..brilliant!!!!! Thanks!!!!

Right. First, assuming one lives within convenient distance, one contacts Knockhill office (www.knockhill.com will do). They send one a form to cough up £169, which one sends; they then send a receipt and an invitation to 'phone for a date. One then puts off for a month or two, now fearing that people may think one an old fool. Eventually they 'phone and one has to face up to it.

One then parades on the due date and appointed time (in Toad, giving some style to proceedings) to find some other hopefuls there.

The drill is that one gets an initial briefing, some of which one hears despite dubious hearing and a typical modern small child which somebody's better half has brought with her - dammit.

On the track, following arduous insertion of one's six feet (length, not number) through the roll cage one goes round first with the instructor driving, he making various profound observations which one does not hear, so one just looks at what he is doing as best as possible, being somewhat discouraged by no working instruments and the remembrance of some hot laps once, chauffeured by my nephew in a sprint Sunbeam on a track day, when turning in points and things seemed notably different and more in accord with one's own instincts. Then there are 5 laps with self driving, under the impression that one is picking up some of what is being said. Some trouble with the clutch, which is not well placed in an E at best so that one tries to displace a portion of the vehicles structure instead of the pedal, but things seem to fall into place. Despite what was said at briefing about us finding 5 laps quite enough, it was too short. One thinks eight would be better for geriatrics.

Then we get a rest, followed by another 5 laps.

Before this lot the instructor suggests a simple hand code, for when he wants brakes on and off - he seems to think throttle can be left to the fates - and turn in points. It really seemed to one to go quite well. Certainly it was enjoyed.

It must be related that one's brother, who was chatting with the chap who looks after the machinery, inquired about a misfire on the straight; after a look and listen next time round they concluded that one was coming out of the hairpin faster than others and was hitting the rev limiter - really requiring another change up, but at about 100 yards to the braking point hardly worth while.

To finish up there was a final lap driven by the instructor, presumably to get his revenge, but after one's nephew it was not that hair-raising!

One gets an assessment with various aspects of driving rated from A to E, and a score, and comments; someone got a little plaque for having 92; one only got 84, presumably because of the E for "Drive To Instruction".

Comments were:- "Amazing, never heard a word of instruction, just went faster and faster. Didn't bother with clutch on first run!! - that's too slow!"

But one has As for "Maintain Full Control" and "Consistency".

The cars were stripped 3.8 hardtops, big bore Webers, fitted with V-12 brakes, to last all day; and Getrag 5-speed boxes, because the Jag boxes were far to expensive to maintain.

One is contemplating another go before aging sets in too far.
Tomo

Pulling the threads together

parkers has no idea about the value of any Civic VTI. VTI's fetch a premium, they can outperform just about any 'hot-hatch' and do it all day, everyday, wihthout breaking

before i bought my 1.6 VTI i looked at well over a dozen, even the ones in really dodgy condition were more than parkers mid-book

all i can say is take a look at autotrader and if the value seems fair, buy it. VTI's are amazing, reliable fast understated cars.

basic things to check are service history, - that VTEC engine will be good for well over 150,000 miles, but only if its looked after

rear calipers (tend to seize)

and make sure you check the mileage, because civic's go for ever they get clocked a lot

other than that just get one and enjoy it

Surely the whole point of a tram system is that they dont overtake each other. They follow set routes, a set time apart. The Metrolink in Manchester works very well (apart from ruch hour when its a little overcrowded).

Jonathan