wuvvum Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 On 10th November 1972, Mrs. Agnes Leverill gathered up her purse and bus pass and hobbled the short distance from her home in Holland-on-Sea to the nearest bus stop, where she caught the bus to Colchester. After another short hobble she arrived at the local DAF dealer, F. M. Haward and Son, where she exchanged the grand sum of 1,225 of those newfangled decimal pounds for the keys to a shiny new DAF 66 estate, registration WHK673L. After that the trail goes a bit cold. She had it serviced at the supplying dealer at 673 miles on 30th March 1973, but there's no other service history in the paperwork which I got with the car. There's a few old tax discs and a smoll photo of Mrs. Leverill herself at the wheel, which looks to have been taken some time in the '80s, but that's about it. The car stayed in Mrs Leverill's name until 2000, when she either gave up driving or shuffled off this mortal coil and it was sold to Stondon museum, where it spent the next 15 years of its life. Someone bought it in the Great Stondon Sell-off of 2015, got it transported to Wales and spent a fair bit getting it through an MOT (by a garage on fugging Anglesey), then did precisely sod all with it. For some reason it was then once again dragged nearly the whole width of Great Britain (in the other direction) to be sold at the Kings Lynn classic auction, whence I bought it last year. It has 34,000-odd miles on the clock, which as far as I can tell is genuine. Mrs. Leverill appears to have used it sparingly, and it wouldn't have gone very far during its time at Stondon. It did 143 miles between its last MOT in October 2015 and the one it just passed last week, and as far as I can ascertain pretty much all of that was done by me. Mechanically it would seem to reflect the low mileage - the engine starts easily, sounds quiet for a Cléon engine and is happy to rev. It's running a bit lean at the moment (which I think is partly because it has an aftermarket cone air filter, the hose between the original airbox and the carb having disappeared at some point over the years) so pulls better with the choke slightly out. The main issue it has is a vacuum problem with the transmission - those who know these cars seem to agree that it's probably the diaphragms in the pulley assemblies that have perished. The upshot is that the transmission now works much like that on a scooter - i.e. it will change up but only via the magic of centrifugal force, the vacuum "overdrive" being non-functional, so it revs higher than it normally would at a constant speed. That said, the engine seems happy enough to buzz away (as it should given its low mileage) and I've done 70 in the car with no issues - in fact, even as it is, it's revving lower at 70 than the identically-engined Renault 6. The bodywork is solid but has a variety of giffer-type dings (not sure whether Mrs. Leverill or Stondon were responsible for these). Also the paint has cracked in places and there are a number of small rust scabs scattered over the body panels. None of it is terminal and the car could easily be rubbed down and resprayed, but personally I think that'd be a shame as it's currently so original. There was one advisory on theMOT for a bit of rust at the front of the nearside sill, which will need keeping an eye on. The interior is black vinyl and not in bad nick, although there are a couple of minor splits and the driver's seat backrest is slightly wonky, although you don't notice this when sat in it. The carpet appears to be offcuts from Mrs. Leverill's living room, and is, shall we say, "of its time". The electrics all work, such as they are, although it does get two-speed wipers and a variable-speed fan. It's an entertaining little thing to drive, feels well engineered and is surprisingly practical - I have had a full-sized pushbike in the back on a few occasions with the rear seats folded down. Pictures: This is the bit of grot that was advised on at the MOT. It now owes me £600 and I'd like to see that back for it. In NE Norfolk, as always. Fabergé Greggs, HillmanImp, Jim Bergerac and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Mr hairnet to the rubber belted phone! Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Px a lovely running Mk3 1.6CL 5 door Gulf and some cash? Cavcraft and Fabergé Greggs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabergé Greggs Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Good god that is too lovely for words. Is it a big deal to do the vacuum diaphragms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 *shakes uncontrollably chaseracer, purplebargeken and The Moog 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 It's not too bad to do if you know the main folks for Daf fettling in the locality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthbay Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Ah crap, another Daf when I am in no place to do anything about it sure this will be gone in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabergé Greggs Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 It's not too bad to do if you know the main folks for Daf fettling in the locality.I remember you mentioning them before- where are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Oh that's lovely! GLWTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Jimmy Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Mrs. Agnes Leverill c1972 after a mild case of hobbling. purplebargeken and Dick Longbridge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Jimmy Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Good god that is too lovely for words. Is it a big deal to do the vacuum diaphragms? There's a Dutch joke in there somewhere. Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Can I check the spelling of Leverill, as an Agnes Ida Leverell died in Colchester Essex in August 1999..? (Aged 86) wuvvum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted May 29, 2017 Author Share Posted May 29, 2017 Well she's on the V5C as Leverell but on the bill of sale as Leverill. Her middle name was Ida though, so it's a reasonable assumption that it was the same lady. egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Name: Agnes Ida LeverellEvent Type: Death RegistrationRegistration Quarter: Jul-Aug-SepRegistration Year: 1999Registration District: ColchesterCounty: EssexEvent Place: Colchester, Essex, EnglandAge (available after 1866): Birth Date (available after June quarter 1969): 21 Oct 1912Birth Year (Estimated): Volume: 4691APage: A77CLine Number: Citing this Record:"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZX-PW2W : 4 September 2014), Agnes Ida Leverell, Aug 1999; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, Colchester, Essex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England. djimbob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Hopefully it's not a haunted Daf........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 jack, my mate lives in Colchester but the Daf Essex HQ is near somewhere else in Essex. The locale escapes me at the moment. Hmm. I just go there tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 So when is the Kollekshunfred by someone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 who made wuvs day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 I think Yello did a song about these as well, 'Rubberbandman' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarvinsMom Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 shit.... i cannot believe that i've missed out on this!! i hope it has gone to a good home, hopefully within the AS collective. so much want, so much win, and i've just got paid some bonus money.... fuck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Am sure it's gone to a reasonably mad Daf licker. Fabergé Greggs and wuvvum 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Where does it say it's sold? I was tempted by this but I don't really need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 The thread tags Triggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Ah, they don't show when your looking via your phone on Tapatalk. BorniteIdentity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Actually now I've looked closer they do! Everyday is a school day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Very rarely does one actually need one of our cars on AS, sometimes, but only in very unique circumstances. The Moog and egg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep Shepherd Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 *Hums the theme to Van der Valk* I really want to own a Variomatic Daf (or Volvo) one day BorniteIdentity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 *Hums the theme to Van der Valk* I really want to own a Variomatic Daf (or Volvo) one day If these are anything like the 343 vario that I had - and I think they're direct descendants - you need ear plugs above 40mph. Mine gave my arse a headache. Shep Shepherd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 I think Yello did a song about these as well, 'Rubberbandman' OH YEAH....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Honda Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Misery spec: Drums all roundNo servoVinyl seatsNo fake wood dash, plain grey paint instead. bASe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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