Renault to France !

[jackstowers]

Sounds like the hill start routine will be keeping your mum fit.
Sounds like a great adventure, keeping fingers crossed for weather for you and keep the updates/pictures coming

[impmad2000]

Day 2 continued
Sorry for the lack of photos here, as most are still on the camera, those posted come from the iPhone ! The rest will follow eventually.
We are following good route instructions, so we are all going in in the same direction. Stop for a break and I recognise half of the customers .... And their cars aren't too far away.
Through village after village, waving to oncoming cars, pedestrians, or just those who step out of their front door to say hello ! We are certainly getting a warm reception.
After lunch we set off again. This is a mistake, we should have topped up the fuel 1st..... We will find this out later.... At the top of a very long hill we conk out, directly under an ominous grey cloud, which dutifully opened ! We got soaked ! But waited before filling the fuel as we didn't want water in the tank ! A short shower we thought, but 15 mins of it, not worth putting up the roof so we sat it out under an umbrella. When it did finally stop, Filled up with fuel and off we set. Last to arrive at the hotel, but happy to get there... 1st real drive at 78 miles.

[210bhp]

Brilliant Tim,

Loving your account and trials and tribulations. What a fantastic trip. Can't wait to see the rest of the photos.

Do you have a couple of 'Pratts' fuel cans strapped to those running boards with a nice leather strap ready for those out of the way fill ups? I have a couple of restored ones in the garage that used to be my grandfathers from his 1926 Fiat.

Have fun!

Regards
Mike

[impmad2000]

Day 3 - Ploermel and back via Josselin
Post breakfast meet in front of the hotel and we check oil, prime the drive shaft unions, Neatsfoot the clutch and ready to go..... Fuel can wait til 1st top we think. I'm accosted by one of the experts about ignition timing, and its value.... I umm and err for a while but eventually agree to pop a bit of extra advance in. No idea of what is set as there's no timing marks, so it's advance a few degrees and see how it goes ( that's as far as science goes here, the rest is experience, and years of it ! ) that swings over and starts fine so I'll go for it thanks.
Brill, out of the car park Like a shot and up the hill. Now, is it the cooler air of the morning or the ign advance ? .... Who cares ! It fees fine .
The loop takes us 37 miles in all, stopping for fuel en-route. But theres a 16 mile short cut, so you can see were not far from home really ! Big loop via some scenic places, we stop for coffee in Lanouee and meet Mary In her Renault NN. at 70+ she drove it to Portsmouth, and then onto France !
Coca Cola and a break as many of the others pass by...
Eventually on via the route to Josselin but we're late so miss the tour of the chateau

But pull into the car park for lunch anyway .... Here's some of the cars....

1 1/2 hours of lunch later....
They are still there.
Not too shabby for a bunch of olds ! Fill the fuel tank again, just in case
On the way home we get soaked again as a thunder storm hits ! This time we pull the hood up as its in for a while... Hail the size of aniseed balls.

but we get back to the hotel in the end anyway !

[johnM]

Fantastic Tim. Keep it coming.

[Gary71]

Indeed great stuff. Proper adventure motoring. I love the fact that when it stops it's not breaking down as such, that's just what happens!

[911hillclimber]

Just great Tim, please keep carrying us along with you.
Been to some of those places in the past but in a MkII Capri (fab car)

[impmad2000]

Day 4 - a free day or a 53 mile loop
One option was to visit a car museum, but as we were driving a mobile museum, I chose the loop. It went via a Museum of the Resistance, so we decided to go this way.
Following on from the success of the timing tweaks, I decided to try a little more.... Advance it 'til the handle kicks whilst cranking, and then back it off a little. I soon found out about the kick back ! So backed off a little. You certainly know when you've gone too far.
Here's some of the cars with their overnight coats on !

The tour was good, you get used to smiling and waving at the locals as you go ! I like France !
The museum of the Resistance was shut for lunch of course, so we poked about outside. This doesn't look very French though on a generator set next to a WW2 radar type thing !
Sorry, few photos as I was busy driving. I have more pictures on my other camera, so will update later.
Gratuitous picture of the gearbox...

And inside ( just checking levels)

And now some of food - starter and sweet, main didn't last long enough to photograph ( I just ate that ! )

[smallspeed]

tim, i can't believe you've been driving that car 4 days and you've not mentioned megasquirting it yet!

[TheEasyLife]

tim, i can't believe you've been driving that car 4 days and you've not mentioned megasquirting it yet!

Just what I was thinking.

[impmad2000]

Day 5 - Re-locate to Dinan
Time to pile the suitcases in the support vehicle for transport to the new hotel in Dinan.
The route today is split into 2 sections, 1st part 42 miles to lunch (13:00) and the second part (15 miles) to Dinan.
You have to love the french approach to lunch... 2 hours and 3 courses.
Sorry not many photos as I was busy most of the time driving, so mostly a video this time. Its a bit shaky as Mum's not best with the camera, but she also had a go a t driving too. This is a milestone as she's never driven the AX before. The last part of the video is the oiler dripping lubricant to the gearbox, and two main bearings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05sXdXRfNOQ
The descent into Dinan was scarey, hard on the brakes looking for a hairpin turn into the hotel, but we made it safe and sound.
Luckily there was no evening meal, we were both still full from lunch, so we took an pleasant evening stroll up the very steep hill into the walled town.
I think this was is a Facel Vega, sounded nice as it drove steadily up the valley.