***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 11 *****
Following on from the original thread, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4, Vol 5, Vol 6, Vol 7, Vol 8 & Vol 9:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=23902 (Vol 1)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=23901 (Vol 2)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=25308 (Vol 3)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=31443 (Vol 4)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=32419 (Vol 5)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=34483 (Vol 6)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=39531 (Vol 7)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=42086 (Vol 8)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=44028 (Vol 9)
Another thread for commenting on rare, unusual, old or just plain daft cars etc.
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An Audi Q7 going down the M6 on saturday, never seen one before.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Seen in St Helens last night an immaculate Austin Morris Ital estate on an 83Y plate in stunning beige, thought they'd all gone to the knackers yard? Guess this one sneaked through the net
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Just goes to prove what I said on the 'what is a classic?' thread recently.
It may not be one of the greats but it's always interesting to see a good example of something you thought was long dead (and deserved to be).
Now it's eyes open everyone for a Hillman Avenger...
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>>Seen in St Helens<<
Which St Helens?
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I saw an 'A' reg Maestro last week in puke gold with vomit brown interior. Nice.
It was in quite good condition, with the back loaded up with tree prunings, obviously on its way to the council recycling tip. I wonder if the driver left the car there as well?
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Saw a Q7 today - what a pointless thing. Stick to my 5 series and the Landie for the snow.
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I was driving behind a dark coloured Citroen XM the other day, it looked in good nick.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Saw an unusual red Golf MkII. Was lowered and chavved but had a grille air intake in the off-side front wing.
I've a vague memory of a limited edition hot 4 wheel drive some years ago............. Rallye?
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Saw an unusual red Golf MkII. Was lowered and chavved but had a grille air intake in the off-side front wing. I've a vague memory of a limited edition hot 4 wheel drive some years ago............. Rallye? -- I wasna fu but just had plenty.
Yes it's either the Rallye or the G60 which had a supercharged engine, but if im right in think it's an import so only came as a left hooker.
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A BRG Triumph Dolomite today. SWMBO had one of these, in vivid yellow, around the time I met her. Snorting good engine twin Strombergs - very narrow in width....
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>> very narrow in width....
SWMBO, the car or the carbs?
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A BRG Triumph Dolomite today. >>
Was it a Sprint? I had one in Russet Brown with a beige vinyl roof which I later had changed to black.
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Both actually ! The car had a very narrow chassis which made it "comfy" inside - especially for a courting couple. She's gone up a dress size since and is now a 14, which ain't bad ! It was a 1500TC badged as a Dolomite so not
a true Dollie.
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Saw a Jag XK120 on Saturday, although may have been a 150- sorry, but don't know what the difference is between the two. Skidded to a halt on a roundabout close to my house.
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Fiat Ritmo (Strada) cabrio in orange with a brown roof. The bodywork appeared rust free but the car had that kind of "tatty" look so characteristic of older Fiats, Fords and Vauxhalls.
Also a Fiat X1/9 in metallic blue at a dealer near where I work. Sadly one of the later ones with the big bumpers, but still has a hysterical asking price in the windscreen.
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Forgot to mention recently, when in Colmar (Alsace) a bit ago I saw a Renault Sport Spider, the one without the windscreen. If ever a car looked like a misbegotten kit car that was it - but they seem to go for huge money. Luckily, it wasn't raining...
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I've just seen a mid 60s 'C' reg Volvo Amazon. It looked like it had just rolled off the line.
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Probably not an unusual sighting, but a scary one nonetheless. A pink Ford Ka in the local supermarket car park, complete with furry trimmings. Whatever next.......?
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My mate is a driving test examiner, he is heavy built and about 6'4" tall. His tester was a female in a Pink Ford Ka. With pink seatbelts. Steering wheel cover. Pink fur on dashboard and even pink wheels.
At end of test he declared " I am pleased to tell you that I will never need to sit in this car again!"
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Pink Ford Ka. With pink seatbelts. Steering wheel cover. Pink fur on dashboard and even pink wheels.
I saw a small Hyundi like that recently stuffed full of pink cuddly toys too. Poor delusional owner even had one of those dangly 'baby on board' type flags that said "Groovey Mum".
*sighs* Oh dear.
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Just come down the A64 from york and got overtaken by a huge grey aeroplane with 2 propellers on each wing ,i thought i was seeing things it was about 150 feet up in the air and beautiful,he banked it over john smiths tadcaster brewery and was gone
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C130 ? (probably from Leeming)
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An elderly nun (genuine, not fancy dress) being helped into the passenger seat of a Toyota Celica GT-4 Coupe.
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A (dirty) dk.blue Citroen CX (engine type not known),once a familiar sight on our roads. this is the first I've seen in ages. What struck me how modern this car looks now. Concave rear window (IIRC), beautiful aerodynamic, organic shape, very 21st C now. This proves how good a vision those guys had. Nice car.....
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Further to Pugugly's post above - - "A (dirty) dk.blue Citroen CX (engine type not known),once a familiar sight on our roads."
I Parked next to an immaculate white CX DTi (diesel, not GTi) series II (G-Reg - one of the last) at Holkham in Norfolk last weekend. I used to have a petrol Gti auto ? which was absolutely the best car I?ve ever owned on the rare occasions that it kept working as intended for more than a week or so. Sold mine in 1996 after the electrics got too much and have rarely seen one in the wild since.
In 1990-whatever it was a big car. Today it looks relatively compact (OK, there was a Porsche Cayenne on the other side, but even a 407 wagon made it look compact).
What about a CX remanufactured by Subaru . . . . .
Davros
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A canary yellow Lamborghini Miura yesterday afternoon at the local BP station (on the A272 at Petersfield.)
P.
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Austin A40 Farina.Pale blue but streaked with rust,looked like it had just been driven from the leaky barn where it had spent the last 30 years.
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Sierraman,
I like it when I see old cars in this condition, at least they're in daily use.....
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Mazda Bongo Friendee today with reg plate N 30NGO - in Leics
--
Phil
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coming down the A19 at 2.30 this afternoon north of middlesborough an AWAC ? or equivalent,never seen one of these before ,looks like aircraft are looking for me lately after last weeks C130
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A low flying Merlin Helicopter today and a Frog eyed Sprite.
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A couple of nights ago, about 6.20 pm in Adelaide Road, messed up a few years ago with widened central bollards, saw a taxi followed by several lorries and other slow vehicles trying to overtake something coming uphill the other way, without success owing to traffic and the aforementioned bollards.
What were they all trying to get past? A pathetic G-Whiz toy car, out of breath at some speed they found tiresome and insulting. Presumably the thing's driver was doing his or her best. The G-Whiz is simply too slow to be taken seriously. You would have to be perverse or idiotic to spend 8 grand on one.
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Last weekend near Gloucester-a MB270 with reg. no. P1XAR. Possibly someone connected with Walt Disney productions? Then Weds. this week near Andover, a Trabant 1.1 with East European number plates.
P.
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In Limoges at the weekend, a Ford Probe 24v. The only Probe I've ever seen in France - if you see what I mean.
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At Oxford Services this evening.
A large Winnebago type motorhome with an A frame towing a Smart car.
I was interested to note that the Smart car lights were all linked up to the main vehicle lights ( as they shoud be) but it still looked a little odd to see a small triangle of brake lights framed by the main brake lights.
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At Oxford Services this evening. A large Winnebago type motorhome with an A frame towing a Smart car.
Pretty sure that's the one I've seen on the A34 when I've taken a trip down to Newbury from time to time.
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Tesco Extra last night ..... parked in the most distant bays......A DB9 a Q7 and a new shape XKR.......they were joined by a Defender of doubtful parentage with many clout marks, probably made them think.....the DB9 was something else though...
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Filling up with petrol at Sainsburys in Thetford (never again), a Bentley Continental was being topped up next to me. As I was replacing the filler cap, I heard an interesting noise and saw what I think was one of those new diddy Astons legging it down the car park (t'was on an 06 plate). The driver buried the throttle again when he/she got onto the main road and then again when heading up the hill from the roundabout. It made a gorgeous sound and made me feel very happy for the rest of the afternoon.
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It made a gorgeous sound and made me feel very happy for the rest of the afternoon. - exactly the hallmark of a true petrolhead. Ducatis do this to me..........friend had one that use to backfire on the overrun,,,,, brilliant engine nnote..
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The latest Chelsea tractor a new Mercedes GL420. Makes the ML look petit. Why the sudden rash of gigantic vehicles coming on to the market? Audi Q7 etc.
Now the old GL was an impressive vehicle and styled like a shed.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Why the sudden rash of gigantic vehicles coming on to the market? Audi Q7 etc.
Bling for the Nouveau Riche = big fat profits.
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An absolutely immaculate silver "V" registration Rover SD1 3500 on the M40 early. It had either had a ground up restoration, or had been sat in a climate controlled garage its entire life.
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A C plate BMW 325 with "M series" badging being driven in a very careful manner by a "little old lady". Superb condition in gold with only a bit of rust beneath the rear bumper from what I could see.
Reminded me of an incident a few years back at the tyre dealer I use. A very elderly lady was in with an absolutely mint early MkI Golf GTi getting a new exhaust. She explained to me that her late husband had bought her it new many years ago. The tyre fitters were all over it.
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Should go in the number plate thread but in Mid Wales a couple of years ago an old lady with the plate V14 GRA, I'm sure that's what ir read !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
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I saw this whilst whilst i was out on a walk on saturday 2nd:
i77.photobucket.com/albums/j57/Psycho_eyes83/Dinto...g
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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My pal has an XM as a daily driver!
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My pal has an XM as a daily driver!
But is his an estate like i saw? There arn't that many in the UK me thinks.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Saw a really nice condition late model Granada Ghia, in a dark metallic on the East Lancs road on Thursday. You don't notice cars disappearing until one pops up to remind you.
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When I said late-model Granada I don't include the horrible smiley car as being a Granada, it was the mk2.
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I saw a dull coloured C-reg Vauxhall Nova on London Road yesterday driven by someone of the 70-89 year old age group, but then that's nothing unusual is it?
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Last weekend, stood outside my village cornershop, an elderly lady pulled up in an E plate (so 1987-1988) Cavalier 1.6 auto five door hatchback. Heaving on the unassisted steering wheel she close parallel parked to perfection in a slot the size of which many would have baulked at, and without touching the kerb. Indeed, the front nearside wheeltrim - colour fading, so if not original certainly long-term-fitted - bore just one solitary scratch so what I witnessed was doubtless no lucky turn but the norm. Obligatory dog mat on the rear seat and hound huff on the side window glass, this car was otherwise in amazing nick. Paintwork gleaming, the only sign of real age were small patches of rust bubbling through in front of both rear wheel arches. Shopping done, the engine started on the key with a rock steady idle from the carburettored engine, in to gear with no funny noises, an over the shoulder safety check from our old lady (no need to indicate, and she didn't, good girl) and off she went up the road, three speeder shifting nicely.
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Mk2 Ford Consul, scruffy and in obvious daily use. Dabgly exhaust apart it looked in good order.
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I saw a black Ford Capri going across the fly-over i couldn't quite get a glimpse of the reg as to what year.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Seen recently around my part of SW France: 1 - a car that looked like a cross between a Renault Caravelle and a two-door Ford Anglia, badged 'Alpine' - so must have been a sporty version from the 1960s, pre the streamlined Alpine 110s that used to win rallies; 2 - tucked in a lock-up off a main street in Limoges, a mid-engined coupe badged Matra that looked just like a Fiat X1/9.
Nothing earth-shattering, I know, but you see so little in France that's interesting...
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Saw a '51' plate Jensen SV-8 in Hazel Grove this afternoon - rather like the one in this brochure:
www.british-steel.org/brochure/s-v8/s-v8.htm
Not quite my cup of tea frankly, but it was nice to see one of the few made on the road!
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A red Lotus Europa (no, not that one, the old one) in Bramhall. V nice.
JH
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In a space of 5 secs i noticed driving past me at the lights:
Another brown C-reg Nova but this one was a hatchback this time round.
A nearly new Mini One or Cooper been driven a lady in the 70-80 age gap, now tell is that unusual or what?
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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I guess you're too young to have heard the old Beach Boys number "Little Old Lady From Pasadena''?
Go granny, go granny, go granny go...
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A very (very) tasty all black Maserati Quattroporte, total understatement no bling just oozing Italian class - honestly how can the word quattroporte mean something as banal as "4 door" ? What is "hatchback" in Italian ? Surely a languauge that's spoken in heaven.
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In Malvern, Worcs this afternoon: Rover 3 litre on an original 'E' plate. I think it was a coupe version.
An uncle of mine had one in the early 60s, said it was far and away the thirstiest car he ever owned.
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Found an old Austin Princess (box shape not wedge) on the local estate near the office. Guessing is from the 50s- doesnt look exactly mint condition, but drivable.
Also saw a slightly unusual Bentley Mulsanne recently. Had a vent in the front wing just behind the front wheel, and smaller than normal rear window- almost limo like. Didn't look longer than standard car though.
Overtook me, but wasn't going that fast, saw it a bit later in the journey home after joining the motorway- having been pulled over.
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A bright orange, black vinyl roof, and "Mexico" stencilled down sides(lower doors) mk 1? Ford Escort (M reg '74) (oblong headlights) in daily use and immaculate condition, local mechanics motor. He's had it quite a while now!.
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www.paul-cottam.co.uk/classic/ford_escort_mexico.h...m
Funnily enough I saw a MK1 std. Escort today, can't be many left. They were cracking little motors.
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Ringwood, Sunday afternoon, 'F' plate Dodge Charger, orange/red, confererate flag on roof, '01' and 'General Lee' painted on the doors. The driver got out by opening the door, rather than out the window, which let the side down somewhat I though.
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Ringwood, Sunday afternoon, 'F' plate Dodge Charger, orange/red, confererate flag on roof, '01' and 'General Lee' painted on the doors. The driver got out by opening the door, rather than out the window, which let the side down somewhat I though.
Variation on that theme - Brislington, a Mk 1Granada in Orange and with the flag and numbers. Looked well done too.
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A first for me outside of classic car shows - A Bristol Blenheim absolutely tanking it on the M62.
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A pale yellow Citroen Ami sighted on the M42. My god they were ugly cars!
Any one seen a Citroen Visa lately?
_______
IanS
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A pale yellow Citroen Ami sighted on the M42. My god they were ugly cars!
Was it an Ami 6 with reverse rake on rear window, or Ami 8 which was more conventional looking?
Friend of mine had an Ami 6. The appearance grew on one. It was a bit like driving an outdoor table with four deckchairs and an umbrella over it, not without its own eccentric charm.
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Lud, sorry could n't tell properly as it was travelling in the opposite direction down the M42.
I suspect it was an Ami 6. My uncle had one many years ago, I had forgotten all about it until this sighting!
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Used to have an Ami 8 and and Ami 8 van. Beautiful cars - but I was brought up with Citroens in the blood. Dad's Citroen Visa 17RD, owned from new, took its last trip to the scrap yard on Saturday - so someone might have seen it in the Preston area.
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farm1.static.flickr.com/123/395283295_a4f019ae91.j...0
Boat seen on M1, big boat at that! I got stuck in the single lane contraflow on the M1 at J10a southbound at 2.30pm, for nearly 2 hours due to a crash. You either go in the 2 lanes and get held up, or take the single lane and any accident is going to hold you up for hours as you cant get past it.
I was overtaken by this boat in the adjoining 2 lanes, and I never saw it again I was there so long.
Next time I am going through Harpenden and using the backroads to get to Hemel, if a boat gets there before you there is something wrong with the transport system in this country.
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Mint condition Jag XJ -C on the Frankfurt one-way system - what a gorgeous shape.
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""boat gets there before you there is something wrong with the transport system in this country. ""
Or the tide's come in - big style.
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I saw an MG SV 'supercar' the other day. Whoever had the idea of designing an exotic high-performance machine that looks like a chavved-up Vauxhall Calibra?
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This morning,
Range Rover (new shape), window down, music blaring, driver in shades (despite the rain and murky conditions), telephone in one hand, joint in the other
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Not sure that that counts as unusual these days!
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There is a bypass being constructed just south of Bedford on the A6. In the field there is a white long "fishing rod" sticking vertically in the air, with long piece of string and a 3 foot diameter balloon on the end of it filled with helium. I thought at first it was a windsock for visiting royalty landing in their taxpayer expensed helicopter, but there are two of them in separate fields. Lightening conductor? UFO attractor? I cannot see what they have to do with the construction work but they are right in the middle of it, and don'tlook like crowscarers!
Any ideas?
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my_old_mondeo - do you have a picture this fishing rod like item?
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Tomorrow I will risk life and limb to cross a busy road and dodge some earthmoving equipment to get a pic, I know this sounds a bit bizarre but I have to find out what they are!! Watch this space....
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Tomorrow I will risk life and limb to cross a busy road and dodge some earthmoving equipment to get a pic, I know this sounds a bit bizarre but I have to find out what they are!! Watch this space....
Don't risk your live for our sakes please!!!
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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When you are doing line of sight surveys for microwave on mobile phone masts you often put an orange ballon up to to see if you can see it from the existing site then gradually lower it till it cannot be seen this gives the minimum build height of the new mast.
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That does make sense as there are two of them, in a ideal location for a mast, and my voda signal is rubbish up there.
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Saw a mark 3 (rectangular light) Ford Cortina last week during lunch hour walk. Was absolutely immaculate.
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parked in my shared unit is a triumph dolomite in several colours, a near mint mk2 cortina in white currently having the 1.6 removed and a 2.8 v6 fitted and an ex hill climb capri with 180bhp at the wheels. £ cars not seen often all itching for me to touch them. But they arent mine........The gti's are mine!!
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Renault Vel Satis about three evenings ago, turned down the next street. Driven by prosperous looking couple (there are many such around here) in late middle age. Somewhat to my surprise although quite quiet was audibly a diesel, but perhaps the engine was still cold.
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We have two Vel Satis models in our area - not bad from such a comparatively small number of sales in the UK.
Also Clarkson revealed a photo of a Peugeot 1007 (?) he had seen on the way to the studio on Sunday; by one of those remarkable coincidences I had also seen one parked that day and, to be honest, wondered what it was. Only clue was the Peugeot badge spotted after passing it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Seen a enough 1007s around here for them not to be unusual. It could be that the local Pug dealer is using them as courtesy cars.
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Custard yellow Merc CLK Yuk!!!!
Stunning pale blue with red stripe front to back on what looked like a Ford GT40 kit car - sounded superb - no substitute for V8
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Newport Pagnell High Street, Saturday 17th February, approx 16.30 - 17.00 hrs.....
A 1930 Bentley - looked big enough to be a 4.5 litre but sadly was not a "Blower" version. Still made a lovely noise though. :-)
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Last night in East Yorks: a Ford Corsair... Estate! with an 'L' plate on... now there's something to learn to drive in. Wonder what the premium is?
Tim{P}
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Not unusual in London these days, but unusual as a chauffeur-driven carriage for the great and good: Lady Butler-Sloss, Diana Princess of Wales's coroner, getting out of the back of a silver Prius yesterday looking battered after a drubbing from the High Court and Mohammed Fayed's lawyers...
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In North Surrey, a bright red NSU PRINZ . I think a MK IV
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Two notables this weekend.
A C6 at Cheshire Oaks shopping centre.
A new Freelander (07 reg) on the Stocksbridge bypass - nothing too remarkable, but it was being loaded on to the back of a recovery vehicle!
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A new Freelander (07 reg) on the Stocksbridge bypass - nothing too remarkable, but it was being loaded on to the back of a recovery vehicle!
LOL
(nothing remarkable about being on the back of a tow truck either)
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A Lexus IS200 in black, but with some other name on it, so an import I guess....
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Lawyers firm's car park off Fetter Lane EC4, amongst the Range Rovers, Lexus and Audis an imaculate Austin A35 in grey (with red seats!)
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