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...

[Talbot]

On 16/04/2026 at 09:38, LightBulbFun said:

Thanks for the heads up  I am indeed aware of the legalities of using an electronic device while in control of a motor vehicle

OK, and I hate to be a dick about this, but why, if you know the legalities, have you taken a photo (clearly by hand) when in control of a motor vehicle, and then shoved it on the internet?

Last time someone did that here on the forum they were absolutely (and correctly) crucified for having done so.

If you wouldn't drive drunk, then why do something shown to be even more dangerous?

[Dobloseven]

Just imagine Dez meeting Cycling Mikey.
"You must not use your phone behind the wheel of your motor car,you naughty,naughty man"

"Actually,I'm behind the tiller,not the wheel and it's not a motor car, it's a motorised invalid tricycle.And finally, I'm not a man,I identify as a 5ft,40watt warm white fluorescent tube,so on yer bike,sunshine"!

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

OK, and I hate to be a dick about this, but why, if you know the legalities, have you taken a photo (clearly by hand) when in control of a motor vehicle, and then shoved it on the internet?

Last time someone did that here on the forum they were absolutely (and correctly) crucified for having done so.

If you wouldn't drive drunk, then why do something shown to be even more dangerous?

if I recall correctly the last person to get crucified over this matter on here was shown to be taking a photograph while at speed in their motor vehicle

the situation you would have me as being in 

On 15/04/2026 at 23:35, Talbot said:

Your car is in a live running lane, presumably with the engine running, you're just stationary due to traffic?

is a much lower risk factor, then trying to take a picture while driving a vehicle at speed, or driving under the influence of drink or drugs, which is what you are directly comparing my apparent situation too

I am not saying what you say I was supposedly doing is legal by any manner, but the severity of it is not in the same league as to the other incident/examples you provide, in the same way, many people on here probably sit at 78 on the motorway, technically breaking the law by exceeding the national speed limit, but not really a serious matter, vs say if your driving like a complete tosser down countries lanes, exceeding the speed limit by some 20 Mph or the such like.

[Mr Livered]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

I hate to be a dick about this

Don't then.

[Talbot]

2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

if I recall correctly the last person to get crucified over this matter on here was shown to be taking a photograph while at speed in their motor vehicle

the situation you would have me as being in is a much lower risk factor, then trying to take a picture while driving a vehicle at speed, or driving under the influence of drink or drugs, which is what you are directly comparing my apparent situation too

The law doesn't discriminate between whether you're moving or not.  If you're in control of the vehicle, then you're "driving".  And that's the end of it.  Arguably, it's higher risk to be distracted in an environment when there are pedestrians/cyclists/etc. all around you rather than at speed on a dual carriageway and only other vehicles around you.  If you watch cyclingmikey's videos on YouTube, you'll see the vast majority of people he catches are stationary in a queue of traffic using their phone, and end up with a prosecution, 6 points and a hefty fine.

2 hours ago, Mr Livered said:

Don't then.

I will stop being a dick about it as soon as people stop posting themseves breaking a fairly significant law on the road and then trying to justify it.  There is no justification.  There is no excuse.  Using a hand-held phone has been shown to be significantly more distracting and dangerous than drink-driving or even drug-driving.

[RayMK]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

The law doesn't discriminate between whether you're moving or not.  If you're in control of the vehicle, then you're "driving".  And that's the end of it.  Arguably, it's higher risk to be distracted in an environment when there are pedestrians/cyclists/etc. all around you rather than at speed on a dual carriageway and only other vehicles around you.  If you watch cyclingmikey's videos on YouTube, you'll see the vast majority of people he catches are stationary in a queue of traffic using their phone, and end up with a prosecution, 6 points and a hefty fine.

I will stop being a dick about it as soon as people stop posting themseves breaking a fairly significant law on the road and then trying to justify it.  There is no justification.  There is no excuse.  Using a hand-held phone has been shown to be significantly more distracting and dangerous than drink-driving or even drug-driving.

Not illegal of course, but I wonder how fiddling with a standard touch screen would fare in that comparison, especially if the driver has switched  the lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise off?  Far safer for drivers to be looking out of the windows and staying aware of their surroundings, preferably not just to admire their car reflected in shop windows.  As for LBF, he was obviously* using a go-pro strapped to his left ear occifer.   

[High Jetter]

Needs to be proportionate. Railway crossing here goes down at least 2mins 30 before train arrives. Engine off, I'll use my phone while waiting. I've taken pics while stationary in queues, but always aware.

[Missy Charm]

On 16/04/2026 at 15:06, LightBulbFun said:

yeah I understand the difference between a flat mirror and Convex mirror, what I am asking is why on both REV and the VDP, are they both setup with the nearside as a flat mirror and the offside as a convex mirror?

whats the reasoning/thought process behind that particular setup? the fact that they are both like that, makes me think its an intentional thing

(ie on both the passenger side is the flat side, and on the driver side its convex)

It's possible that both cars were supplied new with offside mirrors only -- standard practice pre eighties -- and previous owners added accessory mirrors to the nearside of each.

As an alternative explanation, the nearside mirror used to be called the 'kerbing' mirror and was primarily used as an aid to parallel parking.  A flat, i.e. non-distorting, mirror would be better for that, if one was happy to forgo the advantages of a convex mirror. 

[LightBulbFun]

as alluded to in the Rustival thread, I had a fair old trip in REV! a round trip just shy of 200 miles!

to the British car Museum to attend the Rustival show and then back home (via the bakery)

was an early start indeed! 

REV's cold exhaust making her own god rays LOL, got her warmed up and then hit the road, made good progress through London due toit being 7AM on a Sunday, and then hit the M40 for the next couple hours!

made it right about on time/when I thought i might arrive  

in what seems like no time at all the show was sadly over, and it was time to head back up the M40!

did stop for petrol, 43Mpg, ill take that given a fair majority of that tank was used at motorway cruise speed!

fun line up at the pumps  then I hit the M40, A406/A1 was quite buggered coming back, (yes I have now done the hanger lane gyratory in REV!), but I managed to swing by the bakery for mum

and then finally home, some 200 miles and 12 hours later!

REV did very well indeed, only issues of note was the Support rod for the air-filter assembly went AWOL completely, if you find that on the M40 please send it back my way LOL and I noticed that when REV is properly warm ie after a long motorway jaunt the Idle seems to not, but it appears to come back after she has cooled down some, I do wonder what thats about,  so for the return trip through London I had an Invacar with stop-start technology LOL but she otherwise performed without fault and I maintained a steady cruise in the high 50s  (I can confirm the Loop Experience 2 hearing protection ear bud thingies do work very well indeed  )

 

[Yoss]

That's quite a line up what with the Bluebird and Rover R8 in the background. 

And one of the few advantages of living in London is that you can find a bakery open at 7 o'clock on a Sunday night. 

[Christine]

It's Saturday .....

[Yoss]

4 minutes ago, Christine said:

It's Saturday .....

Ah, so it is. I've had a week off and can't remember what day it is. I think the statement still stands though, I bet it is open tomorrow. 

[lesapandre]

24 hours 7 days if it's the Brick Lane Bakery.

A decent spot if you are ever out late in London - just round the corner from Shoreditch High Street Station and known by every cabby. Do filled beigels too. 😋

[Yoss]

11 minutes ago, Christine said:

It's Saturday .....

In fact, if it is one of the beigel shops in Brick Lane they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's also a 24 hour cafe outside Liverpool Street station that we have used at stupid o'clock on a, Sunday morning. Like I say, just about the only advantage of living in London. 

[Yoss]

3 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

24 hours 7 days if it's the Brick Lane Bakery.

A decent spot if you are ever out late in London - just round the corner from Shoreditch High Street Station and known by every cabby. Do filled beigels too. 😋

You type quicker than I do. 

[lesapandre]

4 minutes ago, Yoss said:

In fact, if it is one of the beigel shops in Brick Lane they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's also a 24 hour cafe outside Liverpool Street station that we have used at stupid o'clock on a, Sunday morning. Like I say, just about the only advantage of living in London. 

Relates to Spitalfields Market - when it was wholesale fruit and veg - and the nearby Street markets. Was a very busy area - still is but different as the wholesale market moved away.

Lot of clubbers and cabbies drop by late these days as well as baking wholesale for the restaurant trade. Worth a visit.

[The Vicar]

You’ve been papped!

[LightBulbFun]

27 minutes ago, The Vicar said:

You’ve been papped!

perfect, the caption gave me a right giggle  papped on the motorway, so not only you get all the usual facebook invacar comments, but also a bonus round of "OMG on a motorway?!" comments too

tis nice to have some more material proof (if only the picture was a bit high quality its a neat shot otherwise) of my gallivanting about the place, quite a few people at Rustival seemed quite shocked/bewildered to hear how far I had come & that it was via the M40!

"so how did you get it here"

"I drove it"

"Oh? where from?"

"London up the M40"

"Nooo.... your joking right?!"

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Ah, so it is. I've had a week off and can't remember what day it is. I think the statement still stands though, I bet it is open tomorrow. 

dont worry I also kept thinking it was sunday!,

I think kept getting confused with this show which I am hoping to attend with @Six-cylinder (and anyone else who wants to come along!) https://www.the1100club.com/springshow.php

which *is* on a Sunday LOL

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

perfect, the caption gave me a right giggle  papped on the motorway, so not only you get all the usual facebook invacar comments, but also a bonus round of "OMG on a motorway?!" comments too

tis nice to have some more material proof (if only the picture was a bit high quality its a neat shot otherwise) of my gallivanting about the place, quite a few people at Rustival seemed quite shocked/bewildered to hear how far I had come & that it was via the M40!

"so how did you get it here"

"I drove it"

"Oh? where from?"

"London up the M40"

"Nooo.... your joking right?!"

I was steadily losing my sanity reading the comments on that post. All the usual misconceptions, people mistaking you for dollywobbler and suggesting it must have an engine upgrade. The best ill-informed comment was someone ranting about it being AI crap because invalid carriages are banned from motorways and aren't capable of 60mph, and someone else has invented a new Invacar 'fact' that they were governed to 30mph. You certainly confuse people with that little car!

[RayMK]

12 hours ago, quicksilver said:

I was steadily losing my sanity reading the comments on that post. All the usual misconceptions, people mistaking you for dollywobbler and suggesting it must have an engine upgrade. The best ill-informed comment was someone ranting about it being AI crap because invalid carriages are banned from motorways and aren't capable of 60mph, and someone else has invented a new Invacar 'fact' that they were governed to 30mph. You certainly confuse people with that little car!

Although I am not on social media,  I often see references to statements made on such sources.  It seems to be an excellent way to spread ignorance far and wide. I hope that AI software is becoming sophisticated enough to filter rubbish from its worldwide databases.  It is better than it was last year but apparently it currently lacks the ability to dig deeply enough to cross check all facts.  Unfortunately AI is also used by attention seekers to produce plausible looking information which, judging by you tube channel (posting)* numbers, is swallowed by a large percentage of viewers to do not have the slightest suspicion that it's fiction or a cynical way to make money.  

*Edit: I meant 'viewing.'    

Edited April 19 by RayMK
It was late!

[EyesWeldedShut]

6 hours ago, RayMK said:

judging by you tube channel posting numbers, is swallowed by a large percentage of viewers to do not have the slightest suspicion that it's fiction or a cynical way to make money.    

FTFY.

Alphabet? Cynical? Meta? Cynical? Oh yes. Trick (I guess) is to try and keep an open mind if you do use them

8 hours ago, quicksilver said:

a new Invacar 'fact' that they were governed to 30mph

Same people that have morphed the Caravan Club 85% weight advice into a solid 'fact'- maybe?
 

[LightBulbFun]

11 hours ago, quicksilver said:

I was steadily losing my sanity reading the comments on that post. All the usual misconceptions, people mistaking you for dollywobbler and suggesting it must have an engine upgrade. The best ill-informed comment was someone ranting about it being AI crap because invalid carriages are banned from motorways and aren't capable of 60mph, and someone else has invented a new Invacar 'fact' that they were governed to 30mph. You certainly confuse people with that little car!

yeah I saw the AI comment too, that made chuckle quite a bit  its so amusing when peoples preconceived notions suddenly get faced with hard reality like this!

 

also its amusing to see the "600cc" myth persist, Steyr Puch did not even make a 600cc engine! the Steyr puch Flat twin range went from 493cc straight to 643cc & 660cc (with 762cc aftermarket options available)

I think someone needs to edit the "600cc" bit out of the wikipedia page for the Invacar!

[lesapandre]

To an extent the internet with the advent of this AI is veering towards the unusable being increasingly filled with AI slop.

[Six-cylinder]

12 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

dont worry I also kept thinking it was sunday!,

I think kept getting confused with this show which I am hoping to attend with @Six-cylinder (and anyone else who wants to come along!) https://www.the1100club.com/springshow.php

which *is* on a Sunday LOL

Yes I got my humble Morris 1300 out of storage on Thursday. Friday I had a fail to precede, then no indicators but all is well since @Slowsilver paid a visit and cleaned up my fuse box and spade terminals.  I even took it out in the dark last night.

[quicksilver]

24 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

To an extent the internet with the advent of this AI is veering towards the unusable being increasingly filled with AI slop.

The biggest problem with AI is that errors become self-perpetuating. An AI has no concept of truth so it reads that Invacars had 600cc engines and states that as a fact, then another AI reads what the first AI wrote and repeats it, and so on and on until the falsehood has been published so often it appears to be true.

[IronStar]

40 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

 

I think someone needs to edit the "600cc" bit out of the wikipedia page for the Invacar!

Do it! Do it! Make the internet teeny tiny bit better!

[lesapandre]

8 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

The biggest problem with AI is that errors become self-perpetuating. An AI has no concept of truth so it reads that Invacars had 600cc engines and states that as a fact, then another AI reads what the first AI wrote and repeats it, and so on and on until the falsehood has been published so often it appears to be true.

Orwell 1984 - 

And that's before people start doing it deliberately - he who controls the past controls the future indeed...

[LightBulbFun]

24 minutes ago, IronStar said:

Do it! Do it! Make the internet teeny tiny bit better!

I have often thought about giving the Invacar Wikipedia page a much needed editing, but I imagine they would ask for sources/citations n what not, and I think self referencing is frowned upon

"yeah its all in this 530 page long forum thread"

tho I can always cite the workshop manual and a shit load of Hansard reports LOL

is there a Wikipedia page on how to appropriately edit a wikipedia page? LOL

 

 

I was rather amused to see that someone recently added the Invacar page to the "AC Vehicles" list!

keep in mind Invacar and AC where 2 completely separate companies

thats like adding  British Leyland to the list of vehicles made by Citroen!

 

the Model 70 obviously confusing matters for those not in the know! I suppose the Model 70 is  really quite interesting in that regard for the unusual fact that 2 completely separate companies, at the same time, in the same country, made the exact same vehicle, the Model 70, the only other such situation that comes to mind is the original  WW2 Jeep which was made both by Willy's Overland and Ford at the same time

are there any other vehicles like? of course you hear about licence built vehicles like @catsinthewelder Dacia 1310 the Licence built Renault R12, but Dacia never setup a production line in France and sold them there along side Renault.

 

but with the Model 70, both AC and Invacar where producing them at the same time, obviously for good reason, to fulfil a government contract mainly, in the same way the original WW2 Jeep was produced for the US government 

but I have often wondered for the few private examples of the Model 70 that where sold/produced, what was the deciding factor for the purchaser to go for the one they went with

why the person who purchase NPN924P go to AC for their Model 70, and why did the person who purchased REV new, go to Invacar their Model 70!

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, lesapandre said:

To an extent the internet with the advent of this AI is veering towards the unusable being increasingly filled with AI slop.

I heard/saw someone refer to it as something that's going to be the asbestos of the internet.  As once the "facts" are out there it's basically impossible to erase them, and are only going to get more impossible to tell apart from real data as time goes on.

It doesn't help at all that Google is now preferentially serving pages which are frequently updated over static content, so you're even MORE likely to find AI trash than an actual factual page which has been there with the right data on it for several years.

I get it for current affairs news and such, but data on old cars and ancient computers really doesn't change...so why it needs to be kept "fresh" to ensure it doesn't get de-indexed as stale I've no idea.