For those interested in old cars.

[BernardTPM]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

Fifty seven Minis according to my mate on the Mini forum! Didn't notice any Clubmans though, which were unleashed on the unsuspecting public in October '69.

That reinforces the likelyhood of the first part of the film being no later than Summer/early Autumn 1969 (or earlier than Spring 1967 given the number of Mk.II Cortinas). Fair old number of Hillman/Singer Imps and Triumph Herald/Vitesses too.

[boxbrownie]

Presumably that clip is for use as background projection for various in car scenes?

 

Makes for a very valuable social history reference, if we knew the dates 

[PhilJ W]

On 15/01/2020 at 21:00, Rugd1022 said:

 

Interesting, thanks - I just assumed it was an FX3. Watching films like a 'Robbery' and its ilk is often a joy just for the locations and seeing the old cars in period, let alone the for the film itself. This five minute clip of stock footage filmed around Kensington and Earls Court is rather nice, at first I thought it was shot in '65 or '66 but near the end at least two of the vehicles (including an FX4 Taxi) have the then new reflective numberplates, which means it can't have been shot any earlier than late '67 / early '68... 

 

 

The more you look the more gems you find. At 00:05 there is a Berkley 3 wheeler (on the left, bright red). An Austin A35 at 00:18 and a Minx based Commer Cob van at 00:50.

Edited January 17, 2020 by PhilJ W

[tom q vaxy]

has this been mentioned:  https://www.imcdb.org/

 

I don't have the courage to search the thread!

[Rugd1022]

17 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Presumably that clip is for use as background projection for various in car scenes?

 

Makes for a very valuable social history reference, if we knew the dates 

 

Yes, a 'second film unit' probably made up of no more than two or three bods, would have been sent out in a car or taxi to film the general traffic, bits of which would be used in various films and TV series. There's another clip like this one on youtube somewhere, part of which I recognised being used in 'The Baron', 'The Saint' and 'Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'.

[Metr0Land]

2 hours ago, tom q vaxy said:

has this been mentioned:  https://www.imcdb.org/

 

 

I took the plunge and found this error very quickly.  It's not an RLH (very foggy but think it's a Bristol?)

 

https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1067441-AEC-RLH.html

[37114]

If you have an hour and a half spare, an extremely light hearted film worth a watch is "Diamonds on Wheels". Plenty of classic car action, it was filmed in 1973 and centres around a gang who steal some diamonds, one of the gang then does a runner with diamonds, and is killed in an accident in his MG TC. Some local kids buy parts from it to repair their own TC Including the seat with the diamonds in it and are unknowingly pursued by the crooks while on a car rally. Lots of now classics including the aforementioned TC, Commer PB van, E type jags, Mini and a vintage Rolls Royce.

Edited January 18, 2020 by 37114
Spelling

[steve1]

Good fun film. It’s (freely) adapted from this  book https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pierre-castex/the-nightmare-rally/

 

steve

[russ p]

Anyone know of a company that rechromes headlight reflectors preferably in Norfolk? 
When I stored my maestro nine years ago you could pick up NOS headlights reasonably easy and cheap but these seem to have dried up and as the lights are looking slightly dull I thought as part of the rebuild I'd get them done

[big jim]

Not Norfolk (but you never know if my have to come to gresty bridge at some point) you have Niphos in crewe 

 

http://niphos.co.uk

 

 

 

 

[russ p]

14 hours ago, big jim said:

Not Norfolk (but you never know if my have to come to gresty bridge at some point) you have Niphos in crewe 

 

http://niphos.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Jim I do get to crewe quite a bit and have friends there

[boxbrownie]

22 hours ago, russ p said:

Anyone know of a company that rechromes headlight reflectors preferably in Norfolk? 
When I stored my maestro nine years ago you could pick up NOS headlights reasonably easy and cheap but these seem to have dried up and as the lights are looking slightly dull I thought as part of the rebuild I'd get them done

Depends if the reflectors are actually dull or really need rechroming to corrosion but I had several Cibie Iode classic driving lamps stored in my loft, upon opening the boxes the lens and reflectors were very dull, I put about a cup full of rice (uncooked ) into each lamp via the bulb hole and shook the lamp around for several minutes, the rice cleaned the inside of the lamps like brand new.

 

Might be worth a try first if they are just dull or dirty.

[russ p]

33 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Depends if the reflectors are actually dull or really need rechroming to corrosion but I had several Cibie Iode classic driving lamps stored in my loft, upon opening the boxes the lens and reflectors were very dull, I put about a cup full of rice (uncooked ) into each lamp via the bulb hole and shook the lamp around for several minutes, the rice cleaned the inside of the lamps like brand new.

 

Might be worth a try first if they are just dull or dirty.

 

I'm saying rechroming but as the lights are plastic there maybe someone who can repaint them chrome. 

It's a known problem with maestro headlights the reflectors deteriorate and lights get poorer and car looks dull.

The van has different units and are far better but wouldn't suit the MG

[RJS1977]

On 18/01/2020 at 16:54, 37114 said:

If you have an hour and a half spare, an extremely light hearted film worth a watch is "Diamonds on Wheels". Plenty of classic car action, it was filmed in 1973 and centres around a gang who steal some diamonds, one of the gang then does a runner with diamonds, and is killed in an accident in his MG TC. Some local kids buy parts from it to repair their own TC Including the seat with the diamonds in it and are unknowingly pursued by the crooks while on a car rally. Lots of now classics including the aforementioned TC, Commer PB van, E type jags, Mini and a vintage Rolls Royce.

 

Now you come to mention it, I have a vague recollection of having seen that film many years ago.

[boxbrownie]

18 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

I'm saying rechroming but as the lights are plastic there maybe someone who can repaint them chrome. 

It's a known problem with maestro headlights the reflectors deteriorate and lights get poorer and car looks dull.

The van has different units and are far better but wouldn't suit the MG

Still might be worth a try with the rice, as they are plastic the dullness could be a result of “off gassing” from the plastic assembly.

[RJS1977]

I've been watching episodes of 'Yes Minister' over the weekend in tribute to Derek Fowlds.

 

Several episodes feature scenes with the Minister travelling by Leyland Princess/Ambassador to various meetings etc, and there are a lot of once-common cars visible in the background. As the era of the series was the era I grew up in, the vehicles seem very familiar despite in some cases my not having seen one for a decade or two.

Edited January 20, 2020 by RJS1977
Corrected name

[Northmoor]

13 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

I've been watching episodes of 'Yes Minister' over the weekend in tribute to Bernard Woolley.

 

Several episodes feature scenes with the Minister travelling by Leyland Princess/Ambassador to various meetings etc, and there are a lot of once-common cars visible in the background. As the era of the series was the era I grew up in, the vehicles seem very familiar despite in some cases my not having seen one for a decade or two.

Sometimes I like to do the same watching repeats of Inspector Morse, but not just to admire his Mk2 Jag.  This was the era I learned to drive in (test passed 1990) so it's a mix of new 1990s models with some 1970s cars still around.

[Hobby]

Princess if I remember rightly, the Ambassador was a very different looking car...

[Porkscratching]

I had the Ambassador version, as i recall it was same basic shell with mainly trim and spec differences, though the front / grille end of the car looked different, rather nicer imho I seem to think !

[RJS1977]

I think the Ambassador had a rear quarter light the Princess didn't, and a hatch back instead of a saloon boot.

[Hobby]

The basic differences between the Prinny and Ambassador were the extra window in the rear side behind the rear door, the hatchback and the remodelled front end, smaller squarish headlights and more aerodynamic. Inside the instruments were changed to the standard set-up used by most other BL cars of the early 80s. The Ambassador only lasted a couple of years before it was replaced by the Maestro/Montego range, same time as the equally short lasting Ital which had a similar makeover from the Marina. The 2.2 six cylinder engine was dropped when the Ambassador came in as well.

 

Looks wise I always felt that the four headlight version of the Princess was the best looking of the range, where as the squaring off of the Marina worked well I never felt it worked on the Ambassador. I've had 4 Prinnys and one Ambassador over the years. Lovely long distance cruisers if you could live with the petrol consumption at high speed, they really could have done with a fifth gear! Lots and lots of room inside and very smooth, far better than the Ford and Vauxhall offerings of that era. My ideal would have been the O series 2.0l engine with a five speed box and the 4 headlight version of the Princess with a hatchback! You could get a hatchback conversion back in the day if you wanted one!

[Hobby]

Here's Noggin (the Nog!) at Coventry on a Princess Club outing in 2011, at the end you'll see an Ambassador! Noggin was (is?) a 2.2HLS Auto.

 

 

By comparrison here's a 1.7L (I think!) 4 headlight version of the Princess a couple of years ago at another show:

 

[PhilJ W]

Didn't the Ambassador have the 2 litre O series engine and 5 speed box as an option?

[Hobby]

It certainly had the 2.0l O series but never a 5 speed box as far as I am aware.

[russ p]

13 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Didn't the Ambassador have the 2 litre O series engine and 5 speed box as an option?

 

The Ambassador and princess 2 both had O series engines in 1.7 and 2.0 but there was never a 5 speed on any of them 

The 2200 E series which was deleted on the ambassador didn't have one either which seemed odd to me as the E series in allegros and maxis had them as standard so if there was room for it on the 4cyl ones you would think the 6 pot 2200 would have room.

Apparently the reason the princess didn't have a hatchback was to protect sales of the maxi.

The ambassador was supposed to have been replaced with a third member of the maestro montego family which had a similar rear but was never built