The 2024 Rendezvous

[delta]

Thanks Gerrard . We are well on our way home so gutted to hear my favourite 356 team DNF in race two. Fantastic result for fellow tenther and all round top bloke Mr Birch .

[drbob]

Ultimately we had a good race at PA Mugello. A major vibration during qualifying saw us not record a timed lap. A trip to the stewards to get permission to start the race was successful. The vibration problem turn d out to be the tailshaft. This was fixed for the race. The steering was very tight and notchy. Thanks to delta and 356 this issue was also sorted. We started 59th I think and hauled ourselves up to P.35 by race end even with a second pit stop for a driver change. Most teams only had one pit stop. delta and I were happy with the result.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by drbob

Ultimately we had a good race at PA Mugello. A major vibration during qualifying saw us not record a timed lap. A trip to the stewards to get permission to start the race was successful. The vibration problem turn d out to be the tailshaft. This was fixed for the race. The steering was very tight and notchy. Thanks to delta and 356 this issue was also sorted. We started 59th I think and hauled ourselves up to P.35 by race end even with a second pit stop for a driver change. Most teams only had one pit stop. delta and I were happy with the result.

I was following the latter stages on live timing and saw you had a (second) stop with about 20 minutes to go under the Safety Car. Others only had one stop recorded. I was sitting fingers crossed it wasnt a mechanical issue so late in the race, but had noticed you had a lap or so over the next car behind and happy to see the car show back on track soon after. I assumed the stop was for a precautionary splash of fuel or similar under the SC, but now I know the facts. Thanks.
Speaking to you at PI last month I think I remember you saying you were hoping to take the Elite to Cadwell if you could fit it in with everyone's schedule.... is that still on the cards? Otherwise where to next?
Very pleased you had a good weekend, only minor / fixable issues all pre race and it ended with a great result.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by delta

Thanks Gerrard . We are well on our way home so gutted to hear my favourite 356 team DNF in race two. Fantastic result for fellow tenther and all round top bloke Mr Birch .

Good weekend for you guys.I do admire your stamina, that's no short sprint from Reading to Mugello.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by delta

Thanks Gerrard . We are well on our way home so gutted to hear my favourite 356 team DNF in race two. Fantastic result for fellow tenther and all round top bloke Mr Birch .

Is M Birch the young lad from Luton who raced a Vauxhall Astra, in the Esso Saloon Car Championship in the nineties?

[delta]

Originally Posted by justracing

Good weekend for you guys.I do admire your stamina, that's no short sprint from Reading to Mugello.

Many thsnks for all the support . We held up at Dijon last night . Now setting off and heading home . ?

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by grantp

So, does your satnav have a setting for avoiding routes with 20mph limits?

I'll be honest it wasn't a problem. Like most things in life there was a lot of noise from "antis" when introduced but in reality it's settled down and once you get used to travelling slowly it adds nothing to journey time. You still have to swerve around parked cars which takes time and TBH at 20mph there's more time to take gaps so the traffic flows better!

Also the roads in that area are in much, much better condition than round here. Comparing the A5 to our local A4 is very depressing. Even the goat track was smooth, unlike Bromham!

Weather was shall we say "challenging". Storm Kathleen saw to that with showers and drying winds alternating rapidly. I've never done so many set up changes in a weekend! Ride height up, ride height down, castor on, castor off, sprocket changes - wow it was all there! Thankfully with the addition of a Sprinter or two on the straps we kept the awning in 50mph winds.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by delta

Many thsnks for all the support . We held up at Dijon last night . Now setting off and heading home . ?

Am guessing you went through Mont Blanc tunnel .
Have done those routes many many times .
Reims , Dijon etc , and if going further south down past Lyon, Montpellier .But have always regretted not going over the MILLAU bridge / viaduct . Only been open about 20 years and was, [ might still be ] the highest bridge in the world at about 340 Meters from ground to top .Must be an incredible sight .

[Gerard C]

Hope team 356 SC is going well.

[356sc]

A challenging weekend for us at Mugello! Tow vehicle going into limp home mode on the way was just the start of it!

Dad has recently had his hand operated on, and although he thought it would be ok, it was hindering him, so the averaged quali time put us further back than we had hoped and also meant that he would not share the driving in the races.

Race 1 started p30, finished p13 with a good tussle with a healey 3000 and one of the Ferrari 250 gt’s. I was quicker through the twiddly bits, so got ahead of them, they then thundered past me on the straights…frustrating and enjoyable in equal measures.

Race 2 we lost drive after 2 laps (diff broke) and of course this happened under acceleration so I buzzed the engine as well….oh and then to cap it all they bent the car putting it onto the flat bed recovery vehicle!

Tow vehicle is still in limp home mode (blocked diesel particulate filter) and is currently somewhere in northern Italy trying to get home.

Fab results for Michael Birch sometimes of this parish winning the 60s race in his Lotus against the brute force of the Cobras and E types, and the Drbob Marcos finishing strongly.

Company was excellent though, it is always a great laugh meeting up with the Delta team!

Lots to do before Spa then……

[delta]

Yes Mont Blanc but have used Freduce as well . It’s ok with van and trailer but last time I turned up with the Delta truck I got turned away . That was an extra days driving along the coast . Must of been awful in that fire . 1999. They seem to control the amount of vehicles going through as well now . Still lovely part of the world .

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by delta

Yes Mont Blanc but have used Freduce as well . It’s ok with van and trailer but last time I turned up with the Delta truck I got turned away . That was an extra days driving along the coast . Must of been awful in that fire . 1999. They seem to control the amount of vehicles going through as well now . Still lovely part of the world .

I used FREJUS a few times when Mont Blanc was closed after the fire .
They put new heat sensing booths for the trucks in Mont Blanc when it reopened .
First time in a truck coming back I missed the Italian one , which was about 10 miles before you got to the tunnel , and quite a Boll***ing because I had not done it .
But the French side booth is just before the tunnel .And the drive up the mountain is wonderful with all of the Glaciers and snow beside the road .
So Yes , a lovely part of the world .

[delta]

Knew I had the spelling wrong ?

[Gerard C]

Ooops, Will, not exactly the kind of start of the season you can expect and certainly not when so far away from home. Hope the 356 is not too much bent, I know this feeling and there's few to do against the recovery team. Only one month to go to Spa, you gonna be busy. All my best and well done against the big machines!

[GORDON STREETER]

What do you think about this then E.B ?
Push to ban EVERY Australian from buying petrol-powered cars in just 12 years !!!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

What do you think about this then E.B ?
Push to ban EVERY Australian from buying petrol-powered cars in just 12 years !!!

I thought we had been doing the same.

It'll be the Chinese influence - so many EV to sell.

Did I also see an article about banning barbies? Or was it just banning meat so that people would give up on barbies?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

What do you think about this then E.B ?
Push to ban EVERY Australian from buying petrol-powered cars in just 12 years !!!

Thats not so much the Governmentt, but the "Climate Change" group.... they want not only a switch from petrol to electric cars but a move away from cars entirely, setting a target of increasing walking, cycling and public transport by five per cent each year.

They also want us to convert to electric trucks and use railways to distribute half of the freight that is currently distributed by road. (They seemed to have missed the fact that whereby all our commuter trains are electric 90% of our freight trains are run on diesel.

Oh and they all want the number of government cars to be cut by I think half and want the pollies to travel by public transport and do ride shares.

The government are more looking at a new fuel-efficiency standard that would curb the allowable CO2 emissions for new vehicles.

Reality is it wont happen in the sort of deadlines they are talking.

[bauble]

Is it true, that there are so many cars in Australia, that people have stopped pointing at them?

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by bauble

Is it true, that there are so many cars in Australia, that people have stopped pointing at them?

I think that they are probably pointing & laughing at the eco-loonies now!

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

I think that they are probably pointing & laughing at the eco-loonies now!

I don,t think they will be laughing much , the GREEN fraud is costing every family there over 2000 dollars a year as it is . https://joannenova.com.au/2024/04/a-...ike-it-or-not/
And that will only go up by larger amounts the more changes the green loons
bring in .
Electric transport will never work until we all get portable Fusion reactors , but the whole idea is all about destroying Western /Capitalist economies .https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybe...tory-lesson-2/

[Peter Mallett]

Well according to reports in the UK papers (Telegraph most recently) EV sales are tailing off. Also Toyota and (I think BMW) have pared back their EV production/plans. Jaguar is still going gung ho and stopping ICE production. It will be a complete mess and in our case UK industry, already on its knees, will die.

Add to that the drive to shut down farming and if you are not worried then you are probably one sandwich short of a picnic. IMO we should learn to live with the weather and build more reservoirs and flood defences. Windmills, solar panels and other snake oil remedies don't work.

[John Elwin]

And Ford also, at least in the US, look to be going down the same route as Toyota, putting all their effort into hybrids.

[drbob]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

I don,t think they will be laughing much , the GREEN fraud is costing every family there over 2000 dollars a year as it is . https://joannenova.com.au/2024/04/a-...ike-it-or-not/
And that will only go up by larger amounts the more changes the green loons
bring in .
Electric transport will never work until we all get portable Fusion reactors , but the whole idea is all about destroying Western /Capitalist economies .https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybe...tory-lesson-2/

Spot on Tel

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Well according to reports in the UK papers (Telegraph most recently) EV sales are tailing off. Also Toyota and (I think BMW) have pared back their EV production/plans. Jaguar is still going gung ho and stopping ICE production. It will be a complete mess and in our case UK industry, already on its knees, will die.

Add to that the drive to shut down farming and if you are not worried then you are probably one sandwich short of a picnic. IMO we should learn to live with the weather and build more reservoirs and flood defences. Windmills, solar panels and other snake oil remedies don't work.

Well, this won't please you too much, then! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68768598

[Peter Mallett]

Yes, I read that a while ago. Laughable isn't it?