clocking up some miles

[coolrado 0]

it looks like due to a change in the company i work for that i will be clocking up some proper mileage on the rado, until recently i have been a uk based vehicle tracking system fitter, and was supplied with a van which i could also use for private use.

the rado only really got used for driving short distances to mates houses in the evenings or weekends and to the odd show.

basically the runcorn based office that i currently work from will be closed down and i will be working in the new parent companies offices in tewkesbury for 3 days of the week and from home for the other 2.

 

so that will mean driving to tewkesbury from wrexham and back at least once a week,

the miles on the clock dont really bother me to be honest as its allready on 137k and still doesnt use a drop of oil, and if the engine does start to wear out it will probably get the 20vt treatment :lol:

what does worry me a little is the wear and tear, especially stone chips or dents when its parked in the company car park. :?

 

i had considered getting a cheap second runaround but i dont really think its worth it and i enjoy driving the rado too much

 

the company change has come with a healthy rise (which i have been waiting for for about 3 years) and also daily bonuses when working from tewkesbury or abroad so that should help fund the corrado, but has anyone got any advice about using the rado for big miles?

i was thinking of getting a bonnet bra for it to reduce stone chips, but will that cause more damage than good?

and also a set of those soft magnetic side strips that i saw in one of the vw mags (any ideas where from?) just for when its parked at work as the car park is shared with the local council offices and a few people there have mentioned that some of the elderly visitors tend to open car doors into other cars. :mad:

[dr_mat 0]

Car bras look stupid. You might consider getting some of that transparent plastic armour plating stuff that sticks on though, wish more cars were fitted with that by default.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

Park diagonally across 2 spaces :wink:

[StuartFZR400 0]

I normally park at the far end of a carpark at the empty end. Just last weekend I did that, got out and someone parked right next to me.... why? I stood, watched her get, then proceeded to get back into my car and move it. She must of thought I was mad!!

[coolrado 0]

Car bras look stupid. You might consider getting some of that transparent plastic armour plating stuff that sticks on though, wish more cars were fitted with that by default.

 

i agree they do look stupid, but it would only be used for commuting long distance on the motorway, i was more bothered about whether it would cause any damage to the car, i understand the car needs to be spotless before you fit them as any grit will get rubbed in.

 

if there isnt one availiable that fits very well i might try making one from neoprene (wetsuit material) but has anyone got any idea where to get it from?

i also dont really know what to line it with?

 

i thought about sewing the flexible magnetic strip from a refrigerator door seal into the rear edge to stop it flapping.

 

i used some of that foliatec edge protector stuff on the leading edge of my old mr2 bonnet, and allthough it was probably the only part of the car that didnt rust away, it looked horrible and the paint was really bad when i removed it especially as the rest had been polished which left a ridge in the paint.

 

also the car park is very busy and you need to get there early to get a space so if i park across 2 spaces it will end up getting clamped.

[Guest]

Can't really help on the bra front (well not of the car variety!) but can sympathise about parking in Tewkesbury.

I used to live there and can confirm that parking was a problem. Thriving high street with lots of business but very little parking available.

 

Congrats on the healthy rise and enjoy the A49 :D

[coolrado 0]

Butterfly, any ideas on nice places to eat/drink in and around tewkesbury?

i have only been there a couple of times for company meetings so not really had chance to explore the area.

 

oh, and well done on the new possition in the ccgb.

[Guest]

I used to live in Bredon, about 4 miles north/east of Tewksbury on the B4080. There is a pub there called the Fox and Hounds - near the church which did great food (going back 5+ years now).

 

Other than there as the local, if I was driving for a night out it would have been to go into Cheltenham to meet friends. But there are loads of lovely villages all around Bredon hill (Eckington, Beckford) or larger places with a bit of character (Pershore, Evesham) worth exploring. I never went west over the M5 much. Don't know why.

 

Didn't go into Tewkesbury pubs themselves as there always seemed a lot of youngsters about.

 

Make sure you are down Tewkesbury way for BVF in early July as it's right on the door step (at the bottom of ther Malverns, east side). Oh yeah, Upton-upon-Severn is 'quaint' but does get a bit wet when it floods!!

[coolrado 0]

thanks for the info, it looks like i might be getting free lodgings with some old friends of my parents in evesham so that should mean less travelling 8)