For those interested in old cars.

[PatB]

16 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Price of secondhand cars/vans here in France can be a bit eye-watering.

 

As I will be rebuilding my house over the next year, it suddenly occurred to me to look up what might be available by way of "collectible" pick-ups. Bingo! Some decent looking 404 & 504 pick-ups from around €2500. If they can survive in African conditions for 50 years, should be easy to keep going here. And cheap insurance too.

Used to regularly rent 504 diesel pick ups back in the early 90s. Really nice to drive and useful vehicles. Highly recommended if you can find a decent one.

[Jol Wilkinson]

When based in Peugeot's Regional Office in Slough many years ago, we had to host a group of visitors from the South African concessionaires.  They bemoaned the end of production of the 404 in 1978, saying that you could break down anywhere in one and someone would step out from behind a bush and be able to fix it.

 

They had asked to spend several days at the Slough Regional Office so they could visit London. I took them into several dealerships including Warwick Wright at Chiswick who invariably got lumbered with the "grey" import warranty repairs, usually on cars not originally intended for the UK market. These included an Australian spec 505 Estate with a most unusual fuel injection system and allegedly Japanese spec 205 Cabriolets, fitted with AC which never became standard in the UK.

 

These grey imports cropped up in London largely because a disgraced member of the extended Peugeot family was given the opportunity to buy excess production of on UK RHD cars which he then sold in London. The Japanese spec. was not rare as their regulations apparently prevented an old spec. car being sold when the new spec. had been type approved.

[skipepsi]

1 hour ago, PatB said:

Used to regularly rent 504 diesel pick ups back in the early 90s. Really nice to drive and useful vehicles. Highly recommended if you can find a decent one.

Try and get a 5 speed box if travelling any distance...

[PhilJ W]

9 minutes ago, skipepsi said:

Try and get a 5 speed box if travelling any distance...

That applies to most vehicles.

[MrWolf]

I prefer a "three on the tree" with a very flexible second gear...

[alastairq]

12 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

That applies to most vehicles.

Only if 5th gear is overdriven....

[Rugd1022]

I came across these two photos recently, how much more '70s can you get....?!!

 

 

 

Looking back, I remember my Grandad's late '73 M reg's estate in sky blue, my aunt's two Coupes in metallic green and white and one of my middle school teacher's saloon in dark green with a beige vinyl roof.

[steve1]

That looks like someone's carefully preserved personal collection.

 

steve

[Oldddudders]

5 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

I came across these two photos recently, how much more '70s can you get....?!!

 

 

 

Looking back, I remember my Grandad's late '73 M reg's estate in sky blue, my aunt's two Coupes in metallic green and white and one of my middle school teacher's saloon in dark green with a beige vinyl roof.

Ooh! Grannie!

[alastairq]

I was very nearly ''persuaded'' by a local garage owner [well, local in terms of round here, at any rate]....to buy a Granada Ghia, a few years ago. Owing to the amount of [warehouse] space his business has, he gets lumbered with all sort so of cars/exotica to store..and the above was one of them.

It belonged originally to an 'old' local farmer. Bought from new [IIRC?]....

Kept in a [wood?] garage on the farm.. Probably only used for trips to market, etc

One day, the old farmer got poorly....and the car ceased to be used. 

On passing away, family started 'going through' his stuff at the farm, came across the garage [they thought he'd sold the car, I suspect?]...

All dusty and dingy [not dinghy]....it was collected by garage owner for storage, pending sale I suppose.

It was complete, original, and one could have got away with re-commissioning I suppose....300 quids was the figure suggested...they wanted the space and didn't want to end up being lumbered with it...if I trailered it away.

Sadly I was more into much older stuff, the current rules were not then in force, and I would have had to pump up the tyres myself!

So I passed on the offer.

[It was a reasonable offer really, as he 'charged' a storage fee to the family anyway...so by letting it go for a modest sum [I don't believe old cars are 'worth' thousands, me!]...they were in fact going to save money..they didn't want grandad's old banger anyway, being into modern day panzerwaggons..]

 

Anyway, my next trip up there and it had disappeared.so someone got a bargin...

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

I came across these two photos recently, how much more '70s can you get....?!!

 

 

 

Looking back, I remember my Grandad's late '73 M reg's estate in sky blue, my aunt's two Coupes in metallic green and white and one of my middle school teacher's saloon in dark green with a beige vinyl roof.

Brings back memories of the managers car park at Dunton......

 

Only the best when they were free 

[great central]

5 hours ago, alastairq said:

I was very nearly ''persuaded'' by a local garage owner [well, local in terms of round here, at any rate]....to buy a Granada Ghia, a few years ago. Owing to the amount of [warehouse] space his business has, he gets lumbered with all sort so of cars/exotica to store..and the above was one of them.

It belonged originally to an 'old' local farmer. Bought from new [IIRC?]....

Kept in a [wood?] garage on the farm.. Probably only used for trips to market, etc

One day, the old farmer got poorly....and the car ceased to be used. 

On passing away, family started 'going through' his stuff at the farm, came across the garage [they thought he'd sold the car, I suspect?]...

All dusty and dingy [not dinghy]....it was collected by garage owner for storage, pending sale I suppose.

It was complete, original, and one could have got away with re-commissioning I suppose....300 quids was the figure suggested...they wanted the space and didn't want to end up being lumbered with it...if I trailered it away.

Sadly I was more into much older stuff, the current rules were not then in force, and I would have had to pump up the tyres myself!

So I passed on the offer.

[It was a reasonable offer really, as he 'charged' a storage fee to the family anyway...so by letting it go for a modest sum [I don't believe old cars are 'worth' thousands, me!]...they were in fact going to save money..they didn't want grandad's old banger anyway, being into modern day panzerwaggons..]

 

Anyway, my next trip up there and it had disappeared.so someone got a bargin...

 

For that sort of money probably ended up here

 

https://youtu.be/ykT3Pxbu6Qc

 

 

[boxbrownie]

16 minutes ago, great central said:

 

For that sort of money probably ended up here

 

https://youtu.be/ykT3Pxbu6Qc

 

 

That’s where we went wrong with our crash tests! 

[Beechnut]

A fairly easy one this time, no mystery cars. Burton again, about half a mile east of the last one at the bottom of Ashby Road withe The Trent Bridge ahead. The large construction centre left is the gas works which gives you an idea of the date, late sixties.

 

Brendan

[Fat Controller]

3 minutes ago, Beechnut said:

A fairly easy one this time, no mystery cars. Burton again, about half a mile east of the last one at the bottom of Ashby Road withe The Trent Bridge ahead. The large construction centre left is the gas works which gives you an idea of the date, late sixties.

 

Brendan

Not too obvious from the photo, but the A40 is a Countryman estate. These had two-part back doors; the top one hinged at the top, and the bottom (which could serve as a normal boot) was hinged at the bottom. The problem was that water would run down the upper panel, then build up (and rot) the top of the boot door. A shame, as they were otherwise a good design.

[alastairq]

39 minutes ago, great central said:

 

For that sort of money probably ended up here

 

https://youtu.be/ykT3Pxbu6Qc

 

 

You'd think? But, apparently not.  Stocks not really a local pastime round here.

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Not too obvious from the photo, but the A40 is a Countryman estate. 

I had just made the same observation when I read yours. My parents' first car - 662AXK - was a black Countryman, bought in 1963 at three years old from dad's firm. Dad never learnt to drive, but looked after the company car fleet admin, so knew which drivers were forever having scrapes and problems. Mum had learnt to drive in the '30s, and I think she must have gone to Park Royal to collect it, and bring it home to Betchworth. In 1965 I had a girlfriend who liked the car, saying it was like one she had known driven by a neighbour in their previous locale in Chesham - and it proved to be the very same vehicle!

[Rugd1022]

Some more golden oldies....

 

 

''Here Brenda, what d'ya think of Dave's new Gilburn....?''

 

''Well Sandra love, it's quite nice but I think I'd rather to take the bus.''

 

 

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

That first picture must have been taken on a very very slow shutter speed, the worker is blurred!

 

Mike.

[PhilJ W]

54 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

That first picture must have been taken on a very very slow shutter speed, the worker is blurred!

 

Mike.

Or it was close to knocking off time.

[PhilJ W]

I've always wanted to go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Problem I had was it was always on the same weekend as my model railway clubs annual exhibition. The date of the model railway exhibition has now been moved so I was intending to visit the festival. That was until I saw the ticket prices. The cheapest entry for the Saturday is £82! While I appreciate that putting on such a show costs (a lot of) money I'm not spending that amount of money. 

[MrWolf]

I like the Gilbern publicity shot. Is the blonde girl saying: "I look like BadAss Barbie in this thing...."

[MrWolf]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I've always wanted to go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Problem I had was it was always on the same weekend as my model railway clubs annual exhibition. The date of the model railway exhibition has now been moved so I was intending to visit the festival. That was until I saw the ticket prices. The cheapest entry for the Saturday is £82! While I appreciate that putting on such a show costs (a lot of) money I'm not spending that amount of money. 

 

There's no point in letting poor people in you know. 

They won't be able to spend vast sums once on overpriced items and events once they're inside.

I have been a couple of times and whilst I enjoyed the machinery, it was also an opportunity for a lot of people who like to flaunt their wealth to act all superior.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

That first picture must have been taken on a very very slow shutter speed, the worker is blurred!

 

Mike.

You have to hit the hubcaps hard to get them on.....it’s only his hand blurred 

[boxbrownie]

31 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Or it was close to knocking off time.

He’d be much more blurred then and you wouldn't be able to make out the extra three sets of hubcaps in his lunch bag.......