Re: Mick's Motoring South Coast Saunter

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 12 Jul 2023, 23:50

Hopefully we can get James to pick you up and come down to Sonning on Tuesday 24th

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 13 Jul 2023, 05:46

Peter.N. wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023, 17:47 Look forward to it Jim. I think I will recognise you I

Looking forward to seeing you too Peter, we'll have a lot to talk about!

Rp0thejester wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023, 23:00 Thanks for your personal details, please let the whole internet know where you live and what times you are out.

I think I've possibly posted enough on here (and the Internet in general) over the years to well and truly identify me and where I live...

Michel wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023, 23:38 Can you come and drag me out for lunch when you're in the Thames Valley? I'm having quite severe ankle surgery on the 9th October, and I'm not allowed to drive for eight weeks afterwards

Mike, it'll be great to see you... Been far too long

All best with the ankle and lets hope it sorts it

Michel · Unread post by **Michel** » 13 Jul 2023, 09:03

mickthemaverick wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023, 23:50 Hopefully we can get James to pick you up and come down to Sonning on Tuesday 24th

Sonning? I can probably hobble that far on crutches! It's only a couple of miles..

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 13 Jul 2023, 09:05

Michel wrote: ↑13 Jul 2023, 09:03
mickthemaverick wrote: ↑12 Jul 2023, 23:50 Hopefully we can get James to pick you up and come down to Sonning on Tuesday 24th
Sonning? I can probably hobble that far on crutches! It's only a couple of miles..

Even better, and if you are that close and James can't make it we can swing by and collect you ourselves!! I'm about to post up our schedule for general information which shows the times we anticipate!1

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 13 Jul 2023, 09:39

After a bit of adjustment this is the latest plan for our saunter:

Click on the chart to enlarge

: MTM Original

Michel · Unread post by **Michel** » 13 Jul 2023, 10:26

Didcot is a s**t hole apart from the railway stuff.. you'll not get me there!

Sonning is a bit more than 2 miles from me, but not much

Unread post by **myglaren** » 13 Jul 2023, 10:29

Michel wrote: ↑13 Jul 2023, 10:26 Didcot is a s**t hole apart from the railway stuff.. you'll not get me there!

Once they've abducted you you won't have any say in it. If you complain they might leave you there.

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 13 Jul 2023, 11:12

Is the pub you've named, The Bull Inn, a good place for dinner Mike?

Michel · Unread post by **Michel** » 13 Jul 2023, 11:30

Burattas in Twyford, Horse and Groom on the A4, The Green Man or Elephant and Castle in Hurst or the Jolly Farmer also in Hurst are all good. Sonning is very nice but I find it a bit overpriced because of the people who live in it the village (Clooney, for one, that charlatan Geller is another)

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 14 Jul 2023, 21:00

On the Monday evening we overnight in Wick but can easily pop over the northern bridge to meet Gibbo somewhere on the road up to Lydney, around Chepstow maybe?

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 23 Sep 2023, 07:33

Just 4 weeks to go before the Saunter gets underway. Preparations have gone well in general with all the accommodation booked and the plan now having the dates on it. It would be good if the various members named on the sheet could confirm their availability on the dates shown and we can then make individual arrangements as necessary. The car is having a full service before departure including a new stainless steel exhaust system being fitted on 2/3rd October and hopefully some new tyres for the trip. Ideally the works will be completed at Jim's house before we depart so the trip will be a bit of a celebration too!

The updated plan, not great quality I'm afraid but you can click on it to zoom in:

: MTMO

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 23 Sep 2023, 17:44

Last weekend I decided it was time to start getting the car prepared for the saunter and the first job was to look at the exhaust which started blowing about two months ago. I repaired that blow with the usual high tech bodge but it only lasted until last weekend so I knew that needed to be sorted properly before the 19th October. I arranged for my local garage to put it up on a lift on Thursday morning and we had a good look all round. The exhaust was actually blowing from a different place to the previous repair but from the top of the y joint and I decided to bite the bullet!!

On my return home I called the Subaru dealer to order a new system from the cat backwards but discovered there is a 16 week waiting list !!!

So, as I don't trust the big exhaust chains, I decided to go and visit the chaps who used to build my rally car systems to see if they could help as the exhaust is very similar to the one used on the Impreza. When I got there the business appeared to be thriving but none of the chaps I knew are still there, not really surprising as my last rally was in the 90s

However I discussed my problem with the new boss and he was exceptionally helpful. He agreed to build a stainless system for me ready to install on 2nd/3rd October which is ideal. Then came the price which I had expected to be more than the Subaru dealer price but it wasn't so I paid a deposit and will be taking the car in on 2nd!!

The other issue that I realised when the car was upon the ramp is that the tyres are approaching 2mm tread left so this morning I set about sourcing new tyres. I wanted the same Continentals I have now or Goodyear's or Michelins so I confined my searching to those and soon discovered that I would be looking at another £4-500 expenditure on top of the exhaust so I started looking for some partially used and bingo at last a stroke of good fortune. I found a set of 4 Goodyear tyres all with 7.5+mm of tread which had come off the chap's old wheels when he upgraded to bigger alloys. New price for those varies from £105-£120 depending where you go so the four for £150 was a real bonus. I went and collected them today and they will be fitted during the week!! At least something went well!!

: All lined up ready to go!!

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 24 Sep 2023, 11:22

I have just been doing some research on my new tyre bargain and overall I am even happier. This is the summation from the RAC in their global tyre test:

: BFTW

and while researching I came across this snippet which is interesting to know:

: BFTW

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Sep 2023, 11:38

Excellent!

Michel · Unread post by **Michel** » 24 Sep 2023, 14:43

I quite often put part-worns on. I know people decry it, but every secondhand car you buy has part-worns on.. so it's the same, but with a chance to inspect the tyres first.

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