4000 miles in 110 degrees... easy!!!
Discussion
BURRIANA 500 DOES IT'S OWNER PROUD!!! 
Well, we're back! ... and after a round trip of just short of 4000 miles to the Costa del Sol... in temperatures well over 100... at an average cruising speed of 90... it did not miss a beat once
A massive thank you to all you guys who gave me help and advice on spares to take (not needed
) and route suggestions... plus another special thank you to David Beer at Modwise. The 2-stage cooling kit worked a dream with the temp for most of the journey staying between 80 & 87.
Pics are in for developing and as soon as I get them back I will do a little diary of the trip... one of a lifetime believe me!
al
Well, we're back! ... and after a round trip of just short of 4000 miles to the Costa del Sol... in temperatures well over 100... at an average cruising speed of 90... it did not miss a beat once
A massive thank you to all you guys who gave me help and advice on spares to take (not needed
) and route suggestions... plus another special thank you to David Beer at Modwise. The 2-stage cooling kit worked a dream with the temp for most of the journey staying between 80 & 87. Pics are in for developing and as soon as I get them back I will do a little diary of the trip... one of a lifetime believe me!
al
N17 TVR said:
Nice trip, congratulations and welcome back.
Did you get stuck in any heavy traffic in those temps, and if so what did the temp gauge say ?
Probably something like...
me it's hot!!!!!!! sorry old boy just trying to get a
back on my face >> Edited by seasider on Tuesday 26th August 14:46
seasider said:
Nice trip, congratulations and welcome back.
Did you get stuck in any heavy traffic in those temps, and if so what did the temp gauge say ?
Probably something like...
sorry old boy just trying to get a
>> Edited by seasider on Tuesday 26th August 14:46
cheer up Derek - It was a 'Devil'
plate after all!! Alasdair - I'm about to embark on a similar trip South, so good to hear you made it OK! Any Tips will be greatfully received!
drum4it2 said:
N17 TVR said:
Nice trip, congratulations and welcome back.
Did you get stuck in any heavy traffic in those temps, and if so what did the temp gauge say ?
Alasdair - I'm about to embark on a similar trip South, so good to hear you made it OK! Any Tips will be greatfully received!
Hi Grahame - whereabouts are you going, France or Spain? and I'll let you know my routes and comments.
On the temp front, only got stuck in heavy traffic twice, once leaving Paris on saturday on the way out and then again coming back up through Spain in a prang jam, where i spent 15 mins trying to keep in the shade of the 'artic' next to me - both times the air temperature was around 100 plus and at idle my gauge was reading 80 degrees... way to go!
Mornin Ian (shillers)
Basically it's a plastic control box with two knobs on, one to set the temp at which the fans come on at half speed (say 75) and the other for full speed (say 85), this has a couple of sensors and is all connected very simply to your fans existing connectors. It is about a 20 minute job...or, if you're a mechanical numpty like me you get a nice garage to do it for you - Christopher Neils did it for me while it was in for something else and didn't even charge me, so it must be fairly easy to do.
You can also ask for a connector which will keep the fans running for a few minutes after you switch off.
It costs around the £100 mark or not much over and is well worth it if you are taking it somewhere hot. You should be able to contact David direct via his profile.
Only thing I would say is not to take too much notice of the marked temps on the control box. Simply start the car from cold and when your temp gauge reaches the point at which you want the half speed to cut in, adjust the control until they come on, then the same with the full speed. Now I'm back in England I may need to re-adjust, as coming back from Folkestone early Saturday morning it took about 3 hours to even nudge above 70!
(that's degrees, not mph thank you!
)
>> Edited by burriana500 on Wednesday 27th August 09:03
>> Edited by burriana500 on Wednesday 27th August 09:04
Basically it's a plastic control box with two knobs on, one to set the temp at which the fans come on at half speed (say 75) and the other for full speed (say 85), this has a couple of sensors and is all connected very simply to your fans existing connectors. It is about a 20 minute job...or, if you're a mechanical numpty like me you get a nice garage to do it for you - Christopher Neils did it for me while it was in for something else and didn't even charge me, so it must be fairly easy to do.
You can also ask for a connector which will keep the fans running for a few minutes after you switch off.
It costs around the £100 mark or not much over and is well worth it if you are taking it somewhere hot. You should be able to contact David direct via his profile.
Only thing I would say is not to take too much notice of the marked temps on the control box. Simply start the car from cold and when your temp gauge reaches the point at which you want the half speed to cut in, adjust the control until they come on, then the same with the full speed. Now I'm back in England I may need to re-adjust, as coming back from Folkestone early Saturday morning it took about 3 hours to even nudge above 70!
(that's degrees, not mph thank you!
) >> Edited by burriana500 on Wednesday 27th August 09:03
>> Edited by burriana500 on Wednesday 27th August 09:04
[quote=burriana500]
Hi Grahame - whereabouts are you going, France or Spain? and I'll let you know my routes and comments.
Well, I need to get to Ezcaray in Northern Spain (La Rioja) and possibly to Cordoba in the South - both for work but I will take a week or more to do it and enjoy some free time too - any nice/special bits of road? I'll be using the Tunnel! Cheers
Hi Grahame - whereabouts are you going, France or Spain? and I'll let you know my routes and comments.
Well, I need to get to Ezcaray in Northern Spain (La Rioja) and possibly to Cordoba in the South - both for work but I will take a week or more to do it and enjoy some free time too - any nice/special bits of road? I'll be using the Tunnel! Cheers
We took our Chim 500 to the S of F a few times. I had fitted a fan overide switch which I'd switch on as we came up to a bunch of traffic, then switch it off once we were on our way again. Never had any over heating problems with the car, though we toasted on a few occasions with the top off!
The Tuscan this year had no problems and ran very well with 40C plus temps in the S of F. Though again we toasted with the top off, never learn!
Mick
The Tuscan this year had no problems and ran very well with 40C plus temps in the S of F. Though again we toasted with the top off, never learn!
Mick
drum4it2 said:
Well, I need to get to Ezcaray in Northern Spain (La Rioja) and possibly to Cordoba in the South - both for work but I will take a week or more to do it and enjoy some free time too - any nice/special bits of road? I'll be using the Tunnel! Cheers
I used the fastest routes, which means the peages (tolls) in France, though the costs aren't that bad, about £35 one way Calais to the Pyrenees. On the way down I did Calaise, Paris, Orleans, Limoges, Toulouse and round to Lourdes (lovely place to stop). That stint took 13 hours inc. one 30 min stop, one 45 mins and one 15 mins... great roads though, steady 90 no problem.
I then went over the middle of the Pyrenees inc. Col du Aubisque and dropped down into Spain via Huesca and Zaragoza then across to Madrid and straight down to Granada and the coast. This took 12 1/2 hours inc. 15min, 30min and 15min stops. The road between Zaragoza and Madrid is great, all dual carriageway and a superb fast sweeping mountain section. There is a similar, not as fast but more spectacular bit between Jaen and Granada.
On the way back I went up to Madrid then kept north to Burgos then across to the border at San Sebastian. I stayed overnight at Bayonne 5k north of Biarritz, again, a lovely town with loads of canal side bars and restaurants, unlike Biarritz which was packed and you can't even park your car to find a hotel! For some reason, maybe I was averaging a higher speed, but this took 3 hours less than the run south.
Back up through France via Bordeaux, Tours, then back across to Orleans and up the way I came to Calais also took 3 hours less than going.
You must go over the middle of the Pyrenees if you can (not the tunnels either!), it is stunning and, out of 3 continents, I think the most beautiful place I have ever been!
If you do go across the border on the Atlantic corner, stay on the motorway! I came through the town thinking it might be scenic... took over an hour to get 5km!
Don't know the Cordoba area, but a truly great fun road is the tiny back road that starts just south of Granada down to Almeneca via Otivar. Real twisty, awsome views, nice and echoey for the overrun bangs and pops!! An hour and a half of scarey, cliff hanging, jaw dropping fun
Basically, look for the mountains on the map and plan your route around (or should I say 'over') them!
I am... needless to say... jealous
al.
Hi Al,
Great to hear of your trip.
We are off to Spain in exactly two weeks time and are looking forward to take the Griff.
We are doing Northernspain and the Pyrenees and hope we manage to reach Santiago as well.
Is there anything else you could recomend in that area and how do the Spanish react on our beasts?
Can't wait to see the pictures as well.
Martin
Great to hear of your trip.
We are off to Spain in exactly two weeks time and are looking forward to take the Griff.
We are doing Northernspain and the Pyrenees and hope we manage to reach Santiago as well.
Is there anything else you could recomend in that area and how do the Spanish react on our beasts?
Can't wait to see the pictures as well.
Martin
Hi Martin,
reactions? Noses up against windows, open jaws, smiles, thumbs ups... makes you pretty goddam proud to be driving one, and the amount of times I burst out laughing for no apparent reason is countless
The only thing I can add to my last post on routes is go across the Pyrenees one way... then go back another... then find another... and another! ... there are some pretty good tunnels on some of the crossings too by all accounts
Once I get my diary report sorted out I'll tell you about a couple of gorgeous Spanish girls, giving another Spaniard the drive of his life, and a 15 year Spaniard, his scooter and my tail pipes! Oh, and a 4-wheel tango on a damp Granada ring road!
al
reactions? Noses up against windows, open jaws, smiles, thumbs ups... makes you pretty goddam proud to be driving one, and the amount of times I burst out laughing for no apparent reason is countless
The only thing I can add to my last post on routes is go across the Pyrenees one way... then go back another... then find another... and another! ... there are some pretty good tunnels on some of the crossings too by all accounts
Once I get my diary report sorted out I'll tell you about a couple of gorgeous Spanish girls, giving another Spaniard the drive of his life, and a 15 year Spaniard, his scooter and my tail pipes! Oh, and a 4-wheel tango on a damp Granada ring road!
al
burriana500 said:
That stint took 13 hours inc. one 30 min stop, one 45 mins and one 15 mins... great roads though, steady 90 no problem.
This took 12 1/2 hours inc. 15min, 30min and 15min stops.
al.
Good grief............
An hour and a half break in 13 hours!!!!!!!!!!
I must be getting old.....
Mind you....I could do with losing some weight....and believe me, that sort of travel in a hot Cerb...well....I'd probably be down to 3 stone with skin like crepe paper when I got out!!!!!!!
Sounds like you had a trip to remember....good stuff....look forward to seeing the diary.
...//P//
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