The first run of Spring

[steveww]

Finally the salt has washed off the road, the weather has warmed up and the sun is shining. Or at least it was yesterday afternoon.

Tyre pressures check
Trickle charger disconnected
Bonnet secured
Harness a snug fit
Ignition on
Wait while fuel pump primes the carbs
Whurr Whurr cough cough it's alive

The first run out this year. It's good to be back. Now I am sure why I spend all that time and money on Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious. The twinc singing loudly, a slight crackle of the over run, the flow of information from the steering, solid brake pedal, heel 'n' toe down changes, rifle bolt gear change. This thing is fast Drifting trough a series of bends, just a dab of opposite lock.

The smell of hot oil and brakes, the metronome ticking of cooling parts, heart beat slowing. Safely tucked up in the garage ready for another day's play. Roll on the summer.

[peterako]

I'm lucky enough to use my +2 as an every day car.

Long story cut short.....

On the way back from a play with my ever suffering wife, and notice a car pretty close behind me.....

Speed up a LITTLE bit and make it to the pub.

A few minutes later the car that had been following (Audi A4 TDi red i and D).

A mate of mine....looking a bit shook.

"Do you ever use the brakes on that thing!?"
" Couldn't for the life of me keep up!!"

Now, bearing in mind I had the wife with me.....I WAS NOT in any way pushing it!!

Makes me feel all warm!!!

Peter

[steveww]

There a long bit of single carriage way leading to dual carriageway which is used by a lot of trucks. I always get stuck behind a truck and even in the Elan over taking is a no no as the sight lines are just no good enough. There is usually some rep mobile (red i not to mention other letters) up my exhaust pipe by the time we get to the roundabout where the single goes to double. You should see the surprised looks on their faces when the Elan roars in to the distance. Always makes me smile. Yep childish I know

[twincamman]

childish be damned ---thats--- MANHOOD ----BIG CAHONES-- ed

[billwill]

Heh, heh,

Long ago '70s I used to like playing games like that with 'hot-rod' kids at traffic lights in London UK.

If I found myself alongside such kids, I would blip the throttle to make a nice roar, triggering them to do likewise, then when the lights changed I would accelerate relatively slowly, dropping back slightly as they roar forward with a lot of smoke. Then when I see the smirk arrive on the passenger's face as they think "wow we are beating a Lotus" then I would put my foot down & roar off into the sunset...

However one day on Chalk Farm Road I got real egg on my face doing that.. I put my foot down hard and the last remaining material on the clutch burned out and my Elan coasted to a halt. I had to call a friend to come tow me home..

[steveww]

I have also been caught out. A few years ago I was the dude in the rep car and was I though stuck behind a Morris Minor which was stuck behind a caravan. Eventually the caravan turned off, I pull out to roar passed the Moggy. Alas the Moggy had a well tuned V8 fitted and did a rather impressive disappearing act!

Turned out that he parked up in the same car park I was aim for. When I arrived some what later we had a good chat about the car, he had done a excellent job with the conversion. I just love sleeper cars like that

[billwill]

I did find a car I could not keep up with in the Elan, once!

I was driving back from Anglesey down the A5 through Snowdonia. There was a car ahead that I was having great difficulty keeping up with and I could not make out what it was in the dark. Eventually at one of the villages I caught up enough to discover that it was a Mini-Cooper.

Its front-wheel drive was just a bit more suitable to those conditions than the rear-drive of the Elan.