Part of the fun in going to a car show surely has to be the cruise there? Get up early, hit the roads when they are still quiet and watch the sun rise as you head along the motorway.
Some of us like to take this to the extreme.
350 miles there and another 350 miles back for a weekend show, but Hot Rods & Hills in the Lake District is definitely worth it.
This year our roving reporter took two hot rods, so you can image the fuel costs quickly add up…
Friday’s cruise was to the stunning Lowther Castle. This derelict castle makes for a great photo opportunity. On Saturday, we drove to the Lakeland Motor Museum. This year, due to the wet road conditions, we decided to give the Kirkstone Pass a miss and drive the long way around to the Museum from our Ullswater base. The Lakeland Motor Museum has a fantastic exhibition on the Bluebird land and water speed record attempts. Inspired by what we had seen, we chose to drive back to the campsite via Lake Coniston, the setting for Donald Campbells water speed record attempts.
But the weekend wasn’t without its challenges. Firstly, let us mention the weather. The Lakes are known for being, well wet, but Carol Kirkwood was correct when she forecast storms and a month’s rain in one week. Still, the tent stayed dry which is more than can be said for the cars.
A leaky windscreen on one and swimming spark plugs in the other. The rain had been so torrential that water had dripped down through the grooves in the ignition leads and pooled in the heads. As the 2.5ltr Daimler V8 is an elderly gentleman now, it does leak a little oil. The oil mixed with the pooled water creating something similar to washing up liquid. No wonder the car was running like a sack of potatoes! Fortunately, this was quite an easy fix and we were able to continue cruising the Lakes.
The Ford Pop however, suffered a more serious blow with a broken suspension component. This resulted in us calling ClassicLine’s breakdown recovery service and having the car recovered back to a friend’s garage near Peterborough. The following day, the new parts were ordered, and we arranged to meet the car to fix it later that week. If you are a ClassicLine customer, did you know that in the event of a breakdown, you can arrange for your vehicle to be recovered to a garage of your choice?
All in all, it was a good weekend. A great display of Hot Rods and American cars, and a chance to enjoy the stunning Cumbrian scenery – even in the rain!
If you went to Hot Rods & Hills in the Lake District this year, we would love to hear from you.
You may also be interested in reading:
What to do in the event of a breakdown – our guide to ClassicLine’s breakdown recovery service
A Ford Pop to make your Heartbeat
Low cost Hot Rod insurance
