MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 At least you're doing something positive with it and a professional restoration is far better than your local crash body shop fitting it in "as and when", because it will sit half dismantled for years until you fall out with someone. At which point you find that somebody has pinched those ultra rare 1959 model only bumpers and trim pieces... 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 18 minutes ago, Bucoops said: I own one 😏 I last saw it over ten years ago when I sent it to Bristol to be in a queue for professional restoration. I'm guessing it's a very LONG queue. I must admit that I have always fancied owning a c1960 93 model, I blame the likes of Carlsson and Bremer. I would love to credit the picture but my Japanese is a little rusty.... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 12, 2023 21 minutes ago, MrWolf said: At least you're doing something positive with it and a professional restoration is far better than your local crash body shop fitting it in "as and when", because it will sit half dismantled for years until you fall out with someone. At which point you find that somebody has pinched those ultra rare 1959 model only bumpers and trim pieces... Pretty much all of it is 1977-79 exclusive (including the lubricant they used to fit the glass which corroded paintwork...! Only 1100 built, and almost all have rusted away. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road. A relative of mine who had a penchant for unusual cars owned the more basic model, finished in a shade of 70s knotty pine kitchen beige of course. I was fascinated by the complicated way that the bonnet opened and occasionally failed to close properly. I'm used to that though having owned a fair few proper Triumphs, the bonnet gets a bit of a set in it from being repeatedly opened from one side, so eventually it will only close properly from one side too. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TinTracks Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2023 40 minutes ago, MrWolf said: I must admit that I have always fancied owning a c1960 93 model, I blame the likes of Carlsson and Bremer. I would love to credit the picture but my Japanese is a little rusty.... I have one of these, no rotting or mechanical/ electrical problems at all, however it is a 1/32 scale resin slotcar kit 😄 Rich. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, TinTracks said: I have one of these, no rotting or mechanical/ electrical problems at all, however it is a 1/32 scale resin slotcar kit 😄 Rich. As long as you didn't get robbed by an eBay seller to obtain it, them it's fine. Closest I have ever got to SAAB ownership is a metallic red 1/48 ish example made by Dinky in about 1968. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TinTracks Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, MrWolf said: As long as you didn't get robbed by an eBay seller to obtain it, them it's fine. Closest I have ever got to SAAB ownership is a metallic red 1/48 ish example made by Dinky in about 1968. Luckily not purchased from The Devil's Toybox. I'm almost sure I bought it direct from Pendle Slot Cars (excellent service) About ten years ago I had a ''fad'' on converting 1/32nd kits into slotcars. I had a facination for old USA 1950s car kits, Ford ,Chevy, Plymouths etc. from the likes of Pyro, Palmer and Lindberg. They were made with slotcar conversion in mind. You could get a reasonable result by hacking up an old Scalextric Metro chassis to fit. I was very fortunate to have a ''mentor'' who lived quite close to me. Following a stroke he still managed to convert 1/32 diecasts and plastic kits into beautiful slotcars. Considering that, after his stroke, my pal Ian was left with the use of only one arm and hand the stuff he created was/is quite remarkable. I struggled to get anywhere near his build quality. I then discovered the excellent Ronald Dodds Dublo Youtube vids and the die was set for a return to model railways. ! Regards Rich 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 2 hours ago, MrWolf said: I would love to credit the picture but my Japanese is a little rusty.... You could just cut and paste the Japanese characters and we'd be none the wiser. Even if it turns out to mean "we're going to copy these European cars and make them in Kyoto". 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 I bet there were a few at BMC/BL who regretted showing the Japanese how to build the Austin Devon engine. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 1 hour ago, MrWolf said: Closest I have ever got to SAAB ownership is a metallic red 1/48 ish example made by Dinky in about 1968. My father bought one to Swedish Specifications (heated seats, heated sump, wiring for a mains fan heater in the body) in the UK (free of tax) before exporting back to its home country (and getting stung for Swedish tax) just before he started working north of the Arctic Circle. He thought it would be easier to get that serviced in Kiruna than a BL car from Longbridge. The Swedes loved its British plates as the first three letters were LYX, which is Swedish for luxury. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Besley Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2023 I've always wanted a forward control Morris Commercial J type van... Sigh... 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Again, close but no cigar. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 12, 2023 2 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: You could just cut and paste the Japanese characters and we'd be none the wiser. Even if it turns out to mean "we're going to copy these European cars and make them in Kyoto". I've done that before when testing internationalisation in software I've been writing... it frequently doesn't really matter what the text says, as long as what comes out the end matches what you put in! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 12, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2023 3 hours ago, John Besley said: I've always wanted a forward control Morris Commercial J type van... Sigh... They've started making it again. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Only about £60,000.... Get real. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 49 minutes ago, MrWolf said: Only about £60,000.... Get real. Passion Wagon? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissrail Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 (edited) It's got a weird windscreen wiper arrangement. The £60,000 was mentioned in that video as if was not much more than the price of a fish supper. I think not. Edited April 13, 2023 by Swissrail 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 They have made the cabin much bigger than the original (not a bad thing) but most of that seems to be taken up by the dashboard area and of course it cuts into the load space. I suppose that there's a market for them amongst the mobile barista set, now that prices for the original Citroen H van everyone was using have gone through the roof and you're unlikely to be able to use them in city centres for much longer. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tofufi Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, MrWolf said: They have made the cabin much bigger than the original (not a bad thing) but most of that seems to be taken up by the dashboard area and of course it cuts into the load space. I suppose that there's a market for them amongst the mobile barista set, now that prices for the original Citroen H van everyone was using have gone through the roof and you're unlikely to be able to use them in city centres for much longer. The H van was only made up to 1981, so by now they will all be classed as 'historic' and permitted to drive within ULEZ zones without charge... 🙂 I fear we've digressed somewhat on this topic...! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 (edited) 36 minutes ago, Tofufi said: The H van was only made up to 1981, so by now they will all be classed as 'historic' and permitted to drive within ULEZ zones without charge... 🙂 I fear we've digressed somewhat on this topic...! I thought there might be some exemptions, but you hear a different version about every ten minutes. What I am hearing though is quite a number of people (including a good number older than I who should remember driving such things) saying that old vehicles are hard to drive. If you mean thrash all the way down the outside lane of the M5 at ninety without a break or fly around city rat runs trying to do forty without getting into a wreck because you've been spoilt by post 1990 vehicles, then yes, old cars are hard work. Still, it won't matter when you're all working from home doing admin jobs and living on lentils whilst the elites glide around in electric Bentleys built in countries that are still polluting like its 1890... Ahem. There has been quite a few old vans on eBay at, shall we say, speculative prices if that helps?😉 Edited April 13, 2023 by MrWolf Technology that fails to deliver 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted April 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2023 1 hour ago, MrWolf said: They have made the cabin much bigger than the original (not a bad thing) but most of that seems to be taken up by the dashboard area and of course it cuts into the load space. I suspect the huge dashboard is probably part of meeting modern crash regulations. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Nick C said: I suspect the huge dashboard is probably part of meeting modern crash regulations. Quite likely. Plus lots of electronics and fripperies such as a heater... The original front end is a sheet of tin, a non collapsible steering column with a sort of biscuit tin full of dials strapped to it. Oh, and a little enamel warning plate that says "Drive safely or die horribly".... Classic van and pickup Edited April 13, 2023 by MrWolf 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 16 hours ago, MrWolf said: Again, close but no cigar. I've got one of those, but in a more minty condition! However its minus its all important box in good condition... 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Hroth said: I've got one of those, but in a more minty condition! However its minus its all important box in good condition... There's a whole gamut of play wear / minor chips / near mint / very near mint until you hit MIB condition and silly money. Mine was £3 at a car boot and I bought it partly because I liked it and partly to stop someone painting it up and sticking it on eBay as a "code 3" for £20, or worse as a barn find diorama, no doubt using bits of old cake decorations for trees. I've not got any mint boxed ones, but that is one of the scruffiness. The thing with mint boxed original Dinkys is that they are relatively rare. By the time Binns road went bust, people had cottoned on to the value of boxes. Hence why you see thousands of Lledo vans at £2 each, not to mention the buses and lorries that were sold like stocks and shares at one point! 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 8 hours ago, Nick C said: I suspect the huge dashboard is probably part of meeting modern crash regulations. Or to provide handy stowage for divers coffee cups, Yorkie bars, KFC boxes, etc? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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