[NA]Need Brit car simulator[NA]

[Henning]

I saw the thread title, and I thought you were looking for something to simulate the fabled reliability of vintage british sports cars. Especially the patented Lucas Positive Ground electrical systems.

That's easy, just turn the monitor off and look at the black screen....

 

[Keith Lane]

Being an American, the rental car agents always (wrongly) assume that I want the car with an "automatic gearchange". I tell them as long as I have to shift with my "wrong" hand, I'll drive on the "wrong" side of the road also.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

the automatics were wildly $$ so we went with a standard.

 

[SCCutler]

Who needs auto?

 

[Graueradler]

Probably the most dangerous traffic hazard for Americans in Britain is walking. You have a life long habit of looking to the left for traffic when you step off of the curb. It won't be coming from that direction.

 

[Ghery]

Gas pedal wil still be on the right, brake on the left.

Thank goodness. Shifting with my left hand is bad enough, but if they had swapped the pedals it would have been impossible.

The first day or so you are constantly thinking, "Keep left. Keep left. Dammit! Keep left." After a while it isn't so bad. And Henning is correct, you get a great introduction coming out of the rental car lots at Heathrow. Fortunately, I'm usually headed west on the M4 to Swindon, so I have about 70 miles of freeway to settle in. Haven't been there in a few years, maybe it's time to get some manager other than my boss to agree that another visit to their EMC lab is in order. Next year.

 

[Ghery]

I wonder if they rent out magnetic rooftop rotating beacons or "US driver on board!"

I've long felt that they should create something like the "L" sign on the back of cars driven by learners. A big "Y" for Yank would do nicely.

Oh, BTW, if you're going to be driving in London, have a GPS since there are very very few street name signs in London (though if you're just moving within London, leave the car parked and take the bus or underground)

Amen. My first trip to London in 1978 was for a month. My travel orders authorized a rental car. My boss said, "For emergency use only." Riding the bus in from Heathrow to the downtown airline terminal (this was before the tube went all the way to Heathrow) I was watching the traffic and thought, "Emergency use only? How about DIRE emergency use only!"

Yeah, I should have mentioned - I wouldn't drive in London for all the tea in China. Taxis, bus, tube. That's it.

If I can't get there by tube and maybe a little bus ride, a taxi will do nicely. But, drive in downtown London? Not me.

I saw the thread title, and I thought you were looking for something to simulate the fabled reliability of vintage british sports cars. Especially the patented Lucas Positive Ground electrical systems.

Ah, Lucas. Prince of Darkness.

Why do the British drink warm beer? Because they keep it in Lucas refrigerators!