Your first car

[The Moan Ranger]

Long story Growler, but I already had a Dolly (NLW 588V) when I inherited this one. The inherited one was in far better nick so I stuck it in the garage and there she still sits. I had the engine running 7 years ago, but the clutch had seized, so I put it on the "to do" list. I'll be redundant within 2 years, so it's a little project to look forward to.

Vehicle wise, over the years:-

1. Morris Marina 1.3 Coupe which I never got to drive as my older brother wrapped it around the only tree on the Sutton one-way system before I passed my test (1st time, at 1 years, 1 month and 28 days...)
2. Austin 1300
3. Mini 1275GT (bored to 1340 with twin 38's). I wrapped that one round a tree.
4. Dolly #1 - Vermillion Red apparently, but DVLA says that it was green too. I though the spraying looked a bit iffy.
It went like a rocket, toasting Escort RS Turbos and original MR2s at the time. It finally expired on a track day at Castle Coombe...
5. Dolly #2. In the garage.
6. Rover 827 Vitesse. Cost ?100 to buy and lasted three years before dying in the car park of my local (cam belt)
7. Current lexus GS300. Like drive a soft, fluffy white cloud and is very good friends with petrol retailers.

In between 4 and 6, all my travelling was by motorbike:-

1. Honda SS50ZB2E. Sitting in the sdame garage as Dolly #2 and good for 60mph and 110mpg!
2. Suzuki RGV250L. Lovely but fragile.
3. Yamaha FZR1000EXUP (de-restricted). Great, but swallowed oil if on a motorway.
4. GSXR750WW. Utterly, uterly lovely. 52 seconds round Brands Indy on road tyres (well...Diablo Corsas) and it would wheelie for mile after mile on a deserted French Autoroute.
5. Current GSXR750K3. As above, but a lot light and twitchier, scares me a bit so I can only manage 54s round Brands. Better for wheelies though...

Attached picture of me at Snetterton a few years ago, not the panic in the eyes...



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[Nick]

What else on earth can take you where you want without complaining, at any time day or night 365 days of the year.
Never answers back, goes where it's pointed and is your obedient servant and trusted friend.

Good point!

Till they go wrong of course!?

[GROWLER]

'Blood and Sands' Growler, that's a lot of motors!

I know, and feel positively ill now re-reading that list. It's horrific the money i've spent over the last 40 years.

There are a few missing that i've since thought of too.

Christ almighty. I could have paid me mortgage off half a dozen times with what i've spent.
I'm almost ashamed of meself.

[Marley's Ghost (Imbiber of Spirits)]

Sounds like he has been procrastinating. Mrs Next Door has a TR3 softtop in her garage. She just rubs it sometimes.

That's all well and good Nick, but two things spring to mind:

1. Does Mrs Nick know?

2. What does she do with her TR3?

[GROWLER]

Bit of a track day participant then ey Moany?

Went over to see the newly re-furbished circuit in Angelsey (Ty Croes) last saturday.
Felt a bit apprehensive as to just what it would look like, having competed there and loved the place as it was for many years.

Looks very good though tbh., and talkin' to some of my old sprinting mates that were competing, they all reported that it is fantastic to drive on.

Apparently, the owners are trying to get the BTCC to come there. It could certainly handle it I'd have thought.

Check it out if you've not been there before. http://www.angleseycircuit.com/
They do do bike track days, and it's probably the most scenic circuit in the country, with Snowdon and the Irish sea as a backdrop.

[Marley's Ghost (Imbiber of Spirits)]

Bit of a track day participant then ey Moany?

Went over to see the newly re-furbished circuit in Angelsey (Ty Croes) last saturday.
Felt a bit aprehensive as to just what it would look like, having competed there and loved the place as it was for many years.

Looks very good though tbh., and talkin' to some of my old sprinting mates that were competing, they all reported that it is fantastic to drive on.

Aparently, the owners are trying to get the BTCC to come there. It could certainly handle it I'd have thought.

Check it out if you've not been there before. They do do bike track days, and it's probably the most scenic circuit in the country, with Snowdon and the Irish sea as a backdrop.

Bloody hell Growler, you expect him to be looking at the scenery whilst hooning round the circuit at ludicrous rates of knots on a knife edge of adhesion on two wheels! If I was circulating a track at those sorts of speeds, the one thing I most definitely would not be looking at would be the scenery - unless of course I'd lost the plot and was quietly sliding along the tarmac hoping that I was not about to lose most of my skin!

[GROWLER]

Bit of a track day participant then ey Moany?

Went over to see the newly re-furbished circuit in Angelsey (Ty Croes) last saturday.
Felt a bit aprehensive as to just what it would look like, having competed there and loved the place as it was for many years.

Looks very good though tbh., and talkin' to some of my old sprinting mates that were competing, they all reported that it is fantastic to drive on.

Aparently, the owners are trying to get the BTCC to come there. It could certainly handle it I'd have thought.

Check it out if you've not been there before. They do do bike track days, and it's probably the most scenic circuit in the country, with Snowdon and the Irish sea as a backdrop.

Bloody hell Growler, you expect him to be looking at the scenery whilst hooning round the circuit at ludicrous rates of knots on a knife edge of adhesion on two wheels! If I was circulating a track at those sorts of speeds, the one thing I most definitely would not be looking at would be the scenery - unless of course I'd lost the plot and was quietly sliding along the tarmac hoping that I was not about to lose most of my skin!

No, not at all. But it's good to be there in a really nice environment looking around while having a brew and natter with your mates.

[Nick]

Sounds like he has been procrastinating. Mrs Next Door has a TR3 softtop in her garage. She just rubs it sometimes.

That's all well and good Nick, but two things spring to mind:

1. Does Mrs Nick know?

2. What does she do with her TR3?

1. No

2. She rubs it

OK?

[The Moan Ranger]

Anglesey is a bit too...erm...Welsh I'm afraid Growler

[GROWLER]

Anglesey is a bit too...erm...Welsh I'm afraid Growler

I don't go there to have 'meaningful' conversations with the Taffs.
Nigh on impossible anyway, as they all talk shite...well i can't understand what they're blabbering on about anyway.

[Nick]

I hear they say something similar about you.

[The Moan Ranger]

Anglesey is a bit too...erm...Welsh I'm afraid Growler

I don't go there to have 'meaningful' conversations with the Taffs.
Nigh on impossible anyway, as they all talk shite...well i can't understand what they're blabbering on about anyway.

I'm more concerned about the amount of sputum on the track caused by them speaking that phlegm inducing language...it causes havoc with cornering speeds...you may as well try to ride on slugs...

[Pastis]

Do they still have traffic lights on the road which crosses Valley Airfield on Anglesey?

My Grandmother had an interesting incident there. Taking friends shopping to Bangor she was approaching the runway and the lights turned red. She ignored them much to the apprehension of her friends and was nearly sucked into the jetstream of a plane taking orf!

She wrote to the MOD demanding the pilot be reprimanded since she had "right of way"  Apparently she was of the opinion that he should have stopped... !

Needless to say her friends declined further invitations of lifts to Bangor.

[Nick]

Are we related?

[Snoopy]

Did I tell you about the Arse who tried to land a Comet IV on my head in 1965?
Pull up a sandbag and sit ye down ~ war stories and other tales retold ~ just keep the beer coming