Went up to Beaufort West (480kms) on Thursday (early), came back yesterday, with the outside air at 42C+ for a lot of the journey.
The car (astra 4 dr 1.8 auto) did superbly - 150/160 km/h for much of the trip up there (me alone), and 120-140 back (4 adults, 2 sprogs - me being less laddish!).
It was so hot that to open the window felt like opening an oven!
Never pushed it too hard - stopped to look at the Boer War blockhouses at a few places on the way up.
On the open road, the temp guage was at a quarter - when we slowed down for towns, hit close to red-line!
Interestingly, despite the end-of-year migration to the coast for thousands of "inlanders" , we saw NO police on the road on the return journey...
Also had to put up with the morons 4-up in old 1300 golfs/lasers/corollas doing full-out 110 on the flat, 80 up hills, and screaming-engine 160 downhills! (all figures in K's!)
The Italian-tune-up effect was evident - the car was superb from 150ks out of cape town, and was noticably better after a good 'hoon' - so much so that I still have an indicated 480 on the odo, and half a tank of juice left after coming back!
Also (one for the techies) will the constant high-temp running loosen the crud etc in the cooling system - should I flush and refill now?
Ian (CT)
|
|
Don't know about that, but I had the heater matrix burst 100 miles from home on a Nissan Bluebird about 3 years back, on a cold night (-3C). Temp needle stayed in the middle of the gauge at speeds of 90mph+ (150km/h+) but crept upwards when dropping to 70mph (120km/h)! Not bad when the only cooling agent in the system was air. Replaced matrix the next day, refilled, no damage done!
|
|
|
It's tough in the tropics Ian, I don't know us exiles cope....Our rainy season is over at last, clear skies, low-ish humidity and today was a glorious 35 C and perfect for a Harley blast with Growlette screaming "faster, faster" on the back (no speed camera n***s here, mate). Sinking to about 22-25 at night so perfect for a Christmas BBQ. Next week we do the annual Toy Run where an expected 800-1000 bikers (it was 700 last year) will ride in convoy down the expressway (nice authorities have closed it off for us for 30 mins for the 20 km ride, can't imagine the M25 doing that!) to deliver toys to UNICEF for several hundred deprived kids, all who will get a ride on our bikes then a free day on the rides at Toyland.
Tomorrow the F-150 will get a going over by Ford in anticipation of some volcano bashing later this month, and we have NY to look forward to: the bars are packed with new girls and the tourists so far are sensibly ignoring the fatuous FO "don't go there" warnings and coming in droves to party.
After last week's 8 C in Blair's Britannia all I can say is it's great to be back!
|
|
|
Ian,
Spent a month in SA this summer doing my pilot's license in George. Drove from Cape Town to George in a Toyota Tazz 1300(Avis) which cost us about £3 a day to hire. I have a photo of the speedo with the needle on 180kmh (no cars around, straight road etc etc). IMHO South Efreekan drivers are the best I've experienced-courteous,cool-headed and not grumpy about letting faster cars past. Had a fanatstic time and very jealous of you now with the 3 degrees C in Bristol that I'm suffering!
|
|
|
