st4
Banned
Yesterday I drove up to Aviemore to see my mate and his new Mrs for dinner.
The shed is just back from having her alignment down, new bushings fitted and camber bolts. She is now on 4x new Continental sport contact 3 MO tyres and whilst they still need a bit more time to scrub in, I can post what I think about them so far.
Naturally, I didn't go the fast way to Aviemore but rather via Glen Coe.
Despite the weather being a bit "Scottishy" I think this was a good move.
This was taken nr Bridge of Orchy
Not a great day, but its such a nice part of the world right, so who cares really...
Further up, I stopped at Buachaille Etive Mòr to take a picture, and change the CD. Damned shed hasn't got a 6CD and I am in need of one. Drives me nuts sometimes, but I stop a lot for picture breaks so I change the CD's then....
This is a Munro, and the road doesn't drop much from the Rannoch Moor summit, so I imagine at the top, its really cold, down in the bog bellow, its merely ok.
I was meant to be camping in Glen Etive this weekend with another mate, but the forecast was really so rubbish, that this was postponed, but its a marvellous area....
The traffic was also very busy, so no high speed supercruising. Quite how people do less than 40mph on an open road like the A82 on a clear day beats me, but thats life. 60 feels slow due to its well sighted nature, but thats the limit, for a number of reasons it is appropriate for the road, but 35mph is pathetic.
Rant over.
The final stop before meeting Greig (some of your have met him) was the Damn at Lagan. I hear corned shouting, thats a favourite type of picture for you, but I am a man of habit and I always take pictures of resevoirs, they interest me.
Sadly, it was not in discharge, I have posted pictures here of it discharging before, and its fantastic
For such a wet June and July, the water levels here are very low.
For the life of me I cannot figure out why, it rains all the time up here....
Loch Lagan is also a particularly interesting place, as it bridges the gap between the majestic West Scottish Highlands, with the bleaker and more plateux like Cairngorms. Aviemore. It is also where the BBC TV show "Monarch of the Glen" is filmed, and you can see the big house from the road which they use, but really, the weather got nasty, and I couldn't be bothered getting soaked, and I changed the CD again, and it got me to Aviemore
The shed looks good "slammed" and the dent in the wing gets fixed on monday from when she fell onto her wings from the spring failure
The A86 and old A9 are great driving roads, and I got the test the Conti 3's a bit better.
The front of the car has had Conti 3's before this change, and I rate them for steering feedback, and grip from the front. The back had primewell ditch finder death series, then Kumho Ku39's. The Ku39's do 95% of what the Conti does for 50% of the price. The car is a little quieter, a bit better in the wet (from recollection from when the Khumo's were new). They've still to scrub in, but I will report on how they are over their life on the shed. Where the Khumos fell down was they wore out, so if the conti's last better, then the price tag will be more justified as at the moment, they just seem expensive. The big jump in quality of tyre was from the Primewell death makes to the Khumo. I've not had Khumos on the front, but the conti's were a lot better on the front than the Good Year Efficient grip tyres.....
Anyway, to Aviemore....it was good to see Greig again, not seen him since March. I've now decided where we will eat on the forum great grand tour as the 1st part of day one, follows the exact route I took to see Greig.
The started of battered chicken was great, nice mustard dip, but the photo moment was the big bob burger. This is two half pound patties, covered in melted cheese, bacon and salad and smothered in home made chili con carni
Who will attempt the big bob in September. I loved it, and after pudding I was stuffed and £30 down, and, well, I was glad for the drive home the cabin was so big, as smells could dissipate...
I went back via the A9 as it was dark, the rain was strong so a well drained large road seemed a safe bet. A lot of accidents happen on the A9, its wide and sweeping, but not as well sighted as it seems. I was wafting along at 50-60 (really bad weather) and three fast chavtastic barryboi hatches all overtook me in very quick succession, I was not bothered, I changed the CD in Aviemore and just shoved on the heated seats and enjoyed the peace and quiet that this car offers.
Oh, watch for potholes, there are a few and on such a major route, IMHO its not good enough
MPG for the day
The shed is just back from having her alignment down, new bushings fitted and camber bolts. She is now on 4x new Continental sport contact 3 MO tyres and whilst they still need a bit more time to scrub in, I can post what I think about them so far.
Naturally, I didn't go the fast way to Aviemore but rather via Glen Coe.
Despite the weather being a bit "Scottishy" I think this was a good move.
This was taken nr Bridge of Orchy
Not a great day, but its such a nice part of the world right, so who cares really...
Further up, I stopped at Buachaille Etive Mòr to take a picture, and change the CD. Damned shed hasn't got a 6CD and I am in need of one. Drives me nuts sometimes, but I stop a lot for picture breaks so I change the CD's then....
This is a Munro, and the road doesn't drop much from the Rannoch Moor summit, so I imagine at the top, its really cold, down in the bog bellow, its merely ok.
I was meant to be camping in Glen Etive this weekend with another mate, but the forecast was really so rubbish, that this was postponed, but its a marvellous area....
The traffic was also very busy, so no high speed supercruising. Quite how people do less than 40mph on an open road like the A82 on a clear day beats me, but thats life. 60 feels slow due to its well sighted nature, but thats the limit, for a number of reasons it is appropriate for the road, but 35mph is pathetic.
Rant over.
The final stop before meeting Greig (some of your have met him) was the Damn at Lagan. I hear corned shouting, thats a favourite type of picture for you, but I am a man of habit and I always take pictures of resevoirs, they interest me.
Sadly, it was not in discharge, I have posted pictures here of it discharging before, and its fantastic
For such a wet June and July, the water levels here are very low.
For the life of me I cannot figure out why, it rains all the time up here....
Loch Lagan is also a particularly interesting place, as it bridges the gap between the majestic West Scottish Highlands, with the bleaker and more plateux like Cairngorms. Aviemore. It is also where the BBC TV show "Monarch of the Glen" is filmed, and you can see the big house from the road which they use, but really, the weather got nasty, and I couldn't be bothered getting soaked, and I changed the CD again, and it got me to Aviemore
The shed looks good "slammed" and the dent in the wing gets fixed on monday from when she fell onto her wings from the spring failure
The A86 and old A9 are great driving roads, and I got the test the Conti 3's a bit better.
The front of the car has had Conti 3's before this change, and I rate them for steering feedback, and grip from the front. The back had primewell ditch finder death series, then Kumho Ku39's. The Ku39's do 95% of what the Conti does for 50% of the price. The car is a little quieter, a bit better in the wet (from recollection from when the Khumo's were new). They've still to scrub in, but I will report on how they are over their life on the shed. Where the Khumos fell down was they wore out, so if the conti's last better, then the price tag will be more justified as at the moment, they just seem expensive. The big jump in quality of tyre was from the Primewell death makes to the Khumo. I've not had Khumos on the front, but the conti's were a lot better on the front than the Good Year Efficient grip tyres.....
Anyway, to Aviemore....it was good to see Greig again, not seen him since March. I've now decided where we will eat on the forum great grand tour as the 1st part of day one, follows the exact route I took to see Greig.
The started of battered chicken was great, nice mustard dip, but the photo moment was the big bob burger. This is two half pound patties, covered in melted cheese, bacon and salad and smothered in home made chili con carni
Who will attempt the big bob in September. I loved it, and after pudding I was stuffed and £30 down, and, well, I was glad for the drive home the cabin was so big, as smells could dissipate...
I went back via the A9 as it was dark, the rain was strong so a well drained large road seemed a safe bet. A lot of accidents happen on the A9, its wide and sweeping, but not as well sighted as it seems. I was wafting along at 50-60 (really bad weather) and three fast chavtastic barryboi hatches all overtook me in very quick succession, I was not bothered, I changed the CD in Aviemore and just shoved on the heated seats and enjoyed the peace and quiet that this car offers.
Oh, watch for potholes, there are a few and on such a major route, IMHO its not good enough
MPG for the day
Last edited:
