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...

[Jim Bergerac]

  On 30/09/2024 at 12:13, warren t claim said:

An unladen manual Nissan powered TX running on budget bespoke hackney tyres WILL drift and slide easily on a wet road. As a bonus, it's also super easy to keep drifting as the steering rack is super quick. The main handling issue with an unladen TX, either auto or manual, is that they're a nightmare to drive in the snow. 

@LightBulbFun

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A few years back when I had a longer commute and was every day in the office I got stuck in town due to heavy snow. No trains, buses not stopping, so me and a couple of others managed to flag a TX4 who was willing to get us the 20 odd miles home in the heavy snow. Sounds like the bloke earned his money with our big fare. Even a long run on the dual carriageway, not a happy home for a TX. 

[richardmorris]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:15, warren t claim said:

"Recently, the famous racing driver, Mr. Graham Hill, used a wheelchair as a result of an accident, and he was asked to test one of the three-wheelers for a national newspaper. I will quote his own words. He said: I was so appalled at what I found that ever since then I have tried everything within my power to publicise the fact that such vehicles should not be allowed on the road. If those strong words are not enough, would add that an independent test was carried out by the Cranfield Institute of Technology, and confirmed what Mr. Hill had said. Indeed, there were seventy points presented. I shall not weary your Lordships with all of them, but I will mention just a few which will no doubt be appreciated by the drivers among your Lordships. The test showed that the trikes are difficult to control in high winds; they are dangerous when braking and swerving; they have a flimsy fibre glass body which 749is not structurally reinforced, and indeed may well be inflammable in the event of fire; the petrol tank is mounted under the front of the bonnet; and they have only one door which could well prevent a driver from getting out in the event of the vehicle turning over. It is not difficult to see that the trike is outmoded and dangerous."

High praise from a man who made his living driving a flimsy plastic deathtrap lashed together in a Norfolk shed by a corrupt, tax-dodging spiv who didn't give a fuck about the safety of his drivers.

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All true but they were still made and exist now. Which is the point of the forum. Also don’t forget that Mike hawthorn died in a jaguar converted  with a hand throttle that jammed. Hindsight is perfect, but they served a purpose to get the wounded and physically less abled mobile.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:21, richardmorris said:

All true but they were still made and exist now. Which is the point of the forum. Also don’t forget that Mike hawthorn died in a jaguar converted  with a hand throttle that jammed. Hindsight is perfect, but they served a purpose to get the wounded and physically less abled mobile.

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Without wishing to start a motoring conspiracy thread, is that 100% true regarding Hawthorn?  I'm sure I read somewhere that he was terminally ill and probably blacked out behind the wheel while trying to catch Rob Walker?

[D.E]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:13, richardmorris said:

The main interest is why there, in with all the invacars? 

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Oelala, une collection de tricycles Invacar! Ils ressemblent au genre de véhicule qui suscitera des disputes sur un forum beige dans un avenir lointain!

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:25, warren t claim said:

Without wishing to start a motoring conspiracy thread, is that 100% true regarding Hawthorne?  I'm sure I read somewhere that he was terminally ill and probably blacked out behind the wheel while trying to catch Rob Walker?

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After posting that I had to click back to check that I hadn't typed Roy Walker, from catchphrase by mistake!

[JJ0063]

Is this one you’ve already got in the bank @LightBulbFun?

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:28, JJ0063 said:

Is this one you’ve already got in the bank @LightBulbFun?

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Just look at the quality of those acts!

[LightBulbFun]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:13, richardmorris said:

I’d guess Belgium, but one of those foreign johnnies yes. The main interest is why there, in with all the invacars? 

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Curiously 2CV's have form for mingling with the Invacars! IIRC @dollywobbler's Elly was supplied new by Charles Lewis's garage in Shrewsbury who was also the Invacar approved repair for that area, so I guess its only fate that he would end up owning an Invacar also many years later  

 

 

[Christine]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:30, warren t claim said:

Just look at the quality of those acts!

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Oasis ! And  Free ! 

[richardmorris]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:25, warren t claim said:

Without wishing to start a motoring conspiracy thread, is that 100% true regarding Hawthorne?  I'm sure I read somewhere that he was terminally ill and probably blacked out behind the wheel while trying to catch Rob Walker?

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It’s what I read in various mags and biographies. Could be false but we are in the “print the legend not the fact “ era. The inquest  covered it from what I read, and that walker stated he had just changed up to third gear. Of course most people then third was around 40mph not 80mph in their tuned things.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:40, richardmorris said:

It’s what I read in various mags and biographies. Could be false but we are in the “print the legend not the fact “ era. 

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And why would he be using a hand throttle, the predecessor to cruise control, during a race/spirited drive?

[richardmorris]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:44, warren t claim said:

And why would he be using a hand throttle, the predecessor to cruise control, during a race/spirited drive?

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No I think he had trouble with his right leg. Perhaps related to ill health you mentioned?

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:45, richardmorris said:

No I think he had trouble with his right leg.

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And kidneys as well, I believe.

[richardmorris]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:46, warren t claim said:

And kidneys as well, I believe.

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Doubt we’ll know now. Anyway, enough off topic…

[HMC]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:26, warren t claim said:

After posting that I had to click back to check that I hadn't typed Roy Walker, from catchphrase by mistake!

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Close but you’re not right.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:47, richardmorris said:

Doubt we’ll know now. Anyway, enough off topic…

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Thanks for engaging with your most enjoyable posts!

[Christine]

Fatal accidents , gammy legs , 2 cylinder motors . It is all on topic 

What was Walker driving?

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:55, Christine said:

Fatal accidents , gammy legs , 2 cylinder motors . It is all on topic 

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Don't forget Russ Abbot!

[Cavcraft]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:34, LightBulbFun said:

Curiously 2CV's have form for mingling with the Invacars! IIRC @dollywobbler's Elly was supplied new by Charles Lewis's garage in Shrewsbury who was also the Invacar approved repair for that area, so I guess its only fate that he would end up owning an Invacar also many years later  

 

 

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They (Charles Lewis) had quite a few in, circa (iirc) mid 1990s. From memory they were lined up (used but no loner in use) in their work shop. They then moved to Ford (the village) a few miles away. Looks like it's now a chip shop, or something.

[warren t claim]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:59, Cavcraft said:

They (Charles Lewis) had quite a few in, circa (iirc) mid 1990s. From memory they were lined up (used but no loner in use) in their work shop. They then moved to Ford (the village) a few miles away. Looks like it's now a chip shop, or something.

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Isn't it funny that I mention Russ Abbot, Chester's greatest comedy export and you suddenly appear posting?

[Christine]

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:40, richardmorris said:

It’s what I read in various mags and biographies. Could be false but we are in the “print the legend not the fact “ era. The inquest  covered it from what I read, and that walker stated he had just changed up to third gear. Of course most people then third was around 40mph not 80mph in their tuned things.

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Only 80 ? So if Mike had been an invacar he would have won that race , and survived

[mk2_craig]

  On 02/10/2024 at 19:51, richardmorris said:

Now that’s one of those words that haven’t been used since the 1970s. 

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Not true, that's the exact word my wife called me just this morning after I dropped my Philishave (still switched on) in a bathroom sink full of water.

[wuvvum]

  On 02/10/2024 at 19:51, richardmorris said:

Now that’s one of those words that haven’t been used since the 1970s. 

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It was still in regular use when I was at primary school in the mid '80s.

  On 02/10/2024 at 20:06, richardmorris said:

We can all be nerds over something !

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Just because we can, doesn't mean that we should. 🙃

[wuvvum]

  On 02/10/2024 at 19:33, LightBulbFun said:

*for example I see Graham hills comments from the Hansard reports where pulled up, but look at the dates 1969-1970, is when he had that Invalid vehicle, he was driving an AC Acedes Mk15 Model 67, nothing to do with the Model 70 at all, so really not a fair comparison/comment to use against the Model 70

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Isn't a Model 67 basically a Model 70 with a Villiers engine?  They certainly look pretty similar to me.

[crad]

@LightBulbFun was there ever a 'best' / 'peak' invacar? (am I right in thinking that invacar is the overall name for the invalid carriages?) .

[artdjones]

The Invacar is a typical Civil Servant's answer to a problem.

If they had got some decent engineers to develop various different hand controls for a Morris Minor, ordered up several thousand cars from Morris at a fleet rate, and piggybacked servicing, spares and repairs onto the Morris Motors service network, it would probably have cost no more than providing Invacars.

And the disabled would have been able to drive a decent car instead of a flimsy death trap.

[wuvvum]

I dunno, I think you might have struggled to get a Moggy to be as suitable for disabled drivers.  They were never available with an auto 'box for one thing.  A better approach would have been to design an invalid carriage from scratch, as they did, but make it a bit more like a "proper" car.

[wuvvum]

Also the disabled could drive a proper car if they wanted - a mate of mine owned a Wolseley 15/60 auto years ago which had been fitted with hand controls from new.  OK they weren't distributed free of charge on the NHS, but they were very much available.

[Sheefag]

  On 02/10/2024 at 21:38, crad said:

@LightBulbFun was there ever a 'best' / 'peak' invacar? (am I right in thinking that invacar is the overall name for the invalid carriages?) .

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Probably this one, courtesy of @trigger of this parish.

 

[D.E]

  On 02/10/2024 at 21:44, wuvvum said:

Also the disabled could drive a proper car if they wanted - a mate of mine owned a Wolseley 15/60 auto years ago which had been fitted with hand controls from new.  OK they weren't distributed free of charge on the NHS, but they were very much available.

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I can't find a bigger/better pic atm, but modified Dafs (which were always autoboxes anyway) with hand controls were a popular choice among disabled drivers.