This series does seem to be working.

The axle looked to be a setup. Rear springs missing and there was some weird rebar steel frame that appeared to have been holding the axle.

https://galerie.1zu87.com/artikel/1zu18-Pontiac-Firebird-Trans-Am-1977-schwarz-gold-Reel-Rides-Movie-Smokey-and-the-Bandit-Ertl-33121-21333.html

Yeah pretty sure the Firebird was there just for the lols. Harris’s Dart was cool as.

The leaf spring were still visible on the car; sort of attached.

Someone has modded the cage underneath. But when you look closely it’s surprising how many of the adventure cars have a sump guard or similar under body protection.

Understandably.

And I don’t believe the reaction (from all) was faked.

And I don’t believe the reaction (from all) was faked.

Agreed – I think they knew they had bought a pup that could implode at any moment, but I don’t think anyone scripted that particular result.

It’s improving with every episode, and will be improved immeasurably when they get rid of Paddy.

This series does seem to be much better but he does stand out now as being a bit of loud-mouth dick.

Look at the above picture. So the propshaft also unbolted itself cleanly from all four bolts on the diff drive flange?….. It would either have still been attached, or have pulled apart at the plunging joint, or broken the crucifix, or have left some of the bolts and saddles attached / bent / broken.

But was a real shame they didn’t bring the Dodge back to UK.

Enjoyed Sunday’s episode with no contrived races. Just wish they would shoot in 4K would them look amazing

I’d have more faith in the spontaneity of the Firebird falling to pieces if they hadn’t contrived a “Paddy’s going to do a practice run without another vehicle next to it.” premise.

My money’s on at least a degree of staging. Still laughed my ass off though, so I don’t think it really matters – it’s entertainment not the news.

My money’s on at least a degree of staging.

It’s TV of course there was.

Of course it wasn’t spontaneous. But their reaction to it was – clearly went better than they expected!

So the propshaft also unbolted itself cleanly from all four bolts on the diff drive flange?

You must be looking at a different picture. The propshaft yoke is still there, busted.

It isn’t a flange yoke (f’nar), is that what you are thinking of?

I think unbolted rather than busted. It isn’t a flange 🙂 – more a pair of saddles that clamp the UJ spider. Similar to this I think:-

https://www.classicindustries.com/product/all-years/pontiac/firebird/parts/m12114.html

It isn’t a flange; that’s what I said…

I assume Mick was assuming something like…

Is electrolysing water to enrich intake air with oxygen a common technique? My counting on fingers sums reckon one litre of water would yield about 20,000 litres of oxygen, or about 1-2 hours worth. Haven’t worked out how much electrical energy you’d need to generate, other than “a lot”.

I wondered that. It’s certainly not something your average ex-international cricketer would throw in overnight after a days filming!

I wondered that. It’s certainly not something your average ex-international cricketer would throw in overnight after a days filming!

Sure, but every TG / TGT adventure had them “modifying” their vehicles overnight into something which clearly took an engineering team a fortnight to do! TG was always well known (and, to be fair, they’ve never hidden it) for being quite tightly scripted from start to finish.

Funny story: years ago, they won an award for “best unscripted show” in the USA and they wanted to send Richard Porter (“script editor”) to collect the award, but they didn’t think the organisers would find the joke as funny as they did.

OK I’m bored of this 🙂

Pontiac diff pinion yoke. Unbolted.

Well, I must say, just watching the rerun and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would – last series really put me off, but the positivity on here made me give it a go and glad I did. Harris is still the best thing about it (sorry Drac), but Freddie’s much better and even Paddy isn’t too obnoxious. Might keep watching…

Harris has much improved now he seems more relaxed or finally realised it’s not just about reviewing cars.

I read somewhere that May was thinking of chucking it in as he’s getting too old to be chucked around the world in knackered cars. It’ll be sad when it happens, but I’m at least confident now that there will be a decent alternative when it does.

If you’ve not watched it already, then check our “james May, our man in Japan” on amazon prime. Interesting show and he is great in it.

Harris has much improved now he seems more relaxed or finally realised it’s not just about reviewing cars.

Seems like he is comfortable and happy with those two, just doing something he really enjoys and it shows.

I think the only part of the show that doesn’t work is the studio part but I think that is partly down to Flintoff not being very good at it.
Flintoff has grown on me, he seemed very much at home recording to camera in the VW and seemed very genuine with his love for it. Paddy is ok but it kind of feels like something is missing like he has to try harder.
Overall it is better series this time so far.

^^^ Agreed.

Paddy = Clarkson (loud and obnoxious)

Freddie = Hammond (daft as a brush and as excitable as a puppy)

Chris = May (knowledgable and the ‘grown up’)

I think it’s a shame there isn’t a change of direction, it’s the same with 3 different younger presenters

It also is a shame that Porsche can’t spend tens of millions of euros making an electric car with a usable range, like 500 miles + rather than a very excludive and pointlessy fast sports coupe

rather than a very excludive and pointlessy fast sports coupe

That’s kind of what Porsche does! 🙂

It also is a shame that Porsche can’t spend tens of millions of euros making an electric car with a usable range, like 500 miles +

Probably because the majority of people’s usable range is around 100 miles. Don’t mistake your own requirement with the majority of people. Although saying that, a 600 BHP electric car is not really usable (which even Harris admits)

It also is a shame that Porsche can’t spend tens of millions of euros making an electric car with a usable range, like 500 miles + rather than a very excludive and pointlessy fast sports coupe

I think you misunderstood what Porsche are.

On the other hand. Just think what they could be!

On the other hand. Just think what they could be!

VW ID range or Taycan 4S.

They could become the class leader in green motoring. By making a quick car that s really well bolted together, quick but not stupid fast, with a real world range of 400 miles plus and the benefit of fast charging somewhere in between 240v 13a and 270kw

The gov earn 26 billion a year from fuel duty that will have to be covered by taxing electricity and hikes in rfl in line with economy and or performance

Building hypercars for the tiny minority is a great wheeze, but in the world of thunberg are still polluting and not great for the next generation, till we go ful regen power, no nuclear or Dino juice and find lithium in a more environmentally sensitive way

Perhaps Trabant or Lada could build it and we’d all have a single eco-friendly peoples car!

By making a quick car that s really well bolted together, quick but not stupid fast

you do know that you can control the speed with the pedal on the right… and that there’s a direct correlation between speed and range?
Yes but anybody ‘could’ do that and they’ll leave that to them. Porsche like to make quick cars – they’re always going to and have invested a lot of money in making [their LM] hybrid cars go quick – so why not use that knowledge.
There are other versions of the Taycan that won’t be as quick as the Turbo S.

They could become the class leader in green motoring. By making a quick car that s really well bolted together, quick but not stupid fast, with a real world range of 400 miles plus and the benefit of fast charging somewhere in between 240v 13a and 270kw

Indeed under one of their other brands VW, Skoda or AUDI.

with a real world range of 400 miles plus and the benefit of fast charging somewhere in between 240v 13a and 270kw

That’s a significantly larger range than my relatively frugal diesel.

Then your relatively frugal deisel either a. – isn’t relatively frugal or in terms of relative are you comparing it to a container ship that does 1meter per gallon or
B. – your car has a 40 ltr tank ang gets 40mpg so 360 miles, whereas my relatively frugal car can go 700 and is shit.
Porsche could charge more than vw or seat and get more for the car on the focourt. The Porsche would depreciate less, be a nicer place to sit, better equipped, better paint, better suspension, better steering, nicer radio all stuff which bumps up the price to a prohibitive point that you would not spend on a lower specced vw group car.
Tesla rx at £95000 type of money, but screwed together properly with nice plastics and leather but of carbon here and there, some nice brushed ally detailing inside.
If that Porsche is 2.4tonnes then even driving it slowly would use alot of power, that’s a chunk of mass to accelerate and haul uphill, cruising along a flat road at 65mph should be sensible but like the tesla with the button marked silly, use the power and the range drops remarkably quickly

Interesting episode.   It is getting better but thought the Baha piece was – naturally – an anti climax.   Good to see Harris getting the serious reviews, loved that Renault.

Excellent again – I really liked that the Baha piece showed up a failure, not like their regular “adventure” pieces.

That Renault was mental! Like the old V6 Clio. If I hàd the money to buy and run a £72k I’m not sure which of those three I’d have though

It would have to be the Lambo. If you ignore the running costs. Anyone fancy kerbing those carbon fibre wheels on the Renault!

Porsche could charge more than vw or seat and get more for the car on the focourt. The Porsche would depreciate less, be a nicer place to sit, better equipped, better paint, better suspension, better steering, nicer radio all stuff which bumps up the price to a prohibitive point that you would not spend on a lower specced vw group car.

That’s going to happen with the next Macan – basically an Audi Q5/VW Tiguan/One of the Skoda K things (RIP Yeti). They aren’t going to release any more internal combustion Macans.

The fact that, being a compact SUV, they’re a hateful car in their own right, regardless of how good they are, is another subject.

Turned off when Mr & Mrs Fox appeared as I had to put the duvet cover back on.

Hope that they a) get back to Baja b) got a refund on the POS that they hired for the race.