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Odd, bad or just plain exotic...
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Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 25 Apr 15 at 15:50
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In a back yard not far from here - a bit of a change from the usual French fare - a dead Ford Anglia 105E estate. Looks saveable...
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 21 Nov 14 at 01:40
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105e was a very good Ford, zippy short-stroke engine and terrific gearbox.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 21 Nov 14 at 01:40
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And the estate is very rare, apparently.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 21 Nov 14 at 01:40
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I had the van. Loved it. Wish I had kept the Reg No.
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I remember two things about the 105E - the 'clang' of the doors and the electric windscreen wipers that didn't slow down and eventually stop as you went uphill: an innovation for Ford at that time.
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Well, this is odd...............
Not something I've seen before.
www.flickr.com/photos/125140832@N05/
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I know an expert. I'll ask him..
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he is one made earlier.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwXBzZ7yeeY
have a look at Wiki. Amazing number of 2CV varients.
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I've never seen one like that, although it isn't the only 2CV with a boot extension. If it's a one-off it's a very well-made and well-finished one, with the rear quarters radically altered.
I doubt if the different aerodynamics would slow it down much, if at all...
:o}
(FMR: I'm not that keen on smileys myself, but they have their uses, so I use them)
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I reckon It doesn't appear to have been stretched, but they must have severely curtailed the rear seat space. A 2-seater perhaps?
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Well done Ted. Good useful link.
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How about that, made in Chile even! Thanks Ted.
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Desperately trying to keep this thread alive...
I was queuing for the till in a newsagent's shop yesterday and idly scanning the motoring titles on the nearby shelf when I spotted a magazine specially for Dacia owners - 'Daciattitude'!
Whatever next? What in tarnation do they find to put in it?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 13 Dec 14 at 17:42
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Ads for Kurust? Tips for tightwads? Articles on how to overcome self loathing?
;-)
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 13 Dec 14 at 17:42
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OK, I've got one for you.
Shiny new white Lada Niva 4x4 parked outside a house near to my work on a new '64 plate.
How is this possible unless it was a private import?
Also on a nearby road there is the interesting sight of a Bentley Continental parked alongside a Renault Twizzy. Perfect mix of urban runabout and cross continent blaster. There together regularly so not someone just visiting.
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>> OK, I've got one for you.
>>
>> Shiny new white Lada Niva 4x4 parked outside a house near to my work on
>> a new '64 plate.
Yours for a shade under 13 grand
www.markkey.co.uk/nivacar.html
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You can buy a new Lada Niva in France to this day. A while ago the saleswoman at the dealer's in Limoges (don't ask) told me there isn't much demand because they are still only available with petrol engines, so le monde et sa femme buy Dacia Dusters.
She said they did sell a few of the 'sport' model though. When I asked her what made it a 'sport', she said it was the tennis ball on the tow hitch. That's pretty good from the French...
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A few years ago, well, quite a few actually, a pal who was into scuba diving had one as his car. It allowed him to access some pretty remote coastal places and was quite good at that. Fairly uninspiring on normal roads though.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 15 Dec 14 at 16:22
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In a Sainsburys car park this lunch time, a Citroen SM and, independently, a Renault 4 van. I had to double-check I hadn't gone back in time to the 1970s.
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Must've been a day for driving seventies cars on Monday then; during my day's work around the principality I was overtaken by a very scruffy but rather quick Reliant Scimitar, and later saw a Volvo 144 estate being driven t'other way in a somewhat spirited manner. Both looked well-used, nice to see them out and about.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Wed 24 Dec 14 at 14:28
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Arnt the lights on old cars poor though? I saw a Volvo saloon of that vintage on the motorway a couple of weeks ago, and the rear lights seemed tiny and dim compared to today's. Headlight were a sort of yellowish colour too - presumably tungsten bulbs rather than halogen.
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Headlights are usually quite easy to convert to halogens for anything still running on 7 inch sealed beams, but rear lights should be much the same as something much newer. My betting is the bulbs, wiring and connectors are not too good.
Vintage car is good from the back although strictly, the light units are too small. The nice LEDs I fitted (legal on this car) are brighter than standard bulbs anyway.
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Lots of Jowett Javelins had the rear light pods thrown away and VW Beetle ones fitted. I had the original pods on this car but not quite the right light fittings with flat red glass. Dual filament bulb holder are like hen's teeth. The nearest with flat glass was Jaguar 420G IIRC but clear glass 'cos they were front only.
I solved the problem with red glass paint from the local double glazinf maker and adapted a dual filament bulbholder to fit in the back with a self tapper. Works fine. Rear indicators are some small square motorbike ones hung below the bumper. An arrow was made with masking tape and the whole thing sprayed black. Then the arrow was removed leaving an amber bit lit up.
s479.photobucket.com/user/1400ted/media/jowett/tn_40_jowettjavelin1.jpg.html
The 21/5 lights are quite bright but it never goes out at night anyway. I could fit halogens at the front 'cos I run a 17 ACR alternator. A simple modification.
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Thankfully, 5/21 watt B15 bulbholders are quite easy to get in brass, so adapting an old fitting is quite an easy job. Bit of filing, bit of soldering and job done.
The rear light laws were changed in the 50s so my original units are not really right (until then, one light was legal and that is all my car had till then). But the acid test is observation in the dark and what I have is easily seen. Triumph Mayflower lights though seem to be the unit of choice among three wheeler owners though and you can easily buy replicas.
Headlights are 35 watt scooter halogens. I've since found you can buy 35 watt H4 bulbs, but adapting a scooter bulb is a lot cheaper, and only involves 10 seconds work with tin snips as the base is identical to H4 except for bigger flanges.
No indicators - that's what arms are for!
Last edited by: Slidingpillar on Thu 25 Dec 14 at 09:50
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I'm still on 6-volt electrics on the old side-valve; perfectly functional but not really ideal for speeds above 40 on unlit country roads. Rear stop-tail bulbs are easily acquired; surprisingly Halfords stock them. The headlamp however is a 25/25w American pre-focus type and I always carry a spare bulb as they're not overly common; you can fit a 35w bulb but it drains the battery too quickly as the bike has the old 3-brush generator which is very poor compared to more modern units. I have considered a halogen replacement but they are rather expensive, and I don't use the bike too often at night over any distance.
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I don't know about the Dynalite, Tommy but the thing with the Lucas is it is an almost exact fit using some packing on the back bolt between the unit and the engine bracket. A 3 inch piece of OHV Escort rocker shaft does the job there with 8mm threaded rod..
The other massive advantage is that the pulley wheel comes off the Lucas dynamo and fits straight on the alternator, matching the crank and water pump pulleys enabling the ' fatter ' belt to be used
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Saw a Rolls Royce Wraith this morning. Looked surprisingly understated in a shade of almost black/blue. Lad was fascinated by the RR spinners at the wheel centres.
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Nearly ended up on the bonnet of a Viva HC driven by a young lad just off Fleet High St. the other day.
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Saw very good condition B suffix Cortina estate today in M Mowbray
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Today I have seen a original Fiat 500, Morris Oxford, Riley Elf, Renault 12 TS and an old Peugeot - I think a 504.
No rust here, you see. Or much of an MOT. So unless someone totally wrecks it, its still around.
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>> Today I have seen a original Fiat 500, Morris Oxford, Riley Elf, Renault 12 TS
>> and an old Peugeot - I think a 504.
>>
>> No rust here, you see. Or much of an MOT. So unless someone totally wrecks
>> it, its still around.
>>
Had a couple of Renault 12TS. Surprised a few people by fitting wider wheels (a nice set of very light Campagnolo alloys) and having uprated springs (custom made) and shocks fitted. Drove very nicely after that. Even bought a 1605cc 15TS engine and gearbox to fit to it, but hit seemingly insuperable problems with the gearbox and linkage (long story) so I sold them on.
Quite amusing really, sold it with 125,000 on the clock at 14 years because it seemed to be getting on a bit....my current Saab 9-5 Aero estate has now done a tad under 222,000 in 10 years and still goes like excrement off a digging implement. Different class of car I suppose, but even so rust wasn't particularly evident on the 12.
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A Discover Sport today.....nice car that will sell by the truck load on looks alone I have no doubt. This was was in dazzle camouflage and on a 14 plate.
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I also saw my first Disco Sport yesterday. Quite a nice thing mostly.Appeared smaller in reality though than I'd have imagined it was going to be. Front end reminded me of Les Dawson gurning.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 2 Feb 15 at 19:37
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BMW i3 in Bala of all places....looked quite attractive to me. Not sure how this works outside metropolitan areas though.
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Could have been the range-extender version R.P., àla Vauxhall Ampera?
In Leicester an hour ago I was passed by a 1984 B-reg Ford Escort in Ceramic Blue. Quite rough-looking and fitted with original 57mm font numberplates. Barn-find maybe? It caught my eye because my Dad had one in the same colour when I was 17, I gained many hours of driving practice between lessons in that thing. And hardly drove it into any ditches at all once I'd passed ;)
Last edited by: Dave_C220CDI on Tue 3 Feb 15 at 19:33
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Oddly enough I was parked next to an Ampera yesterday !
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Not sure if they are rare as such but they are from my era and thus make me smile. Seen a G reg MK1 Metro around a lot lately. It looks stunning in bright red and not a patch of rust on it, what is even more unusual is it appears to be a poverty spec model.
I have also seen a 93L reg Renault 5 knocking about lately again in as new condition.
]
I get a lot more excited about seeing mundane cars like this than say an E type jag. People simply scrap everyday cars to the point they become none existent. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Fiesta MK3, yet it wasn't that long ago that I seemed to have a collection of them!
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>> G reg Mk1 Metro
I think that would have been a Mk2, BL gave them a fairly major turd-polishing around B/C reg. The Mk1s were ever horribler. Here speaks the voice of experience :(
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>> looks stunning in bright red and not a patch of rust on it,
that is the rust.
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Dave I knew there was a big update in 1985 but I wasn't quite sure if it was called the MK2, I called it a MK1 just so there was no confusion, although I don't think there were any second generation ones on a G plate.
Always hated the first generation Metros there was never any excuse to make a car in the 1980s that could rust so easily. The MK2 was a lot better but really needed a new body and the NCAP crash was quite sinister.
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The R5 could have been a Gordini. Yonks ago I bought a 5 TS off a friend, built from metallic gold coloured bean tins. He upgraded to a R5 Gordini, and like a fool I bought that off him when he upgraded to an RS1600i ( I think). Never owned a Renault since, but my memories of them are not all bad.
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>> Seen a G reg MK1 Metro around a lot lately.
There was mention in Monday's paper of a immaculate Metro 6R4 being sold for an extortionate amount of money. Can't find the article online though.
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There was a time when if a 6R4 was advertised, the police turned up. So many were stolen from the compound, any sale was checked as the odds were high it was stolen. Daft thing is, the one that were sold legally by Rover at the end of Group B were quite cheap.
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There was a story going round that several 6R4s had been produced by factory workers illegitimately. They either had cloned identities or none at all!
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I have also seen a 93L reg Renault 5...
This morning's navy blue Campus on the A404(M) must have been newer than that because it was wearing M42 FMR. Wondered if it was someone we might know...?
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The other Sunday, bowling North on the upper reaches of the M6, I was overtaken at very high speed, well into licence ripping territory, by a young girl in an ancient and very tatty Renault 5. Obviously I have no idea who she was, but judging by her apparent age, the overladen interior full of holdalls and bin liners full of stuff, if someone could have told me she was student returning to her digs after a weekend of home visiting I'd have believed them.
I've no idea how fast R5s are or were but this one must have been bouncing off the rev limiter. Looked close on the ton anyway. Not wonderfully clever in such a car at the best of times but it was just starting to snow at that point.
Oh to be young and that foolish again eh. I suppose I was once.
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>> I've no idea how fast R5s are or were but this one must have been
>> bouncing off the rev limiter. Looked close on the ton anyway. Not wonderfully clever in
>> such a car at the best of times but it was just starting to snow
>> at that point.
I love 5's. Some of them looked very nondescript but had high outputs. Some had 90bhp. (the turbo weighed in with 120+) Went and handled like rockets.
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I had a couple of R5 turbos - went up against a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI once on a motorway slip road entrance and it left me for dead.
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Still plenty of white 5s on the roads of France. Look in the mirror on a twisty mountain road and there's usually one stuck to the back bumper. I've always thought it was an effect of the magnetic GB plate.
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>> I love 5's. Some of them looked very nondescript but had high outputs. Some had
>> 90bhp. (the turbo weighed in with 120+) Went and handled like rockets.
My Mother had a high spec one, TXE or something. Wanted better seats/trim but also got a surprisingly poky 1.4 or 1.6 engine. Thoroughly enjoyed driving it.
The first one she had, 1978/S a 950cc TL was a revelation after a Mini.
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The first one I got me hands on was a 1972. Imported from Greece by some friends who wanted me to MOT it. It was on Greek old style plates, I still have one in the garage. It had a dashboard gear change but they hadn't tied it down on the ship and it was covered in dents.
I've had quite a few Mk1 fives. I bought a '76 ' P ' for £50 at the local garage, welded a floor in, panelled over the rear side windows, had a cheap spray in white and used it for some years as a service van. That had a dashboard change as well. All the others have had floor changes.
That Sierra engine was easy to work on and easy to put a clutch in.
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My next-door neighbour has a 'Super Cinq' from the mid-80s standing around, that he has owned from nearly new. In the French fashion, he has spare space so he just hasn't thrown it away. In fact, to my amazement, it's still a runner and he uses it occasionally for hauling bits of firewood.
Until not long ago he had a very tidy Mk 1 Golf in running order there as well. Someone eventually persuaded him to sell it.
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On the A34 this morning - an Army Land Rover being carried on an AA flatbed.
I'm not in the least surprised by a Land Rover breaking down, but you'd have thought that the Army would have its own recovery trucks.
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>> I'm not in the least surprised by a Land Rover breaking down, but you'd have thought that the Army would have its own recovery trucks.
Sure it wasn't a knackered one that had been sold on and still looked military? There are a fair number of those about.
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I expect you would be surprised at how much routine stuff is contracted out by the military. Defence cuts mean that what little funding is left has to go to war fighting kit.
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A Ford parked on the street in Kensington the other evening, just like any other car.
Except this was a Model T.
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I was in London yesterday and spotted three Teslas in Wellington street (off the Strand). Don't think I've ever seen one on the road before, but three?
Anyone know if there's anything around there to attract them?
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>> Anyone know if there's anything around there to attract them?
Charging points?
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>> >> Anyone know if there's anything around there to attract them?
>>
>> Charging points?
Fire Station?
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>> Anyone know if there's anything around there to attract them?
>
Tesla seem to have regular public 'test drive' events and no doubt other presentations to more select groups of potential buyers. West End/Covent Garden would be prime location for such an event.
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Morris Oxford Farina on the way to get my paper this morning: i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g456/bathtubshare/Photo-0025_zpsng3wf7b1.jpg
Spring must be in the air if old motors are appearing!
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That's a series V. I had a 1965 series VI, with a 1.6 B instead of the 1.5. I loved that car, even though it was a banger when I had it at 11 years old. It still looked great with its dark blue paint and chrome polished up.
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I learned to drive in my father's Austin A55 Mk2 of that era (as well as in the driving school Triumph 1300 - could hardly have been more different). Until we moved over here I had a Wolseley 16/60 (as well as the Rover P6 V8). It was not a motor with which to be in a hurry, or to pull up very sharply either but I have fond memories.
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>> I learned to drive in my father's Austin A55 Mk2 of that era
I learned to drive in one of those too Mike. Hired in Oxford for a trip to London and round about... it came with under-inflated back tyres and shortly after getting into it one of the two licensed drivers oversteered it into a kerb on a wet roundabout, to everyone's alarm. It turned out that although I had no licence, even a provisional one, and had hardly ever driven a car on the road, I was the only competent driver and car person in the vehicle. Once I got hold of the wheel and had inflated the tyres properly, I drove all the time for the rest of the weekend, hurling it round dry roundabouts with much tyre squeal and scaring everyone rigid. The others were so slow and wimpish as drivers that they realised we'd never get anywhere unless I did the driving. Fortunately we survived, and I've been a brilliant and safe driver ever since (he boasted riskily).
Four up, the drum brakes suffered from quite bad fade. I only ran out of road properly once, but there was an escape road in the right place and I fudged the moment over by pretending I'd just taken the wrong turning. The others were all asleep and didn't really notice.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sat 14 Feb 15 at 17:13
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Not a spot of rust anywhere, and only one previous owner who bought it new in 1963 and got £12 part exchange allowance on a 1936 Rover 12. I had all the paperwork...
Where are you now?
www.flickr.com/photos/64660965@N03/7164817744/
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>> Where are you now?
Death Destruction Derby?
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My FiL always had Wuzzley Farinas 'cos the boot was massive and he needed to carry boxes of stock. He was a rep travelling in Lady's clothes, etc. He got me my first proper car from the garage he dealt with. A Wuzzley 15/60 in two tone blue. JCW 18..a Burnley number.
When the car stopped being made he went on the Landcrabs and after that, his last car was a '78 Maxi.
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My father had a Black Wolsley 16/60 - bought second hand it had a foil covered Marvel tin lid in the hole...nice car...good smell.
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My first car was an old Wolsley 6/80. A big beast at the time.
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>> He was a rep travelling in Lady's clothes, etc.<<
There's no answer to that... ;-)
I should have made clear above that when I bought the Wolseley in spotless condition it was 30 years old. I last saw it in 2004 so hopefully it hasn't fallen into the clutches of the banger racing vandals.
Last edited by: Mike Hannon on Mon 16 Feb 15 at 10:50
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Going south on the A3 this morning, just north of Guildford, a De Lorean. Followed a few minutes later by an old blower Bentley.
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An Austin Three Litre. The Landcrabs bigger brother.
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White one. In a bit of a state on someone's drive in north Slough. Presumably an uncompleted (uncommenced would be closer) 'restoration project' - perhaps he tells his wife it'll be worth something when it's done.
My 11-year-old self thought an orange one would be way cooler than my mum's Renault 4. I suspect he was wrong.
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Parked not 100m from my house this sunny afternoon - a Morgan Aero 8. First one I've ever seen in the metal. Not as big as I thought it would be. But every bit as ugly.
Also, while out walking this afternoon, a Lancia Fulvia poking out of a shed in a village back street not far from here. Now that is pretty...
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Mar 15 at 01:00
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I like that Aeromax model (in the Morgan website) a lot. The kind of belle-laide I appreciate.
I do have a weakness for ugly and peculiar cars. It's saved me a lot of money and taught me a lot.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Mar 15 at 01:01
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Someone I know got a brand new petrol Range Rover. Beautiful quality motor, the interior is really quite nice.
I imagine it is quite rare, not many people these days that can stomach 22 mpg, even those with money usually go diesel now.
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Guess they are probably built for overseas markets rather than the UK
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A Honda Civic twice in the last week - first generation. Looked tiny.
And more surprising these days - a police car
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>> And more surprising these days - a police car
Not in Swindon. The place is littered with Honda Civic police cars.
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>> The place is littered with Honda Civic police cars<<
Is that right? No wonder the police rarely see anything...
A couple of months ago the dealer lent me a brand new Civic for a couple of days while the Accord had a service/windscreen change. Invisible rear and blacked-out side windows. How do people cope?
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>> Is that right?
Yep. Something to do with the Honda factory being right on the doorstep.
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A gorgeous Ferrari Dino warbled its way past me yesterday as I cycled up Box Hill in the spring sunshine.
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Boxsterboy bikes up Box Hill.
Sorry, couldn't resist it. I like alliteration.
:-)
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Not just up. Down too!! :-)
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>> A gorgeous Ferrari Dino warbled its way past me yesterday as I cycled up Box
>> Hill in the spring sunshine.
Did you see a Spitfire go over?
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No, but I tell you what. Seeing the Dino made me think (again) why are modern supercars so big??
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Spotted through the drizzle on the northbound M3 this morning, an 'M' plate Wolsley 'wedge' in orange, looked in pretty good nick. Spamcan Junior spotted a 911 GT3 with a roof rack yesterday on the way to school.
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When I win the lottery, I'm having a Panamera with bike racks on the roof.
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A red Holden Ute making good progress on the A3 south of Guildford this morning.
A long way from home ?
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Passing through Settle last night, an orange Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport, in convoy with half a dozen Mk1 Escorts....the flat front type, maybe RS 1600/1800, plus an RS2000. I thought the former Fords were expensive collectors cars, so maybe they were variants. All appeared to have roll cages fitted.
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The rich kids from the '80s going out to play at rallying, no doubt.
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>> Passing through Settle last night, an orange Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport, in convoy with half
>> a dozen Mk1 Escorts....the flat front type, maybe RS 1600/1800, plus an RS2000. I thought
>> the former Fords were expensive collectors cars, so maybe they were variants. All appeared to
>> have roll cages fitted.
>>
Flat front Escorts were all Mk. 2's The RS2000 was available without the snoot front.There were a few Mk. 1 RS2000 but very rare.
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>> There were a few Mk. 1 RS2000 but very rare.
Even rarer is the RS1800 twin cam. A bit fragile I suspect, too fast for itself.
Mk 1 Cortina was a nice car and the Lotus variant even better (but fragile). Cortina GT was brisk and durable though.
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>> Mk 1 Cortina was a nice car and the Lotus variant even better (but fragile).
>> Cortina GT was brisk and durable though.
Late Mk.1 Lotus Cortina used the GT rear suspension which was much tougher than the original Lotus "A" frame.I had a mate who built a Mk. 1 Lotus from parts but he had a lot of trouble from the police as it was registered as a new vehicle several years after production had ceased.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 25 Apr 15 at 15:47
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Austin A55 Cambridge chugged past chateau k9 yesterday. Noisy blimming thing, it did nothing for me at all, aesthetically. I can think of 100's of classic cars I'd rather own.
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>> Austin A55 Cambridge chugged past chateau k9 yesterday. Noisy blimming thing, it did nothing for me at all, aesthetically.
A55 was never a good-looking car although it wasn't noisy by the standards of its day. I guess most of those still running are quite rough. But I have a certain nostalgic affection for it because I learned to drive in one. Its leather seats and four-speed column gearchange would give it a certain faded charm these days. I think it had an elegant 'flying A' pedestrian-eviscerator on its nose too.
>> I can think of 100's of classic cars I'd rather own.
If not thousands... tell me about it Perro!
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>>If not thousands... tell me about it Perro!
I was being conservative (with a small C) ;)
Although my driving school and test car was a mark 1 Escort, I actually learnt to drive on an Austin A50 - now there's one car I wouldn't mind being seen in, or indeed owning today.
Last edited by: Dog on Fri 24 Apr 15 at 16:36
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>>Although my driving school and test car was a mark 1 Escort
Mine was a Triumph Toledo.
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I took my test on a Mk1 Escort. I had learned in my dad's Volvo 240 and had also had half a dozen BSM lessons in a Mini but my dad was away on business when my test was due so I had to book the BSM car. On the morning of the test I got a call from them to say my instructor was off sick so I'd be with a new guy. I got the chance to drive the Escort from the BSM office to the test centre ( couple of miles ) and that was it.
Passed though thank goodness.
Funnily enough, by way of a bit of trivia, bus lanes had come into use in Edinburgh for the first time that very day. Traffic was chaos with people not really understanding what to do. Fortunately I must have coped.
Nice little cars those Escorts. At one time I had one. Not a sexy one though. Beige base model 1.1 two door.
Slower than a sloth but it did me well enough for a while.
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>> I took my test on a Mk1 Escort.
So did I, and what a fantastic machine the Mk1 escort is. I still yearn for one.
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>> >>Although my driving school and test car was a mark 1 Escort
>>
>> Mine was a Triumph Toledo.
Datsun 1200.
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>> Datsun 1200.
Vauxhall Viva
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 25 Apr 15 at 15:47
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Already experienced on the road with bikes and Bond F Type. Then under L plates on FiL to be's Wolseley 16/60.
Took and passed test in a HA Viva.
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Me too Guv, like I said...
;-)
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>>Ford Squire
What, an 100E?
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>> >>Ford Squire
>>
>> What, an 100E?
>>
As I recall:-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Squire
Whether it was in fact, the Squire or the Escort version, at this distance of time I can't be sure. It had the 3 speed box with non-synchromesh first gear.
It was 1958, after all!
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>>It was 1958, after all!
Holy Jesus! - I was 6 years old then.
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>> my driving school and test car was a mark 1 Escort
>>
>> Mine was a Triumph Toledo.
Mine was a Hillman Imp. In a way an unsuitable vehicle, with a sharp clutch and zippy engine. I'd already been driving for a while semi-legally on an Irish licence, and thought I was pretty hot stuff. I'd already taken the test in my own car and failed on several counts, the most important of which was exceeding the speed limit. Another was having a battered left-hand drive car in which the tester may have felt exposed and a bit scared. My natural instinct was to indulge the Imp's sudden, darty nature and go like the clappers in it.
It was represented to me, not without difficulty because I really didn't want to believe it, that to pass the driving test I would have to drive visibly below the speed limit, very smoothly, slowing down even more for minor intersections even when there was nothing in them. So I had to acquire very fine clutch and throttle control to make that Imp behave. It seemed tiresome at the time but must have been a good thing really.
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So was mine. A blue Toledo, and the first Mrs LL had a blue Dolomite called Daisy.
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Took my car test on a 100E,my m/c test on a LD125 and my Class 1 HGV on an artic. with a four speed crash box! Passed all first time.
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Taking of Escorts I spotted a mk3 convertible. Looked like it had a complete overhaul, although not a show pony someone uses it everyday. In a light blue colour.
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>> Took my car test on a 100E,my m/c test on a LD125 and my Class
>> 1 HGV on an artic. with a four speed crash box! Passed all first time.
LD125? A lambreta?
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I took my car test in a Hillman Imp and then my artic test in a Ford D series.
Stepping out of the D series and into a Volvo F86 the following day was an experience!
Pat
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I, too, learned to drive in my dad's A55 as well as the driving school Triumph 1300. Once I was let out without L-plates I used to corner the Austin so hard it would pop off the wheeltrims!
I still wish I hadn't let go the Wolseley 16/60 I had until we left for France. It was a good old piece of kit as long as you weren't in a hurry.
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Unusual Sightings - Volume 25 - Mike Hannon
