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...

[dollywobbler]

Now one thing it did definitely have on it is the weight - 410kg, so that would back up your theory.

[LightBulbFun]

Now one thing it did definitely have on it is the weight - 410kg, so that would back up your theory.

 

Yeah I noticed how "revenue weight 410Kg" was on TPAs V5 too

 

do all cars V5s have this or? iv seen revenue weight on the DVLA website, but iv only ever seen it say something when checking the details of something like say a Bus or a Lorry

 

for anything else including TWC it says "not available"

 

 

also fresh tax FTW

[dollywobbler]

I think they deleted that line when she became a Trike, which backs up that the 410kg was an important part of the invalid carriage 'rank' - ie not the same as the earlier type.

[SiC]

Lightbulbfun, have you thought about writing a book on Invacars?

 

You must be massing enough info and materials on them now to be able to.

[LightBulbFun]

Lightbulbfun, have you thought about writing a book on Invacars?

 

You must be massing enough info and materials on them now to be able to.

 

interesting thought atm im just trying to gather what info I can and stick it here so its online and easily accessible to all

 

I think Stuart has a book himself that I want to get at some point, if nothing else just as a show of support and thanks

 

 

in an ideal world id like to make a countrybus.org type website with all the different types documented, and all survivors etc listed

[LightBulbFun]

I think they deleted that line when she became a Trike, which backs up that the 410kg was an important part of the invalid carriage 'rank' - ie not the same as the earlier type.

 

very interesting, as in it was removed from the V5? it will be interesting to see what TP,s V5 says when Zel gets that back from the DVLA (as I think he changed the body type to trike too...)

[dollywobbler]

Yes, that's my theory, as the weight means nothing in the trike style.

[Cavcraft]

£300 for something you've always wanted and can't wait to own seems a bargain to me.

[LightBulbFun]

heres a fun dropbox folder from Barry (the guy who got the Model 70 body shell) https://www.dropbox.com/home/Invalid%20Carriage%20Index

 

its something he has been working on for a while it seems, and he recently invited me to contribute to it which is very nice of him, so I have been adding some photos

 

its been very fun to browse through it all, especially the Model 70 section  , theres even a folder specifically for surviving Model 70s https://www.dropbox.com/home/Invalid%20Carriage%20Index/Invacar/Model%2070/Surviving%20Model%2070's 

 

(although I do notice a few model 70s in there that im not sure have survived like the one covered in graffiti, i posted that one on facebook and no one responded so im guessing its unknown to the people)

 

(theres some extra photos of the field of Model 70s where TWC and TPA came from, UPB262M looks to be in quite good shape, so id not be surprised if that ends up being Marks (st185cs) personal Model 70 )

[LightBulbFun]

heres an interesting one that iv been trying to figure out

 

during one of my past sleuthing sessions I came across this picture (in a thread on the piston heads forum about abandoned cars IIRC?)

 

 

and it was noted, (and I noticed) the what looks to be a rollover bar of some kind, at the time I was not sure what to make of that, (is it really a rollover bar from the factory, or was it added after the fact at some point, perhaps someone used the model 70 in the picture for racing?)

 

however I came across this picture in the drop box archive

 

 

which is of the invacar on top of the combine harvester thingy, which also shows the same bar

 

im pretty sure this bar is embedded inside the roof as I dont recall seeing it in the interior of a Model 70

 

so I guess my question is, is it really a rollover bar or just part of the manufacturing process for the roof? (I guess it would really depend if its bolted to the chassis or not)

 

would be amusing if it is a rollover bar because I doubt many other cars from the time had such safety devices let alone on an invacar 

[LightBulbFun]

I was idly watching invacar videos at 4AM as you do

 

 

when I noticed in episode 1 of project invacar this slightly odd dash setup

 

 

 

more specifically that bright pink knob (ooh err)

 

 

my best guess is its the choke, but normally Model 70s had the choke control with the heater and demister controls in one box so it makes me wonder what that looked like on this car

 

amusingly its reg is NOO738M

[MorrisItalSLX]

Screen wash? I note that the hole where it would usually be next to the switchgear is empty, that being said, 3 of the warning lamps are missing so the screen wash may have also been removed.

 

It is interesting to see one with the dash mounted gear selector, and a ciggie lighter socket!

[LightBulbFun]

Ah yes! completely forgot about the screen wash  (I think the fact it was bright pink threw me off as normally the screen wash plunger is black)

 

(I think the hole next to it may have been for the hand brake before it was moved to the left hand side, but who knows maybe it is a cigarette lighter socket you never know with these  )

[MorrisItalSLX]

I have a wonderful image in my head of an old giffer in a suit and hat with a moustache smoking a pipe whilst piloting his Invacar like a maniac.

[dollywobbler]

I'm not sure when it happened, but my understanding is that the Model 70 spec did later include a roll bar, presumably in light of all the safety woes. Typical really. People express concerns about the vehicles falling over? Well, don't fix the problem but fit a roll bar so they are less hideously injured instead.

 

Neither TWC nor TPA have a roll bar as far as I remember, so it's my guess that the change came in 1974 or 1975, when the campaign against them was reaching fever pitch. I find it slightly odd that they weren't retro-fitted to earlier ones.

[oldcars]

I'm not sure when it happened, but my understanding is that the Model 70 spec did later include a roll bar, presumably in light of all the safety woes. Typical really. People express concerns about the vehicles falling over? Well, don't fix the problem but fit a roll bar so they are less hideously injured instead.

 

Neither TWC nor TPA have a roll bar as far as I remember, so it's my guess that the change came in 1974 or 1975, when the campaign against them was reaching fever pitch. I find it slightly odd that they weren't retro-fitted to earlier ones.

Do they have seat belts? My Rialto has a bar like this that the seatbelt is mounted to.

[LightBulbFun]

I'm not sure when it happened, but my understanding is that the Model 70 spec did later include a roll bar, presumably in light of all the safety woes. Typical really. People express concerns about the vehicles falling over? Well, don't fix the problem but fit a roll bar so they are less hideously injured instead.

 

Neither TWC nor TPA have a roll bar as far as I remember, so it's my guess that the change came in 1974 or 1975, when the campaign against them was reaching fever pitch. I find it slightly odd that they weren't retro-fitted to earlier ones.

 

ohh interesting I didn't know later Model 70s had a roll bar, probably makes them safer then most 1970s cars in a rollover crash 

 

(once again I feel Model 70s get/got unfairly tarred with the same brush, I wonder how many people complaining about invalid carriages at the time where looking at or had older models like a Mk12 or such)

 

 

Do they have seat belts? My Rialto has a bar like this that the seatbelt is mounted to.

 

Model 70s do indeed have a seat belt, which is bolted to 2 parts of the chassis IIRC

[egg]

I can confirm MK12s have seatbelts too. Mounted on a ring on the floor.....yes the floor, let's not think about the floor. Maybe actually welded to the chassis? Don't know yet.

[LightBulbFun]

What I should have emphasised is that the lack of MOT result/lookup on any general vehicle enquiry (cartell for example) for the vehicle suggests the plate is on retention. Fully aware the vehicle check deletion means scrappage.

 

I've looked up thousands of plates from spotting so get the gist of it.

 

my thought process when seeing this: "Ohh another random car detailer website to fuck with!, Ohh its an Irish website, wonder if it will tell me any details about the Northern Ireland registered invacars that dont show up on the DVLA site"

 

and...

 

 

result!

 

WOI654 also shows up

 

[egg]

Have you ever seen this question raised in Parliament in 1975? Sorry if old news, well it is old news, but old news to you!

 

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1975-01-30/debates/36de0eb7-e421-4b45-9367-82e4429a06ef/InvalidVehicles

 

 

 

[LightBulbFun]

very interesting I had not seen that until now, thanks for sharing 

 

would be interesting to see the crash test results for the Model 70 they tested...

 

(wonder if theres a slow mo video of it all somewhere?)

 

also pretty cool to find out what the Ministry number for the TIppen Delta was

[LightBulbFun]

 

So long ATW722L! Export marker=Yes 

[LightBulbFun]

The crash tests done by Mira were never published,the dhss refused to release them...

 

I wonder how far a FOI would go LOL (who would you even send it to these days?!)

 

 

you mention tests plural did they did a whole suit of them or just the classic frontal crash?

[somewhatfoolish]

TRRL might be the place to start with.

[LightBulbFun]

on that note I did a bit of sleuthing and by googling 

 

"invalid tricycle MIRA" (once again lends credence to the whole invalid carriage vs invalid tricycle thing )

 

I was actually able to turn up some info

 

 

I wonder what the steering wheel stuff means exactly (ie did it have a collapsable steering column or something?) they also mention the rollover bar

 

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1975/may/13/invalid-tricycles-mira-report

 

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1975/may/23/invalid-tricycles

 

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1975-02-10/debates/c27219f0-4ce4-40bd-8c18-abd7502f69fb/InvalidTricycles

 

I recommend doing a content search for Model 70 so you can find all the juicy bits and cut through all the "my lords" waffle 

[somewhatfoolish]

Being walloped with what is effectively a blunt set of cow horns is never going to be a good day, whereas hitting an appropriately deformable wheel clearly wasn't a life-ending event.

[LightBulbFun]

On 16/02/2019 at 21:59, somewhatfoolish said:

Being walloped with what is effectively a blunt set of cow horns is never going to be a good day, whereas hitting an appropriately deformable wheel clearly wasn't a life-ending event.

 

crunch!

 

 

(Tbh it holds up way better then I was expecting it to... poor model 70 tho)

[DodgeRover]

crunch!

 

1550354511480847.gif

 

(Tbh it holds up way better then I was expecting it to... poor model 70 tho)

 

Is that a bullion van? I thought Fred Transit had the only surviving example?

[egg]

Fascinating info. Of course, they are fixated on the Model 70, but what about all the older inferior ones running about!

[LightBulbFun]

Is that a bullion van? I thought Fred Transit had the only surviving example?

 

 

heres the link to the youtube video I made the GIF/found the scene from