HMC 12/4 under the floorboards

[HMC]

The a60 now has new kumho ecowing 165/70 r14s at each corner.

The manager became misty eyed and told me he used to work in an east london scrapyard when he were a lad. An a60 was dragged in for scrap. £10 later it was his. Going on a roadtrip to Devon in it, around 1980.

He also said 3 of the tyres that came off this one were from the 80s, and one from the ‘70s. That would be why it felt like they were 50p shaped 😂

Needles to say, NVH levels are a lot lower, and grip levels higher (relatively speaking) now.

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

He also said 3 of the tyres that came off this one were from the 80s, and one from the ‘70s. That would be why it felt like they were 50p shaped 😂

That's impressive - I thought the 1990 tyre on my Volvo was pretty ancient.  Mind you that is still round.

[barefoot]

I suspect that the spacesavers on my 944 and Scirocco are both still the originals from 1987. But tyres used to be made from actual rubber back then, so they're probably fine.

[tom13]

 @HMCPopped up on my feed but this chap has a few videos from the Exmoor trial up.

[Shite Ron]

Saw this today and thought of @HMC great looking cars but HMC’s is the best colour ever,

 

[HMC]

Fleet news-

XK8 is the “modern” and as when i had it first time, a solid and reliable go to.  With a nice soundtrack. BTW thats the engine as the radio is broken. No hardship.

Its pretty much a 2+1, which is where the austins come in….

The 12 still hasnt been cleaned since being gunned up muddy hillsides, I’ll do that at the weekend and use it for getting about these next 5 days or so as the weather is looking decent.

Model A VS 12/4. Less cubes but more class?

And the a60 is a bit of a revelation after the new tyres. Quite a bit of what id put down as wear and tear/ its an old car innit whilst driving it has vanished since the elderly rubber was replaced. 

So much so that in the answer to the question what car shall i use tonight? I took the cambridge keys…

A relic of a bygone age…… and a disused viaduct.

[auntiemaryscanary]

42 minutes ago, HMC said:

And the a60 is a bit of a revelation after the new tyres. Quite a bit of what id put down as wear and tear/ its an old car innit whilst driving it has vanished since the elderly rubber was replaced. 

I don't buy anywhere near as many cars as you but when I do one of the first things I change are the tyres if they are old and/or cheap crap. A new set of mid-range makes a world of difference to the handling and gives the confidence to push it a little knowing you aren't going to aqua plane/skid plus you stand a good chance of being able to stop as required.

[wuvvum]

I've never owned a Farina but everyone I've spoken to who owns them says they're surprisingly decent to drive when in reasonable fettle.

[worldofceri]

On 21/02/2025 at 21:05, wuvvum said:

Not sure about that - Mr Oldcastle managed to blow his up.

 

On 21/02/2025 at 21:35, RoadworkUK said:

He found a replacement in a ferry on Loch Ness, though, so all was well.

 

On 21/02/2025 at 22:40, wuvvum said:

 

Technically it was Horace who found it, if memory serves.

 

Well, I just had to look it up.

Mr Oldcastle blew Gumdrop’s engine up after chancing upon his neighbours, who had broken down on their way to the seaside, and kindly - but perhaps unwisely - towing them to the nearest garage.

But wait - what are the chances!?  The neighbours’ car looks suspiciously like an A60 Cambridge!

And it was indeed Horace that found the replacement engine. Not in a ferry,  but an old fishing boat that Mr Bumblebee had hired, and which they’d earlier almost capsized.

[lesapandre]

BMC B-Series Marine. Chug chug. Indeed.

[RoadworkUK]

I rather fear that the joy of Gumdrop might be totally lost on the YOOF of today. "WE DON'T CARE ABOUT SOME SHIT OLD CAR M7", they'd say, while busting out an enormous vape cloud.

2 hours ago, HMC said:

 

A relic of a bygone age…… and a disused viaduct.

I love that viaduct. 

Spent a holiday week in Tavi with my parents back in the 90s, in a cottage called Trident Cottage. Never did find out why it was thus named; I had hoped the owner was a pilot or something.

Not far from the cottage there was a model shop, from which I purchased a 1/18-scale Triumph Spitfire IV. Alas, on a more recent visit, I found the shop to no longer exist.

[worldofceri]

2 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

I rather fear that the joy of Gumdrop might be totally lost on the YOOF of today.

I’ve certainly failed to interest my own kids so, sadly, yes.

[loserone]

Got three very keen gumdrop fans in this household, regularly reading about a charabanc full of Chelsea pensioners or a silver ghost lost in castle grounds.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I've never owned a Farina but everyone I've spoken to who owns them says they're surprisingly decent to drive when in reasonable fettle.

Yes, well mine was. JER553F, bought from Shoreham auction for £35. Had loads of fun with, and in, it 😀

[Metal Guru]

On 02/02/2025 at 14:18, captain_70s said:

There were deffo marine variants, you see them in narrow boats sometimes. Not sure what came first though.

37mpg for such a glacial car seems unthinkable now, but I suppose it was different times and a full size saloon car cracking 30mpg wasn't really a thing...

No one cared at 5 Bob a gallon.

[Matty]

On 23/02/2025 at 21:05, Shite Ron said:

Saw this today and thought of @HMC great looking cars but HMC’s is the best colour ever,

 

Ambergate?

[barrett]

16 hours ago, HMC said:

A relic of a bygone age…… and a disused viaduct.

I don't know why, but that photograph has made me quite desirous of this car. I must be getting old. Dibbs?

[HMC]

Really must get round to cleaning it 😂

[barefoot]

Why?

[lesapandre]

Because it will trap moisture and encourage corrosion  - as well as the grit in the mud migrating into moving parts and causing wear?

[mercedade]

BORING

[HMC]

In the end I did get round to cleaning it

And after submitting photos and a story to Classic and Sportscar, at some stage im told it should feature in the “your classic” bit of the mag.

[wuvvum]

I see that you have a greater level of trust in a 100-year-old handbrake than I would...

[HMC]

Was thoroughly put to the test slithering backwards down exmoor hills 😂

[HMC]

As the jag was a bit short of rear leg room, I decided i needed the practicality of a 4 door saloon, and have moved the xk8 on.

Hence I purchased this tonight from a neighbour 

[dome]

 

Outstanding 👌

 

 

 

Hopefully not at the side of a motorway waiting on the AA though 🫣

Edited March 6 by dome

[bramz7]

Oh that is wonderful. Dibs, I think? Maybe? Am I that person? 

I really don't think anyone can compare to you!

[HMC]

8 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

Oh that is wonderful. Dibs, I think? Maybe? Am I that person? 

I really don't think anyone can compare to you!

You’l love the tan leather interior. I feel like ive started dating a very high maintenance and unpredictable supermodel and im scared. Yes it will be my main car for the (limited miles admittedly) that i do 💩 

[HMC]

Plus if i die tomorrow I can hold my (dead) hand up and say - i had a maserati quattorporte with a silly  internal combustion engine.

[Bear]

Limited miles is the issue. Maserati made the breakdown schedule per start, so really to get the most trouble free miles you just need to never park, just keep it moving all the time.