By Hooniverse
You know, just because my last name is Rong, doesn’t mean I am, er, always wrong. Here’s one case where I am completely and irrevocably right, unique and perfect in every facet of my opinion. These clowns My esteemed co-hosts just don’t know it yet!
To coincide with British Week, we talk about the most British mode of transportation next to Stephen Fry’s shoes, Bristol Cars. Yes, they of former financial solvency, who have gone into “administration” for perhaps the most ruthless of euphemisms, are actually more deserving of respect than you may think. Naturally, I am right again, and I am the only one willing to step up to defend an institution as English as fish n’ chips and not mentioning wars. We also talk about our unabashed love for work trucks, driving Meals on Wheels to old people, Jim Brennan’s adventures at NTEA, and the state of British cars in general. If you call that liquid stuff “petrol,” it’ll be right up your alley.
As always, click the radio or this link to download the Hoonicast.
And as in true British electrics fashion, this podcast has been delayed by a day, just as I would be if I were traveling by Triumph Stag. Please excuse the Lucas-blamed delays!
My feature on the Bristol showroom drops later this week. Stay tuned to British Week for more tweedy pub-influenced nonsense!
[Image Source: Paul Baines]
Greg Kachadurian
I have two British bikes. (I might as well have sent my money to Nigeria) Regardless I wouldn't have it any other way. Its something special to say your machine was made in England.
You didn't run the photo of Blake!
Slap of the glove for praising the simplicity of work trucks, then complaining about the interior fashion of the Express and Econoline vans. Transit-connects are excellent for light-duty, journalists, and hipsters. A base E150 costs $5k more, and without going too far outside specified limits, can carry a crushed TC in the back while towing two more. As far as capacity, a twenty year old design is still the best answer when you actually need a truck, not just interior volume. The much more expensive Sprinters have seen mixed success. But they are a different answer to a formerly settled question, and that will drive improvement.
Full Disclosure: $4500, 250,000 mile E350 Diesel in the garage. The interior is ruined and, apart from one belt buckle, completely intact. Rubber floor, front and rear A/C, 12 passengers or 120" of cargo, 5 tons towing. If there's a better Swiss-army knife work truck, I'll buy it.
I don't know why, but this is what first came to mind when I read "250,000 mile E350 Diesel." Maybe I was skimming what you wrote…
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/E350Tblack.jpg" width="600">
You garage that beast? I can't understand why or how you managed that.
I only use it when I need to move something big.
I have to fold in the mirrors to get maybe three inches of clearance on each side.
It lifts up the garage door if I don't open it all the way.
I have a two-stage tennis ball system to get the front bumper two inches from the wall.
And with the hitch out, I can close the door behind it.
Good thing I didn't get an extended one.
I think you're pretty much a national hero for accomplishing such a feat. Do you climb out the rear doors?
That sounds like something I would do, but it's just a two car garage with single-car doors.
Also, it should be noted, for anyone who missed it on Fecebroke, the Hoonicast is now available on iTunes! Finally. So those of you with iPod Touches or iPhones can download it directly, and those (~80%) of you who haven't shunned iTunes itself can conveniently download it and organize it there.
I wish I knew this an hour and a half ago… Do you any idea how many seconds of my life I have wasted downloading the podcast and importing it into iTunes?
Also, as the raw MP3s aren't recognized as podcasts, it gets lumped in with the music and my iPod starts playing a mediocre Killers song after the end of the Hoonicast…
Hey, blame Mr. Rong, he's the slacker who couldn't be arsed to put it in the article. 😉
There are still some bugs with the RSS feed, I'm working on them as much as some guy whose Thinkpad finally died yesterday can. So can it, peanut gallery! 🙂
I hadn't realized how overmodulated my mic sounds. I'll have to apologize to you all and fix that before next time.
Oh for Gods' sake, who do I have to sleep with to have my name in the credits?
Who are you again?
I think it's more of case of "who do I have to promise NEVER to attempt to sleep with…"
I. Nominate. Charles.
"The one that looks like a Uterus" Priceless.