Working in the Automotive Industry in the 1980's

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

In 1985 I was working at an Austin Rover dealer in Kings Lynn. Myself and another guy spent at least 75% of our time processing warranty claims - that's right, 2 people, small Norfolk town, yet that much warranty work. Metros were no trouble, but Montegos... I can recall the chassis prefix for a 1.6L even now. Top of the shit tree was the Range Rover though, often needing several days of PDI rectification.

 

Moved to Citroen in '87, spent maybe 10 minutes a month doing warranty claims!

I worked at Nias in Newbury whose bodyshop was bang next to the workshop. It was nicknamed Montego Bay due the never ending stream of malfunctioning Montenogos and Maelstroms. Sic cylinder Rovers were a regular casualty and I got very pally with the techs. They used to bin the oil restrictor valve between head and block and after that the 2300-2600 would be no bother at all. Most reliable car was the 1300 Ital, Ambassador and 213 Rovers, biggest nightmare was the S Series Maestrontego - fucking rubbish.

[oldford]

That's right, GD Contract Hire was actually in a blue and white building next door called Tryford House.  Then it moved over the road to a newer glass building around the early nineties I think.  All swallowed up by a bigger comapany now, Lex?

I always remember having to phone up to get order numbers when we had to issue replacement vehicles, what was the phone number? 01 9505050 or something like that.  We had a regular customer of yours that had from you a base model Sierra 1.3 estate.

[meggersdog]

I worked at the village garage as a Saturday boy whilst at school.Did a City and Guilds course at Peterborough tech when I left school.This was a full time course but after a year I went day release as the village garage owner gave me a job.The boss taught me a bit but didn't really have the time so unfortunately it was down to a fresh out of main dealer apprenticeship mechanic to teach me.He spent all his time either smoking Rothmans whilst sitting on the gas fire or eating chocolate and barking orders at me.He got the sack a couple of years later and I failed my final exam,oh well.

I stayed until 1991 and with it being a village garage the newest cars we worked on were three years old.Gas welding a pair of sills to a three year old Horizon as it had failed it's first MOT on rot was memorable .Cars only went on the SUN machine to check the dwell angle then timing.Most of my time was spent either fixing garden machinery,brazing farmers exhausts or fitting axle void bushes to Cortinas.

I then worked on HGV's for a couple of years before building narrowboats.Started out  fitting engines on a self employed basis but with a change of employment law I went on the books.When the Nene flooded a serveral years ago the boatyard owner left dingeys at the top of the lane so we could get in to work.

[carlo]

I always remember having to phone up to get order numbers when we had to issue replacement vehicles, what was the phone number? 01 9505050 or something like that.  We had a regular customer of yours that had from you a base model Sierra 1.3 estate.

 

I think that may have been your number, we were 01 950 0950, from memory.  Yes I remember now sorting replacement cars out with you next door, occasionally used to visit the grand old house.  I remember my first day at GDCH having lunch in the canteen there.

 

Did they knock the old house down or something at some stage?

[Junkman]

He has always been one to call a cunt a cunt.  

 

He's feckin Oirish after oll, loike.

[Guest Breadvan72]

He is still a Jackeen, after well over fifty years in England.

[Junkman]

I'd love to get back into an automotive company and occasionally I send my CV off, but they pay is often shit and with a family I can't afford to indulge myself with a low paid job.

Hmmm...

Looking at the current cars I assumed the design work has been outsourced to some SEMs working from their homes in Bangalore.

[londonm]

I was an undergraduate from 1981 to 1984, and in 1984 my dad (ex Lucas, ex Rootes-Chrysler, and by then in BL) was posted to run a Unipart exhaust factory in my university town, which was about fifty miles from our home in Solihull.   He has many tales of 70s and 80s BL, knew Red Robbo, and got to know Michael Edwardes quite well. My dad and I shared many a beer and curry night while he was living in a Travelodge on the ring road and I was stressing about my exams.    He had a brown company Princess at the time.

 

He knew Red Robbo and didn't take the opportunity to poison him and save the British motor industry?

[Cavcraft]

Nowhere near as exciting as anyone else on this thread but I had a couple of years working as a specialist (vulcanising) tyre repairer then progressed* to being a commercial tyre fitter for a national outfit. I then spent 8 years trying to rent, lease and sell degreasing machines into dealerships, garages, factories etc.

[HMC]

Great thread, fascinating reading everyone's reminisces

[mercrocker]

Yes, most enjoyable and interesting thread of anything I have read anywhere on the Interweb, ever, I think.   No motor industry tales from me I am afraid, I decided long ago to confine work and pleasure to two opposite sides of the brain.   I did a brief stint as pump jockey in an Opel dealership during Ascona B/Commodore B period which was enlivened by the quality of automotive clientele on the forecourt during the late 1970s.   The people who drove them were less fun, however....

[Guest Breadvan72]

He knew Red Robbo and didn't take the opportunity to poison him and save the British motor industry?

 

 

That would have required my dad to poison Lord Stokes.

[Bren]

After leaving school I worked for a company that made the jigs and tooling for use when cars were going down the production line.

 

We supplied stuff to Ford, and from 1995 onwards Jaguar. I remember getting an XK8 shell to work on well before it went on sale, it looked absoloutely amazing compared to the XJ-S. Trips to Halewood, Dagenham, Sothampton and Castle Bromwich were regular occurrences.

 

I never enjoyed going to C.B because the environment was not good - all the engineers wore the expression of  men who could'nt remember if they'd turned the gas off before leaving the house - it was as if they were worried they could be sacked at any moment. I was told that the management were quite ruthless.

 

I left it behind long ago, now I only weld ropey old cars as a hobby.

[plasticvandan]

My grandfather might be able to win the autoshite car industry award amongst many engineering type jobs,he spent 10 years in the 1960s working for an invalid carriage (invacar etc) repairers in Worcester,involving driving a yellow bedford HA van with a towing dolly used to recover broken down invacars (he broke his neck in this eventually which is when he left) he also had to teach new clients how to drive them,while being sat on the floor of the things,often ending up in hedges etc. He then worked at longbridge,and became Quality Inspector...on the Allegro line!!!

[Lord Sterling]

Wow, there are some seriously great stories here. I'm in awe at the experiences many of you had. Leaving one job and almost walking into another seemingly. I would have loved to have worked at Longbridge in its heyday and even when Rover was there, but when I moved to Birmingham in 2001, I was too wet behind the ears to know how to get a job. It wasn't until 2007 I started working properly. Although I'm out of work now, I reckon I've got as much chance of working at Longbridge these days as I do finding a well-paid, permanent job. Since 2007, I've been working for bloody agencies and applying for jobs at the same time never getting anywhere,

 

The last place I worked at, my boss told me about the time he went to work at Longbridge working on the SD1 line, the Allegro line and finally the Metro line until he got bored and walked out one day into another job.

 

I've been around cars for quite a while but never really worked in the motor industry. However, my first work experience in 1998 saw me working at independent outfit helping with MOTs and generally not doing that much, I then got a Saturday job there until I left school in 1999. Since around 2007, I have worked for automotive factories like making seat bases for Land Rovers on robot welding machines and then at a place that made Truck mirrors plus various other small places that made various parts for cars. Recently I'd worked at a place that supplied metal sheeting to JLR.

 

I've also worked on and off at my mates garage helping out with MOTs, moving cars around, chasing parts suppliers and dealing with (often) mouth breathing customers. I no longer officially work there anymore but I do find myself still moving cars around and generally helping out.

 

My uncle, Uncle_Sterling (younger brother of Fatha_Sterling) worked at various car dealerships in Belgium starting out at Chrysler/Jeep GTM where he stayed for quite a few years, then moving onto other dealerships like BMW and Maserati. He no longer works in the industry.

 

Fatha_Sterling has also worked briefly in the auto industry, he worked for a small spell at a shitey Brussels Chrysler dealership which has since long closed down. He bought, sold and transported cars (I'll make a thread about this at some point, when I can see the point) he also worked for a brief spell at a car rental firm owned by a fellow Syrian mate of his.

[Barry Cade]

I missed the 80's as I said before, but I suppose shite gets a year older every year, so starting out in the early 90's still qualifies for some here.

 

1991 to be exact I left school straight into a job as an apprentice Horticultural mechanic, firstly reconning engines on Suffolk Punches, then doing the whole job, including respraying them in their original green. I liked this so much I took a big pay cut and moved on to be an apprentice panel beater in a bodyshop/truck workshop/LDV dealer. Had a falling out with them because I was getting sent to the MOTEC, and as I had my wee Suzuki SC100 at the time, I was commuting the 60 odd miles a day..which wasn't allowed. I refused to "live in" so the job went, so onwards to AFG Nissan, where I spent my days fitting sunroofs,stripes,mudflaps and mats to Bluebirds,K10 Micras and Sunny's. We all know what happened to AFG so moved on to the local Vauxhall dealer, where I got my hands on such delights as Carlton GSi3000's Monza's and Mk2 Cavalier SRi's. These were my car of choice for a good while and I'd snap up all the trade ins that were coming in when the Mk3 was launched.

 

Left there because of a woman, who has now been my wife for 19 years, and got a job prepping and painting buses on nightshift, which was brilliant, but little ones came along and it didn't really work. Then moved up to the Highlands and scored a job in the local Rover/Kia/Rocsta dealership and really fell for anything ARG in a big way, but the place closed down so had a while in a general garage where I was put on the rota for breakdown work,which I really liked. Got fed up here so moved to work in the local FSO dealers, which was the top selling dealership in the ENTIRE UK for a while- I made all the Osprey and Pheonix special edition Caro's which had aftermarket wood trim, electric windows,central locking and electric sunroofs. I still have enough scotchlocks to last me for the rest of my life. I got a Caro gearbox change down to just less than 20 minutes....

 

After that on to Ford, where Mondeo's and Escorts kept me busy, and became an MOT tester which was a bit of a change from setting out to be a panel beater and painter. Never been out of work, so the motor trade has been pretty good to me- never been rich but security is a bit more important to me. Worked on everything from Yugo's to Lamborghini's and it's still my all encompassing hobby and I still love cars... even though I grumble about them.

[HMC]

^ that's quite a claim to autoshite fame, attaching wood trim to a special edition FSO!!

[New POD]

Anyone?

I worked for Lucas Automotive between 1987 and 1997. Worked on Rover R8 switchgear plus many others. Many tales to tell! Has anyone else any memories of the 'happy years'?

You'll HATE me then. I worked for Lucas Engineering and Systems from 89 to 94 and was one of Parnaby's cannon fodder who got involved in what is now called 'LEAN'. Then for Lucas Control Systems in Keighley working on the introduction of a solenoid product with Lucas Electronics at Mere Green, and Lucas diesel in Blois (France) and then at Lucas Automotive in Burnley on the Clio Column Switch before moving to Garrett in Skem making Turbo's.

[twosmoke300]

Like tiff I started my automotive career in the 90's . When I was at college I was offered a job at the commercial dept of the big Ford dealership. We were the main garage for all the phh lease vans in the area so did a lot more than just Ford's. Got dam good on smiley transits tho. Got cambelts and clutches down to 25mins each.

More money beckoned so I went to work at a Honda dealer. Got bored after 5 years and went to work at a back street garage for 2 years as the only mot tester .

Got asked / begged to go back to Honda but after 2 years got bored again and went to be an agricultural engineer.

After 4 years of mud and angle grinders I decided to open my own garage. Coming towards the end of my first year and don't regret a thing.

[Hendry]

I missed the 80's as I said before, but I suppose shite gets a year older every year, so starting out in the early 90's still qualifies for some here.

 

1991 to be exact I left school straight into a job as an apprentice Horticultural mechanic, firstly reconning engines on Suffolk Punches, then doing the whole job, including respraying them in their original green. I liked this so much I took a big pay cut and moved on to be an apprentice panel beater in a bodyshop/truck workshop/LDV dealer. Had a falling out with them because I was getting sent to the MOTEC, and as I had my wee Suzuki SC100 at the time, I was commuting the 60 odd miles a day..which wasn't allowed. I refused to "live in" so the job went, so onwards to AFG Nissan, where I spent my days fitting sunroofs,stripes,mudflaps and mats to Bluebirds,K10 Micras and Sunny's. We all know what happened to AFG so moved on to the local Vauxhall dealer, where I got my hands on such delights as Carlton GSi3000's Monza's and Mk2 Cavalier SRi's. These were my car of choice for a good while and I'd snap up all the trade ins that were coming in when the Mk3 was launched.

 

Left there because of a woman, who has now been my wife for 19 years, and got a job prepping and painting buses on nightshift, which was brilliant, but little ones came along and it didn't really work. Then moved up to the Highlands and scored a job in the local Rover/Kia/Rocsta dealership and really fell for anything ARG in a big way, but the place closed down so had a while in a general garage where I was put on the rota for breakdown work,which I really liked. Got fed up here so moved to work in the local FSO dealers, which was the top selling dealership in the ENTIRE UK for a while- I made all the Osprey and Pheonix special edition Caro's which had aftermarket wood trim, electric windows,central locking and electric sunroofs. I still have enough scotchlocks to last me for the rest of my life. I got a Caro gearbox change down to just less than 20 minutes....

 

After that on to Ford, where Mondeo's and Escorts kept me busy, and became an MOT tester which was a bit of a change from setting out to be a panel beater and painter. Never been out of work, so the motor trade has been pretty good to me- never been rich but security is a bit more important to me. Worked on everything from Yugo's to Lamborghini's and it's still my all encompassing hobby and I still love cars... even though I grumble about them.

Which dealers did you work for mate? Love stories about old Scottish dealers.

 

My motor trade experiences were all with Arnold Shark and all in the 00s so don't really count here, but what got me interested in cars was my mums cousins (about 5 of them who were all brothers) ran a garage under what looked like an old railway arches, back when mechanics got filthy with oil and grease and actually fixed cars rather than were fitters and I remember my dad taking his Maestro and mk3 Orion there to get fixed and getting all manner of shite "courtesy" cars like a beige Lada Riva and a beige Sierra estate. Sadly due in part to their garage being a cash in hand type operation, them being tradesmen rather than businessmen and a dwindling customer base they had to close and went to work for the council/became bin men and the garage has been a launderette/gym/tyre fitters and another garage since.

[Barry Cade]

 

"Which dealers did you work for mate? Love stories about old Scottish dealers."

 

 

McRae and Dick Dingwall- Rover/Kia/Rocsta- gone

Riverside Motors Alness-FSO-gone

AFG Nissan Kirkcaldy-Nissan-gone

Drummond Motor Co Kirkcaldy-LDV-still around but moved

Reekie Cupar-Vauxhall/Subaru/Massey Ferguson-gone

Victoria Garage Invergordon-Ford-gone

 

 

[Junkman]

Fatha_Sterling has also worked briefly in the auto industry, he worked for a small spell at a shitey Brussels Chrysler dealership which has since long closed down.

Chrysler - Jeep - Dodge Drogenbos.

 

he also worked for a brief spell at a car rental firm owned by a fellow Syrian mate of his.

He had his office at the Gare du Midi. I think his name is Abid or sum such.

[Hendry]

"Which dealers did you work for mate? Love stories about old Scottish dealers."

 

McRae and Dick Dingwall- Rover/Kia/Rocsta- gone

Riverside Motors Alness-FSO-gone

AFG Nissan Kirkcaldy-Nissan-gone

Drummond Motor Co Kirkcaldy-LDV-still around but moved

Reekie Cupar-Vauxhall/Subaru/Massey Ferguson-gone

Victoria Garage Invergordon-Ford-gone

 

I've heard of all but the FSO dealership, although the Dingwall Macrae and Dick is gone they are still pretty big up north are they not? Mainly Ford I think but remember hearing they recently opened Honda and Toyota branches. Did Reekie also have a branch in Forres? Then later a Hyundai dealership in Stirling?

 

I remember Drummond LDV well and everybody knows AFG but I'm racking my brain trying to remember where in Kirkcaldy it was based, I keep thinking St Clair street but then I'm thinking that's where the Renault dealers John Grubb (and later Glenvarigill were)

[Mr_Bo11ox]

You'll HATE me then. I worked for Lucas Engineering and Systems from 89 to 94 and was one of Parnaby's cannon fodder who got involved in what is now called 'LEAN'. Then for Lucas Control Systems in Keighley working on the introduction of a solenoid product with Lucas Electronics at Mere Green, and Lucas diesel in Blois (France) and then at Lucas Automotive in Burnley on the Clio Column Switch before moving to Garrett in Skem making Turbo's.

 

I worked at Garrett Skem!!!! 2000-2003

[keef]

Youse are all old- in the 80's I was still painting Dinky's with Humbrol.

I believe many on here still do that.

 

I've worked at BL, Peugeot and Fiat dealers, but I'm too senile to remember the dates.

[Geep]

Further to my earlier post, in 77 the recovery land rover was a series one with a harvey frost crane on the back. The trailer was a later addition for general duties. The crane was complete with chains and some old tyres in the back of the land rover for use between bumper and hitch. We used this for Police calls and general recovery for a good few years. Being the apprentice, it was my job to wind the ridiculously low geared crane until shouts of 'stop' were heard then lowering it and repositioning the tyres before winding it up again.

 

One particularly time consuming recovery was a breakdown late evening in rush hour traffic to a car stranded on the motorway flyover. Can't remember what it was now but was left locked up and we had to lift the front and bring back. No keys but no problem as front wheels would be off ground. It was a busy night of wind and rain when we found it and then realised we couldn't get in it to get the handbrake off. We got it hitched up, lifted it up to get a bit of room to crawl under and cut the handbrake cable. My fitter cut the cable and car lurched forward due to being lifted at front. He crapped himself and I just panicked as it moved suddenly with him under it!. No injuries luckily enough and several minutes in the cab with a fag had our heart rates back to normal.

 

We also had to go and get an old MK4 Zodiac from a big house not too far away for recommissioning. This was a car belonging to a convict who was coming out of nick and wanted his car ready for him. The house was a big Police house which had large grounds with cars and vans in it. I guess it was used for storage and office work in the house and the grounds used to impound various cars of interest. This thing hadn't run for years and the idea was a bit mad but it was what the chap asked for. The chap had been inside for armed robbery so no-one was questioning it too much and there was no fighting for that job amongst anyone either! We got it back and had a look over it but it was not really viable cost wise to recommission. It was metallic purple with finger print dust all over the windows so it was cleaned up in the sales valet dept and we got it running. It was left to the receptionist and manager to show him the car and decide if he drove it away or not. It was gone next day and the chap was reported to be meek and polite. Maybe he was in for white collar crime really!

 

After the Ford transfer, we upgraded to a custom flat bed on a brand new A series six cylinder diesel chassis cab. Then we became a bit more professional with a couple of main drivers, training, lights, the whole nine yards. The main reason for this change was the old trailer overtaking the Land Rover on a dual carriageway somewhere with car strapped on it. The ball hitch had pulled out of the trailer and all hell broke loose. It was threaded in to the alloy frame of the alloy four wheeled trailer and being loose for some time had eventually pulled out.  That again was a lucky escape as it just sailed past on the nearside and the driver said he managed to push it in to the verge. Hence the new vehicle, training and designated drivers only. It was easier then but not sure it was more fun than using your wits and lady luck to get things moved.

[New POD]

I worked at Garrett Skem!!!! 2000-2003

I was there from 98 to 00. Was very involved in buying the Variable Nozzle assembly lines from Italy.

[twosmoke300]

I would love an old series 2a or 3 landy with a Harvey frost crane for my garage . Not to use in anger but just as a display/promo machine.

[Barry Cade]

I've heard of all but the FSO dealership, although the Dingwall Macrae and Dick is gone they are still pretty big up north are they not? Mainly Ford I think but remember hearing they recently opened Honda and Toyota branches. Did Reekie also have a branch in Forres? Then later a Hyundai dealership in Stirling?

 

I remember Drummond LDV well and everybody knows AFG but I'm racking my brain trying to remember where in Kirkcaldy it was based, I keep thinking St Clair street but then I'm thinking that's where the Renault dealers John Grubb (and later Glenvarigill were)

McRae and Dick are still fairly big- still have Land Rover up in Inverness. Victoria garage are still on the go too- branch in Brora. Reekie is also still going in Stirling, not sure about Forres though. AFG Nissan was the first garage on Dunniker way even before Asda, turned into Arnold Clark Honda, now Kia.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I forgot one! Had a summer job in 1983 at Peach's Garage in Upper Bucklebury when it was a Lada dealer. The Riva had just come out but I preferred the purity of the 1200/1300. The forecourt was run by a small mad bloke with a Reliant Regal an I got the bullet after 6 weeks.no idea why, I worked bloody hard. Oh well.

 

I think it's still going.....?