Norfolk running

SAAB at the weekend due to a light dusting snow and ice. Good job too as the lodge was up a muddy rutted track.

Mind you, someone was not daunted - we parked next to this at the restaurant.

Dull and Snowy

Alpine today dispote the frost - relegation issues again - through rain and snow on the way back.

Was I cold. Of course !

Umm that smell of petrol

Well I think the smell is getting worse. I must investigate that. Could be the Webers but more likely the tank.

Alpine in and out today.

And a night time run.

Just the early train blues

SAAB action on commute to station. Avoided scraping the windscreen by parking under the trees.
Alpine action in the sunlight tomorrow ?

Running on Empty

Alpine run to the office. It's better to travel.

Interestingly, I noticed can run the fuel guage down to Zero for a few miles in the Alpine. I must sort out the window too. Oh and the oil leaks and the anti roll bar, and .... and ....

Well its Mother might love it

Ugly car alert. M25 was hell but amusingly spotted this. What were they thinking of ?

Kublewagon meets 2CV ?

Just enough Sun

For the e-type to come out of hiding for a run. Looked too good an opportunity to miss. Rewarded by a appreciative glance from passengers in a passing car.

Back into the dry for a few more weeks now I'd guess.

Thoughts of Summer again

Well, it's dull and damp and busy so no classic action today. Will try tomorrow.

Damp days give me time to remember the summer and the M25.

Sixty minutes after leaving home, it’s the traffic building up and you pass from sleepy Suffolk through the Essex badlands to the satanic ring that is the M25. Driving passes through the dreamy state of staring down the 60’s inspiring bonnet over to the gauges. Speed drops as traffic builds and lanes clog, check the gauges again.

No radio on, no CD multi-changer, just watching the road ahead, watching the speed, scrutinising the gauges. Temperature fine, as then the speed drops again and distant stop lamps grow like a red snake concertinaing towards you, you halt. No air conditioning either, just the smells of warm car, creep forward and watch the gauges, Oil pressure down as Temperature rises. Check the gauges again.

Dull rain and mist

SAAB action stations. Classics tomorrow...

Early start and drizzel forced me back to a modern today. Also training it over the car saving another 250+ miles. So another trip like this and my 10% is in the bag. It can't be this easy for everyone else.

Pecking Order

So I'm third in the pecking order. Not that I mind, but both SAABs are in action so I have to use one of the others. Hard luck me !

Alpine pressed into service although it was the plan so, another 6:45 fan heater extravaganza.

Nice run in though if a bit chilly. Might be better to put the fan heater on a timer or am I just worrying too much. The temp is back to about 6 degrees so that's British Winter normal.

When new the car would have stood outside in a black and white street, not tucked up in a designer garage.

Do cars go soft if you treat them too well ? Will it get used to being warmed before it starts ?

Perhaps I need to have the timer and use it sparingly, for colder days ?

Cold but dry run in

Alpine back in commuting action today. Cold at 6:45 when I popped out to put the fan heater on her.
Hard to start tonight in the cold and damp though.
Always like to see the old Smith's guages, white on black with the lights behind them.

Minor incident

I saw a Morris Minor at the roundabout after I wimped out on the Alpine this morning. Looked dark and grey at 6:45. Well it was and so was the weather.

Must have more commitment !

How much to save the Planet ?

So that was easy - 5o% of my 10% saved e.g. 5%. By having taken the train to Bolton and not the car I saved about 500 miles of driving.

I do about 10,000 business miles (probably 15,000 in total) each year so I think I have saved 5% of the business miles in that one trip.

But the costs ? Now as I went peak time (well how else can you get there ?) I was charged £350 for the train tickets. Petrol would be about a tank or so - say £70. With W&T that's probably £100 ?

Now I'm going to query the ticket costs but even so an extra £100 or so what did the planet save ? About a milligram of CO2 ?

Well if noting else, I'll feel a lot better next time I take the 308 round the block now.

Sun (and Alpine) out at last

... and the sun shone endlessly. Well for a couple of hours anyway, but it gave me a chance to get the Alpine out for the first time this year.
Started first time after 60 mins of the fan heater. As did it's bigger brother. Oh for more spring weather.
Appreciated by man in council dump. Not seen one of those before he said. Nope.

Rain today Sun Tomorrow

Warming up. Clssic action soon ?

Just a bit cold

SAAB today but sun predicted tomorrow. Classics to the fore.

Fog now

So the snow melts and the fog settles. SAAB running fine !

Sun will shine in 2 days

So Alpine out then ???

All we can do is Dream

Of the summer.

Perhaos a modern classic would be best for this weather - but would depreciation kill the enjoyment. Why drive a supercar in slush ?

It's warmer.

Slush Puppy

Most of the snow is turning to slush now. SAAB is going strong though.

The big melt starts

Well in Suffolk it does.

Not many days this weather you want to get the classics out anyway.

When the weather is good enough in the UK then you have to keep an eye out.

Eye line hovering on the far horizon straining above the trees. Amateur weather forecasting a hobby, running classic cars for fun. Fun ? Rain, traffic jams, breakdowns, family errands, all conspire to reduce the days you can go out safely.

Mind you remembering a open top mazda MX5 in the US several years ago I remember the top had not been on it all year and it was covered in dust. Filthy inside and out.

Clone Cars a-go-go

Hiding SAAB under a tree to keep the snow off.

What's happening to SAAB then ? GM selling it off went quiet and now they say there is not enough money on the table from anyone.

So will they kill the brand ? It is probably a competitor to other GM brands and so does not fit well in the slimmer portfolio anyway.

Homogenisation will kill it off and we'll all end up driving clone cars.

This decade should see the rise of the electric car anyway - just like LPG cars took over - no wait they did not did they ? What happened there then ? The infrstructure did not take off, the cross over was slow and the costs higher.

Can you drape electric cables over the road - no. So how it all works needs to be sorted out.

Friday Frosts

Getting used to driving on snow, packed down over ice, over snow.

Wonderfull snow covered fields this morning in the warm SAAB, but crawling at 10 miles an hour was a bit of a pain.

No classic cars this weekend I guess.

Ok this is getting less funny

More snow and Ice. I remember this from 1963.

So has the grit run out ?

Winter continues - panic buying in the shops.

Winter Day 16

Well perhaps not, but car so frozen tonight the wipers were solid to the car. Expecting to run the SAAB for a few more days before the weekend.

Admiration

It starts ten minutes from home with the first admiring glances when you fill up with petrol. Impertinent moderns in their depreciating clones stop and admire the svelte grace that sits poised on the forecourt. Small pleasure in the time it takes helps to unwind. Stop, open the boot, take out octane boost measure – pour – re-fit top.

Then the petrol – by now eyes are gathering courage. Carefully put the nozzle into tank. Usually it’s the older ones. 60’s cars and 60’s drivers. Old enough for the “I had one of those in the 70’s” chatter, or “very nice”. Admiration not envious looks for old cars. Attainable yet rare enough to be out of reach.

Defrost-drive-park

and de-frost again to come home.

Well Winter Waxes

Or wanes. Anyway no classic car action again. And the SAAB refused to start. Ummm....

Salt, Sleet and SAABs

Gave up on classics as the sky darkened and the snow came back. What are we going to do if SAAB do get the chop ?

New Year - No Classics

2010 Jan 1 - not a single classic on the roads. Well it did snow last night and they salted the road too.

Only a few moments looking at the e-type in the garage. Enough.