Wendy

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Its the way that you unlock the car, open the doors, windows and sunroof - foolishly thinking this may cool it down !!!!! :lol: Then gingerly getting in, being wary of burning yourself - on the leather seats, as you have done it so many times, you know it dam hurts. Its not as if the even then you can drive, the steering wheel is so dammed hot, it too scorches you. II have some old screen covers that i used to use on my Motorhome, to keep it either cool or warm on the inside. They are silver foil type covers with a kind of thermal inner. Think I best locate them to make life a little cooler !! Fortunately storing the car in the garage at least means its bearable 1st thing.

If I had Susie Stoddart tied up with ropes I'm not sure I'd bother with the Merc. :norty: That's a fair point actually :D Well you guys can fight over Suzie and I will take the Merc :lol:

I was a witness to exactly this happening when I was about 19 and instantly learnt from it. I am quite reguarly accused of not trusting any others drivers - which I don't. No offence to anyone here, as I have done many convoys with you guys and not yet balled anyone out. :lol: Having done thousands of miles on a motorbike (pillion), I have seen a huge variety of antics and bascially just learnt you really need to drive for both yourself and everyother road user too.

However, the only thing is I am a complete wimp when it comes to thinking of putting my Corrado on Track. The 3 laps we did at Coombe some years ago is one thing. I much prefer using a car that is fully prepared and suitable for the Track. I have aso been thinking of where I might like to position myself on the Autometrix Day, in view of the competitive edge I have :lol: Do I start in the front or start at the back ? In seriousness - does anyone know if we are getting a Safety Briefing as this also goes through the Track and provides a Led 2 laps, so everyone can get to know the Track prior to being let loose !!!!!!!!!! Now that would be a good but very scary place to start my Racing- DTM's ! :lol: :lol:

x 4 I quite often wonder if your car was ever found. If put off Corrado's, I would quite strongly recommend the 350Z with GT Pack - if finances allow. Seems to me to the most logical next step and it has Strut braces as standard !!!

My Race Licence Test Day. Some of you will recall my relatively recent post of Nissan 350Z/BMW Z4 which led onto 996 Porsche 911. I had a great time viewing all these, driving them etc. Much thinking later, I decided my Corrado is just brilliant. At no time did i feel when getting back into to it after the test drives, that it was aged or lacking in power and performance. Yes, of course, the 3 cars mentioned were all newer, faster and also a further minimum of 14k on top of the Corrado. Frankly I decided, if any of them had been a further 2 - 3 k then I would have parted with the Corrado, but none meant enough to me to part with the additional money required. Topped with - what ever I purchased I was going to drive and not just cruise and pose in. With regards to the Porsche though, as many of you know I have always wanted one, I currently have one of the Porsche dealerships locally going to call me for a Test Drive in a Cayman when they get in a second hand one. I now do not wish to wait until i can afford one, to then find it is not the car i thought it was. This being pretty much how I feel about the 996. Frankly my Corrado is of better build quality. Most 911 have had 4 plus owners and it shows. All this then highlighted what I really needed to do - get rid of my speed on the Track. I have now done numerous Track Days over the last few years but only just enough to feed my need for speed !!! So I decided to get my Race Licence and go racing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully this will feed my competitive streak sufficiently !! I am right at the initial stages, so have no idea what race series I am likely to compete in, but one step closer and sooooooooo excited. :D :D :D

Had a brilliant blast with a 2 year old Quattro a week ago, held onto him good and proper. Sufficiently so, he stopped and asked me to drive (Yes, i did know driver), then I gave the Quattro some proper driving. The poor owner is still talking about it and trying to get over it - some 7 days later. :lol: Well at least he knows what his car is now capable of.............. It felt so solid and responsive, the engine note was to die for. :D Also had a super drive alongside a Viper on Sunday. That car sounded so gorgous, he kept overtaking me just to put the power on - and vice versa - great fun. :D

Sadly £200 will not give you much Track Time, however £300 will. Everyman Racing do loads of this type of stuff. I think here the best value for money was the Single Seater Formula Ford. However - look at 'Imagine Doing This' Website. For just under £300, you can have 3 x 20 mins sessions, with car - Honda Civic Type R with Instructor at practically any circuit in the country. Instructor is Graeme Clew. (Mention my name - Wendy Duckett) Alternatively Bill Gwyne Rally School based at Turweston Airfield. Northamptonshire. Not sure of latest prices - but a full on day in Rally Prepared Cars and full on proper tuition. Both his sons are Racing Drivers and one used to provide the Tuition. Good Luck - hope you find something. :D

Having done some pretty serious Test Drives in some of my favoured cars in that price bracket in recent weeks - I couldn't agree more !

Mine has a squeak in the dash - which drives me up the wall - it only appeared after having a new stereo. Occassionaly a squeak from the rear parcel shelf too. If its just creaks anyone has, spray polish works really well to relieve them.

Fighting talk there David - I know your 16V is fast - but really !!!! :lol: :lol: Think we all need a day at Santa Pod - RWYB, or perhaps the Autometrix Day at Coombe that is coming up. Maybe i do need that Supercharger that Vince was mentioning !!!! Plus Strut Braces and Quaffe Diff !! Oh and bigger brakes - might be an idea !! Not that i am competitive or anything :lol:

Guys, I have done a few days at Everyman - all for Nothing !!!! I have a Tesco Credit Card - which I use for everything, its combined with the Tesco Clubcard. I get through Money off vouchers - which i could spend on my next shop. I save them and then spend them on Motorsport (I Point is worth 4 if you use their Clubcard Book) - Everyman Racing usually. I rarely shop at Tesco's, but the Credit Card purchases i make from anywhere, still gain you points and free Motorsport Days - Result :D

Hey up, thats your view on cruising; I can go into cruise and still get caught up in traffic. Take a look at your european friends and see thier idea of cruising; I've had a Scenic on full tilt keeping up with granny in her Pug 205TDi, lol, across france. Porsche would just eat up the road easily. Having said that, ive never seen one driven here in anger; a boot on the motorway doesnt count. Caterham - whats wrong with them? You'd be made to flip one. As for crashing, well yeh, you might get flung out of a convertable; but even if you dont, just imagine how easy these small cars crumple, even a hard top. Advice, dont get it wrong, lol. I remember the days I loved the Magnum PI ferrari (308?), but I hear they're made of paper and matchsticks, and there were lots of deaths in them; I think todays cars tend to be better simply cos of the electrics; which reminds me, dont get a pre 06 S2000. You do realise how envious some people are that you're weighing up these options, class :notworthy: I have sent you a pm.

Yes, I would hire these cars. Do consider including Z4's and 350Z's though !!! Not sure what I would be prepared to pay, I would though, really do my homework, to see what car could be hired for what price, considering with this, insurances and deposits. Expecting from that, a lower price and higher deposit or vice versa. I feel, a 5k deposit is way too high, again I would want to investigate this to check what is going on in the market place. But, it would stop me investigating/hiring from that company if I had to pay a 5k deposit. No way would I be interested. What about a Insurance Policy to cover the risks and a smaller deposit to cover more minimal occurances. Say 2k, rising in value as per car valuation. I would have thought this should be enough to prevent the pure stupidty aspect of driving a sports classic and careless, disrespectful attidues too. Everyman Racing Track Experiences have a 2 k deposit and these are mainly Supersports cars - admittedily you only have approx 1 hour driving time though. No I would not rag the pants off it, but yes, I would drive it hard and probably most of the time I hired it. I personally would not have hired it otherwise. I would also though, as I would in anyones car, including my own vehicle drive them with respect, oil at temperature before opening them up etc etc, however I do not think you could guarantee this from most. Sad to say and I am really sorry guys - my lower limit to hire such vehicles would be rather higher than the standard 21 years old, at least 25. I know these were questions on Market Research only, I have masses of thoughts going on about the legal side, finances, etc etc. Please ensure you get all this thoroughly researched. Apologies now for being bossy !!! Sorry ! Good Luck

In my experience, for a good respray you would be looking between 2 - 3k. Loads of people have had them done on here and I think many for much less then that. I have always used BMW or VW recommended paint shops. They have come with the best recommendations and I have had no problems and excellent jobs done. Get some quotes, find out what is included. If so inclined see how you could reduce the cost in doing some of the prep work yourself. Red cars are renowed for losing their colour generally, but there are some superb bright red Corrado's out there. So it might mean some real elbow grease is required to bring it back round but think how good it would look - and free - it thats all it takes.

This is kind of where I am currently at. I have no doubt i will love and really enjoy it, but cruising :lol: :lol: :lol: Its not really my kind of style. I do not get buying a fast car and not using it. May as well buy a proper cruise machine if thats the case. And, do I want to spend this type of money and have the odd blitz as you say when I can due to the congestion on the roads. Then the Europe trips are only usually once per annum - for me anyway. I haven't yet been on any of the Porsche forums - which I need to do and listen to some of the owner experiences. The thoughts have even wandered onto Convertables - and most people on here know how against them I am for safety reasons. And I am very unfairly basing this on Caterhams. I probably should try to override my fears and go for some Test drives. If I did this I could stay with Porsche - Boxter - the balance is better, considerably cheaper, newer and original purchase price not so high, and presumably therefore everything related in running costs should improve too. I am basing this on the Corrado, high purchase price therefore higher running cost. Guess it would help if i wasn't trying to finalise house decorations/renovations at the same time !! My head hurts :confused4:

993's - of course I have consided these. However they are old, very dated - interior especially so and I am not of a mind to spend huge sums on a car that rattles and frankly is shabby due to age! My heart is so on owning a Porsche, I really will wait for a good one. So many conflicting views on all this, which one etc etc. I am thinking of trying to get a test drive in a Cayman - yes, wildly out of my price range - for now, but am really considering the mid engine. Since the test drive of the 996 on Tueday, it has played on my mind - how light the front end is under power. Putting a sack of potatoes n the front is not an option - have you seen just how little boot space there is. Being serious, I am going to properly drive whatever I purchase. Is the Porsche too powerful for the road - will i instantly lose my licence or throw it off the road - yes, I have been told you need to learn to drive a Porsche properly. I am wondering would the 996 be better as a Track Car - not that i would or could afford one for this. So many thoughts and such a difficult decision. If only I was loaded !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guys thanks for all your comments, pointers of advise etc. It is such a huge decision, as to me, its a rather large sum of money to be spending and i cannot afford to mess it up. I need to be very careful in ensuring I do not loose too much in depreciation, so getting the right one is mega important The 996 I saw on Tuesday - with Jim - would not be the one I bought despite it looking beautiful and drove well. There were a couple of reasons. I want to view quite a few and check the condition and I am not a rush impulse purchaser. I think I viewed about 8 VR's before I bought one !! I am struggling about the fact that all Porsches have had so many owners, I have only found one with 3 owners and most have 4 - 5. This is on a 8 - 11 year old car !!!!!! Of course i understand why if i think about it. 80k on a new car - (or thereabouts) means you probabaly have the money to lose masses of depreciation and swap cars reguarly, even going down to the 35 - 40k value range - it appears the same. I really would prefer a vehicle to have had much fewer owners - i just think it will have been cared for so much more. On the Porsches - there really does not seem to be much care in getting in and out of the car - is this a case of too much money ? I wonder. I will look at the websites that have been mentioned, thank for that.

I would say the Nissan is hardly what you would call sensible. :lol: It has better performance figures than the Corrado and I would say somewhat faster !!! My instant thoughts were - ideal replacement for the VR- it seemed to me to be the ideal next step up. If I had bought a car on Sunday from the Test drives I did, it would have been the 350Z - no question about it. Prices are getting better, lower, as the 370Z has now been released. I too would not sell my Corrado, its more of a car than resalable value suggests - in my book anyway. Besides i personally like the security for a while of knowing I have not sold my car - just incase a months ownership of a new one - changes my mind in how good it is and a resale is required !!! Cautious I know !!!

Sorry to hear about your incident - I would be hopping mad. I lost it last winter with kids throwing snowballs at passing cars, when they then gave me a load of lip, told them i was going to report them, which i did and again, Police went straight out. Hopefully your car will not be written off, however if you decide to pull out of C ownership and look at a 350Z - all i can say is wow - what a fab car - superb to drive. From my test drives on Sunday, it far outwayed any of the others, i felt completly at one with the car, it was completly sorted - if you know what i mean. Big grins on face when i returned. Good luck with the Insurers.

Yeah but Jim, she did that and I was in my Corrado !!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

Someone, please check Jim is still breathing !!! Sat behind me, chin on knees, completly doubled up in the back of this 911, we went for a Test Drive !!!! :lol: :lol: I drove for at least 1/2 mile before I started to open her up and drive a litlle more actively - I think I managed to ask just once if my passengers were ok - there were some mumours in the background. :lol: :lol: Just as Jim was probably getting used to the seating position of the cramped rear seats - I decided to warn my passengers that I wanted to really try the brakes and brake hard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: In case Jim by now was becoming confident nothing else could happen to him, I wanted to check the steering by quick side to side from left to right a few times on the steering wheel. :lol: :lol: :lol: On returning, I left them both sat in their seats for a while - for recovery and to remove any mess !!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Interestingly Jim really commented on the roar of the engine/exhaust - I think I was concentrating hard on testing this car - did it work what I call properly. I have driven a few 993's and 997's , so know I am in love with the sound, it is the most sexy thing ever. :luvlove: On Sunday, I drove my first 996 and frankly it was not right. Bodywork and Interior aside, it did not feel right to drive, hence this evening's drive was probably harder - good fun too !! :) And, restored my faith in Porsche's 996's. :D

So, two excited people !! :lol: Going to bed right now, so tomorrow arrives sooner !!!! Yes, still a complete child !!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

I know - impressive heh !! :D Well, its largely related to many of the guys on here and other friends - who know how long I have dreamed of 911 ownership and frankly if i don't do it now, it is unlikely I will have the opportunity again. I have longer term plans too ! Both the Z4 and 350Z I could have - when bored of the Porsche :lol: or time to move on. See what you have all done, I am trying to convince myself - I really am so excited. :clap: :clap: :clap: I have driven a few Porsche's, a few friends have them and I did a Porsche experience at Silverstone 2 years ago. Will have to see what I think after test drives.