Abingdon 4x4 Festival

[sumomeister]

Bog standard Pirelli Scorpions, not a great amount of tread on either, need replacing soon I think.

Scary, but real good fun. (Only scared of potential repair bills )

Didn't see any X5s, Q7s etc trying it

The looks I was getting from the stewards should have warned me really, but hey, I think they were more surprised than me how capable the car was.

The only real problem the car had was it's length. It meant the really sharp hills caused a few bumps. One of the stewards commented though, that with decent off-road tyres, and maybe pumping up the suspension a bit, I would be sailed through no problem.

Maybe next year .....

Getting more grief from the mother-in-law about taking her grandkids out onto a old tank training course, but then I remembered, they're MY KIDS, and they thoroughly enjoyed it too !

[Ron_XC90]

I would like to give it a try, but as you say at a site where you can take it easy and without going to extremes (repairbills...)

[reggie59]

Originally Posted by Ron_XC90

I would like to give it a try, but as you say at a site where you can take it easy and without going to extremes (repairbills...)

Not sure if you can have fun if you are worried about repair. Having done off-road on a brand new yamaha tenere in the past, I know very well.

If you really want to have fun:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-LAND-ROVE...item255d94c014

just buy it (£2,000). Worst come the worst, that the max you will lose.

RP

[ianu]

Hi Sumomeister,
Yes I did make it - not far behind you actually. Before I came on the course the stewards said there was already one on the course - so I thought it might be you.
I caught a glimpse of you right over the back cresting a few of the mounds before I queued up to join too.

Very well done though - it's the first time I've been around the course too and if I was honest if I'd walked it first I would probably have bailed out - but I'm glad I didn't.
I too broke my o/side step rear bracket on a particularly acute crest with some unforgiving stones on the top- pretty much every steward commented on your injuries too but were deeply respectful of us having a go.
And to be honest the 'easy' route was a pretty tough course - although I couldn't see it from inside the car - I don't think you'll get a much better trial that will consistently have either one or two wheels hanging 2 - 4 feet in the air as you traverse or twist through ditches or over banks - absolutely fantastic experience.
As you mentioned - I don't think the spectators or stewards could believe just how well both of us coped with the course and dealt with some slopes others were struggling with.

I came looking for you - but assumed you might have quit while you were still able to :-) (I'd probably have done the same). I had a bit of lunch - removed the broken step and then went round again and actually completed the last section through the 'hard' route to quite a few cheers from the bank.

Biggest disappointment (understandably though) is the limited spectator viewing - apart from some video clips from inside the car - I've got nothing from the outside to show how extreme this got and how well it dealt with it - and there wasn't anyone else filming either.
I'll check with Simon after the weekend and see if there are any club members that have got any clips they could share.

SO - amazingly impressive again - never got stuck - completed some sections that others were going round - and amongst a sea of Land Rovers got some serious respect I think for Volvo - well done chaps brilliant. Sorry I missed you would have been good to chat.

Now to give FRF a call and order another Side Step bracket - oh dear...

I'll see if I can get a link up to the video clips I've got - give me a few days.

Cheers
Ian.

[sumomeister]

Ian,

Sorry we missed you, we didn't hang around for that long after we left the course. Sorted out the step and stuff, and did another lap of the stalls, then headed off to save a fortune by getting lunch in the nearest McDonalds rather than getting stuff there, pricey !!

Look forward to seeing any pics/videos you managed to get, I had plans to take some, but was too busy trying not to get stuck

Wish I'd seen you go through the end bit though, that looked good, but I'd bottled it by then.

[ianu]

Hi all - if this works - you should be able to view 3 video clips from inside the car as we went round some parts of the course. Sumomeister - you'll here from the audio the marshalls already commenting on your performance.
I've actually got an aluminium plate under the front - not a steel one ??

Forgive my sons film skills - I'll go better prepared next time and strap something to the roof I think ...

http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishu...ME=snapfishuk/

I'll check this works myself - if it does enjoy - if not - standby.

cheers
Ian.

[ianu]

..can someone let me know if they can see these please - I can but I have an account so it lets me in anyway ?

Cheers
Ian.

[gillberry]

Just tried to view and without an account nothing except the pic of the back of a landie . Aside from that its great to know the xc90 although not a proper offroader can to an extent go offroad .

[ianu]

Originally Posted by gillberry

Just tried to view and without an account nothing except the pic of the back of a landie . Aside from that its great to know the xc90 although not a proper offroader can to an extent go offroad .

Thanks - I'll try a different link later. Watch this space. Honestly I think you could safely say it's very nearly a proper off roader :-)

Cheers

[sumomeister]

Guys,

Can't take credit for these, they're not mine, but found the link on Facebook.

http://www.freewebs.com/dudleydo/apps/photos/

My car's not there

There are a couple of an XC90, is that you Ian?

http://www.freewebs.com/dudleydo/app...toid=100196054

http://www.freewebs.com/dudleydo/app...toid=100195929