I’m an idiot

Went out for a drive again today and attached the Go Pro camera on the front drivers guard just in front of the driver’s door panel. After a good long run I stop for fuel (what is it with me and petrol stations? Why does everything bad seem to happen when I refuel?). I open the door to get out. When I do, I open it wider than normal to make it easier to egress (and because I have the space so why not right?). Problem is I neglected the fact that the knob of the Go Pro camera mount overhangs the door panel.

That meant knob from the camera mount was pushed nicely into the door panel thanks to my efforts leaving a noticeable dent as a reminder. Geeze, I’m an idiot! Why did I have to open the door so wide? Why didn’t I put the camera on the passengers side? Why didn’t a ensure there was no overhang from the camera? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

The most annoying thing about this is that it was my fault and it could have been avoided if I had just stopped to think. Damm. I appreciate that it could have been worse and it could of happened in some other way but I can tell you I feel really foolish. Damm.

Hopefully the dent can be removed by the detailer that I am yet to visit. This incident will speed that visit up now. Again, very, very annoying, but I was planning on going to the detailer at some stage anyway. I also knew that sooner or later I’d get a ding like this that needed fixing, so now we have arrived at that point. Now it is time to accept that and move on. Just so annoyed with myself. Damm.

I’ve had plenty of dings and dents over the years with the cars I’ve had and each and every one has been psychologically painful. However, I have learned over time that these things happen to cars, no matter how careful you are. They just happen, period. I think that once you accept that then things aren’t as stressful. I can remember fretting for weeks over the initial ding my first car received. Now hopefully being a little more experienced I can let these things go sooner.

I know there is nothing I can do now to change what’s happened but I have learnt an important lesson about attaching the Go Pro to the car. Things could be far worse and I’m sure then dent will eventually be successfully removed but at the moment, damm, I’m annoyed with myself. Hopefully this public catharsis has sped up that process.

Aside from that I did manage to create another video of the trip which you can find here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6rez2-Sye8

Any donations for the dent removal (or idiot) fund most graciously accepted.

Starting the F355

The crowning moment of where I felt most stupid with the F355 was when I tried to start it a few days after having it in a petrol station WITHOUT disabling the immobilizer, which in my defence I knew nothing about. You can read about the incident in my previous blog post here:

https://blog.lovethe355.com/2012/09/worst-fears.html

and my appreciation of how stupid I was here

https://blog.lovethe355.com/2012/09/rookie-mistake.html

I have managed to find this YouTube video which highlights that I’m not the only one who didn’t appreciate the inbuilt immobilizer.

All I can say is I feel for ya brother, I do however at least I only wrote about it! I was probably too stressed at the time to operate a video camera. Thanks for sharing all the same and I hope you eventually enjoyed your ride!

Congestion stress

Only a few days after the car went to Racing Red (mainly to get the suspension checked), I get a call that is car is good to go and there are no issues. Yippee. Only problem is that I have to pick it up a little earlier (on the cusp of the morning peak hour) and the weather was wet (not my favourite weather for driving the car).

Prior to departing I checked the traffic information and discovered there was a major ‘incident’ on the M5. Luckily, it was heading west and I planned to return with the car east bound so figured I should be ok. Right?

After picking up the car, traffic onto the Princes Highway was quit heavy and the lights where still phased for peak hour so the car spent a fair amount of time just still in a queue. It was starting to get ‘warm’ as I finally released from the confines of the side street onto the Princes Highway.

Phew, I thought, all smooth sailing from here. As I turned onto the approach to the M5 I was greeted with traffic banked a distance from where I would have expected it to be at this time of the morning. This doesn’t look good, I thought.

After crawling along a bit further, it turned out a truck had broken down in the left lane. Surely, after negotiating this thing would get better. Nope, wrong again.

Even though the east bound traffic could flow onto the M5 the west bound traffic, diverted off the M5, was now blocking just about every intersection. This meant that even when the lights where green I went nowhere, the car got hotter and hotter and my stress levels were approaching boiling point.

It is important to remember that the engine in the F355 is in the rear. This means the radiators are just little behind where you sit, so when the fans come on to push air across them you hear it more than you would a normal car.

The car was coping but I wasn’t. Luckily it was wet and cool but still I could see the dial temperatures continuing to rise. I debated whether to try and turn around but figured that would be too difficult and didn’t want to risk conking out across a major road. So I continued to sit and stew.

Finally, I could make the left turn and get onto the M5 approach but that too was also heavily congested with diverted west bound traffic. Finally, a gap materialized in the intersection and the turning light went green. I was away onto the motorway. I was free now. Surely? Nope, spoke too soon again!

That brief taste of freedom lasted a few hundred metres before I was once again enveloped in traffic. I crawled off the M5 and onto General Holmes Drive. I crawled along General Holmes Drive to the airport fly over. I crawled from the airport flyover up South Dowling street. Mind you this is about 10.30am and this is as bad as I have seen it here. Did I pick the wrong day to pick up the car or what?

I crawled along South Downing street an onto the Eastern Distributor. Surely, this can’t go on for ever? Surely? Please God, let it end.It wasn’t until I hit the Harbour Tunnel heading north that the car was finally in constant motion! Even though I was pretty stressed by the circumstances, I have to say the car took it all in its stride. Sure it got hot, which is expected, but it didn’t overheat. It didn’t miss a beat. I’m not keen to subject the car to the same treatment ever again, but it is comforting to know it can cope with some really poor traffic and weather conditions with ease. I just can’t!

The other big positive was I no longer had any lights on when I looked at my dash as you can see.

It’s been quite a while since it has been red free.

With the car finally back safe and sound the only other downside to my return trip from the shop is that because of the rain it is all dirty again and need a waste. Like I said, I chose the wrong day to pick the car up. D’Oh. Ah well, things could be far worse!

With a fine weekend on the cards I was looking forward to my first casual drive without the irritation of an airbag warning light on the dash. My choice of route? Maraylya. Here’s a video of the trip.

I’m keen to try the trip out to Lithgow and then back along the Bell’s Line of Road. Won’t be next week but it will be soon and I post the details here so stay tuned. Unlike the car, I need a bit longer to cool down.

Ouch

After the recent Hunter Valley trip I gave the car a good clean. I was horrified to find a large stone ship on the bonnet.

Might not look big in the photos but it is quite large and quite deep. I can’t remember anything hitting the car while I was driving but it kind of looks to me like a branch has fallen from a tree and gouged the paint work.

Always disappointing when these things happen but after have many cars over the year you just have to accept these things once you take it on the road. Ah well, another item to add to repair list.

I have done another video as you can see from above. This time the camera was mounted on the rear bonnet right at the back of the car. I think it is a good location. The hardest thing about these videos now is finding a good sound track. I am not really sure about this one but it is different. Interested to hear what you think.

So the car is now with Racing Red to have the suspension issue and other bits and pieces looked at. I’ll provide an update when I know the ‘damage’.