Rusty Crobar

Here's the details of my weekend road trip, can't recommend it enough if you ever get the opportunity. Day one: First good road was the a470 from merthyr Tydfil to rhyadar via breacon, quite busy on a weekend but fast and great views as you go over the beacons. I got a bit lost trying to find the elan valley but all the roads around there are awesome so it wasn't really a problem. Eventually found the route around the dams which is a great road in its own right, shame it was snowing so had to slow the pace a bit. Got to test the suspension travel in the bumpy car park there too! Then it was back on the a470 to Newtown and then to the excellent Checkers in Montgomery.

Yes, snow mode was used a couple of times but it's no substitute for proper tyres! Nearly got stuck when I pulled in to an ungritted lay by!

My mood is great thanks 😊 I had to miss most of the game as I was eating a Michelin star dinner at the checkers in Montgomery, Powys. It was sort of a late birthday present from my wife, we also stayed here last night so I have a long and twisty drive home later. We did the elan valley yesterday in the snow! Didn't get many pictures because of the weather but I'll post some later. Here's a starter for 10...

Does this mean I can come out of hiding now?

Not sure I'd be able to swing this one but sounds like a lot of fun.

I find the F a great stress reliever driving home after work everyday, although heavy traffic is frustrating 😠. Got a trip to mid Wales this weekend which should be fun 😎

Traction seemed an issue on the drag strip 😁

Knockhill looks like a proper circuit!

Dare I ask how it compares to an evora? The S2 exige I drove was beautifully balanced, so responsive to the throttle. Shame it was just a quick drive 😔

Hmm do I stick with my Michelin road tyres or put wider track tyres on the standard wheels? 🤔

I went to a private test facility today, which looked a lot like a deserted roundabout, to push the limits of the handling. First I tried sport mode and was very impressed, gave just a bit of slip before bringing itself back in to line. Reassuring to know you can have some fun but that the car will look after you. Next was with traction disabled. I was suprised how much you needed to push before reaching the limit. Once grip was lost a slight lift got the back end under control again. I'm no drift king so I wasn't going crazy with the throttle but after 3 or 4 laps I was exhausted from the G force! What a machine it is, more grip than any of my previous cars but also really well balanced - and a lot of fun 😊 Next step is the track...

If I'm being honest, there isn't a much difference in cover or service between any of the well known companies. NFU seem to always get good reviews and direct line are offering some really good extra benefits but as long as you recognise the brand you should generally just go with the cheapest option.

I recently threw most of mine out, but kept all the isf related ones, I'll try and dig them out.

Sounds like fun but it's a little bit too far for me. Drove a lotus round there a few years ago, great circuit 🖒

Ekanoo racing do some amazing stuff!

I love the idea of the ct but it's ruined by the ride quality, the gearbox and the lack of power. Nothing the 2.0 turbo, DCT and new suspension couldn't fix 🖒

I don't see the problem. .. 😶

Flat out alloys in cardiff, I've used them for 2 sets of wheels and was very impressed. Check out their face book page to see some examples 👍

Just swap the wheels while you're there!

Common as muck! Only joking, it looks great and you're very lucky to have a 2011 model.

I still can't make my mind up on the looks. I'd like to see one on some fatter wheels. The interior and driving modes are useful improvements though.

@sorcerer it could be that you are fully covered then 🖒.

Like most insurance products there are variations in the acceptance criteria for gap so shop around, a few of the main comparison websites will allow you to check prices from multiple companies. I recently bought gap for my 8 year old 100k mile ISF so there are companies who cover older cars. I paid about £200 for a 5 year policy from the pistonheads website. @sorcerer it's always good to consider other cover you might already have but check that your union cover can be used in a total loss situation. Motor legal protection is very specific cover in that it just helps recover uninsured losses from the at fault driver such as your excess and loss of earnings. Some general legal cover won't do this for you as there is no money to be made from it! It also helps you to claim personal injury compensation, if you don't have motor legal protection then a personal injury lawyer will take up to 25% of your compensation as their fee.

Hi malc, came across your post while browsing. I work in the industry so thought you'd like my thoughts. After the insurer declares a write off it will either take ownership of the car (and dispose of it via a salvage company), cancel the policy and pay you the full value minus deductions OR it will let you keep the car if safe to do so, and take the salvage value off the settlement amount. The car will be registered as a write off but you'll be able to continue to drive it on the road if you buy a new insurance policy, although you might need to prove you've repaired it. If your car is worth less than your excess and other deductions then it would be a 'non viable' claim so you wouldn't be able to claim and it wouldn't be recorded as a write off. For small repairs on low value cars it's worth just paying for it yourself. I would always go comprehensive for the extra benefits, even if you have to put a higher excess on to get the price of tpf&t. I would also recommend gap cover especially for rare cars that are usually worth more than the book prices suggest. Hope this helps but let me know if you have any questions 😊

Fantasy garage : Broadley t73 to destroy track days. Don law modified Jaguar xj220, mostly to look at. GSF for daily driving. AM V12 vantage s for weekends Porsche 997 rs to see what the fuss is all about. Arial nomad for dirty fun American muscle car resto mod, something like a pontiac gto. And my all time dream car a Singer 911 😍 All would be resprayed it Lotus racing green, the best colour (definitely better than silver).