Jump to content

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

Recommended Posts

25 minutes ago, PhilA said:

Congratulations!

I remember those heady halcyon days. Get out there and get comfortable behind the wheel.

Congrats on the cobrahead, those are becoming a rarer sight over here now, good lamps.

Thanks! yeah it will be interesting!, outside of a few laps round the FoD in a 2CV and my Invacar, I have never driven on my own on public roads before etc

so I do wonder how I will do when the time comes! will I be a bit nervous because im on my own, or will be a bit more relaxed because I no longer have eyes on me judging how im doing etc LOL

hopefully in good time I will find out! but currently im not sure LOL (guess it will also depends on what the conditions are when I take to the road)

 

and yeah! I was actually pleasantly surprised that AEL do still list the 115 (and some other HID cobraheads) but you do have to go for digging for it, I do wonder just how longer they will keep making them before LEDs ruin all the fun

I also have waiting with the same lighting collector friend in texas who bought this cobrahead for me, a full sized proper NEMA head (which was factory specced with 277V 60Hz series choke type ballast so I should be able to run it directly off 240V 50Hz hopefully)

not sure when Ill be getting that, but he saved it new in box a few years ago specifically for me (he found 2 so one for his collection one for mine) :) so I am quite looking forward to getting it as those are another type of Iconic US street/area light, that id love to have in my collection

(I do actually have a Home Depot type US Yard Blaster in my collection, but sadly its refractor broke, and its not full sized like a NEMA head is)

Morris my cat also likes the AEL 115 because warm :) 

526188702_MessagesImage(2892669584).thumb.png.e45216b4e37ad42ca95598a0641f3f90.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

haha yes this was shown to me during the Zoom call! what a truly awesome thing it is its so amazing :) 

I really was not expecting it! :) thank you very much to @Slowsilverand Mrs Slowsilver for making it for me!

I very much look forward to receiving it eventually! and uniting Cuddly REV with full sized REV! its properly made me grin and I cant help but smile and laugh when I see it :) 

(and the detail is very good as well :) )

once again its so very awesome and thank you very much for it :) 

Congratulations Des! Hope REV is ready for you to drive soon. The original suggestion for cuddly mini-REV came from @Mrs6C so I passed it on to Mrs Silver, who is a dab hand at creative sewing and likes a challenge. @quicksilverand I acted as technical consultants when it came to the detailing. I then hassled her to get it finished for last weekend, hoping you would be at the FoD so we could present it to you, but I quite understand you wanting to rest up for your test, which obviously did the trick. Ian being at the field was an unexpected bonus though and he was actually the first person outside the Silver family to see it which, as a fellow Invacar owner, seems appropriate. Hopefully we can get it to you in person shortly and it looks as good in the flesh fabric as it does in the photos.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! :) 

indeed I did realise that it was likely made to be presented to me at the FoD! and I do feel bad for not being there, that and knowing @mat_the_cat made it with his Series 3 Landy, I was especially hoping to get a chance to have a look at that! and I feel bad for not being there for it LOL

typical eh the one time I decided to Voluntarily not go to a FoD gathering all the fun stuff happens! LOL

and yeah I am really looking forward to getting it and seeing it in person! :) I have elected to have @Mrs6C hold onto it until I can either be given it in person, or it finds its way down to me via shitely, who knows maybe with any luck ill go and pick it up in Full sized REV :)

as sorry @Yoss but I am not trusting the postal service with this one LOL I dont want it to get lost in the post! although can you imagine someones reaction to randomly being delivered a Fluffy Invacar teddybear cuddly toy thingamabob  :mrgreen:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/21/2021 at 5:30 PM, LightBulbFun said:

so for those who might not know I had my 3rd driving test today,

and for those who do know are probably wondering just how it went! 

well im very pleased to announced, that finally after 2 years I finally passed my car driving test and now have a full B licence woo!

heres the obligatory picture of the pass Certificate :) 

image.thumb.png.f1f8056d28336640ede891530145e532.png

only 4 minors, Ill take that LOL

1894358569_MessagesImage(3182858359).png.c63e9af45387f7cbc5df1e262ae8230c.png

im so please to have finally passed, Iv put so much time, effort and money into it,  and its finally paid off!, 3rd times a charm literally (although 1st time with this instructor for what thats worth :) )

and there was so much riding on it (with my theory pass which was going to expire in January, but knowing there where just no practical driving test slots for the foreseeable future etc)

its a massive weight off my shoulders now!

speaking of instructors this is the website https://drivebetter.co.uk/ for the one which I passed my test with :) I do recommend her if you have someone in East London wanting to learn how to drive, if she can get me through a test I imagine she can get anyone through!

heres the obligatory standing by car with pass certificate photo!  

IMG_8877.thumb.jpeg.0f6b2d06c4557b29fc164474364a41c4.jpeg

so yeah finally passed Woo! I just need REV roadworthy and home and finally ill have some form own personal independence once more! 

Thank you to everyone who has been with/put up with/helped me through this whole roller coaster ride! its seriously appreciated :) 

Really pleased for you. Well done. ( what’s a cat b licence?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Slowsilver said:

Congratulations Des! Hope REV is ready for you to drive soon. The original suggestion for cuddly mini-REV came from @Mrs6C so I passed it on to Mrs Silver, who is a dab hand at creative sewing and likes a challenge. @quicksilverand I acted as technical consultants when it came to the detailing. I then hassled her to get it finished for last weekend, hoping you would be at the FoD so we could present it to you, but I quite understand you wanting to rest up for your test, which obviously did the trick. Ian being at the field was an unexpected bonus though and he was actually the first person outside the Silver family to see it which, as a fellow Invacar owner, seems appropriate. Hopefully we can get it to you in person shortly and it looks as good in the flesh fabric as it does in the photos.
 

I’m not convinced mrs @Slowsilver   exists- like arfur Daley’s her indoors and Mrs mainwaring  heard of but not seen. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Congratulations man. Are you getting a proper car too, or just going straight into the inv*c*r as an only driver?(!)

plan is hopefully go straight into The Invacar once she is here and roadworthy :)  (although ill gladly take up any offers of driving experience I can get in the meantime! im stil very eager to drive all the things!)

sadly Living in Central London means I just cant make multiple cars work (parking is 1 car per resident here, I could theoretically get away with 1 more by having it registered in my mums name or such but then that complicates insurance etc etc)

which goes back to the whole reason why I got an Invacar when I did even if its all a bit bonkers!

since I knew I could only have 1 car both because of parking restrictions and financial reasons (even a cheap K11 Micra or something you still need to pay insurance on!) which I knew was going to be my first car so I was determined to make it something I really wanted/my dream car, I wanted my first car to be something id Want to hang onto for life and be memorable, and I knew Model 70 was something that I was (still am :) ) wildly enthusiastic about and something I could actually just about make work/afford :) (I mean sadly Routemaster buses are a bit beyond my price range now! although I can drive one now as they are over 30 years old LOL) 

but I knew that if I did not act when I did, I would miss the boat on Model 70's (which I see is true, as even the most basket case projects seem to go for £2K+ now sadly)  and I was not going to let life screw me out my ambitions yet again! hence why I got REV when I did even if I was in no way really quite setup for her just yet,

but now I have finally got my full drivers licence  everything is finally falling into place nicely :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Really pleased for you. Well done. ( what’s a cat b licence?)

Thanks :)

heres a nifty Government link on the different categories https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

but the TL:DR is Category B is Full Car licence, I can drive anything Manual or Automatic (thats not a Motorcycle) weighing up to 3.5 Tons :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hearty congratulations on your test pass, that's really good news!

Have you had this (potential spot) on your thread before? (apologies if you have)

This is an old British Transport Film from the mid-60's, typically the interesting bit is the last 10 seconds, as the train speeds past and the orchestral music swells, there is a blue of light blue and some distinctive shapes.  The problem is the train was going too quickly and the film is out of focus, the vehicles on the train could be Invacars of some description?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations on the pass lbf. Have met you at fod a few times now and you seem a decent chap. Next time field is open you are more than welcome to have a crack in my c4 grand picasso. It's a big old barge but easy to maneuver with electric power steering and hydraulic clutch. Bonnet is a nightmare to see but it's easy enough if you want to try. I really don't envy you driving in London though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, CaptainBoom said:

Hearty congratulations on your test pass, that's really good news!

Have you had this (potential spot) on your thread before? (apologies if you have)

This is an old British Transport Film from the mid-60's, typically the interesting bit is the last 10 seconds, as the train speeds past and the orchestral music swells, there is a blue of light blue and some distinctive shapes.  The problem is the train was going too quickly and the film is out of focus, the vehicles on the train could be Invacars of some description?

 

Thanks :) Nice spot! not one I had seen before, but I sadly dont think those are Invacars, still a cool shot tho :) 

from what I understand DHSS invalid vehicles where never transported in that great a number, you normally only had a few invacars per train

the Ministry had a special deal with BR to use them as a sort of invacar mail service, they would either distribute new invalid vehicles from the factory to which ever local ALAC (Artificial limb and appliance centre) they where needed at, or transport existing invalid vehicles for the Ministry or user, they were never shipped in bulk like that to one direct location

say for example if an invalid vehicle user wanted to travel from London to Scotland the user could catch a train and have his machine transported for him also by rail, or if one ALAC had an invalid vehicle in stock of a type of configuration that another ALAC needed but did not have in stock it, it would be sent by rail to the ALAC that needed it

although Heywood was the DHSS's central stores/reserves for invalid vehicles, as above new invalid vehicles generally went directly to where they where needed, with pre-delivery inspection being taken by a Ministry officer stationed at the factory, so you never saw lots of them on a train together sadly! 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

Thanks :) Nice spot! not one I had seen before, but I sadly dont think those are Invacars, still a cool shot tho :) 

from what I understand DHSS invalid vehicles where never transported in that great a number, you normally only had a few invacars per train

the Ministry had a special deal with BR to use them as a sort of invacar mail service, they would either distribute new invalid vehicles from the factory to which ever local ALAC (Artificial limb and appliance centre) they where needed at, or transport existing invalid vehicles for the Ministry or user, they were never shipped in bulk like that to one direct location

say for example if an invalid vehicle user wanted to travel from London to Scotland the user could catch a train and have his machine transported for him also by rail, or if one ALAC had an invalid vehicle in stock of a type of configuration that another ALAC needed but did not have in stock it, it would be sent by rail to the ALAC that needed it

although Heywood was the DHSS's central stores/reserves for invalid vehicles, as above new invalid vehicles generally went directly to where they where needed, with pre-delivery inspection being taken by a Ministry officer stationed at the factory, so you never saw lots of them on a train together sadly! 

 

That sounds logical, it was a looooooong train and must have had >50 vehicles on it.  As you say, it was probably another vehicle entirely, I saw that shade of blue and the connection in my brainbox made itself :)

I seem to think the UK-made Isettas were transported by rail as the works they were built at in Brighton didn't have a road connection it could have been a batch of them, who knows?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, CaptainBoom said:

I seem to think the UK-made Isettas were transported by rail as the works they were built at in Brighton didn't have a road connection it could have been a batch of them, who knows?

That's correct - Isettas were made at the old Brighton Locomotive and Engineering Works - which, as the name suggests, had very good rail links.

I believe most of the components came in by rail as well.

It's ironic that a product designed to give cheap personal freedom from public transport depended upon the public transport network for it's construction and distribution.

image.png.cfb3b6b320da8b53a9413600fad3d2b0.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/21/2021 at 5:30 PM, LightBulbFun said:

so for those who might not know I had my 3rd driving test today,

and for those who do know are probably wondering just how it went! 

well im very pleased to announced, that finally after 2 years I finally passed my car driving test and now have a full B licence woo!

heres the obligatory picture of the pass Certificate :) 

image.thumb.png.f1f8056d28336640ede891530145e532.png

only 4 minors, Ill take that LOL

1894358569_MessagesImage(3182858359).png.c63e9af45387f7cbc5df1e262ae8230c.png

im so please to have finally passed, Iv put so much time, effort and money into it,  and its finally paid off!, 3rd times a charm literally (although 1st time with this instructor for what thats worth :) )

and there was so much riding on it (with my theory pass which was going to expire in January, but knowing there where just no practical driving test slots for the foreseeable future etc)

its a massive weight off my shoulders now!

speaking of instructors this is the website https://drivebetter.co.uk/ for the one which I passed my test with :) I do recommend her if you have someone in East London wanting to learn how to drive, if she can get me through a test I imagine she can get anyone through!

heres the obligatory standing by car with pass certificate photo!  

IMG_8877.thumb.jpeg.0f6b2d06c4557b29fc164474364a41c4.jpeg

so yeah finally passed Woo! I just need REV roadworthy and home and finally ill have some form own personal independence once more! 

Thank you to everyone who has been with/put up with/helped me through this whole roller coaster ride! its seriously appreciated :) 

Yeeaaahhh chodtastic news well done @LightBulbFun

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...