Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[MorrisItalSLX]

Looks like everything is going smashingly in the land of blue fibreglass.

 

Do you have a pair of hubcaps?

[dollywobbler]

I don't have hubcaps, no. She probably needs some.

[SiC]

When is the Festival of the Unexpected? Hagerty website doesn't show or state the 2018 dates.

[dollywobbler]

https://carfestivalbooking.com/events/festival-of-the-unexceptional-2018 

[Zelandeth]

I don't have hubcaps, no. She probably needs some.

I may have some spares...

[skoda_fan]

This popped up on a Dundee FB page. Petite is it or something else?

 

Wasn't the Petite a "normal" three wheeler as opposed to an invalid carriage? It did look very similar though, and I don't know which came first. I love the look of that J2 van.

[skoda_fan]

If it had a stereo you could’ve pissed off the locals with a bit of this! Bet they hear it all the time...

Wow, that's fab. Never heard it before and had forgotten all about Camel. (More time-wasting Googling imminent.....)

[dollywobbler]

Wasn't the Petite a "normal" three wheeler as opposed to an invalid carriage? It did look very similar though, and I don't know which came first. I love the look of that J2 van.

 

Yes. The Petite was one of those awful economy cars. I had a ride in one once, and the sheer noise was staggering! I'm not exactly sure when AC started to build Invalid Carriages as well.

[eifion]

Like +1000.

 

Did it make print?

 

Page 45 of today's Observer magazine. Congratulations, Ian.

[dozeydustman]

No, but they are finally in the edit phase.

 

In other news, lefty-beardy achievement unlocked!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/29/ac-invacar-model-70-review-invalid-carriage-festival-of-the-unexceptional

 

 

Muchly liking.

[dollywobbler]

Page 45 of today's Observer magazine. Congratulations, Ian.

 

Ace. I've not seen the hard copy. Did they use the same image?

[eifion]

No, it looks like this:

 

[egg]

Should see a little jump in channel subscribers now!

[dollywobbler]

Excellent. 

[Felly Magic]

WINNER, that is all

[SiC]

Bugs me that they didn't put the URL on a single line.

[dollywobbler]

Went for a drive. Found some friends.

 

Practical Classics were in the area, so I drove over the Elan Valley Mountain Road to meet them. Can't say TWC was the most enjoyable drive over there (a 2CV is about the ultimate for that road) but she made it there no probs, then did a bit of a convoy with them around the lakes before heading back home. Another 50-odd miles covered.

 

Essentially, this was TWC's first classic car meet, and there were loads of early 1970s motors about!

 

TWC got LOTS of attention, so good prep for later shows this year.

[dollywobbler]

Oh and I had to nip into Rhayader to visit the Post Office. HubNut stickers in demand across the world! Ottowa and Ohio today. Meant I had to park TWC up with all the regular cars.

 

This trip meant crossing the county border too! So that's now two counties driven in. We'll have ticked a fair few more off by the time we reach Festival of the Unexceptional, and I then plan to take her back to Thundersley. 

 

Today did make me realise how hard the trip is going to be. Earplugs will definitely be needed. She makes decent enough progress (40-50mph is pretty comfortable as long as it isn't windy) but I really need to rig up a spring on the handlebars. Not being able to rest your weight on them really makes the shoulders ache.

[Christine]

Ah i was thinking about that.. gas strut?

[dollywobbler]

Could work. Trick is to find something that offers more support, but doesn't prevent the brake being applied sharply. Showing off a bit earlier, I proved that it stops quickly enough to send everything on the 'shelf' behind the seat flying!

[Zelandeth]

Good to see her out and about!

 

Wonder if an easier solution to engineer might be an arm rest of some description, though thinking about it, A: The doors are a long way away from you, and B: They'd probably get in the way of opening the doors...

 

Never mind, I'm speaking rubbish as usual!

[vulgalour]

Unless the arm rests were attached to a seat like those on a coach and could be folded up out of the way.  Not so rubbish if there's the space to drop them in.

[dollywobbler]

One of my favourites from today. I got to lead a convoy in my Invacar! Not my skid marks.

[Zelandeth]

Not my skid marks.

 

So you say anyway!

[dollywobbler]

These aren't mine either. SEE YOU L8ER AMI! (Stolen from Danny Hopkins, editor of Practical Classics which you should all buy the July issue of).

[vulgalour]

Quite a lot of your pictures are just showing up as links for me.  Is anyone else having this issue?

[dollywobbler]

Quite a lot of your pictures are just showing up as links for me.  Is anyone else having this issue?

 

Most are Twitter links, except the last one, which is Facebook. Displaying fine here.

[adw1977]

All displaying OK for me, and great pics they are too!

[Datsuncog]

Fine here too, pic-wise.

 

Absolutely glorious couple of posts there - it fair brings a tear to the eye and a swelling of the heart to see little TWC leading the convoy through such a landscape.

 

This is what it's all about, kids.

 

Massive, massive kudos to DW for taking an utterly discarded and even ridiculed vehicle, and making it live again. Fair play, dude.

[dollywobbler]

There was a supposedly genuine headliner kit on Ebay for £65 plus £15 delivery. I was going near the seller yesterday, so I asked what cash deals were on. Fifty quid. Sorted.

 

Fitting it was, er, interesting.

 

Had to remove the seat back, remove the trim above the windscreen (including the demister) and rope in Mrs DW to help with 'clever violence.' Otherwise, I was clearly going to ruin everything.

 

Sorted!

 

It's a proper 1990s velour, made by a company in Devon in 1997. Does seem to vaguely fit, and it's added to refinement levels pretty seriously. Reduced headroom, but we reduced the seat height, which makes it more comfortable, and means I'm no longer trying to look through the top of the windscreen. Ace!

 

Still bloody loud, but less echoey.