For those interested in old cars.

[steve1]

8 minutes ago, MJI said:

Why not?

 

It's just a variation on track bashing or visiting every Tube station. Harmless fun to, as Mike said, add interest to a run to the shops.

 

steve

[Dunsignalling]

33 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

True, my first car was a 100E. The only drawback was accessibility to that space. Like many 1950's Ford designs there was the high boot sill.

My dad had a 100E Squire estate, with a split tailgate - very practical to use as a seat or table, but you had to kneel on it to get things all the way into the back.

 

Fifties Fords were quite nice but for two things; 3-speed gearboxes and those diabolical vaccy wipers.

 

The 107E Prefect was nicer as a result, but that only got made because the 105E Anglia's rear window meant it wasn't  long enough to have four doors. A pal of dad's fitted a 1340 Classic engine into one of those which made it much better on hills and over longer distances without being quick enough to embarrass the handling.

 

2-tone paint, one of those sun-peak things over the windscreen, and a tow bar for his camping trailer. I quite fancied buying it off him when I was old enough, but it was well-rotted by then.  

 

John 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[steve1]

Back to subjects more allied to old cars, has anyone else seen this mag? It's certainly a a quality product and a sensible price, £5. Not that £*99 nonsense!

 

Had a flick though and it looks promising. Just wonder if the market needs another 'old car' mag in print form.

 

steve

 

 

[Hobby]

15 minutes ago, MJI said:

Why not?

 

Quite. Some gricers want to travel every inch of every line they visit including all the headshunts! 

[BernardTPM]

55 minutes ago, steve1 said:

 

Very clever. Looks like a really modern, mid-'60s publication.

[alastairq]

My Dellow is fairly narrow.  It has a width of around 4 1/2 feet!   Just under 11 foot 6 long...

At my local tesco, they have those neat covered shopping trolley bays scattered about.

One day I went to park, and it was starting to rain. I noted one of the trolley bays was empty, so I parked the Dellow in there.

Well, the driver's seat kept dry, I could open the doors and get in & out, etc....and there were no signs saying ''no cars'', or 'no parking in here''....

If anyone had tried to ram a trolley in behind, guess where that trolley [& others] would have ended up? Yup, rammed into the car parking spaces!!!

 

Anyway, when I returned [with my small Tesco bag of shopping], I found some staff finding it all quite amusing....

 

I mean, why not, if the mood strikes?

 

https://de014b2b-73aa-4d0a-bd58-59010e074433.filesusr.com/ugd/7c7e52_81909ccc9bfd4468a5ed3f7d428d8145.pdf

Edited July 2, 2021 by alastairq
forgot to click 'paste'..

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Dunsignalling said:

My dad had a 100E Squire estate, with a split tailgate - very practical to use as a seat or table, but you had to kneel on it to get things all the way into the back.

 

Fifties Fords were quite nice but for two things; 3-speed gearboxes and those diabolical vaccy wipers.

 

The 107E Prefect was nicer as a result, but that only got made because the 105E Anglia's rear window meant it wasn't  long enough to have four doors. A pal of dad's fitted a 1340 Classic engine into one of those which made it much better on hills and over longer distances without being quick enough to embarrass the handling.

 

2-tone paint, one of those sun-peak things over the windscreen, and a tow bar for his camping trailer. I quite fancied buying it off him when I was old enough, but it was well-rotted by then.  

 

John 

There was a trend for a few years to bring 100E's up to 107E standard. Apart from the greasy bits all that was required was a modified transmission tunnel, a 107E front crossmember and special shackles to fit the 105E back axle to the springs (the springs on the 105E were about an inch further apart IIRC). Another 100E conversion was an estate car based on the prefect converted in the same fashion as the Consuls and Zephyrs with the saloon rear doors. Very few were sold as it was more expensive than the Escort and Squire models but there is at least one survivor.

Sadly it has been 'hot-rodded' with a two litre Pinto engine.

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, steve1 said:

Back to subjects more allied to old cars, has anyone else seen this mag? It's certainly a a quality product and a sensible price, £5. Not that £*99 nonsense!

 

Had a flick though and it looks promising. Just wonder if the market needs another 'old car' mag in print form.

 

steve

 

 

It’s got the banner style of the old french auto technique review magazine from the 70’s…….most editions had a virtual car manual in each one.

[steve1]

1 hour ago, BernardTPM said:

 

Very clever. Looks like a really modern, mid-'60s publication.

 

Has the feeling of Car, when it started out.

 

steve

[PhilJ W]

With regard to the 100E estates Fords had intended to produce an estate version based on the saloon. But the bean counters said no. So the Escort and Squire had to make do with the van bodyshell which caused other problems. The vans petrol tank was placed in the footwell behind the driver, a good use of what would otherwise be wasted space. When carrying passengers of course the footwell would be required for its original purpose so the petrol tank had to go in the small space behind the back axle and could only hold about 5 or 6 gallons. A similar situation occurred to the Hillman Imp, the estate had to use the van bodyshell. As originally planned it would have been a hatchback rather like the Sunbeam Rapier.

[MrWolf]

I haven't seen an Imp based Hillman Husky for years, let alone the Commer Cob van version. 

I did have an incredibly rusty Hillman Husky at one point, it was an ex WD model from 1964 with the Minx series IV front end. I managed to get a 1939 BSA C10 in the back and bring it 180 miles home without a hitch. Someone ran into the front of it one night and did a bunk, unfortunately, that was the end of it.

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

There was a trend for a few years to bring 100E's up to 107E standard. Apart from the greasy bits all that was required was a modified transmission tunnel, a 107E front crossmember and special shackles to fit the 105E back axle to the springs (the springs on the 105E were about an inch further apart IIRC). Another 100E conversion was an estate car based on the prefect converted in the same fashion as the Consuls and Zephyrs with the saloon rear doors. Very few were sold as it was more expensive than the Escort and Squire models but there is at least one survivor.

Sadly it has been 'hot-rodded' with a two litre Pinto engine.

 

A perfectly seamless conversion, can't tell it was ever a saloon car!

 

Mike.

[Rugd1022]

I like the look of that new magazine, I'll give it a try, hopefully WH Smiths will have it when I nip in there tomorrow .

 

Spent most of today fettling and fiddling with the Maser, I keep finding some nice little jobs to do and there's nothing better than getting stuck in with a 'new' car. The wheel caps and wheel nut covers have seen better days so if I do decide to stick with the wheels that are on the car they'll need a full refurbishment....

 

 

Despite looking ok in this photo the wheels have a lot of very ingrained dirt in the surfaces....

 

 

A quaint touch in the engine bay is the safety valve on top of the power steering fluid reservoir, not all of the 430s had these judging from some of the photos I've found online....

 

 

The twin ignition coils look like something you'd find inside a 1950s television set....

 

 

Another bit of cleaning and repainting....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Northmoor]

7 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Some councils are now insisting on 3m x 5m on new builds, actually I’ll have to ask my Son as his house is only two years old now, they could get the iPace in it to charge.

Hasn't there been an issue with some new build houses that have "garages", but almost no cars sold in the UK will fit in them.  The developer had actually commissioned special narrower up-n-over doors to disguise it.  There is nothing in law that says how big a garage needs to be, but shrinking it presumably allowed extra dwellings to fit on the same plot.

It all simply reinforces my view that the big housebuilding firms are some of the most corrupt businesses in existence.

[alastairq]

I had a 100E Escort once, for a wee while...a 25 quid wonder, with ticket & tax..... went all over the country in it....fitted a set of Dunlop Weathermasters to the back wheels....

Needed to be warmed up before any sort of power demands were made of it though.  But, once hot, it would climb anything.

 

I loved the thing, despite its shortcomings.

I believe it to be a better balanced 'car' than the 100E saloons, owing to there being less overhang at the rear.

 

A pal once had a Hillman Husky [based on their Cob vans?].....which had a 1725cc engine & box fitted.  Used to trial it too....quite a pokey motor that Husky was. I wouldn't say  'no' to a Husky nowadays either.... [I need a smaller, more utility type old car these days, not too low on the ground, either.]

[MrWolf]

The Minx based Hillman Husky and the Commer Cob were the same basic vehicle. The floorpan / chassis was also used for the Sunbeam Alpine / Tiger, which makes any of them fun to drive in a spirited manner. They carried on using the rear body from the Mk. Minxes but updated the front end as the Series Minxes came in starting in 1956.

The Commer Express was a long wheelbase van / pickup that was related to the early fifties Minx MKIII and had the Mk front end.

[Dunsignalling]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

There was a trend for a few years to bring 100E's up to 107E standard. Apart from the greasy bits all that was required was a modified transmission tunnel, a 107E front crossmember and special shackles to fit the 105E back axle to the springs (the springs on the 105E were about an inch further apart IIRC). Another 100E conversion was an estate car based on the prefect converted in the same fashion as the Consuls and Zephyrs with the saloon rear doors. Very few were sold as it was more expensive than the Escort and Squire models but there is at least one survivor.

Sadly it has been 'hot-rodded' with a two litre Pinto engine.

That kind of hot-rodding I don't mind, it keeps old cars much more usable so they get out and about where we can enjoy seeing them. That one is nice because the body hasn't been messed with and only the wheels give an inkling it's not stock. "Sleepers" are how it should be done IMHO.

 

There is (or was, I haven't seen it for a while) a 105E near here with a Zetec in it, disc brakes etc., but apart from being lowered a bit (no more than was common back in the day) it looks just like it came out of the showroom. It does have wider wheels, but they've been banded on the inside so you don't notice unless you are looking.  Inside it has better seats, a nicer steering wheel, and a centre console, adapted from something newer (possibly the same car the engine came from). All done so neatly that, if you didn't know better, you'd think it was made that way. I understand it sees regular use, albeit in good weather. Having had a 1200 Super years ago, I fully sympathise with the owner's choices.  

 

John

Edited July 2, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[MrWolf]

On 02/07/2021 at 16:37, Northmoor said:

Hasn't there been an issue with some new build houses that have "garages", but almost no cars sold in the UK will fit in them.  The developer had actually commissioned special narrower up-n-over doors to disguise it.  There is nothing in law that says how big a garage needs to be, but shrinking it presumably allowed extra dwellings to fit on the same plot.

It all simply reinforces my view that the big housebuilding firms are some of the most corrupt businesses in existence.

 

Not much has changed. 25 years ago, as a newlywed 23 year old, I went to look at a corner property on a new development. I had come into some money and was looking to buy outright so obviously, the salesman was keen to close the deal.

The corner plot suited me because it wasn't overlooked and we had two classic cars. At the rear was a big triangular space and the scruffy fence of allotments.

The conversation went rather like this:

"Do you offer a garage and how much?"

"Yes, a garage is £5000 extra."

"Really? How big is it?"

"It's our standard size."

"Which is?"

"16x8' external. It has to sit there, at the front of the house."

(Blocking access to all but foot traffic up the side of the house.)

"I think that I will be wanting a double garage up in the back corner."

"Oh you're not allowed to build anything up by that fence or in the back garden."

"Congratulations, you just lost a cash sale."

 

 

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

I like the look of that new magazine, I'll give it a try, hopefully WH Smiths will have it when I nip in there tomorrow .

 

 

 

 

If WH fails to provide the first edition is available by post for the same price…..ie post free.

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

Hasn't there been an issue with some new build houses that have "garages", but almost no cars sold in the UK will fit in them.  The developer had actually commissioned special narrower up-n-over doors to disguise it.  There is nothing in law that says how big a garage needs to be, but shrinking it presumably allowed extra dwellings to fit on the same plot.

It all simply reinforces my view that the big housebuilding firms are some of the most corrupt businesses in existence.

Nothing in law, but if the local planning regs state it has to be a certain size, it does.

 

I hadn’t heard that garage door story, doesn’t surprise me though.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, alastairq said:

A pal once had a Hillman Husky [based on their Cob vans?].....which had a 1725cc engine & box fitted.  Used to trial it too....quite a pokey motor that Husky was. I wouldn't say  'no' to a Husky nowadays either.... [I need a smaller, more utility type old car these days, not too low on the ground, either.]

 

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

The Minx based Hillman Husky and the Commer Cob were the same basic vehicle. The floorpan / chassis was also used for the Sunbeam Alpine / Tiger, which makes any of them fun to drive in a spirited manner. They carried on using the rear body from the Mk. Minxes but updated the front end as the Series Minxes came in starting in 1956.

The Commer Express was a long wheelbase van / pickup that was related to the early fifties Minx MKIII and had the Mk front end.

That would make a great 'sleeper', a Minx based Husky with the innards of a Sunbeam Tiger.

[PhilJ W]

I had an Imp van once, problem was zero oil pressure. So out came the engine and when it was stripped down the cause became apparent. The oil filler cap was in the door sill and was frequently mistaken for the radiator cap. The engine was cleaned up and a new oil filter fitted and fresh oil and it kept the pressure. I did sell it soon after as I'd booked a holiday and needed some spending money. I did paint the word 'oil' on the filler cap.

[MrWolf]

On 02/07/2021 at 18:24, PhilJ W said:

 

That would make a great 'sleeper', a Minx based Husky with the innards of a Sunbeam Tiger.

 

I do know of a 1957 Husky in two tone shed green and battleship grey, complete with a stock interior that is fitted with a Holbay H120 and other bits of fastback rapier, that is nuts enough, but a Tiger would be hilarious and probably not too expensive given the Mustang V8 running gear.

[MJI]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

 

That would make a great 'sleeper', a Minx based Husky with the innards of a Sunbeam Tiger.

 

Ultimate Rootes group sleeper was the Avenger 2.2 estate.

[PatB]

Speaking of sleepers and small Fords, I've always thought it should be fairly simple to build an Anglia 1500GT (or even a Lotus-Anglia) using all Ford parts, given that where a 1200 pre-Xflow Kent will go, a 1500 should fit fairly seamlessly. Indeed, did Ford miss a trick by not doing so? Although, I suppose, they didn't get seriously into factory performance models until the Escort.