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RayMK

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Everything posted by RayMK

  1. I can't remember seeing many of these around when I was a kid in the 1950s. Grandad's L type was also a rare sight. I did read about the 10/4's front suspension when I was in my Meccano phase - always have been a bit of a suspension fanatic and back then would 'invent' my own types, only to discover that it had been done before. The pseudo Dubonnet front suspension on the 10/4 was certainly novel. It did not work well in Meccano. I've just seen @Mr Pastry's posts! He is right to point out that finding replacement parts will be tricky and not very easy to reproduce either.
  2. This one puzzled me for a while. I knew that very few American cars of that period had independent rear suspension with that type of geometry, but it clearly wasn't a Corvair. A bit of digging suggests it is a Pontiac Tempest which shared the transaxle of a Corvair but with a front mounted engine. I had completely forgotten about the Tempest. Nice one.
  3. I owned one about 15 years ago. It was diabolical but something makes me want one again. Fortunately I'm not in a position to buy anything just yet. Maybe mid year.
  4. My Tipo has been off the road since July 2023, stuck at a garage awaiting some sort of action to diagnose its FTP and fix it. I declared it as SORN in December 2023. Its insurance expired in January 2024 but, strangely, I did not receive the usual invitation to renew. Luckily I checked on askMID today. It is no longer insured. The only reason I checked was because my modern* was due for insurance renewal later this month. The email this year says 'Will not renew automatically.' Renewal has gone from £218 (fully comp) to £365. I thought last year's price was a bit low but this year's is a big hike. I have decided to stick with them (paid today), mainly because shopping around is hassle and the quoted premium is not too bad for an old giffer (74) with 10 years+ no claims. I'll visit the Fiat soon to discuss its future with the garage.
  5. RayMK

    AI worded ads

    My catheter blocked on Thursday. If I saw a nurse consulting AI for advice on how to get the new one in, I'd be horrified and try to do it myself! However, he didn't but it took 45 minutes. I therefore vote to keep it away from medical use until thoroughly proven 😁. I'll tolerate it on ebay even though it's rubbish. In fact, it is as pointless as adverts which give the history of the marque rather than admit that the car for sale rarely runs properly, has got sills made from duct tape covered with filler, freshly applied underseal holding the floor together and a recent respray. These adverts often have very few photographs plus a covered valuable* number plate which apparently justifies the ridiculous asking price. AI and waffle nicely warns me away from a wasted journey.
  6. @Zelandeth The P6 sounds wonderful - and thirsty. I've not driven a P6 but have been many miles in the smaller engined versions. They ride far better than most modern cars while also being very sure footed (with decent tyres). Nice work on the Trabant. Once you've caught and rectified all of its previous maintenance or storage problems it should provide even more enjoyment, not only for you but those that see it buzzing around being useful. I love its simplicity.
  7. I used to see the occasional Reliant Regal and early Robins towing trailer tents and once (in Scotland) even a small caravan. Indeed I have a magazine road test of a Regal Mk2 towing a small caravan back in the days (1950s) when such an outfit was restricted to 30mph. I've often seen Honda Goldwings towing small camping trailers and once saw a Goldwing with sidecar towing a trailer tent. The only caravans I've seen in ditches or completely wrecked but still on the road were the larger types towed by SUVs, probably compliant with current load/plating regulations but piloted by speed merchants lacking in common sense and driving technique. When towing a trailer or caravan loaded to give the recommended nose weight, a lightweight rear engined vehicle will be much more twitchy than one with a front engine, worse still if the vehicle has excessive rear overhang. A three wheeler adds still more sensitivity to the towing behaviour. Add some cross wind and you've got a real handful. Having low power is probably the least of the factors to be considered.
  8. I remember Renault 8s in the UK - quite a rare sight, but the R10 was a lot more popular. I've never seen a Renault or Peugeot in my numerous visits to the 'states from 1991 until the early 2000s but did see a broken down Citroen DS somewhere around Santa Fe in the mid 1990s 😀.
  9. @wesacosa Do the other photos show how a Reliant chassis has been used? Bit of an unlikely choice because the configuration of a Reliant chassis is considerably different and I would have thought (without checking) that dimensions would require much hacking about of the body or chassis to make things fit. Not really an Invacar any more after all that. Keeping the registration could be tricky.
  10. Yes, although someone had removed the replica gold medal/coin sized embellishment which Hyundai stuck on the dashboard. Apart from that, 'special alloys' and some external graphics it was just a GSL. I did consider going to the FOTU this year but my '94 Tipo has been stuck in a garage since its FTP last July and has so far defeated attempts to diagnose the problem. Its future is looking uncertain. I'm not going to attempt a long journey in my Reliant either. The car might manage it but I'm not sure I would!
  11. Strange indeed! I could not find anything similar from the engines of motorcycles, scooters or cars. Could it be a finned exposed magneto/flywheel?
  12. E591BRM was mine. It passed through three other forum members after I relinquished ownership later that year. It has not resurfaced for a few years now so its rusty bits will probably make it beyond saving if it is not owned by an enthusiast who can keep up with the welding. I enjoyed my 7 years with it but the engine in my previous Stellar (D401MTM) was much nicer during its 101K miles with me.
  13. @Dick Longbridge I've successfully resisted collecting too enthusiastically. My collection is small. The last Dinky Toys I bought were 2nd hand at a Sunday Market in the late 1970s/early 80s, mostly a handful of 1950s saloon cars. Prior to that my Dinky toys were the few remnants of toys from my childhood plus a few older Dinky toys bought 2nd hand in Southsea in 1961 by re-purposing school dinner money. I have got 25a (Wagon) 1947-50 issue, 25c (Flat Truck) 1946-47 issue, 25c (Flat Truck) 1947-50 issue and 25f (Market Gardener's Van) 1938-40 issue. Mine are all repaints and all have one or both lights missing i.e. thoroughly playworn before I purchased them for 3d each. I should really display them but they've been wrapped in clean cloth or tissue for at least 40 years and are stored out of sight. I do not even have decent photographs of them.
  14. The grey one is nice and certainly looks original. I've never seen one with an original rear cover but even reproduction covers could be 60 years old and now looking suitably weathered. I have consulted my trusted reference book (History of British Dinky Toys 1934-1964. 3rd reprint 1976 by Cecil Gibson. The 1st edition was published 1966 by Mick and Sue Richardson). Your Grey covered wagon is a 1946-1947 issue, the third of four versions of the original 1934 (No.25series) of similar wagons, the actual type of body being distinguished by suffixes a-f for wagon, covered wagon, flat truck (=wagon), petrol tank wagon, tipping wagon and market gardener's van (=wagon) respectively. The green ebay one is a 1947-1950 issue. As for the availability of reproduction decals, I don't know but expect they can be found or accurately produced if you have an original to copy.
  15. I had one in 2005-7 (P679EAL). The 2 ltr V6 automatic was the most refined unit I've ever experienced. Unfortunately it was also the only car I've owned that needed recovery three times and could not be satisfactorily fixed by a Japanese car specialist or a Nissan main dealer (x2). Suspension was not too clever on anything except good surfaces. I'd consider one again but routine spares spares were difficult to source even when I owned one.
  16. I owned a Mitsubishi i Kei car which I bought as an ex-demo car in 2007 during the short period they were on sale in the UK (not the later electric one). Its rear-under-the- floor, 660cc turbocharged, conventional automatic configuration attracted me. I kept it until 2014 having covered 82K miles. It was remarkably practical, being able to seat 4 normal sized adults with perfectly adequate legroom in the front and rear despite being fractionally shorter than the then current Citroen C1 which had no leg room in the rear unless front seats were pushed forwards, thereby making sure that the driver and passengers were very cramped. I took my daughter and her husband to Wales and on another occasion took them to Scotland (Fort William), from which we also toured the Isle of Mull. I made numerous solo camping trips in it to the Isle of Wight and Swanage. On motorways it was absolutely fine, able to cruise comfortably at 70mph and would top out at an indicated 91mph on the private sections. It was exceptionally handy in towns and on country lanes where its diminutive size, tight turning circle and perky performance scored over modern blobmobiles which constantly get held up because they can't get past each other and need much more space to manoeuvre. Downsides? At 82K the turbocharger shed a blade which also wrecked the intercooler. At near enough £1000 retail plus labour to fix it, I let it go for recycling. Someone in the trade picked it up, fixed it and continued to drive it past 100K but it looked rough and neglected in 2020. Also, its suspension, although fine on reasonable roads, did crash and bang on rougher roads. Would I consider a Kei car again? Most definitely.
  17. I have not driven any Bonds but have been a passenger in a later Mark (G or F?) Villiers engined front wheel drive 4 seater. It was good fun and nicely weird. John Surtees managed to get an 875 around Brands Hatch in record time, achieving over 100mph in the process. His prowess on 2 and 4 wheels probably indicates a high level of adaptability and skill. The 875 was known to be a rapid machine with its detuned Imp engine and rear suspension set-up but was notoriously sensitive to side winds, as are most rear engined cars. If they were not so fragile I would have liked one. Unlike a Reliant or an Invacar, they did not have a chassis and were prone to cracking where the Imp subframe was anchored to the fibreglass bits - which were lightweight because of the weight limit to satisfy the tricycle vehicle class. Their interior made the very basic interior of a Reliant seem luxurious by comparison.
  18. Three wheelers feel different from four wheelers. If you are used to them they do not feel unstable. Motoring journalists generally compare road holding and handling capabilities of a vehicle based on their predominantly four wheeled experience. Anything out of the ordinary e.g. the 2cv6 was often slated as having alarming handling by those not used to roll angles despite it having the full complement of wheels. Plonk a typical journalist, or for that matter anyone who has not ridden one before, on a motorcycle and sidecar and they can't cope with the three wheeled asymmetric characteristics, labelling them as dangerous. In the past, people who drove three wheelers typically graduated from motorcycles where alertness to road conditions and willingness to learn a vehicle's characteristics was definitely required. Nowadays, three wheelers are generally owned by enthusiasts who do not try to drive them like a modern generic car but, depending on the make and model, can still drive them rapidly and enjoy the experience. I daresay that if I attempted to drive an HGV or a double decker it would feel terrifying and/or dangerous until my senses and techniques were suitably attuned by tuition and experience.
  19. Laws of the Fuzz may overrule speed record attempts there, but the Atkinson could probably be overtaken by the Invacar if it could power* through its bow wave on a non restricted road. There's a wonderful you tube video of an Atkinson circus lorry towing several trailers and driven by a lady, highly unusual back in the day.
  20. True, anecdotal claims of reaching or exceeding 70mph in an Invacar have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the effects of conditions can enable unlikely speeds to be achieved in low powered vehicles while being entirely within the laws of physics e.g. a following wind, slight downhill gradient typically found on sections of a motorway or just slipstreaming a slightly faster vehicle. These are not official two way speeds recorded under scientific conditions but can still be actual speeds achieved. My Reliant Regal had 17.5bhp when new in 1961 but will cruise at 55mph for extended periods on the A5 according to my son who sometimes follows in his car (BMW 5 series or previously a Volvo V70, in either case using his phone for GPS speeds). Reliant advertised the car as being capable of 62mph flat out. A 2cv6 will easily maintain 65-69mph on its 28bhp despite poor aerodynamics and my Mitsubishi i would easily cruise at 70mph on its 57bhp, topping out at an indicated 91mph, so probably over 85mph. Add favourable conditions to any of these and unlikely speeds can be achieved before exceeding maximum rpm. Three wheels and low frontal area will give a slight advantage to the Invacar in terms of drag but a Reliant with its non-independent rear end has no toe-in or out to fight, unlike the Fiat 500 (front and rear) or the Invacar if it is not a pure trailing arm independent set up (I cant remember whether its rear is semi trailing or not). However, the joy of driving low powered cars is not so much to do with speed, more to do with learning how to drive efficiently and with three wheelers doing this without causing them to fall over - none of my Reliants have ever lifted a rear wheel. Know your car's limits, anticipate road conditions, load the vehicle sensibly and great fun can be had.
  21. RayMK

    Fun in the bath.

    Yes. This was back in the 1990s. To be fair to the dealer, they had reamed the bushes within tolerance but they only had the suspension arm and hub carrier, not the whole car. Once assembled to the car, it was clear that further easing was necessary or a diet of spinach (à la Popeye), again showing my age!
  22. RayMK

    Fun in the bath.

    Reliants are lightweight cars and the engine sits behind the front wheel, its rear end protruding into the cab, so king pin loads are not really an issue. As @catsinthewelder says, most king pin designs require frequent greasing. Every 500-1000 miles was typical but on three wheelers access to the single front wheel was a bit of a stretch or a crawl underneath and was often neglected entirely or not greased often enough. Depending on the kingpin design, the result of such neglect can cause the bushes (=pivot bearings) to seize and start to turn in the casting, or worse, the kingpin itself starting to turn in its location bore. Kingpins are usually a light interference fit in the suspension arm or axle/hub carrier and not intended to turn within it. Either of these cases will require machining of the bearing housing or hub carrier if they have worn oval and more games with special oversized bushes or a sleeved kingpin, both far from ideal and usually resulting in the worn items being scrapped and a new/serviceable hub carrier and suspension arm being found. Once suitable components have been sourced, king pin bushes usually require line reaming after installation as they are supplied with an undersized internal diameter to allow for such machining and to ensure that they are correctly aligned for the king pin to pivot. All relatively straightforward with the right expertise and facilities if you can find the necessary replacement parts. As an aside, my 1961 Reliant needed a new kingpin when I bought it with 98K on the clock. A Reliant dealer did the work but the kingpin was being gripped so tightly by the new line reamed bearings that steering was very hard work. I pulled it all apart and eased the bushing internal bores towards the max tolerance and all was well and has been ever since. More recent Reliants had needle roller king pin bearings which allowed slightly longer servicing intervals.
  23. I've tried to stay out of this well meaning but somewhat suffocating bout of mothering instinct being displayed in this thread. @LightBulbFun is young and has found something which fills him with enthusiasm. It has fuelled his determination to buy REV and driven him hard enough to pass his driving test despite financial, physical and mental considerations that many of us will not have experienced. He is certainly not daft and is fully aware of the risks which exist in following his dream. Advice is fine but it is the recipient's decision on whether or not to accept it. It is not compulsory to ditch your dream just because advice wants to steer you towards safety, boredom and practicality. These things are forced upon us as we get older. Give the chap a break and let him follow his dream. He may choose to adjust his priorities in due course. There are people on here who ride motorcycles, race cars, drive old bangers and, heaven forbid, regularly ride pushbikes, apparently with none of the concerns applicable to driving an Invacar. When at LBF's age or thereabouts, I went against my parents by secretly saving up to buy a moped. Dangerous things! Having survived that for a couple of years and many many miles I bought a 175cc motorcycle - and had an accident on it within 6 weeks. I survived with bruising and concussion - I was almost black down my right side. So yes, some of the advice did bite back. Motorcycles can be dangerous. I then bought a Reliant. Horror! More outpouring of advice.....you get the drift. We learn but do not necessarily regret. I still own a Reliant. I'm now old and walk with two sticks. It sometimes has a breakdown. Family wants me to sell it and drift towards my grave safely in a tedious modern thing. I won't. I'll concede that I do use the modern more often though - but it is my choice. These words are of course my opinion and are not intended to offend or suggest that other opinions are invalid. Enjoy your freedoms.
  24. Yes, without any direct experience of them, an excellent 'want.' I agree with your summary of the probable reality of acquiring one. Many years ago (1980s) I came close to buying a Tatra 603 and still sort of regret being bullied out of it by my late wife who reckoned a new kitchen was more useful. Now, with more experience of life and cars, I realise I should have resisted the kitchen and bought a half decent DS instead but eventually succeeded in buying a Citroen CX GTi Turbo 2 which wasn't too painful for the 9 months I owned it. I used to see an occasional Panhard at car meets in Bucks/Oxon area but never the glorious 24ct variety.
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