So, I’m Back from France, and how could I start posting about this? So here comes my conclusion first: “This might be the best automobile experience in 22 years of motoring”. And this is due to the car I did it in, my Datsun 240Z. Period.
Definitely a bucket list item that should be on every petrol heads list:
- # Roadtrip through the alps in you classic car. (with a bunch of mates)
All in all I completed 2434km (about 1525miles) in 5 days/4nights. 23 passroads, the “route Napoléon”, some canyons, and had the best views.
I tried to be prepared the best I could, and had quite some tools an spares with me. All that was needed was 0.6l of oil to top up and a 22mm wrench. It really was a trouble-free trip for the Datsun. Every day after arriving at the hotel I did some 30mins of general checks. All I found was a loose nut on the tie rod end. That’s why the 22mm was needed once 😉
When we left Luxembourg we had the following cars in our group of mates:
2x Datsun 240Z (1 yellow 1970, 1 blue 1973)
2x Triumph GT6 (1 yellow, 1 blue)
1x Porsche 911 964
1x Golf II GTI
1x Chevrolet Camaro 2016
But bad luck stroke fast. Even before crossing the french border the blue Triumph GT6 had a seized caliper and they went back home and changed it for the Triumph’s passenger ’85 Porsche 911 3.2.
The yellow 240Z had completely blown it’s brake booster, unfortunately my spare 73 booster didn’t fit. So they changed the 240Z for a Toyota GT86 to continue the trip.
I would have loved to have 2 Datsuns on this trip, but maybe next year Yves + Tom will have more luck, so that the yellow and blue 240Z can conquer the alps together
The map shows you the interesting bit of our roadtrip, with the daily stages. Nobody cares about the highway from Luxembourg to the alps, right?
As we where off holiday season, the passroads where actually quite empty. Not many bicycles, almost no caravans, a real pleasure!
Unfortunately 2 cars broke down during our 4 days in the alps. The yellow GT6 had problems with the mechanical injection of its PI engine. And these things aren’t really user serviceable on the side of the road. The red 911 completely lost 2nd gear while downshifting to pass a tractor. And doing alproads and hairpin bends without 2nd gear is no fun. So the GT6 was sent back home on a tow truck, and the 911 limped itself home in 5th gear on the highway. The GT86 had some minor brake problems, but some tinkering got the car through the trip.
One day I will report some more about the driving, the alps, the vues,… but for now I’ll just let you admire some pictures I took. And I’ll start with 2 of my favorites.
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