What I did on my summer holidays, 2014

A thread to document the 2014 20th Anniversary Meeting in Turin: add pictures, movie links, speeding tickets, menus etc here.

Please date your contributions!

24 May

Today I are mostly being in Ulm. Discovered that today is the one-day-a-year museum night, so went to the museum of bread culture - surprisingly good!

The thermostat, which I replaced new a couple of months ago, has gone intermittently open circuit; I can't get the temperature above 70C once I'm moving - fortunately this is out of the 'warm up' range. Also, the only bit of the exhaust system that wasn't replaced last week - the lambda sensor - is dying.

Meh.

Car having a rest by the A61 - far too many road works but a nice road. Tonight, it sleeps in an underground car park in the hopes that the cleaning gnomes will visit. I've left a saucer of milk and some cookies out.

Neil do you want me to bring a replacement Lambda?

Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a proper coupe meet if *someone* wasn't on their back under a car... I'll reseat all the connectors this morning and text you if it doesn't behave today.

2 questions for you Neil:
1. Where's your fccuk event sticker?
2. Have you seen any other coupes?

*someone* being Jake I hope

Well today's epic involved a trip from Ulm through Austria, where lunch was had with a herd of Harley Davidsons...



In the afternoon we went up Stelvio, only to find that some rotter had declared it closed until June 1st... so instead we had to find one or two other interesting roads to keep things moving (and taking a couple of hours longer than they should have). We got up to 1,600+ metres somewhere on the SS43 but we can't recall the name of the pass!




Sticker still safely in the car, for now. Interesting cars seen en route:

Ferraris - 4
Maseratis - 2
Proper Fiat 500 - 5, two of them Arbarths
Barchetta - 1
Fiat 124 Spider - 2
Fiat Dino - 1
Vintage Rolls Royce - 1
MG TD - 1, but it was on a trailer so probably doesn't count
Mercedes W113 - 4
Fiat Coupe - 1, parked up in Brescia two minutes before we found the hotel.

Joe, best stick a lambda sensor in; ticking the wires made no difference. Biggest spanner I have with me is 19mm.

Looking good there Neil !

Mine is getting a polish tomorrow ready for departure on Wednesday.

Best of luck Neil Have a good one!

Now with added sticker:

Oh well I hope it's open on June 2nd when I am planning to drive through...

We've been to the Alps in spring before and the snowline is often low enough to affect the higher passes...

Doing tourist things on foot today - pics at http://s156.photobucket.com/user/nailed_...?sort=2&o=1 (unedited) if you're interested.

Did manage to score the last one of these from the tourist office...

Message received and understood.

New Lambda
22mm lambda spanner
Length of string, pair of gloves and Jake

Is that sticker on straight Neil?

How you going to get that lot through baggage control then?

Gloves I have, Joe - and no, I don't think it's straight either. But I have a couple more.

Oh, wait - the gloves are to allow Jake to 'carry' the tool?

I also have the toolkit if your tool fits a 1/2, 3/8, or 1/4 square drive.

I think I would have opted for rear window bottom right ……. Surely that lacquer is still soft?

Neil a Lambda spanner tool is needed for this so I'll bring one in our hand luggage.

I'd put a sticker on each side as well then you'll look the part

Trip to Verona today, but the two gentlemen were on holiday.

On the way, a stop at the Mile Miglia museum:



More on the photobucket link above.

I don't remember seeing the last one on the Mille Miglia?

Women drivers!

As magooagain says - I've had tools confiscated before now, much to Mrs Ed's embarrassment

No hold luggage option to be on the safe side?

Today, a trip around Garda in the sunshine, and a trip over from Gargnano to Idro in a thunderstorm.



The last two are at Capovalle, 1000m amsl.

Looks nice and clean. Have you been to an Italian jetwash ?

I'm only in Ashford and already the worlds largest bird has crapped down the side of the coupe.

Not spotted any other coupes yet.

Ps i have a spanner and spare mirafiori disclaimer for you.

Not so much clean as flooded - there were thunderbolts and lightning all around us and it was spectacularly soggy!

Thanks for the bits.

You're saying this aerial crapper targeted you in particular?



And while you're there folks don't forget to feast on delicious cingiale - great with deep-fried courgette flowers!

She's sweeping all before her!
(Apologies if someone has already said it )

I can't figure out how to get a link out of Photobucket using my phone so here's a link to a slideshow instead, just 1 picture so far... clicky

That help, Dave?

Hope this works.

Mulhouse Museum Visit

Some weird and wonderful cars there, Bob!

Only one coupe picture today - sitting in the car park waiting for another thunderstorm to land on it...



Had a very pleasant day in Bergamo - thanks Gimmo for the suggestion.

Neil have you taken any pics of the surrounding countryside as I know what your 16v looks like

Yes! Coupe in a car park is not one of your better pics Neil.
Though I do like to see your Coop in the pic with stunning views in the background. And get those extra stickers on the doors so everyone knows what it's all about.

You seem to be the only one posting their journey in this thread. Maybe it needs re-named!

Looking forward to tomorrow's stunning Pic

Aw come on Joe he's like a kid with a new toy, give 'im a break

@Neil as far as accommodation goes have you tried the Suite Bergamasque?

Haven't had a huge number of chances to do photogenic stuff... I'd have loved for example to do something in Bergamo, but no entry up there for the likes of me, so the car was hiding in the underground car park.

Stelvio was planned for photos all the way up - the views are stunning - but unfortunately it was closed. Those Italians insisted on keeping trees close to the road on the other passes we used; they didn't go above the treeline and there was really nowhere to get a view.

Shame.

Pictures so far from the meet start about halfway down this page: http://s156.photobucket.com/user/nailed_barnacle/library/Italy-France%202014?sort=2&page=6

First the pre-pre-meet at Vicolunga, then the main do. Very unsorted/unedited...

So many shiny Coops . I'm so envious of your "Italian Job" on the Turin factory Roof and Chris Bangle too.
Thanks for sharing Neil

Beautiful pics, its a shame I wasnt able to make it. Would have loved to meet you guys. Lingotto looks great, does anyone know if its possible to arrange an individual visit? I plan on going with my two bellas late this summer,

Forty new pics from Veneria, the Mirafiori meet and of the drive up to Aix-les-Bains starting here: http://s156.photobucket.com/user/nailed_barnacle/library/Italy-France%202014?sort=2&page=10

Enjoyed viewing both these sets Neil, I'm jealous you have both your first ladies with you looking in fine form

There's nothing quite like Italian architecture for style, function and solidity, it's awe-inspiring.

To see every single car in a massed shot as a Fiat Coupe is as if your mind is playing tricks on you. Gleaming brilliantly, they are so much more than confetti when listening to them let alone at the wheel. What a sound they must have made on the roof of the Turin factory, only matched by the thrill of the famous wall.

There must be many faces I don't recognise that belong to forum names I know, but apart from yourselves I spotted Chris Bangle (oh well done), Alesi doing his "contracted" stuff and his reborn electric blue Plus, and a rather familiar black roof ..but still with broomy mirrors.

Great pics!

A few more; Lake Bouget and the roads around, Col du Chat, and Annecy: http://s156.photobucket.com/user/nailed_barnacle/library/Italy-France%202014?sort=2&page=12

Reorganised the photobucket, so all the links above are broken. Everything is now sorted by time/location (though still otherwise unsorted):

Brescia
Verona
Mille Miglia museum
Gargnano
Bergamo
Vicolunga
Turin
Pinifarina museum
Lingotto
Venaria
Mirafiori
Mont Cenis
Aix les Bains
Annecy
Houlliere
Colmar
Beaune
Schlumpf collection

I asked Bartosz, one of the Polish guys (Sprint Blue car with Orange), if he could upload some of his pictures on to photo bucket so they could be viewed here. He did take some really nice pictures of the weekend.

Here is a link to his Slideshow

Few FCCUK faces captured..

One of the German guys, Michael, has uploaded his video of the weekend.

On Youtube

Thought I'd share a few snaps taken on our trip home via St Bernard pass with a couple of other friendly fccuk-ers. Even bumped into Schumi who was mighty impressed with the LE he used to own...

The opportunity to be once again with his LE was enough to bring him out of a coma.

He had a slight Welsh twang to his accent but I recall he was more than happy to offer a personalised message on your dash strip a la Bangle...

He truly is a great guy as well.