I'm a petrol head (though the Top Gear wouldn't agree - never owned an Alpha and not likely to...). I am not ashamed at this. But this morning I am finding out that you can go too far, and am still paying the price...
Filling the bike up with feul the rubber hose spring suddenly sprang having the effect of both ripping the nozzle out of the tank, and forcing the lever into my hand spraying fuel all over my bike.
Ten minutes of rinsing the bike down I noticed that my nice, new, expensive, red and white Dianese gloves were also damp. So much for keeping them looking good as long as posible :(
So now I am sitting at my desk stinking of petrol. Feel sorry for those I work with - it's an open office :)
Stace
Oh no! Does the pong come from your gloves, or your hands? If the latter, you could make an ad hoc alternative to Swarfega with olive oil and either sugar or salt. If you have olive oil, sugar and/or salt....
ReplyDeleteI once swallowed petrol while syphoning it from the family Land Rover, which doubled as the fuel supply for my moped. Kind of flavoured my day.
I once did something very similar with my Honda, and then watched in horror as a huge cloud of almost steam-like petrol vapour enveloped both me and the bike as the fuel hit the fins on the hot air-cooled engine. I fill with a much tighter grip these days. Sorry, can't suggest a miracle petrol-remover.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should own an Alfa once. My desire is to have an Arna, just so I can strut it in front of the Nissan Sunny boys.
Dru: Thankfully I have never had to syphon fuel. I had an older brother for that :) I know that he stopped sucking too late a couple of times. It didn't look fun...
ReplyDeleteThe pong is from the gloves unfortunately. It has died down a bit now - I'm just hoping the nice soft leather hasn't been ruined by it...
Jenny: I just can't get exited about modern Alpha's. They just seem too much like 'standard' cars with a badge these days, and less of the fun things they used to be. A spyder (ala The Graduate), now that I would like, but that would mean getting rid of the Spit and I know which I prefer...
I did drive a 156 JTD top of the line with the geartronic box once that a colleague had as a lease car. But I hated it. It wasn't quick, didn't invite spirited driving and worse the way the geartronic worked gave me backache and made me question if the car was broken. You hit the button, waited, waited some more, the power was removed throwing you forward in your seat, it changed gear, the power came back on throwing you back in your seat. It just wan't *fun* (and added more than a second to the 0-60 of the car).
Stace
Damn, that one fell flat on its face. Far too geeky for my own good.
ReplyDeleteThe Arna is the one response guaranteed to make Jeremy Clarkson throw up on the Top Gear sofa, an '80s Nissan with an Alfa engine that was supposed to bring Italian flair to Japanese build quality but instead brought Japanese flair to Italian build quality. As one of the Worst Cars Ever, naturally it's at the top of my must-own list.
I renounce my previous statement of petrol headedness :)
ReplyDeleteNever heard of it! (The shame, the shame) Can I claim I am too young please?
Did some searching though, and yes that is ugly... An early 80's Japanese car. I can see why Alpha fans never accepted it... I say Clarkson should own on of those :)
Stace
I didn't notice :)
ReplyDeleteOr are you just being polite?
ReplyDeleteStace
Is petrol the same as gasoline? :)
ReplyDeleteHate it when that happens!
Calie xxx
Yup :) Coming up for a month later and they still smell of it a bit!
ReplyDeleteStace
Is petrol the same as gasoline?
ReplyDeleteIt's like gasoline, but three times more expensive :)