Horsetan Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 There is a surprising number of Japanese cars in Malta that have been imported second hand from Japan. .... Likewise you will find ex-Japanese market (a.k.a JDM/JIS) RHD cars in Mongolia and the outer reaches of Eastern Russia (especially around Vladivostok) - both LHD countries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I think the Cobra thingy is a 427 'cos of the fat arches, the earlier 289 had less bulbous wings. . . . But, I am drooling over the purple Capri. Ref the Cobra? I was working from the registration plate. This ought to make it a 289 cu in motor. I think the 427 was fitted later? However it is entirely possible the bigger engine has subsequently been fitted, or wider wings to cover wider tyres? It appears the 427 cars had a stronger chassis altogether, since with the 289 chassis it was over powered & a bit of a handful with the bigger engine. Rumour has it that we must blame these cars for the 70 mph limit? (Plus fog? ). I had the chance (choice) of buying a AC Greyhound 45 years ago. Wished I had now, instead of a nearly new Sprite 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweasel Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 427 Cobra's also had completely different suspension. The 289's were much more sucessful as a race car. Apparently they used to test the Daytona Cobra's on the M1. One was clocked at 180 mph. Barbara Castle, transport minister at the time, imposed the 70 mph limit as an "experiment". Still ongoing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted September 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2015 In those days traffic on the M1 at night was very low compared with today. ISTR AC weren't the only sports car firm to use it for test runs. It was rumoured that Aston Martin were using it for test runs Newport Pagnell-Toddington and return. Several evening bike rides to the nearest overbridge to attempt to see such things bore no fruit. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I thought it was always Jaguar testing the E Type that got 'blamed' for the imposition of the 70 limit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Likewise you will find ex-Japanese market (a.k.a JDM/JIS) RHD cars in Mongolia and the outer reaches of Eastern Russia (especially around Vladivostok) - both LHD countries. Agreed - I have never seen as many RHD Toyota Prius anywhere else than in Ulaan Baatar - every other car seems to be one. Tony 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I thought it was always Jaguar testing the E Type that got 'blamed' for the imposition of the 70 limit? The story is probably apocryphal. Insert name of any high-powered 1960s sportscar of choice, including Aston Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 The story is probably apocryphal. Insert name of any high-powered 1960s sportscar of choice, including Aston Martin. Exactly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 It has to remembered that back then, many ordinary cars took a considerable time to reach 60mph, and 70mph would have been at the upper reaches of their capabilities. Likewise, braking systems - Citroen DS aside - were nowhere near as good as the ones we take for granted now - can you stop on a sixpence on drum brakes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I once touched 105 on the M25 while testing my Escort XR3! Is that why they installed all the variable speed limits and cameras? It's the only time in my life I've ever got above 80. Honest. And I rarely go over 50 nowadays. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweasel Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Jaguars, Astons etc couldn't reach those kind of speeds. A standard 3.8 E Type is pushed to it's limit about 140. Autocar managed 150.1, but that was "doctored" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 can you stop on a sixpence on drum brakes? Oh yes! {See my avatar for m car?] The problem isn't the ability of the brakes to stop the wheels turning...it's the ability of the tyres of the time. Remember, the average poor small car driver [Ford \pops, Mogy Minors?] still went for the cheapest tyres they could buy....much as they do today! Crossply tyres of the cheaper type don't work in the same way as modern radials. As I recall, the main issue concerning the 70 mph limit was the number of collisions occurring in thick fog. Then, as now, drivers were nothing like as aware of the conditions, and the risks associated with them...as they ought to have been. Plus, 'crash protection' wasn't really as we know it today [i think the basic idea of crash protection in the '60's centred on how much armour plating one had in front?] So, high speed collisions were very much more damaging and injurious than today....[although a lot more damaged cars could probably still be driven away back then?] Really, it's about an average human being's ability to react or respond to an adverse event occurring in front.....up to around 60 mph or so, we all mange somehow....beyond that, we enter the realms of super-human responses. [ie, underpants worn outside trousers?] When was the last time one read about ''100 car pile-ups'' on the M1? It appeared [from personal, anecdotal 'evidence' ] the best car to be in at that time , on a motorway, in fog, was a Peugeot 504? ] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Arguably even the 70 limit is too high given the length of barriers approaching underbridges on the motorway. Measure the quoted 315ft* 70mph stopping distance back along the motorway from the road/river/railway which passes underneath and you will be way in the rear of the barriers so a vehicle coming off the motorway at 70mph in the wrong place is likely to wind up on the road/railway below and potentially cause an accident (as at Great Heck). * Yes, I know the 315ft figure was worked out for a Morris Minor or some such, but a vehicle coming off a motorway on the approach to an underbridge will be travelling downhill. The 315ft also assumes tyres and brakes in good condition and an alert driver. Edited September 21, 2015 by RJS1977 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 I once had a Jag in which 315 feet was a substantial journey. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I once had a Jag in which 315 feet was a substantial journey. And of course 315 feet is longer than the length of the Wright Brothers' first two flights added together! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 More old cars: 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Unusual colour on the BGT - I like that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bedding Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 More old cars: IMG_4650rmw.jpg IMG_4651rmw.jpg IMG_4652rmw.jpg IMG_4653rmw.jpg IMG_4654rmw.jpg IMG_4655rmw.jpg IMG_4656rmw.jpg IMG_4657rmw.jpg I do not find it easy to regard these as "old" cars. I remember most of them as new and completely unaffordable. But hey, they still fire my nostalgia. PB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 All this talk of testing sportscars on the M1 in the '60s brings home the fact that the roads of Britain were a very different place back then - I've just finished watching the black & white DVD boxset of 'The Saint' which covers 1962 to 65, there's the odd daylight scene shot on a near deserted M1 at the lower end, aside from Roger Moore's double blasting northward in a spiffing white Volvo P1800 there's very little esle on the move at all, and what there is is only moving along at around 55-60mph! In the scenes shot at night in Central London there's much more traffic but the striking thing is how many cars, buses and lorries only have their sidelights on. In the other London area scenes shot around Hampstead, Chelasea and Kensington some of the main roads have hardly any parked cars on them at all, there are no double yellow lines and very little street furniture compared to today. In the out of town stuff shot around Elstree, Maidenhead and Cookham there's nothing else about! Cult TV shows like the above are still great for car spotting though, in several episodes of 'The Saint' I've watched in the past week or so there are countless Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Jags and Astons standing out from the (mostly) grey Fords, Vauxhalls and BMC stuff. In one of the later 1965 episodes our man ditches his trusty Volvo for a swankey new Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr2 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Cult TV shows like the above are still great for car spotting though, That's one of the reasons I love another of your favourite series Nidge - The Sweeney! It's my era of cars, Regan driving a Modena green Mk1 Escort & in a later episode a same colour Mk1 Capri as his own cars - his Escort wasn't as good as my Modena Green RS2000 though! I really enjoy seeing all the mundane stuff on the road like Austin 1100's & Maxi's, Hunters, Avengers, Cortina's, even Marina's! And then there's the Minis...!! On the other hand, I watched an episode of Morse last night that I hadn't seen before - & the cars from that era were sooo boring - Mk 3 escorts, Cavaliers & Sierra's - even a Nissan Stanza. Yuck!....Not worth spotting those! Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) Cars had dynamos back then, so you really did need to conserve the battery, hence the sidelights. Ed (edit-reply to Nidge's post #2094) Edited September 22, 2015 by edcayton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 "The Protectors" had one of the characters regularly driving a NSU Ro80 (reg. YMJ 621L), whilst "The Persuaders" I think regularly featured a Jensen Interceptor. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 30801 Posted September 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2015 Cars had dynamos back then, so you really did need to conserve the battery, hence the sidelights. IIRC You were legally allowed to run on sidelights at night in lit built-up areas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerner Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Picture of my Dyane in restoration, hope to pick it up this Friday. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Funny how cars like that Rover (214?) suddenly creep up on us & become classics!!It's an 800 series, an 827 Vitesse I think. Hard to believe that it's 26 years old now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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