mercrocker

Van is probably a Morrison Electricar.

Absolutely fantastic, Trigger, thanks for posting.....  

Rolls-Royce CD1 was the Mayoral car for Brighton, ABC1 was the one for Leicester. 

for me though it is all the background stuff that wins!

I know its wrong but I do love a Farina on rossies.....

It's just telling you that you have the wrong jeans on.

I think a common perception amongst some on here is that greatness has never been achieved, things have never been completed and that life is basically a good bit shittier than it could be.    I don't think those feelings are unique or common to only a few - it is just that many other people bullshit and overplay their own lives and make it seem as if we are "missing out".    Some clever fella once wrote to the effect that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation".    We only make sense of it all when its nearly over......  

 It just seems ironic that those on here who appear the most self-deprecating actually have many of the most interesting things to say.    Chin up, fellas......

Holy thread revival time.  

A belated May Day rearward glimpse.....

Fine choice of motors there.....

Bit of a fleet update......Not much happening so there aren't any juicy tales of newly found rust - least not until I get the toffee hammer out again.

Just taxed the Minor for the first time without an MOT.    Did about 1000 miles since the last one which is quite shameful wastage.   Will get it tested some time over the summer but enjoying it for commuting at the moment.    This means the Fezzer is currently up the barn doing nothing and would be for sale if it wasn't so warmly re-assuring having a spare motor.     

T25 is providing excellent sleeping facilities at various rock and roll clubs around the country and has just done a 500 mile run up and around the Peak District - it will be my mobile tea-room at work this weekend which means I don't have to listen to twattish conversations in the mess room Saturday and Sunday.    

Cowley is doing the occasional work run but mainly being kept for longer journeys but did provide a great talking point outside the theatre last week where we saw Marty Wilde.    

I would mention the 190E but I honestly haven't set foot in it for a month, I noticed it needed a clean the other day but if Mrs Rocker ever parks it for long enough...... 

Nothing new to report otherwise.    Oh, there is a development - after 15 years of ownership the self-cancelling on the Minor has suddenly decided to start working but only on left-turns.   Its confusing the hell out of me - not least because I have been using the left flashers as reversing lamps in the car port for over a decade and they now switch off just as I start lining up!

Excellent write-up, BFG, and one that leaves me waiting for the next instalments.....Got fond memories of four pot TRs from my school years, a fella up the road from me was into them and restored quite a few.    You should be able to get the interior right for you - they are actually quite roomy although lack the elbow-room of the 2/3 with their cutaway doors.   Shouldn't think the rollbar will help you there, though.....

Two note-worthy but sadly un-captured spots today on the M27......Tailed by a saffron Bond Equipe 2 litre convertible before he took a junction exit.     On the Portsmouth slip road - Citroen DS towing a trailer with an S4 Elan hardtop on it.    

The sucked-Werthers hue of that AMI Break takes nothing away from it's awesome-ness.   Lovely!

The thought of driving stuff like this around in the 1970s reminds me how antiquated my fleet must look to modern eyes today....

1915 Morris Cowley.   I have chosen a Cowley to illustrate the 40+ year lifespan of the model name.   However, in these years the Cowley was actually a dearer version of the Oxford rather than the other way around (that change happened in 1920).   This year's model came with an American Continental engine.

Er, another Morris Cowley - this time a 1923 model.   Comparatively little change in a decade, considering the rapid development of cars generally in the pre-and-post Great War years.   There was no Morris Minor until 1929 so I cannot accurately cast my net back  to reflect my present day '63 Minor 1000.     By 1923 the Cowley had become the cheaper of the two Morris models and this one would have used the licence-built Hotchkiss engine. 

On to the Mercedes, now.   Direct equivalent to my 190E would have been the W136 170V model which represented the sole model with the three pointed star until the Ponton range appeared.   Like many 1950 cars it was a post-war warm-over.    

My 1987 T25 would have had no direct comparison in 1947, the original "Bulli" was no more than a scribble in Dutch importer Ben Pon's notepad.   My previous camper was a converted Bedford CF ambulance so 1979 would probably have seen me fitting some Army Surplus camping gear into the back of this.....

1947 Bedford KZ 

Of course, I would have needed a modern car to offer all the creature comforts my 2000 Fiesta Ghia has.   There was no Anglia Super in 1960 so I would need to be satisfied with the heater and screen-washer in a de Luxe Anglia.    By 1979 it would have probably looked like this.....

I would have been extremely happy with that lot back in 1979.   In reality, I was smoking this lot around...Or not, usually...

A fucked Mini

Company Renner van 

Suzuki T200 Invader 

Ah...clarifies the grille difference nicely, thanks Ed....I had forgotten about the Omni but have a brochure on the Plymouth so that was the one that sprung to mind.

That yellow Monz-alike is actually,  I think, meant to represent a 1983 Plymouth Turismo.   Dunno who the diecast-er is, though.

Plus one on the new format from me too.   I've had a long, hard day and used to unwind a bit on here, now it seems to be having an opposite effect.    I have to squint at my posts, the pictures seem to go where they like and frankly there isn't the interaction there used to be.    Might just find summat else to do for a bit.

If those little hardback Motor Car books are still about - and cheap - they are worth picking up for the great illustrations of often unusual vehicles.   Early "partworks" they were issued both for sale through book sellers but also printed up for Spar groceries and Sunday Times etc to sell.   They date to around the 1959/61 period.    I have a full set somewhere but didn't find them last time I looked....!

On 5/6/2019 at 1:30 PM, TheDoctor said:

I'm not as good as some at 'restorations', but here's one I've just finished. A Husky VW pickup in some weird scale - maybe 00?

As I got it. Rear suspension was snapped. I did consider breaking the front too, as that is 'scene' for VWs, but thought better of it. 

 

Instead I created a new rear axle carrier out of pieces of Lego. 

 

Here is the completed truck. Not too bad for freehand brush work if I do say so myself. 

That looks great and totally hides its origins.....If you ever find a complete, nice one of these elevator or tower versions they go for stupid money now.   Think the last one I saw at a toy fair (unpackaged) was about £35.   Husky scaled up some of their range later on but I think these work out around 1/64 scale.

Fullbore Mark 10 _ A promotional picture from 1997. I can't … _ Flickr.htmlFullbore Mark 10 _ A promotional picture from 1997. I can't … _ Flickr.html

The short-lived Fullbore Mark Ten had chrome hubcaps when it made its brief 1997 appearance....

No problems on this here forum judging by the quality of the last few spotting posts.....

I could see the pics..... 

What I didn't see was any of those interesting Japs as I passed Towcester round chucking out time today.  I did, however, get continually overtaken on the A43/A34 by various fart-cannoned Imprezas, MX5s and the like, many with comical camber.      

Just another thing worth checking on these......There is a parking light switch (on the left hand bank of switches - it should be a toggle switch nearest the steering column.    Not only does this switch off nearside sidelights (when the side light switch is ON) it also helpfully cuts current to the starter solenoid.    Wonder if its gone open-circuit - mine did.     I am also of the opinion that replacement of all the usual culprits in one go could have introduced another problem - new gear is poor quality compared to what it was in the 60s/70s.    In my experience of Accuspark and the like they never fail intermittently, only in one go.   Last time my Minor broke down the AA bloke was adamant it was the electronic ignition, I was not having it because it ran intermittently before stopping completely.   He persevered and found a loose connection (one of mine!)  in the LT circuit - worth checking all through here as well.....  Good luck, nothing worse than having a dream motor giving you grief!

Good work, everybody involved.....I am sure I will find the heated rear window switch and get used to the pedal position very soon.

Lovely!.   I think the Farinas suit the Borg Warner very well and that history makes it a very special car.   These really did offer the working man a taste of motoring several notches above Victor, Cortina or Minx levels for about the same money.   A good one is still a real pleasure to drive.

Full on stuff, there, Mally - great read.

True story about one of those Scarabs.....A teddy boy mate of mine had been round my house one afternoon.   A few weeks later at a "do" he pressed something into my drape pocket.   "You collect those little trucks doncha..." he said.  Nodding, I bought him a bottle of Newcastle and fished the thing out when I got home and inside the crumpled up bit of paper there was a mint Lesney Scarab!