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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...


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Posted

Funny thing you saying about the number plates, both at the back and front, there are two sets of holes drilled info the body for plates !!!

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Posted

@LightBulbFunhere's some pics of the bulbs.... I haven't got a magnifying glass unfortunately, I have cropped and lightened them up, but you may be able to crop them a bit more!  Hope they help? 

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IMG-2923.jpg

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Posted
40 minutes ago, OldBlokeInACaravan said:

@LightBulbFunhere's some pics of the bulbs.... I haven't got a magnifying glass unfortunately, I have cropped and lightened them up, but you may be able to crop them a bit more!  Hope they help? 

IMG-2924.jpg

IMG-2925.jpg

IMG-2922.jpg

IMG-2923.jpg

Ohh Tungsram lamps interesting

I cant say for 100% certainty but I suspect 2D is the date code, for for April 1992, but I dont know for sure when it comes to Tungsram Automotive lamps I know their regular lamps of this period followed that date coding convention, but I dont know if their automotive lamps did or not

what does the stop/tail lamp say after the (E1) marking?

 

it might be worth holding them a little further away from the camera to get it in focus :) 

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Posted
14 minutes ago, DVee8 said:

Ha i came here to post that

May be an image of car and outdoors

Me too! Standard type of comments on The Facebook ads as you would expect. Looks odd on a K plate though

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Posted

one interesting thing to note that I did not know about this particular car is apparently it was last on the Road in 1979 (I knew some of its service dockets survived, so I guess that info was in there)

thats a good and interesting thing as it might just mean its in the offline DVLA archives like @egg's/ @BlankFrank's Mk12 was

tho I cant say for sure, as the Buff Logbook to V5 period was 1974-1983, so it may still have ended its service life and been "scrapped" while still on a buff logbook

41 minutes ago, dave j said:

Me too! Standard type of comments on The Facebook ads as you would expect. Looks odd on a K plate though

yeah it looks all sorts of weird/wrong on that modern plate LOL

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Posted

Looks in x100 better condition than the xwc mk12 so that's good to see.  (the xwc mk12 basically consists of a fibreglass body, engine and wheels with %10 of its chassis left due to rust, garden ornament material)

Posted
5 minutes ago, BlankFrank said:

Looks in x100 better condition than the xwc mk12 so that's good to see.  (xwc is basically just a fibreglass body with %10 of its chassis left, garden ornament material)

well it has a Door, but I sadly dont actually know what its chassis is like, im sure if you could get a door and replaced the lights like he did, XWC would look quite smart once more :) 

Posted

It's private so cannot read it; what's he want for it?

Posted
46 minutes ago, BlankFrank said:

Looks in x100 better condition than the xwc mk12 so that's good to see.  (the xwc mk12 basically consists of a fibreglass body, engine and wheels with %10 of its chassis left due to rust, garden ornament material)

Is that the end of XWC as a project Frank? 

Posted
6 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

It's private so cannot read it; what's he want for it?

heres a screenshot of the post (and then it again copied and pasted into a quote incase the screen shot is too small to read)

image.thumb.png.0496765ec8cdc2c906a570b842ddab67.png

Quote

The Invacar Mk12 Type E is now up together, and looking to move on to a new owner.


For sale

Invacar Mk12 Model E from August 1970, including the original Chassis Plate. Was registered as K*U 1*7J and comes with an Invalid Carriage Register dating letter for re-registration as a Historic Vehicle at DVLA. Last on the road with a Mr Brian Howe in 1979. A rare complete car, in reasonable condition to restore to roadworthy condition. 


The Invacar Mk12 was the last uniquely Bert Grieves designed Invalid Carriage. A common sight in clips of football matches into the ‘80’s at the side of the pitch. The Model E is the last version of that type, before the AC designed Type 70 become the only petrol option available, with it’s production shared between Invacar and AC. So you will note the 7 inch headlights, rather simplified front suspension, and the use of later indicator units over the earlier versions of Mk12. Despite being made in good numbers, the Mk12 is not common, some 45 examples being left to us. Fewer restored. 


The design was a progression from prior ideas. It features a large diameter steel central tube, off which are mounted various outriggers, some carrying the suspension. The flat steel floor is mounted on top of this robust construction. The four GRP body moldings are bolted to it, being the Front, Roof, Rear and O/S side panel. The only door, N/S, is a steel fabrication, and slides to the rear. The seat bottom slides across to the door for ease of access. Once in, the pilot has room between himself, and the door, for his wheelchair, should he have one. This example has standard controls, being hand only, via an offset mounted tiller to the right, and control console also to the right of the driver. 


The engine is a Villiers blower cooled 197cc reversing unit, with four gears, changed with a long throw gear-stick, and rod using a numbered gate plate. The engine sits on the tubular spine, in the midst of what is nearly a bolted space-frame of stressed tube steel carriers. It drives the N/S wheel via a drop gear chain to a Hardy Spicer type drive shaft, and has an hydraulic clutch (you can replace this with a cable. Heavier in use for the disabled). It is thus feasible to change the gearing to increase the speed of the car. Their design speed being about 45 mph as standard. Standard Girling drum brakes all round. 12 inch wheels (Fiat 500 tyres). So in all a pretty simple construction, and thus easy to restore. Not least as Villiers still exist, sell spares, and do engine rebuilds. 


This example managed to escape scrappage – the scrappage fee being paid on the surrender of the Chassis Plate. This is why it is rare to find an Invalid Carriage with its original Chassis Plate. Quite why the Worcester area agent took a few cars home with him, I could not say. Technically it was illegal, but time heals all wrongs. They laid in has garden for some 35 years, until it became time for the family to redevelop the plot. Which is when I became involved to move the cars away to safety. 


The GRP has a few minor repairs to do. The flat floor is poor in places, and the door sill structure is needing replacement. Nothing complex as its all folding sheet steel sections, and can be copied from original. There will be other minor welding needs. The door is pretty good for a Mk12. They are the weak spot, and it is probably the biggest task of the restoration. All steel. The runner is apparently the same as used for filing cabinets! 


Engine is nipped up, not surprisingly. See previous Villiers comments. There is a spare engine available, should the buyer require it as an additional purchase. The small car rolls happily, though, and is not very heavy. The lights, and fittings, are all good to go again – I have gone through them exchanging dead ones for good, out of my parts bins. Included is a rare, but fragile original yellow plastic rear view mirror! But I fitted a metal one, as I think most will prefer that in use. There is a box of other spares, too. I do not have the boot catch, however, though I found new hinges! Replica boot catches are available. 


More detailed pics on request. A very do-able project for somebody for sale at £1,500 ono. 


Access to a whole spare reversing engine, seized, for £150. 


Second spares car which has heavy body damage to the the rear. Once again a complete car being thought the third youngest chassis left, April 1971. Registration M*U 3*2J, dating letter available £750, or buy with the above car as two examples for £2,000 the pair.

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Posted
7 minutes ago, egg said:

Is that the end of XWC as a project Frank? 

I hope not! would be a real shame to see it condemned

especially given all the effort put into saving it and especially given its one of the few Mk12's with its ID fully sorted out etc!

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Posted

BTW for those wondering about the K Prefix plate its just from a (I think sadly dead) BX Big Al Owns, the real ID of this Mk12 is known :) (and I have personally verified it against my research too)

On 09/10/2020 at 22:00, LightBulbFun said:

while im on this subject Big al has one for sale in similar condition but with chassis plate if anyone is interested in a Mk12 that can be positively ID'ed etc

 

he recently posted this picture of it which looks all sorts of wrong LOL

image.thumb.png.5a5f74048f10d5060b4f32624d49fa43.png

Funny looking Citroen eh LOL it IS blue LOL

image.thumb.png.4b5a84be12f798a3fab4737ea342d897.png

 

On 10/10/2020 at 10:12, LightBulbFun said:

Yeah I think it was just stuck on for the LOLs as they say

its from a BX thats being scrapped sadly (I do know the actual registration of the above Mk12)

although there where K plate Mk12's they where all K suffix plates!

 

Posted
15 hours ago, egg said:

Is that the end of XWC as a project Frank? 

 

14 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I hope not! would be a real shame to see it condemned

especially given all the effort put into saving it and especially given its one of the few Mk12's with its ID fully sorted out etc!

The end? Not entirely. I'd never plan on scrapping it incase that is a worry.

The chassis is so far gone that the only thing left is the backbone, front suspension and about %20 structural integrity in the back.

I will still tinker with it and plan on getting the engine running in the summer, i can't find the correct piston rings for a +015 sized piston that has the same width + height dimensions with the same locating pin design. If the rings weren't a problem i could assemble the engine and it would probably start with an ignition coil + condenser. I've bought the spark plug (plus a spare) and cleaned the fwd ignition points and carb (points not gapped though) so the piston rings are the main issue with the engine i'd say.

That said, if any shiter want to take it off my hands for the same price i paid (£50) then they're welcome. I'll post some pictures of the state of the chassis in the xwc topic next month with the same offer. Edit: Sale pending

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Posted
26 minutes ago, BlankFrank said:

 

The end? Not entirely. I'd never plan on scrapping it incase that is a worry.

The chassis is so far gone that the only thing left is the backbone, front suspension and about %20 structural integrity in the back.

I will still tinker with it and plan on getting the engine running in the summer, i can't find the correct piston rings for a +015 sized piston that has the same width + height dimensions with the same locating pin design. If the rings weren't a problem i could assemble the engine and it would probably start with an ignition coil + condenser. I've bought the spark plug (plus a spare) and sorted out the ignition points and carb (and a whole list of other engine stuff listed in the xwc topic last year) so the piston rings are the main issue with the engine.

That said, if any shiter want to take it off my hands for the same price i paid (£50) then they're welcome. I'll post some pictures of the state of the chassis in the xwc topic next month with the same offer.

thats good to know its not the end!

 its a shame about the chassis, but I hope in time someone can fabricate a new one or repair the existing one, wont be the first time its been done on an Invacar, I understand Sam had to more or less make a new Chassis for UOI8850!

as for the Piston rings have you tried contacting these chaps? https://villiersservices.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_100_101&products_id=527

in the link above, they list a 0.015 oversize piston for sale and they say they come with rings, so surely they must have suitable rings in stock? :) 

Posted

That was my first go-to for the rings. The issue is that (i believe) the piston in xwcs non-seized engine has been replaced with one that i haven't identified so the rings are different. (possibly BSA?)

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Posted
5 minutes ago, BlankFrank said:

That was my first go-to for the rings. The issue is that (i believe) the piston in xwcs non-seized engine has been replaced with one that i haven't identified so the rings are different. (possibly BSA?) Sometime later in the year i'll do a full post with pics in xwcs topic to show what i mean, etc.

Oh thats of a bit of a ball ache, from parts bin car to parts bin engine even! 

have you tried contacting Allen Millyard? perhaps he could weld the 2 Villers engines together and create the worlds first Villiers V-Twin (Invacar) :mrgreen:

on a more serious note, how does the original engine look? if you could get it unsized would it be serviceable? perhaps that might something to look at since Hopefully its constructed with more standard parts that you can actually still get! :) 

Posted

The original engine is a bit grim. I might give that a try with the original engine, however it is so siezed that it might damage something forcing it out.

Posted

There are plenty of firms who can make up new piston rings based on patterns, so if you can get the old ones off, regardless of what they're from, they can easily be replicated for a reasonable cost. Here's one as an example - https://www.enginepartsuk.net/hastings

 

Edit: Villiers pistons seem quite easy to find, so could you buy a replacement piston and the correct rings and rebuild back to standard?

Posted

Don't make it harder than it needs to be, just stop faffing around and fit a new piston if it's available.  It will come with rings which fit.  Then it all might work properly.  Unless you prefer faffing around, obvs.  Some people do. 

Edit - I'm sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but some of you guys just make rods for your own backs all the time.

Posted

That mk12 belonged to a friend of my grandad,who worked with him at the same Worcester repairers.He had about 5 mk12s which he had in his garden lined up along a hedge,which he used as sheds.(he was an eccentric) his property was also filled with "acquired" invalid carriage parts through many years working for the repairers.As it had sat for 40 years on soil I can't imagine the chassis is great,but the body is far better than I thought it would be.

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Posted

I think i'll just have to save up for the full piston with rings if i do keep it. I was hoping to get just rings for the old piston but Mr Pastry is correct it'd just be a faff about. I'm not making any promises due to current financial constraints/tightness. Good to have a plan re: xcw's engine. I'll shutup now 'cos xwc might be offtopic. 😂

 

Edit: Sale pending

Posted
2 minutes ago, BlankFrank said:

I think i'll just have to save up for the full piston with rings, etc. I was hoping to get just rings for the old piston but those who said i'd be faffing are correct. I'm not making any promises due to current financial constraints/tightness. I'll shutup now 'cos xwc might be offtopic. 😂

I dont think this thread really has a set topic per say, outside "this is generally where Invacars happen" 

so do post on :) (im certainly not one to complain about things going off topic anyhow)

Posted
27 minutes ago, martc said:

image.png

Who’s in control here? Jawa produced a dual-control trainer motorcycle in 1949, and was probably the only manufacturer to build such a machine.

they made a multiple control Invacar Mk8 (MoH Model 42A) for driver training purposes if that counts LOL

large_1983_0195__0001_.jpg

Posted
2 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

yerp :) (I had a feeling the post got a bit buried with all the posts going on about VJN953S)

On 20/02/2021 at 14:15, LightBulbFun said:

whoa check this out an Invacar buff logbook, for an early one! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254873376543 (and I think its the first buff logbook I have seen for any invacar full stop, I have seen a few for other invalid vehicles but not Invacars, I would love to see what a Model 70 buff logbook looked like)

shame the Chassis number is illegible but interesting to know just how exactly early invacars where registered and what their weight was etc, 177Kg in this case :)

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for those unaware, it would of been for one of these :) 

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a fun fact tho, the Invacar you see in some period adverts is CHJ963 :) 

various-shutterstock-editorial-4053809a.thumb.jpg.bc66d51c88644f9f453df85d284573e3.jpg

Posted
On 2/24/2021 at 1:58 PM, somewhatfoolish said:

It's private so cannot read it; what's he want for it?

He's advertising it with a damaged spares car and seized spares engine for £2000..... ono

Posted
1 hour ago, kirton said:

here's one from Devon and Exeter Football League

 

not an Invacar.jpeg

Ohh cool an R A Harding (Bath) Ltd, Harding Deluxe :)

35 minutes ago, OldBlokeInACaravan said:

He's advertising it with a damaged spares car and seized spares engine for £2000..... ono

Yeah its an interesting one its a quite pricey (although sadly these things are only getting more and more expensive), but im curious to know what condition the spares car is in exactly, because if it might turn out that if you can deal with fibreglass body damage then it may be restorable in and of itself

I know it with another 2 Mk12's came from the same location as @plasticvandan said, so I suspect the spares car (aforementioned unknown bodywork damage aside) to be in a similar condition as the supposed good car, here it all depends on what condition the chassis in like on both cars

I do have this picture of the engine compartment of the good car for sale for what its worth :) 

152325304_10223379143639452_7469580370349549227_o.thumb.jpg.2d9855501d208ae4db2834fdc6088d79.jpg

 

speaking of he posted it in the microcar world facebook group so I think it will be visible to anyone now :)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/950689934973969/permalink/3763339857042282/

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