invacar 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]

problem is i was a member of the invalid carriage register since 2001,know Stuart Cyphus personally very well since then,so although not having owned one (tho i did own a hand proppelled Harding) ive been involved with them long before the recent surge of interest in them happened,so most of it is "old news" 

 

 

I was wondering if you had a mental list of all known model 70s and you where ticking off the ones i found and counting down until I would run out 

 

(so far I think iv got about 25ish documented here? from what I read about 50-70 survive? )

 

the problem I see/face is the fact none of this information seems to be documented anywhere? and it would be a great shame for it to be lost in some way or another, so im trying to do what I can to gather information etc

 

 

BTW you mentioned a few pages back that you have contacts and may be able to find a Model 70 sale, do you know if you could do that? with the money situation getting "serious" I think im in a good position to properly go fishing so to speak, as mentioned previously im hoping to find one for about a grand or there about

 

 

How can you tow a three wheeler, i thought they had to be off the ground for towing?

 

while im not sure of the current regs

 

from what I read back in the day the DHSS had a custom made towing frame of sorts made for model 70s which would cradle the front wheel (I wonder if any of those frames/dollies survive?)

[LightBulbFun]

plenty of towing dollies for three wheelers out there,ive infact used one to tow a Robin behind a Rebel.

All survivors are documented by the ICR,unfortunately the present keeper of the ICR is more interested in self promotion than running the register as it used to be,i will check on the status of my old friend who previously ran it,i believe he retained his archive when it changed hands.

As to finding one,you would need a minimum of £1500,any less and it would be wasting their time,then of course you would have to pay to get it moved,and that would be for a project.

 

Yeah I have noticed that too sadly its all the more reason why im trying to gather information on all these Model 70s (just as an aside, I do care about other invalid carriages, but right now im focusing on Model 70s as thats where my main interests lies) 

 

(if you feed the old website into the web archive/internet time machine, you can see there was a lot more information there then there is currently there)

 

good to have a solid price target to aim for, lets hope i can wrangle that rent discount shall we? 

 

im thinking if I do end up with one that needs lots of TLC, that maybe I could work something out with Zel and work on it as a joint project, its far from ideal (due to all the travelling that would involve) and I have not run any of this past him but its an idea thats been kicking around in the back of my head

 

speaking of needing TLC, if you dont mind me picking your brains one more time for a specific model 70, do you know what became of this Model 70? it was for sale 3 times by the same seller in 2017 for £550 (which is something I could actually afford), although mechanically its far from perfect going by the description. (but at least the body is in good shape)

 

 

 

but im also wondering what happened to it because im worried that it was sent for scrap if the seller decided he could not sell it....

[LightBulbFun]

not sure on that one,but it wont have been scrapped,not least because there is no metal in it.

 

well hopefully its current whereabouts are found-out (for those wondering iv posted links to the 3 gumtree adverts a few pages back, sadly i dont think theres any way to contact the seller of an ended gum tree advert?)

 

speaking of invacar (related) sellers

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&_ssn=invacar70&_sop=10

 

iv been keeping an eye on this seller, he keeps listing increasingly more and more invacar spare parts maybe ill get lucky and he will list an entire model 70 (that or he ends up listing enough spare parts to build one)  

 

(im curious if the seller actually owns MHJ22P or if the seller is just using it purely as an example, I think you mentioned either in this thread or another (or at least someone did somewhere) that MHJ22P was the first Model 70 to be returned to the road after the invalid carriage register wrangled with the DVLA to allow surviving invalid carriages to return to the road )

 

I also wonder where all the parts are combing from...

[steveo3002]

why dont you ask the man ? 

 

id also get on all the facebook classics, 3 wheeler etc groups and ask around 

[LightBulbFun]

why dont you ask the man ? 

 

id also get on all the facebook classics, 3 wheeler etc groups and ask around 

 

social anxiety mainly 

 

(its not so bad when im talking to someone in person, but when im given a chance to see what im saying I get all worried, is this or that going to annoy/piss off etc the person im talking too)

 

That is either Barry lees or Richard Morley,can't remember which at the moment,he bought about three tons of new spares and three invacars minus bodies from a Haflinger specialist up north.

 

you know its a good parts haul when you can measure it in tonnage 

 

I think the seller would be Rich since Barry was the one who ended up with the Body shell but he said he no longer had any chassis IIRC, I hope he (or someone with goody body work) makes moulds so repair sections can be produced for the likes of TPA and KPL

 

(im curious does any production/fabrication equipment/dies/moulds from Invacar or AC survive? also curious if AC and Invacar each have their own set of moulds or did the bodywork come from the same place with just final assembly done at the 2 locations?)

[lanciamatt]

Been reading this post for a while, I really do love your enthusiasm for these, the only one I can remember seeing was on my way to school in the 90s in Darfield in Barnsley. No idea of reg, drove past other day and obviously it wasn't there. I hope you end up getting one shortly, and have plenty of fun using it

[LightBulbFun]

Been reading this post for a while, I really do love your enthusiasm for these, the only one I can remember seeing was on my way to school in the 90s in Darfield in Barnsley. No idea of reg, drove past other day and obviously it wasn't there. I hope you end up getting one shortly, and have plenty of fun using it

 

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement

 

I too sadly cant recall the reg plate of the first one I saw, when I was 3ish, (it would be interesting to go through the archive material and see how many/which Invalid carriages where still deployed to the Hackney area in 2003 )

[dollywobbler]

That is either Barry lees or Richard Morley,can't remember which at the moment,he bought about three tons of new spares and three invacars minus bodies from a Haflinger specialist up north.

 

Most of Barry's stash went to the chap in Kent who took most of the cars from my field find. He has a LOT of spares. Sadly, he doesn't have a lot of time, and it sounds like it isn't very well documented. He has been very good and sent me quite a bit of stuff for no or little charge, though more for the exhaust, as they are pretty rare.

 

Pleased to see so many survivors out there, though I guess for a lot of people, the novelty soon wears off and driving them starts looking like a stupid/unnecessary ideal, hence perhaps why so many are SORN. Happily, I haven't reached that level of sensible yet. Still adventures to have! Just discovered the National Microcar Rally is in Somerset this year. Regardless of whether you've got one by then LightBulbFan, I think you should try to find a way to be there. 

[lanciamatt]

When I left school in 1996 the woman still had it, drove past everyday on a leyland national school bus

[LightBulbFun]

Most of Barry's stash went to the chap in Kent who took most of the cars from my field find. He has a LOT of spares. Sadly, he doesn't have a lot of time, and it sounds like it isn't very well documented. He has been very good and sent me quite a bit of stuff for no or little charge, though more for the exhaust, as they are pretty rare.

 

Pleased to see so many survivors out there, though I guess for a lot of people, the novelty soon wears off and driving them starts looking like a stupid/unnecessary ideal, hence perhaps why so many are SORN. Happily, I haven't reached that level of sensible yet. Still adventures to have! Just discovered the National Microcar Rally is in Somerset this year. Regardless of whether you've got one by then LightBulbFan, I think you should try to find a way to be there. 

 

iv been wondering about the field of invacars, I think st185cs is the user here who ended up with them all and was restoring one or 2? (and I think restoring a bare chassis too) I wonder how the restorations are going and what happened to the rest of the model 70s?

 

(there where quite a few in that field going by your videos )

 

ill have to see what I can do about Somerset without any personal transport im not sure id be able to make it unless I hitch a ride with someone?, so sadly I cant make any promises but who knows maybe hopefully I will have my own Model 70 by then to transport myself there in 

 

"I guess for a lot of people, the novelty soon wears off and driving them starts looking like a stupid/unnecessary ideal, hence perhaps why so many are SORN"

 

from reading around it seems that is the case sadly, it looks like when they where a bit more common/cheaper? a few years ago, people seemed to buy them for the novelty/for the car show, end up not really driving them where they then sit it seems...

 

probably because you would have to be a complete nut-case to actually really want to own and daily one (as an only vehicle) like me  

[dollywobbler]

I guess the other reason is that they don't command much value, certainly not compared to other 'proper' microcars. I know a runner sold for £2k towards the end of last year, which is a lot more than the field-find cars (£100 each!), but still very cheap for an odd three wheeler.

 

Yes, ST185C is the chap. I met him very briefly at the NEC.

[LightBulbFun]

£100 each?!

 

if only I could time travel! (I would finally be able to get a bayonet capped fluorescent tube!) admittedly i know even the ones that where relatively intact there like TWC needed/would need major recommission work

 

but for £100, I could blow the rest of the "slush fund" on paying Zel (or another local shitter) for garage work space, as I utterly do my back in faffing with getting the brake shoes fitted etc 

 

 

maybe ill drop ST185C a PM or something and see whats up (although I doubt they are still priced at £100 each...) stalking his profile shows he was online relatively recently...

 

(was the £2K one the Mk12 you mentioned a while ago?)

[dollywobbler]

No. I believe it was a Model 70.

[LightBulbFun]

No. I believe it was a Model 70.

 

ah cool got any pictures/know the reg? (iv probably featured it somewhere in this thread already  )

 

got me wondering tho, do you have any plans to drive any other invalid carriages? a shoot out/comparison between your Model 70 TWC, a Model 67, a Mk12 and an electric Tippen Delta for the electric car folks, would make for a very interesting video

 

(this recent discussion about costs makes me wonder, what did a Model 70 cost brand new?)

[oldcars]

There is one in Glasgow car museum. Saw it last year but it had a steering wheel. Did'nt know they were an option.

 

[LightBulbFun]

Page 7 post 190 

 

I am quite curious on the details of that one, its the oldest model 70 I have come across and also the ealiest withdrawn from service

 

I read somewhere that it was number 20 off the production line but I dont know for sure

 

interestingly I found this screen cap of another Model 70 with what looks like a GPG-K Reg (next to a Routemaster too ) sadly I cant quite make out the reg of the model 70, and the combinations iv tried on the DVLA dont turn up anything

 

 

the Model 70 had 56 main control combinations, the main 3 being Handle bar Steering wheel and tiller control (with popularity in that order from what i can tell, although it would be interesting to look at the offical reccords and figure out the exact populairty of each control scheme ))

 

you could get all 3 control schemes with or without foot pedals (in the case of the tiller/handle bar versions WITH a break pedal the tiller/handle bar was locked in place and did not go up and down)

 

 

 

BTW while sluething to find the above picture I came across this picture

 

 

so went and looked up the reg plate,

 

 

and its the mythical 600cc Model 70! (I have read that some Later? Model 70s had 600cc engines but I have never come across one in all my sleuthing)

 

I really wonder if it actually has a 600cc engine or if its miss typed, (I dont know if Steyr puch made a 600cc version of the engine in the Model 70 all the cars iv seen that use that engine series have either been 500cc or 650cc)

[DodgeRover]

LBF I can't remember have you got your driving license? If not what about booking some lessons and getting your test passed. I know it's going to eat into your savings but it would be a good investment, I'm assuming as you can't carry a passenger driving an invicar on L plates isn't possible?

[LightBulbFun]

I dont THINK I could drive with an invacar on L plates in todays laws, maybe you could do argue a motorbike clause but I dont know the details of that.

 

(however it is worth noting that the Passenger carrying is forbidden only applies to when they where invalid carriages, these days they are classed as trikes, so if your feeling very brave and or stupid nothing stops you from taking passengers LOL)

 

 

ATM I Just have a provisional licence 

 

at the current rate I get money im aiming to get the Model 70 first then worry about minor* details like getting a licence later, because if I say spend £50, it will take me a good few weeks to recover that at the £15.80 I get every 2 weeks, i dont want to risk a Model 70 popping up in those few weeks and finding myself not being able to go for it.

 

(if the rate I get money improves then I very well may consider getting some lessons etc in advance even if I dont have a Model 70 by then)

 

I do however have a set of L plates and plan for the next time I go visit zels place 

 

Side note I was looking at the national microcar rally and it happens to cross over with my birthday  

[lanciamatt]

You seem so passionate about these little cars, why don't we have a bit of a wip round when it's your birthday, go to the inva car funds, I'd happily contribute.

[LightBulbFun]

Ohh that would be very kind of you! you absolutely dont have to, but if you do, it will be greatly appreciated (and go to a good cause depending on who you ask?  )

[Floatylight]

Of Of r

Page 7 post 190

 

I am quite curious on the details of that one, its the oldest model 70 I have come across and also the ealiest withdrawn from service

 

I read somewhere that it was number 20 off the production line but I dont know for sure

 

interestingly I found this screen cap of another Model 70 with what looks like a GPG-K Reg (next to a Routemaster too ) sadly I cant quite make out the reg of the model 70, and the combinations iv tried on the DVLA dont turn up anything

 

invacar-and-bus.jpg

 

the Model 70 had 56 main control combinations, the main 3 being Handle bar Steering wheel and tiller control (with popularity in that order from what i can tell, although it would be interesting to look at the offical reccords and figure out the exact populairty of each control scheme ))

 

you could get all 3 control schemes with or without foot pedals (in the case of the tiller/handle bar versions WITH a break pedal the tiller/handle bar was locked in place and did not go up and down)

 

 

 

BTW while sluething to find the above picture I came across this picture

 

mk70.jpg

 

so went and looked up the reg plate,

 

Screenshot 2019-01-25 at 15.38.16.png

 

and its the mythical 600cc Model 70! (I have read that some Later? Model 70s had 600cc engines but I have never come across one in all my sleuthing)

 

I really wonder if it actually has a 600cc engine or if its miss typed, (I dont know if Steyr puch made a 600cc version of the engine in the Model 70 all the cars iv seen that use that engine series have either been 500cc or 650cc)

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

[mk2_craig]

Your savings would buy this with a little haggling:

 

 

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=392213874759&category=18238&pm=1&ds=0&t=1547318734000&ver=0&cspheader=1

 

Nice K11 Micra auto with low miles. It's even had a new exhaust!! Get through your test in that then pursue the Invacar dream later on after building up a bit of roadcraft.

[LightBulbFun]

while I do like a good K11 Micra (Much to the annoyance of one of my close friends who much prefers K10s) im going full steam ahead on the invacar

 

I have several reasons for not getting another car now and chasing the invacar later

 

its been a long and very painful slog to save up what I have done so far, if im going through the trouble of getting a car im going to damn well make sure its my dream car Im also worried that if I dont make a move as soon as I can that I will miss my chance for being able to acquire one at sensible prices/a price i can try and afford

 

plus as crazy as this sounds, an Invacar is surprisingly practical for someone like me,

 

someone who is stuck inside a large city but needs a car to leave the house on anything more then a very sparse basis, an invacar was designed exactly for this, for helping the less able to pop to the shops for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread (or a can of peaches in the case of TWC )

 

also keep in mind insurance on anything vaguely modern like that nice K11 would probably dry dock me so hard up the arse my prostate would burst

 

where as the Invacar I can (hopefully!) get nice and cheap on some sort of classic insurance policy, and then theres also the fact VED is free, and no LEZ/ULEZ to worry about

 

(I also have other smaller reasons, like an invacar primarily being made of GRP and overbuilt ladder chassis so rust is less of a concern)

 

so all in all an invacar is not only the car of my dreams so to speak, but also surprisingly practical/well suited to my needs

 

 

its so easy to look at an invacar and just laugh at them

 

but when you break it down and actually look at it, they are surprisingly decent at doing what they where built for

[dollywobbler]

Page 7 post 190

 

I am quite curious on the details of that one, its the oldest model 70 I have come across and also the ealiest withdrawn from service

 

I read somewhere that it was number 20 off the production line but I dont know for sure

 

interestingly I found this screen cap of another Model 70 with what looks like a GPG-K Reg (next to a Routemaster too ) sadly I cant quite make out the reg of the model 70, and the combinations iv tried on the DVLA dont turn up anything

 

invacar-and-bus.jpg

 

the Model 70 had 56 main control combinations, the main 3 being Handle bar Steering wheel and tiller control (with popularity in that order from what i can tell, although it would be interesting to look at the offical reccords and figure out the exact populairty of each control scheme ))

 

you could get all 3 control schemes with or without foot pedals (in the case of the tiller/handle bar versions WITH a break pedal the tiller/handle bar was locked in place and did not go up and down)

 

 

 

BTW while sluething to find the above picture I came across this picture

 

mk70.jpg

 

so went and looked up the reg plate,

 

Screenshot 2019-01-25 at 15.38.16.png

 

and its the mythical 600cc Model 70! (I have read that some Later? Model 70s had 600cc engines but I have never come across one in all my sleuthing)

 

I really wonder if it actually has a 600cc engine or if its miss typed, (I dont know if Steyr puch made a 600cc version of the engine in the Model 70 all the cars iv seen that use that engine series have either been 500cc or 650cc)

Steyr-Puch did make a 650cc version of that engine. They used it in the Haflinger and it is reputed that some of those larger engines made it into Invacars.

[LightBulbFun]

Steyr-Puch did make a 650cc version of that engine. They used it in the Haflinger and it is reputed that some of those larger engines made it into Invacars.

 

iv read about supposed 600cc invacars but iv never heard of a 650cc invacar, it is however something that i have talked about here in the past, in that it would be quite fun to do, especially if its one of the 650TRII racing built engines 

 

from what I can tell Steyr-puch never made a 600cc version of that engine, so it makes me wonder if all the talk of 600cc engined invacars you see on the web just stems from a typo/miss speak somewhere in the distant past?

 

(as you say they made a 650cc engine, but as mentioned iv not come across mention of one being fitted to a Model 70 which is interesting when AFAIK theres nothing that would stop you from doing so )

[LightBulbFun]

small good (I think) update from the government side of things

 

I got this letter in the post from the ESA people, im not sure if it means I have got ESA proper or not?

 

 

here is page 1

 

 

here is page 2

 

 

and here is page 3

 

 

i dont know if this means they have accepted my ESA clam proper and I no longer have to keep feeding them fit note or?

 

also not sure if the money thing is weekly or bi weekly, as it stands currently I get £115.80 every 2 weeks which works out to £57.90 every week (if I was payed weekly) my friend recons they are telling me how much ill be getting on a weekly bassis so that means my allowance aint going down at least right?

 

I am glad I have the housing letter at least as I think I should be able to wave that at the council and get a rent discount of some kind

 

(it is worth noting my current fit note ends in march, and that takes affect from the 9th of april but one of my mates said thats also when the finical new year starts)

if anyone knows what this letter means exactly please let me know!

 

(as ever government stuff is about as clear as mud to me LOL)

[LightBulbFun]

sleuthed up a couple more invacars

 

first one up is NPN924P, this one probably everyone has seen since its one of the first Model 70s that pop up when you google anything remotly relating to invacar/invalid carriage

 

but amusingly the DVLA site says it has a 10cc engine LOL I wonder how that happened (also I cant be the only one to Think "NPN Transistor?"    )

 

 

next up is this model 70 "SOI 7570" , with a weird number plate? I stuck it into the DVLA site and nothing came up, but it didn't tell me that it was a non valid format either, is it some sort of old northern Ireland plate format?

 

[stonedagain]

Been reading this post for a while, I really do love your enthusiasm for these, the only one I can remember seeing was on my way to school in the 90s in Darfield in Barnsley. No idea of reg, drove past other day and obviously it wasn't there. I hope you end up getting one shortly, and have plenty of fun using it

I have in-laws living in Darfield!

[DodgeRover]

LBF I'm not trying to spoil the dream but there are a lot of insurers refusing under 21 year olds a classic policy and also requiring them to have the use of another vehicle for everyday use.

 

You really should get some quotes

[Guest Hooli]

I agree with the others who say get a licence & drive a normal car for a bit first. It's hard enough to drive in that thar Lundan in a normal car, let alone something people while just try to force out the way etc.