Spotter's Log: Harpenden Classics On The Common

[michiel]

I.. there's... too much... just... wow!

[Mash]

Amazing - need to go there. Love the local variants.BTW your Datsun Violet is a Bluebird

[andrew e]

I have not been so spoiled since I fell in a bath of Ferrero Rocher's at the last ambassadors ball - superb variety!

[Heep]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing! Love the weirdo Datsun Pulsar and the big-wheel Morris looks like a hoot.Brings back memories of the year I spent in Sydney in 2005, so many old cars running around without a single spot of rust anywhere! Used to see those Cordias fairly regularly but maybe they're less common now. Granada Estate is actually an XD Falcon Estate, similar looking.

[pompei]

Totally fab

[Mr H Sceptre]

Great spots there m'colleague, just great. But still no baby Leyland (eventual heir to the Autoshite empire).

[Electric Leyland]

Amazing - need to go there. Love the local variants.BTW your Datsun Violet is a Bluebird

Doh!!Glad you're enjoying them. Just got back from snapping away at a really knackered early 70s Mazda 1300.1 day overdue and still no sign of Princess Marina Lawson yet.

[retrogeezer]

Imagine the state the e-type would be in if it was left in an open garage ANYWHERE in the UK.

[FredTransit]

 

The arches are twin wheel, but there was a single wheel LWB. The single wheel LWB arches are very rare, so maybe all they could find was the twin arches. A bit of a waste of a body shell! Either that or they changed the axles, maybe planning some nice wheels, or it had them and they got sold on....

[r.welfare]

Putting my anorak on, the front wheels on that Tranny look like late 70's (Mk2 Granada shape) XD Falcon rims, but I can't see the back ones so maybe they were standard. How many bolt holes on a Tranny wheel, Fred?Also, I think the local ones could be had with the 4.1 straight six, but this one probably doesn't as it's not a long-nose.

[FredTransit]

5 studs on the singel wheel, 6 on the twin, though there is a rare six stud heavy duty single wheel, that looks like a twin wheel but with almost no dish. You are right. looking again they are not transit wheels, so must have had an axle swap. Wonder why? Maybe it's had IFS or power steering done, and the Mk1/2 beam axle being replaced was part of the package.The transit stud pattern and PCD is notoriously one on it's own, so it's difficult to get nice wheels for a twin wheel.

[Electric Leyland]

What ho again from down under. How's it all going back in blighty? Hopefully the scrappage scheme has bitten the dust by now and Gordon Brown has died from swine flu or whatever it was called. My late night telly watching of Wimbledon (there is nothing else on) makes it look like there's a proper summer going on?

 

Grabbing my first spare chunk of internet time in a fortnight to bring you the latest haul, mainly from before the little 'un was born.

 

It's that shunted Skyline again, but on the move..

 

Nice old Toyota. yes the camber on the roads is a nightmare, I've scraped the front spoiler on my other half's Yaris about 20 times approaching driveways, it's a nightmare.

 

More oldies off for an arvo cruise in their Roller

 

Yay! Datsun 120Y 4-door in Orange but missing those famous hubcaps

 

The bloke driving this Corniche was about 110, and said a cheery hello as I snapped away. Think its the one from a fortnight ago..leather seats were nice and torn too...

 

Ditto this Cit CX

 

These wheels make me think of the New Avengers

 

Quite an eye catching minty flavour

 

A very 70's looking rear window on this

 

It's another of those Orion sized Mazda looking Fords...turns out it's called a Meteor

[Electric Leyland]

It's a Toyota Tercel in front of that garage I mentioned with the overpriced shite saloons

 

Getting quite fond of these bohemoths, Ford Fairline

 

And another monster shitey saloon, Mazda Rotary Turbo Luce Royal Classic

 

Nissan Pulsar

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Went for a sit down after that, parked the pushchair, and sipped a cappucino (I survive on coffees and mints now). These came past. An Alfa...

 

Then this Cortina

 

'scuse me Mr Merc

 

And the rear of it

 

Final vehicle on the jaunt, a Datsun 1500 ute

 

more coming...

[Electric Leyland]

Thought twice about posting these pics up here on Autoshite, what with the subject matter being the other end of the automotive scale, but what the heck I'm sure one or two may appreciate. My other half's stepdad took pity on me and brought me to see his mates' private collection one afternoon, down in a nondescript lock up down a quiet road in a built up industrial zone of the city. I was somewhat gobsmacked at the Alladin's Cave I walked into .... all cars are used and/or raced by this guy too .....

 

 

Some of these cars were as old as 1904 and were chain driven, can't remember waht they were called now. Some of the other cars we didn't whip the covers off were old Porsches.

 

Everything's original except the Alfa and Bugatti in the last pic, they are "new" exact replicas manufactured in Argentina by a company that churns out loads of them apparently!

 

Normality resumes with the next batch...

[Electric Leyland]

Tasty brown chod

 

Forlorn XM

 

Another stunning yellow Toyota..

 

A Rover P6 roars past....

 

...chased by this 3 series

 

Even more brown Jap twad (breathes deeply in through nose)

 

Alfetta looking a little caved in on the nearside

 

Classics at work. Shop next door raised a smile too....

 

But the winner of that day had to be this blinder. Datsun Cedric 260C GL

 

Morpeth followeth....

[michiel]

@ the shop - what do they sell?Fab pics and what an OMG collection; Pur Sang replicas I guess - I'd buy a Bug 35B if I had the money and drive it everywhere.

[Pillock]

Is that Mk4 Tina running LPG? I spy a little extra filler on the rear wing... and not the usual kind of 'filler' for a 70's Ford ;)Overall though I'll take the Mazda Rotary Turbo Luce Royal Classic. Basically so I can spend all day ringing up for insurance quotes and making them refer to it as a Mazda Rotary Turbo Luce Royal Classic. God help them if they miss one of the names out, or get the order wrong. IT'S A MAZDA ROTARY TURBO LUCE ROYAL CLASSIC YOU PEASANT!!!

[Guest]

What a haul!

 

 

Love that wheeltrim, is this thing related to those fastback Sunny estates sold in Blighty during the eighties?

[Electric Leyland]

@ the shop - what do they sell?

Why, flowers of course! I had Florian down on my shortlist of names if the new arrival was going to be a boy. Wolfgang Florian Ralf Karl-Heinz Lawson. Once again the missus was not amused.

 

 

Love that wheeltrim, is this thing related to those fastback Sunny estates sold in Blighty during the eighties?

Must be. Can a resident OJC aficionado confirm?

 

 

Time for the rest of that spotting update, starting with more brown Japanese stuff...

 

A trio of age ascending Subarus all in the same street....

 

And yet another dumped British 60s classic down a sidestreet. Triumph 2000.

 

One more Subaru for good measure, we're still on the same street here..

 

Double spot

 

Got to be my fave Datsun, the 120Y coupe fastback

 

more coming...

[Electric Leyland]

I pulled over to photograph this one, but the driver was sat inside and all I could see was his boot lid going up and down, with the guy looking confused in his rear view mirror. By the time I'd crossed the road he was already on the move so I only got this shot, but much to my amusement that boot lid opened and closed its way all up the road. It's a Datsun is it not?

 

Big old clunker been wallowing here a while

 

Type 3 Squareback VW in a fine old state

 

Whilst deciding which street to turn down next, this appears

 

Young lady driving a Renault 12 Estate. Ahoy hoy missus, take an Autoshite calling card, mmmmmm join us, you know you want to.

 

And then the next street, holy fuck yesss, picked the right street! Shite Row.

 

Pick of the bunch by a mile, Chrysler Colt Galant Valiant thing

 

come coming...

[Electric Leyland]

It's a Vauxhall Victor sort of Holden isnit?

 

Are all these in yellow in Melbourne?? Toyota Corona

 

Sportly little Corolla

 

Hey good lookin', very early Volvo, superb condition too

 

Bit too scene maybe..

 

Across the road, RX-7

 

A much nicer non scene version

 

Ooh la la Lancia Beta Coupe

 

Freddie and the Hondas

 

These are on every street, but I snapped this one just for its 70s colour

 

Fave spot of that day - Mazda 1300 with interior resembling a skip.

[Electric Leyland]

Hang on, what's this yonder beyond this Jag?

 

Yet more disguarded British classics. In front of a disguarded house, some link surely. Love to know the story behind this.

 

Pub landlord moves in with The Gaffer and decide to hell with society...

 

I like it. Tidy old Datsun coupe

 

Brown strikes again, Ford Cortina with brown vinyl roof. Laverly, the Cortina. You know where you are with the facking Cortina. Triffic.

 

Light starting to fade on the day once again, but still enough for a couple more snaps. Another Beta Coupe

 

Some lucky bastard's got this Volvo for passing their driving test down a very affluent street. Good to see daddy has the decency to buy offspring something decent to cut their teeth properly with.

 

Last of the English Rovers. Another tale to tell here no doubt. SD1.

 

And last but by no means least. Wow. Datsun 1000.

 

Thank you and goodnight!

[keef]

Wow!More truely wonderful spots.

[michiel]

Is it the third already? Wow indeed at the little Datsun!

[Richard]

It is down there.

[Spottedlaurel]

Amazing stuff! Hopefully no talk of scrappage nonsense there.Donning my OJC hat, the wedgy Pulsar saloon queried above is a notchback version of the Cherry N12 we got here from 1982-86. Also called Langley in Japan IIRC.

[Electric Leyland]

Amazing stuff! Hopefully no talk of scrappage nonsense there.Donning my OJC hat, the wedgy Pulsar saloon queried above is a notchback version of the Cherry N12 we got here from 1982-86. Also called Langley in Japan IIRC.

Nah, the economy is quite buoyant here still, property booming, only quite small knock on world recession effects, etc. Hahaha the Datsun Langley. That's right up there with the Cedric and the Isuzu Florian. Not forgetting the Datsun Doncaster, the Isuzu Greengrocer or the Toyota Berk.

[michiel]

It is down there.

I can never remember when it is what day where... so I just stay home.I guess all the yellow Coronas were taxis once?

[VWPowered]

wow great pics

[andrew e]

I want the Gaffers Jag! Did the Datsun 1000 come after the Ado 16/1100?