For those interested in old cars.

[RJS1977]

I seem to remember Jeremy Clarkson (in the days when Top Gear was a proper motoring show rather than silly stunts) saying that the best thing about driving a Ford Scorpio was that when you were driving it you weren't looking at it!

[MJI]

Yes, which is why I was so surprised (in 1987) to find this one round the corner; i went back and got my camera out especially.

 

 

 

Yes, though they were reasonably common when curent they disappeared surprisingly rapidly for Ford during the latter part of the 1970s. The specification on paper looked good - new V engines, all round independent suspension and disc brakes front and rear but somewhere along the way they lost the plot. Still, that extra-long front bonnet looked in better proportion in the stretched, limousine versions. You did sometimes see still those in the '80s at funerals.

 

2.0 V4

2.5 V6

3.0 V6 was Zodiac

[MJI]

shame as they realy are a lovely drive long trips have gone from being a chore in the Berlingo to being an outright pleasure in the Cat just purrs along steady 30mpg for commuting 46mpg  on a long motorway cruise 

 

I know of someone driving theirs to the continent to pick up their other car and they are leaving it with a relation to cannibalise. Usual snapped crank Discovery

[MJI]

The Scorpio, ugly looking thing... There's one round the corner from us he uses to tow his caravan with.

 

General Motors LOVED them

 

Slewed Ford GM executive market from 50% 50%* to more like 5% 95%**

 

*Granada vs Carlton/Senator

** Wide mouth frog vs Omega

[PatB]

I thought it was the Mk4 Granada where the stylists really lost the plot. Right weird thing, although in hindsight it seems to have mirrored contemporary US styling trends.

 

As for the Mk4 Zephiac, they do have a minor claim to fame in one of them having been Oz's car in the first episode of Auf Wiedersehen Pet. ISTR it was a Zephyr in that turquoisey blue-green that seemed to be popular on them.

[Oldddudders]

Another couple of pics from the LM Classic car parks this year. Two takes on sporting Sunbeams.

 

First a Tiger 260. The earlier version of this V8 car, with the 4.2 litre engine. Later ones had the 4.7 litre/289 c.i. motor. 

 

 

Now something a little older, and a little more pure Brit. A Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans, built by a firm more famous for their road-coaches, not least the Harrington Wing of earlier generations. 

 

[BernardTPM]

A somewhat non-standard bonnet on that Tiger - surprisingly the V8 fitted without the need for any extra bulges (unlike the 3 litre in the MGC), though lots seem to have had extra lumps, bumps and vents added later (perhaps different carbs?). While the bonnet didn't need altering they had to do an extensive rework of the bulkhead to get the engine in.

[alastairq]

A few years ago, whilst on a visit to my local rural tuning emporium [What is now Bogg Bros...used to be David Bogg & sons].....in their premises usually can be found, either stored by owners, or awaiting work [as & when, cheaper than 'get it done']....Old man David tried to persuade me to buy a Granada Mk1 [Ghia, I think?]....that had been hauled in for storage. 300 quids and it would have been mine.......to re-commission [myself, probably]....as it had been stored in a locked garage on a local fam for  some years. Apparently, owned by elderly farmer..not a lot of miles covered...& when ordered by family to cease driving, drove Granada into garage,. locked doors [and possibly threw away the key?]. When he eventually passed away, family got Boggs to break in, remove Granada, store [& sell] it. It was mainly just plain dirty. Everything had suffered from lack of use......I already had enough projects on my plate at the time....with 'time' not being one of them!

When I did have time, someone had snaffled it up.

I always enjoy calling in there for a visit..just to see what's been parked up...could be anything, from vintage cars, to exotica, to hot rods and racers. Most will be having some sort of work being done, mechanically.....as & when, etc.

[Like the RAilton that was in to have a throttle & choke linkage made up for its straight 8 Hudson engine...4 SU carbs!  Or the short chassis Bristol 40? might have been a 4 or a 3...either way, it was festooned with carbs, and was noted for being the only short chassis model Bristol made [a coupe]....probably raced...it was some years ago now. Model A Ford hot rod was interesting..yellow, as I recall......or the Ferrari that was parked right along side a local farmer's daughter's, Nova hack getting it's annual service..ie, cutting through the cow dung on the suspension?

Lovely place, all get treated the same, regardless....[torque is more useful than horsepower]

[Southern Steve]

A somewhat non-standard bonnet on that Tiger - surprisingly the V8 fitted without the need for any extra bulges (unlike the 3 litre in the MGC), though lots seem to have had extra lumps, bumps and vents added later (perhaps different carbs?). While the bonnet didn't need altering they had to do an extensive rework of the bulkhead to get the engine in.

 

Yep the Ford lump was so far back that you changed the rear plugs via little panels inside the car on the gearbox tunnel!

 

 

It had to have a special front crossmember to take the rack sand pinion steering too!

 

 

A friend had one when I had an Alpine V and tbh the Tiger was a bit disappointing I always felt, loads of torque, but the actual performance and top speed was nothing special for a 4.2 V8.

[johnlambert]

Or the short chassis Bristol 40? might have been a 4 or a 3...either way, it was festooned with carbs, and was noted for being the only short chassis model Bristol made [a coupe]....probably raced...it was some years ago now.

 

 

The short-chassis Bristol would be the 404, the only short-chassis model made in large-ish (for Bristol) numbers.  There were two short-chassis 406 cars produced, one with bodywork by Zagato, similar in style to the better known Aston Martin DB4 GT, and one with bodywork similar to the 404.

[peanuts]

bit of a left field request but may be the right place CCC magazine ran a series of articles on converting a pair of twin 40 webbers into throttle bodys for an efi injection system does any body have a copy of the article ? asking for a friend trying to resurrect a tvr 

[phil_sutters]

A few recent sightings

Edited October 25, 2018 by phil_sutters

[MJI]

Yep the Ford lump was so far back that you changed the rear plugs via little panels inside the car on the gearbox tunnel!

 

 

It had to have a special front crossmember to take the rack sand pinion steering too!

 

 

A friend had one when I had an Alpine V and tbh the Tiger was a bit disappointing I always felt, loads of torque, but the actual performance and top speed was nothing special for a 4.2 V8.

 

Just had a look, that is not fast at all.

 

The last car to carry the Sunbeam name was faster in 2.2 version and even a reworked 1.6 would have been quicker.

 

[MJI]

bit of a left field request but may be the right place CCC magazine ran a series of articles on converting a pair of twin 40 webbers into throttle bodys for an efi injection system does any body have a copy of the article ? asking for a friend trying to resurrect a tvr 

 

No need just search on throttle body conversions possibly with DCOE as well.

 

Lots on the internet

 

These make the kit

https://www.jenvey.co.uk

[alastairq]

Weight? Plus, final drive ratios?

 

Skoda Rapids [proper skodas, not the VAG things]....weren't 'fast' in terms of top speed. [top speeds really are an irrelevance in normal driving]....however, the Skoda engineers ensured that the peak of the engine's power band could be achieved in every gear.

 

Which is what, I believe, racers actually try to achieve by messing with ratios?

[PhilJ W]

Weight? Plus, final drive ratios?

 

Skoda Rapids [proper skodas, not the VAG things]....weren't 'fast' in terms of top speed. [top speeds really are an irrelevance in normal driving]....however, the Skoda engineers ensured that the peak of the engine's power band could be achieved in every gear.

 

Which is what, I believe, racers actually try to achieve by messing with ratios?

Skodas were very underated because of their price which led to all the Skoda jokes. In fact they were well build and no less reliable than their western counterparts.

[Killybegs]

Just had a look, that is not fast at all.

 

The last car to carry the Sunbeam name was faster in 2.2 version and even a reworked 1.6 would have been quicker.

 

 

I had a Sunbeam Alpine with a 'reworked' 1.6. It was seriously quick and used to seriously p**s of my mates with MGB's who reckoned it was a 'girly car'.

[PatB]

While I can't remember much in detail about the Sunbeam Tiger, I've always been under the impression that the Ford lump was in fairly cooking form, with restrictive cast-iron exhaust manifolds and a fairly small carb and air cleaner, in order to fit it all in. The fact that the standard Alpine bonnet fitted certainly suggests the latter. As such it would have been torquey but probably didn't put out a great deal of power. Mid-100s? At least when measured properly rather than the rather questionable figures the American manufacturers always tended to quote.

[Southern Steve]

While I can't remember much in detail about the Sunbeam Tiger, I've always been under the impression that the Ford lump was in fairly cooking form, with restrictive cast-iron exhaust manifolds and a fairly small carb and air cleaner, in order to fit it all in. The fact that the standard Alpine bonnet fitted certainly suggests the latter. As such it would have been torquey but probably didn't put out a great deal of power. Mid-100s? At least when measured properly rather than the rather questionable figures the American manufacturers always tended to quote.

 

Makes you wonder why they bothered? Mind you a V8 will always have better sales in the US than a "cooking" 4 cyl motor.

 

 

 

It days were always numbered once Chrysler got their greasy mits on the Rootes group, they couldn't really sell a car with a rivals lump under the bonnet!

 

 

There were attempts to re engine using one of the Mopar V8's but they all had the dizzy's at the rear and wouldn't fit under the Alpine scuttle The Ford small block had the dist at the front and didn't have that issue.

[Rugd1022]

Learning to drive and swim, Italian style...

 

 

 

 

 

Wasn't aware there was a commercial / municipal version of the 500 or 600 until I found this yesterday...

 

 

Does anyone know how many Fiat 500s were made between 1957 and 1975..?

Edited October 25, 2018 by Rugd1022

[Beechnut]

Learning to drive and swim, Italian style...

 I

FIAT 500 School #2.jpg

 

FIAT 500 School.jpg

 

ITALY 5dee2.jpg

 

ITALY a3b51.jpg

 

Wasn't aware there was a commercial / municipal version of the 500 or 600 until I found this yesterday...

 

FIAT 500 Comm.jpg

 

Does anyone know how many Fiat 500s were made between 1957 and 1975..?

A BSA Bantam in the foreground, UK registered too.

[MJI]

I had a Sunbeam Alpine with a 'reworked' 1.6. It was seriously quick and used to seriously p**s of my mates with MGB's who reckoned it was a 'girly car'.

 

But that wasn't the short stroke lump from the Avenger, great engine that.

[MJI]

Makes you wonder why they bothered? Mind you a V8 will always have better sales in the US than a "cooking" 4 cyl motor.

 

 

 

It days were always numbered once Chrysler got their greasy mits on the Rootes group, they couldn't really sell a car with a rivals lump under the bonnet!

 

 

There were attempts to re engine using one of the Mopar V8's but they all had the dizzy's at the rear and wouldn't fit under the Alpine scuttle The Ford small block had the dist at the front and didn't have that issue.

 

 

Chrysler also seemed to prefer the French Simca operation, I think they thought the cars were more "modern" than Rootes, even though they were not as good.

[johnlambert]

Makes you wonder why they bothered? Mind you a V8 will always have better sales in the US than a "cooking" 4 cyl motor.

 

 

 

It days were always numbered once Chrysler got their greasy mits on the Rootes group, they couldn't really sell a car with a rivals lump under the bonnet!

 

 

There were attempts to re engine using one of the Mopar V8's but they all had the dizzy's at the rear and wouldn't fit under the Alpine scuttle The Ford small block had the dist at the front and didn't have that issue.

One irony was that the Ford V8 in the later Sunbeam Tigers had 3 year warranty from Chrysler, where Ford cars with the same engine only had a 1 year warranty.

[Fat Controller]

A BSA Bantam in the foreground, UK registered too.

And virtually brand-new, given the date of the photo. The tidemarks from that flood are still visible.