Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - a Workshop Day Today

[Andyrew]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Are you coming back to the FoD at the weekend, maybe you could give it a try for me?

Vibrations the name of the game with these I think. I had a 110cc on before for a bit and it certainly wasn't the most refined of things. 

I'm certain the bed adds to the noise as it vibrates alot

 Agree with the seating position aswell. It's very upright. May be the bed could be repositioned back a few inches. 

[Andyrew]

14 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

So do I!

Does this mean what I think it does?

[Six-cylinder]

29 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

Does this mean what I think it does?

Not me, I want to make it clear I think they are an interesting part of social history but as a vehicle to drive about in there are hundreds of other cars I would rather have.

However this is Mrs6C choice and purchase and I have to live with it, just as she did not think my purchase a crashed Chinese scooter with parts from another make of scooter taped to it was a good idea!

[Eyersey1234]

Is the FOD gathering every year? Sadly I won't be able to attend this year but hopefully next. 

[Six-cylinder]

4 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Is the FOD gathering every year? Sadly I won't be able to attend this year but hopefully next. 

It is a bit random, it is our field so we can do as we please within reason. If Autoshiters are attending an event in the area we are happy to provide a camping field and this leads to other Autoshiters popping in and a social gathering.

The other thing we do is to have 2 or 3 separate tinkering days a year, work on/clean your own car in pleasant surrounding or for a change I have always got several projects on the go you can help out with.

Soon the hay will be cut and we will have the big 10 acre field to play in, this means you can get the large toys ours like JCB digger, tractor and dumpers. If you have a child you want to give a driving experience you can take them out in your own car round the field. Strictly no racing or high speed stuff.

Our worst enemy is the weather as we have little undercover and limited hard standing, but a great paddock.

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

or high speed stuff.

aww *takes invacar out of reverse*

[Six-cylinder]

Anybody wonder what happened to our Gamma!

It is back home and I drove it here 20 miles. It runs smoothly and the only small issue was it was difficult to hot restart after a 10 minute stop.

In previous posts I told a sad tale of a valve head breaking off so it has had the engine taken out. It has had a replacement head and both camshafts with their rockers, all easy to say but hats off to these guys who did it for me, they are fantastic to take on such an unusual problem child.

I should also say I am very grateful to the Lancia Gamma Consortium for sourcing the parts for me.

 

[Slowsilver]

37 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

aww *takes invacar out of reverse*

Being able to go at the same speed backwards as forwards is a scary concept for a road vehicle, especially something as inherently stable" as an Invacar.
Invacars are scary enough going forwards (ask me how I know).
Still if it was to fall over at least the field is softer than tarmac.
 

[wuvvum]

9 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Are you coming back to the FoD at the weekend, maybe you could give it a try for me?

Yep - think I'd quite enjoy taking it for a spin to see what's what.

[wuvvum]

18 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

You're not far away from me are you?  Sure we could convoy if it would be helpful.

I would pay good money to see a broken down Regal being towed onto the FoD by an Invacar.

[Andyrew]

3 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Not me, I want to make it clear I think they are an interesting part of social history but as a vehicle to drive about in there are hundreds of other cars I would rather have.

However this is Mrs6C choice and purchase and I have to live with it, just as she did not think my purchase a crashed Chinese scooter with parts from another make of scooter taped to it was a good idea!

Ohhh i see, this old chestnut.

"it's not mine it's my wifes" 

 

[Mrs6C]

43 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I would pay good money to see a broken down Regal being towed onto the FoD by an Invacar.

Had you been around earlier this week, you would have seen an Invacar being towed onto the FoD backwards by a Maxi...

@quicksilver to illustrate!

[quicksilver]

So now Mrs6C has identified herself I can reveal I was back in the FOD yesterday to assist with another delivery of the Invacar variety. It must have been deja vu for Dave the transport guy.

 

An arrival arrived. Slowsilver scratched his head over how we were going to unload it with that flat tyre.

If only we had another Invacar we could borrow a wheel from. Oh wait, we do...

A wheel that's actually round is a lot more helpful

BOOM! The Invacar has landed

We decided it would be much more comfortable to work on it in the field. Deploy the Maxi!

Having rounded up the naughty little Invacars, the Maxi keeps them safely penned in the corner

The Invacars are multiplying! Don't worry @LightBulbFun, we put the wheel back on REV.

It all seems a bit surreal really. When I wrote about Invacars a few years ago and vaguely hoped I might see one someday, I never thought I would end up so well acquainted with so many of them!

[richardmorris]

While he’s not looking, surely it’s a great opportunity to source some spare parts

[richardmorris]

Excuse my ignorance, but is Mrs 6cyls also an invacar? It has a different shaped nose badge.

 

[beko1987]

Put the rover 75 wheels on it! Stance yo

[quicksilver]

16 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Excuse my ignorance, but is Mrs 6cyls also an invacar? It has a different shaped nose badge.

 

Technically no, this is the AC version of the Model 70. It even has a sports steering wheel with an AC badge, just* like a Cobra.

[richardmorris]

Ah, I see. Mrs 6cyl just wanted an AC sportscar! 

[Mrs6C]

1 minute ago, richardmorris said:

Ah, I see Mrs 6cyl just wanted an AC sportscar! 

It will provide for some amusement if and when swapping notes with other AC owners

[beko1987]

Is that a massive flappy paddle for racing downshifts too? 

[richardmorris]

From the layout, I think it looks like the brake.

[quicksilver]

It's a flappy paddle throttle (pull forward) combined with a flappy paddle brake (push back). Any guesses what this Heath Robinson contraption that looks like it belongs on a tractor does?

 

[LightBulbFun]

haha Awesome stuff!

I have to say many thanks to @Mrs6C for volunteering to go half and half with me  she is pretty much the perfect person I was hoping would go half and half with me, so I was very happy when she PMed me about it

as I know very well that she knows the history behind these vehicles, and will appreciate and understand them  (as I mentioned in my thread at the time, I really wanted to make sure the other Model 70 went to a good home)

I also have to thank Mrs6C for doing a lot of the heavy lifting, literally! by arranging transportation for mine and hers down to the FoD  and also being ready at the drop of the hat, I imagine any later etc, and we would of lost them to the Annesley guy

happy to see REV has already been able to lend a hand in things, well wheel in this case!

40 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

While he’s not looking, surely it’s a great opportunity to source some spare parts

its not even in Hackney yet and someone's already stolen my Rimz!

how did the brakes look while you were nicking my wheels?  

 

37 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Excuse my ignorance, but is Mrs 6cyls also an invacar? It has a different shaped nose badge.

 

 Mrs6C's Model 70 is an AC Model 70  (she does have a name ill let Mrs6c reveal that tho )

the government contracted AC (the same AC, of AC Cobra fame!)  to designed and and build the Model 70 as the end all and be all of invalid vehicles, the Government also contracted Invacar to build the Model 70, but invacar had no input on the design etc

however the word Invacar however has become a colloquial term for any sort of Invalid vehicle, like how Hoover has become a generic term for appliances that clean stuff via suction

 

46 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

It all seems a bit surreal really. When I wrote about Invacars a few years ago and vaguely hoped I might see one someday, I never thought I would end up so well acquainted with so many of them!

Funny how life works like that  time for part 3 on the blog?

 

20 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Technically no, this is the AC version of the Model 70. It even has a sports steering wheel with an AC badge, just* like a Cobra.

im still most curious about that steering wheel! I have not seen a Model 70 with that specific type of wheel before, I really do wonder given the AC badge, if they did just borrow a wheel from the AC Cobra production line or something  sadly i dont know what kind of steering wheels AC Sports cars were equipped with at the time!

(also looking at the photo, I have never seen one with Dash mounted heater/choke controls like that)

in terms of control scheme layout Mrs6c's Model 70 is far more interesting then mine!

also condition wise, aside from no fuel tank, I honestly dont think she is far off the condition Rev is in, seeing as both where last on the road in 2003

 

14 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Is that a massive flappy paddle for racing downshifts too? 

from what I understand the steering wheel Model 70's are only a couple turns lock to lock

must be for maximum steering responsiveness when racing right?

 

On 11/2/2017 at 12:56 PM, John F said:

Haha, Invacars. Hopefully one with a steering wheel & one with handlebars for maximum shite points.

 

 

it took nearly 2 years but we finally did it! LOL

 

 

10 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

It's a flappy paddle throttle (pull forward) combined with a flappy paddle brake (push back). Any guesses what this Heath Robinson contraption that looks like it belongs on a tractor does?

 

thats the hand brake mechanism AFAIK TJN352R has such a setup as well

 

 

I really look forward to seeing this one running and hitting the road

it will be very interesting to hear how the steering wheel Model 70 is to drive compared to the handlebar configuration

 

 

as I said in my main invacar thread, many thanks to everyone involved who helped make this amazing thing happen for me and Mrs6c

[richardmorris]

There could be invacar racing at the next field of dreams meet!

[GrumpyCat]

Certainly looks far better than the "parts car" I'd imagined. Look forward to see them both returned to the road.

[Six-cylinder]

4 minutes ago, GrumpyCat said:

Certainly looks far better than the "parts car" I imagined. Look forward to see them both returned to the road.

It is far worse that these general photos show with heat damage from a nearby shed fire and bare glass fibre matting on the roof.

[egg]

Well it's true this forum probably owns more running Invacars than anyone else ? 

I assume Mrs 6c will now have the fun of getting a V5 out of the DVLA?

[Six-cylinder]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

Well it's true this forum probably owns more running Invacars than anyone else ? 

I assume Mrs 6c will now have the fun of getting a V5 out of the DVLA?

We hope it is just a matter of filling in the form and paying the lost V5C fee as it comes up on the DVLA database.

[quicksilver]

16 minutes ago, GrumpyCat said:

Certainly looks far better than the "parts car" I'd imagined. Look forward to see them both returned to the road.

The only obvious missing part is one of the rear light lenses so it doesn't appear to have ever actually been used as a spares donor. It must have been in pretty good shape before the fire as there is very little bodywork damage apart from that caused by the fire.  

Burnt fibreglass has an amazing* patina

And there's a couple of patches on the roof where the gelcoat has burnt away completely to expose raw fibreglass

[GrumpyCat]

2 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

The only obvious missing part is one of the rear light lenses so it doesn't appear to have ever actually been used as a spares donor. It must have been in pretty good shape before the fire as there is very little bodywork damage apart from that caused by the fire.  

Excellent news. I notice the engine cover is not in the pictures, I'd assumed this was missing too.