Big "Merci" to Frederic.

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sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

Though I am not actually back home from France just yet, I wanted to say a massive 'thanks' to Fred for the tour of the Ariege-Aude that we so enjoyed over the weekend. It's true that the weather did not exactly play ball with us (some route changes as a result of snow) and that I hadn't anticipated driving the Z1 through driving snow late in the month of May, but those were minor details!

The routes were immaculately planned, the scenery stunning and food at our lunch stops on both days was fantastique! Above all though, it was nice to drive the little car and to have such good company for the weekend. Enjoyed spending time with Keith, Christine and the bags (in-joke) and now enjoying welcomed sunshine near Abbeville after a miserable day's driving through torrential rain from the Loire.

Thanks Fred, from all of us. Speaking for myself, I would put myself down for your next tour here and now. Those of you that missed this should be kicking yourself.
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
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ChrisS
Joined: Thu 30 Jul, 2009 09:11
Posts: 189

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Location: Witney

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by ChrisS »

So was it someone going down to the Pyrenees who passed me on the A26 near Arras on Friday? Urgruen, with hardtop Jxxx xxx I think...
(I was in a coach!)
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Jet
Joined: Fri 14 Nov, 2003 16:24
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Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by Jet »

Sounds good Sam, any links or pictures?
sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

OK Jet - It took a while to get stuff sorted when I got back home, but here goes with a few pics:
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The Z1 at our first stop - just south of Rouen. Nice hotel with a French Z4 (no connection) 1926 Rolls 20 and also a Citroen SM as guests - Good Company :D
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Our second stop - just to show that the sun did shine on Thursday - albeit a 4 degrees C start that morning!
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The first line up on Saturday - a snatched photo as it was pi--ing with rain and I didn't want to soak my camera.
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Photo stop on our trip on Sunday. Fabulous scenery and a lovely day (no Saturday photos as it was too cold and wet!)
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'Me and the Genie' closest to the camera.
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Still clean - only one really wet day so far. Plenty more to come!
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Catherine and Christine - 'this car stuff is really boring after a while'
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Parked at Queribus Castle with snow in the distance. Hot little car after a along and quite fast climb, catching its breath.
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The view from inside the castle.
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Who says roadsters are gay?
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The excellent farewell lunch gathering at Cugugnan.
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Parked with the Millau Viaduc in the background.
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A 'must see' for anyone - we spent a night in full view of this fabulous creation.
So - that is the abridged version. I am sure more pictures will emerge as everone gets back. Catherine has one or two of the snow that fell on Saturday, but I was far too busy concentrating on keeping up with Fred and staying on the road!
Thanks again Fred. It was a superb weekend.
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

ChrisS wrote:So was it someone going down to the Pyrenees who passed me on the A26 near Arras on Friday? Urgruen, with hardtop Jxxx xxx I think...
(I was in a coach!)
Not sure Chris. No green zetties with hardtops were on the trip and also they would have had to tank it from Arras to Mirepoix if it was Friday!
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
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Jet
Joined: Fri 14 Nov, 2003 16:24
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Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by Jet »

sfh3l wrote:
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Parked at Queribus Castle with snow in the distance. Hot little car after a along and quite fast climb, catching its breath.
Great pics, the 2 cars in the background, wondering whats on the bonnet of the black car? And is that a babyseat in the red car?
sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

The babyseat was Fred's Recaro seat for Armandin, his son, who came with us on most if not all of the drives :D

The black car belongs to Jean-Yves. It has many mods - this won't be precise, but we have 2.9 motor, Schaffer short-shifter, retrim in red leather, LSD, 17" wheels, no doubt springs and dampers, front and rear strutt braces, extra gagues and much much more, with added 'va-va-voom' from JY's enthusiastic driving style. The bonnet has a graphic wrap,which made the car easy to spot in our mirrors.
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
F.Brossaud
Joined: Mon 17 Nov, 2003 16:43
Posts: 221

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Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by F.Brossaud »

Jet wrote:
sfh3l wrote:
Image
Parked at Queribus Castle with snow in the distance. Hot little car after a along and quite fast climb, catching its breath.
Great pics, the 2 cars in the background, wondering whats on the bonnet of the black car? And is that a babyseat in the red car?
Thanks a lot again for your feedback Sam

The black car has a lot of upgrades and as JY had a spare bonnet he decided to stick pictures of the major Z events he was (25 years in Munich, big Z meeting in Switzerland, Tour he organized in his area few years ago...)

The red one is mine, with "Grey Alcantara" Recaro Monza childseat matching perfectly the inside of the Z1 :wink:
Except for 20 minutes, my kid was on the passenger's seat during all our tour. We spent the full sunday top and both doors down 8-)
F.Brossaud
Joined: Mon 17 Nov, 2003 16:43
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Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by F.Brossaud »

2 pictures on sunday :

Few british cars were missing, they missed the parking lot before going down to Quillan... They arrived 5 minutes later :wink:
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Just before entering Gorges de Galamus
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Green Genie
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Joined: Thu 01 May, 2008 17:29
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Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by Green Genie »

We are still on the road travelling between Spain and France but will post pictures upon our return. Many thanks to Fred for what was a really good tour and for arranging the hotel, evening meal and lunch stops. BTW your car looked stunning. Its the first one I have seen with the French regulation yellow headlights. Nice to have met up with Sam and Catherine again and thanks for allowing us to gatecrash your restaurant booking. Meantime the little green car has managed to clock up around 1900 miles so far unfortunately most of it in the rain as the whole of Europe seems to be deluged with rain but so far the little car soldiers on with the wipers on double speed...more to follow.
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sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

Saturday, middle of the day!
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OK, so Catherine doesn't take the best pictures, especially not with the iPhone and especially not when she is scared!
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Nice one of Fred up front:
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The snow did clear back to (heavy) rain as we descended, but it looked more like January than May for a while.........

One of the guys with more modern cars that have temperature read-outs said that it was below freezing for a while up toward the top of the pass.
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
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Green Genie
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Joined: Thu 01 May, 2008 17:29
Posts: 484

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Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by Green Genie »

Well it's a long way to Mirepoix for a day and a half's driving on a car tour the wife said, why dont we make a two week holiday around the tour? this got her thinking hmmm... how about every night bar a few in different hotels on a road trip from France to Spain and so it was. The itinerary: Drive to Versailles then on to Chinnon/Brantome/Circ LaPopie/Carcasonne/Mirepoix for Fred's tour/Lourdes for some healing/then into Spain San Sebastian/then back to La Rochelle/St Malo/Honfleur... would the little green car make it?...all of these had there moments and we stayed in some fantastic places but I guess you lot are more interested in Frederic Brossaud's excellent Z Tour well here goes.

Loading onto the Eurostar I was aware of a yellow sports car behind me in the rear view mirror, it was only when parking on the train and getting out that I saw it was a Lotus Elan. Nice car I said to the owner who replied I've got your number plate, thinking mine had fallen off I looked at where he was pointing on his own car which had the number Z1 :shock: now I'm not the kind of guy who believes in coincidences is this some sign from above??? Naturally I asked if the plate was for sale he said the plate is not transferable as it's a Southern Ireland plate and unlike Northern Ireland plates cant be put onto an english car. So after some pix on the train he agreed to follow me to the nearest pull in when the train arrived in France what a nice guy!

BTW these pix are not done on photoshop this really happened.

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Somehow the AM Rapide? we parked next to seemed to fade into the background.

Anyway on to the rest of the holiday the little green car parked up at one of our stops sharing good company in the car park.

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Getting better company in the next hotel car park
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The French Tour:
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Fred's son
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Me and the Zed
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A big thanks to Fred for organising, even though the weather was bad the drive and company were fantastic
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Jet
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Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by Jet »

Thanks for Sharing GG, now who is going to do the writeup for the club magazine Sam? :)
sfh3l
Joined: Fri 02 Sep, 2005 16:07
Posts: 588

  Z1 roadster
Location: Buckingham

Re: Big "Merci" to Frederic.

Post by sfh3l »

Bloody hell mate - give us a chance!

:D
Best regards,

Sam Lever.

Anyone who says money isn't everything hasn't found the right classic car yet.
Z1 - 3.0csl - 987 Boxster - Austin 7 Special - Rolls 20 - '72 911 - '95 318is
Black Sport Evo M3 & SG M3 CSL - now someone else's pleasure
Blue 2800cs - now someone else's pain
Old cars - the original "Not for Profit" organisation
Independent Financial Adviser in Buckingham
My Financial Blog
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