a VW Bora but didn't need the VW badge. 8)
:D :D :D
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Here it is...How about show us your hot air balloon :wink:
and
It's registration is PH-JOY. It's a Thunder Series One-77, meaning it has a volume of 77.000 cubic feet, or about 2200 cubic metres. Built in Oswestry, UK, by Thunder&Colt Balloons, now no longer existing as an independant brand.
Now let's talk power. Those puny few hundred horsepowers of your cars would not get this thing moving. A bit of a breeze and it will drag a big Landrover through a field. A balloon like this (it's a small one, relatively; it's a three-man model) stays up using Archimedes law, meaning it floats by displacing about 2.5 tons of cold air, and one has to heat the air inside enough to make it expand and evacuate about 500 kgs of it. Try to lift 2500 kgs straight up. Now consider having to manoeuvre it: that balloon floats in equilibrium, with its mass of two and a half tons. An obstacle approaches, and you need to climb fast. It means heating those 2200 cubic metres of air, the volume of a modest block of suburbian houses, several degrees so it will expand, some of it will escape through the mouth of the balloon and the remainder will be sufficiently lighter to exert some upward push on those several tons of mass. Preferably within the next ten seconds or so. Stopping a 10-12 m/second parachute-speed descent demands even more.
So we have burners. Plural. Output of each main burner at standard atmospheric temperature (15 degrees C) is around 3000 (three thousand) kilowatts, or, in old fashioned terms, about four thousand horsepower. They drink a litre of liquid propane every ten seconds. So whe n I get into a fast descent, like in a competition, dropping out of the sky at terminal speed (which we also call a 'cold descent') with the balloon essentially being cold or lukewarm and remaining partially inflated by the cold air ramming into it through the mouth, the only thing slowing me down being the aerodynamic drag of the balloon envelope, and I then open up those two burners simultaneously in a long, long burn to reheat and stop the balloon, they are generating 6 MEGAWATTS. They vaporize the liquid propane in their heating coils so it shoots out of a ring of jets at high pressure to give a long, thin and stable blue flame which you can direct to counteract turbulence. Flame temperature is about 1600 degrees Celsius.
It is an weird combination of raw power, delicate control and some Zen mentality as you go with the wind, in spite of all that power.
But you can understand why I don't need to bother about car engine roar.
And read http://www.textballoon.net/balloon/faqbal.htm if you want to know more.
My everyday ride is a 2002 Toyota Sequioa, which I originally bought to haul our daughter and her club volleyball team up and down the Middle Atlantic states to tournaments.
Those days are past, and now our daughter is driving a 2003 Saab 9.3 convertible. Why? Because she is 20 years old, blond, green-eyed and needs appropriate transportation that goes well with her Coach handbags and her Gucci sunglasses.
My wife drives an old 1997 Infinity J30 because she loves the way it looks, and I have to agree. I did like her 2003 J30T better.
My garage queen is the latest in a series of 5 or6 Fiat spiders; a 1983 Spider 2000 with16,000 original miles. It is technically a Pininfarina Spider, but everyone sees it as a Fiat. It is the vehicle that I've ever bothered to take a picture of in recent history:
My auto history includes too many MGBs, Fiat Spiders, Datsun 280Zs to remember, let alone count. I've squeezed a couple of Infiniti Q45s in there as well.
Nice Fiat! I love those... all the ones I saw when I looked in the UK were rusted to hell... US and Aus climates are much better for old cars ;)
The Caterham does indeed fly! The Caterham boys call it "low flying" and thats what it feels like. Its striped out, back to basics motoring at its best imho and if you ever buy one get a fast one, you'll only wish you had if you dont... And... you feel like a kid when you see the front wheels turning and moving up and down with the bumps in the road... :roll::wink:
Here's our current motors:
Hyundai Coupe V6
Seat Ibiza 1.4 SE
The Coupe is registered in my name and the Ibiza is in my girlfriends name, but officially we own both of them jointly. We've owned the Coupe since December and the Ibiza since Good Friday!
I'm loving the Coupe, it looks great (IMO) and is a joy to drive. The power and performance figures look a little disappointing on paper for a V6, but it feels much faster in the flesh and is plenty quick enough for me! Fuel consumption is poor as you would expect but it's not really a major issue for us as we both live close to our work.
The main reason I/we chose it, is becuase: 1/ I wanted something a bit quicker than my old Yaris T-sport, 2/ we love the looks, and 3/ being a Hyundai (we're not badge snobs!) it's an awful lot of car for the money second hand!
The Ibiza is our more practical car that is much cheaper to run and has a lot more space when we need it. We've not had it for long but the first impressions our good. It's the lower powered 1.4 (75 bhp) so it's not quick but is nice to drive and nippy enough for around town and it's also a comfortable cruiser on the motorway. It's got a decent spec for a small car, including, A/c, climate control, heated electric mirrors, remote CL, electric windows. The interior does look a little basic and grey but is still a lot nicer than the Corsa's and Fiesta's we test drove.
I've not had many previous motors as I'm still relatively young and for the first few years after I passed my test I drove my mums old X reg Fiesta and then her Fiat Chiquencento (that had a number plate that ended in WUS, - and as such was named the Wus-mobile by my mates!).
The first car that I brought myself was a Yellow Mk2 Fiat Punto Sporting. It was only a 1.2 16v but had a 6 speed close ratio gearbox and felt surprisingly nippy. I loved the car but it had too many reliability and quality issues and as such I traded it in after a year. I wouldn't buy another Fiat again.
My 2nd motor was a Grey Toyota Yaris 1.5 T-sport. I brought a Toyota specifically because after my Fiat I wanted a car that had bullet proof reliability! It looked tidy and was quite a bit quicker than the Fiat, although it would have benefited from a 6th gear as it was noisy and unrefined on motorway journeys. This car was in a different league to my Fiat and I didn''t have any issues with it in the 2 years that I owned it.
I wish I'd given it to my girlfriend now (and traded in her old Mk1 Punto), rather than trading it in for the Coupe, but at the time I didn't think we could afford to own the Coupe and the Yaris.
Cool! I wonder why you have a Dutch registration, but your "location" says France? :)Here it is...How about show us your hot air balloon :wink:
and
It's registration is PH-JOY.
Cool, my wife drives the same car in dark blue metallic with black leather seats and the only option available in Germany at the time - automatic gear :D The Sunroof wasn't available :cry:Here's our current motors:
Hyundai Coupe V6
I'm Dutch. Still have an address in the Netherlands, mostly as it is hideously difficult and expensive to export the balloon, and because I still earn most of my income from work for Dutch customers - but I live in France most of the time. Related is the fact that in the Netherlands, maintenance and airworthiness checks are much better organized than in France, and that thus it is actually more efficient for me to take the balloon back to the Netherlands for its annual checkup and revision than to drive all over France to have, say, maintenance done in place A, the fuel tanks pressure tested in place B (and if there is any leaking joint, to have that replaced by the people from A again, before returning to B for a second check) and a governmental airworthiness inspection done by Veritas in place C.Cool! I wonder why you have a Dutch registration, but your "location" says France? :)Here it is...How about show us your hot air balloon :wink:
It's registration is PH-JOY.
As this is Europe, I can fly my Dutch-registered balloon legally in French airspace as long as I adhere to all Dutch regulations - which are in reality more strict than those in France, but less of a practical burden due to greater 'one-stop' efficiency. If I have an accident, the Dutch aeronautical authorities will investigate.
If I ever get around to buying a new balloon, it will most likely be French registered and Spanish built. Some of the best balloon equipment engineers have left British companies and are now working for a Spanish firm...
Of course, once you export an aircraft, you lose the registration, which in this case is a very nice one. PH-JOY was no coincidence, I specifically asked for it. :P I already had the balloon envelope completely rebuilt once instead of just replacing it, because I wanted to keep that registration (note that in the picture, you can just see that the main load tape around the mouth of the balloon is not white all around; there are a few black segments due to a repair after an incident in the Alps, which took place before the rebuild; I kept that as a reminder of the principle stated just below, in my signature...).
Alfa 156 2.4 JTD
Cracking car.. Fast and very economical.... Can be remapped to hike the power by 50BHP for about £500 (see Angel Tuning) Total cost £5K for a 2001 plate
IMHO: One of the best kept secrets out there
My bat-cave consists/has consisted of teh following:
Old Raleigh MTB converted to single speed for street use - why in god's holy name did I do that?
Cannondale F800 - pure class, XC sure-footed mountain goat,
Fausto Coppi Lombardia - trusty steed did me 950 miles end-2-end,
Aprilia 125 - pure chocolate, toy, dreadful waste of money,
Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia - good at transporting bikes
Mazda 6 2.0 petrol TS2 - least sh*t car buyable on co.car budget.
I now have the trial of choosing a new car, which pains me. I detest the blasted contraptions.
Nice one, the leather is very comfy! We also test drove a metalic blue one, (they also look great), and would have brought it but we couldn't agree a price with the car dealer.Cool, my wife drives the same car in dark blue metallic with black leather seats and the only option available in Germany at the time - automatic gear :D The Sunroof wasn't available :cry:Here's our current motors:
Hyundai Coupe V6
To be honest the sunroof is nice to have but I doubt I'll use it much as aircon is more effective and creates considerably less noise!
What - I have an 06 Seat Alhambra Tdi 140, my wife drives a Focus 2.0 Ghia and daughter 1 has a Fiat Punto.
Why - the Alhambra is very economical (I commute 90 miles per day) averaged over 40mpg over last 2500 miles, it's quick for a big diesel, although obviously I never exceed the speed limits :angel9:. It has a great driving position and masses of space for surf boards, kites, ocean kayaks, climbing gear, etc. (all the stuff you just have to take to the beach!!) It was also a damn sight cheaper than the VW Sharan where all the standard Seat goodies are optional (and expensive) extras.
The wife's Focus was my father-in-law's car which he was going to trade in but sold to me for the trade-in price (!!) 3 years old and 12000 miles on the clock!
The Punto was bought for my daughter when she passed her test last year from an old family friend - he only used it for a second car and had done 25000 miles in 10 years! She now uses it for transporting her drummer boyfriend to gigs - with the seats down in the back she can get the whole kit in together with two of the band's amps!! And she wonders why he is not bothering to take his test :roll:
Cheers,
Nigel
:occasion5:
Finally I managed to put together the cars that I've been dreaming for a while....and the boat :)
The Mustang is from 2014 and it's a V6 3.7litres,the boat only has 90hp but 2stroke (ETEC) and my big boy is a 2019 Ford F150 5.0L V8
Why?Because we don't have childrens and we never will(sadly) and also because if I don't have a big credit to pay back to the bank I don't feel alive:).....this way the bankers are praying for my health to be able to pay them back :)
Mercedes C Wagon 2011 diesel.
I've owned it since 2013.
Very few problems. I need a wagon because I'm a real estate agent.
Mercedes C is good for image too. It's a low end model from a quality brand. Not ostentatious like a CLS or some top-of-the-line Mercedes.
My next car will be new C Wagon or maybe Jaguar XF wagon (really like Jags too).
PS: Wife has Volvo V70 petrol. One of the last models. Boring but so damn reliable, it's almost boring too. Haha.
Last edited by JPE; 5th January 2020 at 12:55.
I have drive a 2014 Mini Countryman SD. It's at 82K miles now but once it hits 100K miles I will trade it in for another, preferably petrol version at on 50K miles or lower.
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2008 Volvo V70 D5, simple easy to fix transport ideal for the 400 miles a week that is its job
A 2003 Jaguar XJ Super V8 on its way to 500 bhp
2018 Fiat Doblo van with which i ply my trade
1998 SAAB 9000 Anniversary. Why. Cheap purchase, £2k in 2008. Fast, big cargo space. Powerful for towing.
1995 Eunos Roadster G-Ltd. Why. Fun. Cheap £1100 purchase. Cheap and easy to fix. Owned for 8 years.
Wife has 2003 Saxo. Why. Practical and economical local run about. £1k purchase. Owned for 10 years
Last edited by Tiny; 5th January 2020 at 08:21.
Volvo V70 D4 2016 model
Before that another V70 1.6 Drive from 2009
Why?
Simply put, imo its a cracking, car, comfortable, reliable and practical.
An odd bit of internet necromancy - this thread was resurrected today after nearly 13 years of happy dormancy!
We have a car thread in the G&D. I suggest we use that one!
I am to blame for this!
Please post a link to that car thread that you mentioned
I was looking for an actual one but this is all that I could find
I must improve my"looking"skills
Thank you for the heads up:)
Cheers - just spent five minutes looking for it myself!
Honda Stepwagon Spada (JDM). Had to sell the Audi estate as we need more space, this thing is a bit like piloting a retro 90s spaceship (I have to tell myself that).
Sorry, will move to G&D
Replaces one of the same. First time I've had the same car consecutively in over 30 years of motoring.
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🤦*♂️🤦*♂️🤦*♂️
We have similar V70. Wife drives that.
Absolutely reliable car. So reliable, it's almost boring. A lot of space in the trunk too, very practical.
The only downside is the HUGE U-turn space.
Audi A6 estate for me. It's massive which is why I love it, very comfortable and loads of equipment. But the main reason is that I can get all my waterski gear and my road bike in the back.
I've just recently sold a DAX Rush with a 330bhp turbocharged Cosworth engine. That thing was insane!
Last edited by Spesh; 5th January 2020 at 13:09.
Audi a3sportback,does all I need.
Citroen C3 for me, not my choice but my MD pays for it along with servicing/insurance. Only thing it costs me is petrol. Not my ideal choice but it gets me from A to B and costs nowt apart from fuel.
Land Rover Defender 90 truck cab as a go anywhere workhorse for the farm.
Car is a Porsche 718 Cayman because it brings a smile to my face every time I drive it and one day I will be dead.
Summer fun in a Lotus Elise S1 with the top down.
Wife charges around in a Mercedes E Class AMG Coupe.
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Clio MK 3. Passes MOT every time with no faults, never breaks down, always starts, cheap to repair, used parts very plentiful and cheap, very little rust.
Why has this 13 year old thread been resurrected and why is it in WT?
Let’s spoil his Sunday then....
A lousy old Bentley, an even lousier Jaguar XJ-S V12 auto and a fantastic Mercedes SLK 350.
I do have previous as a Mercedes botherer as, after years of telling everyone they were overpriced, under specced rubbish, I actually tried one. I must have had 15 over the years since. I really like the SLK as it is (very strangely) practical - two dogs (Lab in the footwell, Basset on the seat) and great fun, handles well and goes rather well :)
The Jag was a passion I wanted to retry after three decades since I last had one. Big mistake as nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
The Bentley is the third one I've had and the second one in a row that has blown up! They like massive amounts of money spending on them and if you don't or get a whole month without it going wrong then it will throw the biggest bill possible at you. I'm not rich (or even 'comfortable') but I love cars and watches. And the dogs naturally! I have spent over £25000 on the heap in repairs and maintenance over three years. It now needs another 8 - 10 thousand to repair it yet again!
never again... but I've said that before :)
Been a few years, but this was mine.... :)
Porsche 911 Carrera S 997.1 (daily)
Why - Wanted a step-up from my 981 Cayman and this fitted the bill in terms of performance and VFM. Reasonably priced car that should hold a bit of value come resale time. Likely to swap for a 991 in 2021.
Porsche 944S2 (weekend and summer)
Why - An itch I’ve wanted to scratch ever since I saw one in the late 80’s as a teenager. This thing has just shy of 200k miles on the clock and is such good fun to drive. A reasonable amount of BHP (unlike the above) and well balanced around the twisties. Not much more classic Porsche fun out there for under £5k.
BMW X3 (other half)
Why - Used for trips to Aldi, long distance drives on holiday, airport runs, tip and dog duties.
Toyota GT86, usual mods
I currently drive a VW Up GTI which amazes most folk as I’m 6 foot 3ish and the humble Up has loads of space. My three fastest cars would have been a Boxster, M135i and most recently a Golf R. Whilst not as fast, I can honestly say that the Up is without a doubt the most fun car I’ve owned so far and I can’t see me parting with it any time soon. It has a surprising amount of torque and is more than quick enough for my daily commute and general needs.
My wife currently drives a Dacia Sandero...just before my daughter was born 4 years ago, I set out to buy the cheapest new car I could find and this was it. It remains the best £6k I’ve ever spent in terms of value for money motoring. All going to plan, it’s getting replaced with a Civic Type R FK8 in a couple of weeks as I’ve had my eye on this model for quite a while and my daughter is now at an age where she won’t wreck it!
Currently VW EOS V6 love the thing so much fun, just sold my Volvo S60 and am awaiting my V90 which I collect on Friday. Opted for the B&W sound system and most options.
Wife drives a RR Evoque which she is looking at changing for a Velar or Disco.
And a Audi TT has her run around.
If you don't know why, it's because you've never tried one . . . . .
Love that car looks really good!!!Toyota GT86, usual mods
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B32xk08H...=1omv2wb5zv767.
This is one of my toys.
JW
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This thread should be dead by now on WT. Please desist.
Why are people still posting in this thread??!?
What’s wrong with the G&D one?
Elantra GT N-Line Turbo:
1) I'm retired.
2) I love driving small cars.
3) I love hatchbacks.
4) I love performance cars.
5) I'm retired, ergo, I'm frugal!
(This from the web...almost identical to mine, including the blacked out logo.)
Shows that nobody reads threads, just the thread title.
SUBSEQUENT POSTS WILL COST A MINIMUM OF £5 TO THE FUNDRAISER.
Wrong. I not only read the thread title, but also the OP's post, which made no mention of a donation. If some responder happened to add that later, means nothing. If I open a 5000-page thread about Brexit (or whatever), I'm not obliged to read every hairbrained reply before posting my own.
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