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Street machine magazine


Bren

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Just used this link (slow day at work!) - very interesting read.

 

Some really crazy shit was done in the 70's & 80's and that makes me happy! While customising isn't my thing as such, I'm so pleased stuff like this exists and people have and still do, do it. To ask the question 'Why?' should receive the answer 'Because we can' or 'Because we wanted to'. There doesn't always need to be a reason does there?

 

The world is a poorer place without activities like this. 

 

 

The day we stop doing things just for the heck of it will be a very sad day indeed.

Sir Donald Campbell

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You'd have thought a Transit would've been the main choice for custom vans yet it seems the old CF was the one done more often. 

 

There were plenty of custom Trannies, but the CF more closely resembled the American vans. At the time getting a vehicle imported was a lot harder so people customised what was available. Please don't make me find the Custom Car BL competition cars (Sherpa, Wedge, Allaggro).

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Street machine was the first motor magazine I ever bought as an enthusiastic 12/13 year old in 1979/80, I'm sure the first issue I purchased had a radically modified A60 Oxford or Cambridge on the cover in a dark colour with a cream or white roof, it looked so different to the one a family member owned at the time! Loved Steve Kirks artwork too.....

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I do remember the mid 1980s issues. I liked the model kit page because that was as close as got to customising cars at the age of 11!

 

The 'how do I?' pages were also good, even as an 11 year old I could foresee stuffing an Essex v6 into a Viva HA without upgrading the all-drum brakes set-up probably wouldn't end well.

 

About '87 SM started getting obsessed with 'Cal-look' Beetles and I lost interest. The cars I really liked then like early 1960s Fords/BMCs started getting covered by the classic mags so transferred allegiances to them. Something quite short lived called 'Popular Classics' was really good.

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****** Does anyone on here have old Hot Car mags from 1982 ???? ******

 

Am looking for a scan of a particular article. Any Autoshiters able to help out?

 

Which issue? Chances are I might well have it. Or possibly even a spare copy.

 

I wonder if these ever inspired anybody?

 

4042462400_df4b5e9b88_o.jpg

Datsun 120A FII coupe - Street Machine Stage 1 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

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Datsun 120A FII coupe - Street Machine Stage 2 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

From memory there was an even more radical sketch version with pop-up lights.

 

8038464383_b3583a122d_o.jpg

Street Machine Sept 1980: Morris Oxford Traveller by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I'm still fond of the look of stuff like this. Bin the rubbing strips and add tube bumpers and I think it'd look pretty good....

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Which issue? Chances are I might well have it. Or possibly even a spare copy.

 

I wonder if these ever inspired anybody?

 

4042462400_df4b5e9b88_o.jpg

Datsun 120A FII coupe - Street Machine Stage 1 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

4041717275_403c2cf661_o.jpg

Datsun 120A FII coupe - Street Machine Stage 2 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

From memory there was an even more radical sketch version with pop-up lights.

 

8038464383_b3583a122d_o.jpg

Street Machine Sept 1980: Morris Oxford Traveller by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I'm still fond of the look of stuff like this. Bin the rubbing strips and add tube bumpers and I think it'd look pretty good....

Great memories SL, I remember the A60 Traveller custom well and my CB 'handle' at the time was 'General Grabber'.......

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The Hot Car issue is September or October 1982, the feature I'm looking for is the driving impressions / road test write up on the then-new Capri 2.8 Injection. A 4-speeder in graphite-over-silver.

 

 

A scan of the feature would do. Might hopefully be of interest to others on here too.

 

And I owned that very car in 1993.

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I have the first nine months of Custom Car Magazine, in a proper binder with the Title printed on the spine, 

 

The first one was 2 shillings & 6 pence in March '70

 

I did advertise them on eBay some time ago with no takers.

 

So if someone on here is willing to pay the postage they can have them, for free.

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£160 for the Capri?!

 

Found a few odds and ends while I was sorting out some other stuff today:

 

post-79-0-38823100-1498420968_thumb.jpg

 

Not sure of the date, probably a 1980/81 issue. DVLA says this Ventora FE lasted until 1989, when it had a 5300cc engine - presumably a Chevy small block?

 

post-79-0-74168900-1498421075_thumb.jpg

 

Carlton front end on an FE always intrigued me.

 

post-79-0-57833200-1498421137_thumb.jpg

 

Hmmm. It apparently made it to 1987, still listed with its original 1159cc engine....

 

post-79-0-43233300-1498421263_thumb.jpg

 

post-79-0-37972100-1498421329_thumb.jpg

 

I assume this was the inspiration behind the Cresta that they had as a project car in the '90s (in the days of Richard Nicholls?).

 

post-79-0-82340600-1498421704_thumb.jpg

 

Influential?

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His blue Mk1 was also in the 1982 Arena BBC programme with Alexei Sayle about the Cortinas. Check it out on Youtube if you haven't seen it.

.... and get a free peep at a young tooSavvy, with 'Magnum tache'™ ;)

 

Being in CrappyKlubb I saw the white 3.0S [iirc] with a photo of the 2.8i engine 'photo printed' onto the bonnet - well b4 'vinyl'!!

 

TS

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