Simply random stuff

[mandrix]

Just now looking out the window. Appears we had a dusting of snow here...certainly no great accumulation.
Hoping the roads will de ice by 1300 Hrs......
I bet the koi and goldfish are like statues on the bottom of the pond. lol.

 

[somethingcleveridunno]

For older QQers who often reminisce about their introduction to quad being in the 1970s, did any of you embrace such sartorial splendour (and express such magnetism) as this? If so, photographic evidence would be appreciated.

View attachment 112733

 

[somethingcleveridunno]

-6 outside this morning in NE Ohio. At least the furnace pilot didn't go out last night like it did the night before. Woke up with frost on the windows yesterday and had to get it re-lit while half-asleep.

 

[DuncanS]

It's been snowing in the Florida panhandle. Will it make it to me? We'll see.
They put off my surgeon appt. until 1400 Hrs, thankfully. Maybe the roads will be better by then, as I have to travel about 35 miles.
Not the roads that scare me, it's Florida drivers. They already drive like maniacs around here. There's a retirement village about 4 miles from me. Nothing like driving the speed limit and some little old lady that has to look through the steering wheel passing you like you're sitting still. lol.
Dadgum old people! Wait....

I was once well above the UK motorway speed limit in quite a large car, when I was over taken such that it looked like I was going very slowly,
by ..........................4 nuns in something the size of a Fiat 500!

 

[barfle]

Temperatures in the teens lately here, but no snow. Utilities are pretty reliable, unlike the ones in northern Virginia.

 

[Owen Smith]

I was once well above the UK motorway speed limit in quite a large car, when I was over taken such that it looked like I was going very slowly,
by ..........................4 nuns in something the size of a Fiat 500!

I was once driving at 70mph (the speed limit) in the fast lane of UK motorway the M1, over taking a long string of traffic with heavy lorries (semis in US terms) in the other two lanes. A police car came tearing up behind me lights and sirens on and started flashing its headlights at me. I couldn't pull in, the lorries in the middle lane wouldn't let me in. I was in my Renault 5 GT Turbo at the time so I just floored it to pass all the traffic, I was up to 95 by the time I pulled in. The police car swept past me like I was standing still. I was slightly relieved they didn't pull me over, but I didn't know what else to do.

 

[JohnN]

 

[JohnN]

 

[mandrix]

I was once driving at 70mph (the speed limit) in the fast lane of UK motorway the M1, over taking a long string of traffic with heavy lorries (semis in US terms) in the other two lanes. A police car came tearing up behind me lights and sirens on and started flashing its headlights at me. I couldn't pull in, the lorries in the middle lane wouldn't let me in. I was in my Renault 5 GT Turbo at the time so I just floored it to pass all the traffic, I was up to 95 by the time I pulled in. The police car swept past me like I was standing still. I was slightly relieved they didn't pull me over, but I didn't know what else to do.

Yeah they want you out of their way.
When I was driving an hour on the interstate from work every day, sometimes police cars from other counties would breeze by. Probably prisoner transport.
I would just fall in behind them at a respectable distance in the Z28 and cruise along at 90 - 100 mph. Several times passing Highway Patrol officers sitting in the median, but never got stopped.

On a two lane road if an ambulance overtakes me from behind I will do what I can to get out of their way. But I'm not going off the road at 55 mph and kill myself. If they have a clear passing lane I just say rock on and get as far to the right as I can.

 

[Quadmon]

Record low of minus twelve here last night. Minus six when I took my wife for her cataract surgery this morning. All went well and she is asleep. Around eight degrees now.

 

[Willie Wilson]

Record low of minus twelve here last night. Minus six when I took my wife for her cataract surgery this morning. All went well and she is asleep. Around eight degrees now.

Hope your wife recovers well. Been there before. Was -10 in the CLE this morning.

 

[DuncanS]

I was once driving at 70mph (the speed limit) in the fast lane of UK motorway the M1, over taking a long string of traffic with heavy lorries (semis in US terms) in the other two lanes. A police car came tearing up behind me lights and sirens on and started flashing its headlights at me. I couldn't pull in, the lorries in the middle lane wouldn't let me in. I was in my Renault 5 GT Turbo at the time so I just floored it to pass all the traffic, I was up to 95 by the time I pulled in. The police car swept past me like I was standing still. I was slightly relieved they didn't pull me over, but I didn't know what else to do.

I always wanted a Renault 5 GT Turbo!

 

[DuncanS]

The Elephant Shrew a wee bit smaller than its namesake!

 

[Owen Smith]

I always wanted a Renault 5 GT Turbo!

I had a 1990 model in glacier white, the second to last year it was available and the last production version with the water and oil cooled turbo and revamped interior. Bought it in 1991 with 9000 miles on the clock, sold it in 2002 with 110,000 miles on the clock. The bodywork was falling apart with rust underneath, my garage advised me to sell it. DVLA data shows it was last road taxed in 2017 so it might still exist, rusting away somewhere. They'd have had to do a lot of work to keep it on the road for 15 years after I sold it.

I replaced it with a Mini Cooper S R53 supercharged in electric blue, which I still own 22.5 years later with 80,000 miles on the clock. Yes I do less than 4000 miles a year (it's my only car) since I cycle or walk to work. This car's bodywork is in excellent condition and I've recently had the supercharger bearing oil replaced, which is an expensive job. The main problem with it is the seats, and you can't buy those as spare parts any more. For now I've had the base of the driver and passenger seats swapped over, we'll see how many more years that gets me. I've developed a streak of being determined to see how long I can keep running it, modern cars just don't appeal being either enormous and not fitting in my garage or poky little city cars. The glory days of the hot hatchback are long over alas.

 

[jefe1]

Yes driving a turbo enhanced engine is fun.....
I drive a subaru wrx turbo the regular model not the sti. Bought new in 2002 it plays cassettes and cds and it is still fun to drive if not easy on my back for road trips

 

[mandrix]

I had a 1990 model in glacier white, the second to last year it was available and the last production version with the water and oil cooled turbo and revamped interior. Bought it in 1991 with 9000 miles on the clock, sold it in 2002 with 110,000 miles on the clock. The bodywork was falling apart with rust underneath, my garage advised me to sell it. DVLA data shows it was last road taxed in 2017 so it might still exist, rusting away somewhere. They'd have had to do a lot of work to keep it on the road for 15 years after I sold it.

I replaced it with a Mini Cooper S R53 supercharged in electric blue, which I still own 22.5 years later with 80,000 miles on the clock. Yes I do less than 4000 miles a year (it's my only car) since I cycle or walk to work. This car's bodywork is in excellent condition and I've recently had the supercharger bearing oil replaced, which is an expensive job. The main problem with it is the seats, and you can't buy those as spare parts any more. For now I've had the base of the driver and passenger seats swapped over, we'll see how many more years that gets me. I've developed a streak of being determined to see how long I can keep running it, modern cars just don't appeal being either enormous and not fitting in my garage or poky little city cars. The glory days of the hot hatchback are long over alas.

Y'all sure drive some weak ass cars over there. (says the guy who drives a 4 cyl Ford Ranger, lol)
Man I miss my personal built engine '68 Chevelle and the Z28 (which I modded extensively)...though I certainly have no need for the horsepower. I built my first small block Chevy at age 16. Did everything wrong, but it ran! Went on to learn how do it right and make that horsepower baby!

I can't say I knew how fast either of those cars would run. The Chevelle only showed 120 mph speedometer and I maxed the 155 speedometer on the Z28 one quiet night on the interstate.

 

[jefe1]

I bow down to you oh great @mandrix .... you must have left many vehicles in your rear view mirror.

 

[Owen Smith]

Yes driving a turbo enhanced engine is fun.....

The supercharger in the Mini Cooper S is even more fun. Since it runs just over twice the crankshaft speed I get serious supercharger whine at high revs. Mine is totally unmodified, which is probably why it still runs well after 22 years and 80,000 miles. Many of them were excessively modified leading to premature mechanical failure.

And it's one of the few cars on the road with a 6 speed manual gearbox. I love it.

 

[mandrix]

I've told this before I guess...I hitched a ride with an Army Bud from Wurzburg to Frankfurt airport when I was traveling there. He had a Mustang and we were cruising about 100 mph on the Autobahn. He was driving in the left lane....a car came up behind us rapidly and started flashing lights and blowing his horn. My ride pulled over a lane, and that guy was out of sight in no time. Don't know what he was driving but it sure was fast.
There are some cars so fast today it blows my mind. But I have no desire to be driving or riding at 200 mph+.
I was always more a 1/ 4 mile dragstrip racer and that was fast enough.

 

[Owen Smith]

There are some cars so fast today it blows my mind. But I have no desire to be driving or riding at 200 mph+.

Agreed. My Mini Cooper S will do 0-60 mph in about 6.8 seconds which I've come close to, and a top speed of 140 mph which I've never approached, never been more than about 80 in this car. There are so many speed cameras in the UK these days that even if following a police card or being flashed to get out of the way of police, it's not worth the risk. Even ignoring that the performance of some cars these days is just ridiculous, there's no way to usefully harness that performance on the roads. My Mini Cooper S is more than quick enough for my needs and is plenty of fun to drive.