I know I go on about this a bit but it does get me down.
My car wafts along nicely at moderate speeds and if unobstructed can make good time without risk to man or beast. However it is a bit lumbering and doesn't have rocket-like acceleration, so in traffic, especially with a small child strapped to the back seat, a leisurely approach is more relaxing than pressing on hard, which also uses fuel as it has to be revved in the gears to really pick its skirts up.
But today I found myself as the number two in a queue following a mimser just brisk enough to make an overtake difficult in the A-road twisties. There was one place on a long straight where a fairly easy overtake would have been possible by using a heavy foot in the gears, but the mimsing A-class Merc was doing nearly 50 and I didn't bother thinking I would manage a bit later. Spent the next four miles cursing myself for not doing it, as the carphound accelerated up hills, spent most of the time at 40 except downhill, where he never exceeded 50, and of course was down to an indicated 27 in the 30: a classic case of the grade II mimser, with just enough traffic coming the other way to prevent a surprise jump.
If I had Lud's sort of money I would get something a bit more athletic. But I haven't so I can't.
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You could always fit a four branch manifold and a K&N air filter to the critter Sire.
Or, failing that, stick one of these on: www.shorrocksuperchargers.co.uk/
:o}
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It's already got a K&N filter, but it's the only car we have, it's done 85,000 miles and the supercharger (which will cost a pretty penny) will shorten its life. Not do I want to put harder dampers in or anything like that.
The K&N does make a nice noise under gentle acceleration at certain (moderate) speeds. It seems to give a couple more MPG but any performance improvement is a bit too subtle to spot.
That reminds me: I must take it out and try to vacuum the dust out of it.
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Probably not necessary. Most of the aerial dust will be through and into the engine already:)
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>> the aerial dust will be through and into the engine already:)
Dissing K&N are we? I did take it out some time ago and tapped it against something. There was dust in there all right. Larger particles no doubt...
Anyway this isn't about making my car go faster. There's a pedal for that and it works all right. It's about smug mimsing carphounds who don't think twice about holding everyone up.
Perhaps people here - or those who aren't closet mimsers themselves - are too resigned to bother about it?
We're doomed I tell you. Doomed.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Fri 1 Jun 12 at 14:58
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On the subject of mimsing, we followed a Golf past the Cat and Fiddle, heading to Buxton. Driver held it at 40 (limit of 50) and even down to 30 at the open, gentle bends, before the series of quite tight bends above the old coal-mining area. I was remiss in not getting past earlier, but I was accompanied by a critic:). Couldn't get by due to oncoming traffic without winding it up to "illegal" speeds in the view of cameras. Which are a typical futile reaction to self-immolation by lunatics on bikes. Until, dropping down towards the "esses" I gave the MINI a prod. Damn me if the driver didn't try to put a spurt on as I went by, then keep up quite well until the 30 limit. What was it thinking of? It's not as if a Golf is lacking in cornering ability, and I couldn't see aged parents or other impedimenta. It must be an infectious disease.
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Ive noticed since ive got a very slow car a breed of mimser that attacks slow cars.
Its those numbuts who come flying up behind you and then sit there despite numerous opportunities to pass. You speed up, they speed up. You slow down, so do they, but if they were in such a hurry before, why does a little green car suddenly make a difference? Its slow out of the bends so for every straight theres ample opportunity and I hang left so they can see past.
Im afraid its atleast a 75% lean towards women in posh cars, no idea why it should be so.
They want shooting. Too stupid to pull off a simple overtake but happy to tailgate. Grr.
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Chill out, Armel Coussine. Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead.
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>> Chill out
Takes all sorts Gastropod. It's true you seem very relaxed and tolerant from your posts. But I would find it surprising if people here thought I was miserable, or especially uptight.
A bit vehement and polemical perhaps. Can't help it. It often leads to trouble. Zero still won't talk to me because he thinks I called him yobbish.
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Don't you worry about Z, Lud, he blows hot and cold with the weather.
Try doing the same to him...he gets all confused and has yet another mid life crisis:)
Pat
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>> A bit ........ polemical perhaps.
And sesquipedalian!
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>> sesquipedalian
= 'a person or thing that is a foot and a half in height or length' (1615) - Shorter Oxford Dictionary.
It's only my thing that is a foot and a half in length Gastropod (he smirked).
It isn't really true that I use 'long words' either. I just use words, some of which are long in the nature of things. It isn't my fault if some people can't read (he added menacingly).
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>> Chill out, Armel Coussine. Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead.
I can't imagine AC chilled out. I like the fact that he comes across as a kind of latter day Toad of Toad Hall.
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Years ago, I met a mimser at the bottom of Kirkstone Pass. About 30mph and using the whole road so un-overtakable. Until I seriously sounded the horn.
He pulled in, I gave the well tuned 4/4 the loud pedal and second gear. Which I took to the red line and grabbed third. Likewise given the beans and at a speed I'll not mention, grabbed fourth and eased off.
Don't know how far behind the mimser was but it was a long way.
Probably the most satisfying overtake in any car I've ever done.
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>> Probably the most satisfying overtake in any car I've ever done.
>>
Overtakees can react dangerously though.
My most satisfying overtake was when a passed some Ferrari expensive supercar. He had got too close to a car ahead and so couldn't see the road beyond. While he hesitated I came up at a steady 55 behind him and as I had a clear view of the road ahead I went straight past him and the other car.
He must have got stuck at that point, because it was several miles before he caught up, but when he did he was clearly absolutely furious. No one overtakes a Ferrari, and certainly not a 20 year old Volvo 240 that didn't even need to accelerate. He roared past at what must have been 100, cut in in front, jammed his brakes on hard, then accelerated away at rocket speed.
His blood pressure was presumably astronomical now, if not boiling over.
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Similar thing last night. Had to do a swift 80 mile round trip early evening on very rural Shropshire roads. Came up behind a queue of 6 cars following a tractor. After about 3 miles of no one even attempting an overtake despite ample opportunities I decided to do the lot of them in one hit when the chance presented itself. OK, it involved a bit of warp factor 5 come "the engines cannae take it Jim" stuff but I got past with plenty of room.
A bit later, a young fella in an Alfa Mito who'd been trapped in the procession came howling past me, glaring and clearly miffed that an old bufty in a diesel estate had overtaken him !
Tee hee. Been a while since I enjoyed a wee hurl about as much as that. Goes a bit that Merc...
RWD rules OK !
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sat 2 Jun 12 at 09:51
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I mimse a lot in the 3 series - almost effortless, near silent cruising on CC on wide roads and duals....on the speed limit. As the driver of an irritating little 106 with a giant exhaust found out last night an immense reserve of power can provide some entertainment, albeit momentary for him !
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I was only reminded of how much progress I was making when the dog chucked up in the back...
:-(
Thank goodness for boot liners !
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>> He must have got stuck at that point, because it was several miles before he
>> caught up, but when he did he was clearly absolutely furious. No one overtakes a
>> Ferrari, and certainly not a 20 year old Volvo 240 that didn't even need to
>> accelerate. He roared past at what must have been 100, cut in in front, jammed
>> his brakes on hard, then accelerated away at rocket speed.
>> His blood pressure was presumably astronomical now, if not boiling over.
>>
Stupid stupid idiot!
I seem to get a load of plonkers in cars wishing to race me on my bike...
they pull alongside me at lights blipping their throttle - I normally just let them go.
Sometimes though, when road conditions allow, I'll let them get a little ahead, before catching up, then blatting past on part throttle.
They obviously don't realise even an old 750 has near supercar performance!
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Same with me, Jubilee crowds were blocking Britannia bridge on the way home last, some weaving necessary, most cars making space as the GS bore down on them, one wanted a race afterwards....a big clumsy looking bike with immense power and very fine handling when required.
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>> I can't imagine AC chilled out. I like the fact that he comes across as
>> a kind of latter day Toad of Toad Hall.
>>
Is that the Toad from the HJ forum?
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>> Is that the Toad from the HJ forum?
I remember him. Had some sort of Japanese supercar. Or was Toad the name someone else had given his Japanese supercar?
Anyway those who have read The Wind in the Willows will recall that Mr Toad is rich, foolish and reckless. I may be foolish and reckless but I am not rich. Alas.
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>> If I had Lud's sort of money I would get something a bit more athletic.
>> But I haven't so I can't.
Nitrous oxide. Sorted. :) Only one overtake per journey though But it would be a blast.
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Laughing gas gives one a blast does it?
Hmmmm!
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>> Laughing gas gives one a blast does it?
>> Hmmmm!
Roughly three times as much oxygen as air. You need to match the fuelling, have pistons, con-rods, crankshaft, clutch gearbox, etc, etc etc that cna take the power.
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"Roughly three times as much oxygen as air."
Not quite that much. The engine would melt.
N2O is one third oxygen, i.e two atoms of nitrogen and one of oxygen. Air is roughly 21% oxygen. Therefore nitrous oxide delivers just over one and a half times as much oxygen as air does.
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>> You need to match the fuelling, have pistons, con-rods, crankshaft, clutch gearbox, etc, etc etc that cna take the power.
Ay, there's the rub, the cost would be prohibitive. Nitro is also notorious for blasting expensively modified engines to smithereens.
It would be cheaper to stuff a V8 under the bonnet. But I wouldn't do it. The Cruiser isn't really suitable for heavy modification.
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The one I drove in the States had a straight six...went well, didn't care about the petrol cost at the prices paid over there.
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>> The one I drove in the States had a straight six...went well
Really Rob, a Cruiser? Well blow me down. One would have expected a V6. Lots of those in the US these days.
Any idea of the capacity?
Ours goes all right if thrashed, but it doesn't really like it and drinks heavily when so treated. It's supposed to be able to do 119 but I've hardly taken it past 90. You don't really need to.
Edit: I have a feeling that the maximum is attainable in 4th gear rather than top. It's redlined at 6500 but it hardly ever goes above 4500, when it really starts to get on the cam. I'm so damn disciplined these days I can hardly stand it.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 3 Jun 12 at 01:18
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Infectious mimsing - Dog
