Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[John F]

Interestingly, both cars are registered as having 9999cc engines...

 

By happy coincidence, the Cummins L series of straight six diesels has a displacement of 10 litres...

[danthecapriman]

Am I just sick for thinking you should customize the spares one for a laff?

Black,Flames and Mini Super slots on the rear and a shaggy fur and shag pile interior

I really shouldn't post on here so early before my med's have kicked in!

That's what I'd like to see too!

Once one good car is made from the two, modify the dead spares car into something unique and a bit balmy. A modern two stroke diesel plant engine for example, with a mental purple metal flake paint job... like a miniature gasser!

 

Granted, it's not my time or money!

[oldcars]

LOL at the plate on the no roof one.

 

Nice wheels on that too, seen them on Reliant's. Anyone know what they are called?

[beko1987]

How about turning the second one into a fun but useless trailer for the first?

[plasticvandan]

Those wheels are Gemini wheels i believe,used on the Robin Jubilee and the Mini 21st edition

[MorrisItalSLX]

LOL at the plate on the no roof one.

 

Nice wheels on that too, seen them on Reliant's. Anyone know what they are called?

 

I know them as Mini 1100 Special wheels

[plasticvandan]

Have some pics

[oldcars]

Have you driven one Dan? I guess they are a lot different from Reliant three wheelers.

[dollywobbler]

One Like doesn't seem enough for that fantastic stream of images.

 

I'd love to know more about the design of these vehicles. I strongly suspect that the heritage is linked to AC's Petite rather than the Greeves side of things, but that's a pure hunch given that the previous AC invalid carriage looked very much like the Model 70, but without the arch flares.

[plasticvandan]

Yes i have driven a few years of motorcycling and reliant driving had prepared me well.

The first AC carriage looked nothing like the Petite (one exists,now in america) the next model (57) does look like a shortened Petite.These were made until the model 67 came out,which was essentially a model 70 without the flared arches,and villiers 197cc engine.

Invacar made a series of frog eyed carriages up until the model 70 came out when it was built by both invacar and AC.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Those wheels are Gemini wheels i believe,used on the Robin Jubilee and the Mini 21st edition

 

 

*cough* Mini 20, 1979.

 

The kudos of taxing one in the post office has been and gone now. 

 

'What make is it?"

 

"Oh, it's an AC"

 

"What, like a Cobra?"

 

"Yeah"  

[quicksilver]

This is what Autoshite is all about - genuine shared love of something most people have gladly forgotten. A thought occurs in regard to telling an AC from an Invacar and I reckon the registration is the biggest clue as they all seem to have been registered in Essex or Surrey. Essex reg = Invacar made in Thundersley, Surrey reg = AC made in Thames Ditton.

[dollywobbler]

I really am stupid. I got over-excited about a new delivery. Tyres!

 

No less than Michelin Xs in 12" - the Michelin X was the default tyre for the 2CV. Supplied by the nice people at Vintage Tyres. So, despite the fact it was getting dark and that I was in my smart togs from minibus driving, I leapt into action.

 

Now, jacking up an Invacar is an interesting business. You can't jack at the rear, as it's mostly engine. There is a cradle beneath the engine, but I couldn't get my jack near it. So, rear of the 'sills' on the chassis it was then. It was at this point that weight distribution (or complete lack of) began to cause issues...

 

However, by loading tyres onto the nose, I managed to get it to balance out again. Long enough for me to get the rear wheels off and start twatting the drums to try and free them off. In the end, I resorted to heat, but only got the nearside wheel turning (and then rather reluctantly). It was getting dark by this point, which is when I discovered that one of the wheels is a 10". DRAT. 

 

So, I set about extracting the jack so I could jack up the spares car and nab a 12" off that. At this point, farce descended and eventually, TWC fell off the axle stands with a gentle thump. I've taken a chunk out of the bodywork on the offside, but the pallets 'caught' the weight, so it could be worse. By this stage, it was pretty dark, so carnage pics in the morning. I do wish I wasn't quite so useless. It is telling that you jack this car up two-thirds of the way to the rear, and the nose lifts up though. There really is no weight at all up front.

[oldcars]

Its telling you it wants its front tyre changed first please.

[Guest Hooli]

It wants to be popular so it's doing tricks.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

It is telling that you jack this car up two-thirds of the way to the rear, and the nose lifts up though. There really is no weight at all up front.

Drift weapon!

[SiC]

There really is no weight at all up front.

Surely that'd change quite a bit once a driver is sat in it?

[dollywobbler]

Surely that'd change quite a bit once a driver is sat in it?

 

Only if you've got REALLY heavy shoes. Arse sits just in front of the rear axle line.

[jonathan_dyane]

Is that why some of the people who would drive these had one big shoe?

 

I'll get my coat...

[SiC]

It's like they designed these to finish off the already disabled in many possible ways.

[Louise2cv]

So, would getting the engine out help with jacking it up too?

[dollywobbler]

So, would getting the engine out help with jacking it up too?

 

Yes, but I'm hoping to get it indoors to do that. Mostly because if I go backwards with the engine where it is now, I'll quickly find myself on a railway...

[Louise2cv]

Hmm yes there is that.

 

Hang on a minute...

 

...Do you have patio doors? Would it fit through patio doors?

 

Shame it turned up in winter, although I suppose you don't have any guarantees about weather any time of year really.

[DeeJay]

Yes, but I'm hoping to get it indoors to do that. Mostly because if I go backwards with the engine where it is now, I'll quickly find myself on a railway...

That'd keep you on track.

 

Is that why some of the people who would drive these had one big shoe?

 

I'll get my coat...

Get mine while you're there.

[plasticvandan]

This is what Autoshite is all about - genuine shared love of something most people have gladly forgotten. A thought occurs in regard to telling an AC from an Invacar and I reckon the registration is the biggest clue as they all seem to have been registered in Essex or Surrey. Essex reg = Invacar made in Thundersley, Surrey reg = AC made in Thames Ditton.

The AC built cars were made on Taggs Island

[plasticvandan]

I really am stupid. I got over-excited about a new delivery. Tyres!

 

No less than Michelin Xs in 12" - the Michelin X was the default tyre for the 2CV. Supplied by the nice people at Vintage Tyres. So, despite the fact it was getting dark and that I was in my smart togs from minibus driving, I leapt into action.

 

Now, jacking up an Invacar is an interesting business. You can't jack at the rear, as it's mostly engine. There is a cradle beneath the engine, but I couldn't get my jack near it. So, rear of the 'sills' on the chassis it was then. It was at this point that weight distribution (or complete lack of) began to cause issues...

 

However, by loading tyres onto the nose, I managed to get it to balance out again. Long enough for me to get the rear wheels off and start twatting the drums to try and free them off. In the end, I resorted to heat, but only got the nearside wheel turning (and then rather reluctantly). It was getting dark by this point, which is when I discovered that one of the wheels is a 10". DRAT. 

 

So, I set about extracting the jack so I could jack up the spares car and nab a 12" off that. At this point, farce descended and eventually, TWC fell off the axle stands with a gentle thump. I've taken a chunk out of the bodywork on the offside, but the pallets 'caught' the weight, so it could be worse. By this stage, it was pretty dark, so carnage pics in the morning. I do wish I wasn't quite so useless. It is telling that you jack this car up two-thirds of the way to the rear, and the nose lifts up though. There really is no weight at all up front.

Redneck Reliant maintenance solution of old was to lie the thing on its side on an old mattress.

[dollywobbler]

Redneck Reliant maintenance solution of old was to lie the thing on its side on an old mattress.

 

2CV folk did similar in the days when you welded up your chassis rather than replaced it. Old tyres were the favourite for that.

[purplebargeken]

Weren't these banned by....................

 

Really funky little things, glad some were saved so that mad buggers like DW can bring them back to life.

[uk_senator]

I thought they were...

It just occurred to me, what a pain in the arse it`d be if you got a flat front tyre on a muddy wet country road in the middle of winter..

[dollywobbler]

I thought they were...

 

It just occurred to me, what a pain in the arse it`d be if you got a flat front tyre on a muddy wet country road in the middle of winter..

 

Front is a piece of cake. One strong person can lift the front end. No spare wheel though, so not much point. I guess with these cars, you just passed on a message to the nice man who serviced it, and he'd come out and deal with it. Must have been fun in pre-mobile times...