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]

Anyhoo, can we get back to Invacars, please...

(Did I really just type that?)

[brummiejon]

I left the playground 48 years ago… can you take the aggression elsewhere?

[martc]

On 7/28/2023 at 7:21 PM, High Jetter said:

Anyhoo, can we get back to Invacars, please...

(Did I really just type that?)

Here, here.

And light bulbs.

[Snake Charmer]

Tenuous link to Invacar and light bulbs.

[LightBulbFun]

11 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

Tenuous link to Invacar and light bulbs.

I can give you a proper link to Invacars and lightbulbs  by way of this is REV's one remaining original head lamp bulb

date code comes back to 1976 (possibly September 1976 which matches with the date found on the Lucas head lamp itself, and REV's October 1976 construction date) looks like your regular BPF (British pre-focus) headlamp bulb right?

but the really unusual thing, is its a 12V 36/36W lamp, No 300 and you wont find that in any catalog! only in the Mazda Catalog of 1950

and Osram GEC Catalog of 1951 

can I find reference to a 12V 36/36W BPF lamp, by 1952 no reference to such a lamp can be found, and no such reference to it any of the lamp number tables either, heres an index from the 1975 Thorn catalog for example

so by all means if you go by the catalogs the type 300 was dropped sometime in 1951, but here I have one from 1976!

its not a weird one off either, the Model 70 workshop manual and handbook, specifically specify a 36/36W bulb, and @Mrs6C AC Model 70 also has its original (also Thorn), 36/36W bulbs

 

its one that really has me scratching my head, because I always thought, Yeah Model 70 just uses standard 7 inch head lamps with standard BPF bulbs, as per any British car of the time (thats not using sealed beams) nothing special there

which it does, but just of a weird rating that I cant find any information on! I do wonder if the Type 300 continued to be supplied on an OEM special basis, so on that regard If any happens to have a 1970's Mini or any other such vehicle with Lucas BPF head lamps that one knows has its original bulbs still, id love to know what type code they have/what wattage they are!

or did they really still make No 300 bulbs *just* for invalid vehicles/the Model 70? and if so I'd have to ask why, (the only reasoning I can think of is the fact the Model 70 is a Dynastart system so perhaps they wanted to keep the electrical loading down?)

 

 

 

[Snake Charmer]

I thought this box might contain a couple of bulbs similar to those 36/36W but must be in another safe place.

I fitted a couple of those 14v 7W bulbs in a Jensen CV8 sidelights and they looked fantastic. Next time I saw the car it had LED's fitted.  😪

[loserone]

Citrus!

[Snake Charmer]

If only Autoshite did lapel badges.......

[loserone]

I could make the cap into a badge very easily.

[High Jetter]

Familiar initials!

[LightBulbFun]

On 30/06/2022 at 10:41, Jimbob McGregor said:

Hi @LightBulbFun.  You’ve in the past dug out some very useful info on a tractor for @loseroneand myself. 
Would you consider looking into this registration number for me and I’d make a donation to the Invacar and AS funds?

Photo of reg plate below. Vehicle is long gone but we suspect it might be a Land Rover.

just bringing this one back up, out of idle curiosity, underneath the leg of the "M" is that a foil sticker or just some peeling? and just in general if you still have the plate to hand is there any markings/stampings on it at all?  

[LightBulbFun]

and speaking of digging things up! happen to stumble across this photo again realising that I dont think I ever posted about! I am curious if anyone might know any details on this one? 

its an Harding Model IV (Electric Harding Consort) that was last spotted in Guernsey Motor Museum in 1978! but has sadly not been seen since, (Stuart did once try and contact the museum about its whereabouts but they where sadly completely disinterested) 

so I thought I'd punt it into my thread and see if anyone does happen to know where it might have ended up  

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Social media earlier. 

[LightBulbFun]

8 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Social media earlier. 

Neat! not a pic I have seen before, looks like NPM875R

https://www.chrismansfieldphotos.com/keyword/plaisteds/i-4RT9wb2

[Remspoor]

I have heard of tribute bands but this?

Captured on my dash cam.

[LightBulbFun]

in Awesome news, I was very excited to see this crop up on my facebook feed! 

TTW90 is an Invacar Mk8/8A that belonged to the combe martin motorcycle museum's awesome collection of invalid vehicles, and like so many had sadly been "lost" when the collection was broken up, so I was very excited to see it again as its been missing for about 20 years!, TTW90 is also a little bit special in that its thought to be one of 250 Invacar Mk8's that where sent back to Invacar for upgrading to full Mk8A spec

I have managed to get in contact with the person who works on it, and he has passed my details onto the owner, so hopefully ill be able to figure out what happened to it in those intervening years  

and even more excitingly is they have managed to get it running and driving, which is really awesome as there are not many Invacars as early as this that still survive let alone move under their own power  

and the current owner has taken quite the shine to it which is awesome to see, looks like it has really found a good home!

 

[Remspoor]

Another image. (found?)

https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/latimer-road-1971-life-in-colour/

Scan down this page...

[Dobloseven]

2 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Another image. (found?)

https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/latimer-road-1971-life-in-colour/

Scan down this page...

Isn't that an AC Petite, rather than an invalid carriage? HTBCas usual. 

[LightBulbFun]

5 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Another image. (found?)

https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/latimer-road-1971-life-in-colour/

Scan down this page...

hah cool! sort of found, in that i Have actually seen it/found it before

but I dont think I ever got round to posting it on Ye Olde thread! as I mentioned in my text to Stuart about it

its a shame the rest of the registration mark is not visible as its an AC Acedes Mk12, Model 57, on an F reg which means it will have been a special case vehicle

in that AC Acedes Mk14 Model 67 Production started on an E suffix , and took over from the Model 57 as AC's main invalid vehicle

but production of the older Metal AC Acedes remained on a special case basis, all the way until 1971! but these where always in Penny numbers, between SPK162F the first "special case" vehicle i am aware of and HPH37K the last that  I am aware of/can find only 32 cars where made (including those 2)

so the chance of spotting one is slim! and I know thats not one I have recorded, as all of mine of this period on an F suffix start with a 1 or a 5, which I dont think that one does, so yeah if only more of the reg was visible! 

but its still very neat to see  

 

[sdkrc]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175846331053

[High Jetter]

Do we need to save this, @LightBulbFun?

[LightBulbFun]

8 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175846331053

Oh very cool! its not one I recognise, so I wonder if its WVX402L

said Model 70 is the only Invacar Model 70 Mark A (which that the car in the ebay listing looks to be) that I am aware of, who's whereabouts are currently unknown 

otherwise if its not that one, it will be a new one for the list which would be exciting in its own right  

4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Do we need to save this, @LightBulbFun?

ill send the link to @AdgeCutler and hope I can encourage a suitably autoshite purchase  and ill try and get in contact with the seller for more details

[Weird Car]

11 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175846331053

Looks like it has pedals on the floor and no hand brake, foot operated parking brake maybe?

[LightBulbFun]

7 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

Looks like it has pedals on the floor and no hand brake, foot operated parking brake maybe?

indeed! quite unusual that regard, technically the first handle bar machine I have seen with foot pedals, but as you say those just parking brake set and parking brake release, however they look quite off to the right which is interesting!

not quite brake and throttle pedals sadly!  (still never seen a handle bar machine with anything like that, only ever seen proper foot pedals on steering wheel and tiller control machines)

[Weird Car]

7 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

indeed! quite unusual that regard, technically the first handle bar machine I have seen with foot pedals, but as you say those just parking brake set and parking brake release, however they look quite off to the right which is interesting!

not quite brake and throttle pedals sadly!  (still never seen a handle bar machine with anything like that, only ever seen proper foot pedals on steering wheel and tiller control machines)

It’d be interesting to see some up close pictures of how that mechanism works especially with it being so far over instead of central. It also looks like a later fuel gauge, is that a later addition or did some of the model 70 A’s have that as standard? 

[LightBulbFun]

6 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

It’d be interesting to see some up close pictures of how that mechanism works especially with it being so far over instead of central. It also looks like a later fuel gauge, is that a later addition or did some of the model 70 A’s have that as standard? 

that will have been a later replacement item, its clearly one that was in service for a fairly long time as it also has the later Britax rear lights, another interesting thing to note about it, is its all right hand justified, including the dash board layout and also where the Hand brake was originally

so I wonder if the user had a "good side" and as a "bad side" and as the good side slowly deteriorated they moved the handbrake to foot operation? in that regard I do also wonder if has a brake booster fitted but that will be only visible from either the engine bay or front bonnet

 

are you or @calebaaront planning on a bid? I know Caleb (have I got that right? forgive me if I have got that wrong!) had a hankering for an Invacar at one point  

[Weird Car]

2 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

are you or @calebaaront planning on a bid? I know Caleb (have I got that right? forgive me if I have got that wrong!) had a hankering for an Invacar at one point

I think I’ve been greedy enough having owned 3, they just aren’t for me, the fun part with both VJN and TPE was getting them back on the road, they’re awful and terrifying to actually drive, no offence meant by that at all. I’m absolutely broke after this recent move anyway, not sure if Caleb is planning on bidding though.

[LightBulbFun]

12 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

I think I’ve been greedy enough having owned 3, they just aren’t for me, the fun part with both VJN and TPE was getting them back on the road, they’re awful and terrifying to actually drive, no offence meant by that at all. I’m absolutely broke after this recent move anyway, not sure if Caleb is planning on bidding though.

No problems! I appreciate you letting me know, and sorry to hear that they did not gel with you as one would always hope a vehicle would!

[High Jetter]

32 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

I wonder if the user had a "good side" and as a "bad side" and as the good side slowly deteriorated they moved the handbrake to foot operation?

You know far more than I, but I know they were customised. Stroke victim or, more likely, some unfortunate who had lost a limb?

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

You know far more than I, but I know they were customised. Stroke victim or, more likely, some unfortunate who had lost a limb?

could be either or, but i am more inclined to go with stroke victim or some sort of degenerative disability based on what looks like different adaptations over time

but one could still lose a limb and then just get old naturally mind and require additional changes because of that, although I imagine if the user was outright missing an arm or such, they would get/go for a Tiller bar machine

 no 2 Model 70's are ever the same and all the small differences often makes for an interesting study  

 

as an aside, I just noticed above where the hand brake once was is a dymo label 

looks like it says "YVX2" and there is a block of Invacar Model 70's YVX201L-YVX300L, so I am inclined to think that might be its registration mark  which is exciting because this would make it a new survivor!