Discussion
Well it had to happen sooner or later - the Cobra broke down yesterday. Not in a quiet little road somewhere - oh no, far too simple. It broke down on a roundabout in rush hour traffic in Ely.
It had been running a bit funny when I started it up at home, rang Scott, we both thought it was because it was cold. After blipping it for a bit & letting it run, it did improve so off I went. I was only popping out to exchange an appendage for a tankful of petrol - so a 4 mile round trip.
Came up to the first roundabout with the BP garage on my right, pulled away - died & refused to restart or even make a noise. First thing that pops into my head - no fuel! Emptied my spare 5L canister into the tank - ha ha this is it! Nope nothing at all. Maybe I've flooded it? Dare I wait a couple of minutes before restarting?
Looking at a VERY long queue of people behind me (I was blocking the RH lane of two so cars were diverting around me) I'm getting slightly flustered (read: flipping terrified) & think "got to ring the cavalry - Scott!"
We had joked that morning that it was roughly a year to the day that I'd rung him at work and said "Scott....I've crashed the VX" so I find myself calling him again at the same time but luckily no crashed car. He left work then & there.
A Scooby with a rather nicely spoken chap drives past, winds down his window & says "have you broken down?"
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
At this point I'm scrolling through my phonebook thinking who the hell can I ring to help me out? Rang a guy from our village who we met on Pistonheads called Mark who promptly came out with jumpleads in his van & started charging the battery (that was my next guess as to the fault). Three police vans arrived shortly after & laid into Mark - thinking that he'd run into the back of me, saw the real problem, closed the roads & pushed me out of the way into a nearby street in front of a LOT of cars. Very embarrassing!
Scott arrived after a further 25 minutes & Mark towed the Cobra home. Scott's now diagnosing what went wrong (it wasn't the battery or fuel) & thinks the injectors are broken on one bank which will take quite a bit of fixing before Marham. Thank god we've got a spare V8 in the garden!!
I'm just REALLY disappointed that NOT one person stopped to help. Really really annoyed with that. GRRRR.
It had been running a bit funny when I started it up at home, rang Scott, we both thought it was because it was cold. After blipping it for a bit & letting it run, it did improve so off I went. I was only popping out to exchange an appendage for a tankful of petrol - so a 4 mile round trip.
Came up to the first roundabout with the BP garage on my right, pulled away - died & refused to restart or even make a noise. First thing that pops into my head - no fuel! Emptied my spare 5L canister into the tank - ha ha this is it! Nope nothing at all. Maybe I've flooded it? Dare I wait a couple of minutes before restarting?
Looking at a VERY long queue of people behind me (I was blocking the RH lane of two so cars were diverting around me) I'm getting slightly flustered (read: flipping terrified) & think "got to ring the cavalry - Scott!"
We had joked that morning that it was roughly a year to the day that I'd rung him at work and said "Scott....I've crashed the VX" so I find myself calling him again at the same time but luckily no crashed car. He left work then & there.
A Scooby with a rather nicely spoken chap drives past, winds down his window & says "have you broken down?"
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
At this point I'm scrolling through my phonebook thinking who the hell can I ring to help me out? Rang a guy from our village who we met on Pistonheads called Mark who promptly came out with jumpleads in his van & started charging the battery (that was my next guess as to the fault). Three police vans arrived shortly after & laid into Mark - thinking that he'd run into the back of me, saw the real problem, closed the roads & pushed me out of the way into a nearby street in front of a LOT of cars. Very embarrassing!
Scott arrived after a further 25 minutes & Mark towed the Cobra home. Scott's now diagnosing what went wrong (it wasn't the battery or fuel) & thinks the injectors are broken on one bank which will take quite a bit of fixing before Marham. Thank god we've got a spare V8 in the garden!!
I'm just REALLY disappointed that NOT one person stopped to help. Really really annoyed with that. GRRRR.
Sorry to hear your news hannah.
It must be the week for breakdowns, My Griff die about 200 yards from Addenbrookes in cambridge in the 5 O`clock rush hour on Tuesday. As you say, no one even stops to offer any assistance, they just scoul at you as they drive past as they have been held up for a few minutes. Luckily the RAC were fairly prompt in turning up. Am now arranging to get it to Matt at Sebring to have a look.
It must be the week for breakdowns, My Griff die about 200 yards from Addenbrookes in cambridge in the 5 O`clock rush hour on Tuesday. As you say, no one even stops to offer any assistance, they just scoul at you as they drive past as they have been held up for a few minutes. Luckily the RAC were fairly prompt in turning up. Am now arranging to get it to Matt at Sebring to have a look.
Naughty Magpie said:
A Scooby with a rather nicely spoken chap drives past, winds down his window & says "have you broken down?"
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
That is quality
Not funny from your perspective but bloody funny when looked at from the outside Edited by B'stard Child on Thursday 5th April 13:45
B'stard Child said:
Naughty Magpie said:
A Scooby with a rather nicely spoken chap drives past, winds down his window & says "have you broken down?"
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
(hurray! a saviour!) "yes I have"
"oh well".....drives off never to be seen again.
That is quality
Not funny from your perspective but bloody funny when looked at from the outsideI did think it was quite funny at the time! Bloody sod though. Very distinctive Scooby & I will find out who he is and punish him accordingly.
The police said when they arrived, that they'd had a call that I was causing an obstruction, from a member of the public! So someone had driven past & though, I know, instead of helping this poor young girl in her car (!), I'll call the police instead.
Plus *update* just had a text from Scott whilst writing this - "I've broken down in Cambridge & ruined my workshirt repairing it" - so there's another one for the breakdown club!
simpo two said:
Ian V said:
Hope its nothing to serious.
Me too, but as a safe alternative there's always Martlesham (sorry!)
I'm under the age bracket too! I could push the Cobra there then learn how to become a better driver whilst Ian & Scott live it up in France. It's a sign........
Naughty Magpie said:
I did think it was quite funny at the time! Bloody sod though. Very distinctive Scooby & I will find out who he is and punish him accordingly.
Can I help punish them, Hannah
A Scooby driver once chased me at high speed and tried to run me off the road, so it'd be nice pay back
I hope you get you're breakdown fixed! Not a nice experience, even more so at a roundabout.
Still.....owning a car as nice as that is compensation enough, I'm sure
Darren
iluvmercs said:
Naughty Magpie said:
I did think it was quite funny at the time! Bloody sod though. Very distinctive Scooby & I will find out who he is and punish him accordingly.
Can I help punish them, Hannah
A Scooby driver once chased me at high speed and tried to run me off the road, so it'd be nice pay back
I hope you get you're breakdown fixed! Not a nice experience, even more so at a roundabout.
Still.....owning a car as nice as that is compensation enough, I'm sure
Darren
I'll whittle up another sharp stick Darren & we'll go on the hunt.
Gotta laugh really! It was funny having all the traffic stop for me & being pushed by three police officers off the roundabout - I gave them all a big grin & waved. I need a reliable car! NO! That's not the PH way, I need the noisiest most fuel inefficient car possible - fantastic, all sorted.
It's despicable that people didn't stop, mind you when i broke down in my car a bloke in a transit helped me push it to the side of the road, up the pavement. so i waited for the AA with my hazards on and during that time i had no end of comments like "that's a stupid place to park"
Whereas when i'm out on my bike, if i see anyone broken down i'll stop and see if they're ok or need anyone called/petrol as i know how it feels to be stuck at the side of the road with no help
Whereas when i'm out on my bike, if i see anyone broken down i'll stop and see if they're ok or need anyone called/petrol as i know how it feels to be stuck at the side of the road with no help
I was a bit shocked that no one stopped.
I remember once my mother coming to pick me up from school in my dads S1 Esprit, and she flooded it trying to restart. there was a line of cars parked about 100 meters down the road of blokes that stopped to help her! but I guess things have changed 25 years on...
As for the 205, well the HT lead dropped off the center of the dizzy cap, just as i was booting it off the lights on the main Cambridge - A14 roundabout. nice!
The reason the cobra stopped is because one of the active clamp transistors failed on the megasquirt, causing one bank of injectors to stay open. Very odd, i'll be going over the ECU with a fine toothed comb tonight, can't have that happening in france!
Watch this space!
Scott
I remember once my mother coming to pick me up from school in my dads S1 Esprit, and she flooded it trying to restart. there was a line of cars parked about 100 meters down the road of blokes that stopped to help her! but I guess things have changed 25 years on...
As for the 205, well the HT lead dropped off the center of the dizzy cap, just as i was booting it off the lights on the main Cambridge - A14 roundabout. nice!
The reason the cobra stopped is because one of the active clamp transistors failed on the megasquirt, causing one bank of injectors to stay open. Very odd, i'll be going over the ECU with a fine toothed comb tonight, can't have that happening in france!
Watch this space!
Scott
Naughty Magpie said:
I'll whittle up another sharp stick Darren & we'll go on the hunt.
Naughty Magpie said:
....being pushed by three police officers off the roundabout
3 men in uniform
Naughty Magpie said:
...need a reliable car! NO! That's not the PH way, I need the noisiest most fuel inefficient car possible
Spoken like a true PHer! 
Darren
You should have given me a call, our house is 200 yards away from the roundabout 
Took the westfield out last night for it's first run after it's winter fettling, the shakedown went well and felt just as good as I remembered it so brought the car into work this morning. I managed to get as far as Stretham before turning around in clouds of steam as one of the banjo bolts that feeds coolant to the turbo dropped out, necessitating a limp back home with the car p***ing coolant everywhere. At the stretham roundabout as I was limping I was following a black/white cooper - was that you?
Took the westfield out last night for it's first run after it's winter fettling, the shakedown went well and felt just as good as I remembered it so brought the car into work this morning. I managed to get as far as Stretham before turning around in clouds of steam as one of the banjo bolts that feeds coolant to the turbo dropped out, necessitating a limp back home with the car p***ing coolant everywhere. At the stretham roundabout as I was limping I was following a black/white cooper - was that you?
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