h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The job is done. The car is bought. And my god is it quick - that's quick with a capital "fnckin' 'ell!"

Oh, and then there was the amusing incident of "how the heck do you get the fuel cap off". Which was played out to everyone's great amusement on an Esso garage forecourt somewhere in the Brentwood area.

Apparently it's: hold the cap, put the key in, turn it 180 degress to the left, push down and turn the cap clockwise. Apparently...

Blimey you've learned that quick, I couldn't tell you how to get the petrol cap off my car

GB, if you're driving round in a bottomless petrol tank because you can't get the fuel tank off, I want a car like yours!

Had a similar thing with our newish car. Turns out there is a little switch on the floor by the side of the driver's seat. I had to read practically the entire manual whilst sitting at the pump in order to discover this information. As I recall, it wasn't with the bit about refuelling, or getting started or controls, or anywhere else sensible.

Been flashed yet GD?

Oh I can remove the petrol cap, I just couldn't describe to you how its done!

>>Had a similar thing with our newish car. Turns out there is a little switch on the floor by the side of the driver's seat. I had to read practically the entire manual whilst sitting at the pump in order to discover this information. As I recall, it wasn't with the bit about refuelling, or getting started or controls, or anywhere else sensible.<<

Ah ha, I found the one in mine and realised what it did. However, I didn't quite work out how it worked and on at least two occasions I've been stuck at the pump trying to prize open the petrol cap with my key. There is no lock on it, the flap on the bodywork just won't open.
Eventually I worked out that it won't open the flap if you try and flick it open when the engine is running. So make sure you switch the engine off *before* you flick the swtich.

Feels glad that he's not the only one.

So what's the problem with Jap cars then GD? I've got a Honda and I can't see any big down sides to it aside from you need a strange adaptor if you want to fit a new stereo.

The car is phenomenally quick. At say 35mph in third gear and you floor it, the car shoots forward at an amazing rate of acceleration, and you're doing 60mph in around two and a bit seconds.

Another thing that I've discovered is that the car hates speed bumps. I hit one this morning at what would have been a totally normal speed for me in the Peugeot - c.25mph - and it was practically spinal injuries time! So now when I drive around my neighbourhood, which is loaded with speed bumps and the like, I'm probably the slowest car on the road. Ah well, sports suspension and all that jazz...

No to Jap cars? Relatives held in Japanese POW camps in WW2, that's why.

Coincidental Grauniad thingy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1854620,00.html

Interesting. But I can't believe that no Ferrari or Lambo owner out there hasn't taken their car out early one summer morning and floored the bugger all the way the red line. In fact I know that at least one McLaren F1 driver - I can't remember who though - has said that they did around 215mph to see what his new toy would do.

If I remember right, it's the M69 up near Leicester in the summer dawn that is the race track. It's flat, dead straight and has very little traffic on it at any time of day or night. Therefore one can, allegedly, cane it like crazy on the stretch of road.

Sometimes I really do wish that I had a driving license.

Welcome to the 'strong 50' Club GD I certainly found my Audi was happier at the stronger version of speeds!

Oh and I hope you filled it with diesel not petrol