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...

[LightBulbFun]

8 hours ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

This lot was on sale at an Auction House in Shepton Mallet - I thought about bidding but no more than a tenner - sold to someone else for £18 plus fees - did I miss some rare finds ?? @LightBulbFun

oh thats a neat find! looks WW2 to 1960's (notice the Air ministry markings on the Crompton sleeves (and their general design) but nothing stands out right away as mega rare/special, looks like run of the mill automotive stuff so dont worry too much  

9 hours ago, martc said:

Have we had this? We're in Leeds, late 60's/early 70's I'd guess.

...880E

Oooh nice find! no not one we have had before, looks like OPE880E to me on that Model 57, nice find in itself, would of been only a couple months before Model 67 production kicked off (although Model 57 production continued in a limited fashion for special cases until 1971)

[AdgeCutler]

Hoooo-bloody-rah!Waking at 5am with the pulley problem troubling my mind, I put some light oil, a gemmy bar and a MAP gas blow lamp in the car and set off with intent. On arriving at the Invacar I decided to have a try at first to pull the key out and to my amazement it simply pulled free with light grip with long nose pliers allowing me to spray oil up the keyway. Then it was tried once more to pry against the base of the pulley while striking blows with the soft mallet, still nothing.  Fire was then deployed into the steel core of the pulley between the Ali halves being careful not to get carried away and overheat the Ali. No movement still, try again, try again four times and movement! It put up resistance for 70% of its travel but I’m pleased to report that the pulley is off without damage. 
I did try to use a puller but there just isn’t room.

[LightBulbFun]

woop! glad it yielded cleanly in the end  dont forget when putting everything back together to set the pulley/shafts, so the centre of the shafts/pulleys are 10.25 inches apart  

[Somerset Suffolk]

Looks like the gas is good stuff 😆.... not sure I'd want to use it for anything other than plumbing or vehicle repairs though .... 

Excellent news though @AdgeCutler 👍

[LightBulbFun]

had an early morning start with REV today, to scoop up some fluorescent tubes from Hastings and popped in to my dads since he was literally only a few miles away, in the end a 153 mile round trip entirely in lots-of-rain

first stop for petrol, 46 mpg this time  

the guy in the queue for the till in front of me had this amusing back pack that a LED matrix in it playing Random Mr Bean pulling faces GIF's LOL

eventually after following the A21 to the beach, arrived at the sellers place

and got the tubes, some 6 coloured (5 red 1 gold) vintage 1960's fluorescent tubes, and a couple of regular (but still vintage) white ones for good measure  

then I popped over to my dads, where apparently my timing could not of been better as my Dad's WFH company laptop had decided to stop charging/recognise any sort of USB-C charger, and he was fretting quite a bit about that, IT support had already remote'ed in and gave up on it, and it was on something like 9% battery, but this was not my first rodeo with this sort of issue and did the a Windows laptop equivalent of a Mac SMC reset, and that got it charging again  I also came out of there with a couple old Thnkpads a a T60 and a L520, which I am most pleased about, last time I tried to get an old ThinkPad to mess about with, Evri lost it LOL (I also got given a PS4 Pro, of all things, will have to see if I can hack linux onto that or something)

after all that was said and done, I made way to home, first up another fuel stop for good measure, 77 miles covered and 7L of fuel used makes that officially 50Mpg, woop!  

then the weather happened, right at the start I knew it might of been a bit wet, but it was already fair bit rainier than I anticipated already on the way there, but then on the way back, it was down right almost biblical, to the point people had their rear fog lights on and the such like think @dollywobbler's Invacar vs Storm video, only with added A21 and M25  but REV handled it quite well, never once complaining or giving issue because of it, it was quite fun I got quite a few looks/passengers taking photos/friendly horn tooting, I think it kind of broke people ,the last thing you expect to see on a washed out A21/M25 is a Invacar bowling along at speed LOL

(I had been thinking after finding. out how awful/ruined the roads around Hastings is, that I should of taken the VDP, but then reconsidered given how wet it got on the way back, I do wonder if Ye Olde Transverse A series and its great* distributor placement would of coped or not!) 

eventually despite the M25 itself grinding to a halt at one point, I did get home  

and REV rolled over both 25,000 miles and now over 2000 miles with me  ol Girl has done exceptionally well i'd say! especially after today! 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

You've been spotted!

[UltraWomble]

1 hour ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

You've been spotted!

came to post the same thing

[Zelandeth]

So long as everything is in good order the distributor placement on an A series isn't an issue at all.  A couple of years driving Metros around Aberdeenshire in all weathers showed that.  Accidentally fording what was near enough a small river at speed where there was usually just a small puddle one night included.  Can of WD40 was always on board just in case, but I never needed it.

Modern silicone HT leads are a big help there too.  They're rather better at shrugging off water than stuff from the 70s.  Probably the one rubber component that's actually got better rather than worse since then!

[LightBulbFun]

12 hours ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

You've been spotted!

hah very cool! I particularly like the comment how he heard me coming before he saw me  I have often wondered what it sounds like from the outside like that, espically at speed, when im bowling along at 40-50-60Mph, what does that sound/look like to someone on the side of the road LOL (anyone feel like standing on the hard shoulder of the M25 for me? No? LOL)

also I see, I think its @UltraWomble is in there helping keep the facts in check  

 

I am hoping one of the pictures from the A21 or M25 surface....

[Joey spud]

The end of the A21 where it spits you out onto the middle lane of the M25 must of been fun in the rain and at going home time.

I once had a work van that got governed to 68mph and even at maximum velocity it still felt I was in the way joining that junction some days.

[LightBulbFun]

was not planning to go anywhere until at least next week, but mum realised she was going to be short of time for an appointment, so it was the VDP's time to play in the rain a bit!

took the opportunity on the way back to get some food from a good cafe

a photo just for @Six-cylinder  

and then back home  

[High Jetter]

An car, doing what's needed. 

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

a photo just for @Six-cylinder  

 

It is cruel to mock the afflicted, I don't even have a glove box let alone cup holders!

[Bmwdumptruck]

On 01/02/2026 at 05:10, st185cs said:

Model 70 Buggy anyone?!

… but can anyone help me ID the front brakes and suspension pls 😊

Wasn’t it the HA Viva that had a transverse leaf spring front end? Loved by custom car builders in the 70s. 

[Dobloseven]

Would guess classic Fiat 500 or 126 front suspension,as the spring is used as the lower location.

[barefoot]

On 06/02/2026 at 19:37, LightBulbFun said:

 

the guy in the queue for the till in front of me had this amusing back pack that a LED matrix in it playing Random Mr Bean pulling faces GIF's LOL

 

What a fucking spunk trumpet. 

[AdgeCutler]

Engine and transmission are now out of Mary and have been split. As I suspected prior to striking the deal on the car, the centrifugal clutch is indeed the problem. The friction material has come away from the shoes. The unit has also had a bit of a preliminary clean up to make it a bit nicer to work on.

 I am awaiting an Email from Haflinger Technik to see what service parts they have available and also hoping that they can supply a breather “mushroom “.  I will hopefully in the next few days find where I can get the clutch shoes re-lined somewhere locally.

[LightBulbFun]

5 minutes ago, AdgeCutler said:

Engine and transmission are now out of Mary and have been split. As I suspected prior to striking the deal on the car, the centrifugal clutch is indeed the problem. The friction material has come away from the shoes. The unit has also had a bit of a preliminary clean up to make it a bit nicer to work on.

 I am awaiting an Email from Haflinger Technik to see what service parts they have available and also hoping that they can supply a breather “mushroom “.  I will hopefully in the next few days find where I can get the clutch shoes re-lined somewhere locally.

Shoe friction material taken from a NOS set of shoes kindly measured up by @Mrs6C for me, when I was giving @adam1db some technical support a few years back, is is 4.17mm,  *but* make sure when you get the relined shoes back that you check for high spots on the friction material, it can cause the clutch to engage prematurely this was a problem Adam faced (and I suspect is the problem currently plaguing REV's clutch and despite freshly relined shoes her clutch is still engages *way* too soon, like even on the dynastart!, its either that or one of the springs failed just after things where put back together, which would be very sods law LOL)

sadly unless they have just unearthed a stash Haflinger Technik dont have PCV Breathers, I did ask them not too long ago, hope to be proved wrong tho, because REV herself could do with a new set, one of mine has a hole in it!

[barefoot]

6 hours ago, AdgeCutler said:

Mary

FFS!

[beko1987]

11 hours ago, barefoot said:

FFS!

Hairy Mary... 

[danthecapriman]

You might not have seen this one @LightBulbFun

From my old local down in Portsmouth outside the big bingo hall.

https://bygone.co.uk/archive/moderne-bingo-hall.331/?utm_source=Map

[Weird Car]

6 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

You might not have seen this one @LightBulbFun

From my old local down in Portsmouth outside the big bingo hall.

https://bygone.co.uk/archive/moderne-bingo-hall.331/?utm_source=Map

That’s just off Bradford junction, another picture I could have re created if I still had a model 70 

[danthecapriman]

31 minutes ago, Weird Car said:

That’s just off Bradford junction, another picture I could have re created if I still had a model 70 

There’s some good stuff on that Bygone site. Well worth a look if your local!

Infamous Tricorn Centre!

[Weird Car]

Just now, danthecapriman said:

There’s some good stuff on that Bygone site. Well worth a look if your local

I happen to live exactly 2 roads away from Bradford Junction 

is it like a Facebook group or something? Got a link? 😌

[High Jetter]

59 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

There’s some good stuff on that Bygone site. Well worth a look if your local!

I've just dug myself out of that rabbit hole, thanks* 😀. I was hoping to find a pic of one of the Longlife shops I worked at down that way, but no joy.

Have this to make you suffer:

Pub and petrol station still there in 2023, and probably today though Excellent Wash is long gone.

As you were, apologies LBF.

[Weird Car]

4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I've just dug myself out of that rabbit hole, thanks* 😀. I was hoping to find a pic of one of the Longlife shops I worked at down that way, but no joy.

Have this to make you suffer:

Pub and petrol station still there in 2023, and probably today though Excellent Wash is long gone.

As you were, apologies LBF.

No don’t because basically every pez station shot on my thread was taken at that Texaco “now Esso” 😭😆

[Missy Charm]

On 11/02/2026 at 19:29, Weird Car said:

No don’t because basically every pez station shot on my thread was taken at that Texaco “now Esso” 😭😆

I don't know what's going on with the Texaco and Esso love-in/identity crisis/LPGTQ+ brand fluidity at the moment.  In the past decade, the garage just down from my place has been a Texaco, a BP and is now Esso.  The one round the corner was an Esso, spent some time as a Texaco, went back to being Esso for a year or two and is now 'Co-Op petrol' - one suspects it's still Esso underneath.

Another one has always been a Texaco, but decided to give up the Co-Op concession and have the shop become Asda.  

And yet, on the other side of town, a venerable Esso garage - old enough to have had a Snack and Shop concession - has become a BP.

 

[AdgeCutler]

On closer inspection of the spring carrier backplate of the clutch was found to have taken a bit of a blow during the clutch break up.  This has been straightened up with some heat and manipulation and will go again. I also made up some new tab washers for the spring carriers and pivot bolts. (seen on the after photo, stacked in position along with an original and the over gauge pattern that aided accuracy.)

[LightBulbFun]

On 07/02/2026 at 12:49, Joey spud said:

The end of the A21 where it spits you out onto the middle lane of the M25 must of been fun in the rain and at going home time.

I once had a work van that got governed to 68mph and even at maximum velocity it still felt I was in the way joining that junction some days.

yeah but an Invacar is not limited to just 68 Mph  (current highlight being achieving 72Mph according to the GPS overtaking a Lorry on the M40...)

 

on a more realistic note, I have never had much trouble/issue in your regard, because well, I am in an Invacar , I find people tend to be quite courteous and understanding, to the fact I might not be going as fast as them etc for the simple fact of the matter im in a bright blue single seater fibreglass 3 wheeler, people tend to notice that!

for example if you encounter say @beko1987 doing 48Mph up the Stokenchurch cutting on the M40, in his Cash cow, you would probably be like "why are you going so slow put your foot down!" where as if you encounter me doing 48Mph crawling up the Stokenchurch cutting you would likely go "Oooh an Invacar I have not seen one of those for years and look at the mad bastard go!" and then just overtake in the middle lane and continue with your day

also REV can generally attain about 55Mph by the end of a motorway slip road which I find is generally fast enough, to merge with traffic, and I find with motorways you dont always have to race out in front of traffic, when joining, you can always just slot in behind a car/lorry as well, a quick glance over your shoulder to see whats coming up the main carriage way pays dividends  (I also do like to pay in kind, and when I am on the motorway will pay attention to joining traffic and if its safe to do so, hop over to the next lane so I dont get under their feet)

 

the only junction I find a bit gnarly/scary is actually that of the A12 the one just before the Blackwall tunnel, and thats no fault of REV, its gnarly for the fact that you have about 2 seconds to jump about 2 lanes before it spits you onto the A11 instead! and of course you and everyone else around you generally is aiming for the tunnel, so you barely have enough time to take stock of traffic and make your way through it to the correct lane.

(which is why I actually prefer motorways, as you more often that not, they give good advance notice when the layout is about to change or a junction is coming up etc, so you have good time to get yourself positioned accordingly)

[Andrew353w]

6 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

also REV can generally attain about 55Mph by the end of a motorway slip road which I find is generally fast enough, to merge with traffic, and I find with motorways you dont always have to race out in front of traffic, when joining, you can always just slot in behind a car/lorry as well, a quick glance over your shoulder to see whats coming up the main carriage way pays dividends  (I also do like to pay in kind, and when I am on the motorway will pay attention to joining traffic and if its safe to do so, hop over to the next lane so I dont get under their feet)

I'm pleased to read that you drive in this manner and keep the traffic moving smoothly! 

I well remember being taught to "move over" (as my instructor called it) into the middle lane when approaching motorway slip roads. Traffic Police drivers do this to assist the smooth running on motorways, although road safety means "good observation" before moving into the middle lane (internal then off-side mirror check, quick glance over the shoulder, flick the right indicator & move over) It's all about making the manoeuvre take place smoothly and not baulking other vehicles.

One of the good things about allowing learner drivers onto motorways is that they would appreciate the higher speeds and the need for greater lane discipline, as well as "moving over" at slip-roads. Before this was allowed a new driver would go on a motorway without any practical training, which could be problematic, to say the least!