Retro road trip parts gathering thread

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L14MNP
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Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by L14MNP » 26 Nov 2012 02:03 pm

I got back at 01:30 this morning night from a pretty long road trip, and I think I have outdone myself this time for how much crap was stuffed in the car and how far I travelled to get it, so thought it might be a laugh to have a thread detailing other peoples experiences too.

I'm sure we all have some stories. I'm no stranger to long distance and carting things around, but this time was a little different. :lol:

Set off at 05:00 Saturday, and have covered 1080 miles, emptied two tanks, and been to quite a few places.

My trusty TDCi 5dr Mondeo was the obvious (only) weapon of choice for this.
I removed all seats bar the drivers, lined the carpets/sides with old caravan awning material and began filling her up.

This started at home, with the first things being the windscreen, bonnet (on roof bars), fuel tank and straps, gear linkage, and cross member, torque tube,
bellhousing, polybushes and clutch kit from my old 360,along with my carbon fibre Cobra Revolution seat plus my mk3 Escort dash and glovebox.

I then headed to York to collect a Ford gearbox, x2 drive shafts, gear linkage and handbrake cables, the last two being in a fairly large box.

Then to Huddersfield for x4 R33 GT-R wheels with tyres.

Next was Barnsley for a mk2 Fiesta wing.

Then to Derby for a seldom seen occurence. A delivery!
Cobra seat sold.

Some space regained!

Potters Bar next for x4 RS1600i wheels with knackered tyres - getting a bit tight at this stage.
Obviously it was p!ssing it down, so just had to throw them in the car, and barely got the boot/doors shut with more still to come.

Getting a little concerning now.
Maybe I should have hired that van!

Onward I travelled anyway, to Essex for x2 RS1600i front seats (the main reason for this trip, as the material will be used to repair my worn bolster)

It was whilst waiting for the seat bloke to arrive that I had a chance to repack the car.

I removed everything except for the Volvo stuff which was occupying the two LHS footwells.

The people in the drive-thru Mc Donalds must have thought I had a waste compactor inside the car, as waiting outside in the rain to be Tetris'd back inside was:

x4 R33 GT-R wheels and tyres, x4 RS1600i wheels and tyres, RS dash and glove box, Ford gearbox/x2 drive shafts/box with handbrake cables and gear linkage and a Fiesta wing.

I got it all back in as tightly packed as possible, and it left maybe 1/3 of my boot space, where the tailgate tapers, to squeeze in the two RS front seats.

Somehow they fit in.

Until this point, I had been able to see out the top half of my LHS windows, now though, I was reduced to just the very front portion of the front window - enough to see the mirror and that was my whack.

Off we go again. This time the plan was to his Rochester and Medway in Kent, but just after the Dartford Crossing my phone lost GPS, so I ended up driving past there onto the final destination, a farm in the middle of nowhere in Croydon - this was decided, as the bloke wasn't in the best of moods, and it now being 6/7pm I thought i wise to collect the item from him - a mk1 Fiesta sill, at a sociable hour.

Then it was back around the M25 to Rochester to deliver the Volvo torque tube/bellhousing/clutch/cross member and linkage and drop off my dash at Medway
RS Centre to be repaired. The Volvo stuff was for Thomas (Attack2001). As it was late in the day, and the place was closed, he kindly offered to drop my dash off during the week.

It was great to meet you Thomas, and you certainly have some interesting cars and plans!

Then along the M4 to Taunton to spend the night at my mates and drop off his GT-R wheels, Fiesta wing and sill, gearbox/shafts/cables/linkage.

Bristol was next. Delivered the Volvo bonnet/tank/straps/polys and windscreen - intact. :) to Speedy. Again, great to meet you mate. Hopefully see you at a skid day sometime soon. (My mate in Taunton drits an E30, and they always have sprint and drift days, so will be at some of those - hopefully you will too.)

Then I called into and old mates in Chesterfield on the way home and subsequently spend over 4 hours standing in a freezing garage watching him lathe up engine parts.
Great stuff, and I haven't seen him in almost two years. He s of course, jikovron - he was initially going to come with me, but when I realised the passenger seat needed to go, that wasn't gonna happen!

Then a nice 2.5 hour drive home and I was done.

Two tanks of diesel, 1080 miles and something like 45.9 mpg avarage at 70 on cruise control.

Can't complain at that imo.

I really should have took pics of the car totally crammed, but as I was using my phone for the satnav and it was cold/wet/dark, I cba.

Needless to say, I only had my own rambling thoughts for company - and the occasional phone call. lol


Image

I definitley need to replace my rear pads now. :lol:


Come on then V3M. Show me yours, as they say.
Last edited by L14MNP on 26 Nov 2012 02:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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macplaxton
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by macplaxton » 26 Nov 2012 02:35 pm

Good trip. I will have to find some pics of a couple of my parts runs. In fact, I probably should finish last years holiday report :oops:

Anyway, must nip down the post office and come back and get some more Pug welding down whilst there's a dry window.
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by volvosneverdie » 26 Nov 2012 02:44 pm

Fuckin hell.

Point J to N is about my best (in a day). Heathrow ish to Newcastle ish.
Nowhere near the miles you put in though.

I've never done a road trip thats included going to sleep. :lol:

I should get out more.
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by Chris_C » 26 Nov 2012 03:09 pm

Thanks for my bits being thrown in the delivery dude! I've done a few silly car parts/car collecting trips, I'll try to get round to writing one up. The silliest one was http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... =11&t=4264 , though non of those links work now. I'll see if I can fix that.
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by L14MNP » 26 Nov 2012 03:10 pm

The miles weren't the concerning part. It was fitting everything in! As I just adopted a cross my fingers and hope attitude, and had to see along the way how it would pan out.

This time, I got eight hours kip at Conors, that was great.

Last time I was down there, I went via Bournemouth, drove through the night with a car trailer, slept at Conors for 45 mins, then we headed up the M5, over to Cardiff, I bought the Escort and drove home. That was a little demanding.

I have also drove to Paris and back in 24 hours. :lol:
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by MCHUDD » 26 Nov 2012 03:55 pm

Hi mate.
That was some trip. Well done. I can't think of ever doing anything like many
miles.
Rich is very good at parts runs. He phoned me one day and said
"I am in a scrap yard in the north of England. Do you still want those bling bumpers? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cheers Mark.
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Re: Retro road trip parts gathering thread

Post by cindral » 26 Nov 2012 11:07 pm

Liam you nutter that's one mental trip! I drove to Prague once! That was about 1000miles! When we drove over the czech boarder the mafia made an attempt at high jacking us in some shady looking BMW e34s and a van! Good times!!!

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