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...

[MiniMinorMk3]

10 hours ago, Christine said:

That's Tonbridge high street ....

The  invacare repair workshop was in Castle Street up the road a bit.. The guy who ran it, his   son now runs an Invacare scooter  repair workshop . 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Salvation+Army/@51.1944583,0.2740765,3a,75y,243.41h,90.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sI3Ri8SEJ13Q1K2XOrTpUqg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x47df4f4bc4289de1:0x88509b8e616eb0f0!2sHigh+St,+Tonbridge!3b1!8m2!3d51.1965561!4d0.2753034!16s%2Fg%2F11_pnk8ft!3m5!1s0x47df4f4c0497f47f:0x2a474b6d282b4d6e!8m2!3d51.1942581!4d0.2737045!16s%2Fg%2F11f3cx8s6k?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwMi4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

10 hours ago, MrGTI6 said:

That is Tonbridge high street. That building was Somerfield until about 15 years ago. Then it became Poundland. Now it's something else. Can't remember what, even though I would have driven past it earlier today!

Back when it was Somerfield I used to pick up a free copy of the AutoTrader from there. This was before I was old enough to drive!

 

8 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

I reckon it's now that new Wimpy. Ah, happy days

I used to work in the Motorist Discount Centre that was on the opposite side. Used to get chips from the beefburger place for lunch.

[Christine]

A lady called Chrissy worked there too . 

[chadders]

15 minutes ago, Christine said:

A lady called Chrissy worked there too . 

And you know her how?

[Dobloseven]

Is there any record of the Invacar repair places.There definitely used to be one in Anstey,just outside Leicester.But can't find any information on it and think there's houses built on the general area where it was.

[Christine]

7 minutes ago, chadders said:

And you know her how?

Shod her daughters horse..

[chadders]

6 minutes ago, Christine said:

Shod her daughters horse..

That's a new one on me.

[Dobloseven]

2 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Is there any record of the Invacar repair places.There definitely used to be one in Anstey,just outside Leicester.But can't find any information on it and think there's houses built on the general area where it was.

Realised now,it was Botts Garage.Would be interested to know the address,just to see what's there now.Also any others in the Leicester area.Would think the users/owners would have been given a list of places to take them for service repair.

[alcyonecorporation]

On 04/10/2024 at 14:08, LightBulbFun said:

 

or, look at the Modern Citroen Ami Electric, is that any safer then a Model 70 in a crash? any more stable then one if do sharp sudden steering inputs? not really, but @Kiltox still paid £7995~ for one and plenty of people are out there buying em for getting about the place

 

Yes, actually.

I've driven both hard, the former Ami like a gorilla at Millbrook and while, yes, *any* car can be made to roll over given the right inputs (speed, incline, wheel into a rut, etc), you could be a damn sight more panicky and/or ham fisted with an Ami then you could a Model 70. 

I also feel qualified to comment, given that I have some basic advanced driving qualifications. 

I also know what it feels like to roll a Seventies car; you will get shredded. I ended up with 36 stitches in my head/face and narrowly avoided losing my left eye (up the NHS for that). I type this with the greatest of diplomacy, but if a 28mph roll did that to me in a 1973 MG Midget, what the fuck is an inverted Invacar going to do to you? 

The best suggestion I've seen so far is for you to get an FX4 and A-frame/trailer REV to events/days out/bits of the city with the FX4 parked up. That way, you get to scratch the Invacar itch but not rely on it as your sole mode of transport. For you to palm off @warren t claim who more or less offered to walk you through the process step by step strikes me as ignorant at best, and downright disrespectful at worst. 

The FX4 is...well... a vehicle that people still recognise, won't be so willing to vandalise/cut up, stands more a chance of being consistently reliable and is still a known quantity in London. 

 

[bangernomics]

Remind me how Liverpool was once nominated, European City of Culture, again?

Petri dishes.

[LightBulbFun]

43 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

For you to palm off @warren t claim who more or less offered to walk you through the process step by step strikes me as ignorant at best, and downright disrespectful at worest. 

alright, as anyone who has actually been following my thread and this thread as well

would know that I tried quite hard to buy a TX4 about this time last year, but I was more or less unable to get any insurance on it, (and that just a couple weeks ago when renewing REV's insurance I had a pop at it again to no avail)  so I have certainly not been trying to "palm off" @warren t claim in this regard

as much I would love an FX4 (and I do mean that genuinely, you only need to ask @Saabnut how I would regularly ask about his!), sadly I dont see an FX4 being currently attainable for me, the ULEZ exemption for Disabled Taxation class vehicles ends in October 2027, so any sort of FX4 would have to be,1987 or older, most of which are not wheelchair accessible, and would probably pose a similar effort to keep going as any 40 year old vehicle would, and even the newest 1997 FX4's are at a point where most of the ones you find on eBay need some work doing, turn key examples are rare and often fairly pricey

and this ULEZ thing is a problem even with me getting a modern TX4 since only the 2015's and newer are Euro 6/ULEZ compliant and thus command big bucks still (they wont age out until 2030 at the earliest, since they have a 15 year age limit, Euro 5 and older cabs age out at 12 years)

as I have also mentioned previously one can sadly not tow with a any sort of TX2 or TX4, only FX4's and the earliest TX1's could one get away towing with

[chadders]

9 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

alright, as anyone who has actually been following my thread and this thread as well

would know that I tried quite hard to buy a TX4 about this time last year, but I was more or less unable to get any insurance on it, (and that just a couple weeks ago when renewing REV's insurance I had a pop at it again to no avail)  so I have certainly not been trying to "palm off" @warren t claim in this regard

as much I would love an FX4 (and I do mean that genuinely, you only need to ask @Saabnut how I would regularly ask about his!), sadly I dont see an FX4 being currently attainable for me, the ULEZ exemption for Disabled Taxation class vehicles ends in October 2027, so any sort of FX4 would have to be,1987 or older, most of which are not wheelchair accessible, and would probably pose a similar effort to keep going as any 40 year old vehicle would, and even the newest 1997 FX4's are at a point where most of the ones you find on eBay need some work doing, turn key examples are rare and often fairly pricey

and this ULEZ thing is a problem even with me getting a modern TX4 since only the 2015's and newer are Euro 6/ULEZ compliant and thus command big bucks still (they wont age out until 2030 at the earliest, since they have a 15 year age limit, Euro 5 and older cabs age out at 12 years)

as I have also mentioned previously one can sadly not tow with a any sort of TX2 or TX4, only FX4's and the earliest TX1's could one get away towing with

So the ULEZ exemption expires in 3 years if I understand you correctly?

[LightBulbFun]

5 minutes ago, chadders said:

So the ULEZ exemption expires in 3 years if I understand you correctly?

Aye for vehicles that are in the Disabled taxation class, so even if I get a cheap TX4 now, i'd have to get rid of it in 3 years, or cop a daily charge if I go anywhere with it, so even if I was able to get insurance a TX4 would only be a temporary solution sadly

(which is one of the reasons I have focused on TX4's rather then FX4's because if I did manage to wrangle myself an FX4 somehow, I can see myself getting attached to it and not wanting to get rid of it in 2027 LOL)

[chadders]

Surely 3 years is long enough?

You could see just how practicable it was in a small fraction of that time.

To me 3 years isn't temporary, a lot can change in that time.

I'd just bite the bullet and take Warren's advice, if it doesn't work out I'm sure that he'd help you sell it.

JFDI!

[LightBulbFun]

7 minutes ago, chadders said:

Surely 3 years is long enough?

You could see just how practicable it was in a small fraction of that time.

To me 3 years isn't temporary, a lot can change in that time.

I'd just bite the bullet and take Warren's advice, if it doesn't work out I'm sure that he'd help you sell it.

JFDI!

thats why I tried hard last year, since I figured its worth having it for a few years at least, gives me plenty of time to figure out if the whole idea really works as I hope it might or not

but as I keep repeating myself, I cant get insurance on a black cab sadly!

so WTF am I supposed to do LOL

[chadders]

 

3 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

thats why I tried hard last year, since I figured its worth having it for a few years at least, gives me plenty of time to figure out if the whole idea really works as I hope it might or not

but as I keep repeating myself, I cant get insurance on a black cab sadly!

so WTF am I supposed to do LOL

How about your mum buying it and you being a named driver?

I await a bollocking from JJ.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

4 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

thats why I tried hard last year, since I figured its worth having it for a few years at least, gives me plenty of time to figure out if the whole idea really works as I hope it might or not

but as I keep repeating myself, I cant get insurance on a black cab sadly!

so WTF am I supposed to do LOL

Concentrate on your original plan, Dez. 

You're ridiculously close to the finish line now. There are plenty of us on here who actually want you to achieve your long-term dream. 

Crack on with it. 

[Eyersey1234]

This popped up on my  faceache feed earlier @LightBulbFun @dollywobbler

[lesapandre]

More abuse dressed up as 'humour'.

[Eyersey1234]

Just now, lesapandre said:

More abuse dressed up as 'humour'.

Yep

[adam1db]

Why are people picking on this young chap, its not funny and I think its a form of Cyberbullying that includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. FYI You may be committing a criminal offence if the cyber-bullying is causing 'alarm or distress' to the victim (under the Harassment Act 1997). Or can be considered 'grossly offensive' (Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003). STOP it now or I will report you to the moderators. 

[Rust Collector]

Uh-oh.

[red5]

6 minutes ago, adam1db said:

Why are people picking on this young chap, its not funny and I think its a form of Cyberbullying that includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. FYI You may be committing a criminal offence if the cyber-bullying is causing 'alarm or distress' to the victim (under the Harassment Act 1997). Or can be considered 'grossly offensive' (Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003). STOP it now or I will report you to the moderators. 

Reported.

 

[D.E]

19 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

Uh-oh.

All we had to do, was follow the damn trike, CJ!

[StefanH]

Hello together,
step by step the restauration of my Invacar MK12 will go into the final distance to the finish.

But i need more technical data.

So have someone here anything like data sheets?
I need in fact the "maximum weight allowed"...in the paperworks I have i only fount the unloaden weight...can you help me?
I pleased to get anything about the car, because I have not realy much paperworks/sheets about the car and it will realy helpful to have informations to get an Streataproval and regestration here in Germany.

Thank You!

Best regards
Stefan

[wuvvum]

On 05/10/2024 at 09:52, big_al_granvia said:

it doesnt have to be like that, rev can be made relatively safe with a custom built cage, there is no protection in it just now. simple cage with hoops at the a, b and c pillars joined top and bottom and lengthwise, bar under the screens and at the front take it forward to form a box as there is nothing in front of the wheel, bolt onto the chassis. triangulate where possible, the sliding doors cant have much but the floor and roof bars will help. fit a foam filled fuel tank inside, master electric cutoff next to driver and the car will be 300% safer

Would that not put it over the weight limit for its class though?

[Heidel_Kakao]

Why not fit an ejector seat which could safely* shoot LBF out of harm's way in the event of an impending crash.

*Your definition of safely may not concur with mine.

"The weight of a Martin-Baker ejection seat varies by model, but here are some examples:  

Mk.17

This seat has an installed mass of 106 lbs (48 kg). It can accommodate aircrew weighing 103–245 lbs (47–111 kg). "

 

[busmansholiday]

26 minutes ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

Why not fit an ejector seat which could safely* shoot LBF out of harm's way in the event of an impending crash.

*Your definition of safely may not concur with mine.

"The weight of a Martin-Baker ejection seat varies by model, but here are some examples:  

Mk.17

This seat has an installed mass of 106 lbs (48 kg). It can accommodate aircrew weighing 103–245 lbs (47–111 kg). "

 

Actually, that's not as daft as it sounds. The roof on a model 70 is just bolted on so replace them with explosive bolts and the jobs a good 'un..

 

Actually we had an ingot inverter machine at the steel works back around 1980 where the drivers cab had explosive bolts and a big hook on the roof to get him out if things went tits.

[Snake Charmer]

I'm sure some statistical evidence will exist in a secret DHSS study that ejector seats would increase death and serious injury rates due to a large percentage of accidents involving the lnvacar happened in tunnels or under bridges.

[LightBulbFun]

8 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

I'm sure some statistical evidence will exist in a secret DHSS study that ejector seats would increase death and serious injury rates due to a large percentage of accidents involving the lnvacar happened in tunnels or under bridges.

your not a million miles away with that!

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/nov/25/invalid-vehicles

somewhere there is a later Hansard report where they talk about the adding of various padding around a Model 70 but found that it actually increased the forces on the test dummy during an accident, then without said padding, hence why that never showed up on Model 70's in production etc

[Eyersey1234]

@LightBulbFun in a comment on Facebook Steph from I drive a classic said that her Minor is a ex disability car, that got me wondering if someone was given a car like a Minor instead of an Invacar how long did they have it for, were they  changed every few years like the current scheme or did they have them for life?