3MA-2008

[Thotos]

Oh, OK then. If you put it like that I might come along...

[Thotos]

Having had a telephone enquiry about 3MA-2008 today, it would seem there's some confusion on dates and itinerary for 3MA-2008 so here's the plans and itinerary so far:

Officially, 3MA-2008 is a four day event as was the 3MA in 2007. That means it starts on the Morning of Friday 16th May  and ends after dinner on the Evening of Monday 19th May.

Most people will be using Thursday 15th May as the "getting to 3MA" day and will be heading for Scotland. Tuesday 20th May will be the "travel home" day. We have not made any accommodation plans for Thursday night (15th May) and it's up to individuals to sort out accommodation on Thursday if they need it. Having said that, once we have the details of who is coming and when and from where, we might arrange accommodation on Thursday night to suit everyone or at least as many as possible. The officially arranged accommodation for 3MA-2008 is in Inveraray for the four nights of the 3MA (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday). If you are planning to join us but have not booked your accommodation in Inveraray yet, please do so as soon as possible.

Not everyone has to join in for all four days (although it would be nice if everyone did) and in fact as Kevin has mentioned in another post (http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=561.0) it seems the majority, if not all, of the Irish contingent will be crossing the Irish sea from Belfast to Stranraer in Southwest Scotland on Friday 16th landing in Stranraer at 14:15. We have not decided yet if we are to change our Friday plans and drive to the west of Scotland to pick up the Irish convoy and then  head together to Inveraray or weather to stick to the original plan of heading north down the middle of Scotland. That way we get to go to places such as Rest And Be Thankful (http://www.answers.com/rest+and+be+thankful?gwp=11&ver=2.3.0.609&method=3), have lunch at the Oyster Bar on Loch Fyne (http://www.lochfyne.com/Restaurants/Locations/Cairndow.aspx) and arrive in Inveraray early afternoon with enough time for a visit to Inveraray Castle (http://www.answers.com/inveraray+castle?gwp=11&ver=2.3.0.609&method=3) and/or Inveraray Jail (http://www.answers.com/inveraray+jail?gwp=11&ver=2.3.0.609&method=3).

Friday driving plans will be finalised once we know who is coming from where and when.

So the 3MA-2008 Itinerary at the moment looks like this:

Friday 16th May: The start at a point just inside (or just outside) the Scottish/English border. Head north into Scotland taking in some "131 drives" with a possible westward kink to pick up the Irish convoy or an eastward kink to pick up the Continental convoy. Either way we'll end up on the A83 heading from outside Glasgow to Inveraray across the watershed between Loch Lomond and Loch Long to Arrochar near the head of Loch Long. We'll then go round the head of the loch, down the western shore for a short distance, before going westwards, up Glen Croe into the section of road known as the Rest and be Thankful, which is the hillclimb pass through the Arrochar Alps from the shore of Loch Long to that of Loch Fyne. We may even get to meet Dario Franchitti's nephew (he runs a burger bar at the top of the hill). Hopefully we'll get to drive the Military road built in 1753 which is referred to as the 'Drovers Road'; a great 131 drive! Lunch stop to be confirmed and will depend on the actual route taken. We expect to be in Inveraray sometime in the mid to late afternoon depending on the exact route taken.

Saturday 17th May: This will be the day with the most driving so an early start from Inveraray heading north for the highlands on the A82 towards Fort William. We'll stop at  Loch Ness for a bit of monster spotting before heading to the Inverfarigaig Corkscrew on the B852. After driving another military road, General Wade's, we'll head towards Torness for the tightest and steepest set of hairpins in the country before heading back South to Inveraray. Saturday's driving will be in excess of 200 miles.

Sunday 18th May: This is the day of our static show and for that we'll head east to Falkirk where we've arranged with the management of Falkirk Wheel (http://www.answers.com/falkirk+wheel?gwp=11&ver=2.3.0.609&method=3) to hold our display show in their grounds. We are still in discussion with Fiat Auto UK and the local Fiat Dealer (Arnold Clark) for their support but we do not have anything confirmed yet.

Monday 19th May: We'll head east again this time to Stirling Castle (http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/properties_sites_detail.htm?propertyID=PL_275) taking in some spectacular drives as well as picturesque drives  through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.

Dinner on all the 3MA evenings will be back at our chosen hotel  (http://www.131mirafiori.com/lfhs.htm) and of course we expect after dinner stories to go on into the small hours of the morning. Our Gala Dinner will be on Sunday 18th May.

Of course ALL of the above is subject to change at the moment.

[Baja141]

Great effort, Theo.
I'd like to request the GoogleEarth lat/long coordinates, maybe you can put it beside the 'name of the place' you mention there where possible.
We can track and enjoy your journey using GoogleEarth, that'll be interesting  Thanks.

[Thotos]

The Google Earth suggestion sounds like a good idea but unfortunately there's very little detail in the TerraMetrics images once you get into the Scottish Highlands as can be seen from the view (or rather the lack of!) of the Inverfarigaig Corkscrew in the photo below.

[Baja141]

It's ok Theo, maybe later you can help to plot using handheld gps of those interesting places.

[Thotos]

Last year we kept everyone updated on a daily basis with details and photos on each day.

http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=214.msg1105#msg1105

We'll hopefully be doing the same this year. Don't worry, we'll do our best to make all of you who can't make it to the 3ma very jealous!! 

[Baja141]

... this year maybe can try make it more unique Theo? ..
I observed there is something missing there, none of the cars carry the groups 'signature'?

I suggest our forum members all over the world install the url stickers at the rear of the screen. the one in the photo maybe too large .

I'll kick off to install one later, the only one in M'sia.?

[Thotos]

Well, all the 3maers did have a "signature" sticker in the form of the specially commissioned 3ma stickers (all present with a 131 got one). We also had numbered plaques on each car.



Similar 3ma stickers will be available again this year  And we are also looking into producing website URL stickers so we should have "double signatures" at 3ma08. 

[Baja141]

That is good news, Theo    Once you're done with the url design, pls let us know .. we can take the design and send to advertising shop to computer cut out the stickers, I'll display it on my car 

[Thotos]

Having had a recce weekend on 26/27 April, we've changed parts of the itinerary and some of the driving routes so the original message here has been deleted. Please click on the link below for the new posting giving the finalised (subject to change!) itinerary and driving routes.

http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?topic=508.msg5965#msg5965

[Thotos]

within when it must confirm in order to reserve?

We originally agreed with the hotel to hold the reserved rooms for us until the end of February but  we managed to extend the holding of the rooms until the end of March. There's not much of March left and there's no way we'll be able to hold any rooms into April so if you are thinking of joining us but haven't yet booked your room(s) then please do so as soon as possible. Booked rooms can be cancelled giving the hotel a minimum of 48 hours notice (so any time up to Wednesday 14th May) so if in doubt please book your rooms now and cancel in time if you then find you can't make it.

[Thotos]

Due to a proposed worker's strike at Scotland's only oil refinery in Grangemouth, the refinery's management have decided to shut down the refinery.  Details of the news story can be seen on the BBC's website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/7356235.stm and additional details at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7360339.stm.

Initial information from contacts within Scotland would imply that the situation is not as bleak as it seems reading these news stories but panic buying of fuel has resulted in some petrol stations rationing supplies and/or running out of fuel. 

We are monitoring this situation and we hope that it will all be resolved by the time of the 3ma in 3 weeks time. Simon and I are flying tomorrow to Scotland for the weekend to do our customary recce of the 3ma driving routes and we will of course get a better idea of the situation when we are there. If any of our Scottish members are reading this perhaps they can let us know if there's a real problem or not.

Our suggestion at the moment is that it may be a good idea to have some extra fuel in the car during the 3ma and to fill up at every opportunity but of course we don't want the 131s to be extra large mobile Molotov cocktails! Too much fuel in the cars will only slow us down and we don't want to do that!

We'll update this after the weekend when Simon and I will have first hand information. Watch this space....

[Thotos]

Simon and I flew to Scotland for the weekend and we can now report that the fuel situation didn't seem anything as bad as the media seemed to be reporting. A few stations had run out on one or two pumps and some were limiting the amount of fuel people could buy but for the majority of filling stations it was simply business as usual with plenty of stock of fuel. Certainly all the locals we spoke to didn't seem to think there was a problem so it would appear  the media reports were just sensationalism and an attempt to create the news rather than simply report it. Hopefully the situation will even improve over the next 3 weeks and we won't have any problems at all.

We were very lucky with the weather for our recce weekend and for sure I can't wait to drive some of those roads in the 131; the Renault Scenic Megane that Simon and I hired for the weekend did not encourage spirited driving.

Here's some of the roads you are going to drive and and places you are likely to see during the 3MA:

[Thotos]

Some more photos from our recce in Scotland:

[Thotos]

And some more photos from our recce in Scotland: