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...

18,415 · January 5

32 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

I think (but I stand to be corrected) that these cars had a warning light to indicate when the oil & filter needed changing-a form af very early ending management.

Sounds a great idea, but IIRC there's just a low pressure warning light.

28,586 · January 5

Nice!

Importantly though, how was your back?

Next importantly? Would it take a trailer and rev on the back 🤔😂

8,017 · January 5

Well, that's a surprise for everyone!What a lovely old thing though.The steering was heavy,even by the standards of the day,though.Had an Austin 1300GT back in the mid seventies.Seemed very heavy compared to the VW Beetle that preceded it and the Avenger that replaced it.Surprised it's single carb,though.Perhaps because it's automatic.

3,824 · January 5

Congratulations ! ADO16's are nice cars.

There is an excellent owners club for these.

23,692 · January 5

Thanks all! glad to hear people seem to like it!

16 hours ago, High Jetter said:

First thought are carb needs a clean, but maybe fuel pump diaphragm?

Well played though, admire your tenacity.

hopefully the fuel pump is alright, I think thats a fairly decent/recent Hardi unit, but ill certainly be giving things a look over

15 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Congratulations.

Summer 2024 Andy in your car, Colin in his VP1300 and my Morris 1300 went to the ADO16 National day. I was the only one who broke down. It was the condenser and all 3 of us had a spare. So my advice is to make sure you carry points, condenser, coil, distributor cap, rotor arm and spark plugs. They are easy to fit but hard to get hold of from modern garages.

The Gearbox shares the same oil as the engine and has always been a drawback of the AP Auto box. When they are cold the oil is not the right viscosity for working the gearbox correctly. Any brand of engine oil of the right grade changed regularly should be just fine.

Yeah! The Autobox in Sump is why I was asking about the oil, if there was any special engine oil I can get it to ensure longevity of the autobox, or any magic potions or lotions I can give it

thats a good point on the box-o-ignition gubbins, I do need to get that, I got a box of that which I keep in REV, but dont think Steyr Puch ignition parts are much good for an A series engine! anyone got any pointers for that

I understand these guys are first rate https://distributordoctor.com/

but I am not sure which Lucas gubbins I need exactly

15 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

whilst you are driving if it does the splutter thing try grabbing a handful of choke for a second or so- this is a quick way of clearing a bit of shit through the carb

as this is a 2 pedal car could you get a left foot throttle pedal thus resting the naughty one?

thats a good shout! I did not try the choke when on the move, as in the moment, I thought it might of been stumbling because it was running rich (since I recalled a comment or 2 about this perticular car maybe running rich) but talking with @SiC bout it, a car would have to be massively overfilling for it to actually start stumbling, so if its stumbling in the way it is, its more likely running lean on motorway acceleration, so yeah next time I hit the motorway with it, if it plays up again, ill try the choke and see if that makes any difference

funnily enough I did briefly trying driving it with my left foot but found the brake pedal got in the way and made it awkward

14 hours ago, Andyrew said:

Excellent car!

Regarding oil 10w40 motorbike wet clutch oil is used, think its something like jaso ma2

I did try it on some rather pricey lucas 15w40 but went back to 10w40 after realising the 40ltrs of oil I had in stock for my car was bike spec too.

The plugs,cap,arm and coil are recent and decent brands. I never changed the points but did keep spares in the glovebox, may still be in there should you need them.

Awesome Thanks for the info I wonder if they do that spec of oil in 20W50? I noticed the handbook does call for 20W50, and this being a fancy autobox, I do wonder if the difference in viscocity of 10W40 might not be ideal for it?

good to know its had a recent ignition system going through

7 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

Bloody hell, this is a dramatic start to 2026 and an excellent one, too! As regards the poor high-speed running, I'd reiterate earlier remarks re: carburettor cleaning and perhaps checking/changing the oil in the damper. Condensers (capacitors in modern speak) are a perennial problem, and the ones for sale now are not of the same quality of those sold in the 1960s-80s, so NOS might be best. Of course, you'll be checking points, plugs etc. first.

The oil changes are even more important in these engines than would otherwise be the case, as the oil doubles up as gearbox oil as well. I think (but I stand to be corrected) that these cars had a warning light to indicate when the oil & filter needed changing-a form af very early ending management.

The Autoshite world looks forward to more stories.......

@SiC kindly topped up the dashpot oil for me before we left, so i'd like to think thats alright, but if theres anything I should double check on that I am all ears

7 hours ago, SiC said:

Tbh I think I'd been aching after a 3 to 4 hour drive back in an old car. They're not quite setup for comfy ergonomics like many newer cars. The ado16 has a certain amount of offset too which takes some getting used to.

Honestly it was quite nice! if it was not for the having to force my leg/foot in one position, i'd of been just as comfortable in it as I am in REV, I find I really dont get on with modern cars, they all have very hard seats, that squeeze/restrict me too much and very cramped foot wells so I cant position my legs comfortably, along with a generally harsh ride

in comparison this ADO16 has a wonderful soft ride, lovely soft seats and a fairly flat-floor, means I was much more comfortable in it than any modern car, at least my left leg was able to find a comfortable rest position for example!

7 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Looking forward to following this and how you get along with this one Dez and congratulations on your first vehicle with a steering wheel and 4 wheels!

And I would think that a hand throttle should be possible to have made if you need it?

But I'm jealous I can just forget about driving old cars all year round with 5 months of heavy road salting every winter.

Thanks! I am also looking forward to seeing how I continue to get on with it yeah I am not sure what would happen if I showed up with it to a motability workshop and said "can I get a hand throttle for my Princess please"

you say that about Salt, I did wince a bit as I joined the M4 again from the Services, I happened to end up directly behind a gritter lorry in full swing, thankfully I was able to overtake it before not too long, but it did make me feel quite bad all the same

7 hours ago, High Jetter said:

8 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

I think (but I stand to be corrected) that these cars had a warning light to indicate when the oil & filter needed changing-a form af very early ending management.

Sounds a great idea, but IIRC there's just a low pressure warning light.

reading the owners manual for it, I dont think my car has that, it says it was removed in later versions

7 hours ago, beko1987 said:

Nice!

Importantly though, how was your back?

Next importantly? Would it take a trailer and rev on the back 🤔😂

hah yeah! one of the first things I had a look at in the workshop was the towing weight 760Kg max apparently, so I think It could take REV on the back of a trailer, now if thats a good idea or not with a 50 year old Slushmatic running in engine oil contaminated with combustion byproducts from a just as old A series engine, is a good idea or not is probably another question entirely! but I was wondering if @Barry Cade could fit a tow bar

its a pretty damn good ride! not quite as comftable as REV for me to drive, due to the afromentioned issue with the throttle and the heavy steering when trying to park up, but otherwise pretty damn good

as I have mentioned in the past when this car has come up for sale previously I did have some concerns about the hight of the seat back not being high enough for me, but thankfully that seems to not be an issue, not sure if the seat back is taller than the other vehicle I was in which had similar seats, or if simply having a steering wheel to hold onto helps!

6 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Well, that's a surprise for everyone!What a lovely old thing though.The steering was heavy,even by the standards of the day,though.Had an Austin 1300GT back in the mid seventies.Seemed very heavy compared to the VW Beetle that preceded it and the Avenger that replaced it.Surprised it's single carb,though.Perhaps because it's automatic.

I do wonder what the tyre pressures are for it?

that handbook for it, gives 3 different values! what I find interesting is how its not just "cross-ply" and "Radial" but it gives 2 different values for different radials in themselves

my question is, which of those tyre pressures should I apply to the modern tyres currently fitted?

is the tyre pressure different between the SP68 and ZX just because one is 145 while the the other is 155? or is there more to it?

5 hours ago, ETCHY said:

Congratulations ! ADO16's are nice cars.

There is an excellent owners club for these.

yeah! I can see why people do like em, its also just fun owning the car thats on all the traffic signs

41,859 · January 5

2 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

anyone got any pointers for that

Look to see what is already in the glovebox first! I believe a bunch of stuff @Andyrew left in there as spares.

41,859 · January 5

3 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

I did have some concerns about the hight of the seat back not being high enough for me, but thankfully that seems to not be an issue, not sure if the seat back is taller than the other vehicle I was in which had similar seats, or if simply having a steering wheel to hold onto helps!

Maybe help that they're massive sofa style seats too?

Don't forget there is the seat rail extenders in the boot still. I didn't re-affix them when I replaced the seats as they're hassle to put on and I have short enough legs to not need them (I've short legs, long torso).

I believe @Andyrew bought them as it was a bit too small up front without them when he went for his long drive up to Scotland.

3,824 · January 5

Is the seat recline a funky little winding handle under the front of the seat on these or did i imagine that ?

14,996 · January 5

I'd think with 20w50 in there it would change gear far worse until its properly roasting and upto temp.

The general info I found online and possibly in the manual I had was 10w40 bike spec.it had plenty of changes in its time with me, probably average of 1 change per 800miles to really flush it out as the oil filter was being bypassed I found.

In the future when / if you do change the oil, take the front grill off, it's 3 bolts (1 is missing) then you have nice access.

The filter is NOT the same as an automatic mini.

23,692 · January 5

14 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

I'd think with 20w50 in there it would change gear far worse until its properly roasting and upto temp.

The general info I found online and possibly in the manual I had was 10w40 bike spec.it had plenty of changes in its time with me, probably average of 1 change per 800miles to really flush it out as the oil filter was being bypassed I found.

In the future when / if you do change the oil, take the front grill off, it's 3 bolts (1 is missing) then you have nice access.

The filter is NOT the same as an automatic mini.

ahhh that reminds me! I remember reading/hearing that on some of these Cartridge oil filter setups, theres some component you have to make sure you salvage/fit to the new filter, not to throw out with the old filter, or when you fit the new oil filter, the oil will just bypass it instead

but I cant recall which component that is exactly I need to make sure to hang onto/refit? so before I go touching anything, does anyone recall what that is?

and thats good to know on the Oil spec front, ill see about getting some of that ordered then (I only have 20W50 in the house which I use for REV, tho ironically since I went out of my way to buy a whole new can of the stuff she has not really needed any )

I know theres a spare oil filter in the box-o-bits in the boot, but is there a good source for more so I can stock up/get more when I need too?

4,633 · January 5

Well bought @LightBulbFun. Glad to see the collection mission was a success!

Now you face the dilemma of choosing which vehicle to take whenever you go out!

I suspect the new motor will see plenty of use; looks like it could take more lightbulbs than Sticky Vicky.

14,996 · January 5

The little disc gets stuck in the end it seems, won't be an issue on that car as it doesn't have a stepped washer, it's an upgraded concave anti stick washer . . okay maybe it's just a shock absorber top bush washer I had kicking about but it does the job.

The filter fitted currently is new old stock, I picked up a pair along with the points from the 1100 meet mentioned above.

The one in the link to my thread was a mann filter that I purchased through my old job same dimensions etc. For an old leyland truck engine I believe, doesn't have the metal perforated wrap which some people would cry about but it was fine.

Looks like I actually ran 10w50 for a while and not the 15w40 I said above. It may have made a slight difference to the hot gear changes but nothing worth the expense of the oil.

The filter canister housing cap will leak, the O ring on the bolt head end will weep seemly no matter what size or material is fitted. It will just eventually end up leaking.

When filling the oil don't slosh it in quickly it will overwhelm the filler neck and go everywhere.

23,500 · January 5

2 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

I do wonder what the tyre pressures are for it?

that handbook for it, gives 3 different values! what I find interesting is how its not just "cross-ply" and "Radial" but it gives 2 different values for different radials in themselves

my question is, which of those tyre pressures should I apply to the modern tyres currently fitted?

is the tyre pressure different between the SP68 and ZX just because one is 145 while the the other is 155? or is there more to it?

28-30psi should work for a car that size/weight. I run the Dolly (slightly heavier, bigger tyres) at 30psi all round.

The SP68 is a very high pressure for that era of tyre. I wonder if it had an unusual construction...

January 5

Is there a way to double up the accelerator pedal on the left, similar to a driving school car?

January 5

Great purchase, I own a 1973 Austin 1300GT. I've always enjoyed your updates on the invacar, will definitely keep more of an eye on your thread now your in ado16 ownership..

17,315 · January 5

well bought

If you don't fancy spending a load of dosh on electronic ignition and are struggling to find a decent condenser I always recommend a Gammatronix power driver (£30 off eBay) which keep the points but only as a low current trigger (so they don't burn out ) and does away with the condenser

they do a negative and positive earth version although i don't seem to be able to find the positive ones at the moment

@spartacus fitted one on the Panda on the advice of several recommendations and we never had any issues with it

7,979 · January 5

1 hour ago, captain_70s said:

28-30psi should work for a car that size/weight. I run the Dolly (slightly heavier, bigger tyres) at 30psi all round.

The SP68 is a very high pressure for that era of tyre. I wonder if it had an unusual construction...

Not as far as I'm aware and I haven't seen anything on the various MG forums

It was standard on some MGBs but the pressures were 21f 24r like any other radial.

13,491 · January 5

I saw this on Facebook the other day is it some kind of invalid carriage ?

9,976 · January 5

25 minutes ago, Joey spud said:

I saw this on Facebook the other day is it some kind of invalid carriage ?

Scottish Aviation 'Scamp' electric car. Possibly this is their test car, as it has only the one headlight. The others I have seen in photos have two headlights.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Aviation_Scamp

18,415 · January 5

4 hours ago, captain_70s said:

The SP68 is a very high pressure for that era of tyre. I wonder if it had an unusual construction...

Maybe Dunlop Special Performance? Tyre sales were competitive then, the dealer group I worked for had a dedicated branch (long before Sir Speedy et al). Original data was fairly well researched/designed.

18,415 · January 5

Oh, and at Longlife we sold Kelly Springfield tyres

23,692 · January 6

mum realised she had to go out and take care of something a bit suddenly, so helped her get to where she needed to go and such the VDP1300 got another trip into Central London

we also took the opportunity to pop to the bakery on the way back

then home

where I was able to snaffle the space in front of REV, my very own personal 70's street scene

23,487 · January 6

Invacar for hire for film work.

https://www.starcarhire.co.uk/vehicledetail/3837/1970-invacar-mark_12e

12,054 · January 6

2 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Invacar for hire for film work.

https://www.starcarhire.co.uk/vehicledetail/3837/1970-invacar-mark_12e

Self-drive hire available for film production only. Letting an actor drive a Mk12 with its weird tiller unlike anything else they've ever driven is brave.

5,534 · January 6

3 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Self-drive hire available for film production only. Letting an actor drive a Mk12 with its weird tiller unlike anything else they've ever driven is brave.

I’d definitely be a bit worried, especially knowing how much work @AdgeCutler put into the amazing restoration, though it’s not a bad idea hiring it out as I’m sure it’ll help fund the restoration/recommission of his Model 70

23,487 · January 6

14 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Self-drive hire available for film production only. Letting an actor drive a Mk12 with its weird tiller unlike anything else they've ever driven is brave.

I think the ad indicates it comes with a driver only. If you fancy it for something give them a ring. But I expect no other drivers.

23,692 · January 7

on the ADO16 front, been doing some late night research into the whole "what oil to service it" with thing

where I found this very neat bit of research/technical info https://www.widman.biz/mini_pics/classic-mini-oil.pdf

the only problem is I was looking at getting this for Ye Olde Princess

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mannol-Classic-Universal-HC-Synthese-Technology/dp/B00KA7DFXW

but the PDF states the following:

so I am a bit confused how the Mannol 10W40 can be both SN grade and JASO MA2 grade at the same time as they seem to be in direct opposition of each other?, unless I am missing or overlooking something?

23,487 · January 7

Double check from other sources that the information posted online is accurate.

There are an awful lot of folk tales and rubbish posted online. Cross reference from as many sources as you are able.

Also try the owners clubs for ADO16 cars.

Cool car - hope to see it go by in London sometime 😀.

7,905 · January 7

I haven't got time to catch-up on all the recent posts, but if you're having issues there's a guy in SE London , BL Transverse who I think has been mentioned on here quite favourably in the past, perhaps by @jollyfkr2 although if that's incorrect, I do apologise.

26,102 · January 7

Name change?

Linked to remove the paywall

https://archive.ph/0Qfmf

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...

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