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...

[Missy Charm]

3 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

With the VDP, it probably is a bit of getting used to it. Particularly where your used to nipping around in REV, which I imagine is in its element in the middle of town!

Ive got a spectacularly short fuse when it comes to busy driving in towns. London is its own thing of course but when I was working I had to drive a big van and often a big trailer around Portsmouth, Chichester etc and remember it being incredibly frustrating. 
It’s probably different though if you’re driving something like a classic car. You’re more likely to want to be driving it than something else. Ive never liked crowds or busy places tbh though so maybe that’s part of why I don’t like driving in towns and cities.

I suppose regardless of having a drive or garage, the cars like REV and the VDP were used constantly in places like London for many decades. People didn’t have off road or undercover parking, they parked in the street as close to home as they could and drove the cars around as cars and transport. Why can’t you still do that!? 
I often watch those videos on YouTube about the Routemaster buses in the 80’s and 90’s and wonder what it was like using what are now classic cars as normal transport around the capital. I wonder how different it is now V then?

It’s interesting seeing how different people in different places get on with our common hobby though. People mention classic cars and the image that comes to mind is an old MG blasting through a country lane on a warm sunny day, but it’s actually seldom like that for everyone.

My parents used to live in the Smoke back in the seventies - various bits of North London - and had cars for at least some of that time.  The cars they had would be copper-bottomed classics now, especially a couple of Escorts, but back then they were just normal cars.  They weren't as reliable as modern stuff, but in those days there was a far richer and more diverse ecosystem to support the running of such things: garages, motor factors, breakers and the like.  There were even kiosk-style places on street corners where one could buy spares - my dad had to, one weekend, when his attempt to service a carburettor went awry.

MOT testing was a bit on the rough and ready side and there were even places that would respray a car while you waited.  Parking was more readily available and, if you knew the area, often available free.

It wasn't some golden age, but things were, in many ways, easier than they are now.  I well remember driving into central London in the old days: no ULEZ, no speed cameras, no Congestion Charge, no variable limits, fewer suicidal cyclists; it was better.  

[Mally]

3 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

 

It wasn't some golden age, but things were, in many ways, easier than they are now.  I well remember driving into central London in the old days: no ULEZ, no speed cameras, no Congestion Charge, no variable limits, fewer suicidal cyclists; it was better.  

I drove round Hyde Park Corner at 1 am, late 1979./80? missed it coming back,   A few A to Z's and a torch, hadn't a clue.

In a hired Transit pickup. Top the oil up before you set off back mate!

Rochdale to Worthing. Returning with a Dutton on the back. 2 drivers.  Left at 5pm. Was snowing badly by return at  9pm, day after.

London and the Little Chef were the best bits.

[Sheefag]

On 09/01/2026 at 16:43, Christine said:

Heavy ..In my yoof i could pick up a mini engine and box ..only about an inch mind ..  

 

More recently , i lifted a crate 1100 valencia engine from the floor into my T4 van ..  

Dan302  probably could lift it with one hand ..

"and some say he can lift it with just a stern look.
All we know is he's called......"

[lesapandre]

Traffic is better in London than it used to be. Was heavy traffic and almost continuous gridlock in the 1970's and 80's. 

Bonus Citroen SM.

There is a whole bunch of reasons - but mostly it keep moving these days.

[Mr Livered]

I lived in Surrey Quays/Rotherhithe in the 90s, and for, say, a shopping trip to Oxford Street or something, taking the car was still a perfectly viable option. It was a Series 2 Land-rover as well, with a canvas tilt: I used to love the noise it made going through the Rotherhithe Tunnel with the roof off, or if it was sunny I used to go over Tower Bridge.

I don't think I would like living there as much now.

[Sheefag]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Traffic is better in London than it used to be. Was heavy traffic and almost continuous gridlock in the 1970's and 80's. 

There is a whole bunch of reasons - but mostly it keep moving these days.

It doesn't, it really doesn't.
A week ago, Windlesham to Basinghall St in EC2, mid-morning outbound was three hours, back leaving at 20:30, was two hours.
50%  of each of these journeys is free-flowing motorway.
It's just under 35 miles.
TFL have royally and deliberately fucked it up.

[LightBulbFun]

6 hours ago, Sheefag said:

It doesn't, it really doesn't.
A week ago, Windlesham to Basinghall St in EC2, mid-morning outbound was three hours, back leaving at 20:30 was two hours.
It's just under 35 miles.
TFL have royally and deliberately fucked it up.

this, especially with all the LTN's (low traffic neighbourhood) and side roads they closed off during COVID and conveniently* never re-opened, has *really* buggered up traffic around here

to demonstrate, see the row of bollards they put across the road there, so to get to the shops, rather then go a relatively straight route, I had to take some a big circular route to get to the other side of said bollards

 

 

not to mention the problem that is parking also, when your in Central London proper, somehow for certain boroughs, they are allowed to not recognise a blue badge, but then they put hardly any disabled spaces down, which I find a bit ridiculous, here is a disability concession recognised around most of Europe, how can a few London Boroughs just go "nope you cant use it here" so if your disabled your fucked basically! 

On 09/11/2025 at 10:33, LightBulbFun said:

while we are on the subject of blue badges and disabled parking spaces

 

Can I just say what a fucking frustration disabled parking is in Central London? for example, recently my brother said he wants to take me to see a film in Leicester square, alright, so I look up where that is, turns out the whole fucking square is pedestrianised (and even tho I am pretty sure I could squeeze REV through the bollards, since she is a Motor vehicle that would leave me liable to being ticketed/prosecuted for not obeying traffic restrictions) 

so I look at a map, of the square, see what disabled parking bays are near by

thats right, theres just 5 disabled parking bays for the whole fucking square, so should more then 5 disabled people want to do something in the square, then the 6th person is fucked

 

but I hear you say "Dez, You have a blue badge, surely you can park on a set of double yellows somewhere"

Yes I would be able to, in everywhere, except Central London, because for some reason, it does not apply to 4 of the Boroughs here in Central London, where apart from specific disabled parking bays, blue badges are not valid!

and I am honestly quite astounded that they can legally do something like that! restrict a disability concession in this regard, it does feel rather discriminatory and as above is quite frustrating  because you now have the anxiety problem, of once you get there, will you actually be able to park! 

it feels like "if your abled bodied and can use public transport your fine, but if your disabled and rely on a car to get about, get fucked" 

 

At least REV is a small vehicle, so I was able to fit her as a 3rd car into a 2 car disabled parking bay the last time I ran into this issue!

 

 

 

[lesapandre]

We differ in the view on this.

I've been driving in London since the 1970's. Current traffic isn't bad but we all have a different view on these matters! I'll caveat my comments and say South East London. 

But certainly coming into the CZ can be very problematic. Not something I'd attempt these days - in my time you could drive into the West End and park! Even on Regent's Street.

Windlesham is yes very difficult as it comes in on the M3 corridor etc. 

My comments were related to driving and traffic flow - now parking etc is a completely different matter - yes much worse! The LTZ's are decided by the Boroughs and can be illogical at times - the one above is for Broadway Market - I used to live round the corner when it was very different. The street was closed on Saturdays when the market was on - now looks permanent. That'll be Hackney's Councillors making that decision.

But round me traffic is mostly fine - maybe I'm just used to it - sort of immune to the hassle.

[LightBulbFun]

had another trip out in the VDP, into Central London then back out, to Answer the question everyone* has been asking, no you sadly cannot get an 8ft fluorescent tube or 8ft fluorescent light fixture  into an ADO16.

well at least me, my mum (who made the mistake of hitching a lift) and the seller of the fluorescent light was not able too LOL, thankfully I was able to ply the seller with cash and he tailed us home in his estate car, so I still got the goods, but I am little saddened I cant get 8ft's in the Princess, I was hoping I could as a further justification for having it LOL (ok by having it poke slightly out of an open window I could of gotten it home, but this was not the time or place for that sort of shenanigans) 

trip on the way there was fun, stayed too far left on the A12 and accidentally ended up on the M11 oops, VDP did just fine tho  (but I do feel like the headlights could be brighter, I swear REV's are brighter! I have been meaning to fit a relay kit to REV anyhow so ill see about fitting one to the VDP as well in time)

do wonder what others on the Motorway made of it, apart from well an Invacar, it is probably the last thing you expect to find on the motorway at midnight on a weekday LOL 

I also worked out how to reset the trip counter as well  (theres knob under the dashboard just right of the steering column you have to push in and twist)

 

not any other pictures im afraid, this was one of those collection capers where everything went slightly pear shaped, but the most important thing is the car, the VDP itself behaved perfectly, exactly what you want in a situation like that! (also stopped at a petrol station right at the end managed to get 36.2L into a supposed 36L tank!)

and just to add to the fun when we got back home *all* the parking spaces where taken

not going to lie, I did mutter some choice words to myself when I saw this, FFS why could you not of just pulled forward bit more! (REV was already far back against the wall, so I could not move her any further back)

[High Jetter]

6 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

you sadly cannot get an 8ft fluorescent tube or 8ft fluorescent light fixture  into an ADO16.

Time for a roof-rack?

It's great that you've taken to ADO16 life seemingly easily, and are enjoying it.

[loserone]

8 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

and just to add to the fun when we got back home *all* the parking spaces where taken

Put rev sideways in front and park the car behind it.

[loserone]

On 11/01/2026 at 19:35, lesapandre said:

Traffic is better in London than it used to be. Was heavy traffic and almost continuous gridlock in the 1970's and 80's. 

Bonus Citroen SM.

There is a whole bunch of reasons - but mostly it keep moving these days.

Ha. Whatever happened to @autofive

[LightBulbFun]

12 minutes ago, loserone said:

Put rev sideways in front and park the car behind it.

not quite sure I could get away with that sadly, REV is pretty lengthy at about 9.75ft long, a good foot longer then a smart car, but I did manage to get the VDP off the double yellows and back into the preferred spot without any yellow square of doom on the windscreen *touches wooden dashboard*

(I could really do with getting a little turn down for the exhaust tho, its slowly painting REV's bumper black LOL)

[beko1987]

Put some wide sellotape over the bit of revs bumper where it always meets the exhaust 😂🤔 

Can wipe it off then

[Yoss]

I imagine the lights are the same on both cars, or at least they would have been when new. If it is worse now its probably the the reflectors are deteriorating. If it is still on original sealed beams you can get conversion kits to take standard H4 bulbs. But you probably already know that. 

Are the front fog lights on a separate switch? I've got a set of aftermarket spot lights on the Triumph that I wired straight in to the main beam (via a relay) which help obviously. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

WTJ needs her bumper over riders reinstating becoz plah!

WTJ seems appropriate reg for LBF? wattage ?🤣

[SiC]

It'll be spring/summer and much longer days soon!

[Weird Car]

One from Facebook 

 

[Christine]

That driver hasn't got a head...

[Mr Livered]

Well some disabilities are visible.

[lesapandre]

21 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

One from Facebook 

 

If they don't manoeuvre correctly the John Cleese look-alike will thrash the car...

[Snake Charmer]

On 13/01/2026 at 10:24, LightBulbFun said:

(I could really do with getting a little turn down for the exhaust tho, its slowly painting REV's bumper black LOL)

[High Jetter]

A straight chrome pipe with a downturn was common BITD, like this:

[LightBulbFun]

On 13/01/2026 at 18:25, Weird Car said:

One from Facebook 

 

I do like to see shots like that  one of the many misconceptions when it comes to Invacars (thats often used against them) was that they just gave you one and sent you on your way, and that they where dangrous because people where given something that could go fast with no teaching, but no that was never the case, like any other motor vehicle, you got driving lessons/tuition and had to take a driving test

 

[MrBig]

4 hours ago, High Jetter said:

A straight chrome pipe with a downturn was common BITD, like this:

Where’s the fun in that?!?

I think the only answer here is to go full bosozoku….

[The Vicar]

On 07/01/2026 at 22:27, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Spotted elsewhere on tinternet. No doubt it's already on here somewhere...

That’s a well traveled little 500! 

[MrBig]

Anyone know where that is? @LightBulbFun could get pretty close to recreating that photo!!

[danthecapriman]

On 11/01/2026 at 19:35, lesapandre said:

Traffic is better in London than it used to be. Was heavy traffic and almost continuous gridlock in the 1970's and 80's. 

Bonus Citroen SM.

There is a whole bunch of reasons - but mostly it keep moving these days.

SM?? Pah! Look at all the Capri’s, and that Granada! The GUY J4 artic at the beginning. And the BEA front entry Routemaster with its trailer…

And, and… notice the colours of everything! No monochrome boredom back then.

[danthecapriman]

One of those old style roof racks would be ideal on your Plas @LightBulbFun maybe with one of those tube add on’s with the opening hatches on each end like a lot of the tradesman and utility companies use. You could slide the long bulbs into the tube then to keep them safe & dry.

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

One of those old style roof racks would be ideal on your Plas @LightBulbFun maybe with one of those tube add on’s with the opening hatches on each end like a lot of the tradesman and utility companies use. You could slide the long bulbs into the tube then to keep them safe & dry.

You can guarantee once all that lot is bought and setup, Dez will never buy another 8ft tube again! 🙂