You'll be able to guess by the fact that I am even
writing this blog update this afternoon that I have still got a car that works and have made it to Rivoli (Turin) in Italy.... Hooray! :-)
This morning, as the rest of the team was setting off to the Col de Torini and other mountain tops, I set out, in some trepidation, to vist the TVR specialist in Opio (about 1/2 hour North of Nice)http://www.theenglishcarmechanics.com/. The three guys (Simon and his two sons Mark and Simon) set up in France some 16 years ago and are the only approved TVR garage in France. They really helped me out and confirmed that the car is still roadworthy - making a few running 
repairs to the front bonnet and drivers side headlight pod. It should be enough to see me staying on the rest of the trip - here's hoping ;-)
I have some photos of the cars that were at the garage - lots of really interesting ones, in particular a one-off Pininfarina bodied Bently and a good looking MG TF.
My sincere thanks to Simon and the team in Opio - they really helped me out and, as no spares were used, the price is to send them a TVR and Pistonheads Cap when I get home to the UK - my pleasure :-)
On leaving Opio, I travelled at a leisurly pace up to Levens (a nice climb) but then had to return towards Nice as the petrol station that TomTom said was there, was closed - and I was running low on
fuel (again). After that, I decided that discretion is the better part etc etc and took the motorway straight to the Rivoli Hotel here in Rivoli. Another good quality hotel - can't fault the choices made by the Track-Masters team todate.
The travel to Rivoli went along the new coast motorway (peyage) - which runs though a really good series of tunnels - which gave me a good excuse to blat it a bit every so often. Once again it confirms that the M-Way in France and Italy is much superior to that in the UK. Both in terms of how not-busy they are and the quality of the surface. Even the road works are better managed - only closing the carriage either side of the actual work, rather than coning off miles and miles un-necessarily.
Weather continues t0 be absolutely baking - actually too hot for the TVR with the roof off (but unbearable with the roof on I would guess) - roof has been off all day today and the factor50 is still working :-)
So hopefully the worst is behind us and we as a group can have a good day tomorrow driving into the Alps and towards Interlaken.
Toodle Pip /M
repairs to the front bonnet and drivers side headlight pod. It should be enough to see me staying on the rest of the trip - here's hoping ;-)I have some photos of the cars that were at the garage - lots of really interesting ones, in particular a one-off Pininfarina bodied Bently and a good looking MG TF.
My sincere thanks to Simon and the team in Opio - they really helped me out and, as no spares were used, the price is to send them a TVR and Pistonheads Cap when I get home to the UK - my pleasure :-)
On leaving Opio, I travelled at a leisurly pace up to Levens (a nice climb) but then had to return towards Nice as the petrol station that TomTom said was there, was closed - and I was running low on
fuel (again). After that, I decided that discretion is the better part etc etc and took the motorway straight to the Rivoli Hotel here in Rivoli. Another good quality hotel - can't fault the choices made by the Track-Masters team todate.The travel to Rivoli went along the new coast motorway (peyage) - which runs though a really good series of tunnels - which gave me a good excuse to blat it a bit every so often. Once again it confirms that the M-Way in France and Italy is much superior to that in the UK. Both in terms of how not-busy they are and the quality of the surface. Even the road works are better managed - only closing the carriage either side of the actual work, rather than coning off miles and miles un-necessarily.
Weather continues t0 be absolutely baking - actually too hot for the TVR with the roof off (but unbearable with the roof on I would guess) - roof has been off all day today and the factor50 is still working :-)
So hopefully the worst is behind us and we as a group can have a good day tomorrow driving into the Alps and towards Interlaken.
Toodle Pip /M
No sympathy from me, I'm a hardened Project Manager. What a well planned operation though for Mark to have crashed almost within sight of France's only approved TVR garage. Well done that man!!
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