My Lotus weekend
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:27 am
Had a great weekend and had some really good drives in the Elise. I feel the need to share it with you, but I'm fully aware it's merely massaging my ego!
Washed all the motors (6!!) on Saturday morning then the better half and I went to look at kitchens and bathrooms. Less happy about that and was resigned to the fact that Lotus action seemed to be off the cards.
Nipped to Tesco where I got verbal abuse from some tink in a Kia jeep for taking up two spaces. (The car park wasn't that full and, instead of having dings/chips in the door, I used two spaces, quite far away from the shop entrance) Nevertheless, he was told where to stick his comments and also informed that I'd noted his registration. Wearing a long black coat and generally looking like I'd fallen off the set of Lock, Stock helped here.....
Anyway, going to the missus house, I forgot the road was closed so had to go the long way via some back, back roads. It was wet. The oversteer was hilarious and I was fair enjoying myself (she'd taken her MX5 and left about 10 minutes ahead of me).
There's a right then left, S-bend. I threw it into the right and it stuck the tail out. I booted it and threw opposite lock at it so it snapped back the other way to set me up for the left.
Into the left hand part (you can see for a couple of hundred yards) the tail was about 15 degrees out of shape, about 4500rpm, 3rd gear. But the steering was of straight-ahead and the whole thing was drifting beautifully. A bit more throttle brought the tail out a wee bit, a bit less brought it in, all the time the steering was straight.
I booted it to sit the tail down and added some opposite lock and it came straight wonderfully.
Sunday was spent blasting up to Mossat via the Lords Throat road. Wonderful run. The road from Bridge of Alford to Mossat is poorly surfaced, wet under the trees but allows you to get the car in a nice attitude at sensible speeds.
Just had to share that all with you....
Washed all the motors (6!!) on Saturday morning then the better half and I went to look at kitchens and bathrooms. Less happy about that and was resigned to the fact that Lotus action seemed to be off the cards.
Nipped to Tesco where I got verbal abuse from some tink in a Kia jeep for taking up two spaces. (The car park wasn't that full and, instead of having dings/chips in the door, I used two spaces, quite far away from the shop entrance) Nevertheless, he was told where to stick his comments and also informed that I'd noted his registration. Wearing a long black coat and generally looking like I'd fallen off the set of Lock, Stock helped here.....
Anyway, going to the missus house, I forgot the road was closed so had to go the long way via some back, back roads. It was wet. The oversteer was hilarious and I was fair enjoying myself (she'd taken her MX5 and left about 10 minutes ahead of me).
There's a right then left, S-bend. I threw it into the right and it stuck the tail out. I booted it and threw opposite lock at it so it snapped back the other way to set me up for the left.
Into the left hand part (you can see for a couple of hundred yards) the tail was about 15 degrees out of shape, about 4500rpm, 3rd gear. But the steering was of straight-ahead and the whole thing was drifting beautifully. A bit more throttle brought the tail out a wee bit, a bit less brought it in, all the time the steering was straight.
I booted it to sit the tail down and added some opposite lock and it came straight wonderfully.
Sunday was spent blasting up to Mossat via the Lords Throat road. Wonderful run. The road from Bridge of Alford to Mossat is poorly surfaced, wet under the trees but allows you to get the car in a nice attitude at sensible speeds.
Just had to share that all with you....
