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]

So, Lightbulb, I've been thinking about your plight. This thread frustrates me, so I feel the need to offer some help.

Before I go further, I am aware that opinions are like arseholes, and that everyone has one. You may wish to completely ignore my suggestions. However maybe my observations could be of help. Either way, here they are:

 

1. You're obsessed with these things, but can't realistically afford one.

 

2. You don't appear to be working, so I'm assuming that the spend pot won't have a realistic total any time soon.

 

3. You live in a flat up several flights of stairs, so a restoration project isn't a realistic proposition.

 

4. You don't appear to have driven an Invacar before, so potentially have no idea what they drive like.

 

Solution one.

Drive an Invacar, and put yourself right off/continue to want one.

 

Solution two.

I REALLY hate to use the C word, as I don't usually agree with the principles. However, I genuinely think you're in an ideal situation.

Write a persuasive case to back things up, run it by a few that have done it themselves, and get a crowdfunding page out on social media.

Seriously, if you pitch it right, I reckon you could pull together enough groats to buy a tidy one. I'm sure you'd need to post regular updates to your supporters about how things are going, but that'd be a small price to pay.

It could work, right?

 

 

I appreciate your response and help

 

1: "You're obsessed with these things" maybe, slightly* 

 

I am indeed worried about costs, as it stands right now I have £581 saved up, atm I get £15.80 every 2 weeks from ESA (I actually get £115.80 but I only get to keep £15.80 sadly, the rest goes towards paying for rent ) so my current plan is to try and spend as little money as possible and try and save up on the £15.80 I get every 2 weeks plus whatever happens to get thrown at me by others  

 

In the end I dont really know what this is actually going to cost me, so few of these things have sold/even exist its hard to gauge an average price. I have been informed that about £1K should get me something that runs so thats what im aiming for.

 

I say slush fund, but thats literally all the money I have in my name, its sadly one of the reasons I have not stuck it in a savings account as recommended by others, since if anything goes tits up at home i need to be able to draw from it quickly, or if I do want to do/get anything, it comes out of that total.

 

2: sadly not, being crippled especially with no mode of transportation, kind of shoots the idea of a job in the foot, im trying to get PIP from the government but thats proving to be difficult,

 

at least I have ESA on the go I can pay for rent, so I can take the pip thing on at a more "leisurely" pace (before i had ESA, I was in a massive panic, as at that point I had no way to pay for rent) but as noted while I do get ESA most of it goes towards paying rent so I do not get left with much for the pot

 

3: Sadly also true and we dont even have a lift, hence why im looking/hoping for one with good "oily bits" as I dont have the facilities to go removing engines etc atm, at least I think im entitled to a parking spot in the dead end thats by the block of flats I live in so ill have somewhere to park it at least  

 

4: Sadly not, But I sorely want to, I have at least had the privilege to sit in Zels Model 70 (TPA621M) and give it a few revs which was fucking awesome 

 

I even have a crap 9 second long Vertical video wonder-piece of said revving

 

 

which I know is not the same as driving one, but from the brief time I had sitting in one, it felt comfy enough (tho I do wonder how much of that was the Xantia seat Zel stuck in there ) 

 

 

 

the idea of crowd funding has crossed my mind, but theres so much involved plus as you mention it involves getting fairly public and involved with the public etc which im not sure how to handle or if I want to do that

 

if I was to do a crowd fund id probably limit it to this forum, but I dont know if want to do that as I dont feel like iv contributed enough to this forum to be asking for such things

 

(its a difficult thing for me in general as i dont want to come across like im asking/begging for money, but at the same time if someone wanted to throw money at me I wouldn't say no LOL)

 

just to finish this off, I want to say massive thanks to Zel for all that he has done for me over the past few months from letting me visit his house and rev his Invacar to being there for me when shit goes tits up at home and helping me out with the whole cluster-fuck that has been ESA/PIP thing

 

(its only taken me 3 hours to write this up LOL)

[Zelandeth]

I think the enthusiasm is a good thing. It might sound over-energetic or like sun dreams from outside, but having been in a some way similar situation myself in my late teens having an aspiration to concentrate on and a target to aim for can be a psychological lifesaver.

 

I don't think it's an unreasonable goal either, and despite the obvious enthusiasm I think he's quite realistic about this most likely being a longer term plan and that something isn't likely to magically appear next week.

 

Really hoping we'll be able to get you back up here now the dust is settling from the festive period for another day or two and mess around with cars, natter about obsolete tech, have you actually do some mechanical stuff on one of the fleet and generally spend time bitching about the shortcomings of the well intentioned but critically flawed NHS and DSS...

[LightBulbFun]

I've driven one,am close friends with the guy who ran the register for 15 years,have the money to buy one,and could find one through my contacts,and have off road parking for one,and the mechanical ability to keep it going,and I still wouldn't have one.Its obviously a nice distraction for you,but it is wise to be realistic

 

very cool! which one did you get to drive?

 

im hoping that ill be able to manage routine service things like doing oil changes spark plugs and the like on my own. (even if said activities do knock me flat on my arse for a few days)

 

also thank you for the pictures, being the sad git that I am I have actually seen all of those before during my sleuthing sessions, I even found the first picture from a couple different angles   but I do appreciate you sharing them if you have any more please do share especially if they contain model 70s

 

I think the pictures originate from here https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C864718

 

 

 

and for the second picture you shared heres some related pictures here  https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=DynamicPageGeneration&OriginalURL=Catalogue%2FPeter-Marlow%2F1976%2FGB-Rolls-Royce-Disabled-Cars-Pipeline-1976-NN125643.html&FRM=SubHeaderFrame%3AMAGO31_13 im guessing the pictures in the above link where all taken at some sort of DHSS workshop? mid 1970s? looks like mostly 67s and mk12s but there are a few Model 70s dotted around

 

i noticed on a Model 70 even the original style "reliant" rear lights dont quite fit the top curve of where the light sits, im guessing thats because the mouldings actually go back to the Model 67 and are shaped for its rear light cluster?

 

(im also curious what the fuel filler cap looking this on the rear wing of model 67s is for? is that where the fuel tank was on those? im curious what resided under the front hatch then)

[DeeJay]

American Pickers is on Dave at 11.00. It's the London Calling episode where I think they visit a fellah with an Invacar in his garage.

[LightBulbFun]

Yes the fuel tank was in the back on villiers machines,gravity fed to the engine,with the fuel tap inside the cab next to the seat.I drove a model 70, can't remember the reg off hand but it was a 74 iirc.Back when I was about 15/16 I did restore a Harding hand propelled tricycle,so I guess I have owned an invalid trike!

 

very cool which control scheme did the model 70 you drive have?

 

 

American Pickers is on Dave at 11.00. It's the London Calling episode where I think they visit a fellah with an Invacar in his garage.

 

thanks for the heads up sadly I dont own a TV of any kind, but from what I have seen on the RUMCar forums, it was not a Model 70... (tho I have not seen screen shots from the show to verify)

 

speaking of Model 70s Looks like ATW722L is going abroad to a private collector http://rumcars.org/forum/index.php?topic=5466.msg45745#msg45745

 

its sad to see one of the few remaining Model 70s leave the UK, but at least it explains how it sold so quickly, apparently £5K is sofa change for these private collector types 

[mat_the_cat]

I am indeed worried about costs

 

You could sell something from your lighting collection to me - I'm sure you'll have something I just can't live without!

[LightBulbFun]

I didn't think anyone here would be that interested in my stuff

 

to be honest i was not planning on thinning out the lighting collection,

 

a few years ago due a few reasons, I gave away a good chunk of my lighting collection to a few fellow collectors, (which I do regret slightly) but at least I know that I did make a few collectors very happy   but because of that I dont have much that id want to sell/give away and if anything I have been trying rebuild what I gave away (but thats very much a back burner thing, due to money, space and higher Model 70 shaped priorities)

 

but im always open to offers so if theres something that catches your eye feel free to hit me up the worst I can say is "nah not for sale m8" you dont have to worry about offending me in any way

 

one of the other problems is shipping and aside from the fragility of lightbulbs (I do know how to package lightbulbs properly and have sent many lamps abroad), there is the fact i have no mode to transportation so its a trek to a post office for me

 

so if possible If I was to sell something of mine id prefer if it was collected.

 

however I do have some 15W T12 tubes that Im acting man in the middle for another US based collector, which I plan on posting out next time I go past the post office which will prolly be next time I go to Zels place so it wouldn't be too much of a big deal to post some extra lightbulbs on-top of what im already sending as long as your happy to cover shipping for your hypothetical lamps

 

(speaking of selling things, I need to figure out if theres any computer stuff I want to sell, I did try and setup a small thing of upgrading the G3 CPUs in PowerBook G3s to G4 CPUs and selling them on, as a source of income but my brother kept riding my ass about it, and that put me off the whole idea, however I think I still have a spare G3 CPU Card I can upgrade to a G4 CPU then flog on ebay, I might have to clear off my desk and see if I can work up the mojo to BGA Solder again)

[mat_the_cat]

There's nothing I *need*, but I have a strange hankering for a proper neon sign, now you never see one any more Bonus points if it spells out something appropriate for me! Or if you wanted rid of any 25w coloured BC bulbs...?

[LightBulbFun]

a Proper neon sign is something im also looking for!

 

I just have a boring straight pice of "neon" tube that was kindly given to me by a Neon sign shop I visited, it does however light-up bright neon Pink LOL

 

I also sadly dont have any 25W Coloured BC bulbs (I think!), guessing you have a Festoon you want to kit out? plenty of bundles on ebay like so however https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291089587039

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, I have a few sets...

 

 

 

I'm OK for the moment, and will probably stock up on eBay but just wondering if there was a way we could both benefit

[LightBulbFun]

Yeah, I have a few sets...

 

20171207_211319.jpg

 

20171210_184410.jpg

 

I'm OK for the moment, and will probably stock up on eBay but just wondering if there was a way we could both benefit

 

very cool! what brand of bulb are you using currently?

 

a big Festoon is something I want to get again at some point, I used to have a 25 lamp one about 10-12 years ago but it was lost to time sadly (it also only had boring white bulbs)

 

I appreciate the interest and im sorry I dont have anything suitable, but if anything falls into my lap ill be sure to give you a shout

 

 

 

BTW Side question, for plasticvandan and other seasoned Model 70 lickers, I read somewhere that the Model 70 in the Glasgow museum is the 20th one built and thats on a K plate, does that mean All model 70s are on K plates or higher? or are the very earliest on J plates?

[mat_the_cat]

very cool! what brand of bulb are you using currently?

 

Mainly Lyvia and Bell, but the odd Crompton in there as well IIRC. Always liked proper festoon harnesses since I was a kid, but my parents wouldn't buy one for me, even as a Christmas present!

 

I have two 10s and a 20 lamp set (at the moment...)

[LightBulbFun]

update for those with pop corn on standby for the "how has the government made my life even more difficult this time" parts of this thread

 

went for the second ESA poke n prod, where one thoroughly confused desk person said "you shouldn't be back so soon this is highly unusual" then ran off with my National insurance number hasitly scribbled onto a post-it note, checked somethings and told us the reason for the second appointment so soon was because something involving an "IT error" fucked up the first one so I have an "explanation" for that at least.

 

so went in for another "poke n prod", I think this one went alright but I felt the first one went better since the person doing the assessment first time round seemed to actually properly grasp what was going on, where as the this time round the guy doing the assessment got slightly latched onto to the mental health side of things (because my GP stuck Suspected autism on my Sick note) probably not helped by the fact my mum was with me and a bit* grumpy about the whole situation so she dragged it on a bit with the assessor while I sat their smiling sympathetically at said assessor

 

just gotta wait 4-6 weeks (I think) to hear back from what the ESA folk think of the assessment, assuming another "IT error" doesn't happen again...

 

(If I had to guess the "IT Error" is probably specifically a PEBCAK Layer 8 ID10T error    )

[LightBulbFun]

I did a bit more sleuthing and came across another Model 70 that was for sale on ebay mid last year

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263767653593 (according to this link it says it did not sell https://picclick.co.uk/1975-AC-Invacar-3-wheeler-Disabled-Steyr-Puch-263767653593.html )

 

sadly only one picture loads and im not sure if its a picture of the actual model 70 or being used as an example

 

 

however the description says the MOT expires in May 2019 and JPA268N has a valid MOT which expires in May 2019 as well

 

so im inclined to believe that JPA268N was the model 70 for sale

 

wonder why its for sale, seems to have undergone restoration in the past http://rumcars.org/forum/index.php?topic=4627.0

 

I wonder what happened to it, still shows up on the DVLA as having valid Tax and MOT.

 

(im tempted to poke the seller about it, but if he really wants £5.5K thats even more out of budget then the last one!)

[dollywobbler]

I think that was the one restored by a chap called Fraser up in Scotland. I think he's been after another.

[LightBulbFun]

I think that was the one restored by a chap called Fraser up in Scotland. I think he's been after another.

 

Oh goody just what I need, competition LOL

 

just checked one of the recent wanted ads on gumtree and indeed looks like its him https://www.gumtree.com/p/transport-stuff-wanted/wanted-ac-thundersley-invacar-model-70-steyr-puch-mobility-disabled-disability-70-s/1324854289 and the user name on the rumcar forums of the guy who owns JPA268N is "Fraz13" so I would say yeah they are all the same person (nothing like a good bit of Invacar related internet stalking )

 

and while im being a nosey bugger, im curious what he sold JPA268N for in the end? (assuming he sold it at all, maybe he wants multiple invacars )

 

all makes me wonder what happened to RRE 20L the £550 Model 70 that showed up on gumtree a few times a year and a half ago, as that one was also up in scotland (RRE20L still shows as untaxed since 1981 so no ones taken it SORN or anything)

[MorrisItalSLX]

I think that was the one restored by a chap called Fraser up in Scotland. I think he's been after another.

 

 

I'll get my coat.

[LightBulbFun]

I have no idea who that is (im guessing some well known guy called Fraser) but LOL at the file name 

[LightBulbFun]

If you haven't seen this before you should enjoy it Mr lightbulb, was part of a programme c.1998 when it was announced that trikes would finally be scrapped by 2003:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=agRr4ZqFOWo

 

thanks for sharing that

 

was an interesting if not a bit sad look at things, im guessing the chap who went to the alps and back has sadly passed away since then...

 

does his Argson invalid carriage survive?

 

(its funny how they only mention AC completely ignoring invacar and all the other invalid carriage makers)

 

BTW side note

 

I was looking at https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/invacar_missing and I noticed a while back between Q3 2014 and Q4 2014 the number of invacars jumped up 18 cars suddenly! what caused that or happened there?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

one for anyone in Northern Ireland, apparently this model 70 is in the Ulster Transport Museum I wonder whats with the reg plate and also the Badge has gone missing, but going by the lack of a rear hard top gasket id say this is an Invacar one (Zel is going to have a fun time driving his model 70 to see this one )

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10447863@N03/30346431641/

Not far down the road that one, next time we take the kids I'll try and get some close ups....

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[LightBulbFun]

Not far down the road that one, next time we take the kids I'll try and get some close ups....

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

 

very cool that its local to you!

 

I would appreciate that greatly, I look forward to seeing said pictures and im sure the kids will be thrilled* to see such a fine piece of motoring and social history too 

 

BTW do you know whats up the number plate, is it a Northern Ireland thing or is it just some show plate someone stuck on?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

very cool that its local to you!

 

I would appreciate that greatly, I look forward to seeing said pictures and im sure the kids will be thrilled* to see such a fine piece of motoring and social history too

 

BTW do you know whats up the number plate, is it a Northern Ireland thing or is it just some show plate someone stuck on?

No idea on the plate tbh.....I'll see what the exhibition text says (if it mentions the plate)

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[DodgeRover]

Are you on Facebook lbf?

 

 

 

The one in SE something or other sounds like it may be close to you

[LightBulbFun]

Are you on Facebook lbf?

IMG_1736.PNG

 

IMG_1735.PNG

 

IMG_1734.PNG

 

The one in SE something or other sounds like it may be close to you

 

Oooh thank you for sharing that

 

I think that is fairly close to me (as in within London I think LOL)

 

I wonder if its a Model 70 or something else, im specifically looking for a Model 70, wonder if I can find it via street view/Google earth?

 

indeed I am on FaceBook but I have many of the same reluctancies that Zel has when it comes to FaceBook and I only really use it to talk with a couple close friends who aint on any other platform and to harvest memes

 

I also wonder whats the one at W A Frost dismantlers anyone familiar with that company/place?)

 

will defiantly have to see about chasing this up

[Guest Hooli]

FB is good to join groups you want, just avoid adding too many 'friends' & turn off notifications for most of the ones you do have. That keeps it tidy & showing the interesting stuff.

When I login to mine I see aircraft, ships, more aircraft & a couple of Jag groups.

[LightBulbFun]

Shame your so set on a model 70,as I know of 5 Invacar mk12 for sale,all for resto of course.

 

story of my life eh?

 

surprised so many Mk12s are for sale I imagine Mk12s are much rarer then Model 70s im guessing someone found a bunch of Mk12s in a field somewhere?

 

I find all invalid carriages very interesting, but Model 70 is my focus if that makes sense, especially in my current situation theres no way I can afford chasing after multiple cars, after I get a Model 70 and if my life situation improves who knows what else ill start chasing, or how many raffle tickets ill buy

[somewhatfoolish]

Shame your so set on a model 70,as I know of 5 Invacar mk12 for sale,all for resto of course.

What sort of condition? Any pictures? Fins a-go-go, like a miniature Cadillac.

[LightBulbFun]

speaking of Rough

 

came across this Model 70 while doing some more sleuthing, it looks like the Drag Car pictured previously in this thread was for sale at some point

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ac-invacar-model-70-reliant-bond-271349439

 

 

wonder what became of it, glad to see the roof was not thrown out at least.

 

(that website seems to have archived quite a few past Model 70 ebay listings, but annoyingly hide all the details behind a paywall)

[LightBulbFun]

for my 700th post I present this picture, a Model 70 with a Private plate! (I came across this picture a good while back but couldn't find it again for love nor money thankfully found it again just now )

 

 

going by how the DVLA info says its Diesel I believe this one to be (ex) MPD553P which was fitted with a 500cc Kubota Oil burner

 

I hope it does not end up looking like the reliant robin next to it... (the too short number plate is bad enough!)

[Eddie Honda]

(the too short number plate is bad enough!)

Perfectly legal as the size of a number plate is defined by the size of the characters and the space around them.

 

(One day I might get* a short mark and might make a short plate of it or maybe a massive one, I haven't decided.)

 

Something in the back of my mind tells me with the old wide font (and seven wide characters), standard backings weren't quite wide enough but nobody bats an eyelid.