Automotive

Twice I came close to driving to Nordkapp, the Northernmost land point in Europe. And both times it failed for some reason (both alternate road trips turned out to be epic but still). But postponed is certainly not cancelled and it’s still very firmly on ...  

I guess that's a big part of the reason why I happen to love them so much 😉....

Would still think that driving it at a level so dr below its ability would be frustrating - but then again the reason I asked for advice is to get a broader set of opinions 😊👍🏻🙏🏻 Most of my road trips have been to countries where average speeds were highe... 

Hard time getting parts and so on with a Defender, Toyota Garages are all over the place.....

If it’s a modern vehicle one would not expect a need for those but with a Land Rover it might still be a little bit higher 🤷🏻‍♂️

..but there were problems with some of their engines some years back, thus if you are getting a old one.... Just makes it easier if heaven forbid you should get into car trouble you don`t expect.

Some questions: -How long? -Alone? -From where to where? -Season? Considering the long route, you could start the tour also from Copenhagen, to avoid „boring“ Autobahn roads…

And most likely it would be a two person affair - driving that far completely alone is of course doable but more tiring and a tad less fun. As for timing, aiming for about 700-800km a day (given the low speeds), so depending on the route that would give t... 

Once a couple of decisions get made the rest can happen quite quickly (from experience) - don’t mind doing things on the fly and figuring the rest as it happens. The difference between road trips and work 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

Yes, I did the trip in winter in a 2CV. Luckily we had a Dutch TV channel film crew accompany us, so you can see the conditions if you want a preview. The video link is below. Just pretend there is less snow (we went in February) most of the year. I’m on ...  

The pictures are enticing for sure 😁

A Saab 96 V4 (or a 99/900) is probably the best vintage winter car around. Volvo Amazons are pretty great too.

Will consider that 👍🏻🙏🏻

Seems one of the participants was even from my home town 😊👍🏻 What a cool adventure. You’ve now really tempted me with the 2CV. All those crazy ideas now come to mind, Morgan, Caterham… 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

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What are they like to drive? 🤷🏻‍♂️

In the modern equivalent (Mulitvan). It was a fun drive but it’s really not made for the cold - windows and doors freezing shut, windscreen wipers not working… 🤷🏻‍♂️

Enter text However, I would suggest the four-door version. ...  

In summer no issue, with the videos from Cazalea it might be a bit more interesting in winter 😊

Source: www.wallpaperflare.com ...  

Now that is looking quite interesting indeed 😊

I`d pass on vintage American cars. Those are not really great for the winter conditions you`ll likely to encounter be it fasttracking through Sweden or the slower passage through Norway. A lot of those in Scandinavia, and just about all are driven summer ... 

And a 0° F-rated sleeping bag for each person in the car in case of getting stuck

Which I could use right now - your SM article link yesterday took me down a rabbit hole, spending way too late reading other articles from the publication 😊🤷🏻‍♂️

The tires I am fully with you (the same can be gotten in Europe if one knows where to look) but I have lived long enough in a place with comparable conditions to never think of European winter tires for the trip in winter. Remember reading an article many... 

I probably wouldn`t have made any suggestions at all if it was a summer trip, unless you were planning alot of detours on good old mountain roads Come winter, and you will be good in just about any reliable car most of the days when weather is good. The w... 

One more question if I may - given that you mentioned both that old American cars are popular and pretty much driven in summer only. What’s the story why they achieved the popularity, given that winter was always a factor? 😊

The strong influence of American culture, I gather. Back in the fifthies/sixties a lot of european car brands were so and so, the American cars had all bells and whistles plus a V8 for music. In Sweden there was a big change in culture and economy with "F... 

An American car from the good old days now suddenly sounds appealing - similarly adventurous 😂😂😂

Doing the homework about where to find AC clubs would be a good thing, they would help you out if you get trouble with you car, and there are a few Volvo clubs around too I have to say, the vintage AMcar road handling on winter roads up north is a signifi... 

Several times 😁 I suppose the roads have sufficient traffic that you don’t need resort to Siberian tricks in case of break down (burning tires for warmth and signaling)?

US cars seen in Denmark & Sweden on our last trip up there Changing gears, this might be a fun voyage vessel! ...  

Browsing through the site you’ve posted in regards to the SM they were just showing a three axle CX based car transporter. I was actually looking at the CX Break on and off. Now for the ultimate glory there’s been a police special with a more highly turbo... 

You`ll be good. A reliable car with a petrol/diesel cabin heater, good tyres and a good battery will take you there. ...part of the fun - picking the right tool for the experience you want

Managed all the mountain passes, cold temperatures (-25) and plenty of snow in Turkey last year with a RWD car, so nothing is impossible (and that was with European winter tires) 😁

On the Volvo front we have an 850T-5R sitting at home, so maybe time to reactivate it 🧐😊

So might need some TLC before embarking onto a longer journey but it’s certainly an option 🧐👍🏻

I had one of the 850 versions which survived multiple off-road excursions in US and Mexico But then I saw this at the LA Auto Show and I upgraded my Volvo to this Ocean Race version (without all the extra goodies) ...  

Our family has been a Volvo household for a while but after the quality disaster that was the first S80 there was a definite switch away. We still have the 850T-5R parked in a garage, waiting for its 30th birthday next year, when it can be registered as a... 

I considered and tested the V70AWD back in the day and compared it directly with the Subaru Outback. The V70AWD was certainly to a higher standard and comfort, and I quite liked the AWD, but I have to say, the Subaru 4wd system and the handling on gravel ... 

Albeit on the second engine as well. The 5 cylinder turbos were nice but maybe not as robust as Volvo engines of old. As for your assessment - this fully mimics my experience. Getting a Legacy with the 2 liter turbo engine of the Impreza would be fantasti... 

The engines are different beasts to B19/B20/B23 that`s for sure. Was close to getting a 740 Turbo when those arrived and had it for a couple of days, but with my youngster driving habits at the time I chose not to. Very few Imprezas and Legacy/Outbacks le... 

I suppose there must be some solutions for that already, given that the E10 fuels have been around for a while? The one car from the earlier era I really enjoyed back in the day was the SH-AWD Honda Legend. The engine didn’t have much in terms of torque b... 

Believe the Prelude gen II was somewhat unappreciated being fwd but othewise balanced in power/weight/roadhandling. Honda kind of lost me there besides the S2000 which probably is a half forgotten gem from it`s era. S2000 to the edge of the Barents sea? A... 

I have in fact done some swimming in the Barents Sea and driven to it as well but it was the other side of the border, so a tiny bit further South than Nordkapp 😉 Back in the days when the world was a slightly simpler place 🤷🏻‍♂️ The roads were a bit adve...  

We took a dip in the pond as well, even though it was February My co-driver was nuts ...  

But I will find something as soon as I get to my HDD 😁 You do raise the bar again 😉

It was technically the 122S 2-door, which we took to about 300,000km. I owned it from 1974 to about 1984. Also through 2 engines and gearboxes. When the highway patrol called me at work, saying "Hey your wife is down here and dumped 5 quarts of oil on the...  

Black (the other color that was available next to the yellow). The rims have been sturdy so far (as said, over 400k km and still the original rims) 😊👍🏻

I have seen one driven in anger at Hockenheim recently. Nice but the DTM Audi V8s stole the glory 😁🏁

Specifically the new one, the FIRST SERIES! A dream of mine credit: cars and bids ...  

The obvious choice. ...  

Cheap and cheerful. Can be fixed by almost anyone.

Certainly goes onto the list 👍🏻

I have been thinking of doing it with the white car in the picture below. ...  

I was curious what car you would add for the journey here 😊 Btw. are you planning a trip to Nordkapp? 😊🤞🏻

.. for more than 10 years now :-( ... My wife definitely doesn't want to join me, she hates the Clio for whatever reason (guess being a passenger when I am driving the nuts off off it doesn't feel comfortable). Back in 2008 we made a trip halfway to visit... 

And if you’re up for the trip I will certainly be happy to join 😊 Curious about your projects 👍🏻