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]

also of course, Merry Christmas all  

[auntiemaryscanary]

  On 24/12/2024 at 17:11, LightBulbFun said:

today was the usual Pre-Christmas last minute shopping at the big Tescos to just re-assure things are stocked up and my mum wanting to get some nice Christmas foodstuffs as well (I mean I also nabbed a chocolate pudding or 2 ) so we split the tasks, I went ahead in REV to the bakery then Tescos while mum handled some other things then made her way to Tescos and then likewise on the way back I ran the shopping back home in REV and mum came home separately, 

first stop was the bakery again, hopefully this parking was satisfactory for everyone this time! (REV certainly is smooth...)

there was a fair old line!

but I got the bread in the end!

and then onwards bound to Tesco's

where I admit this time was not my finest bit of parking!, but there where pedestrians everywhere, so I was not going to piss about trying to straighten her out while everyone else was crawling about!

eventually had the shopping loaded up

and then home!

again its nice to have REV to be able to do things like this, not only did this save us a lot of phyiscal effort, but also meant things could be done much quicker efficiency as tasks where able to be done in parallel  

 

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I bet your mum is well chuffed... "Come on son, get out in that lovely little car of yours and fetch me my favourite loaf!"

[Dobloseven]

  On 25/12/2024 at 18:04, LightBulbFun said:

also of course, Merry Christmas all  

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 Thorn Lighting Leicester.Could see that from our bedroom windows.Had a good friend,sadly no longer with us,who worked there from 1970 until it closed.

[Marshall2810]

  On 25/12/2024 at 18:04, LightBulbFun said:

also of course, Merry Christmas all  

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And to you @LightBulbFun. Did you (or rev) get anything nice?

[Missy Charm]

  On 25/12/2024 at 17:58, LightBulbFun said:

speaking of pretty lights/colours  I opened this today for Christmas (well It was sent to me back in Feburary but when I realised what was inside I explicitly did not unwrap it to save it for Christmas ) this is a set of vintage Soviet/Lithuanian Christmas lights from the 1980's  

here are the pictures but run through google translate for those curious what they say  

what I find quite amusing in a "thats very soviet" way is the bulbs these use are just regular 13.5V E10 Automotive panel lamp type bulbs, so the actual voltage of the set would be about 270V! but at least it means I can plug em directly into 240V (via a suitably fused plug adapter of course!) without fear of over-driving the bulbs  

and they are of course very pretty! cant beat the warm glow/colours of a good good old traditional Tungsten set of Christmas lights  

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Indeed!  I've gone for a 'retro' theme this year; despite having three light strings, a small, artificial tree and a welcome light, my place is entirely LED free.  The tree is about 20 years old and is decorated with authentic, eighties baubles.  I prefer older decorations in general.  

Very much like the Lithuanian lights, too!  

[LightBulbFun]

  On 25/12/2024 at 20:39, auntiemaryscanary said:

I bet your mum is well chuffed... "Come on son, get out in that lovely little car of yours and fetch me my favourite loaf!"

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most certainly, not quite those words but yeah  usually she is able to grab her stuff, on the way to or on the way back from work, but she is pleased she now has options incase things run out outside of those days  (and thats true in general for any sort of house hold item, like milk etc!)

  On 25/12/2024 at 20:42, Dobloseven said:

 Thorn Lighting Leicester.Could see that from our bedroom windows.Had a good friend,sadly no longer with us,who worked there from 1970 until it closed.

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you got it in one  I was wondering if anyone would clock why that particular photo (besides the fact its a nice eye catching black and white) thats pretty Awesome you had a good friend who worked there, what role did he have? a very good friend of mine by the name of James hooker, worked there also for a fair while, he runs the lamp tech website, where he has done a write up on the factory, well worth a read for those interested in that stuff like I am

http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/Factory - UK - Leicester.htm

  On 26/12/2024 at 12:05, Marshall2810 said:

And to you @LightBulbFun. Did you (or rev) get anything nice?

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Thanks! I got a bit of money which is nice! I mean dont get me wrong, I would in theory love to get Physical presents , but as people probably have realised my interests are pretty niche/highly specialised so most people who get me something for Birthday/Christmas know that I am most happiest with a bit of cash I can grab a nice vintage lightbulb with or the such like  I mean if anyone knows how I could possibly get one of these shipped over from the states I am all ears! (its only* about 4.5-5ft long...)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265959415226

[Dobloseven]

  On 26/12/2024 at 18:10, LightBulbFun said:

most certainly, not quite those words but yeah  usually she is able to grab her stuff, on the way to or on the way back from work, but she is pleased she now has options incase things run out outside of those days  (and thats true in general for any sort of house hold item, like milk etc!)

you got it in one  I was wondering if anyone would clock why that particular photo (besides the fact its a nice eye catching black and white) thats pretty Awesome you had a good friend who worked there, what role did he have? a very good friend of mine by the name of James hooker, worked there also for a fair while, he runs the lamp tech website, where he has done a write up on the factory, well worth a read for those interested in that stuff like I am

http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/Factory - UK - Leicester.htm

Thanks! I got a bit of money which is nice! I mean dont get me wrong, I would in theory love to get Physical presents , but as people probably have realised my interests are pretty niche/highly specialised so most people who get me something for Birthday/Christmas know that I am most happiest with a bit of cash I can grab a nice vintage lightbulb with or the such like  I mean if anyone knows how I could possibly get one of these shipped over from the states I am all ears! (its only* about 4.5-5ft long...)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265959415226

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Friend was Mark Allen.He was initially an electrician,but later became multi disciplined maintenance engineer.He started as an apprentice in 1970 and was there till the end.Moved to South Wales in the late noughties where he worked in a battery recycling plant.Returned to Leicestershire when he retired,sadly dying in 2021.Lovely,glass half full guy,very keen on walking, climbing etc.

[wesacosa]

new addition to Hull streetlife museum since I was last there 

although this thing has been here at least 40 years 

[barrett]

Talking of cars in museums, now the Science Museum Reserve Collection at Wroughton has been reorganised and opened to the public for the first time, they've been updating their website with pictures of all the collection as they're catalogued...

Interesting to see that it's been painted a version of 'ministry blue' in the same way ours has.

[Christine]

Fantastic !  More hand wringing from LBF !    He'll be straight on to  the museum to correct their dreadful lies!  

[plasticvandan]

Harpers were generally painted a greeny blue colour rather than the ministry standard ice blue. Be interesting to see if any more pics turn up of their cars,the DDA collection of i.c was taken on by them many years ago,they also have one of the only Barret Midgets and the earlier mono headlamp harpers.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 29/12/2024 at 14:12, barrett said:

Talking of cars in museums, now the Science Museum Reserve Collection at Wroughton has been reorganised and opened to the public for the first time, they've been updating their website with pictures of all the collection as they're catalogued...

Interesting to see that it's been painted a version of 'ministry blue' in the same way ours has.

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funnily enough I attempted to post about this a few months back but their website was not playing ball!

  On 12/08/2024 at 20:38, LightBulbFun said:

the Coventry Motor museum once did an exhibit a while back borrowing some of the vehicles that the science museum hold, speaking of the Science museum I note that they have updated a few of their invalid vehicle pages with fresh new photographs which has been quite awesome to see!

I was going to share some but it appears their website is currently a bit borked LOL

 

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indeed it has been quite Awesome to see fresh photos of their collection of invalid vehicles  as you say interesting to see 172EPH at long last! both from a general enthusiast POV and of a course a personal one to compare with ours

  On 29/12/2024 at 14:42, plasticvandan said:

Harpers were generally painted a greeny blue colour rather than the ministry standard ice blue. Be interesting to see if any more pics turn up of their cars,the DDA collection of i.c was taken on by them many years ago,they also have one of the only Barret Midgets and the earlier mono headlamp harpers.

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the colour of a Harper very much depended on if it was a Private machine and if it was an Electric machine or Petrol machine, for example on the right is a Harper thats white with a Red roof rather curious colour combination  

and then there is 61HPA of course

the classic "ministry blue" that we all come to know, was only really fully standardised upon in about 1967! but Tippen where the first to use it with their Delta Mk2 in about 1957-1958ish, but even then the low volume of AC Model 64's and Model 57's that continued production until 1972 and 1971 respectively where always that darker shade of blue, and of course Barrets where a curious shade of metallic  green! for which the science museum has Lawrence to thank for MHU163F

but they also got 864THW from the Ministry as well, sadly at some point this one has been repainted 

and for completeness sake there is also 962RHY which I got the ball rolling to get rescue back in October 2023  this one does not belong to the science museum, but these 3 Barrett's make up the only known Barrett survivors, this is the Barrett survivors list right here!

I have always wondered how Barrett managed to get away with painting their cars an entirely different colour/non blue!

the majority of the science museum cars come from Michael Lawrence,  as seen in this awesome period photo that @barrett posted a couple years ago  

  On 03/09/2021 at 12:41, LightBulbFun said:

ooh thats a lovely photo!

interesting that its said to be the National motor museum's collection of invalid carriages

 

as from what I understand a good number of those are with the National science museum today and have been since the 1980s, at least the Tippen Delta and Barrett Midget

im pretty sure the Tippen Delta on the left is 833BRW which was the very first Electric Tippen Delta prototype (originally built using Stanley Argson gear but later rebuilt to Electric Tippen Delta Model 69E Mk2 specifications) 

and the Barrett Midget on the right beside the elswick envoy is MHU163F im pretty sure
 

a few of science museums machines came from Michael Lawrence who had a large collection of invalid vehicles back in the 1980's and I think DJE665 and LPB98 also came from him but are now with the motability charity and the DDA I think

its also interesting to see PWC801 there, as that was last spotted displayed  at the 1981 Epitath to the invalid trike display held at Beaulieu in 1981 by Machael lawrence 

it was thought lost/scrapped until about 10 years ago or so it showed up on ebay and was bought be Ian Hellings, what happened to it in the in-between I sadly dont know!

and I dont know if it is one that he owned or if it was just one that showed up for the show!

 

the only invalid vehicle I know the National motor museum to have is as @martc says is LPL837P an AC Model 70 Mark B (with Tiller control and 3 foot pedals)

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a few of the cars came directly from the DHSS like 864THW and XPU614 the multiple-controls user-training Invacar Mk8,  but it was Michael Lawrence who was instrumental in orchestrating it most of it and getting as many sorts saved back in the 1970's and 1980's when no one else cared for them, the story goes that the science museum only ended up with them, because they begrudgingly allowed Lawrence to store them in the museum stores but initially they did not want anything otherwise to do with them! but as an example how he went out of his way to preserve as many as he could here is Lawrence's own personal AC Acedes Model 57 which he knew the Ministry still had in store, and bought it from them for preservation for £5 back in the day!

and he wrangled other machines and bought other private examples out of his own pocket WOO976F for example is a Private Invacar Mk12c

along similar lines, I have often wondered what happened to Lawrance's Model 67 that he had for many years after NPL373D, his AC Model 67 one of the last Villiers machines in Service, it has no scrapped marker, and a keeper change a couple years after its tax ran out, so i'd like to think its been squirrelled away somewhere, but sadly I have never heard of it actually being anywhere! 

 

as you can see the there are a fair few nice pictures now of their various invalid vehicles in store, if you search the object database for invalid carriage or invalid car you should find most of them  

[Inspector Morose]

  On 29/12/2024 at 14:12, barrett said:

Talking of cars in museums, now the Science Museum Reserve Collection at Wroughton has been reorganised and opened to the public for the first time, they've been updating their website with pictures of all the collection as they're catalogued...

Interesting to see that it's been painted a version of 'ministry blue' in the same way ours has.

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Hang on, sod the thing at the front for a minute. Isn't that the Moulton safety coach in dead centre background (in front of the VAL)?

[Christine]

Could be , they  have one on their list . Is that a 747 too? 

[Snake Charmer]

  On 29/12/2024 at 19:45, Christine said:

Could be , they  have one on their list . Is that a 747 too? 

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Hawker Siddeley Trident Three.

[Pieman]

  On 29/12/2024 at 19:45, Christine said:

Could be , they  have one on their list . Is that a 747 too? 

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Bloody heck, that looks like something out of Captain Scarlet!

[Marshall2810]

Just had this suggested on YouTube and was quite interesting, never really thought about them before. I guess you don't miss them till they're gone.

Don't know if your into all lightbulbs or just household ones @LightBulbFun

 

[LightBulbFun]

  On 31/12/2024 at 12:09, Marshall2810 said:

Just had this siggested on YouTube and was quite interesting, never really thought about them before. I guess you don't miss them till they're gone.

Don't know if your into all lightbulbs or just household ones @LightBulbFun

 

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funnily enough I did leave a comment on that, but im guessing its fallen into the void  

  On 31/12/2024 at 12:09, Marshall2810 said:

Don't know if your into all lightbulbs or just household ones @LightBulbFun

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I am interested in *all* lightbulbs/lamps etc (apart from modern LED stuff) heres a couple of American 1000W Mercury lamps I got in November 2023 for example  

 

or more relevent to the video, I recently got this 60W SLI/H lamp for my collection which is a now *quite* rare and sought after form of low pressure sodium lamp

and I also have its longer 200W Counter part (both this GEC one and a Thorn HO one, I am just missing 140W Thorn and 160W GEC to complete the wattage set of semi-conductor coated SLI/H lamps, but as above they very rare and sought after)

[Marshall2810]

That's beautiful. What kinda application would they be used for? I'm assuming it's something very specialist and commercial

[lesapandre]

Thanks for a great read this year @LightBulbFun looking forward to your adventures in 2025.👍👍👍

[LightBulbFun]

  On 31/12/2024 at 14:26, lesapandre said:

Thanks for a great read this year @LightBulbFun looking forward to your adventures in 2025.👍👍👍

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Thanks  I am very much looking forward to 2025, and specifically the spring/summer when the days get longer and the weather gets better, so I can under-take some longer drives/trips in REV  (and fingers crossed see about getting a few more of REV's minor things sorted like i'd very much like to fit a new windscreen seal and door seals and ideally get all the rust on the window frames neutralised)

I did have one last trip out in REV for the year,

that BMW had boxed me in this time, but thankfully REV is quite manoeuvrable! 

just usual bakery/shopping run (I did have plans to go further afield, but when planning it today I found out the place I wanted to go to was closed for the new year)

I did have one unpleasant moment in this drive that, when pulling away from a shop (not on brick lane but elsewhere on a normal 2 way road) i was pulled up on the right with my nose facing traffic, and i needed to get to the left side of the road, so I am sitting there with my left indicator on, waiting stationary for a suitable gap in traffic to appear to do the manoeuvre, when while im still sitting, 2 youths go past at speed on a bicycle with the main rider shouting "what the fuck are you doing?!" so I dont think too much of it at this point, other then just re-affirm my soundings (I was stationary, but that sort of language does make you doubt yourself!) anyways moments later a gap appears in traffic and I slip into the left side and then wait at the traffic lights, when while im waiting at the lights the 2 youths on the bike that went past pull up on my left (so between REV and the pavement) and the main rider again starts shouting "What the fuck are/where you doing?!" while punching REV's side window repeatedly, before eventually buggering off (the guy on the back of the bike was tugging at the guy punching), I have to say that rattled me quite a bit, and I am genuinely not sure what set that youth off so much!  perhaps they thought I was trying/going to drive head on towards them? but again I was stationary when they initially wizzed past shouting at me... but hopefully thats the last I ever see of them and REV's windows are strong I know that now LOL

in better news, depending on how you count it exactly things (if the millage count starts from on the day REV was picked up from the FoD including the jaunts we did on the local roads, or if the milage counts from the moment she landed at the dead end 23135 vs 23143) but I have now covered about 100 miles since getting REV back  

and home

once again REV performed without fault  

 

 

[captain_70s]

Unfortunately random nutters are part and parcel of driving a distinctive car. Once when pulling away from a junction the Acclaim popped out of 1st and wouldn't re-engage without going into neutral first.

Took about 5 seconds while rolling forwards but the bloke in the van behind me was so incensed he pulled up alongside at the next set of lights and threatened to kick my head in. He also called me a speccy cunt despite being 60 odd and having glasses with lenses about an inch thick himself...

Might be because you were parked on the wrong side of the road? Can't recall if it's illegal but it's certainly bad form.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 31/12/2024 at 17:43, captain_70s said:

Might be because you were parked on the wrong side of the road? Can't recall if it's illegal but it's certainly bad form.

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thats the only thing I can think of, I dont think its illegal, as its part of the driving test "pull up on the right and reverse 2 car lengths", I understand that its ill advised although in busy London traffic, it feels better to do that then try and do a 3 point turn in the middle of the road clogging up both directions, if theres one thing drivers in London dont like its being made to wait unnecessarily  LOL

https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/what-happens-during-test

obviously you dont want to be driving towards traffic if you can help it, but traffic is going so slow the vast majority of the time, that once you spot a suitable gap in traffic, you can pretty quickly/safely pull up on the right if you need to, before any vehicles coming towards you get near, but perhaps im mistaken there? maybe as a cyclist the youth did not realise it is an allow manoeuvre for cars to do?

[lesapandre]

  On 31/12/2024 at 16:59, LightBulbFun said:

Thanks  I am very much looking forward to 2025, and specifically the spring/summer when the days get longer and the weather gets better, so I can under-take some longer drives/trips in REV  (and fingers crossed see about getting a few more of REV's minor things sorted like i'd very much like to fit a new windscreen seal and door seals and ideally get all the rust on the window frames neutralised)

I did have one last trip out in REV for the year,

that BMW had boxed me in this time, but thankfully REV is quite manoeuvrable! 

just usual bakery/shopping run (I did have plans to go further afield, but when planning it today I found out the place I wanted to go to was closed for the new year)

I did have one unpleasant moment in this drive that, when pulling away from a shop (not on brick lane but elsewhere on a normal 2 way road) i was pulled up on the right with my nose facing traffic, and i needed to get to the left side of the road, so I am sitting there with my left indicator on, waiting stationary for a suitable gap in traffic to appear to do the manoeuvre, when while im still sitting, 2 youths go past at speed on a bicycle with the main rider shouting "what the fuck are you doing?!" so I dont think too much of it at this point, other then just re-affirm my soundings (I was stationary, but that sort of language does make you doubt yourself!) anyways moments later a gap appears in traffic and I slip into the left side and then wait at the traffic lights, when while im waiting at the lights the 2 youths on the bike that went past pull up on my left (so between REV and the pavement) and the main rider again starts shouting "What the fuck are/where you doing?!" while punching REV's side window repeatedly, before eventually buggering off (the guy on the back of the bike was tugging at the guy punching), I have to say that rattled me quite a bit, and I am genuinely not sure what set that youth off so much!  perhaps they thought I was trying/going to drive head on towards them? but again I was stationary when they initially wizzed past shouting at me... but hopefully thats the last I ever see of them and REV's windows are strong I know that now LOL

in better news, depending on how you count it exactly things (if the millage count starts from on the day REV was picked up from the FoD including the jaunts we did on the local roads, or if the milage counts from the moment she landed at the dead end 23135 vs 23143) but I have now covered about 100 miles since getting REV back  

and home

once again REV performed without fault  

 

 

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All of us are looking forward to seeing REV in person (and you too of course).

Lots of horrible horrible cyclists in London - I cycle a lot and the worst road manners I see are other cyclists by far...

You might want to consider a dash cam? 

Have a great evening @LightBulbFun🥳

[Snake Charmer]

I was surprised when riding shotgun for a friends daughter on L plates to find her instructor was teaching her to park facing traffic, I did suggest she ask for an explanation as to why. l can see no reason to as you are then sat kerbside and if a vehicle is parked in front of you visibility is poor. Makes a mockery of the need for rear reflectors on construction and use too.

[LightBulbFun]

  On 01/01/2025 at 00:24, Snake Charmer said:

I was surprised when riding shotgun for a friends daughter on L plates to find her instructor was teaching her to park facing traffic, I did suggest she ask for an explanation as to why. l can see no reason to as you are then sat kerbside and if a vehicle is parked in front of you visibility is poor. Makes a mockery of the need for rear reflectors on construction and use too.

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in my defence centre steer=no problems

visibility is just as good either side of the vehicle/no matter which way round I am parked  which is really handy when your in a multiple lane carriage way and you need to merge from the right or middle lanes to the left, as in REV you can look to your left, and not only is visibility quite good, but unlike in a RHD car, in REV you can directly make eye contact with the car that is to your left, and if you do that and give them a cheery smile etc, they will most of the time let you slide in-front,

although your right of course in a regular RHD car parking against traffic would give you quite poor sight lines if there is another vehicle parked in-front of you, I will admit that is something I had not really thought about, but again, I never thought about it, because its not a problem in REV  (I mean any car thats parked obscuring traffic is a problem in general, but its an equal problem regardless if I am facing towards it or if I have my back to it if that makes sense)

[martc]

  On 31/12/2024 at 18:17, LightBulbFun said:

thats the only thing I can think of, I dont think its illegal, as its part of the driving test "pull up on the right and reverse 2 car lengths", I understand that its ill advised although in busy London traffic, it feels better to do that then try and do a 3 point turn in the middle of the road clogging up both directions, if theres one thing drivers in London dont like its being made to wait unnecessarily  LOL

https://www.gov.uk/driving-test/what-happens-during-test

obviously you dont want to be driving towards traffic if you can help it, but traffic is going so slow the vast majority of the time, that once you spot a suitable gap in traffic, you can pretty quickly/safely pull up on the right if you need to, before any vehicles coming towards you get near, but perhaps im mistaken there? maybe as a cyclist the youth did not realise it is an allow manoeuvre for cars to do?

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  On 01/01/2025 at 00:24, Snake Charmer said:

I was surprised when riding shotgun for a friends daughter on L plates to find her instructor was teaching her to park facing traffic, I did suggest she ask for an explanation as to why. l can see no reason to as you are then sat kerbside and if a vehicle is parked in front of you visibility is poor. Makes a mockery of the need for rear reflectors on construction and use too.

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Parking in the wrong direction, at the side of the road, is illegal at night -

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252

But, as far as I can see, it is legal during the day. But is very poor practice. As is the advice to sit at a junction in gear with your foot on the clutch (but that's a totally different topic....).

[Snake Charmer]

  On 01/01/2025 at 04:14, LightBulbFun said:

in my defence centre steer=no problems

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No need to be defensive Dez it wasn't a dig at your parking, more the practice being taught and seen as acceptable. 

I watched my neighbour pull out of a space straight into the path of another car that only just missed him, had it been a cyclist or one of the fast E bikes theymight  not have missed him. The daft thing is he has to pull out of the space then turn around before driving off, if he had turned around before parking he would have seen the car in his mirror. 

[wuvvum]

  On 01/01/2025 at 11:04, martc said:

Parking in the wrong direction, at the side of the road, is illegal at night -

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252

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That's a rather outdated rule though and literally nobody takes any notice of it these days, other than possibly a copper with a particular grudge.  It dates from a time before reflective number plates, when cars were much less visible from the front at night - these days headlights will pick up the reflection of number plates whichever way the parked car is facing, and plates are in fact generally more visible (because bigger) than the mandatory rear reflectors.

[martc]

  On 01/01/2025 at 15:14, wuvvum said:

That's a rather outdated rule though and literally nobody takes any notice of it these days, other than possibly a copper with a particular grudge.  It dates from a time before reflective number plates, when cars were much less visible from the front at night - these days headlights will pick up the reflection of number plates whichever way the parked car is facing, and plates are in fact generally more visible (because bigger) than the mandatory rear reflectors.

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It's not just about reflective number plates and seeing a parked car; it is also about the safety of pulling out against oncoming traffic and the drivers visibility of approaching traffic  being limited by sitting on the wrong side of the car, ie the pavement side.