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Craigs Countrywide Cack Aug 2023. Madeira Island! Mile*-high chod spotting.


mk2_craig

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That's an early 90s ARO 10. They were sold as the Dacia Duster over here, mainly becasue we were already familiar with the Denem. At any rate, they shared a few parts. Quite a good concept for the year of launch, 1979 - great off-road too, just a shame about the build quality. France got them till at least '97.They were making the things till 2006, when the factory went belly up. Last versions had a nice new grille and the options of a five doors or a "Spartana" version with just gaps for the front doors and a windscreen which folded down. There was also a bigger ARO 24, some of which were sold with 4.0 Cossie engine... mmm.Weirdly, on the W German market dacias were briefly known as Aro Familia. When there was an aborted 1976 effrt to sell the ARO 24 (bigger brother) in the UK, the accompanying Tudor Vladimirescu van was sold as an ARO. This despte the factories of the Aro, Tudor Vladimirescu and Dacia being in completely different places. You can only imagine how corrupt and inefficient it must all have been...If somebody tells me how and where to put piccies up, I can show you some pretty sexy Romanian shite!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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And this is a very dead bus.

Aaaargh! It's a Boney's Bus!! Those things were legendary....allow me to explain:

 

Newnham Coaches have been running the school buses round here since prehistoric times, and I think the last time they bought a new bus the Stegosaurus was still roaming the earth. They were making jokes about how rattly and old the buses were in the mid 80s - they were still using them when I left school ten years later, so you can only imagine what they were like by then.

 

They were known as Boney's Buses as they all bore the name A.S. Bone and son, and one of them had the numberplate NOB 32N which was highly amusing at the time. Still is, actually.

 

It's quite sad to see this once mighty knight of the road, one that I've almost certainly travelled on, in such a sorry state - I assumed they'd go on forever. Whereabouts did you see this? (I know it was a year ago, but hopefully you'll remember!)

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Most of the exhibits in the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum are privately owned. The owners pay rent for the storage and use of the facilities, which must be where most of the income comes from. The entry price and tea stall are both ridiculously cheap.If you're in the area it's well worth a look. I like the atmosphere as much as the buses. The buildings and fittings are all as old as the buses.

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The dead double decker (and some of the other spots) was clocked at a famous bus museum north of Dunfermline. Don't think it was one of the restoration projects though! Where were Newnham's based?

Newnham are based in Hook in Hampshire - I'd be interested to know how it ended up at the opposite end of the country! A bit of Googling reveals the dead bus ended up donating parts to keep another bus going, so it still lives on to a degree......it's impossible to kill off a Boney Bus!Now if only I could find out what happened to the 'NOB' bus......
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The cannibalised bus pictured above is a Bristol VRT which seems to have started life on the Isle of Wight and a bit of Stella-fuelled Googling has come up with a few links for those interested

 

http://members.fortunecity.com/vectis_buses/zd_vrt9.htm

probably the one shown halfway down the page above

 

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http://davebalme.fotopic.net/p4734571.html

http://vernoncsmith.fotopic.net/p37555215.html

http://malcolmsbusphoto-uk.fotopic.net/p4716503.html

And in roadworthy condition

 

http://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/search/searchreg.asp

Typing NOB (!) into the search box brings up a large list of potential matches

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There used to be loads of them old Bristols (snigger) about up here, now sadly all gone.If you are ever in the area Dover Transport Museum is worth a look, got loads of buses - Leyland Nationals and the like as well as a good amount of cars and vans plus a lot of shipping memorabilia. That and its only a couple of quid to get in.

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  • 1 month later...

Been at the top of a mountain for the last week trying to break my legs. Austria was strangely shit for shite, disappointed that my mate didn't photograph what he said was an abandoned-looking white mk1 Espace up to its door handles in snow.

 

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Oldest thing I saw, save for a gently mouldering 1960s-ish Beetle down the side of a shed - cam battz had run out by then. This one was promoting a ski school, oh those fun-loving Austrians

 

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Nasty knock on the front left. Steel rims well in vogue here including on some very new and upmarket stuff... Probably "winter wheels" with studded snow tyres?

 

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Lancia Dedra, haven't seen one of these in DONKEYS.

 

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Late Sierra Sapphire, looked crunchy. Wouldn't normally bother but it stood out amongst all the spangly BM/Merc/Audi dullness

 

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Nice R19 with extra boot trim.

 

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Appallingly rotty Accent, must be as much salt on the roads as in Scotland.

 

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Two-tone bodykitted Vectra had a real council estate look about it

 

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These things were found next to a piste, Kassbohrer are more familiar in the UK as being the manufacturer of Setra coaches.

 

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Quite a few cars lying around bereft of number plates. In addition to this mildly crunched Corsa and grimy but recent-ish Punto I saw a 1990-ish Justy, 1990-ish Prelude and mk2 Golf. Can only assume they are out of tax and test or whatever the A-equivalent is.

 

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Interesting variations on a Skoda theme

 

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Fiat truck of some sort?

 

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Didn't know wtf this was so snapped it anyway, looks kinda like it might be a Hyundai though.

 

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We managed to bag ourselves a hotel opposite a fuggin cowshit factory so I'm checking out with this pic of the biggest pile-o-shite I've ever seen :lol:

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Fiat truck of some sort?

 

Yes it's the neu Fiat Strada......pickup. Fiat Palio based I think. Not quite the same as the Stradas we know & love is it! But considering the name was only known to us & the Yanks, they obviously felt safe to 'vulture' it for a new pickup that wouldn't be sold over here, only in markets where the Strada name was unfamiliar.
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That Hyundai is also available out here on special order. They call it an H1 Starex and it comes with a permanent 4WD system. Not many takers though. I considered one a while back, but the lure of the 3.5V6 lump in the Sedona (Carnival) won me over at the end of the day. The Grand Cherokee and Pajero satisfied those low ratio moments.

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Fiat truck of some sort?

 

Yes it's the neu Fiat Strada......pickup. Fiat Palio based I think. Not quite the same as the Stradas we know & love is it! But considering the name was only known to us & the Yanks, they obviously felt safe to 'vulture' it for a new pickup that wouldn't be sold over here, only in markets where the Strada name was unfamiliar.
Not many enthusiasts then.....

 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6696871147

 

Still, that's 1 more group & 2 more enthusiasts then I could find for the original & proper Strada hatchback! Nowt for Ritmo either :roll:

 

I thought I might strike it lucky seeing as Baz found appreciation groups for all of the cars he owns / likes! :wink:

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On the subject of buses- since they're mentioned earlier in this thread- who else weeps at the new Walker's Crisps ad, when the double decker is driven under the low bridge, hilariously ripping off most of the top deck? More bloody vandalism in the name of entertainment. :evil:

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  • 2 months later...

I've been up to Edinburgh again, I now keep a mountain bike there so as I can get around without borrowing my aunt's R-plate Charade, unless it's raining of course.

 

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How about a sad-looking Alfa 33 for starters.

 

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Skoda Estelle had a slightly laid-up look about it, mum's uncle had one of these the same age, bought it new. It rusted horrendously so he chopped it in for a G-reg Favorit which... rusted horrendously

 

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Bluebird estate, probably pretty rare now?

 

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Mk2 Ezz, nearly missed this one, only clocked it when getting back on my bike after photographing something else.

 

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Cortina and tarp

 

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Nice to see this old Merc saloon.

 

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And nice to see this also, saw an identical one earlyish on Sunday morning in Doncaster, going too quick for a photo tho.

 

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Drive-by shiteing 1... lordy!

 

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2... French-reg Delta

 

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3... Does anybody know what this is?

 

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Big old Merc van, bargain basement band bus most likely.

 

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Dyane which is very like one I used to see around before I moved away from Edinburgh 3 years ago, though that was registered YEM something and I think the roof stripes were red not green :lol:

 

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I felt strangely sorry for this poor Nova, the standard of welding on the sills made it look like somebody had given up caring.

 

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Locally-registered cars are very uncommon at this age and this must have been loved until relatively recently, looks less than cherished now though.

 

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Impressive to see this dog-rough Passat hanging on in there.

 

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Sweet, but what's that in the garage?

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I've worked in Edinburgh for 2 and a half years now and have only seen one of these recent spots (I think) :( Love the MK2 Scrote and Dyane!I sometimes see the Nova on Dalry road and if it is indeed the same one (cant be too many others the same now!) then its driven by an equally ancient old lady! Prob worth about twelvety thousand pounds to the Bazza Boyz though!

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I think the A60 was on ebay some months ago but was on the same road as it still is now so probably didn't sell. The old Mercedes sat in a garage in Milnathort for many years in a 'stripped for restoration' condition, so its good to see someone sorted it. It was a very solid car.The Sunbeam-Talbot is indeed just that. Whether its a 90 Mk2 I have no idea!Having lived in Edinburgh for 14 years I'm sure I'll have seen some of the other cars kicking about & more besides... I should really carry a camera with me... :oops:

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