TOP GEAR

[stock]

Brill show tonite with a very good cop theme:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

is it tonight already?
:p

[p38arover]

Yes, Pedro, yesterday (he's in Ireland).

Wink, wink, say no more. :D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

so we get yesterday's Ireland TV programs tonight??:confused:

[p38arover]

No, No! This morning is last night in Ireland. They're about 9 hours behind. It's only just after midnight over there.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

so if they are 9 hours behind,, how come they get to see it first??

[p38arover]

It's the luck of the Irish! :D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

:TakeABow::Rolling::BigThumb:

[Ben]

Haven't you watched it (http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/11/1/) yet Pedro?

[simonl8353]

:Rolling::Rolling: You guys really crack me up.

But I still have no idea who saw what first or if I'll get a chance to see it tonight.

Guess I'll have to just switch on.

[feral]

Abbott and Costello lives again.


;)

[Phoenix]

mmm, I hope the torrents come online soon so that I can download it tonight ;)

[Ben]

mmm, I hope the torrents come online soon so that I can download it tonight ;)

Cough...


Haven't you watched :banana::clap2::burnrubber::spudnikboogie:it (http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/11/1/):ehigh5::arms::spudnikbackflip: yet Pedro?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Haven't you watched it (http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/11/1/) yet Pedro?


Cough...



jeez Ben,, its not tonight yet!!!:p

[Ben]

jeez Ben,, its not tonight yet!!!:p

Try to keep up :) It was last night this morning. As far as our night is concerned, we're 5579 hours behind.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

:blink:

can we delay any further discussion till tomorrow?

[scarry]

did anyone like the terrain response system in the 599 ferrari...........could have been the saturday top gear show......cant remember..had a big weekend:)

[Ben]

can we delay any further discussion till tomorrow?

I don't think so - tomorrow will be tonight.


did anyone like the terrain response system in the 599 ferrari

Terrain response? Do you mean the secret launch control mode?

[long stroke]

I think tonight is an African special.
If it is you can't miss it!!!

TIM.

[Treads]

It's great so far :)

[long stroke]

How's the bit where they shoot drain holes in the floor:arms:
Thats a big gun:eek:

TIM.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Yep! an African Special alright!!:D:D

[F4Phantom]

I just watched the africa one. It was really an amazing episode because it did actually prove that simplicity is king in the bush. Also that you dont need a 4x4 to tour but a stong 2wd can do most things, but I suppose people with real 4x4 experiance realise that a falcon can do 99% of 4x4 tracks anyway.

Anyway I got a lot out of it. Anyone planning a trip like that would have had the biggest newest rigs and still had many problems. The cadet did amazingly well as did the merc.

[Tombie]

I just watched the africa one. It was really an amazing episode because it did actually prove that simplicity is king in the bush. Also that you dont need a 4x4 to tour but a stong 2wd can do most things, but I suppose people with real 4x4 experiance realise that a falcon can do 99% of 4x4 tracks anyway.

Anyway I got a lot out of it. Anyone planning a trip like that would have had the biggest newest rigs and still had many problems. The cadet did amazingly well as did the merc.

The secret is weight reduction :p

Rip off the doors, bonnet etc..

Shoot a hole in the floor for drainage...

:cool:

Brilliant!

[F4Phantom]

I also wonder if they actually got help in some areas such as the river crossing and salty mud. I am sure we all know too easily how you can get stuck in water with lockers and 4x4 + muddies. These guys were going through what looked like deepish mud with 2wd's.

In WA from Kalgoorlie to esperance we stopped to look at some salt pans, they were quite large, and after walking into one a few metres I snapped the crust and put my foot in to the sticky sludge below, no car/4x4/tank would survive that, it was too deep and sticky. The smell was discrusting. So these african salt pans must have been different underneath, the merc seemed to get unstuck with a minimum of effort.

[vnx205]

I imagine salt pans vary a lot.
Some I am sure have something the consistency of thick porridge under the crust.
The one they drove across seemed to be almost identical to the way Lake Blanche was in 1983.
A Daihatsu with 6.50x16s and a heavy camper built on the back broke through the surface a couple of times.
My Series III with 7.50x16s even at 28psi only broke through when I tried to snatch the Daihatsu and drove over my own tracks twice.

We all know the challenges and races are carefully scripted to maintain the suspense, but they are entertaining and imaginative.

[PhilipA]

It was really a LOT of cow ****.
There must have been a support team ( Maybe the VW man) who selectively and continually
charged batteries- Lancia ( there was no way it was ever going to start without a jump) AND on day 1 it had a blown head gasket. this must have been fixed.
changed all oils-Kadett
Generally fettled the cars after every day. I guess they only gave up if something major failed , and even then I suspect they refilled the auto on the Lancia) . By the way , how rare is that?

ANYONE in Africa would have told them to drop tyre pressures to go over soft ground. As far as I could see, they were all on street pressures on the lake and in the creekbed.
It was all cowsh1t but entertaining nevertheless.
BUT they are really getting away from the whole idea of a relevant car show. I recall Clarkson was threatening to quit over this before the most recent series. He must be taking the money instead.
Regards Philip A

[spudboy]

After that show I am now looking for an old Merc for a paddock basher. That was classic! Loved the dust :D

[PhilipA]

Get a Peugeot 404 or 504 instead.
THEY are the real African standard/taxi/truck etc.
or of course a Fiat 1100/1500. A million Cairo taxi drivers can't be wrong.
Regards Philip A

[wovenrovings]

Mercs are the standard for intercity taxi's in Morrocco.

[vnx205]

After that show I am now looking for an old Merc for a paddock basher. That was classic! Loved the dust :D
I can tell you from experience that an Austin A40 makes a great paddock basher. Not only can you remove the doors, the bonnet, the mudguards and the boot, you can remove the entire body. Of course that probably applies to any car with a proper chassis.
With no body, the back end is light enough for two people to lift off the ground. If you get bogged, you just lift the wheels out of the ruts.
Of course you then need to fit dual wheels to get a bit more traction.
Without the weight of the body, travel available in the suspension is fantastic.

[CraigE]

I also wonder if they actually got help in some areas such as the river crossing and salty mud. I am sure we all know too easily how you can get stuck in water with lockers and 4x4 + muddies. These guys were going through what looked like deepish mud with 2wd's.

In WA from Kalgoorlie to esperance we stopped to look at some salt pans, they were quite large, and after walking into one a few metres I snapped the crust and put my foot in to the sticky sludge below, no car/4x4/tank would survive that, it was too deep and sticky. The smell was discrusting. So these african salt pans must have been different underneath, the merc seemed to get unstuck with a minimum of effort.
Whats wrong with the salt pans between Kal and Esperance?? Spent most of my life riding bikes, driving 4x4s and buggies on those pans. Great fun until you burn out a clutch on a bike.:o

On Lake Lefroy there are a few Dozers, Loader and Trucks sitting under the salt lake not to mention cars. I remember about 5 or 6 years ago a guy in a brand new Cruiser went out to play and got bogged, could not recover it and by the time he got back was buried half way up the doors, took a Cat 988 several attempts to get it out.
A lot of it depends on the time of year too. During summer you get a nice thick hard salt crust, in winter its only a thin crust. Also often there are underground streams as well and these areas are real treacherous if you do not know the geophysics of the area.
Top gear was entertaining last night. Go the Kadett.:D

[Swampy]

Salt flats, love them.

Took 2 days and a surf with a winch to get me out and a Defender to get the surf out.

The mud was that thick the free wheeling hub was unlocked and no drive to the front.

[CraigE]

Salt flats, love them.

Took 2 days and a surf with a winch to get me out and a Defender to get the surf out.

The mud was that thick the free wheeling hub was unlocked and no drive to the front.
Swampy,
The canoe is no use in that lake.:p:p