Back from Germany

Hi all,

Just got back from a driving holiday around Germany - boy you gotta love those autobahns. I'd quite forgotten how nice they are to drive.

Anyway, we did 1975 miles and averaged 25mpg or so, so the Supra's not as thirsty a beast as I thought. Travelled to Paderborn (where I was posted for 7 years back in the 80's), Hameln, the Harz Mountains, Quedlinburg (in the former East) and then back via a slightly southern route to "accidentally" take me near Nurburg...

YES - I got to drive the Nurburgring... (so that's twice this car's done it Tim)

We turned up at 5pm Monday to check the place out before a planned drive on Tuesday. But as the track was open to 7pm we decided to go on there and then.

Did an 11-something despite the fact that part of the circuit was 30kph due to repairs and another part was yellow flagged due to two bikers coming off (luckily no one was hurt). Lin wasn't too chuffed with the speed I took some of the corners but, what the heck.

The poor ole Supe certainly showed the pace at the end though. Coming down the home straight after the gantry the brakes were really juddering - must have warped the disks I suppose with all the hard braking. And when we pulled up to let the engine idle down there was a bit of smoke coming up from the back near the firewall - gearbox oil overheating d'you think?

Anyway, after an hour cooling down she was just fine (and stayed that way for the whole trip home).

Stayed the night at the Hotel Zur Burg right at the foot of the Nurburg itself and only about 1/4 mile from the circuit. It's the same place that many of the big names stay whenever they're in town apparently.

I've got about 250 photos, but you're not interested in pics of quaint old German buildings or me sat with yet another pint in my hand, so here's a few of the more relevant ones:

Outside the hotel in Hameln.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ken.holland/supra/Dsc01277.jpg

At a former E German border tower.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ken.holland/supra/Dsc01360.jpg

Outside another hotel.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ken.holland/supra/Dsc01364.jpg

After the stop in Calais.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ken.holland/supra/Dsc01500.jpg

And most importantly, the Nurburg bit: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ken.holland/Nurburg.htm

After all that, it's good to be back. The Supra behaved perfectly the whole trip so I treated her to a good wash'n'wax today.

Cheers,

Ken

Nice pics

"The poor ole Supe certainly showed the pace at the end though. Coming down the home straight after the gantry the brakes were really juddering - must have warped the disks I suppose with all the hard braking. And when we pulled up to let the engine idle down there was a bit of smoke coming up from the back near the firewall - gearbox oil overheating d'you think?"

I got the same smoke, but after a while it went, best to give the Supra a cool down run before parking up. I was running with 0w30 engine oil, couldnt see where exactly it was coming from, but thin oil will burn on hot heavy and sustained runs like that. Could just have been some residue laying around the engine bay after a oil change. I wouldnt worry about it

Brakes warped?! JDM brakes? I had no probs with mine and I was running high 8/low 9 min lap times most of the time.

Nice pictures.

Beer Beer Beer !!

You trying to get me going....

cos it's working

Glad to see your using the full output of the car, wish I could of kept it...

Looks a very nice place Ivan. Bet you had a great time! I've never been to Germany, but just might have to do a few laps on that track........when I get me supe!

PS (The beer's making mr thirsty!)

Sorry Tim - just letting you know that the car's in good hands.

Bobbeh, the brakes are UK ones. I only noticed the juddering when slowing down for the pits, not before. And as it went soon after I can only assume I had some hotspots for a while. That and the fact that I had new pads fitted a week or two ago. It's not happened since. Must admit, the smoke thing had me worried at first, but as everything seems fine now and I'm not the only one it doesn't seem to be an issue now - thanks.

Let me guess. You put all that alcohol in the boot to aid traction?

Hi all,

Travelled to Paderborn (where I was posted for 7 years back in the 80's)

you should've dropped me a line, would have loved to have a look at your baby

Nice clean car that, same as mine or is yours VVTI? Don't you just love those german roads, and you get a lot of looks too. There can't be that many Supras in Germany?

A man after my own heart, was there 3 times this year, great spot, would reccommend a run to Bavaria, especially Passau etc, nice country and great fast roads, get de limited and have fun :-)

Ever notice how many Germans think the Supra is the coolest thing?. (they are so right of course).

Japfanatic - if I'd known you were there I would have for sure. I used to be in the Driburger "PanzerKaserner" and lived in the flats out the back, right by the NAAFI.

Crikey, the outskirts of Paders have changed a bit.

Glad to see there's no real change in the centre though - you can still get a brattie near the RatHaus.

We stayed in the SudHotel (SW of the town just off Le Mans Wall under the railway bridge). Bit of a grotty area, but the hotel was fine. It came recommended by Jay Keyver - is he still selling insurance to squaddies over there? When did the Toc-H go?

Spent a while just driving round town getting my bearings again - it was just like coming home again.

Hogmaw - yeah, its VVTi. And I know what you mean about the looks you get. In one place we even had a young lad race past us in town just so he could stop further on and get out his mobile and film me driving towards him. So I did him the courtesy of stopping to chat for a bit (on the pretext of asking for directions you understand ). First thing he said was "In many years time I too will get to drive this car."

Chief - limiter? What's one of them then?

Japfanatic - if I'd known you were there I would have for sure. I used to be in the Driburger "PanzerKaserner" and lived in the flats out the back, right by the NAAFI.

Crikey, the outskirts of Paders have changed a bit.

Glad to see there's no real change in the centre though - you can still get a brattie near the RatHaus.

 

We stayed in the SudHotel (SW of the town just off Le Mans Wall under the railway bridge). Bit of a grotty area, but the hotel was fine. It came recommended by Jay Keyver - is he still selling insurance to squaddies over there? When did the Toc-H go?

 

Spent a while just driving round town getting my bearings again - it was just like coming home again.

hehe, I'm glad you liked it:) I don't really have an idea about the - let's call it "British army subculture" over here - as I'm a Kraut, what do you mean with Toc-H? The Pader outskirts really did change a lot, there was the German garden exhibition in 1994 and they've made a beautiful park around the Pader.

I don't know the hotel, but in that area a friend of mine is living, ain't really the most beautiful part of the town...