Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[Christine]

Though I will vouch for the fact that DW is stronger than he looks. 

 

 He's like Samson. It's the hair . If you cut his hair , he will be weak....

[Talbot]

There is a good chance that I will be driving up to mid wales in a few days time, which is not far from you DW. It's a bit of a diversion to get the exhaust in the first place, but if it can be pony'd to anywhere remotely near west sussex / M25 / That Lundun then I can bring it the vast majority of the way.

[Talbot]

I can probably bring as far as Dartford area if someone can pony express it further on.

Can you do anywhere further south? Anywhere along the M26 or the southern section of the M25?

 

Also depends how we can exchange this. I don't have a definite travel date yet (although should do today)

[egg]

Yes, could probably do that.

[dozeydustman]

If there's a gap between Egg being able to get it to near Sussex and Talbot taking it to Welshland, I may be able to collect from Egg and deliver to Talbot. I plan to be in Gravesend, Kent on Sunday 8th July, and could then relay it to Talbot on 9th or 10th. I will confirm later today.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks chaps. I'll be driving from Stratford to home on 12th July, which leaves enough time to get the exhaust fitted before setting off the next day. Exciting!

[Zelandeth]

I take it they don't have any more in stock do they DW? If so I might look to get one in reserve too for when this one eventually dies.

[plasticvandan]

I was going to say a crate full of silencers appeared along with many more spares a few years ago,I can't believe they've all been snapped up.

[dollywobbler]

I take it they don't have any more in stock do they DW? If so I might look to get one in reserve too for when this one eventually dies.

 

Entirely possible. Sadly, Mark can't make FOTU, but well worth asking.

[dollywobbler]

Folks, I'd like to stand down the Pony Express. A likely courier option is coming out favourite and saves you all going to any trouble/expense. I truly appreciate your kind offers.

[dozeydustman]

If things fall through with the courier Ian, I can now confirm I will be in West Kent on Sunday 8th to be part of the relay between Egg & next person if needed.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. I've now had confirmation that the exhaust is on the way - which is impressive, as it's not been taken to the drop-off point yet!

[PhilA]

Exhausting! An exhaustive set of measures there.

 

I could carry on, but droll.

 

It'll be interesting to see if that makes a difference to the running of TWC.

 

Phil

[Talbot]

Glad to hear something has been sorted. My travel timings are still a little variable, so pony express could have been interesting* to organise!

[richardmorris]

9pm on bbc4.

[dollywobbler]

Excellent. I'll watch that when I'm home.

 

New exhaust has landed.

[rainagain]

Regarding the handle bars couldn’t you use some sort of magnetic arrangement? That way it would hold the handle bars up until you need to push them down to brake. This would be better than a spring as a spring would try and pull the handle bars up more the further you pushed them down as the spring stretched.

 

You can get some excellent rare earth magnets from old hard disks, the older the better as they used larger magnets.

[dollywobbler]

I love the thinking. I think I'm just going to live with it on the big trip. I've developed some techniques.

[Sloth in a bowl]

I love the thinking. I think I'm just going to live with it on the big trip. I've developed some techniques.

 

Bungee cord attached to the choke lever.

[wuvvum]

Are you going to fit a passenger side mirror to TWC before venturing onto the motorway?  Appreciate you probably aren't going to be overtaking many other road users but it might be useful to check for twats in Audis honing up slip roads.

[plasticvandan]

i seriously wouldnt use one on the motorway,it can get bad enough in a Reliant.indeed when still on the road these were banned.

[Eddie Honda]

i seriously wouldnt use one on the motorway

 

Depends on the motorway/time of day. I'd happily take one out on the M25 in rush hour. It's a fucking car park.

[New POD]

Thanks. I've now had confirmation that the exhaust is on the way - which is impressive, as it's not been taken to the drop-off point yet!

Mops

[New POD]

i seriously wouldnt use one on the motorway,it can get bad enough in a Reliant.indeed when still on the road these were banned.

 

No offence to anyone on Motobility, but how amusing* would it be if all "invalid" carriages were banned from the motorway.

 

Imagine the political shitstorm.

[steveo3002]

No offence to anyone on Motobility, but how amusing* would it be if all "invalid" carriages were banned from the motorway.

 

Imagine the political shitstorm.

and painted leper blue

[Squire_Dawson]

Aye the motorway would be frightening. It is in a full-size car sometimes. You'd really be taking your life in your hands there.

[plasticvandan]

its not the speed or anything,its the crosswinds and blast from lorries.when we were having the after effects of a tropical hurricane around 9-10 years ago,i was on the M5 heading towards Reading in a Reliant Regal,i had to leave the motorway after reducing speed to 25mph as the wind was lifting the front of the car accross 2 lanes.

[busmansholiday]

I'd avoid the motorways if possible for the simple reason it's the "ideal" target for those with less brain cells than teeth. Not that I'm admitting to the 70's and 80's "sport" when coach driving of getting as close as possible to caravans ( when they were restricted to 50mph and coaches had none) just to see how far you could get the caravan to 'snake' across the lanes and get the car driver to shit themselves with the slipstream.

[Zelandeth]

its not the speed or anything,its the crosswinds and blast from lorries.when we were having the after effects of a tropical hurricane around 9-10 years ago,i was on the M5 heading towards Reading in a Reliant Regal,i had to leave the motorway after reducing speed to 25mph as the wind was lifting the front of the car accross 2 lanes.

 

Aye, it's terrifying enough in a Skoda Estelle.

 

I made the mistake of taking mine out a few years ago when the weather was bad (to be fair, the thing handled absolutely every other aspect of horrendous weather brilliantly!) without first making sure I'd put a few tens of kg of ballast in the boot up front.

 

It was absolutely terrifying...and that was on a dead quiet, decently wide country road.  I turned around after a few miles, retreating back home with my tail between my legs and just left the trip out for another day.

 

Given the relative ease that you can lift the front wheel off the ground of an Invacar without the assistance of jacks or anything, I imagine that crosswinds and slipstream are very much your worst enemy.  Not as if there's anywhere you can stick ballast up front either really like I used to do with a heavy trolley jack and toolbox back in my days with the Skodas.

[timolloyd]

Surely a front spoiler would solve this and add equivalent 30bhp at the same time?