RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted March 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 24, 2021 Gorgeous little car, pity about the 2000MY Mini stripes.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted March 24, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 24, 2021 24 minutes ago, Trainshed Terry said: Great number plate if you live near the "West Somerset Railway". Terry. And your Loco weighs 140 tonnes 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 5 hours ago, boxbrownie said: And your Loco weighs 140 tonnes Not quite, but not as fast..... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 This was in my local garage when I collected my Pug after its MOT pass. steve 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Barchetta? 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 25, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 25, 2021 Ford Escort. 2 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 26, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2021 16 hours ago, alastairq said: Barchetta? Yes please, mayonnaise on mine! Mike. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 Usual response is 'bless you!!' 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2021 Seen in the village today, a really nice Princess VDP, badged 4.0R if that means anything - I don't know anything about these other than they had an RR built engiine? 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2021 36 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said: Seen in the village today, a really nice Princess VDP, badged 4.0R if that means anything - I don't know anything about these other than they had an RR built engiine? It was intended to be a 'smaller' Rolls Royce with the badge and grill, a combined effort with BMC/Austin. But Rolls Royce pulled out during the development stage but as compensation allowed Austin to use the R-R engine. 2 1 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted March 26, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2021 13 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: It was intended to be a 'smaller' Rolls Royce with the badge and grill, a combined effort with BMC/Austin. But Rolls Royce pulled out during the development stage but as compensation allowed Austin to use the R-R engine. Wasn't the engine a quite unrefined military engine? 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 10 minutes ago, russ p said: Wasn't the engine a quite unrefined military engine? Rolls Royce FB60, as used in the Austin Champ jeep, but without the upgraded waterproof electrics. 1 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2021 15 minutes ago, russ p said: Wasn't the engine a quite unrefined military engine? A B60 but built to tighter tolerances than most mass produced engines, even for the army. 2 minutes ago, MrWolf said: Rolls Royce FB60, as used in the Austin Champ jeep, but without the upgraded waterproof electrics. It was a B40 used in the Austin Champ. Only four cylinders. The car engine was six cylinders. There was also the B80 with eight cylinders used in the Alvis AFV's. They all had a common bore and stroke and shared many components the only difference was the number of cylinders. 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 You're right, I had forgotten that it was a parts bin engine. One thing that I do remember from working on them is that they don't like standing and can be a pig to start and spares are ridiculous money. If you want a big Farina type of car, a Westminster with a C series engine is actually a far better machine. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Rolls-Royce designed [but often didn't 'make'] a number of types of engine, especially loved by the militaries. Indeed, up until very recently, one Rolls-Royce design [but made, IIRC, by Perkins]....was in regular use. [DROPS MM & IMM LC] [when I worked, these were one type of vehicle I instructed on. Didn't bother with the newer MAN EPLS 15 tonners] 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 27, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2021 I think the Austin Champ had a RR engine? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted March 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 27, 2021 They most certainley did. That reminds me of the day I saw a Pink and Blue Austin Champ. Terry. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 I have a stark recollection of an incident involving a WRAC driver, armed with an Austin Champ. The occasion is also well remembered, as it was an interview for a place at their Welbeck College, however, the reason for being transported in said Austin Champ are rather vague. The interview was at the Army selection centre in Westbury, which would normally have meant taking a train to Westbury Station, but for some un-recalled reason, was to another station, hence the Austin Champ. The journey, across part of Wilts, became memorable at some point, when there was a string of traffic {yes, even back then!} behind a farm tractor, towing a rake. Said WRAC lady, dropped a cog or two and simply took to the bundu, to the left and overtook the lot. It was a tad rough going, involving various parts of the verge, but the Champ just went where pointed, brilliant. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Something about the Champ, that few know about, or maybe they did. For it's day, it was an excellent performer and better ride in than almost anything else on offer. Eventually the Landrover became the choice, because it was easier to service / cheaper[? not that was ever a major concern with the Min of Deaf], but more important was the design of the side walls / sills. When in action, to leave the Landrover, soldiers simply flung the doors / rear flap and went!! The Champ sill had to be stepped over with one foot at a time and was slower than was considered safe. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Re-Champs? Whatever happened to Ironhorse motors that used to sell Champs, in London? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2021 2 hours ago, jcredfer said: Something about the Champ, that few know about, or maybe they did. For it's day, it was an excellent performer and better ride in than almost anything else on offer. Eventually the Landrover became the choice, because it was easier to service / cheaper[? not that was ever a major concern with the Min of Deaf], but more important was the design of the side walls / sills. When in action, to leave the Landrover, soldiers simply flung the doors / rear flap and went!! The Champ sill had to be stepped over with one foot at a time and was slower than was considered safe. Its a pity that the Austin Gypsy was dropped when Rover became part of BMC. The early Gypsy's had all round independent suspension using the Moulton system of rubber blocks just like the Champ. Its one disadvantage was its having a steel body as against the Land Rovers aluminium one. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Didn't Champs have a rep for being easy to roll over? Thought I remembered reading that in the dim and distant. steve 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted March 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2021 2 hours ago, alastairq said: Re-Champs? Whatever happened to Ironhorse motors that used to sell Champs, in London? I also thought they were quite heavy compared to a LR which didn’t help airlifting the things when needed. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 47 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: Its a pity that the Austin Gypsy was dropped when Rover became part of BMC. The early Gypsy's had all round independent suspension using the Moulton system of rubber blocks just like the Champ. Its one disadvantage was its having a steel body as against the Land Rovers aluminium one. Apart from its ability to make a Lancia Beta look like it was made from aircraft grade stainless steel, the Gypsy was a pig to work on. Amongst other irritations,removing the drivers side wing assembly involved removing the steering column which passes through it. It was very capable, but it wasn't Austin's finest hour. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 5 minutes ago, boxbrownie said: I also thought they were quite heavy compared to a LR which didn’t help airlifting the things when needed. It wasn't practical to make an "air portable" Champ as simply as Landover could, that's for sure. The Champ was a much more powerful vehicle and the gearbox with its all gears in reverse arrangements is something that LR should have adopted. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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