Mud, mud, glorious mud!

[goraiko]

Took the HRV out on a couple of Byways near a mate of mines' today and got a few pictures.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/goraiko/hrv/rrdayandhrv034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/goraiko/hrv/rrdayandhrv026.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/goraiko/hrv/rrdayandhrv030.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/goraiko/hrv/cb92d403.jpg

The rest are here:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v653/goraiko/hrv/?start=0

[PatrickDorrian]

Heh now that looks like fun, you'll not be keeping the splash guard on the front of yours for very long if you keep doing that tho ;)

Out of interest it looks like you were going quickish on a couple of those pictures or is that just the way it looks due to camera angles and spray?

[mrtn]

rooooaaaaar :D

[goraiko]

The top one was in second gear. Had to use a bit of a run up otherwise I wouldn't have made it. It was a small peat bog. We were in the fens so there was no danger of hitting anything hard. Plus my mate did check the area first.

[PatrickDorrian]

That looks like muddy good fun :P I think i'm going to have to have a go at that sooner rather than later!

[goraiko]

I think you can see me grinning like a cheshire cat in some of the pictures.

Just need to sort some A/T or M/T tyres for my spare rims now. :twisted:

[PatrickDorrian]

I wonder how capable the HRV is when you stick proper mud pluggers on it - i bet it handles like a sack of sh1t on the road with those sort of tyres on. Did you have a suitable Tow handy? lol

[goraiko]

Year my 4000kg rope and hand winch were in the boot just in case. The only problem with that was in the Fens there are no bloody trees. :oops:

Just as well we made it through.

I could really feel the rear diff working too on some of the easier bits.

[PatrickDorrian]

You wait till you get a good play in snow and ice mate ... if you like mud, you'll have a riot in the slippy stuff :)

[goraiko]

Can't wait. :mrgreen:

[PatrickDorrian]

Doughnuts are easily achievable and you can get it to pirrohuette on the spot if you get the throttle and steering right :p I know cos i was caught on the works cctv system doing it in the transport yard last winter lol

[goraiko]

:oops:

[PatrickDorrian]

As mrtn said .... Rooooaaaaarrrr lol

Snow is ace fun, no traction, no grip and you can't wear your tyres off or get stuck up to the axles in sticky stuff :) Just make sure the carpark you choose is flat with NO hidden kerbs under all that virgin snow!

I do see a definite cheesy grin on the face of the bloke in that HRV though :D

[mrtn]

just to brief you: http://mrtn.gt.ee/honda/hrv_powerslide.avi

[goraiko]

Ah.....well...yes....um.....I guess that'll be me then.

I'll have to dig out an old picture of me in my Landy stuck in snow on a winter green lane trip around north norfolk. I could only just open the doors. :oops:

[PatrickDorrian]

Hehe that's cool mrtn :D I like the hedge that just about obscures you from being seen from the road. I'd not like to bash into that kerb though!

[mrtn]

it's over a foot high barrier there where the hedge is planted...

[PatrickDorrian]

Excellent motivation for not hitting it then! ;)

[goraiko]

mrtn I cant view the file for some unknown reason.

[goraiko]

Working now, so god knows what I did wrong. :?

[PatrickDorrian]

Are you trying to open it and save it, or open and run it?

if you're using media player just copy the url into the "Open location" in media player - worked ok for me here

[PatrickDorrian]

Must be the hills in norfolk disrupting the broadband signal ;)

[goraiko]

Was opening and running it. Then saved it and opened it and it was all fine. So it was obviously me. :wink:

Looks great fun. Although you did get a bit near the wall a couple of times. :shock:

[mrtn]

goraiko, did you video your mudding?

videoeing such activities i so freaking dumb that it suits our forum so well.

also - every such video must feature a numetal soundtrack so it wouldn't differ from any other burnout video. pantera - 'f*cking hostile' is car videos' katrina and the waves 'walking on sunshine'.

[goraiko]

Not this time we didn't (I left the camera at home by mistake :oops:) but I will do next time out. And I'm sure I can find an equally silly sountrack for it too. :lol:

[goraiko]

Must be the hills in norfolk disrupting the broadband signal ;)

Yeah it's goes down hill alll the way. :lol:

Although I do live in one of the hillier bits. Maybe hillier is a bit stong. Slopier bits.

[PatrickDorrian]

I can't take the piss, i live in hull lol .. it's just about as flat here :)

Mrtn - try using "Prong - snap your fingers snap your neck" on the next video you make :D

[goraiko]

That might be quite fitting consering my mate hit the roof of my hrv at one point today.

[PatrickDorrian]

Have the same problem myself. I'm only 5'8 but i've got short legs and a long body, i bash my head on most cars and getting in the back of anything that doesn't have 4 doors is a no no.

The comical thing is my 6'2 mate can drive my car and the only thing he has to do is move the seat back a bit. I get in his car and all i have to do is move the seat forwards a little, nothing else needs changing.

It's the exhaust on the HRV that worries me, it's too close to the ground for comfort. Do you know if the propshaft moves around at all and how far it does if it does?

[goraiko]

TBH Pat I wouldn't have thought the propshaft would move around much as isn't the rear diff fixed in place to the floor plan.

[mrtn]

Do you know if the propshaft moves around at all and how far it does if it does?

its feexed.

[PatrickDorrian]

That's what i was wondering, if that's the case ... i can't see any reason why you can't route the exhaust over the top of the stupid thing and maybe fit a skid bar / plate underneath to protect things when you go mud surfing.

My only concern was that the rear diff was mounted on the axle but of course it can't be as it has drive shafts that move so the diff and prop must be fixed in place too.

[mrtn]

mrphoo rerouted his IIRC.

[PatrickDorrian]

I'm off back to the exhaust place in a couple of weeks, i'm going to get them to have a look and see what they can do to move it for me. It would give another 2 inches or so of ground clearance i'm sure.

I just can't for the life of me work out why the routed it underneath it!

[goraiko]

I think it would be a wise move.

Anyone know where to get skid plates from?

[PatrickDorrian]

You could always build them yourself ... it's only metal sheet bolted to supports - can't be that hard to make up can they?

[goraiko]

mmmmm. :idea: Got me thinking now. Might have to have a play in the next few weeks. I'm guessing it would have to be reasonably thick though otherwise it could end up causing more problems than it would prevent.

[PatrickDorrian]

That might add too much weight ... what about skid bars mounted either side of the prop / exhaust tunnel? Or is it just a pointless mod and are you better off ripping out the rear seats, tinning the rear windows reclassifying it as a van - halfing the insurance and making it lighter and quicker into the bargain ;)

[goraiko]

TBH I don't think you'd need it the length of the car. Just under the sump and engine/gearbox area.

Everthing else seems reasonably out of the way apart from the exhaust.