Chewie

Took the wee beastie out for blast around the Cotswolds and Malverns. Getting the hang of it. Found a few niggles. The idle is a tad low at an indicated 600 rpm and the pedals are very close. It's all too easy to stamp on the brake and hit the throttle at the same time. I'll have to work on the heel-and-toe technique. Amazing road holding and found myself catching up with loads of Sunday traffic but being so low down it was hard seeing what was up ahead. The headlights tip is spot on.

I've got a choice of an R1, Speed Triple or the NC35 but I quite like my bikes.

Heating is very good. You stick your hand on the gearbox tunnel.

Yeah topfun rating is 11/10. It was good sunny day. Had a few toots and waves as I overtook/got over taken. There's a few things I need to do like fit an FIA roll bar for trackdays, big brake kit, cycle wings, tillet seats. It's was owned by a 70 yr old boy who sold it to the last owner who wanted it solely for track days but he had the chance to buy an Elise with an Audi engine. So decided to sell up.

I picked up my stand-by car incase the Supra ever lets me down – a Caterham 7. It comes with a Raceline 2.0 L Ford Zetec tuned to 160 bhp wrapped up in 530 kg of aluminium foil. It couldn't be more different than a Supra. No ABS, servo'd brakes, powersteering, it doesn’t get less basic than this. I didn't trust myself going on the A & B twisties from Bracknell to back to Cheltenham. I figured keep it simple - M4 one straight line. You’re so low you can see ahead of the car in front by looking underneath it! Sat just 5 inches off the M4, I could’ve trimmed my nails by dragging my hand along the tarmac. You wonder when you overtake an artic lorry whether the trucker has actually seen you. There were a few moments when I got tailgated and all I could see was the reg plate in my mirror. I forgot to stick my ear plugs in or bring my crash helmet. 1 hr 30 mins of motorway later and I was stone deaf.

And I agree with you too. I recently bought a set of Bontrager carbon fibre clinchers for £750 and that were in a sale. I could train harder to increase manpower but instead chose purchase power to buy performance. Problem is if I trained harder, I'd only spend the money anyway to get that extra edge anyway. It's is a rip-off. My Triumph 1050 Speed Triple cost me £8K but my racer cost me (so far) £3K and it hasn't even got lights nor a bell.

Yep though the money may seem extortionate, you will notice the difference between an sub £1K entry level and a £2K racer.

When I last looked my UK spec Supe was locked up in the garage.

Maybe he's a tame racing driver. Some say that he looks very old for age. And some say that he like's serving the a*ses of boy racers back to them on silver platters. But we prefer to call him ... THE OLD PHARTT!

Years ago a friend of mine died in a very untimely manner. In the following days, friends of the family went round to visit his widow to talk and shelp where we could. It was at one of these meeting there was this woman who was a bit whacko and was into clairvoyances, occult and stuff like that. During the evening, events got a bit emotional and this woman started shouting. Then the really freaky bit her voice slowly changed tone to a man's voice but not any man. It was the voice of my dead friend! Everybody was freaking out big time. I legged it upstairs to make sure the kids were alright. Another mate came after me thinking I was making a run for it before the demons arrived. The widow was screaming and the whacko woman started talking gibberish. It was like something out of a horror film. People were so scared they rang up the woman's husband to collect her. They wanted her out of the house ASAP. Some didn't even want to drive home until daylight and spent the night huddled in the living room of this house. Spooky!

Anna Chapman was probably a classic soviet honey trap. You meet her in a sleezy bar. She gets you back to her place. You get her knickers off and out pops little willy while the kremlin paparazzi is snapping away. Chickski with dickski. LOL!

I had a speed related shake problem a few years. Coincidently my office had relocated so I was commuting on a dual carriageway from front door to desk at *** leptons instead of crawling along in a grid lock. The problem disappeared when I had new tyres put on. I can only put it down to the way the tyres wore.

I've got totally stock UK spec auto with 63K on the clock if you're interested. Not sure about selling but could be persuaded if the offers right. PM me.

Also must mention pant wettingly hilarious incident in the gents bogs during Cheltenham cricket festival. The ladies bogs was packed so some girls were using the mens. There was this one particularly drunk girl who was leaning next to the urinals watching the bloke have a slash and passing comments. It’s my turn. I’m not put off by her coz I am bursting. So I show here a few tricks like how to blast the ciggie butts down the hole and how high up the wall I can go. “Look out for the splash-back.” I warn her as she gets an arm load of spray. Off she goes. As I zip up, the guy next to me says “Thank god she’s gone. I couldn’t go.” I turn round and there’s David Gower literally wetting himself in hysterics. So was everybody else. This was about the time he was in They Think It's All Over.

Yeah done the Top Gear thing too. Mike Tindal (Zara's other half). Met Bernard Cribbins at my old man's restaurant. Met Jim Calaghan and Ted Heath in Salisbury Cathedral Close, bumped into Charlton Heston and Eric Sykes in Bath when I was a student, bumped into Windsor Davies in Cheltenham and Nigel Kennedy monster monster funny guy and Sharon Davies and the ex-wife/vet of Joe BBC vet (Vets in Practice), sister is mates with Adrian Lester, met James Toseland and wished him luck for 2009 (kiss of death), Jeffery Archer canvassing during an election, Dave Baddiel ... blah blah blah.

I was bopping away next to HRH Zara Phillips in the 21 Club on Gold Cup day in Cheltenham. She knows all the lyrics to Mr Brightside and Don't Stop Me Now. Ruby Walsh (Kauto Star) and AP McCoy (Denman) were there along with a munchkin load of jockeys.

0.69% (0.19% above base rate) and very happy.

I may be reading this all wrong so please do forgive me. It's all blobby because you didn't get it hot enough or put enpugh flux on teh joint. Anyway you can't braze aluminium. The brass part fell out because aluminium has a higher expansion coefficient than brass. You need to see a welder.

You're being ripped off. Mine's 0.19% over base. Currently paying 0.69%. I'm with the Woolwich (Barclays). Set back in 2004.

Those placky tray sledges are next to useless. Too much contact surface slowing you down. You can't beat the old traditional design. I fitted mine out with polypropylene curtain rails and it went like a luge down the cresta run. Kids on the plastic trays were wondering if I had a jet pack fitted. LOL!

Go down to Halfords. Get some Plastic Padding and fibre glass mesh. Try that on your tooth. Strong possibility it might poison you.

I remember when only over 40s could afford the £42K for a new MkIV Supra.

Sobering write-up. Makes a change from hearing about the stereotypical lashing of 'lost control on diesel'.

LOL!! [GRIN][/GRIN] Just before Xmas, I had a work shop built to tinker around with the Caterham and my bikes. If I bought that I'd need planning permission to extend it.

Exactly that. It'll be a track WMD. 180 mph top speed is of no real priority nor are creature comforts. It's about acceleration and cornering. I've always had a thing about Caterham 7s when I saw an autotest event. The 7s just walked away with everything. I'd love to keep the Supra but it's not too practical towing a car trailer. LOL!! So The plan is get an R300, a trailer, a decent car like an R32 Golf or Scirocco for everyday use and fit it with a tow bar. Happy days.