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...

[High Jetter]

Glad @keef is still around.

[LightBulbFun]

I know Its said the Model 70 can run on anything, but I think soapy water might be pushing things a bit!

just under going leak testing I think! as Adam had to hammer up a side to get it to clear the bulkhead

but its all good and at long last REV now has a non-leaky fuel tank woo!

and I have heard her running from it too  (good to know she still runs after all this time! LOL) I understand REV has also already had an oil and oil filter change so thats good, apparently the old oil was quite manky! thankfully no shiny bits floating around! hopefully the strainer will be dropped and cleaned at some point soon and some more fresh oil put in etc to help just flush things out a little bit

[mitsisigma01]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:58 PM, LightBulbFun said:

I had not actually gotten round to posting it but @keef had made me aware of them last night  

heres some higher res versions  I appreciate the heads up tho!

Poor Mk12, it held up surprisingly well given how flimsy/lightweight they are (granted I dont know what speed they where doing!)! I wonder who was at fault...

How do you manage to get your pictures more hi-res 🤔

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I know Its said the Model 70 can run on anything, but I think soapy water might be pushing things a bit!

just under going leak testing I think! as Adam had to hammer up a side to get it to clear the bulkhead

but its all good and at long last REV now has a non-leaky fuel tank woo!

and I have heard her running from it too  (good to know she still runs after all this time! LOL) I understand REV has also already had an oil and oil filter change so thats good, apparently the old oil was quite manky! thankfully no shiny bits floating around! hopefully the strainer will be dropped and cleaned at some point soon and some more fresh oil put in etc to help just flush things out a little bit

and a bonus video and photo for good measure

 

[beko1987]

Dang I missed that you've passed, nice one des! 

 

[LightBulbFun]

work on REV is still progressing I have been informed that she has working brakes now  although the hand brake still needs to made operational 

 

I also came across some more Model 70 pictures on my continuing research/sleuthing first up is this recent one spotted at a recent 30th anniversary Disability event 

the curious thing is I dont immediately recognise which it is! but its got a distinctive crack on the front bumper so that should give me something to go by at least but so far it does not match up with any known survivors!

I can tell from the pictures at least that its Pre Rollover bar Model 70 Mark B (note the metal box heater controls, the Rollover bar Model 70's gained plastic moulded heater controls)

I have asked Simon if he recognises it since I know he is quite involved in disability charities so perhaps it might belong to one of his pals so to speak

and finally also came across this period Model 70 shot which made me double take as there is a building/setting around here that apart from the background houses looks identical to this, Im wondering if I could recreate the shot when REV gets here  

also notable as the Model 70 is an Invacar XEV73S XEV74S or XEV77S I cant quite make out the last digit, but I know the photo was taken in 1995 and those are the only ones of the XEV7xS range that made it passed 1995, and the XEV49S-XEV116S was the very last block of English Invacar Model 70's so its cool to see another picture of one, again note the door mounted wing mirrors, still trying to get to the bottom of where those a late production change or something retrofitted later on in service

also another nice Tippen Delta street scene, again like the Mk12 shot, all Pedestrians and no other vehicles apart from Delta 8!

 

[LightBulbFun]

5 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I also came across some more Model 70 pictures on my continuing research/sleuthing first up is this recent one spotted at a recent 30th anniversary Disability event 

the curious thing is I dont immediately recognise which it is! but its got a distinctive crack on the front bumper so that should give me something to go by at least but so far it does not match up with any known survivors!

I can tell from the pictures at least that its Pre Rollover bar Model 70 Mark B (note the metal box heater controls, the Rollover bar Model 70's gained plastic moulded heater controls)

after some careful studdying of the pictures with @Mrs6C during tonights Zoom call (After most people had left dont worry!) im pretty sure actually this one is SPE351R the one the Warrington charrity bought a while back  

they clearly spruced it up and took care of the major bodywork damage but they left some tail tail cracks/marks/signs behind like the crack on the bumper on the left side and on the right hand side of the AC badge, and I can just make out a Rollover bar in the pictures

clearly at some point in its life it got fitted with earlier heater controls (I have to wonder if its plastic one got broken after someone tripped over it or clouted it getting in, I have accidentally done that a couple times in REV!)

 

On 23/02/2019 at 12:15, LightBulbFun said:

SPE351R, AC, Date of first registration 14 July 1977, Current status: reportedly sold to a Warrington disability charity, Untaxed since 6 May 2003, no MOT, Date of last V5C (logbook) issued  5 June 2002, Last taxed in Ministry service 6th of may 2003

 

 

[LightBulbFun]

Ooh that looks like the Bubble car museum I wonder if I can spot KPK71P lurking in the background

*1 second in*  

 

 

for those curious about REV, adam has been very busy with work, but things are progressing, the handbrake cables REV needed have been fished out of the parts stashed and mailed over where they have arrived today so should be fitted before not too long giving REV a working handbrake once more 

and replacement H4 head lamps (complete with backing bowls and H4 sockets too) were won on ebay as well a few days ago so hopefully those will arrive soon as well 

[St.Jude]

I have one question and one question only:

Where is your Invacar YouTube channel?!

[dave j]

Definitely something to consider, especially when it's on the road so you can get loads of footage of driving it around London

[Six-cylinder]

Just in case you had not seen this one.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3097752890480067/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A22f78eb7-2de8-48c9-90d6-635236aa1838

Just because I am posting about Invacars does not mean I have changed my mind about them, I just acknowledge some people do like them!

 

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Just in case you had nor seen this one.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3097752890480067/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A22f78eb7-2de8-48c9-90d6-635236aa1838

Just because I am posting about Invacars does not mean I have changed my mind about them, I just acknowledge some people do like them!

 

Ooh thanks for the heads up on that

glad to see thats up for sale rather then scrapped or such! (given what the poor chap paid for it in the first place im not surprised he trying to sell it first trying to recoup some of his expenditure!) 

 its its one of the many Invacar Mk12's found at Trysull its, Mk12E number 2 from that site to be exact  

it was first put up for sale by Scott Milnes who advertised it as being able to being registrable by the ICR, so the guy duly contacted me, where I had to sadly explain to both Scott and the chap who just bought it, that because the car has no known chassis number I sadly could not help

(but did inform him to hang onto it as I was/still am hoping to find a Chassis stamped number on a Mk12, and was looking into ways of registering chassis numberless cars under an Age related number at least) 

so he was understandably upset about that, so im not surprised to see its up for sale now

so yeah Buyer be aware it has no Chassis plate/known chassis number! (but if you do find a chassis number on it then I will be able to ID it for you and get brought back to life on the DVLA once more)

 

if nothing else might yield many useful parts for @Harriytait however  

[Weird Car]

7 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

Ooh thanks for the heads up on that

glad to see thats up for sale rather then scrapped or such! (given what the poor chap paid for it in the first place im not surprised he trying to sell it first trying to recoup some of his expenditure!) 

 its its one of the many Invacar Mk12's found at Trysull its, Mk12E number 2 from that site to be exact  

it was first put up for sale by Scott Milnes who advertised it as being able to being registrable by the ICR, so the guy duly contacted me, where I had to sadly explain to both Scott and the chap who just bought it, that because the car has no known chassis number I sadly could not help

(but did inform him to hang onto it as I was/still am hoping to find a Chassis stamped number on a Mk12, and was looking into ways of registering chassis numberless cars under an Age related number at least) 

so he was understandably upset about that, so im not surprised to see its up for sale now

so yeah Buyer be aware it has no Chassis plate/known chassis number! (but if you do find a chassis number on it then I will be able to ID it for you and get brought back to life on the DVLA once more)

 

if nothing else might yield many useful parts for @Harriytait however  

I've messaged the seller and he's asking for about £600, unfortunately I don't have the space for another car but if anyone wanted to buy it to break it 'a sad thought but quite a few MK12 owners are in desperate need of parts' I'm sure you'd make quite a bit of money from it. Just a thought 😏

[High Jetter]

Sorry, where is it?

[Six-cylinder]

34 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Sorry, where is it?

Haddington in East Lothian

[High Jetter]

This site gets more Scottish every day!

[catsinthewelder]

Another one on a train 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78411-prototype-for-everything-corner/&do=findComment&comment=4534806

 

 

[LightBulbFun]

11 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

Another one on a train 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78411-prototype-for-everything-corner/&do=findComment&comment=4534806

 

 

ooh nice not one I have seen before  wonder how it flew under the radar as I have well and truly turned flicker upside down for Invacar pictures LOL

https://flic.kr/p/24fMWxv its an AC Acedes Model 57 for those curious

 

 

 

in REV news I have been informed the new hand brake cables have been fitted and her handbrake is now working lovely, applying and releasing without issue  (Adam has still been very busy with work but his friend has been chipping away at things in the meantime)

and along with obviously new head lamps, she is also getting a set of new (Britax) Rear lights as although the lenses where fine, apparently the backings where past their best

[richardmorris]

French one for your perusal. Just popped up on the FB club de vehicules anciene de Calais Group.

[Eyersey1234]

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1956148

 

@LightBulbFun another mention of Invacars on Pistonheads, and yes it is me that mentioned them

[Six-cylinder]

I see due to the heavy weight of the Invacar a brake tender had to be added to supplement the locomotive brakes.

Lovely picture.

[Eyersey1234]

On 10/17/2021 at 10:13 AM, Six-cylinder said:

I see due to the heavy weight of the Invacar a brake tender had to be added to supplement the locomotive brakes.

Lovely picture.

Aah no what happened was the locomotive engine wasn't powerful enough so they had to use the Invacars engine to get the train moving 😂

[LightBulbFun]

3 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I sadly have never been able to quite figure what exactly that licence was however, I know there was the Category J invalid carriage licence but I dont know what definition of invalid carriage that applied to, did it apply to all invalid vehicles, or did  it apply only to literal invalid carriages (ie an invalid vehicle bellow 254Kg) or did was it only to Mobility scooters (bellow 150Kg)

https://www.gov.uk/old-driving-licence-categories

its listed here as just for mobility scooters, but given the time period it was issued 1976 to 1986 I suspect its true meaning may have been lost to time as I could see someone reading "invalid carriage" and just assuming that means Mobility scooter, but it is worth noting the legal definition of a Mobility scooter (which where and still are called an Invalid carriage confusingly!) Came into act in 1970 so perhaps they did have their own licence category before they where allowed to be driven with no licence as they are today

but its modern definition of "B1 Invalid carriages only" fits in much more with an actual 254Kg Invalid carriage or 255Kg+ Invalid vehicle, because B1 is for small cars/goods vehicles bellow 450Kg/550Kg

actually looking at that list again

I see mention of a Group C licence for Tricycles Less then 410Kg, which I think might be the licence that Model 70's users got, certainly I recall Stuart talking about said Ministry users getting a Class C licence, I was not able to find much on that at the time but seeing that list makes more sense now  

and that fits the legal definition of most ministry invalid vehicles nicely (remember an Invalid carriage is only legally such if it weighs 254Kg or less hence why the V5 of any sort of vehicle purposefully built for use by the disable says "INVALID VEHICLE" rather then "INVALID CARRIAGE")

although it does leave later Model 70's out in the cold (Mark A and Mark B Model 70's to March 1976 where 410Kg on their V5 which legally makes them a Motor Cycle/Tricycle same as a Reliant Robin or such, but Model 70s from March 1976 onwards where normally down as 413/414kg on their V5 which legally makes them a motor car, same as a Mini Or Morris minor etc)

but I dont think the Ministry ever actually did anything on that, they just quietly or unknowingly flouted the rules

Certainly Marion Webb still had to pass a full car driving test to get a Motability car when She gave up TJN352R despite that Model 70 being of the later type so weighing 413Kg and thus legally being a Motor car rather then Motor Tricycle

unless of course there was still a dedicated invalid vehicle licence that covered Invalid vehicles of all weights and legal definitions

[Yoss]

A bit of a heads up for you followed by a question. 

Thought this might interest you. 

I have been sent full timetables for this event. I don't know how to link it to here (it's a pdf attached to an email) but if you want to PM me an email address I can forward it to you. 

Secondly the question. I'm hoping to go but Muswell Hill is just inside the North Circular and therefore ULEZ. According to the TfL website anything taxed as a historic vehicle is automatically exempt but when I type my Triumphs reg into their checker it says I have to pay. As somebody living inside ULEZ with a historic vehicle I thought you might know how this works. 

It doesn't matter too much as all the routes they are running go outside ULEZ so I could drive to somewhere like North Finchley and get the first bus from there to Muswell Hill but ideally I'd like to get there early for maximum mileage. Also the first buses are the likely to be the  ones with most room. By lunchtime they'll all be full, that tends to be how bus running days go. 

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

A bit of a heads up for you followed by a question. 

Thought this might interest you. 

I have been sent full timetables for this event. I don't know how to link it to here (it's a pdf attached to an email) but if you want to PM me an email address I can forward it to you. 

ooh cool! id love to go, but I dont really trust myself on regular/modern public transport

 but  who knows if I get REV back by then I might be able to make it  (id like to have REV home on or before the 5th of November as that will be her 45th Birthday and id like to have her home for that , but im not in much control of her arrival date, so I cant guarantee that sadly)

I very much appreciate the heads up regardless  

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

Secondly the question. I'm hoping to go but Muswell Hill is just inside the North Circular and therefore ULEZ. According to the TfL website anything taxed as a historic vehicle is automatically exempt but when I type my Triumphs reg into their checker it says I have to pay. As somebody living inside ULEZ with a historic vehicle I thought you might know how this works. 

if you go to the actual pay charges page, it will show historic vehicles as exempt

 its just the main checker that for whatever reason has always and still thinks historic vehicles need to pay a ULEZ charge, shitty/confusing web design FTW

I think because the main ULEZ checker, only checks if a vehicle is ULEZ Compliant, but not if its ULEZ exempt if that makes sense

 (a historic vehicle is ULEZ exempt but not ULEZ compliant, well unless its an Electric Tippen Delta, London Trolly bus or Enfield 8000 LOL)

[Yoss]

Ha, a trolleybus, I'd love one of those. I can see a few obstacles to driving one of those into London though but they really should be the future of public transport. 

[N19]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Ha, a trolleybus, I'd love one of those. I can see a few obstacles to driving one of those into London though but they really should be the future of public transport. 

They tried that in the 1980s in Doncaster - it didn't get anywhere though!

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Ha, a trolleybus, I'd love one of those. I can see a few obstacles to driving one of those into London though but they really should be the future of public transport. 

well, @busmansholiday or maybe it was @Inspector Morose, can correct me if im wrong but I recall at least one enthusiast got round that probably by simply towing along a suitably sized diesel generator  

id love to know the details of that!,  i mean for starters, how big is the Motor (or Motors id presume) in a Trolly bus how much power do they require...

IIRC they ran on 600V DC (thank you traction lightbulbs for that information) but i dont have any info on their average current draw,

these days I wonder if you could strap some solar panels to the roof and just tow a trailer full of Tesla car battery packs or such, wonder what sort of range that would get you

(or even sling the battery packs underneath the trolly bus, DIY electric bus? bonus points if you drive it all the way home from spain)

 

[Mr Pastry]

5 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

(or even sling the battery packs underneath the trolly bus, DIY electric bus?

Most trolleybuses had traction batteries for shunting in depots off the wires, though obviously the range would be limited.

[Mr Pastry]

The motor was this size.  It's surprising how slim the propshaft was.