In The Pit

Believe it or not here in West Wales there are operators that are still using 70's and 80's buses/coaches mainly on schools contracts, however one operator has recently lost alot of school contracts (possibly new age restrictions rules?) and are offering some of their immaculate fleet (70's/80's buses/coaches) for sale, now I know nothing about buses I just stumbled upon the link but thought the good people on here may be interested, they had a stunning 1975 Bedford YRT just withdrawn that they wanted £850 for that couldn't find a home so it was cut up for scrap, lets hope homes can be found for the ones currently for sale, so tell all your bus mates post links in bus related forums and lets do some bus saving Autoshite style.
 
Heres what the ad says:
A group of preservation worthy coaches are being sold by Lewis, Rhydlewis, West
Wales.
 
1979 Leyland Leopard / Duple Dominant 53-seater
1978 Leyland Leopard / Plaxton Supreme (Supreme IV front) 53-seater
1986 Leyland Tiger / Plaxton Paramount, manual gearbox
1979 Bedford PJK-VAS / Plaxton 29-seater
1976 Bedford YMT / Plaxton Supreme
1986 Bedford YNV / Plaxton Paramount
 
At a guess the regs are DPB777T, DTU48S, D65MWO, EGS159T, NJF864P (however I
have this as a YRT) and C510HSE or C904HYD however I dont have any actual
details.
 
All just out of service due to loss of school contracts. Serious enquiries only and sensible offers invited. Please contact: Maidwyn Lewis, Lewis Coaches, Rhydlewis, West Wales. Tel. 01239-851386 or 07760-778514
 
http://www.skylineaviation.co.uk/buses/help.html
 
Heres pictures of some of the above reg numbers mentioned (some wearing private reg numbers):
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Below is the one that they couldnt sell that got scrapped last year a shame as they had owned it from nearly new and it looks nice in those colours must have had that paint for years (possibly arrived there in that livery) as telephone number isn't 01 and the county of Dyfed was scrapped in 1994:
 

 

 

 
More pictures on Flickr just type Lewis Rhydlewis
 
The company have said that if the others don't sell they will also be scrapped.

I also heard that it has been saved by an Autoshite member and is now in safe and understanding hands.  That person gets my total respect for saving it and so does the person (who was a banger racer I believe) who offered it and some other rarities for preservation first before racing them.  I think it had been dry stored since 1990.
 
For those who aren't familiar with the car in question:
 


 
 

A couple years ago I sold my 1969 Maxi to a member of the Austin Maxi Club after it had been sitting in a council lock up for nearly 20 years. The colour is Porcelain Green.
 
DSCF8325 by timothy jones, on Flickr
 
DSCF8327 by timothy jones, on Flickr
 
DSCF8328 by timothy jones, on Flickr
 
DSCF8330 by timothy jones, on Flickr
 
I have owned 4 other Maxis in the past, when I find photos I'll post them too.

Leyland Australia got colours spot on.
 

 

 
Not a shade of silver, grey or black in sight!

What's the story with that?

Navy blue 3 door escort 1.3 ex motability cars. Ford dealer I worked at had about 15 in a corner growing moss. I bought one for £200 at 3 years old because the guy who had it nailed an ashtray to the dash. Nailed it!

Are the screw covers likely to be the same as R3 Rover 200 examples?
 
I'm retrieving this headlining on Thursday before the car gets scrapped.
 

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Is that the one that was photographed in a shed somewhere in Scotland that disappeared shorty after the photo was taken and feared scrapped by most? If so would be great to know that it's survived.  (your comment about being in a different part of the UK to you hints it could be).
 
The car in question :
 

 
Also re the 4th car its nice to know another special edition Regency survives other than the carcass that was bravely dragged from a farmers field a few years ago.

Well, what a start to 2019.....like buses, nothing then 4 come along at once!
 
I will only be requiring one of them so PM me and Ill take your details then pass on the ones I don't want to you when I have made a decision:
 
All RHD UK cars:
 
1. 1981 White 1.2 TL perfect 28k miles
2. 1981 Blue 1.2 TL dry stored for decades but the cleanest shell I have ever seen, except the door bottoms that have gone. 26k miles
3. 1982 1.4 TS White with red interior, goosed I think
4. 1983 1.4 TS Burgundy Regency (Sunroof) with Tan interior, rust free but someone else's mothballed restoration, requires putting back to work and a full respray

In the UK, cars of which only one example is known - Dacia Denem, UK-market ARO 24, UK-market Moskvich 434 van (more, including pick-ups, may have been resent to Russia), Sao Penza, Portaro Pampas (though "example" is pushing it - it's a pile of rust in Scotland), UK-spec Opel Rekord van, Dacia Shifter dropside
 
Fairthorpe Atom Major is on two, as is the Fairthorpe Atomota and the Tudor. Yugo Sanas are seriously endangered. The original Moskviches are also all very, very rare, particularly the commercial versions. Wartburgs marginally thicker on the ground. Early Zastavas? The first Daewoos must be getting there.
 
Are original UK Polski-Fiats extinct (Not FSO - the first ones, before they changed the badging)? Fairhtorpe Atom is, as is (I think) the Lonsdale. 
 
A very niche one: UK-spec European cars from the 30s to the 70s. Was at a house the other day with an UK-market DKW from 1937, which must be extremely rare, and was shocked to see an original NI Opel Admiral the other year. 
 
My Saab 90 is common as muck by comparison - 11 others on the road, plus about twice as many Sorned and probably a few more in barns. Can't be many used as day to day cars, though.
 
Happy to be proven wrong with tales of other survivors!

Interesting Volvo advert from 1984.
 

 

 
It also brought to mind ShiteKnightFOAD's 1977 Anniversary Special which laughs in the face of time.
The expected 16 years + another 16 years + a further 9 years, so far . . .

Super work! Whats cooler than a Solara with raised digit number plates and a black vinyl roof? Nothing on earth!

Hi everyone,
 
Following on from my introductory post, I have just bought this Talbot Solara. 
 

 
It arrived with a plastic sheet over the passenger side front window as I was told it would not go all the way up by the previous owner. The driver side controls for the passenger window however seemed to work, albeit only slowly so I gave it a hand whilst pushing the switch and I was able to get the window fully up. The controls on the PS do not seem to work so I will have to look into this at some point, I just wanted to make sure it was watertight for now with winter coming. 
 
More importantly, as this is now to be my only car to get me to work and back, I have to try and sort out this fuel related running issue it has. It will run fine from cold, however once fully warmed (a few miles into driving) it will hesitate and splutter, particularly at low revs whilst using little throttle. As you come to a stop the revs sometimes drop off, going below idle and then it'll want to cut out, not good! Interestingly, if let to cut out, it then starts right back up and runs fine.
 
So far, I've tried soaking the idle jets in the carb with cleaner overnight (as mentioned in the previous thread during Squire_Dawson's ownership) and refitting to see if that made any difference however it soon after returned. As far as I'm aware, it has a new carb which was also recently adjusted so it may not be this. I'm thinking there is already dirt/sediment in the system which could be disturbing the flow. 
 
Today, I took off the fuel pump to see what it looked like inside - sitting on top of the filter, there was little bits of rusty sediment, which might have been enough to be causing this issue? I cleaned this up, refitted, and also put on an inline fuel filter between the pump and the carb to see if this made any difference and so I could see if anything gets collected on it's way to the carb.
 
Took it for a decently long drive afterwards to see if this worked and it didn't splutter/cut out at all which I'm happy with! It remains to be seen whether it stays like this though as it didn't used to do it on every drive so we'll see..
 
Overall, I'm enjoying driving her, the seats are comfy, it has a sprightly engine, and although a bit anti social, I like the noise it makes with the sporty backbox which was put on before I got it.
 
Here are some pictures of her:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!
 
I’m very pleased to report that S525 OVP has been fully restored back to original specification and was on display at the 75 Owners Club at the NEC Classic Car Show this year. I even had a little sit in it and it was a lovely little thing indeed.
 

 

 

I bloody loved the Mk IV. I fell in love with an absolute heap abandoned down a sidestreet on my walk to school, at the age of 11. UKS249T; Jupiter Red with a tattered black vinyl roof. Despite being more holes than car, I schemed and schemed about how I could possibly make it mine.
Then, one day, it was gone. Just like that.
There were a handful of other MkIVs kicking around locally in the early 90s, but one by one they all vanished from the streets of Bangor and ended up in a three-car stack in Bobby Shaw's yard. By the time I was close enough to the magic 17th birthday for my whining to succeed, there were no MkIVs about and I had to settle for a beat-to-shit MkV/Cortina 80. But the MkIV looked so much better with the slim chrome bumpers and delicate rear lights, I reckoned.
I'd still have a hankering for a proper MkIV even now, despite the fact I've owned a few MkVs and they've all just disintegrated on me.
Maybe I'm better off with my 1/43 Vanguards version - at least it won't crumble away...

Hello All, been a while sorry, nothing personal.
 
I still have the 75 and have been meaning for a while to come on and update. Its still going well, drives lovely and been totally reliable for the 3+ years I have had it.  Recently had an MOT which sadly it failed this year to the tune of £479.74, hey ho.  I cannot really complain as the last couple of tests have been no problem. 
 
Sills required some welding, rear exhaust finally had to come off as it has been held up with some rope and what looked like an old drive belt for years now but the MOT man finally took a frown to this, plus new brake pipes, brake pads, front drop link, a tyre, and a slight oil leak (now a failure).  The garage I always use in Southend did a marvelous job, it sounds a lot perkier with the new rear exhaust too.
 
The Rover is going into British Legends in two weeks for a coolant system flush, the heater matrix unblocked and new OAT coolant before the winter kicks in.
 
A couple of pics from earlier this year
 
My Rover 75 by steve wilson, on Flickr
 
Rover 75 V6 by steve wilson, on Flickr

Although new road legal number plates made must contain the BS number and the plate makers name and postcode, MOT inspectors are NOT required to check that any of these are present so they can't fail a vehicle for not having them.
 
This is taken from the latest MOT manual (from 20/5/18)
 
The inspection doesn’t include:
the suppliers name outside of the minimum margin around the registration number postcode outside of the minimum margin around the registration number BS number outside of the minimum margin around the registration number logos or emblems outside of the minimum margin around the registration number  
Another interesting line from the manual:
 
Vehicles registered before 1 September 2001 can have larger plates fitted with characters 89mm high and other relevant dimensions that are subsequently larger.
 
and even more interesting:
 
Registration plate characters:
must be laid out in the correct format for the age of vehicle  
So technically that means that pre 2001 cars should be displaying 'Old Charles Wright Font' and not 'New Charles Wright Font' as the format is different using 'New Charles Wright Font' as the sequence starts further in to both the left and the right.
 
So the law contradicts itself by stating that new number plates fitted to pre 2001 vehicles must use the 'New Charles Wright Font' but to pass an MOT they must display plates that use the 'Old Charles Wright Font' which you cannot buy because it's illegal to make them.