For those interested in old cars.

[37114]

My dad's Sunbeam was recently pressed into Wedding car duties for my sisters wedding, breaking slightly from tradition as previous family weddings have used the MGTC as the wedding car:

 

[Wolseley]

I thought I would post a picture of 'Doris', my 1948 Austin Devon.

 

Doris.jpg

 

I've owned her for twenty two years, and in that time she's been used for a few friends weddings, and my own wedding - when we had two Devons!

 

Here she is a couple of weeks ago waiting to take the happy couple to the reception.

 

I always make sure that Mrs Unicorn is following with a reserve car, but we've never needed it.

 

Les

 

 

Now that might be an interesting subject - what cars did we use for our daughter's/son's/own wedding.

 

For our eldest daughter's wedding, we hired two Vanden Plas Princess limousines.  For our youngest daughter, four FX4 taxis (three black ones and one white one for the bride and parents of the bride).

 

For our own wedding, all those years ago, my father-in-law (who worked at a wedding reception hall and had some useful connections for the day) arranged for two W114/W115 model Mercedes Benz - I think that one was a limousine and the other a sedan, but I'm not sure.

[Horsetan]

....For our own wedding, all those years ago, my father-in-law (who worked at a wedding reception hall and had some useful connections for the day) arranged for two W114/W115 model Mercedes Benz - I think that one was a limousine and the other a sedan, but I'm not sure.

 

Now, if he'd managed to get hold of a 600 Pullman, that would have been some statement to make!

[Porcy Mane]

Now, if he'd managed to get hold of a 600 Pullman, that would have been some statement to make!

 

Nah. Too ostentatious. Now if you'd have chosen the landaulet version you could really roll up as a dictator.  I must admit to being eternally disappointed with the working windscreen wipers on mine. (Corgi)

[Rugd1022]

Ah the Merc 600, chosen chariot of Rock royalty...

 

 

 

[37114]

Now that might be an interesting subject - what cars did we use for our daughter's/son's/own wedding.

 

 

 

Since you mention it, I managed to dig out this photo from the web of my wedding of the aforementioned TC at my wedding, nearly 12 years ago:

 

[Porcy Mane]

Ah the Merc 600, chosen chariot of Rock royalty...

 

Or singularly self centered egotistical types bent on world domination...

 

and the odd Bond villain also bent on world domination.

 

 

Wasn't it the dastardly Telly Savalas whilst driving a Pullman 600, that was responsible or the demise of the delectable Mrs Bond in OHMSS.

 

Oh well, at least Mercedes gave us this:

 

I never quite saw the attraction of fitting Merc 250 SL headlamps to minis though.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Porcy Mane

[Horsetan]

.....and the odd Bond villain also bent on world domination.

 

Bond.jpg

Ooh look, that's a Mk.1 Granada estate in front of it.....

 

I never quite saw the attraction of fitting Merc 250 SL headlamps to minis though.

The beam output was probably better than the original.

[Porcy Mane]

The beam output was probably better than the original.

 

Better than the round 7" sealed beam but identical pattern to a H4 when both using halogen bulbs. (or "quartz iodine" to quote Micheal Cane).

 

I compared...

 

Then there was the Wood & Pickett VX/490 conversion that never really fulfilled it's promise.

 

[johnlambert]

Wasn't it the dastardly Telly Savalas whilst driving a Pullman 600, that was responsible or the demise of the delectable Mrs Bond in OHMSS.

 

I can't remember if it was Blofeld or Irma Bunt who was driving, but you're broadly on the right lines.

[Rugd1022]

Better than the round 7" sealed beam but identical pattern to a H4 when both using halogen bulbs. (or "quartz iodine" to quote Micheal Cane).

 

I compared...

 

Then there was the Wood & Pickett VX/490 conversion that never really fulfilled it's promise.

 

My-W&P.jpg

 

That W&P Clubbie has got my juices flowing Porcy, I rather like the look of that. Squinting at it for long enough makes me think the alloys might be 6''x10'' GT Equipment Company / Compomotives, quite a rare find nowadays.

 

Deseamed, tinted glass (probably 'Shadolite'), opening quarterlights, vinyl roof and Webasto... yes please!

 

Here's a similar one, minus the vinyl treatment...

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Rugd1022

[Horsetan]

....there was the Wood & Pickett VX4/90 conversion that never really fulfilled it's promise.

Wood & Pickett are still going, it seems, but they do nothing like the kind of customisation that was available in the 1970s.

 

That reminds me, by contrast, that with a Citroen CX, there is virtually nothing available - other than Morette quad headlamps and frames - to customise it because it wasn't that kind of car. It was also a very difficult car to soup up - I think only Maikonics managed to uprate the later Turbo / Turbo2 to produce about 250hp (compared with 168hp standard), and Maikonics didn't really last very long as a tuning company because the man behind it got tired of doing it. I suppose nowadays, instead of trying to fiddle with Bosch LE2-Jetronic, people now have access to aftermarket ECUs like Megasquirt and use that to graft into the existing system.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Horsetan

[Rugd1022]

If you ask them nicely and waft a large enough cheque under their noses, the current incarnation of W&P will oblige as much as possible if you want a poshed up Mini, they may have to source some parts and materials from elsewhere (probably overseas) but it's all still do-able if you can afford it. Miniworld magazine featured a pair of very late W&P Minis a while ago which had both recently been through the company's doors for remedial / restoration work and they added some new items at the owner's request which weren't on the cars originally. Back in the '70s though, W&P were able to find contemporary parts from other cars such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar etc more easily, and in some cases made their own parts in house. This is what makes restoring a genuine older W&P Mini (or a Radford come to that) so difficult, if you took for example a chromed quarter light frame and winding mechanism from one car and tried to fit it into another it would add more to the labour cost due to the fettling, cutting etc. just to make it fit into the door frame.

 

If I had the funds available, I'd be sorely tempted to leave my Jap Mini in their hands and let them do the full Monte on it! I did a few more little 'pop star's Mini on the cheap' jobs on it today using bought in W&P trinkets and sticky backed black vinyl... it's getting there, slowly  

[jetmorgan]

 

 

Wasn't it the dastardly Telly Savalas whilst driving a Pullman 600, that was responsible or the demise of the delectable Mrs Bond in OHMSS.

 

Now could you ever believe Telly Savalas as a dastardly, villainous bad guy??? Bent on world domination from his evil lair???........Oh now come on.....Who Luv's ya baby!!!

Edited May 5, 2017 by jetmorgan

[DDolfelin]

 

Would someone kindly identify this car?

Thanks for any help.

[Danemouth]

Either a Standard 8 or Standard 10 (Dad had the latter). I can't remember the differences between the two models!

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[petethemole]

Standard 8, produced 1953-59. The 10 looked the same but with larger engine and 10 on the badge.

[DDolfelin]

Thanks for that - very helpful.

[Rugd1022]

I've been reminded on another forum that the pale blue W&P clubman I posted in #4936 belonged to Elton John at the time of the photograph, it's pictured not far from Abbey Road EMI Studios, here's another view of it...

 

 

It's quite well known that actor Lawrence Harvey had a W&P Mk2 Cooper S but before that he had a Mk1 which had passed through their doors in 1966, at first glance it looked more like a Radford but is in fact one of the earliest Mini conversions done by W&P (Mick Jaggers W&P Mk1 of the same year was very similar but was finished in a darker colour)...

 

 

 

If the Mercedes stacked headlamps of some of the other coachbuilt Minis seem a bit extreme then the hideous Tickford Mini would take some beating...!

 

Edited May 5, 2017 by Rugd1022

[Jol Wilkinson]

Ah, the original Mini, the classless car. Unlike the current version.

[Horsetan]

Ah, the original Mini, the classless car. Unlike the current version.

 

I once saw an original Mini which had a sticker reading "100% BMW-free".

[Intercity125]

That W&P Clubbie has got my juices flowing Porcy, I rather like the look of that. Squinting at it for long enough makes me think the alloys might be 6''x10'' GT Equipment Company / Compomotives, quite a rare find nowadays.

 

Deseamed, tinted glass (probably 'Shadolite'), opening quarterlights, vinyl roof and Webasto... yes please!

 

Here's a similar one, minus the vinyl treatment...

 

WP 5186e38dad6ec6ed41f84c1.jpg

What an unfortunate number plate.................

[keefr2]

I once saw an original Mini which had a sticker reading "100% BMW-free".

 

We've got one on ours.

[phil_sutters]

A handful of Triumphs

[vitalspark]

My dad's Sunbeam was recently pressed into Wedding car duties for my sisters wedding, breaking slightly from tradition as previous family weddings have used the MGTC as the wedding car:

 

Sunbeam.jpg

 

 

Stunning.