fresco1 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 So, bit of debate a fortnight ago in the Fresco household over taking the GTI or the Landie back home to Dublin, but we settled on the GTI. Packed it with kids, partner and suitcases (impressive loadspace in fairness) and off we set from Southern England. Economy on the run was okay, think it was 36mpg for a full load, 360 miles, aircon running and on cruise most of the way at 80mph. Got to Dublin okay, no dents on the ferry this time, so all was well. Might be worth pointing out that I am originally from Dublin before this next bit ... ! The sane advice was don't take the GTI to Dublin, you could get killed for it. Well I had no trouble, in fact there were GTI's all over the place! Saw a nice Reflex Silver coming at me with a wave off the M50 near Dundrum one evening, 2 Tornado Red's over in Ashtown getting on to the M50 North. Reflex Silver in Chapelizod parked up. A red near Palmerstown with an illegal plate - purposely spaced out numbers for a birthday I think? Lots of people with fog-lights on at all times (why?!). More to the point. All going well, me being smug with my anti-bandit glass, unfortunately there came a wifey need to shop. 2 uneventful trips to Dundrum. Then 1 to Liffey Valley (uh oh). Car was left for 3 hours in the mother-and baby bays outside M&S. Fancy guessing what the little gits tried to do to my motor? They didn't try and break in. Didn't even key it (mercy!). Instead, they stuffed wads of paper through the front grill, then a couple of matches ... they tried to burn the flippin' thing! I stand in awe of the Liffey Valley knackers! They came up with a novel way of p****g me off!! Just had to tell ya ... PS - Car was unscathed, fortunately! And all caught on security camera .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petsy Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 blimey charlie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Shocking Takes the joy out of owning a nice motor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanon_1980 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 ya theres a fair few in Dublin alright not so many in Cork, Christ thats some move the little scuts tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd6677 Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 So fresco are you still here or are you back in the UK now ? Have to say I avoid Liffey Valley like the plague. I have heard a few too many bad stories about the place and nice motors being interfered with I have to say Dundrum is a lot better and there is also better stores there JD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy_Driver Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Glad all is OK and the scum in LV did not do any permanent damage. Don't think our GTI will be going out there in its first few years - it will be the Volvo for there. Although we would be a regular visitor to the Dundrum centre in it as we only live a few mins away and regularly walk down with our little one or take the GTI when its Tesco time. The GTI's are very common in Dublin alright, kind of gets you down sometimes but guess that's life - depression soon passes when you floor it and realise how great a car it is. One thing that always stands out is the dirty pipes - have not seen one GTI yet with clean pipes, when I do I will either be behind my wife who will be driving ours or else I will know it is one of the lads off TSN - you know who ye are, JD, Ken, GR or one of the lads from outta town Fresco - I was thinking of going the opposite way and ferrying to Holyhead and driving to brother in Loughborough, but then I saw the price for ferry Vs good oul cheap flight on Mickey Air (Ryanair to most). Anyway... happy motoring, just not hear Liffey Valley Paddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny_S Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Hi folks I’m new to TSN, allow I’ve been popping in from time to time over the last couple of months looking through the form. Makes interesting reading but until now never throw in my penny’s worth. Your right there has to more MK5 GTI’s in Dublin than anywhere else. In fairness it can happen anywhere but I myself hadn’t a great motoring experience when in Dublin a few weeks ago, I’d my GTI parked of the Upper Rathmaines Rd/ Ranelagh direction were the houses cost 3million plus (or so I’m told) to get up one morning & find someone had decorated my car with what at a few feet away gave the impression of emulsion paint but thankfully was nothing more than some sort of sauce. After some bad language & driving round Dublin for an hour looking for a power hose that worked I quickly realised it could’ve been a lot worse! Even still I felt annoyed that someone picked out my car to deface, all in all Dublin is a pretty cool place which I enjoy on every visit accept just in general observation people (non GTI owners) don’t seem to be as car proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy_Driver Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Hi Jonny, Sorry to hear of your experience in Dublin, if you had ventured about 3 miles further out of town you might well have come across me out washing our GTI I think you are right in that many Irish are not very car proud and with recent wealth there are now some seriously tasty cars about in Ireland but they are just not treated like they should be. I see so much from this forum and others, and from talking to English friends and family etc, that cars are treated far better in UK and more pride taken in them. Personally speaking I too was not a massive car cleaning fanatic until I got our GTI, but having always wanted one then I decided I was going to look after it and keep it looking well as much of the time as possible - hence the big dent in my wallet from detailing kit I am not going to go start slagging my fellow Irish but there are a few choice words I could use about the begrudging scum that exist in this city and others. It is annoying to hear what happened to your car and to Fresco's whilst in Dublin, but Thankfully no lasting damage. Regards Paddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted July 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 Have to say, of all the car-parks I've been in of late, the ones at Dundrum have some of the safest, cleanest bays by a mile. Plenty of nice corner bays with Armco on both sides ... class! Also, had a cracking drive down to Arklow on a sunny morning, certainly didn't hold back on the horses. However, I think filthy blue 89-D Transit vans are definitely faster than foreign GTI's on the M50 ... Here's the motor 3 hours before it got its grille singed ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny_S Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Thanks Paddy for your sympathetic words, like I say it can happen anywhere & has no reflection on the people of Dublin. My girlfriend has recently changed jobs & now moved out of Dublin but I still be around that area so I’ll keep my eyes pealed for ya, I often see a black 3dr & word has it there is a white one similar to mine about. Like I’ve said I go with a girl from the South for…… 2yrs almost now & I’ve spent a lot of time there & got to know a lot of people from that part of the world & I think it’s more a frame of mind rather than a lack of respect where people just look upon the car as nothing more than a mode of transport whether that be a Ford Fiesta or an S Class Merc but I be horrified sometimes with what I see. Fresco you’ve a point the cark park at Dundrum is quite the place, great big parking bays & I always manage to get a corner one away from all other cars plus it has security guards walking round which should be a good deterrent. I’ve even come up with the idea of leaving the car there over night but the girlfriend wouldn’t have any of it. I think I’m familiar with the road to Arklow as I’ve been down to Waxford, but one of the reasons I like taking the GTI to Dublin is to let it rip on the new M1 from Dundalk to Dublin, what a road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy_Driver Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Yeah, Dundrum is great - although most of our time down there we are using the Bugaboo GTI (Daddy's will know what I am talking about) cause we are just a short walk. There are some good spaces in there if you go looking and wife now understands why I have my "favourite" spaces The car park is very "intelligent" - I dare say, cause I know I am going to get slagged now! But it has the car sensors so it can tell you where all the spaces are free and also it is painted in nice light colours as opposed to the regulatary car park dirty grey everywhere! I am up and down the Wexford road abit as we have a place down near Gorey - a lot of speed traps along there though so always try to keep someone faster in front of me Regards Paddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fresco1 Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 And have to admit, one of the best moments on the whole run was dropping my £3.50 on the M6 Toll into the basket, and hammering the bejazsus off the GTI away from the barrier - but you have to, don't you?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 [ QUOTE ] And have to admit, one of the best moments on the whole run was dropping my £3.50 on the M6 Toll into the basket, and hammering the bejazsus off the GTI away from the barrier - but you have to, don't you?! [/ QUOTE ] That's why they built the dartford tunnel ... thought i'd go up against an SLK AMG last time i was there... oops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny_S Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Small world Paddy, the girlfriend is living outside Gorey. When you mention it I seen a few speed traps on that road, there seems to be a clamp down on speeding in the South recently & the Gards currently take no poo. Maybe they’re just giving the likes of me a hard time with Northern or English registered cars. Not that I condone speeding (well the reality is, its one of the reason we buy a GTI isn’t it) but I’ve a pretty funny story about being caught (or I should say almost being caught) outside Gorey a few weeks back, I’ll not get into it now for not only would it take to long but I’d also be incriminating myself. There’s a toll north of Dublin at Drogheda & no mater when I’m at it there is always someone looking for a race, I’ve had a few good runs & some have been shocked at how fit the GTI is & there has been times I’ve been shocked at how fit the GTI is. I know this isn’t a classified section but I was thinking there’d be a lot of Irish GTI owners viewing this & I’ve a Milltek Turbo back pipe I’d sell if anyone was interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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