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...

[Yoss]

53 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I still am now, dude.  I will never ever grow up, never mind grow old.  But it's one of those 'check your privilege' things isn't it? At 24, I owned a house - a capable body - a garage.  I had simple access to a friendly mechanic and my daily car was a Toyota. I had a MK2 Capri for shits and giggles (30 years old at the time) and would never have relied on it for anything other than fun in country lanes.

Genuinely, my concern is genuine.  It's not about stopping fun, just a semblance of realism.

Unlike you I've never had a sensible daily driver. My mum often said why don't you get a sensible car in the early days when I still lived at home. It hasn't happened yet. 

I don't doubt your concern is genuine and Dez has acknowledged it won't be easy but he has to try. We shall have to agree to disagree and I shall leave it there because we're just going round in circles again. 

[loserone]

1 minute ago, Yoss said:

I shall leave it there

You might, but I bet I know who will be back over and over again with the same old thing.

[Mally]

1 hour ago, Christine said:

They'll deny it , but a lot of spectators at a motor race meet ,only go hoping to see someone crash  and die ..snapping away with their i phone ... 

Funnily enough some of the best motor  racing i've ever  watcĥed is 750 motor club  stuff with Reliant  850 engines..  3 or 4 different  leaders  every lap

They go to see the crash and the damage, both to car and human.

They do not go to see someone die.

I've seen it three times, once the racing continued. twice it didn't.

The hearse came onto the track in Holland  the whole place was stunned.

[captain_70s]

8 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

 

and I do feel like there is a bit of doom and gloom on the go, in that the way people seem to be reacting, to me getting REV as previously mentioned, they do seem to also be surprisingly reliable compared to a lot of 1970's chod, I mean, just compare Dollywobbler's Model 70 to @captain_70s Dolomite for example, the Model 70 keeps working despite the relative neglect, where as the Dolomite keeps FTP'ing despite @captain_70s pretty much rebuilding it/its engine.

For what it's worth my engines have consisted of a 138k miler which never had any work done, despite them usually being worn out at 80k, one of unknown provenance built with 0 budget that transpired to have a worn out of spec crankshaft and one from a car that'd been sat outside since the 1990s.

Recent failures are all brand new components, pretty much unavoidable unless I can find well stored NOS stuff.

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

Not all Triumphs are as unreliable as @captain_70s. I'm sure the Scottish atmosphere must have something to do with it, certainly in the rust stakes.

Most old shit can be made to work fairly reliably IF you can get good quality parts or refurb original pieces and keep on top of maintenance, and I would still rather DIY repair a pre 1980s car than anything more modern. 

I don't think an Invacar will be any more or less reliable than any other equally aged car. Given the work REV has had done it'll likely be among the best working Invacars on the road.

I still think using it as a daily in a populated area will be miserable. Trying to shove a dead car across a junction when the lights changed as I was halfway across and a bus charged at me and stopped inches from the passenger door while the driver leant on the horn is a good reminder of why I have no desire to run something old on the regular any more. The old guy in a van who got angry at my pulling away too slowly from a junction while he was behind me and pulled alongside and threatened to kick my head in at the next set of lights is another.

People get enraged by broken down cars at the best of times, but a broken down classic essentially says you've delayed them by choice - They get fucking pissed.

I had the benefit of driving on nearly deserted roads in rural Aberdeenshire and having my parent's sizable garage to work in. I don't think much of my early motoring is documented in detail here but aside from 10,000 miles of daily use which destroyed my bank balance, put my employment at risk and generally chipped away at my mental health the Dolly spent most of it's time in storage.

My parents bought my a Honda Civic in desperation to stop me from ruining my life and having to move back into their attic...

 

Although given Dez has no commute I feel saying REV will be a "daily" gives a false idea of how much use it'll actually see. My cars are all "daily drivers", but as my works van handles commuting I reckon I do under 2,000 miles a year in each of my actual cars.

[BorniteIdentity]

30 minutes ago, loserone said:

You might, but I bet I know who will be back over and over again with the same old thing.

Talbot?

[loserone]

Wait, can I say it?

[BorniteIdentity]

It is odd that you take umbrage at my rebuttals but not someone else's.  But it's met with my trademark gallic shrug nonetheless. I'm sure, if I fall foul of the rules, I'll be placed on pre-mod along with everyone else who can't conduct themselves in here correctly.  

As it is... well, I think we all know how it'll play out.

xx

[loserone]

I'm not picky, there's a long list of folk who won't give over, you're merely in with good company.

 

Pointlessly.

[timolloyd]

Personally, I’m holding out for pictures of @ETCHYgetting a BJ from Cindy Crawford in the back of LBFs K11 😆

[ETCHY]

8 hours ago, timolloyd said:

Personally, I’m holding out for pictures of @ETCHYgetting a BJ from Cindy Crawford in the back of LBFs K11 😆

I'm sure she'd be up for it  he just needs to get the sodding K11  

[New POD]

On 25/09/2024 at 16:31, BorniteIdentity said:

We talked about this already. 

On a motorbike, you get knocked flying 100m and land in a ditch/field.

In this you’ve got a lawnmower engine up your rectum sideways and a fucking big headache. 

Which would you prefer?

Ah the choice of hobson. A. Do you want to die this way: a spectacular gymnastic triple summersault resultibg in you being wrapped around a tree from multiple injuries after hours of surgery (provided you didn't bleed to death at the scene

or

B. do you want to die trapped in a burning broken box of blue plastic whilst bleeding to death at the scene, from a tiller that's gone through your heart.

Ah well. At least they died doing what they loved.  

 

[big_al_granvia]

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

[Christine]

Paid for out of the unlimited funds available ..

[tooSavvy]

🤔

..... have I missed something.....

🚙💨

[brummiejon]

16 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

unfortunately this has already proven to be the case when I briefly had REV at home during late 2021, and she unbeknownst to me came back with a few issues

https://autoshite.com/topic/32723-lightbulbfuns-invacar-general-ramble-thread-index-on-page-1-survivors-lists-on-pages-24134-adgecutlers-invacar-mk12-restoration-from-page-186-onwards-still-harping-on/page/229/

so although I would expect better from the forum, I am fully expecting them to commence once more, when I get REV back and when I have to deal with any issues crop up

 

I have noticed that there are certain band of people who only show up in this thread when something goes wrong or the going gets difficult for me, that dont otherwise contribute anything to this thread (and then often are the same people who complain its 400 pages long!)

There are plenty of Trolls on this thread which is why I've stopped posting about Flo... Today, I'm planning an epic journey on the Cycle route along the coast back from Margate... 22 miles, time to test out my new batteries.

[captain_70s]

Don't waste time trying to make it "safe".

Even if you won the Euromillions and could find a fabricator that would entertain making a cage and not burst laughing you'd still be left with a light car that'll get shunted around like a cardboard box in a accident. If you aren't wearing a helmet you'd just have your head cracked open by the cage. 

It's not like you'll be taking it around Oulton Park every weekend...

Accept that if you get in a crash above walking pace you're not getting out intact and drive accordingly. I maintain that if cars were less safe people would drive them better... Unfortunately cars are very safe now, and a insurance related hassle for a modern motorist is going to be life changing injuries for somebody in a pre 2000s car.

I'd concentrate more money/time on preventing it getting stolen, given these are no longer worth pocket change, and having a stock of spares and being familiar enough with how to quickly change them.

I'm not familiar with the common foibles of the Invacar but having no doubts of how to quickly check for fuel and spark and being able to rapidly swap out ignition components or clean out a carb can make all the difference. I was too nervous about accidentally rendering my car non-functional when I first got it, in retrospect I should probably have taken it all to bits when I first got it so my first experience of doing repairs was outside my house, not broken down somewhere with an audience of well meaning, but clueless, bystanders and people being antagonist because they can be...

[reb]

52 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

an audience of well meaning, but clueless, bystanders

"Your DPF must be blocked" - in reference to a diesel 205 where the factory exhaust is basically a straight piece of scaffold tube.

[mintwth]

Why has no-one suggested replacing the Invacar with a more crashworthy daily like this yet? 

https://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/,37,/97119/CVRT_Samaritan_.htm

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 02/10/2024 at 19:52, LightBulbFun said:

I like this shot as its said to be in the East of London somewhere, also bonus 2CV sneaking into the lineup of Invacars for @dollywobbler  

https://www.deutschefotothek.de/documents/obj/71874530

 

 

19 hours ago, Remspoor said:

I cannot keep up with this thread. So I have skipped a few pages. I am looking at the  image of the east end repair shop.

https://www.deutschefotothek.de/documents/obj/71874530

The bus in the background is route 58.

https://bus-routes-in-london.fandom.com/wiki/London_Buses_route_58

The timetable from 82 which I doubt changed between 78 and 82.

https://londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/route-58-nov-1982.pdf

Looking up the phone code of 476 it comes to an area defined as ALBert Dock 476 Plaistow & Canning Town [Dock in the East End] on several pages.

next we have a map of the bus route from 1964. Again i doubt much would have changed over the intervening years.

I am thinking that this repair shop was along the Barking Road.

I had gone and looked at East Ham high street but could not find any building that matched, I had not worked out the bus route.

17 hours ago, CGSB said:

I've gone back the other way I'm 99% sure its the first location, where the Tyre Shop still is.

Given the advertising in the Invacar photo on the left is "Commercial ___(obstructed)___ Service" and the advertising in the first location I said shows "Commercial Cars Minicab Service". Not sure how I overlooked that.... 🤨

Must be a trick of the camera making the Mosque look a lot closer than it really is.

@CGSB I think it is in the first place that you thought. I've done a zoom in from the position of the part worn tyre shop, amazingly the place on the corner is still the same name, Commercial Cars. Also on the zoomed shot, from Google Earth, there is no scaffolding on the arch windows. The trees have grown a bit in the last 50 years or so obscuring the buildings in the distance. So the Invacar shop was probably at 264 Barking Road.

[LightBulbFun]

16 hours ago, captain_70s said:

Although given Dez has no commute I feel saying REV will be a "daily" gives a false idea of how much use it'll actually see.

"He thought of Invacars An' where, where to drive them..."

[D.E]

UAR 951S?

[Talbot]

11 hours ago, brummiejon said:

There are plenty of Trolls on this thread which is why I've stopped posting about Flo... Today, I'm planning an epic journey on the Cycle route along the coast back from Margate... 22 miles, time to test out my new batteries.

Oh hell are you back again?  Still running around in a completely illegal unregistered uninsured vehicle I assume?

[Christine]

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

[MrGTI6]

57 minutes ago, D.E said:

UAR 951S?

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!

[Christine]

Next to oxfam !

[Christine]

Up the top of the high street is a WW2  gun battery , aiming down the high street, to shoot any Germans  , if they had invaded ..

[BorniteIdentity]

12 hours ago, brummiejon said:

There are plenty of Trolls on this thread 

 

[auntiemaryscanary]

1 hour ago, MrGTI6 said:

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

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

[MrGTI6]

40 minutes ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

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

Wimpy used to be Shoe Zone! 

[Christine]

Dez could get chips there !