HMC- Mr Chowdhury’s Mercedes

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I would certainly have expected better spelling and grammar....

I’ve taught some five year olds with a better standard of written English. The quality of the response is appalling.

I’d send a response back and play him at his own shit English game. I’d start with ‘Dear Anal...’

[Datsuncog]

Public sector asset records are supposed to get shredded (digitally or physically) seven years after disposal of said asset, since storage costs money... if police records follow the same disposal schedule, it's unlikely there would be much info available on this wonderful beast through official channels, twelve years after it left the motor pool.

Might have been kinda interesting though if they'd come back to you citing a Section 37 Exemption on grounds of national security or some such...

Possibly some of the very active classic police vehicle owners' clubs might be able to assist? From what I understand, some police mechanics are club members and have good memories for certain vehicles - they might be able to tell you rather more than official records might... (well, in my experience anyway).

[Zelandeth]

Bloody hell...wish I could have got away with responses like that when I got FOI requests back at the Council!

 

Rules stated that if the data was held, we *HAD* to provide it - and the limit to "not being practical" was something like 50 staff hours.

 

I was one of the few people who didn't wind up having to make many, many, many trips back and forth to the old archives because one of the first tasks I undertook when we had to downsize the office we were in was to throw *everything* into a digital archive before we moved.

 

Took me a bloody age - but meant that I had data going back to 1978 at my fingertips...and I reckon when some of the (often absurd) FOI requests came in it meant that the time taken to respond ended up in "hours" rather than "days."

 

EDIT: That gear selector to me is familiar from early 90s Dennis Darts, albeit with R N D positions only in that case.  Usually coupled to an extremely dozy Alison gearbox.

[timolloyd]

Service dates are interesting, despite lack of any other history. Possible it did both IRA and post 9/11 spying around London?

[Pillock]

This needs more power, an hilarious amount more power, then taking to Santa Pod.... with DW driving.

 

Back when I was the coolest kid in the VW scene, some of the Volkszone gang took a V8 ex Ambulance SherpaConvoyLDVthing to Bug Jam and ran it up the strip. It's the only time I've seen the timing gear reset before the line was crossed (it measures to 30 seconds maximum over the quarter mile) and they snapped an engine mount trying.

[dollywobbler]

Back when I was the coolest kid in the VW scene, some of the Volkszone gang took a V8 ex Ambulance SherpaConvoyLDVthing to Bug Jam and ran it up the strip. It's the only time I've seen the timing gear reset before the line was crossed (it measures to 30 seconds maximum over the quarter mile) and they snapped an engine mount trying.

 

You can't believe how happy that makes me. My 2CV did the quarter mile in 28 seconds, so no reset for me!

[holbeck]

You can't believe how happy that makes me. My 2CV did the quarter mile in 28 seconds, so no reset for me!

 

My Karmann Ghia did Santa Pod in 22!

[wuvvum]

That fail doesn't look too bad for a 22-year-old LDV.  At least the kingpins scraped through...

[HMC]

[dome]

That's not terrible. Carry on!

[beko1987]

No, break that down and youll get rid of half with new bulbs, new wiper blades and a rubber pad...

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Not bad at all! - New plugs, leads etc.. and Italian tune up and a ticket is on the horizon........ you've gotta be happy with that.

Crack on fella...... (are the garage who did the test sorting the above for you?)

[HMC]

^ Not the place that did the MOT but usual place I tend to use. I haven't got any time at the mo so I've told them to crack on. Had I given it a bit of a look over and a fairly basic service it would be the wheel bearing and the brake pipe pretty much. They remarked it's really good bodywise which backs up the low miles and possibly having spent time in the Scotland Yard underground car park.

[HMC]

I've also placed a bulk order of dynax cavity wax with bilt hamber to pump it full of the stuff to preserve the shell as best as I can.

[cort16]

Looks like a decent result . Is it easy enough to get parts for them?

[tooSavvy]

Has the van had an 'exciting life'... post Met?

 

It has a lot of gouges in the interior lining/back doors.

 

Shirley not a commercial outfit, on running costs

 

.... Who banged it up? (see that.. )

 

 

TS

[HMC]

I've had my head turned by one of these....

Actually that one. I can't decide if they are a cool throwback to the supertouring era or actually awful. Hmmmmm

[Ghosty]

Not that badly executed I suppose...

[HMC]

Also my kids are not old enough yet to refuse to sit in it although my wife may (will) refuse to I suspect.

[Six-cylinder]

There are less loud ones!

[RobT]

Is that in London? I'm sure I've seen it on eBay before not long ago. Delivery service available if it is...

 

Edit: although will probably look a tit driving it so it'd be a night delivery!

[Supernaut]

I've had my head turned by one of these....

IMG_3565.PNG

Actually that one. I can't decide if they are a cool throwback to the supertouring era or actually awful. Hmmmmm

I just want to say I wholeheartedly encourage the purchase of this. As both a Scotsman and a fellow idiot.

[cort16]

I'm worried your friends and family are going to stage and intervention if you keep buying cars at this rate!

 

There's seems to be a few of these out there. I'd rather have one that went fast than one that looked fast.

 

http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/125113/volvo-850-btcc-replica

[mk2_craig]

Oh I would love to do that with the forty quid 850.

[spartacus]

Throw back to the nineties, do it.

On an LDV related note I have an unused set of Magnacor leads for a V8 that you assemble yourself, you can have them for postage if they're any good to you?

[HMC]

The biggest white elephant (in all senses) ill ever own is road legal for another year....

 

Pointless but very satisfying at the same time, coming to a filling station near you!

[dollywobbler]

Hoorah! I'm currently in the same county as it too. If I remember correctly...

Can I come and swap the wipers around?

[spartacus]

Ace, well done, LDV FTW, or has someone already done that one?

[500tops]

Superb!

[Felly Magic]

Now you need your own refinery Congrats