[a little OT] Top Gear

I have to agree that the Explorer has the advantage for these types of road; what matters more than absolute cornering grip is the ability to see what's around the next corner. Whenever I'm off for a hoon, it is almost almost almost always visibility (i.e. the distance that I can stop in) that curtails my average speed _long_ before power, grip and traction. This is another reason why we elected for a low powered agile car, because real world safe gooning speeds are just marginally slower than something like a Puma.

Punting in to a blind corner at 50 because the car has adequate grip can lead to a nasty mess if there's a hazard mid-way around the side. Having to make an emergency manoeuvre whilst gooning around a bend that's tight enough to feel exciting at 50 is going to be dramatic.

And automatics are "point and squirty" too, there's very little skill involved, whereas with a manual you have to get the timing right. The 4.0 Explorer has about 200 PS and something like 330 Nm of torque - not quick, but a sub-10 second time to 60 and, more importantly, lots of on-the-move heave.

However, by the same token, it would very much depend on the road and, of course, the drivers. On some sections of the B1225 we're dribbling along at a seemingly slow pace simply because there's a decent chance of encountering wildlife or fallen trees through the twisty bits, then when you come to a flatter bit there are occasions when you can open up a bit more.

FWIW Charlie quite likes the Explorer, but the insurance was _very_ expensive for her to drive it (it's about group 16). I quite enjoyed driving it, but conceded that we'd have to budget for the LPG conversion! :)

What what i hear the 1.6 is the better drive, but the 1.3 feels quicker and is more fun - but you have to keep it in the zone.

encountering

Yea i see what you're saying about visibility i s'pose, i find a lot of the lanes round where i live have very highe hedges tho that you'd struggle to see over in anything :)

Could be, though I've got a feeling dojj mentioned something like that, that's all.

Peter

Insurance costs more than the Jaguar, despite being four groups lower on the scale. I can't quite work out why, but it made it clear to me that insurance group is only part of the equation.

The LPG conversion is something I intended to do. It's possible to fit a

96litre LPG tank beneath the car, but two things stopped me I use the Chunnel from time to time and I coudldn't find anyone to do the job that I trusted. I signed up with one bloke to do the conversion, but he cancelled the work while I was on the M6 on my way to meet him (Grrrr) and he was the most reputable and reliable of the converters I contacted. The local one showed me his car and the conversion was ugly, Scotchlock connectors and insulation tape wrapped around the wiring loom with a nasty cheap looking switch nailed into an ugly hole in the dash.

conversion! :)

Spot on. The LuxuryKa sits in group 4E, whereas other Kas are group 2E, but we noticed almost a pound difference in insurance! :)

Of course, things are not so bad now, but a couple of years ago Charlie was on a UK provisional licence. Okay so now she's a bit older, and has had her full licence for over twelve months, so things are much easier if we change. Premium wise, well for the Ka back in 2001, it was about £240 a year. Example premiums we got were £120 a month for a BMW 316Ti Compact SE, £133 a month for the Explorer, £95 a month for a Puma 1.7 . . . or £20 a month for the Ka. No brainer!

Yes, a bit of a ballache.

Pah!

I've also seen some shoddy conversions - this is the future?! Getting a decent enough outfit to do the work is probably most of the argument.

Are they not a bit expensive? Or is this a far-and-distant-future kind of thing, after depreciation has dropped the price to the 3-grand mark?

I'm quite tempted by the Lexus Soarer 2.5 turbo - 280 Bhp as standard (easily tweakable due to turbo), superb build quality and pretty nice to drive by all accounts. Can pick 'em up for 3-4k atm too. (alternatively a 4.0 V8 wouldn't be a bad thing, surely :)

Unfortunately I'm under pressure to get something 'practical', and 'with more than two seats'. I've got a 205 DT for that, FFS. Grrr. Wimmin.

snip

Err, approximately - yeah. It's one of those getting carried away, didn't really plan to things!

I believe the AP's are around the same price for most applications - c. £1200 for the discs/pads/braided hoses/fittings/fluid etc.

I looked about at the time and other manufacturers (Brembo etc) were all about the same price for a full kil, so I went with what other T-5 drivers had used.

No, not compared to the GTR ! My budget's somewhere around the eight grand mark. I'd rather a Supra, but I'll struggle to find a decent Turbo one for that money.

Nah, about a year from now, when I've finished paying off the TI. Hopefully I'll be able to get two grand for it in part-ex (It's an immaculate '97 "R", and it'll have about 60,000 miles by then, two owners including me, and full history), so I'll only have to shell out five to six grand for it's replacement :)

Yeah, I've looked into these. Unfortunately, they look like a giant mobile turd, and I don't think I could bring myself to own one :(

Agreed, but I can't seem to find any non-bland Lexi.

Buy my TI then !

Oh no - i called it first :) Grandad loan should secure it for me :)

I trust you've already got the pipe, slippers, trilby and zip-up cardigan with 'leatherette' patches?

Yup :)

Well, no pipe cos i don't smoke at all :) I have a blanket to put on the back shelf, see if i can get it bounce with the Sub :) My grandad does stuff like that all the time.

Nah he doesn't need em - I manage just fine without :)