R1152

I had a 51-plate one given to me by my sister, in the same way she gave me her G-reg 5 Campus.

It was shockingly built compared to the Renault, but my goodness it was fun to drive. Several happy commutes on the A1 in mid-winter in it, with a kind of cosy warmth from the heater my BMW 5er can't manage. Not that economical on a run (the BMW matches it) but better around town.

It now does sterling service as a shed, because I can't bring myself to scrap it.

Would I have another? Hell yeah I would.

31 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

Likewise I imagine this picture has turned up before but just in case it hasn't.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/3816531335/

They're probably going through what's now the middle of the slammer there...

12 minutes ago, Shite Ron said:

Zodiac Executive without question, they are great.

At this point I could muddy the waters with "Mk. III or Mk. IV Exec?" but we'll stick with the Mk. IV (which would be my choice too) 

Driving home tonight, a thought crossed my mind which I'll place before fellow shiters:

Exec or Viscount?

15 hours ago, adw1977 said:

That's right, bench seat and column change was a no cost option on Zodiacs.

Individual front seats and floor change were an option on all Zephyrs originally, then at some point the Zephyr range was split into standard (bench seat) and Deluxe (individual seats and a few other largely cosmetic changes) models.  From that point you could not specify individual seats on the standard Zephyr or a bench seat in a deluxe.  So some early Mk4 Zephyrs will have the grille-less front with individual seats, but there should be no Zephyrs with bench seat and grille.

I wonder if "standard" trim was aimed at being a Consul in all but name?

Did a "Consul" of sorts disappear in 1970?

Odd that it briefly reappeared with the Mk. I Granada. 

1 hour ago, adw1977 said:

Only Deluxe Zephyrs got that grille, the standard models continued with the same front end as Mr_Bollox's example, along with the bench front seat.  I think in later years the Deluxe massively outsold the standard model.

Oct 1970 brochure

Ooh, thanks for that - I thought it was across the range. Happy to be corrected!

I do remember the odd juxtaposition of the front seat/gearchange option; individual seats plus floor change as an option on the Zephyr, with a bench and column change an option on the Zodiac (or has my mind tricked me again?)

And from the days when big cars came in COLOUR!!

1 hour ago, Timewaster said:

All I can think of now is.... 

And how funny a 10 year old me found Oz shouting "Ah, bolloxs Man!" when it broke down. 

"1970 facelift" model - now with a (dummy) grille that matched the Zodiac's.

48 minutes ago, Muniphobia said:

Always been intrigued by these, growing up in the 1980s they were rare even then and I only can remember seeing one in a side street in Hove and thought it looked like a huge MK2 Cortina and had to ask my Dad what it was

They were rare in the 80s because they rotted so quickly that most had gone for scrap by the time they were ten years old - if the crap "Essex" V-engines hadn't failed already. My father's one was propped up to about 1990 by both his welding skills and it getting a short motor at seven years old.

Sadly, the Mk. IV was revolutionary rather than evolutionary compared to the previous big Fords and suffered badly from Dagenham getting major interference from Dearborn in the shape of one Harley Copp, God rot his socks. Says it all that its replacement came from Cologne.

On 04/07/2021 at 11:27, petermchugh79 said:

Stomil made in the Ukraine/ Russia brilliant agri tyre! But there car stuff was agricultural if that makes any sense

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I had Stomils on my Datsun Sunny.

I wonder if two of my ex-colleagues were on duty at both venues?

@LightBulbFun I have to say I'm struggling to tell the difference between a 67 and a 70...

26 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

indeed! it was quite fun discovering those  I wonder if any Ministry examples managed to survive! from what I understand Ministry regular cars where just sold at goverment auctions at the end of their Ministry service life

(unlike Ministry invalid vehicles which had to be Destroyed)

it is worth noting that when the media killed off the Invalid vehicle service it also killed off these free Ministry provided normal cars which is somewhat ironic when that is what they where supposedly campaigning for! 

if you wish to see a Ministry Mini etc if you click on the little arrow on the top right corner of the quote box it will take you to the original post the quote is from in my thread

the Two cars behind the leading Model 70 are as follows:

HEV15xH is an Invacar Mk12E (Model 66) which is the same as the type @AdgeCutler has and is restoring over on my thread  

and behind that one is a Tippen Delta 8 (Model 59 if Petrol or Model 69E if Electric)

 

also of note behind those 2 is the DPL car which a DPL751J to DPL950J AC Acedes Mk15 Model 67, which is notable as it is a reverse control machine  

"Reverse control"? I like the styling of the 12E but to me the ultimate "little blue invalid carriage" (I never used any of the less charitable names for them) will always be the Model 70. I just hope that one day, someone does an electric conversion...

On 24/08/2021 at 14:42, LightBulbFun said:

[...] the DHSS would give you a regular car for free, you could even get Renault 4's!

and this picture for example was part of a protest against the decision to get rid of all Invalid vehicles by 1981 from people who really did not want to give up their machines!

 

Every day a schoolday re: the Renault 4s 🙂

@LightBulbFun With regard to this photo, what are the two cars behind the leading car?

7 hours ago, St.Jude said:

Which, when you consider these knobheads who make videos of the same shite going OMG HOW FAST CAN I GO FRU MACCYD'S DRIVE THRU BRO - well I don't know.

Or berks doing a "tunnel blast"...

Rest of your post, @St.Jude - absolutely superb, considerate and thoughtful advice: "I commend this to The House."

I can understand LBF's frustration when myths and errors get perpetuated by people who should really know better though - in my own little field of interest I've had to combat that, even to the extent of being told I'm wrong because the English-speaking bit of the Internet says otherwise.

If @LightBulbFun is doing a book on Invacars and invalid carriages in general, I will certainly put my name down for a copy.

31 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

It is something you don't read a lot about in this Covid era. There wer always stories in the military when guys in the queue for a vax would pass out. Did they give it to you before you were compos mentis?

Similarly, people in the services freaking out with claustrophobia when put in early MRI scanners.

15 minutes ago, Alan_Green said:

I recall a 1970's staff canteen conversation where young Charlie announced "I'm gonna respray my Capri black".  Upon hearing this the other forklift drivers gasped, dropped their shortbread, and begged him not to.  "Whoa Charlie.  Don't do it.  Black will show up every scratch and dent".  So maybe in the 70's there was a perception black brought out imperfections .  

Black does indeed show up imperfections and back then, required a lot more careful surface preparation and post-application treatment - hence the cost. In the early 80s my mate wanted his Mk. II Capri spraying black after he'd fitted a body kit to it and even the people he took it to to do the job tried their level best to talk him out of it.

One of my uncles was a french polisher and the job he and his colleagues hated the most was if a grand piano was brought in - the large surface area of the lid showed up any minor flaw and if there was a mistake, the only way to deal with it was to strip the finish off and start again.

5 hours ago, RichardK said:

Interesting to see it so close. In some ways I think the production car improves on it; but I will never understand why the WIDE MOUTH look, because they didn't go all-in on art deco elsewhere.

Projet L still spluttering about there?

It's certainly in the book about the collection you can buy.

4 hours ago, HMC said:

I'm looking at that Herald and wondering if it's worse than the one that was under cover for over 30 years near my mate's home in Bromley. It was slowly crumbling into the ground but I noticed the other week it had gone...

ë

49 minutes ago, jamescarruthers said:

You can book online (I did last time) but it is not necessary. This time I just turned up. It was absolutely dead this time and last!

I think I saw the 21st century H-van— it had a massive pig nose. 
 

Flattened (ZX?) still on the wall in the gift shop too. 

Interesting re: the new H, because I thought they were selling it? One of @dollywobbler's vids covered the centenary celebrations and it was certainly on offer at the time - photo here:

When I went there it was extremely quiet too - I don't think it gets that much footfall which in some ways is a blessing but could also be its undoing. I get the impression it is intended for the hard-core Citroëniste.

I went there in 2019 whilst they were preparing cars for the Citroen centenary exhibition, so some vehicles have since been sold, like the prototype for a 21st century "H" van.

For those contemplating a visit, I think you still have to book an appointment (@jamescarruthers will confirm?) but getting there is a doddle by RER/bus from central Paris. On the same bus route (350) you can also take in the air museum at Le Bourget.

@jamescarruthers do they still have that flattened car hanging from the wall in the shop?!

Also pointed at this from elsewhere:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07034-4

2 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

I always wonder how much money you can make by coming up with a bullshit conspiracy theory that appeals to people who want to be contrary or are in defiance of something they don't want to believe, and then churning out content on youtube and other social media for your audience of believers. I mean it's completely unethical, but I can only assume that people more morally bankrupt have latched onto these denial theories as a money spinner as I can't see any other reason to start these movements other than being completely delusional.

"Loads" is the answer.

10 hours ago, loserone said:

It's got loads of support, just look at all the dickheads who think the pandemic is over and the vaccines are for improving mobile signal

Worse than that, there are now a growing number of "germ theory" deniers.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/deep-dive-into-stupid-meet-the-growing-group-that-rejects-germ-theory/

11 minutes ago, fraser.innes.3 said:

Before I was a shiter, my local councillor was from the green party, and drove an old Morris minor. I asked how a green party member could drive such a polluting car. As per comments above, he pointed out that the car's carbon footprint had been paid for years before.
Age of my vehicles are 39, 20, 15, 13 and 10, with a total mileage of 680k. Surprisingly, the 2 oldest, have the lowest mileage!

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Long before the environment was fashionable, I had a colleague at work who was very much into the "Green" movement, CND and the like and he drove a Moggy Traveller... Best bit was his-then CB "handle" - appropriately, "Tudor Traveller". 

As for "population reduction":

DO. NOT. GO. THERE.