Winter depression treatment
Discussion
Just discovered the best treatment for winter depression... A roof off blast 
Picture here of me last night on the way home
(Hopefully the link will work)
It's an early erxperiment and I'll keep trying to get "the one".
So if you see some nutter either on the A3, M25 or SW London with the roof off, PH fleece hat on and wrapped up like an Eskimo don't worry, it's only me blasting away the winter blues.
If the weather holds I'll be off at lunch to try some more.
Chris
Picture here of me last night on the way home
It's an early erxperiment and I'll keep trying to get "the one".
So if you see some nutter either on the A3, M25 or SW London with the roof off, PH fleece hat on and wrapped up like an Eskimo don't worry, it's only me blasting away the winter blues.
If the weather holds I'll be off at lunch to try some more.
Chris
Oh Bu**er - bit of an idiot with the PC sometimes. The picture needs a bit of work to clean it up, but I'll work on that over the weekend.
One of the nice things about digital is I can do as many of these as I want and get rid of the crud.
Mungo - there's one of the Leon at night in the same album if you want a butchers.
Chris
One of the nice things about digital is I can do as many of these as I want and get rid of the crud.
Mungo - there's one of the Leon at night in the same album if you want a butchers.
Chris
Quite right too. If it's not raining, the lid should be off!
I road tested
the heater on 111R on Monday
. It works pretty well, but a 350 mile round trip was a bit much so I had to test how quickly you can get the soft top on and off a couple of times too 
How well does it go?
800-6000 rpm =
6000 rpm - ??? =
Not sure where the red line is - I was too busy concentrating on the road and watching for the shift light in my peripheral vision.
Awesome car!
I road tested
the heater on 111R on Monday. It works pretty well, but a 350 mile round trip was a bit much so I had to test how quickly you can get the soft top on and off a couple of times too How well does it go?
800-6000 rpm =
6000 rpm - ??? =
Not sure where the red line is - I was too busy concentrating on the road and watching for the shift light in my peripheral vision.
Awesome car!
mungo said:
Great pics!
You are a lucky bugger! You have the Leon AND the Elise!
Seriously considering a S1 111S at the moment but I will need to sell the LCR if I do - can't afford to keep both
Ah yes, but remember my Leon is only the Cupra, not the full on R. Still it's practical, fast and discrete. Overall a great combination. I was following an R this morning and thought what a great looking motor it is, much more brutal than the standard Cupra.
The Elise is raw, raw, raw. Great fun for me, but Mrs CVP is not so keen. We're changing soon, probably to a 2004 Honda S2000. Whatever we get needs to be comfortable for long trips / weekends away, reliable but still manic enough to bring a grin to my face. Oh, and covertible too. I think the noise of VTEC at 9000rpm should be a bit of a laugh. Test driving next week. I'll stick an ad up for my little monster in the correct section soon. In the meantime it's roof off and PH fleecy hat on
Chris
I know you probably don't want to hear this but... there's a second hand Caterham SV down at Caterham for £19k with all the weather proofing gear. Think it's about 140bhp which should be rapid enough, or maybe not
Mind you, ever since reading the article here about the Atom 2 that little devil on my shoulder has been whispering "get one, get one"
Ph has got a lot to answer for, it's like giving addicts a small taster and then witholding the real product.
I'll have to wait a few years before I can have a Sunday toy. I get the feeling that the Atom would not be too practical for commuting round the M25, especially with these d**m roadworks between the M3 and M4 which I have to cope with every day. When I can afford it, I will have something like an SV or Atom 2
[off to open car account and work out how to get the cash]
Chris
Mind you, ever since reading the article here about the Atom 2 that little devil on my shoulder has been whispering "get one, get one"
Ph has got a lot to answer for, it's like giving addicts a small taster and then witholding the real product. I'll have to wait a few years before I can have a Sunday toy. I get the feeling that the Atom would not be too practical for commuting round the M25, especially with these d**m roadworks between the M3 and M4 which I have to cope with every day. When I can afford it, I will have something like an SV or Atom 2
[off to open car account and work out how to get the cash]
Chris
Mungo I am looking to go the other way at the moment. I have got a S1 111s that I love to bits, but am desperate to give a Caterham a go for a while. I am glad I have had the Elise experience (you wont regret it), but really fancy something a bit harder.
In the mean time, on Saturday it is going to be roof off, foot down and
all the way.
Anyone know any great roads to try out round Oxford?
In the mean time, on Saturday it is going to be roof off, foot down and
all the way. Anyone know any great roads to try out round Oxford?
Well, I've been out again trying for a great shot that gets to what I think the Elise is about.
I can't post to Fotango etc aa the nanny filter at work blocks the site, so I've dumped them on Photobox
[html]www.photobox.co.uk/album/album.html?c_album=589595[/html].
If you try and load the full size version you'll need something that automatically resizes jpegs as I have loaded them full-size.
Chris
I can't post to Fotango etc aa the nanny filter at work blocks the site, so I've dumped them on Photobox
[html]www.photobox.co.uk/album/album.html?c_album=589595[/html].
If you try and load the full size version you'll need something that automatically resizes jpegs as I have loaded them full-size.
Chris
) wont get you now. Cuzza, glad to see someone agrees
I like the B&W night shot too as it takes me back to blasting down the country lanes. Even though it's a bit blurred it gets the mood.
I do like the view down the bonnet and have it as my background at work. Not sure if the tinted B&W is better than the colour though, I like both of them.
Chris
I like the B&W night shot too as it takes me back to blasting down the country lanes. Even though it's a bit blurred it gets the mood.
I do like the view down the bonnet and have it as my background at work. Not sure if the tinted B&W is better than the colour though, I like both of them.
Chris
stoker said:
Did you test drive the S2000? - How does it compare to the Elise?
Ah yes we did take one for a spin on Saturday. I know I'll get flamed by the VTEC enthusiasts but here goes anyway.
Nice things
1. The hood going up or down very quickly is much more convienient even than the arrangement on an S2.
2. It does have a good dose of power between 7000 and 9000 rpm
3. At 9000 rpm the engine note is pretty cool
4. Well screwed together
5. Lots of toys for your cash
6. Good warranty
7. Rifle bolt like gear change
8. Can have a conbversation with your passenger at *** mph roof down
9. Good heater for winter roof down blasts
Not so good things
1. Quite a lot of wind noise with roof up
2. You sit on the seats rather than in them. Elise buckets are much more comfortable and also more importantly for a sports car, support your head in exactly the right place. In the Honda there is no head support for general conditions, you have to tip your head a long way back to get to the rest.
3. Remote feeling to the steering. Simply numb. Elise wheel dances in your hands. I've never driven anything that communicates like the Elise.
4. Gutless below 6500 rpm. It may have a flat torque curve but you really feel it's not picking up below the VTEC zone. I say this in all seriousness, the leon Cupra has more of a feeling of speed and aceleration even though it's actually slower than the S2000.
5. Doesn't feel fast and needs to be picked up by the scruff of the neck and nailed. Nice for 10 mins but very tiring on a long journey.
6. Pedal layout needs to be improved. Brake and clutch are great but acclelerator is completely in the wrong place as it's buried about 3-4 inches below the level of the brake before you even start to press it. Elise layout is much better.
Overall I came away profoundly unimpressed. I really thought I'd like it, but it did absolutely nothing for me or Mrs CVP. Sure it's more grown up but it's just not exciting enough in our opinion.
I got home last night thinking "How do I tell Mrs CVP I really don't want to spend that kind of cash on the S2000?", so I blurted it out and she says "That's a relief I was wondering how to tell you pretty much the same thing".
So the good news is my little monster has got a reprieve as we have decided not to sell as we can't think of anything that could replace him. Mind you, a 968 (Sport probably) with Ninemeister's supercharger conversion could be very tempting
Impression of the Honda dealer remains to be confirmed. We managed to pick up a crack in the windscreen from a flying stone and I'm waiting to hear if they are going to try and charge me for it under the excess clause on the test drive form. I'm hoping not as I don't think anyone could have avoided it. If I'd actually pranged the car I would not have had a problem paying, but is just one of those things that happens. Hopefully it can be repaired at minimal cost.
Gosh quite a long reply but overall I'd summarise it as the Elise is raw and focussed and is a real drivers' car, practicality is not important or considered. The S2000 makes a lot more concessions to practicality and overall would be the more sensible long term choice if you could only have the one car and it needed to do everything, but every time it's dry and you're going down the twisties you'd wish you'd said "B
ks to practicality I'm having the little monster" HTH
Chris
S Works said:
Thought about a BMW ZM Roadster Chris?
A mate of mine has the breadvan and boy does it shift - a truly superb car for the money. I know the Roadster doesn't quite match up to it but I'm sure it must be a great drive... worth a test drive I bet!
I'm a big fan of the old bread van & even the Z3M but both have been struck off the list by Mrs CVP. Shame the breadvan is real beastie. I've only been on one M3 with that engine and it's just superb.
Other options I have considered and binned are;
1. Proper Quattro - starship miles now and getting a bad one could make me and my wallet cry too much
2. Integrale - lovely machine but I'm not sure I can bring myself to take the risk with Italian electrics
3. M Coupe (Breadvan) - what an engine. Cancelled by Mrs CVP on style grounds
4. Escort Cossie - only really considered for 10 mins
5. Older M3 (6 cylinder) - not for me
6. Even older M3 (4 cylinder) - could be a possible
7. 968 - possible option
8. 911 - could go for a 964 or very leggy 993 but Mrs CVP is not a big fan. I blame ny father for making me a fan of the Stuggart products, I still hear the growl of the 964 as we used to accelerate out of roundabouts - just magic
9. 928 GT - Oh wouldn't it be great, that rumbling big old V8. All ok until it goes wrong or you have to fill it up - MPG more like GPM. But they are cheap now...
10. Skyline - could afford a leggy R33 but it would be very leggy. Again Mrs CVP is not a fan.
11. TVR - could afford to buy but probably not afford to run / maintain.
Any other suggestions for replacing the little moster with something that is;
a) fun to drive
b) fast
c) comfy for long journeys & has a boot at least the same size or bigger than the Elise
d) doesn't mind dawdling round the M25 each morning
Then I'd love to hear as you guys might think of something I haven't.
Chris
>> Edited by CVP on Thursday 26th February 08:48
CVP said:
Then I'd love to hear as you guys might think of something I haven't.
Chris
Dare I suggest it on this forum, but how about a Porsche Boxster? What's the budget?
Edited to add: What about a Esprit? You can pick up an 1994 S4 with 29,000 miles and aircon etc. for £16,999... Unfortunately, this one is purple...
[url]http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW/CARS_popup.asp?nU=0&make=LOTUS&model=ESPRIT&min_pr=75&max_pr=&postcode=BS6%207JL&miles=40&max_records=50&modelexact=1&start=3&distance=30&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200407128810783[/url]
>> Edited by stoker on Tuesday 24th February 16:14
stoker said:
Then I'd love to hear as you guys might think of something I haven't.
Chris
Dare I suggest it on this forum, but how about a Porsche Boxster? What's the budget?
I did find a Boxster S for £28k, but that's a bit out of the range. I guess hand on heart £25k max and not a criminal amount to run, say maintenance and insurance of £2k per annum or less.
I'd be reluctant to go for a 2.5 Boxster, but would think of a 2.7.
Chris
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