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LightBulbFun's Invacar & general ramble thread, index on page 1, survivors lists on Pages 24/134 & AdgeCutler's Invacar Mk12 Restoration from Page 186 onwards, still harping on...


LightBulbFun

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I wonder if mobile mechanics exist in your area. I know they exist but not necessarily everywhere. 

Drum brake technology has barely changed in the last sixty years. The only difference between my Triumph and the Škodas is a basic self adjusting system and the big Triumphs already had that by the time mine was built. So any decent mechanic could look at the Invacar brakes and recognise what is in front of him. You might just have to give him advice on where to jack it up without tipping it over!

 

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I have just read through the last 5 pages.

You have an unbelievable attitude towards people whom have tried to help you LBF.

You press that you are grateful and don't mean to come across as otherwise, but you do and you can't take that back now.

Unless you have Jedi levels of spannering ability to fix something quickly at the roadside then in my opinion this Invacar should be a weekend toy and no more, with a more conventional and dependable daily to get you from A to B. Especially if you are looking for a job. I wouldn't buy some of the projects I have unless I and my wife both had other cars to use whilst the project sulked in the corner when things don't always go right.

I wish you the best with this but unless you start listening to some of the advice on here about re-evaluating the project, its not going to end well.

I'll probably get shot down for the above but, well, more fool them.

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I tried to put Dez off buying this, pointing out some of the long term drawbacks but Dez was determined to find one, and good on him. Dez lives in central London, the downside is no parking (so only one car is possible), the upside is he has the best public transport in the country available to him. This means public transport can be his "daily" and the 70 his weekend toy. There is no rush to get the car fixed, so it takes what it takes.

As for coming across on here as ungrateful, remember this is a written forum. I have met both yourself and Captain 70s and know you are both good guys more than happy to help people out, but on here you come across as negative twats. Knowing you, I know this is incorrect, that you genuinely want to help Dez out, but that is the danger of a written forum.

There is always a way. The car is at chezDez so he can keep an eye on it and keep it running. Being parked on tarmac is always better than being parked on grass. Once the weather improves, work can continue. In the meantime, if Dez manages 5 mins a day, it will slowly improve and will allow him to save up for paying for repairs.

Keep going Dez.

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7 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

I have met both yourself and Captain 70s and know you are both good guys more than happy to help people out, but on here you come across as negative twats

I don't recall ever meeting you.

Crack on though.

Exactly why I don’t post much on here anymore.

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3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I don't recall ever meeting you.

Crack on though.

Exactly why I don’t post much on here anymore.

I thought you had attended SF18 at my place, and there was no one there who I disliked. My apologies.

If you cannot tell when a comment is positive and aimed at lightening the mood, then I agree 100% with you, posting on forums may not be for you. 

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2 hours ago, Saabnut said:

that is the danger of a written forum.

 

This ^^ , with no physical interaction its easy to take things the wrong way on a forum.

You prick

Or

You prick

One of those is with a cheeky smile and meant as a joke, one is serious and spiteful.

 

Dez whilst lacking the experience of shit car shuffling of others on here, he clearly understands the risks of owning an old shed. But with it currently not being depended on or incurring massive costs being parked where it is i cant see any issues for people to get all shirty over.

He'll be fine, 

For example

On @DoctorRetro thread i advised him that welding an inner sill on a 309 outside this time of year was really not a good idea . But the sexy bastard only went and bloody done it! And made a tidy job of it aswell!  

Random guy on internet- wrong

Owner of car - right

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Back to Dez, Autoshite, to me at least, is about not doing the sensible thing, about having  dreams and beliefs that might or might not happen.A bit like primitive people with religion.There's still folk who believe that if you buy an old........... (insert favorite make) and change the oil regularly, it'll run forever and never need a regas M9! We've a regular who blew his budget on a 25 year old Toyota on the strength of it making a nice noise, having a hydraulic fan and twin rear wipers. And why not? Really the Invacar is tantalising close to fruition. Sounds as if the brakes are holding it back(sorry!) But can anbody think of a simpler system? Then the fluids probably need changing. Pretty sure the whole lot would fit in a washing up bowl. The car is now on the road, literally and thanks to Adam and a few others, it's massively further on than a year ago. Really it's got a hell of a lot going for it. Rust shouldn't be too much of a problem, no tax or Mot, ULEZ compliant, easy to park(doesn't look like much else would fit in that parking space anyway)The value can only go up. Just needs a bit of media exposure. It really is fascinating story.The AC and Greeves connections, the tales of Derry Preston Cobb, the cars getting "banned", a few escaping "the crusher"...... Ooh, I want one more and more. 

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14 minutes ago, DodgyBastard said:

There's an Invacar for sale close to me, I was tempted to buy it and do some real life safety tests with it.

Might need a dustpan and brush to tidy up the debris. I would find it incredibly interesting to see how it would fare against a modern car ploughing through it...

Screenshot_20211217-185502.jpg

Thing is, an Invacar isn't a car. Never has been, never will be. It's a motorized tricycle. If one was hit by a car, any car, the results obviously wouldn't be good. But then people take to the roads on bicycles, motorbikes, quadbikes, those French microcars, the new Citroën Ami etc. and take their chances. So long as they're aware of the risks, I don't see an issue. At least a Model 70 would seem to have enough performance to keep pace with city traffic at least. 

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4 hours ago, Saabnut said:

I thought you had attended SF18 at my place, and there was no one there who I disliked. My apologies.

If you cannot tell when a comment is positive and aimed at lightening the mood, then I agree 100% with you, posting on forums may not be for you. 

Not sure it’s your job to decide who posts on forums or not. 

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25 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

Anyways. . .

Dez when you can, if the weathers not awful. See if you can get each wheel up in the air and see which one turns freely and which one doesnt or if they are all locked up etc etc.

Fingers cross for just one not playing ball. 

 

17 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

And then whack it with a big hammer!

indeed I have been building up my tool set to allow me to do so :) (just currently waiting on a set of wheel chocks to arrive, already got the jack, axle stands and funny square drive spanner for twiddling the adjusters :) 

I have a sneaky suspicion it has something to do with the handbrake, as both rear wheels where equally warm but the front was fine

so I am hoping as @dollywobbler mentioned I can poke the hand brake pivot point thats mounted to the chassis cross member

image.thumb.png.3f7eaeec65087af3f6e8246ff43a6a09.png

and see if thats causing my issues, as if thats not working properly  it will keep the handbrake on even when you release the handle, but it should be possibly to manually return it home if its not releasing on its own

image.thumb.png.98a792f652f52260d0bc62ab230a29c8.png

I do wonder if the return spring has broken, but I do know that the handbrake handle returns itself home without issue when you twist release it, which would indicate that the spring, and the pivot point is working fine,

so my issue may lie elsewhere, perhaps both rear brakes decided to both bind up at the same time equally? I guess we will find out once I have everything to hand and I can go give things poke :) 

 

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39 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

so my issue may lie elsewhere, perhaps both rear brakes decided to both bind up at the same time equally? I guess we will find out once I have everything to hand and I can go give things poke :) 

The wheel cylinder fits in a slot in the backplate and is retained by a U shaped plate with a spring clip.  This allows the cylinder to slide in the slot when it operates.  You should be able to check that it is sliding properly without taking the drum off - with handbrake off and preferably adjuster wound right back, so the shoes are free to move.   Also check that there is a bit of free play in the handbrake cable when the brake is off - you should be able to waggle the lever on the backplate.   Then re-adjust brake.   Next if you can get someone to help,  get them to apply the brakes while you are turning the wheel  (jacked up and supported obvs.) and then see if the wheel stops, then frees off when they release the brakes.  Do this with the main brake and the handbrake.    Repeat for other side.   These are simple checks without any dismantling and will tell you a lot.      

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My theory about all this, the supply of local fish chips to the household imo is the core aim of the thread, the m70 is easy to park outside the chippy, it's footwells are perfectly setup for bags of badly wrapped chips,chip grease could be used to lubricate the brake mechanism and the motivation to enjoy the chips at home is good a enough incentive to prevent him driving it about excitedly till the fuel runs out because few people like cold fish and chips. 

 

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9 minutes ago, Jikovron said:

My theory about all this, the supply of local fish chips to the household imo is the core aim of the thread, the m70 is easy to park outside the chippy, it's footwells are perfectly setup for bags of badly wrapped chips,chip grease could be used to lubricate the brake mechanism and the motivation to enjoy the chips at home is good a enough incentive to prevent him driving it about excitedly till the fuel runs out because few people like cold fish and chips. 

 

Wouldn't it be easier, quicker, safer, and better for the planet for Dez to get an allotment and grow his own spuds, then he wouldn't have to fix his Invacar or drive to the chippy at all?

 

 

 

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Given the time it's been standing the wheel cylinders will want rebuilding or replacing. They'll be seized. In any event the whole system wants going through for inspection. Fresh brake fluid will want flushing through the system. It's a full day or two's work.

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Absolutely.

Fluid will be mostly dirt and water. Seals worn, pistons clagged etc etc. 

Single circuit is ok, if it's in good working order and driver is aware of what piston failure (warning signs) feel like.  Master cylinders tend to be the same, however, old, neglected ones often work ok then fail next application.

I wouldn't go far or fast in it until you can be reasonably sure of stopping. More than once...🤔

Encouragement of anything else is irresponsible to say the least (wether you think so or not).  

Someone who knows what they are doing should have a look/overhaul/advise accordingly. Preferably in person. 

And before the usual ' I've driven for years on 20 year old brake fluid etc etc' starts - I don't care what you have or would do. I care about a potential accident/incident happening to anyone, let alone someone less well equipped to deal with it in terms of personal circumstances as well as a glorified bathtub on three wheels. 

Yes, I would if it can be brought to workshop. 

 

 

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I spoke to my Grandfather earlier about the Irish Invacar he used to see about and apparently it was kept in Danesfort, Co. Kilkenny rather than Knocktopher and was owned by a man with the surname Doyle and was on an IP(Kilkenny) plate.  I think it was knocking around pre-1968 and was later replaced with a different sort of invalid carriage.

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10 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Or ask the neighbour with the Rover if he knows of any locals that work on old cars 

this is probably the most helpful post in the last 3 pages of heat. 

ive recommissioned old heaps before.  the way i looked at it, it was more important that it would stop than it would go. so started with brakes, all new cylinders, hoses, pads, shoes, whatever.  all of it.  you're talking about a few quid but you have peace of mind that it is done, and then you know where youre starting from.  then move onto 'go'.  i would be urging wherever possible the purchase of new parts because they are never available forever and if you have new ones on your car youre likely to keep the wheels turning for much longer into the future.

i would find yourself a garage trusted by someone you trust.  ask them to put together a charles ware type programme for you.  stage 1 - stopping reliably.  stage 2 - going reliably.  stage 3 - ongoing maintenence.  they might even be able to make things easier for you going forward with a few modifications here and there.

sorry to sound all nuns and kittens but this thing really ought not to be going anywhere near the queens highway until someone has properly gone through it. 

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@LightBulbFun, All this talk of finding a local garage, I cannot find one (on the internet) in your area who is likely to do the work required.  My thoughts are that REV now stops and goes, for short journeys, but dont go too far, and be careful. I am sure you will spot anything that is not good in REVs running. And your circumstances are not practical to do all the work required to make a complete job. Like you, I thought more had been done when I saw REV.  What I would do is wait until spring, and the FOD is up and running with the "barn" available for shelter, and then people who know what they are doing can work on both REV and @Mrs6C s Model 70.  in comfort.  It will take some time, but will be worth it in the end. 

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2 minutes ago, bobdisk said:

My thoughts are that REV now stops and goes, for short journeys, but dont go too far, and be careful. 

LBF, in the interests of both yourself and other road users safety I would urge you to ignore this completely. It’s clear from the short video that your car is not roadworthy in its current state.

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If I remember correctly you have something to do with insurance, apologies if I'm wrong.

If I'm not what's the insurance position when he's aware that there are brake problems, still drives it and something happens?

I know that people do this all the time and it's probably moot but it might be something for him to be aware of.

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1 hour ago, Yank Tank said:

this is probably the most helpful post in the last 3 pages of heat. 

ive recommissioned old heaps before.  the way i looked at it, it was more important that it would stop than it would go. so started with brakes, all new cylinders, hoses, pads, shoes, whatever.  all of it.  you're talking about a few quid but you have peace of mind that it is done, and then you know where youre starting from.  then move onto 'go'.  i would be urging wherever possible the purchase of new parts because they are never available forever and if you have new ones on your car youre likely to keep the wheels turning for much longer into the future.

i would find yourself a garage trusted by someone you trust.  ask them to put together a charles ware type programme for you.  stage 1 - stopping reliably.  stage 2 - going reliably.  stage 3 - ongoing maintenence.  they might even be able to make things easier for you going forward with a few modifications here and there.

sorry to sound all nuns and kittens but this thing really ought not to be going anywhere near the queens highway until someone has properly gone through it. 

 

12 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Or ask the neighbour with the Rover if he knows of any locals that work on old cars 

All excellent advice. Problem is, there's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. REV needs to get to the garage in the first place.Are there any mobile mechanics in the area? Dez sounds an intelligent young man and I'm sure he genuinely thought Adam had "gone through the brakes"before delivering the car(sorry,motorised tricycle!). On the positive side, he claims to have a stash of brake parts, and they seem to be mostly classic Triumph anyway. We've also got several owners of running Model 70s who seem happy to offer technical advice.Like others, I'm sure, I'm becoming increasingly frustrated by this saga and just wish he wasn't 3+hours away so I could pop round and hopefully sort the bloody thing out! 

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