Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[dollywobbler]

The memory that connects all my sightings of these as a boy, is that they were always parked up on a pavement. Are they the only road registered vehicle that you were allowed to drive on the pavement?

 

I'm not sure they were allowed to, but I imagine a blind eye was turned. These were the mobility scooters of their day.

[Louise2cv]

Just driven past the "no this, that, the other, invalid carriages or animals" sign on the A55.

 

Surely it's nothing but a challenge?

[Guest Hooli]

It'll be a trike when back on the road, so perfectly legal...

[dollywobbler]

I'll come up to visit anyway. Perhaps you can get a shot of me flicking the Vs at the sign.

[Matt]

Cool? That's sub-zero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now look closer

[Louise2cv]

What I was really thinking is would any traffic cops even recognise it?

 

Perhaps older ones might stop it, but would younger ones know what it was?

[Guest Hooli]

Nah, they are all too young these days.

[Felly Magic]

Ian you do realise that when you get one of these on the road, you have won Autoshite PHOREVAH. Everyone at Shitefest 18 will want a go

[John F]

Everyone at Shitefest 18 will want a go

 

TRUE.

 

Bagsy first go please, Ian

[Felly Magic]

I think Ian needs to collaborate with internet nutjob Colin Furze to sort propulsion on these beasts, OMGDRIFTYO

[nisfan]

I've just been watching and enjoying your YouTube channel and just caught up with the invacars shenanigans, I only have two very vague recollections of these , one of the usual at football stadium touchlinrs and a very weird memory of about 15 lined up at a place local to me.

This must have been circa 1990 being culled then?

[dollywobbler]

I've just been watching and enjoying your YouTube channel and just caught up with the invacars shenanigans, I only have two very vague recollections of these , one of the usual at football stadium touchlinrs and a very weird memory of about 15 lined up at a place local to me.

This must have been circa 1990 being culled then?

 

There was no cull in 1990. However, I imagine the list of people wanting to drive them ended up being far lower than the number of surviving Invacars, so the specialists that looked after these cars do seem to have ended up with huge stashes of them. I remember a place in Selly Oak, Birmingham that had loads of them sitting around. I think my spares car may have been such a vehicle, as it doesn't seem to have been on the road for some years before the cull of 2003.

[nisfan]

That may have been the case as the building may have been a garage of some sort at that time.

[Felly Magic]

Just found this Sans Permis thing on youtube, it's even in the forum livery. I WANT ONE!

 

[forddeliveryboy]

They're very beautifully engineered little engines in these cars, designed by Erich Ledwinka of Haflinger fame, Hans' son. Sodium-filled valves (someone wondered about this a few pages back) were apparently only found on the 660cc versions running the high CR, as used in the fastest versions of the little Pucherl, the Austrian version of the Fiat 500.

 

There was one near Mauterndorf back in the late 90s which wouldn't start when hot, just tight valves which were reset to 0.15/0.20 i/e. I remember an intricate valve gear assembly suggesting fine breathing, it was the only one I've ever seen and was disappointed to drive it only half a mile or so, so sweet and a lovely sound.

[Asimo]

[dollywobbler]

With gratuitous use of levers, TWC was lifted from the pallets enough to get a jack under, and then the wheels, with new tyres, were refitted. Hoorah!

 

Problem is, the offside rear wheel is still stuck solid. I cannot free it off, even with gratuitous use of hammers and heat. Any ideas? Did wonder about just giving it a drag, but I'm not sure there's enough weight to free it off. And it'll make a hellish mess of the driveway...

[oldcars]

Can you take the drum off and pads out? Then pop the wheel on and don't touch the brakes and move it to the garage. Or plonk the wheel on a skateboard, strap it on and push it that way?

[dollywobbler]

Can you take the drum off and pads out? Then pop the wheel on and don't touch the brakes and move it to the garage. Or plonk the wheel on a skateboard, strap it on and push it that way?

 

Drum is seized in place. Could try backing the adjusters off, but I imagine they're pretty seized too. Annoying to be so close to a rolling car!

[Guest Hooli]

It's not one of those drums held on with the wheel bearing is it?

[oldcars]

Drum is seized in place. Could try backing the adjusters off, but I imagine they're pretty seized too. Annoying to be so close to a rolling car!

Do they have girling brakes like my Reliant. There is a peg on the back of the drum to wind the pads in an out. I had to spray loads of wd40 to get them to move.

[dollywobbler]

Do they have girling brakes like my Reliant. There is a peg on the back of the drum to wind the pads in an out. I had to spray loads of wd40 to get them to move.

 

Very similar I imagine. 

[John F]

Free off the adjusters, ratchet-strap a long lever to the wheel (around the tyre), then wobble it up & down until it frees off?

[dollywobbler]

Will give it a go. Not sure when. Need to go and get firewood, and it's trying to snow...

[stephen01]

Hagerty sponsored the video, so effectively paid for the collection caper. Quite impressed that my random collection of rubbish videos has built up to sufficient levels to pull that off. Only took four years...

 

 

 

I now know why you had the hire van so long! 

[dollywobbler]

I now know why you had the hire van so long! 

 

Indeed. That was an absolute luxury to be honest. Even at two days, the costs were looking scary though. A friend had offered to share driving on a 'drive there, drive straight back' mission, but I'm not sure I really fancied it. Plus, the truck was limited to 200 miles a day. Third day meant no problems.

[dollywobbler]

Every time I look out the window, I smile. I'm ridiculous.

 

Have just learnt that the nearest Class 3 MOT station is 12 miles away, so the first drive should be interesting. In related news, the DVLA have cashed my cheque that went in with the V62 form, so I'm taking that as a good sign. Surely they wouldn't cash it and then not send a logbook?

 

I'm not happy jacking the car up where it sits, so the plan on Saturday is to try and drag her somewhere a bit firmer so I can have a go at freeing off that brake. Then, there will be a hasty clearout of the garage - might get the 2CV out for a run up the driveway before trying to squeeze both cars in. At least then I can tinker whatever the weather.

[Felly Magic]

Tea, big hammers, swearing, more tea, and even bigger hammers for Saturday? Squirting some diesel down the bores is a good tip when freeing off stuck engines so I'm told

[Guest Hooli]

I think he's more than 12 miles from England.

[Talbot]

You'll find the brake shoes rustwelded to the drums. I've had them so bad before now that when the drum finally moved, the shoe friction material had detatched from the backing plate and was still firmly attached to the drum internals!

 

If you have a spare wheel, you might be able to weld a long bar to it to gain the MA needed to break the rustweld. Either that, or tip the car on it's side and fill the drum up with diesel...