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Antw: Re: Our Cars ... OUR CARS??? Get out of here!!!

To: ecowen@cln.etc.bc.ca (EMILY COWEN)
Subject: Antw: Re: Our Cars ... OUR CARS??? Get out of here!!!
From: hert@worldaccess.nl (Hert)
Date: Fri, 04 Jul 97 13:34:14 GMT
In response to your message:
    > Is any work being done
    > on "B" series engine tuning, cross flow heads, special manifolds, etc.
    > in Holland, or on the continent (Germany, France, etc.).  In particular,
    > are there any books published that have current info, dyno/race proven
    > ideas presented?
The market here is growing, but inderdeveloped in the tuning segment. I must 
admit I'm not too wel connected in this area, that's why I'm enjoying this list 
(at 
least the technical bits and car-anecdotes) so much.  People in Holland seem 
mostly satisfied by touring and talking. The parts,  ideas and books come from 
England. The only Dutch guy I met who races his B's does that in the English 
series.

    > What kind of pollution standards do you face?  Where do you drive/live?
The B has to pass the same CO-level test each year as any other car. They 
can't be too strict, because I stripped the US emissions stuff off the engine 
when it came in, to get more power. This month it is time for the yearly 
roadworthiness-test, so I'll check with the testers.
I live in Rotterdam, which has the largest port (in volume) in the world so 
there's 
a lot of industry and activity here. But only half an hour away are the most 
beautiful countryside roads and dykes along the rivers. For even better scenery 
and roads we often go to the Ardennes in Belgium. Hills, forests and great food 
and drink. BTW, driving the past weeks has been minimal due to an ungly summer 
so far.

Actually, the neighbourhood where I live there are a lot of classics, but the 
owners have their cars restored and maintained perfectly without ever touching 
the car themselves. Needless to say that a simple, original B is way below 
these 
types.


    > Have you ever popped over to Germany for a fling at the autobahn??
Not in the B, but I can test that here just as well. Top speed in it isn't that 
much 
fun. Last year I drove to Switserland in someone else's BMW 540i Touring via 
Germany. At one stage my wife woke up because the sailing-boat on the roof 
started rattling, and she politely asked me not to drive 240kph (160mph) any 
more. Germany is fun, but it is filling up with cars as well ....

    > How about telling us about the price, and quality, of gas in Holland and
    > the rest of Europe.  Ever been to the East Block countries??
Standard unleaded gas just went up (taxes of course) and is now NLG 2,17 per 
litre, which is roughly USD 4,20 per US gallon or GBP 3,- per GB gallon 
(correct 
me if I'm wrong). Quality is perfect, all large oil companies have refineries 
here in 
the port area. The B uses leaded, which is 10% more expensive. Actually, 
they've just replaced the lead with some other additive, but the car doesn't 
seem 
to mind.
I've been to a couple of the East Bloc countries, both before and after the 
changes. In the early '80s the atmosphere there fueled my imagination, because 
I 
always read a lot of John le Carré novels. Unfortunately most people there have 
a 
lot of misery to go through before their nations will reach our level of 
wellbeing. 
As for classics in the former East Bloc: the roads must be murder for any older 
car because in every single country there are more holes in the road than in 
Madonna's underwear.

    > TTUL8r, Kirk Cowen   (who remembers when Cheech and Chong went to
    >                       Holland in one of their movies...)

Cheech and Chong? I remember this, but only very vaguely due to the 
circumstances:
                We're gonna save the whales
                We're gonna save the whales
                We're gonna save the whales
                But we're gonna kill all those stupid seals

Later,

Peter den Hertog
ex-Cal '74 MGB


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