*********Motors Chat - Round 9 *********

Deleted User wrote: »

Seems a bit low? Surely if you cared that much you'd have been better off having a bare knuckle boxing match to put manners on him?


In reality, though, the parent and child spaces annoy me more so for the reason that every space should be that wide! Whoever designs these things needs a good slap.

Sick of spaces the same size of the car being made, and then half the car park is usually empty anyway.

I'd love to know the average width of a normal parking space in 2015, and compare with the width of the average car in 2015. I'd guess the space is about 1.5 foot wider than the car.

No low is taking a spot not designated for you is it OK for him to take a spot from someone in a wheelchair who needs the space?

Maybe if he hadn't been so rude I mightnt by have done it.

I do agree on the parking spaces size wise In general though are ridiculous.

Put your frilly panties back on, gentlemen. Now - some of you may have seen me mention NMMA TC-W3 standard two-stroke oil as a fuel additive. I am going to try it out, and I shall report appropriately. Have a read of this:

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/techniques/understanding-two-stroke-engine-oil

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Is it handy enough to get? Where would you go, chandlery?

Aye. Cork Marine in Ballycurreen down here, for example.

Marcusm wrote: »

One is necessity, the other convenience. In your position, I probably would have left the spot for a parent who had to manage a child or children by themselves. Could always drop the pregnant lady and collect her. The fine is unenforceable but I do agree with the people power! Get the aggression/frustration out, it's cathartic.

Some people should have their cars taken off them, crushed to the size of a microwave oven and then set in concrete in their living-rooms.

If your idea of a holiday is two weeks piddled on a beach in the costa del sol, well then, look away. Iceland, what an astonishing country. I'll be back. It's breathtaking to look at. The driving is pretty decent too. It's a country of extremes, both in weather and in driving. It's a country bigger than the UK with the same population as county Kildare. It's empty in places. Half the population lives in Reykjavik.


The car we rented was an older Rav4. Bonus points for solid late 90s, early 2000s Toyota engineering and true permanent four wheel drive. None of this haldex coupling rubbish. Negative points for an automatic and the fuel consumption. However, it served us well, so no real complaints.
So, what's it like to drive? Reykjavik is like a very big town here in Ireland. A cross between Waterford and Limerick. Very little traffic even at the height of rush hour. A nice city to drive, however, like the rest of the country, signs are minimal and your really need a GPS. My HTC and Here Maps admirably did the job for our stay.

Stray out of the city and Iceland gives you a taste of what it's like to drive in. Long, sweeping roads with very little traffic. It reminded me of driving out west in Mayo or something. You've visiblity for miles. Little or no traffic once you stray off the main roads between towns. Top speed limit is 90km/h on paved and 80km/h on non paved roads.

Non paved roads are interesting. Some of them are specifically banned to vehicles without 4wd. And the quality of them wildly varies. On one road I travelled on you could easily sustain 70km/h whilst on another it was 30km/h for long stretches of it. Of course, with a larger 4x4 (Think a Defender with jacked suspension and large wheels), you could manage a good speed on the majority. Out in the country, it's very common to see large 4wds. Defenders, Pajeros, Hiluxes, Landcruisers and various imported GM/Fords/Chrysler jeeps are very common in the sticks.
Once out in the "F" roads, their non-paved roads, it's very common to be on your own, quite a long way from home. The surface is harsh, the wind is unabating and the scenery is out of this world.

One trip we took was to the Highlands. It's probably one of the least populated places in Europe. No one lives permanetly there. Perhaps a few hikers in mountain huts in the summer but that's really it. It's a semi desert environment, not a lot grows there apart from some moss. No trees or even a scrap of grass. No animals either. Practically, Patagonia, really only offers a similar experience once in the highlands of Iceland. Before entering F35, the highlands road, there was a sign with a fuel symbol on it. 210km to the nearest petrol station. Better have topped up before this point.

Anyway, I'm going to throw a few photos of the driving trip on here. It's a stunning drive. One of the best in Europe. And it was all done in a clattered Rav4.


Our wheels for stay
A small gravel road we drove down for a taster. It's adjacent to F35. The sign means "cars are forbidden"


It's empty out there....


Pretty standard road out there. Near Selfoss. Surface is decent. They don't use cat's eyes out there, just these cheap sticks with a bit of tape on them. They work. No margins on many of the roads outside of urban centers. Keep it between the sticks....


The competition. The Rav4 did the job though.


Þingvellir National Park. Stunning like everywhere else.


F35. It's like the badlands in Fallout.


Glaciers everywhere up there. The lake is pretty damn cold too. It was about 5 degrees that day. Wind chill made it bitter.


Up in the clouds. The wind was too strong beyond this to get out. Weather front moving in.


About 120km in any direction from anywhere.


Gorgeous map in one of the hostels. Lot of the phots taken in between Gulfoss and Kjafell.


A hike up to the glacier at Snæfellsjökull. Old destroyed mountain hut along the way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sn%C3%A6fellsj%C3%B6kull


Weather closing in on the way back.


Lovely view on the way down though.

There's a saying over there. " If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. If you like the weather, wait five minutes more. " Very true.

Anyways sorry as I said yesterday here's pics of the car with the temporary black and white badge. It's needs a new front badge anyway.

Just trying to decide to stick with normal or black and white. Opinions?

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Sort out those scratches man! (I'm one to talk in fairness) :pac:

There not scratches

Cars just got a nice film of dust on it that got disturbed putting the badge back so it looks like scratches


Car does need a good detail it's on the list of things to do.

jimgoose wrote: »

Put your frilly panties back on, gentlemen. Now - some of you may have seen me mention NMMA TC-W3 standard two-stroke oil as a fuel additive. I am going to try it out, and I shall report appropriately. Have a read of this:

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/techniques/understanding-two-stroke-engine-oil

I run 2-stroke.

It's great for the engine seals in low amounts.

Varies between 150:1 and 200:1...

It's not lubricating under high load and the engine's already injecting oil anyway. But it helps keep carbon down because the stuff's designed to burn and mix with petrol.

Really heavy premixes are only needed for engines like 2-strokes where you're also lubricating load-taking bearings and the like.