Shane Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 But sadly, not with the Supra. Thought as we always have lots of threads on here about MPG and the price of fuel, I would post about my latest holiday and share a few pics too. Each year I make a pilgrimage back to Romania to visit old friends and colleagues, get drunk and just have a great time in my favourite place. Normally I camp but this year with the baby we decided that camping next to the river cerna where I normally go would be too much and we decided to book into a couple of our favourite hotels and have a few luxuries. Earlier on in the year I scrapped my old Corsa van which I have been running on vegie oil now for years and transplanted the engine from it into a Tigra that I picked up at a scrap yard for £350 with a blown engine: Well we set off on Friday the 22nd and due to the amount of vegie oil I squeezed into every available space in the car, and lets face it Tigras are not the largest, we travelled light to say the least. In addition to the tools, trolly jack and axle stands, I took around 150 litres of used veg oil in total and just added that with a bit diesel here and there when it was convenient to do so. The car is returning between 55 and 60mpg and running well, it has developed bit of a vibration at certain speeds and I think that is down to a combination of a gearbox mount that has fallen to pieces and tyres that are well passed their sell by date on the front. Also had to change a fuel filter but as a seasoned veggie oil man I always carry one now. As we had Zara with us, we stopped over in Hungary for a night, normally we push on and do the jourmey in around 24hrs. We arrived at our first hotel and stayed there for a week, we had such good weather with all but one day in the 30s and spent the week drinking, sightseeing, visiting old friends and spending a lot of time in the pool. Heres a picture of Zara and I in the pool: We also spent a day at a pool further up the valley which although was a bit old and tired being a poorly built left over from the Ceaucescu era, was great fun and what makes it intresting is it's location in the heart of the Cerna valley and the fact that the water that fills it comes from one of the many underground thermal springs that are in the area. It really is the largest pool I have ever seen and this picture taken from quite a way away, does not do it justice at all: We then moved on to a log cabin on the banks of the Danube and over looks Serbia: and here is the view from the cabin door: Last year this part of the Danube had been lowered considerably to allow some bridge repairs, one local guy pulled out an old motor bike while we were there and this is what he has done with it in the past year: And finally, I decided to flog the Supra and have put down a deposit on this little beauty: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Shane_ Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 thats some milage for 150 quid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Looks like you had a good time You can tell she is your daughter, she has some of your features Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplewitch Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Lol sounds like a great holiday Shane! Zara has grown so much since japshow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Lol sounds like a great holiday Shane! Zara has grown so much since japshow Yeah she is really changing and growing fast. You will see her again at JAE or possibly Suprapod if we/you go. Unfortunately like last year the weekend of Suprapod falls on one of the biggest days of the flat racing season in France so I will most likely be working that weekend although last year the boss didnt go so I managed to get there but I wont know until a day or so before which is why I haven't booked yet. I hear my eldest Son Paul has now joined the Outlaws too, it will be a family affair soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David P Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 It looks like you had a real motoring adventure, I like these too. Pleased to learn the Hybrid performed well. Looking forwards to hearing more about it during my next cup of your good coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Yes, am very pleased with how it has turned out. In fact so much so...I have just bought another engine and box, same type but one that has only covered 85k and not 200K. Plan is before winter I will do another swap for the lower mileage engine and box, as good as this one I am using is, it is starting to show signs of reduced compression and power. Compared to some I have done in the past, a roadtrip to Romania is like a trip to the shops , that said, the last couple of years I have noticed it gets harder than I remember it used to be. You are always welcome to drop by when you are in the area for a cuppa.It looks like you had a real motoring adventure, I like these too. Pleased to learn the Hybrid performed well. Looking forwards to hearing more about it during my next cup of your good coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Does sound like you had a good time. All that veg oil must have turned your car into a time machine ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 Does sound like you had a good time. All that veg oil must have turned your car into a time machine ;) Yeah it was good and the great weather made it really. Dunno about a time machine but someone could trace my route across the seven countries we crossed by the amount of empty plastic containers of various shapes and sizes discarded once empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty71 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Veggie oil transportation cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Time machine reference was due to you setting off and returning back in the future in 2012. Seriously, driving holidays in Europe are my new preffered holiday. Last year I went around Germany, Austria, Italy and France in the Supra. Clocked up a good few miles similar to you. I'm currently trying to plan a similar driving holiday for 2012 NEXT YEAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David P Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 The furthest I have been in my Supra was to Minsk, next time may go on to Moscow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 Ah I see, it was late when I typed that and then realised I couldnt edit the title! But you knew that I meant 2011 I am sure. Time machine reference was due to you setting off and returning back in the future in 2012. Seriously, driving holidays in Europe are my new preffered holiday. Last year I went around Germany, Austria, Italy and France in the Supra. Clocked up a good few miles similar to you. I'm currently trying to plan a similar driving holiday for 2012 NEXT YEAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Ah I see, it was late when I typed that and then realised I couldnt edit the title! But you knew that I meant 2011 I am sure. Yeah, just my attempt at keeping a forum jokey atmosphere. What are the border crossings like that far east in to Europe in a car? Do you get any hassle or have to wait for hours like in the old days? Or is it a clean easy process just like the rest of europe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Now we are "all in it together" to quote Basil Fawlty its a piece of cake compared to the old days. In years gone by on several occasions, I have spent a day queueing to get into Hungary and and 2 days to get out of Hungary and into Romania, but since they have both been admitted into the Eu. it's made it a lot easier and the border posts although still in place are pretty much unmanned. On the way in we had a simple passport check as we crossed into Romania, and on the way home we had the same thing as we entered Hungary. I noticed as we drove past the Iron Gates 1 crossing over the Danube into Serbia, the freight channel looked like as horrendous as always with lines of trucks, but the car/tourist lines were moving fine. If you are thinking about including Romania into your 2012 trip, do let me know as I may be able to point you to some nice spots. I drove a Land cruiser from Malaga through to Kosovo on two seperate occasions many years ago and also a Land cruiser from Nairobi through to Southern Sudan, now that was a roadtrip and in the case of the Kosovo trips some serious border controls both in the Eu. and in the Albanian port of Durres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Good photos, thanks for sharing. And finally, I decided to flog the Supra and have put down a deposit on this little beauty:http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/shaneg7ewl/DSCF6472.jpg That'll buff out. Actually, it won't. Give it to Stonkin to do a detail. Oh please, do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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