calvan

Me too. I did spend several hours tidying up the rubbish tip that passes for my garage. Don't see any difference.

I agree, although I'm not too sure about the "Closely followed by.." bit. Like others, I will make a choice among the Lotus road cars I have driven. Not the longest list, and glossing over different types of each car (for instance, I think i have driven 5 variants of the Esprit) my choice is among: Elan Europa Esprit Evora as passenger in 7 moved an Elite for a friend, but that was only about ten feet so doesn't really count. My vote is for the Europa. Not as good an overall car as the Elise but I get more fun out of driving it. That's what counts.

I have heard that the rate of spread of Covid-19 is largely influenced by two factors: 1. How dense the population is, and 2. How dense the population is.

A bit of automotive wisdom I have heard over the years is that too many short runs, i.e. less than ten minutes or so, can be damaging to the engine. I don't know if it is simply folklore but it makes some sense so I will pass it on. Because he piston rings are never a 100% effective seal, some products of combustion will get past the rings and into the engine oil. A small amount of water will go into emulsion and it can react with CO to produce small amounts of acidic compound. Over time it can accumulate in the oil. However, if the engine is allowed to get fully warm it will allow the water, and I assume the CO, to gain enough heat energy to gasify out of the oil and escape. Longer run times allow this to happen and alleviate the build-up of unwanted compounds in the sump. My undergraduate chemistry courses were close to half a century ago so I won't claim great expertise to verify this. But, as I said, it seems to make sense. If I haven't used one of my cars for a while I will make a point of getting it out for a 10 or 15 mile run to make sure it is fully up temperature for a while. I know that is impractical if the car is off the road but I suggest letting it run for at least ten minutes every few weeks.

I see that it went for US$12,639. I was following the auction out of interest as its serial number indicates that it is 15 cars older than my Europa, at least in the "R" production series.

Might I suggest some reading material:

My poor Europa is in isolation whether I like it or not. Being short of garage space, I rent space for it in an otherwise unused section of secure parking at an extended care facility. Normally a great deal as the car is safe and the space is cheap. But now the care facility has had a confirmed case of Covid and is in complete lockdown so I guess the car is stuck there for the duration. I'm not in lockdown at home but am generally staying put. I've been turned into a garden serf. (Not the most enthusiastic gardener on the planet)

I filled up about an hour ago, regular was CDN$1.005/l. Cheapest I've seen for a while, as the metro Vancouver area generally has extortionate pricing if perhaps not quite as bad as Revelstoke. The 94 octane I put in the Elise was, I think 1.24/l. I've heard it is a bit lower in more outlying areas but even in normal times I don't seethe sense in driving 25 km each was for a few cents per litre.

Sorry to see that news, Mark - condolences to you and your family. It's a tough thing to deal with.

By all means give me a shout if you are going to be out this way - I'd like the chance to meet you once things get back to whatever normal is going to be.

Phil, I presume your daughter home by now. Hope she had a safe and,as much as as is possible these days, pleasant trip. Enjoy some family time together - it's important these days. Mike

Phil, I will keep you updated if things change for the positive. You still have a bit of time left but I would caution against getting hopes up. The authorities here have been pursuing an aggressive containment strategy with the intent of "flattening the curve". It appears to be working fairly well so far but I expect that if it continues to work it will have the consequence of dragging things out over a longer time frame. On the other hand, an aggressive containment strategy may have the seeds of its own demise - if it works too well, people will forget what the fuss was about and start pressing to open things up to get the economy moving again. However, I think that outcome is a bit of a long shot. I will keep you posted. If you do manage to make it here, all the closures might allow time for a beer.

@PhilW, you may well have heard this by now (and, if not, I apologise for being the bearer of bad tidings) but the Canadian government has closed to border to all foreign nationals, other than our American friends, for the duration of the Covid outbreak. I assume that will make the search for a rental car with snow tires somewhat academic. Not on the same scale as your situation, but my three day road trip through the Cascade mountain range in Washington State has also been scrubbed. Just as well to cancel that as my son had to venture south of the border last week and is now self-isolating with ominous, although thankfully not severe, symptoms.

I will echo both comments. Regarding redundancy, I had a similar experience in 2006 when i was shown the door after a takeover of the company i was working for. I took a bit of time off, then got in touch with some old contacts. Went back to work through that route and stayed until I decided to retire a few years later. A good network is a lifeline.

I've had a similar problem with my Elise over the past week or so although I think I have it fixed now. The access hatches in the nose, removed to access brake reservoir etc., have a pressure switch on each side, presumably to let the locking module know the hatches are secure. I noticed that the underside of the right side hatch was quite dimpled where the contact switch touches it and surmised that it may not be making proper contact with the switch. As an interim measure I simply built up both sides with a few layers of duct tape and replaced the hatches. The central locking now works fine, at least while sitting in the garage. I will leave it as is for a week or so and if it is still fine I will replace the tape with a layer of fibreglass as a more permanent solution.

I agree, he is likely to win again in November. Assuming he wins, it will be interesting to see what follows. While I don't think I would bet money on this happening, I also won't be surprised if a "grassroots" movement to revoke the 22nd Amendment (the one setting Presidential term limits) suddenly springs up.

And some of us never completely leave the vestiges of Scotland behind:

Some 30-odd years ago I was involved in a proceeding before Canada's National Energy Board that considered, among other things, the long term risks and prospects facing the oil and gas industry. Part of my client's submission was that hydrogen fuel cell technology was likely to be a major part of transportation in years to come. It was not well received, being perceived as too far out back then. I have to admit that it has not come about nearly as rapidly as I thought it would but ever since then I have been of the view that fuel cell is a better long term answer than BEV. I still hold to that view.

I'm just back from a trip to the grocery store where I stopped to pick up a couple of lottery tickets. In the admittedly unlikely event of my numbers coming up, and if @Mark Blanchard doesn't scoop it up, that car may well follow the path I went down at age 3 and move from the UK to Canada.

At the risk of duplicating the beer & ales thread, here is one of my favourites that meets the guideline for happy living. It's a seasonal brew so I will only be enjoying it for the next few months - an Imperial IPA, although with the hops toned down from last year to now only 80 IBU and 9% alcohol. I had a 650 ml bomber of it with a plate of lasagne last Saturday and I was a happy camper for the evening.

I find that one of the best general rules for a happy life is: "Don't drink a beer if you can piss stronger than it" I have never tried Palm beer but I hope that the horse is living up to this rule.

I can't comment on the music, of course, but it appears that the vendor is three violins short of a full ensemble.

Yes, Chilliwack and Hope are out of the question if you are going via Whistler. I had made the assumption that you would be looking at going east on Hwy 1 and then the Fraser Canyon route as it is a bit quicker overall but there are advantages to the way you are planning. You will have a couple of unavoidable bottlenecks in traversing downtown Vancouver but they shouldn't be too bad on a weekend. And I'm not aware of any major construction projects scheduled for the next few months on that route. The scenery going to Whistler is spectacular and once you are past Whistler the Duffey Lake Road between Pemberton and Lillooet is a treat. Just be prepared for some serious climbs when you get to the mountains. Touch base closer to the date for an update on local conditions.

An important point I forgot to mention is that provincial regulations mandate the use of winter tires on most Interior highways through the end of April. Make sure you specify winter rated tires when you reserve your vehicle.

Phil, That sounds like a great reason for a road trip. Although it is a long time since I've been to Smithers, I remember Hudsons Bay Mountain as a beautiful location. Getting back to you road trip, I would definitely recommend an overnight stop along the route. It's a very long drive, and will be a bit more tiring if you are still adjusting the the 8 hour time change and getting used to being on the "wrong" side of the road. I suggest that where you plan to stop will depend on when you plan on starting. If you are thinking of staying the first night near YVR and then heading off in the morning, Prince George is a logical place to stop. On the other hand, if you get into YVR mid-day you might want to consider a roughly two hour drive to get out of the metropolitan area before spending the night and then start the long push to Smithers in the morning. A smaller town like Chilliwack or Hope would fit the bill for that approach. Like many larger cities, Vancouver is out-growing its road network and at some times of day the traffic around YVR can be a bit of a nightmare. And just to keep on the doom and gloom, there is major construction work on Hwy. 1 heading east out of the city. If you want to let me know some details closer to the date I might be able to help plot out a route away from YVR to avoid delays. Once you get past the urban centre it is a wonderful drive.