RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2019 16 hours ago, Rugd1022 said: I was rear ended in my '73 P6 2000TC at a T-junction in the Cotswolds back in 2006 by a large Vauxhall (Senator I think it was), the tow bar the previous owner had fitted saved my bacon with no damage to the trusty Rover whatsoever, but the poor Luton-mobile had a gaping hole in the front valance and a very surprised and apologetic driver! Going back to the recent NEC restoration show - this gorgeous '68 Mustang Coupe was on display at the time and it turns out it's for sale, it's very tempting (and I must admit it's a million miles away from the Citroen SMs, Alfas and Lancias I've been pondering over lately), recently restored, it's one of 122 'Rainbow Of Colour' limited run examples made in this colour, I believe only 500 cars were sold through this particular promotion in early '68, spread across ten non-standard bright colour options... it's probably the only type of American car that will actually fit in my garage... I had a similar experience recently. Almost worth having a towbar on a car even if it never gets used for its intended purpose. Not sure about a yellow Mustang. Otherwise, very tempting at that price (not that I have £22,500 spare at the moment). 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Oldddudders said: I think the Maserati engine in the Citroen could have a certain appeal, over a rather crude push-rod V8! Only for the mechanically skilled. Many SMs around with other replacement engines. That must tell us something. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 (edited) That would be a reasonable price for the [V8] Mustang. Assuming the shell is in good order? Having 'joined their world' [quite unintentionally, so to speak...not a car I've deliberately sought out as a bucket-list type...unlike the Dellow!], there are one or two excellent & approachable dealers of these cars [bought in US, shipped over, stripped, rebuilt and up for sale]......dealers who are only too happy to introduce newbies to Mustang ownership...and its pitfalls...They want satisfied customers, not disappointed one's, who expected old Mustangs to be not quite what they are? Edited April 10, 2019 by alastairq 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
great central Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Took the torn plastic sheeting off this earlier and brushed the accumulated crud from the trees around it away. Doesn't look too bad, scabby around the edges but then jacked it up to change the two outside wheels at my son's insistence and with his help. They came off remarkably easily. He wants me to get it back on the road. Keys lost years ago, engine has lost a couple of core bungs at least and a dent in the roof where a big chunk of oak tree fell on it last year. Positive side was jacking it up near the original jacking point and no nasty surprise Last tax disc in the second photo, somehow never got round to selling it when I started using company cars. The Montego will likely be going for it's MOT soon as well, son brought it from the garage at the bottom of the garden to the top yesterday, gave it a wash, been standing since November started first time. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, alastairq said: As long as the eventual price is acceptable, I suggest going for it, if in the market? It has the smaller 289 cu in V8....and probably C4 autobox. [?] Thus it will be quite liveable-with, to drive on a regular basis. Quite roomy compared to euroboxes...for the front seat folk anyway...back seats are somewhat limited in leg room, IMHO....yet overall the cars aren't too large...footprint-wise. Splendidly old technology...yet surprisingly capable when competing in modern traffic. The older Mustangs are remarkably simple technology...and access to spares is also similarly easy....although it is tempting to over-spend. The nice thing about the 'classic' Mustang is, every single part, regardless , can be obtained 'new'..albeit sometimes repro...the only real problem being, sorting between good quality, and poor quality, items. However, don't expect build quality, or 'environment' to match cars made even 20 years ago. A Mustang can be noisy [or tiresome?] to drive over any distance...Ford hadn't really had to address sound proofing in their design briefs at that stage... This car doesn't 'seem' to have a power steering option.....so that aspect needs pop-eye muscles at low speeds....Mind, factory power steering is far too light[like Land Rover Defenders?]....The steering wheel looks to be the 'cheapo' aftermarket offerings of the time....[poor electrics for horn....causes endless grief, and fitment of push buttons on dash]...I may be wrong there, only going by a quick glance at the photo. However, IMHO, these cheaper steering wheels are probably the best looking of what was available? [ albeit not Motolita quality] If a tall person, one may have trouble sliding one's legs under the steering wheel...however, once in, all is well. [There were factory options, and aftermarket ones are also available, for tilt-away columns to ease that particular point of access.] My personal experience [I have a '67 6-pot coupe] , being over 6 foot tall, and getting on in age....is to enter via the passenger door [easy access, loadsaroom]...and simply slide across to the driver's seat. There is an acute lack of anything in-the-way on these cars...unlike most euromotors. Also, IMHO, the coupe is the most practical Mustang shape....the soft top has it's own issues, and the fastback is very coffin-like for rear seat passengers. The Coupe also has a 'pillarless' bodyside [as they all do, of course]....whereby both the door glass and the rear quarter glass can be wound down ...leaving a continuous open space for fresh air...marvellous in the summer, as the draft doesn't get to the front seat passengers.....as good as air con, with the advantage of being in touch with the environment [instead of being sealed away as with modern cars?].....60 mph with the windows down is wonderful in the warm weather....and doesn't remove toupees or muss hair up too much. Being a left hooker in the UK is no real disadvantage....the shape of the Mustang's hood [bonnet]...actually providing markers for distancing off verges and centre lines.....but the standard door mirrors are quite poor.....so probably are best disregarded for driving purposes? Interior mirror[standard] is quite wide-screen....so probably adequate for today's traffic. I would recommend [if not already done......?] getting a set of Brightlights' LED rear light clusters.....overcomes the need to alter the Mustang's indicators & side/brake lights to suit UK regs....This is a UK firm, very good to deal with.... What can I say....I am only trying to encourage interest in the car as a whole...... For those with less-than-adequate budgets, look for a 6 cylinder Mustang...very practical, and in traffic especially, probably the equal of the small V8s....the six also sounds more 'refined'...yet folk know it's there.[so I've been told.....my daughter always knows when I have arrived to give her a lift to work....she can hear it turn into her street a good 2 minutes before I get there...] Plus, all the small kids know what the car is..even if Mums & Dads don't.... Even I have had to get used to my photo being taken.........don't get that at all with my daily driver! Thanks for that Alastair, most informative - half way through reading it I was going to ask you what the straight six version was like but you managed to pre-empt me! I've been looking into various Mustang specialists this week who seem to have a regular turn over of quality examples of all the body styles (not so many genuine Shelbys about though). YouTube has come in very handy in this regard too and the number of options available in period is staggering for a mass produced car, mind you Ford were always very goods at this on both sides of the pond. Essex and parts of Yorkshire seem to be the hot spots for dealers in Mustangs, Dodges and Pontiacs etc. I've never really fancied a convertible but the notchback coupe and fastback have always been high on my 'list'. All this talk of muscle cars has had me digging out certain cult films of the period from the dvd cupboard too, 'Vanishing Point', 'Two Lane Blacktop' and 'Bullitt' have had an airing this week, no surprise there really. Another one is probably not on that many US car enthusiast's radar but is well worth a look, namely 'Un Homme et Une Femme' from 1966, which has Jean-Louis Trintignant driving two Mustangs - a red convertible as his daily hack and a white coupe in the '66 Monte Carlo Rally, plus a GT40 in Eccurie France racing trim, the footage of these cars is beautifully shot. I've also been watching the first series of 'The Streets Of San Francisco' from 1972 which has a Mustang or Camaro of some description parked on almost every street corner (and half a million Beetles or so it seems). There's a big American car fest coming up at Stoneleigh this month which will be a good chance to have a gander at some choice machinery and hopefully chat with a few owners. Found some more nice period Americana... Edited April 10, 2019 by Rugd1022 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 10, 2019 A friend has an Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale convertible, '72 IIRC. 455 V8 too - yum. Don't have a photo at the mo, must have some somewhere. He's had it a long time now, since he retired (no more company cars etc) his daily driver is a Caddy Escalade.....and his son and daughter have modern yanks too. I presume they have a secret supply of fuel. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
great central Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 24 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said: A friend has an Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale convertible, '72 IIRC. 455 V8 too - yum. Don't have a photo at the mo, must have some somewhere. He's had it a long time now, since he retired (no more company cars etc) his daily driver is a Caddy Escalade.....and his son and daughter have modern yanks too. I presume they have a secret supply of fuel. LPG conversions? Son has a 93-4 Camaro with a gas conversion, costs him about the same to run as the diesel Peugeots he's had several of and probably less than the Jeep Cherokee diesel I'm driving at the moment showing an average of 25.2mpg. That said I've only just started using it again after getting the starter motor sorted so will take a while for the average to sort itself out, usually good for around 30mpg. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 The American car 'scene' has always been pretty big in this country but I'd love to know how big the owner's garages are... 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 10, 2019 7 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said: The American car 'scene' has always been pretty big in this country but I'd love to know how big the owner's garages are... in that case, treble width and one and a half long. The other half-by-triple back part has the layout in it......yup, American. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2019 Local ITV news tonight mentioned that the Silverstone Classic this year will be featuring the Mini, which apparently celebrates becoming a sexagenarian this year (and for the lankier members amongst us, sex was only possible in the mini-van) and the Ford Capri that gains the status of a quinquagenarian. The other featured marque will be Bentley, founded by HM and WO exactly 100 years ago! The meeting is over three days again, July 26-28th for anyone interested. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 27 minutes ago, Kingzance said: Local ITV news tonight mentioned that the Silverstone Classic this year will be featuring the Mini, which apparently celebrates becoming a sexagenarian this year (and for the lankier members amongst us, sex was only possible in the mini-van) and the Ford Capri that gains the status of a quinquagenarian. The other featured marque will be Bentley, founded by HM and WO exactly 100 years ago! The meeting is over three days again, July 26-28th for anyone interested. If using the mini-van as suggested, make sure the battery terminals are covered by insulation...... 1 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2019 16 minutes ago, Fat Controller said: If using the mini-van as suggested, make sure the battery terminals are covered by insulation...... Yes, covered in nylon carpet trimmings (from Cyril Lord - this is luxury you can afford) and even with its longer space, the rear doors had to be open. A mate was "busy"in his van one Sunday in the mid '60s in a car park in Cheddar Gorge whilst we (less desperate) ones walked up the side of the Gorge to have an unexpected aerial view of his active ankles 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 (edited) Cyril Lord.. I keep thinking of the advert jingle now... Cheers!!! Ok back at you..John Collier, John Collier, the window to watch....! Although with your mate's activities bear in mind that... 1001 cleans a big big carpet for less than half a crown.... Edited April 10, 2019 by Porkscratching 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted April 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2019 58 minutes ago, Porkscratching said: Cyril Lord.. I keep thinking of the advert jingle now... Cheers!!! Ok back at you..John Collier, John Collier, the window to watch....! Although with your mate's activities bear in mind that... 1001 cleans a big big carpet for less than half a crown.... And then we had Brentford Nylons whose bedding was advertised by the late “Fluff Freeman” if I remember rightly. That was in the days before Vanish stain remover but I’m sure Bold would deal with almost anything 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockershovel Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 8 hours ago, Porkscratching said: Cyril Lord.. I keep thinking of the advert jingle now... Cheers!!! Ok back at you..John Collier, John Collier, the window to watch....! Although with your mate's activities bear in mind that... 1001 cleans a big big carpet for less than half a crown.... .... but Shake and Vac puts the freshness back! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2019 I think Cosmopolitan mag did some sort of survey in the early '70s about which cars were ok for enjoying the main event. They concluded that for determined couples almost any car would do, but added the rider (!) that the Fiat 126 might require you to have your feet out throughout the sunroof! 1 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Long wheelbase Land Rover hard top.. without the side windows obviously.. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 11, 2019 13 hours ago, Rugd1022 said: Found some more nice period Americana... Mmmmm........Barbara Eden......now there’s a Genie who made my wishes come true back in the day 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 11, 2019 11 hours ago, Kingzance said: (and for the lankier members amongst us, sex was only possible in the mini-van) Rubbish! At 6’3”......17 years old and full of hormones I can vouch for that statement being untrue ahhhhh those were the days 3 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 (edited) 8 minutes ago, boxbrownie said: Mmmmm........Barbara Eden......now there’s a Genie who made my wishes come true back in the day ..ooh, bending over the bonnet sir... ..(this thread is rapidly spiralling downwards eh..! ) Edited April 11, 2019 by Porkscratching 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2019 6 minutes ago, boxbrownie said: Rubbish! At 6’3”......17 years old and full of hormones I can vouch for that statement being untrue ahhhhh those were the days Yes, but you went on to become a contortionist whilst I believe said mate thought he was a pillar of society . It must be the impact of spring that has caused the topic’s comments to take such a sticky turn . 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 (edited) Quote ...added the rider (!) that the Fiat 126 might require you to have your feet out throughout the sunroof! I had a Fiat 126. it didn't have a sunroof. A lady of my acquaintance whose modesty I shall protect once kicked one of the quarterlights out while demonstrating that she could get one leg out of each front window. (I see Russ has spotted this - FYI it was on the little car park by the War Memorial outside the church after a well lubricated night in the Laddie). Edited April 11, 2019 by jwealleans 2 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 If rumour were the truth [as it is so much these days?]....then almost half the population of the UK was conceived in the back of a Cortina..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, alastairq said: If rumour were the truth [as it is so much these days?]....then almost half the population of the UK was conceived in the back of a Cortina..... I knew a young lady whose first name was Cortina. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2019 5 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: I knew a young lady whose first name was Cortina. Sounds like a character in an Ian Dury song. 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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