European Road Trip 2018 Video Thread

[MightyCondor]

Following on from the series that I did for my previous trip in 2016 (https://fdoc.co.uk/forum/threads/european-road-trip-video-series.267/ ), I am in the process of making a bunch of videos for the follow up trip that I did last year. I have already posted a lot about this trip in my own project thread. I had a number of issues with the FD, but this was otherwise a fun trip and the 5 days in Cortina D'Ampezzo were great.

So far I have my 2 main summary videos completed, including the short cars trailer that I shared last Christmas. More videos to be added to this post as I when I find time to work on them.

 

[cib24]

I always thought a trip like this would be awesome, but to do it with a company is pricey even if they hook you up with 4-5 star hotels and plan it all out for you.

Circuit Days - Riviera Adventure

circuit-days.co.uk

Circuit Days - Schedule of Track day events and Tours

Circuit Days schedule of Track day events and Tours. We are a car track day organiser, running events at all the major UK and European race circuits and airfields.

circuit-days.co.uk

 

[MightyCondor]

I guess the that the main benefit is that you save yourself the planning and that they'll be a large number of people on the tour. Normally my friend Mark does the bulk of the planning, so I don't have to worry too much about the former.

My own trips will obviously be much cheaper and I imagine we have often used far more basic accommodation. Plus we probably get in a greater number of mountain passes and set our own pace. We do have a habit of ending up doing some outrageously long days though, and wishing we'd planned more realistically. This 2018 trip was different in that we stayed in one location for 5 nights and actually had a holiday that wasn't just based on relentless driving. This was good for me given that my car wasn't getting on with high altitude.

 

[noop]

I've done 2 trips to Monaco, 3rd on the way and another to Monza. Mountain passes along the way. In my civic type r. But without aircon in the FD I wouldn't dream of it! It'd be a sweatbox. How does the regular aircon manage?

Is it worth fitting retrospectively? The Alps deserve something as pretty as the FD.

 

[MightyCondor]

IBut without aircon in the FD I wouldn't dream of it! It'd be a sweatbox. How does the regular aircon manage?

Is it worth fitting retrospectively? The Alps deserve something as pretty as the FD.

I did both trips without aircon. 2018 was late September, so wasn't too bad. 2016 was during an August heatwave and pretty unpleasant.

I really want to get air-con readded to my car. Need to talk to an a/c specialist and work out how to get it working using a combo of original and new aftermarket parts. See no point in buying a used a/c rad that will probably be just as leaky as the one i ripped out.

 

[noop]

You're a braver man than I. I'd do the trip in a heartbeat if I had aircon. I can't access your videos at work, so I'll take a peek when I get home.

 

[cib24]

I love my aircon. I use it almost year round. In spring, summer and fall it's on setting 2-4 and in winter I keep it at setting 1 with the defroster on to keep my windows clear. I couldn't imagine driving any car without aircon.

 

[4packet]

The Alps is such an amazing playground. in 2017 I did a similar trip with the FD and ran through Cortina D'Ampezzo after waking up on the top of Stelvio and then stayed at an amazing hotel at Lago di Braies.

What was the issue with the altitude? Where appropriate, I drove the passes hard and the oil/water temperatures would rise pretty quicky (AC on in mid Summer), but more worryingly my oil pressure would nose dive. My low oil pressure warning alarm got a work out!

 

[MightyCondor]

The Alps is such an amazing playground. in 2017 I did a similar trip with the FD and ran through Cortina D'Ampezzo after waking up on the top of Stelvio and then stayed at an amazing hotel at Lago di Braies.

What was the issue with the altitude? Where appropriate, I drove the passes hard and the oil/water temperatures would rise pretty quicky (AC on in mid Summer), but more worryingly my oil pressure would nose dive. My low oil pressure warning alarm got a work out!

Note sure how evident it was in the video, but I included footage from a day trip to Lago di Braies

The altitude issue, was my coolant temps immediately started to skyrocket driving uphill at altitude. I discovered this driving up the GrossGlockner pass in Austria. Initially I was hooning up behind my mate in the TTRS, but one I noted the temps getting high I backed off. However they kept rising and I had to shutdown when they started to get dangerous. The car actually couldn't safely go uphill above 2,000m under any conditions.

It is quite likely that the coolant system was airlocked, as I had noticed a drip from a loose jubilee clip a month or so before the trip. However after attempting to fully bleed my system in Cortina D'Ampezzo, I still found my temps climbing somewhat on the trip home, even with gentle driving and moderate altitude. I think my previous front mount setup, just wasn't that good. I had no coolant issues previously in 2016 when everything was in a stock configuration (although did see high oil temps). I now have a properly ducted v-mount, so hopefully equipped if I go again.

I find your oil pressure issues both surprising and slightly worrying.

 

[ascari]

Following on from the series that I did for my previous trip in 2016 (https://fdoc.co.uk/forum/threads/european-road-trip-video-series.267/ ), I am in the process of making a bunch of videos for the follow up trip that I did last year. I have already posted a lot about this trip in my own project thread. I had a number of issues with the FD, but this was otherwise a fun trip and the 5 days in Cortina D'Ampezzo were great.

So far I have my 2 main summary videos completed, including the short cars trailer that I shared last Christmas. More videos to be added to this post as I when I find time to work on them.

That was a great watch, made me want to put an itinerary together for 2020. On a vid production note, more Ryan sandwiches, and definitely more tunnel braps and power sliding - the Jag looked like he was having all the fun!

 

[MightyCondor]

That was a great watch, made me want to put an itinerary together for 2020. On a vid production note, more Ryan sandwiches, and definitely more tunnel braps and power sliding - the Jag looked like he was having all the fun!

I can guarantee that the Jag driver had the most sliding fun. I had a few passenger rides in most of the cars. The TTRS was completely hooned, but too capable and never came remotely unstuck. The Jag was maybe too big a heavy for some of the twisty roads, but defo having the fun. The AMG is piloted by our Captain Slow and the Lotus was a rental, so the confidence increased as the holiday went on.

Sadly for me, after my issues on the way down, I didn't take the FD out to play on the Italian roads and was very much in preservation mode on the way back.

I feel that I need to get some more action packed shots of me driving the car. Recording tunnel noise can be tricky as microphone placement really matters. and wind noise can drown out the good sounds. Or you can just get a louder exhaust as this clip with my old RX-8 demonstrates

 

[MightyCondor]

My friend has finally finished his own videos of this holiday. Although we shared the footage with each other, we deliberately took different approaches and they are definitely worth a watch (you'd hope so given that they took him 14 months to publish). The 1st and 3rd ones are the car heavy ones. The 2nd is mostly scenic Dolomite activities.