Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[Felly Magic]

The level of win seeing it in motion has broken the Autoshite patent 'win-o-meter'. I honestly thought I'd never see one of these in motion again. It looks like it goes like a stabbed rat off the line. 

[dollywobbler]

Any closer to figuring out what's causing the "sneezing" every now and then still?

 

Seems very similar to what I've got at the moment - I'll start it up to take it out the garage one time and it'll be backfiring, carrying on and running on one and a half cylinders - I'll mutter profanities at it, come back ten minutes later and then it's bloody fine...

 

Does seem to get up and go quite nicely!

 

Glad to see your clutch seems to behave exactly the same as mine, I was worried that mine was being a bit on the abrupt side when it engaged - but seeing yours behaving the same tends to make me think that maybe is just how they are.

 

I think the sneezing is still a minor blockage in the carb, so still too lean. The 2CV does that if I get the choke in a bit quick on a cold day. 

[Pillock]

I'd honestly just let the motor get up to temperature a good few times. That coughing and sneezing seems just general storage/damp gremlins rather than a serious problem.

[dollywobbler]

I'd honestly just let the motor get up to temperature a good few times. That coughing and sneezing seems just general storage/damp gremlins rather than a serious problem.

 

I am tempted to go for another drive right now! 

[johngarty]

Top Top marks for Welsh winter chod bothering whilst making a documentary as well. Enjoyed it. Five stars from me. (Both of you).

[3VOM]

Drive it accross at least one continent!!!!!

1 Drive to Bulgaria

2 ?????

3 Profit!

[mat_the_cat]

Well done!

 

You're going to need to resurface your track down the middle though now...

[vulgalour]

Not just the noise and sight of it wobbling out of the garage but the way it sets off is massively nostalgic.  There was a gentleman of girth that had one of these when I was a nipper and he used to set off just like you were, he never looked particularly thrilled about the way it behaved until he was veering off around the next junction at what seemed like 100mph but was probably only 12mph.

[tooSavvy]

Don’t forget to take a photo of the testers face when you turn up. My bet is the “what have I done to deserve this” expression.

.... won't go up, on a 4 wheel lift.. ??

 

.... or is it 'scaffy plank' time.. ??

 

TS

[DeeJay]

Well worth the wait.

I'm glad your glamorous assistant didn't whack her head on the hinges I'd have a head like a colander off those. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I’ll be honest, initially I didn’t understand this thread.

It almost makes sense now though, and I challenge anyone to watch your first drive video and not smile. Thanks very much for sharing - great to see the little thing raring to go!

[vulgalour]

Hey mister, do a burnout!

[Liggle]

Excellent work, great vid

[mercrocker]

Well done!    These really are a vanished part of British street scenes and well deserve preservation.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Interesting...Your parking brake is on the opposite side to mine too!

 

i wonder if they were built with a bias depending on appendage count? if you aint got a right arm you wouldn't appreciate a rhs handbrake etc methinks

[loserone]

Brilliant!

[D Spares & Tyres]

Invalid carriage? Bull

 

That is a perfectly valid form of transport.

 

Well done

[timolloyd]

GR9 video. I locked myself in the office room to watch it, but my Mrs came bursting in when she heard crys of 'oh Dolly, oh yeah, amazing!'

[seth]

Congrats DW!

[Zelandeth]

i wonder if they were built with a bias depending on appendage count? if you aint got a right arm you wouldn't appreciate a rhs handbrake etc methinks

 

Seem to recall there were 56 control layout combinations possible.

 

Reckon you're right - looking closer, the fuel gauge, speedo and warning light cluster excepted, the dash is a perfect mirror image of mine.  My light and wiper controls are on the left too.  Pretty sure no two of these cars is the same!

[dollywobbler]

i wonder if they were built with a bias depending on appendage count? if you aint got a right arm you wouldn't appreciate a rhs handbrake etc methinks

 

They did do a lot of building to order, so there does seem to be a lack of consistency. 

[Pillock]

British Leyland built everything to a standard spec and there was no consistency there, so Invacars have got no chance.

[320touring]

Great Vid:)

[st185cs]

Bravo Ian, Bravo! What a brilliant milestone...

 

.....meanwhile I was back at the field of dreams today removing a roof and a dash for one of my rolling chassis - seems I have a lot of catching up to do. I also have a new drive belt and door seals for you as prize for getting this far - they’ll be in the post tomorrow.

 

Well done old chap!

[dollywobbler]

Bravo Ian, Bravo! What a brilliant milestone...

 

.....meanwhile I was back at the field of dreams today removing a roof and a dash for one of my rolling chassis - seems I have a lot of catching up to do. I also have a new drive belt and door seals for you as prize for getting this far - they’ll be in the post tomorrow.

 

Well done old chap!

 

Thanks! Did stir up some interest on a Microcar Group on Facebook. Not sure if you plan to sell any of those that you have.

[Felly Magic]

Just a thought re the door handles, what about cutting a thin bit of ally either side, roughly to the shape of the handle recess, then pop riveting them on, then drilling said ally to fit the handle mech? 

[dollywobbler]

That's pretty much the plan, but probably bonding the ally to the door at the same time as carrying out glassfibre repairs. Sadly, I think to get suitable access, I'll need to remove and strip the doors. I'm not actually sure how the doors detach at the bottom. Will have to investigate.

 

These handles are a right shitty design though. I can see signs of glassfibre repairs around the nearside handle (perhaps because that was most used being kerbside). It's just two nasty slot-headed screws with machine threads, allied to nuts that have rusted to buggery on the inside, and washers that are far too bloody small.

[Felly Magic]

That does sound a real lash up job for the door handles Where there's a will there's a way

[Zelandeth]

The doors come off pretty simply.

 

With the stay removed and the limiting stop on the runner, they literally just slide off the front.

 

One of mine has a repair behind the handles, looks like an ally plate riveted into the recess, looks pretty well done at the brief glance I've had. Want me to snap a photo of it in case it's useful?

[dollywobbler]

The doors come off pretty simply.

 

With the stay removed and the limiting stop on the runner, they literally just slide off the front.

 

One of mine has a repair behind the handles, looks like an ally plate riveted into the recess, looks pretty well done at the brief glance I've had. Want me to snap a photo of it in case it's useful?

 

Ah, grand. Thanks. And yes, a photo might be handy. Might as well try and keep it how it was done back in the day.