My New WiFeY

[robt100]

51 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

 

I'd have to check with Allan jnr where the alloys came from - if he even knows!  I rather think his dad was one of those old-school "characters" who did things their way.  Cross-spokes are a style I associate with higher-powered Ford Sierras, and I'm pretty sure these are not those.  Ally Cats?  Possible, but again, I tend to think of a mk2 Escort wearing those.  I'm sure someone has mentioned BMW.  If their wheels fit the Cresta studs I'd be amazed but on the other hand, this is a style you do sometimes see on Beemers of the 70s/80s.  Time will tell.

 

Possibly Pontiac Firebird?? Looks identical to these but without those centre cap spinner things

https://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/threads/chevy-alley-cat-alloy-wheels-with-tyres-5x4-75-pcd.200649/

[eddyramrod]

That's quite possible!  I know there have been Firebirds in the family; it doesn't take much to imagine father and son salvaging a set of wheels.

[High Jetter]

Didn't Dolly Sprints have wheels like that, Compo's?

[hairnet]

jaaaaag or a cherokee

[dikkehemaworst]

They look to me as Melber rims.

We had them in Holland on anything from BMW's to Opel Monza's and Senators

[eddyramrod]

Well I've had a look, between showers, and yes, I appear to have Melber wheels here.  I'm guessing they must be Senator pattern, unless BMW's PCD really is the same as Vauxhall's.  Thank you for the ID!

[Knotty Ash Towers]

21 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

The blue is a protective coating that's normal on new whitewalls; I'll wash it off before I bring the car into regular use.

The 'bluewalls' look really good, what would happen if you didn't wash them?

[High Jetter]

The rain would?

[eddyramrod]

4 hours ago, High Jetter said:

The rain would?

You'd think so, wouldn't you?  It was lashing down this morning and... didn't.  I've now gone over them with an old scouring sponge, because you do need to apply a surprising amount of effort to get rid of the blue.  I failed; I'll have another go with a better scourer sometime soon.

[DSdriver]

Those wheels look a bugger to keep clean, but toothbrushes are cheap on ebay.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

You'd think so, wouldn't you?  It was lashing down this morning and... didn't.  I've now gone over them with an old scouring sponge, because you do need to apply a surprising amount of effort to get rid of the blue.  I failed; I'll have another go with a better scourer sometime soon.

Surprising. Not touched a whitewall for decades, had no masking. What's the rush?

[eddyramrod]

I'd just rather have the bright white than the blue.  It's what I had in mind for the car from the start; I mean, I would have liked them on my Velox back in 77!  But I didn't realise then, I was biting off way more than I could chew, in so many ways.  I'm much better equipped to deal with a car like this now, even in my decrepit state, so the whitewalls were a no-brainer.

[Remspoor]

On 16/09/2025 at 23:39, mk2_craig said:

Could well be Compomotives?

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/automotive-history/ad-break-1980s-compomotive-advert-has-us-in-a-spin/

 

Thought they were Ally Cats. I had a set on my Dolomite in the late 70s.

They cant be because I now see a detail that I do not recall. The wheels had  "Ally Cat" embossed on the centres.

[scooobydont]

On 16/09/2025 at 22:39, mk2_craig said:

Could well be Compomotives?

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/automotive-history/ad-break-1980s-compomotive-advert-has-us-in-a-spin/

 

I have drooled over that for way too long, what a fantastic picture!

[jim89]

1 minute ago, scooobydont said:

I have drooled over that for way too long, what a fantastic picture!

Print out that coupon & send it off & see what happens 😄

PO box 461, Priorslee, Telford,

TF2 2FP, United Kingdom

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, scooobydont said:

I have drooled over that for way too long, what a fantastic picture!

I've visited that location, many moons ago

[eddyramrod]

I took her into town the other day...

Don't worry, I didn't back into the planter!

[danthecapriman]

Awesome!😄

Looks like the Cresta’s being eyeballed by a couple of passers by too.

[robt100]

Looks great, very impressed that you managed to get an outfit to match the car's colour scheme too!

[warch]

Such a deeply cool looking car, also love the matching pastel driving apparel.

Old Vauxhalls are surprisingly cool these days, finally getting the love that Fords have always had. 

[AndyW201]

Looking lovely Ed!

ATCNBE...

[junkyarddog]

Looking extremely pleased with yourself there Eddy.

[tooSavvy]

🫤.... If I were thinner, I might strike a pose like that.

You look properly proud of that 😎

*and should be 😉

🚙💨

[warren t claim]

Surely in that condition it'd be an ideal car to use in any film set between 1965 and 1980? 

[eddyramrod]

30 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

Surely in that condition it'd be an ideal car to use in any film set between 1965 and 1980? 

I've been saying all along that she belongs on a council estate in about 1982.  I am hoping to get her some filming work next year, but of course it depends what is actually being made, and where!  Any such work needs to be somewhere I can drive to as a daytrip really.

[warren t claim]

5 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

I've been saying all along that she belongs on a council estate in about 1982.  I am hoping to get her some filming work next year, but of course it depends what is actually being made, and where!  Any such work needs to be somewhere I can drive to as a daytrip really.

You have a message on our usual place of communication!

[Wibble]

I’ve often wondered about registering my cars for film/TV work.

[eddyramrod]

There's a website for the purpose called American Dreams, which deals with more than just American cars.  I'll be registering WiFeY there.

[Dobloseven]

A while back,a local garage owner had a 60s Hillman Husky that appeared on Heartbeat.He wasn't very happy how it was treated.The actors apparently had trouble with the gears.Didn't go off the road into a river as many old cars on the show seemed to do though!

[eddyramrod]

WiFeY's been out around town today.  I managed to park her between two much younger Vauxhalls...

A Cresta was always a big car, wasn't it?  When did Astras and Merivas get this big?