Automobiles : Good,Bad & the Ugly.

[Grecian2K]

In some defence of Ramone's "twonk" I would respectfully suggest that driving an overpowered motor while knowing it possessed inadequate brakes also displays a certain degree of "twonkishness"?

 

[ramone]

It certainly did possess quite adequate brakes but respectfully I dont think there is a car in the world that would stop that quickly when some twonk decides at the very last minute to cross in front of a heavy vehicle (1288 kg) even though it was at cruising speed as I personally never really drove fast when out in any of my cars unless I was on a drag strip !

Those people who have been fortunate enough to own gorgeous vehicles will explain that they are generally out to pose and let the cars been seen at slow speeds and not the type that stick a loud exhaust on a 1.2 nissan and go tear a$$ing around where people are nearby.

 

[Grecian2K]

I appreciate your carefully considered and polite reply ramone.

I fully understand that the owner of any "classic" vehicle will always take extra care to protect their precious pride and joy. As a lover of "classic Brit bikes" (many years ago I'm sad to say ) I always tried to exercise the same degree of caution.

But, nevertheless, by your own admission, the brakes had failed. Had you actually run over said "twonk" - regardless of his (or her?) contributory negligence - I wonder how much contributory blame your insurers, and, indeed, HM's "plod" would have thrown your way.

And, btw, what if it not had been a camera toting "twonk", but - say - a small infant who had dashed into the road in front of you? Would they have been also accused of "twonkishness"? Oh, and please don't try and blame the parents - as parents ourselves we surely know that, however hard one tries - sometimes trying to keep absolute control on over-excited children is akin to herding cats.

 

[ramone]

IF there had been a "small infant" walking across the middle divide of the road I would have stopped some distance away as I would have seen it being alone on a quite big road.

Surely even your guardian reading self would realise when a small infant walks onto the opposite side of the road SOMEONE on that side would have stopped for the child before it got close to the middle divide.

I realise you love to try and have a pop at certain people on here from time to time possibly due to boredom / old age but having been driving since I was around 17 legally I consider my driving quite well up there with most drivers !

 

[Grecian2K]

Now now Mr r. No need for unpleasantness. I wasn't "having a pop". I was merely responding to your original anecdote and pointing out the fact that the admitted vehicle defect might have had more serious consequences - for both parties. And, a what does the relevance of my choice of daily reading matter has to this particular discussion btw????

From some of your previous posts i believe you work in the vehicle repair business. Surely you, of all people, must know that ultimately the responsibility of keeping a vehicle "roadworthy" lies with the owner/driver - plus, possibly, the party entrusted with it's maintenance. Certainly throughout a large part of my working life, even with a large company with a "professional" Plant & Transport Department running the fleet even we mere crew supervisors were equally responsible for how all of our HGVs were run on a day to day basis (adhering to the mandatory daily vehicle checks/tacho rules etc etc). And, in the event of any incidents the DVSA like to take as many prisoners as possible!
For that reason (in order to spread any potential blame thinly) the company went to the expense of ensuring that even we humble crew-managers were still put through CPC training and, latterly, held DQCs.

And, finally, if we're bragging about our respective driving histories I actually passed my motorbike test (and was riding a 350 Triumph) before I was 16 years and a quarter. And had passed my car test (first time) not long after my 17th. Plus, for the last 20 years of my working life, regularly clocked up 40-50k miles pa right up to my retirement. And in all that time I never had (or was the cause of) a single accident, or got even a single point on my licence. So as good a driver as you undoubtedly are I think after "driving to the moon and back" - several times over the years can claim some sort of equivalent acknowledgement?

Still now that I'm in my "dotage" you'll doubtless be relieved to learn that I've now happily hung up my "Alan Partridge knitted driving gloves" and am happy to sponge of you poor tax payers by using my free bus pass! . Not through any form of infirmity but just because it's not worth the sheer expense and faff of running a car these days.

I've still got my (pristine) licence though - if only for the purpose of voter ID!

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Moretonhampstead Motor Museum will be closing at the end of August and it's contents of c.150 vintage cars and motorbikes put up for auction. It is housed in the former bus garage. TBH I didn't even realise that it existed, apparently it opened in 2013 but the owner is now retiring. It certainly looks worth a visit and is open Tues,Wed, Thurs, Sat and Sundays doors opening at 11.30 and last entry at 15.15.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Visited the Cofton(between Starcross & Dawlish) American Classic Car Show yesterday. It’s surprising the amount of 50s Pickups that are on show.
There was a ‘76 Mustangs II there. Super rare anywhere.
Not seen one of them since I had one over 20 years ago(pic of my ‘77 Mustang in 2003)

 

[Alfie 1966]

Picked car up from service today driving home found speedo was now in KM per hour and all messages on screen were in french(never my best subject) all sorted now back in English.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

After spending a couple of hundred quid getting the metallic paint work on my car looking immaculate. I was parked up, sat waiting for someone when I feel a bump. A goon parking nudged the back of the car. I was in a bad temper mode anyway, that just about finished me off !
Yep, it was not deliberate & not the end of the world, but the offending automobile had parking sensors

 

[Stelios]

Moretonhampstead Motor Museum will be closing at the end of August and it's contents of c.150 vintage cars and motorbikes put up for auction. It is housed in the former bus garage. TBH I didn't even realise that it existed, apparently it opened in 2013 but the owner is now retiring. It certainly looks worth a visit and is open Tues,Wed, Thurs, Sat and Sundays doors opening at 11.30 and last entry at 15.15.

Moretonhampstead museum's cars worth £1.5m set for auction

The owner says it is unlikely he will find anyone "mad enough" to take on the museum.

www.bbc.co.uk

I’ll take the Talbot Sunbeam please