"The Drive from Hell"
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:54 pm
All went well with picking the car up, Keith met me at the Bus Station, and once out onto open road, which means 10metres between cars, I had a drive and astounded him with my ability to be 1" from the kerb without hitting it. After seven years in N3 it took a while to adapt, but at least I was not losing offside mirrors. Spent a couple of hours chatting and handing over, and I left about 1300. That was the last good feeling for the next five hours.
The M5 and M6 were continuous road works interspaced with accidents, every large signboard read queues and congestion. Had BBC2 on to be warned that traffic between J7 and 15 was stop go, that is when it was not stationary. Had to pull onto the hard shoulder twice just to have a pee. At last around Sandbach the road works finished and it was just moving traffic until I pulled in for fuel at Preston S/S.
When I was able to get into 6th I was cruising with the faster traffic at around 80 as I had no idea what the Camera system was down there, however I had just started off again when a gold Aventador with bling dressings and an Arabic number plate shot by at warp factor 10, thought twice, then decided if I held back a reasonable distance, then he would get nabbed first, plus I was thoroughly pissed off with life so far.
Not mentioned the car so far, "Bloody Rubbish" as Eric would say, however the complete opposite, a joy to drive. I had never driven an S2 before never mind one specced like this, and it may be different on the fast bendy back roads or even the track that N3 is used to, but I am glad that I was not driving her yesterday. I think that Keith inherited the carpeting and sound deadening, but it is welcome on a 600 mile M/W slog. Also the engine has all the advantages with the mods of my JDM, JDM cams, baffled oil sump, LSD, but also lightened flywheel and ceramic clutch, and most of all the UK Type R gearbox ratios with the higher 4,5,6. This means 10 to 15 mph higher cruising speed at the same revs. With 350hp it just does not need lower gearing.
As regards the engine, it has a purpose built map done on the R/R which I never had the luxury of, though I don't think mine was far out, and the proper 4 into 1 exhaust manifold and 2ubular H3 exhaust. So rather like N3 on steroids. The other revelation was the HID headlights. Never driven on these before, and could not work out when even in daylight the blue signboards at the side of the road were being lit up. When it went dark I realised it was because this pure white beam was lighting up the hard shoulder and banks and also the armco on the right, and it had a razor sharp cut off ahead. Keith must have had rain repellant on the screen as I did not even notice it was raining heavily after Preston, I had put the top on there as I had no jacket with me, it was cold, and rain was forecast. As a result I did not even have to use the wipers. As for the top, that is what the S1 should have been, on in a jiffy, rain proof, and less wind roar, always envied the others theres.
Anyway back to the Lambo. I suppose I should be careful how I put this, as the first 180 miles took five hours, the next 180 took distance/speed which can be calculated by 7,000 rpm in 6th. Had to drop off before the M9 turn off as I was running out of fuel. Averaged 35mpg up until Preston, around 20 after that. The rest of the journey after that was really quite pleasant, hardly any traffic from Glasgow/Stirling/Perth/Aberdeen, so was able to hold a nice fast cruise and slow down for the Gatsos. Again this would have not been possible in N3 due to the lights and feeling far less planted and twitchy at speed. Most of you would have noticed that cars seem to have a natural cruising speed, in a Veyron it would probably be 200, but in this car it would be about 110. To be honest I was never aware of the speedo, one because I have not had one for seven years, and two because I could not read it, that distance where I need reading glasses, but can not wear them driving because my far vision is near perfect.
To sum up, I love the car, it has been so well put together and specced by Keith that it would be difficult to improve on, and very difficult to come up with a better engine for an Elise than a S/C, CC Honda K20 that has been professionally mapped.
Went to check her over this morning and she is almost as clean as when I left Bath. A bit of dirty water on the rear clam but that is it. Even better no sign of exhaust staining as N3 did run a bit rich. However although I was religious in keeping well back from other cars on the drive home, I was pissed off to see that there is already bad chipping on the front black splitter and some on the lower clam. Expected on a road run, but not on a M/W. On hindsight all I would have had to have done was put a strip of tape over the front edge of the splitter and maybe some on the clam edge. Not being anal but that is not kosha.
Lovely day here so top off again, and a run around the back roads. Could just imagine somebody driving this car that was coming from a standard Elise, as opposed to myself who has one of similar engine spec.
tut
ps:- only one butt clencher in the twelve hours, South of Glasgow on three lane M/W, two lorries creeping along side each other on the inner and middle, pull over to overtake on the outer but there was not one there. Fortunately the very loud rumble strips did their job, but not pleasant. Rarely drive at night now, is it just me or are there so many signs and lights by the sides of the road, that it is difficult at times to see the road itself?
The M5 and M6 were continuous road works interspaced with accidents, every large signboard read queues and congestion. Had BBC2 on to be warned that traffic between J7 and 15 was stop go, that is when it was not stationary. Had to pull onto the hard shoulder twice just to have a pee. At last around Sandbach the road works finished and it was just moving traffic until I pulled in for fuel at Preston S/S.
When I was able to get into 6th I was cruising with the faster traffic at around 80 as I had no idea what the Camera system was down there, however I had just started off again when a gold Aventador with bling dressings and an Arabic number plate shot by at warp factor 10, thought twice, then decided if I held back a reasonable distance, then he would get nabbed first, plus I was thoroughly pissed off with life so far.
Not mentioned the car so far, "Bloody Rubbish" as Eric would say, however the complete opposite, a joy to drive. I had never driven an S2 before never mind one specced like this, and it may be different on the fast bendy back roads or even the track that N3 is used to, but I am glad that I was not driving her yesterday. I think that Keith inherited the carpeting and sound deadening, but it is welcome on a 600 mile M/W slog. Also the engine has all the advantages with the mods of my JDM, JDM cams, baffled oil sump, LSD, but also lightened flywheel and ceramic clutch, and most of all the UK Type R gearbox ratios with the higher 4,5,6. This means 10 to 15 mph higher cruising speed at the same revs. With 350hp it just does not need lower gearing.
As regards the engine, it has a purpose built map done on the R/R which I never had the luxury of, though I don't think mine was far out, and the proper 4 into 1 exhaust manifold and 2ubular H3 exhaust. So rather like N3 on steroids. The other revelation was the HID headlights. Never driven on these before, and could not work out when even in daylight the blue signboards at the side of the road were being lit up. When it went dark I realised it was because this pure white beam was lighting up the hard shoulder and banks and also the armco on the right, and it had a razor sharp cut off ahead. Keith must have had rain repellant on the screen as I did not even notice it was raining heavily after Preston, I had put the top on there as I had no jacket with me, it was cold, and rain was forecast. As a result I did not even have to use the wipers. As for the top, that is what the S1 should have been, on in a jiffy, rain proof, and less wind roar, always envied the others theres.
Anyway back to the Lambo. I suppose I should be careful how I put this, as the first 180 miles took five hours, the next 180 took distance/speed which can be calculated by 7,000 rpm in 6th. Had to drop off before the M9 turn off as I was running out of fuel. Averaged 35mpg up until Preston, around 20 after that. The rest of the journey after that was really quite pleasant, hardly any traffic from Glasgow/Stirling/Perth/Aberdeen, so was able to hold a nice fast cruise and slow down for the Gatsos. Again this would have not been possible in N3 due to the lights and feeling far less planted and twitchy at speed. Most of you would have noticed that cars seem to have a natural cruising speed, in a Veyron it would probably be 200, but in this car it would be about 110. To be honest I was never aware of the speedo, one because I have not had one for seven years, and two because I could not read it, that distance where I need reading glasses, but can not wear them driving because my far vision is near perfect.
To sum up, I love the car, it has been so well put together and specced by Keith that it would be difficult to improve on, and very difficult to come up with a better engine for an Elise than a S/C, CC Honda K20 that has been professionally mapped.
Went to check her over this morning and she is almost as clean as when I left Bath. A bit of dirty water on the rear clam but that is it. Even better no sign of exhaust staining as N3 did run a bit rich. However although I was religious in keeping well back from other cars on the drive home, I was pissed off to see that there is already bad chipping on the front black splitter and some on the lower clam. Expected on a road run, but not on a M/W. On hindsight all I would have had to have done was put a strip of tape over the front edge of the splitter and maybe some on the clam edge. Not being anal but that is not kosha.
Lovely day here so top off again, and a run around the back roads. Could just imagine somebody driving this car that was coming from a standard Elise, as opposed to myself who has one of similar engine spec.
tut
ps:- only one butt clencher in the twelve hours, South of Glasgow on three lane M/W, two lorries creeping along side each other on the inner and middle, pull over to overtake on the outer but there was not one there. Fortunately the very loud rumble strips did their job, but not pleasant. Rarely drive at night now, is it just me or are there so many signs and lights by the sides of the road, that it is difficult at times to see the road itself?
If you want it to turn tighter you just need to adjust the rear toe angle; pointless on N3 as no doubt it had the variable-toe-angle-control modification (only found on N1TUT, N3TUT and early S2135s where they forgot to tighten the rear toe arms causing worn subframes). If you get the geo measured and find it has standard rear toe angle, then halving it will give you tighter turn in (and the oversteer to go with it).