For those interested in old cars.

[Wolseley]

Here's a rather interesting Australian oddity I came across when I was looking for something else altogether.  Unfortunately I know nothing about this other than what you see in the advertisement.

 

[PatB]

Here's a rather interesting Australian oddity I came across when I was looking for something else altogether.  Unfortunately I know nothing about this other than what you see in the advertisement.

 

A40.gif

 

My goodness, weren't Australians small in the 1950s .

[w124bob]

And the children so ugly they have to have bags on their heads.

[keefr2]

Paint it red and yellow and Noddy would have his dream pick up...!!

[PatB]

Seriously, though, it's an interesting vehicle. I don't know what the production/import arrangements were with Austin in Australia at the time of the A40 Devon/Dorset but, looking at that, I wonder if cars were shipped from the UK complete to the A-pillar and this was a cheap way of completing them. That and the Australian enthusiasm for utes (utilities) of all kinds. I don't think there's anything that an Australian, somewhere, hasn't chopped the back off an example .

[Horsetan]

Seriously, though, it's an interesting vehicle. I don't know what the production/import arrangements were with Austin in Australia at the time of the A40 Devon/Dorset but, looking at that, I wonder if cars were shipped from the UK complete to the A-pillar and this was a cheap way of completing them. That and the Australian enthusiasm for utes (utilities) of all kinds. I don't think there's anything that an Australian, somewhere, hasn't chopped the back off an example .

 

Loads of other Aussie A40 variations here

[PhilJ W]

However, unlike the Wizard and the Minx, which had sidevalve engines, the Straight 8 and its equally unsuccessful successor, the Vortic had overhead valves.  The Straight 8 was introduced around the time of the Rootes takeover - were ohv engines a bit too progressive for the rather conservative Rootes Group perhaps?

Both engines shared the same cylinder dimensions 63mm X 105mm.

[Fat Controller]

Seriously, though, it's an interesting vehicle. I don't know what the production/import arrangements were with Austin in Australia at the time of the A40 Devon/Dorset but, looking at that, I wonder if cars were shipped from the UK complete to the A-pillar and this was a cheap way of completing them. That and the Australian enthusiasm for utes (utilities) of all kinds. I don't think there's anything that an Australian, somewhere, hasn't chopped the back off an example .

Here's a link to a photo of a UK-built A40 pick-up:-

http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p16937176/h33522a1#h39156455

[PhilJ W]

Here's a link to a photo of a UK-built A40 pick-up:-

http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p16937176/h33522a1#h39156455

Thats an A70.

[Fat Controller]

Thats an A70.

Apologies, so it is; here's an A40:- http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p16937176/h33522a1#h33522a1

We used to have a saloon version of the Somerset back in the mid-1980s; drove from Tyneside to Lyon at 35 mph max to allow the refettled engine to run-in.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Fat Controller

[brianusa]

Does anybody still 'run in'?  Although there is usually an advisory in the instruction book, very few seem to take any notice these days.

 

Brian.

[Rugd1022]

Some nice old garage / dealership shots (purely for nostalgic purposes only you understand  )...

 

Porthmadoc 1964... Paddy Hopkirk's triumphant 1071 Cooper S does the rounds after its Monte win...

 

Buxton Road, Leek, Staffs...

 

Austin's Car Mart Service Department, Euston Road, London...

 

The 'Heinz 57' Wolseley Hornet prize give away at HTP Motors in Truro, 1966... some of these cars are still around and in good shape...

 

 

Not sure of the location but the quoted date is wrong...

 

LF Dove's premises in Croydon...

 

Mount Green Garage, Littleborough...

 

Pepper's Garage, Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent, 1965...

 

Ace driver John Rhodes gaff in 1968, that's John's Maserati 3500GT on the right...

 

Rodney Bloor's Sports Motors in Manchester...

 

Slade's Garage in Penn, Bucks, just outside High Wycombe, it's still there today as a classic car showroom...

 

 

Mill Garage in South Woodford, Essex...

 

Norwich, 1963...

 

Car Mart, Streatham High Road, 1954...

 

Wardle Street Garage in Tamworth...

Edited October 11, 2016 by Rugd1022

[russ p]

Excellent pictures Nidge, I'm actually looking for an old petrol pump to go outside my new garage

[Rugd1022]

Shouldn't be hard to find one Russ, might be worth a punt at the NEC Classic next month, some of the autojumble chaps advertise them on their stands.

 

Edit ; reminds me, on the A428 Crick to Northampton road there are two old garages which still have their old pumps on the forecourt, their days of actually selling fuel long since gone though. I keep meaning to nip out and photograph them, might take the Mini over that way tomorrow if I get a chance.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Rugd1022

[Rugd1022]

 

 

 

 

 

Chiswick Roundabout in 1957...

 

 

I'd forgotten about this one, the brief period when I had the Mk2 998 Cooper, Mk2 Cooper S and Rover 3500 Auto at the same time... I've had the drive tidied up since then...!

 

 

 

 

[Kickstart]

Does anybody still 'run in'?  Although there is usually an advisory in the instruction book, very few seem to take any notice these days.

 

Brian.

 

With a new vehicle I would still run it in.

 

But suspect a lot of modern cars are first owned by companies, or are on PCP deals and the drivers don't care too much

 

All the best

 

Katy

[brianthesnail96]

Mini on the roof- reminds me of Goodbody's cafe in Plymouth, which had 4 of them on the roof at one point, of various ages. I seem to recall one may have been a van. Last time I was there I think there was only one left, I wonder if the others escaped to be restored. At least one was fairly early. Never actually been in to the cafe but I lived just a bit further up Mutley for a while, on the road running parallel to the railway (used to frequent the Mutley Crown instead...). As with most things you see all the time I never actually paid it that much attention!

 

Anyhoo- we made it round the country OK, about 2020 miles (we got lost on a diversion around the A1 where it was closed at Scotch Corner) in 49hrs, almost to the minute. Made every Control within the hour time window, albeit about 45mins in to the last one. Pretty pleased with that. Car was great except for the exhaust, which fell off behind the axle just shy of JOG and was a pain for the rest of the trip, ending up chained to the axle to catch it should it fall off again! Crew struggled a bit, mostly 'cos I was ill on the Saturday and wasn't in a fit state to contribute much- which meant the other two had to make up. I did try and pay it back a bit by spending most of Saturday night in the navigator's seat- Tebay to Oakhampton, via Gledrid and Sugar Loaf. Still enjoyed it, although obviously not as much as 2014- not sure if we'll be back for more in 2018! Couple of cracking cars on the run- a Dove TR4 and a Del Lines Stag estate were particularly noteworthy, and I totally failed to photograph both!

 

 

 

 

 

Kinda in love with the big 6cyl saloons- they really prove how capable they are on these runs- blummin' quick, effortless cruisers yet still really capable on the twisty bits. Nice looking cars too in my opinion, and the sound...

[russ p]

That must be a very late MGC advert

[uax6]

Having fitted a re-manufactured (not re-conditioned, that's not as good apparently) Ivor Searle A series in the van, I asked Searles about running in. They recommended driving it normally, just not using the top quarter of the rev range for the first 1000 miles, and to never let it idle, always blip the throttle. This prevents the bores glazing.

 

Seems to have worked so far, oil consumption is next to nothing at 5k miles in, and it seems to have a reasonable power output even considering the inch and a quarter carb on it.

 

Discovered what I thought was a HIF44 on the saloon is actually a HIF38, so no chance of down rating it by that route, so I will just check the needle in it.

 

Question: Can you remove the spring on the HIF choke and leave it off? I would like to use the standard moggy choke cable on it, and that can't have a return spring behind it as it doesn't have any locking mechanism.

 

Andy G

[PatB]

Does anybody still 'run in'?  Although there is usually an advisory in the instruction book, very few seem to take any notice these days.

 

Brian.

 

I ran in MrsB's 2008 Ural motorcycle, but that was on the basis that it was a 1940s engine, built using 1940s technology and so should be treated as such.

 

Our Fiat Scudo van, OTOH, was driven normally from the moment we left the dealers. I'd asked about running-in recommendations and was told that babying modern vehicles can cause the engine management to self adjust incorrectly (something I've also heard elsewhere, from sources who should know what they're talking about).

 

Here's a link to a photo of a UK-built A40 pick-up:-

http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p16937176/h33522a1#h39156455

 

I know about the factory pick-ups but the illustration of the Rouseabout suggests much simpler, cheaper, more basic bodywork than those. I wonder if any have survived. It seems unlikely, given the brutally hard lives that light commercials, farm vehicles and anything sold in Australia tend to live.

[Stubby47]

Spotted this in Truro this week :

 

 

[Robert]

Does anybody still 'run in'?  Although there is usually an advisory in the instruction book, very few seem to take any notice these days.

 

Brian.

I haven't had a new car for years, but the answer would have to be always.  Tolerances may be tighter these days, making it less necessary than it once was, but an engine is still a precision apparatus that needs to be treated with care in the early stages of its life.

 

When the engine was rebuilt on my now much lamented Mini, the guy at the garage told me to keep the revs under four thousand for the first few thousand kilometers, not give it too much stick and that he'd know if I didn't!

 

The only exception I have ever heard of was the Hillman Imp - I don't know if it is an urban legend, but I once heard a story that Imps would never stop leaking oil if you ran them in.  Apparently due to the engine being derived from the Coventry Climax fire pump engine - which was designed to be wheeled out, started and run on full power for hours.  Can anyone else confirm that story?

 

Nice to see an MGC - there were never many of those around.  My uncle had one in BRG.  I always liked the look of it, but IIRC the handling was a bit interesting given all the weight up front.

[PhilJ W]

 

 

Question: Can you remove the spring on the HIF choke and leave it off? I would like to use the standard moggy choke cable on it, and that can't have a return spring behind it as it doesn't have any locking mechanism.

 

Andy G

The alternative is a clothes peg.

[The Stationmaster]

I haven't had a new car for years, but the answer would have to be always.  Tolerances may be tighter these days, making it less necessary than it once was, but an engine is still a precision apparatus that needs to be treated with care in the early stages of its life.

 

When the engine was rebuilt on my now much lamented Mini, the guy at the garage told me to keep the revs under four thousand for the first few thousand kilometers, not give it too much stick and that he'd know if I didn't!

 

The only exception I have ever heard of was the Hillman Imp - I don't know if it is an urban legend, but I once heard a story that Imps would never stop leaking oil if you ran them in.  Apparently due to the engine being derived from the Coventry Climax fire pump engine - which was designed to be wheeled out, started and run on full power for hours.  Can anyone else confirm that story?

 

Nice to see an MGC - there were never many of those around.  My uncle had one in BRG.  I always liked the look of it, but IIRC the handling was a bit interesting given all the weight up front.

 

I don't know about the Imp version of the engine but I do know that the original fire pump engine was very highly thought of by those who, like my dad, had to rely on it and it always did exactly what it was meant to do with no troubles.  I can remember one on a trailer pump in our local fire station - t was always stood in the same place and while the local Firemen obviously looked after the place they were all volunteers so it wasn't continuously manned but even so - no trace of oil under the pump but there was a drip tray under the fire engine.

[Rugd1022]

Re running in, you can still buy period 'Running In' window stickers from 'isaydingdong' on ebay, no connection but I've bought stuff from them in the past and the quality is very good.

 

MGCs - highly sought after these days and often much improved in the handling department, I rather fancy one. I suppose all of us here with 'the affliction' have a pecking order of classics we'd dearly love to own and a good sorted 'B' or 'C' is certainly high on mine. Top of the list at present is a RR Silver Cloud III / Bentley S3, Jensen Interceptor or a white Volvo P1800 with a red interior, I've been watching far too many old ITC box sets of late  . When RR Clouds and S Series Bentleys appear in any of these series they always seem to be thrown about with some abandon and nearly always outrun the opposition!