Fair do made my day so it did too!
01 August 2004, 04:19 PM
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Fair do made my day so it did too!
Two incidents Friday helped make mine a perfect day.
No. 1
Spent a hour or two this afternoon working in the warm sunshine with my two teenage sons laying a few paving slabs in the garden. Around 2 O'Clock, I heard the unmistakably beautiful sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine approaching from a distance. Stopped work and looked up into that beautiful blue sky with the occasional high fluffy white clouds. Nothing, but the sound getting louder now and there's more than one Merlin at near full throttle. What an exciting sound! Must be a Spitfire and Hurricane or maybe a Lancaster. We see all of these occasionally in the Gloucestershire skies in the summer as planes practice or make their way to the various air and other summer shows.
Then I spot them ... two fighters certainly: WWII war Birds high above me ... just little more than dots up there to the naked eye.... but I dont think they are either a Spitfire or Hurricane but they are obviously RR Merlin powered. The clipped wing tips are a clue but, some Spits had those too! Dive in doors and get the old Zeiss West 10x50s ... The Ross 13x60s would have been better but no time to find those.... Now I can see them. Two North American Mustangs! Now both line astern diving earthbound at full throttle directly overhead. Much lower now with both Merlins still screaming with open throttles but both now pulling up and into a steep climp completely looping over and repeating the process several times with the occasional dog fight ... all this going on directly over my house a mile or so south of Gloucester. This performance went on for at least six minutes, maybe more ... spellbinding stuff. I have never before seen planes and their pilots so obviously enjoying themselves. Throttling back side by side now they circled around Robinswood Hill a time or two then headed south east towards one of several larger Aerodromes in that direction I guess. Fairford in Glos., or Brize Norton in Oxfds... who knows ... anyone any idea what that was all about .... my own WWII War Birds show performance directly over my house!!
No. 2
Got really hot and dusty laying those slabs but got the job done and then had nice shower and complete change of cloths. Felt much better. I was cooler now but still hot so decided to take the old D reg Montego turbo for a run with all windows and sunroof open to really cool off. That's even better ... what a joy to drive like this in the beautiful cooling English summer evening. Passing through Gloucester now, caught some lights at red. Stopped at lights, noticed in the mirror driver of car behind on the phone ... that's illegal .... then he's tooting me on the horn. Not a clear throated two-tone horn like on the old Montys but a hesitant croak more like. He was driving one of those smooth but oh so bland blend of some MitsuMazdaSubarubarb which all seem to blurr in the Montego Turbo's rear view mirror.
... Even so, he attracted my atention. Thinking something wrong with the back of my car, I leaned out of my drivers window and looked behind. He was shouting something like " Do you want to sell your car?" I shouted back ... "Not for sale" then took off liked a scared Bunny with a wave.... as you can in a Monty turbo, despite it's seventeen years.
Over the past year, whilst driving one of my Montego Turbos, I've had something like this happen on three occasions. On two previous occasions, the offer showing a handsome profit. But, I still have my Turbos ... not for sale.... not because of their value or what have you, but, there's part of me in all of them now....
Two years ago, using my F reg (1988) Turbo to tow a twin axle trailer with a 505 MG Maestro Turbo on board, whilst tanking up at a petrol station (both cars), two separate individuals came over to enquire if my Maestro Turbo was for sale. Truth is that none of my cars are 'show stoppers' cosmetically, just tidy, but, mechanically yes ... despite that, they still attract enthusiastic attention and enquiries to purchase.
Things like this really make my day ... good eh....:O))
John
No. 1
Spent a hour or two this afternoon working in the warm sunshine with my two teenage sons laying a few paving slabs in the garden. Around 2 O'Clock, I heard the unmistakably beautiful sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine approaching from a distance. Stopped work and looked up into that beautiful blue sky with the occasional high fluffy white clouds. Nothing, but the sound getting louder now and there's more than one Merlin at near full throttle. What an exciting sound! Must be a Spitfire and Hurricane or maybe a Lancaster. We see all of these occasionally in the Gloucestershire skies in the summer as planes practice or make their way to the various air and other summer shows.
Then I spot them ... two fighters certainly: WWII war Birds high above me ... just little more than dots up there to the naked eye.... but I dont think they are either a Spitfire or Hurricane but they are obviously RR Merlin powered. The clipped wing tips are a clue but, some Spits had those too! Dive in doors and get the old Zeiss West 10x50s ... The Ross 13x60s would have been better but no time to find those.... Now I can see them. Two North American Mustangs! Now both line astern diving earthbound at full throttle directly overhead. Much lower now with both Merlins still screaming with open throttles but both now pulling up and into a steep climp completely looping over and repeating the process several times with the occasional dog fight ... all this going on directly over my house a mile or so south of Gloucester. This performance went on for at least six minutes, maybe more ... spellbinding stuff. I have never before seen planes and their pilots so obviously enjoying themselves. Throttling back side by side now they circled around Robinswood Hill a time or two then headed south east towards one of several larger Aerodromes in that direction I guess. Fairford in Glos., or Brize Norton in Oxfds... who knows ... anyone any idea what that was all about .... my own WWII War Birds show performance directly over my house!!
No. 2
Got really hot and dusty laying those slabs but got the job done and then had nice shower and complete change of cloths. Felt much better. I was cooler now but still hot so decided to take the old D reg Montego turbo for a run with all windows and sunroof open to really cool off. That's even better ... what a joy to drive like this in the beautiful cooling English summer evening. Passing through Gloucester now, caught some lights at red. Stopped at lights, noticed in the mirror driver of car behind on the phone ... that's illegal .... then he's tooting me on the horn. Not a clear throated two-tone horn like on the old Montys but a hesitant croak more like. He was driving one of those smooth but oh so bland blend of some MitsuMazdaSubarubarb which all seem to blurr in the Montego Turbo's rear view mirror.
... Even so, he attracted my atention. Thinking something wrong with the back of my car, I leaned out of my drivers window and looked behind. He was shouting something like " Do you want to sell your car?" I shouted back ... "Not for sale" then took off liked a scared Bunny with a wave.... as you can in a Monty turbo, despite it's seventeen years.Over the past year, whilst driving one of my Montego Turbos, I've had something like this happen on three occasions. On two previous occasions, the offer showing a handsome profit. But, I still have my Turbos ... not for sale.... not because of their value or what have you, but, there's part of me in all of them now....
Two years ago, using my F reg (1988) Turbo to tow a twin axle trailer with a 505 MG Maestro Turbo on board, whilst tanking up at a petrol station (both cars), two separate individuals came over to enquire if my Maestro Turbo was for sale. Truth is that none of my cars are 'show stoppers' cosmetically, just tidy, but, mechanically yes ... despite that, they still attract enthusiastic attention and enquiries to purchase.
Things like this really make my day ... good eh....:O))
John
01 August 2004, 06:15 PM
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I remeber getting a ride in a Maestro Turbo quite soon after they came out - performance was way ahead of the competitors. As a package they were hugely under-rated.
I imagine a good one is worth a few bob now!
I imagine a good one is worth a few bob now!
01 August 2004, 06:44 PM
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I have an abiding memory of working late one evening in the Summer at East Midlands Airport (worked for British Midland back then)... I took a short break as my head was spinning with all the problems I was facing and looked across the runway... only to see a Spitfire taking off as I watched.
I then spent the most wonderful 15 minutes watching this plane go through the most incredible aerobatics display all the time over the airport. People all around just stood and watched.
Magical.
I then spent the most wonderful 15 minutes watching this plane go through the most incredible aerobatics display all the time over the airport. People all around just stood and watched.
Magical.
01 August 2004, 11:32 PM
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What did they offer you, 50 quid? If so you should have bitten their hand off 
Maestro, Montego whatever, the epitomy of the demise of the Austin Rover group...
Why do you keep singing the praises of these rusting piles of poorly built garbage?
On a brighter and more convivial note, I too had a Spitfire fly over my house today (maybe we are neighbours) and it was a magnificent sight
Maestro, Montego whatever, the epitomy of the demise of the Austin Rover group...
Why do you keep singing the praises of these rusting piles of poorly built garbage?
On a brighter and more convivial note, I too had a Spitfire fly over my house today (maybe we are neighbours
) and it was a magnificent sight
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05 August 2004, 05:06 PM
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I posted this on a few different car sites .... response comparisons from each are interesting..... 
By the way, my "Spitfires" were Mustangs! .... Powered by Rolls Royce Merlins like the Spits.... built when RR was not alien controlled....
great days ... gorn forever....
By the way, my "Spitfires" were Mustangs! .... Powered by Rolls Royce Merlins like the Spits.... built when RR was not alien controlled....
great days ... gorn forever....
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