For those interested in old cars.

[boxbrownie]

That was a brace to give more rigidity and didn't add a great deal of extra weight. It didn't work either as they still 'wobbled like a jelly' under heavy cornering*. Sufficient bracing would have added weight but the XR3 proved such a success that the XR4 was dropped. *My BiL was a test driver at Dunton who told me this.

What is his name, I was there for 40 years......miss the mates more than the job

[doilum]

That was a brace to give more rigidity and didn't add a great deal of extra weight. It didn't work either as they still 'wobbled like a jelly' under heavy cornering*. Sufficient bracing would have added weight but the XR3 proved such a success that the XR4 was dropped. *My BiL was a test driver at Dunton who told me this.

The safety cage provided the stiffness needed to cope with the power of the touring cars. I was told at the time that the rally cars also had a lot of extra metalwork inside the sills which may or may not have been strictly legal on the homologation papers.

[Killybegs]

I did like the XR3's, best company cars I ever had. Prior to them I owned a Mk1 XR2, a great little car. My son went to look at one the other day but it was advertised for a serious amount of money. Should have held onto mine!

[Porcy Mane]

The Steve McQueen version was a Mach 1 rather different treatment of the tail end. There was a Datsun 180SSS, I think, had an almost identical rear end.

 

Don't know the first thing about American tin but surely the McQeen (Bullitt) Mustang was a 68 GT fast back. I'll never forget the shape as I had a Corgie 325.

 

 

 

The Mach 1 was brute ugly 69 job.

 

 

 

For those that like their 1960's American tin, Lalo Schifrin, Bottle Green VW Beetles and have 15 minutes of there life to waste, this guy does cool edits.

 

 

 

 

P

Edited January 25, 2019 by Porcy Mane

[stewartingram]

Anyone know any good websites for looking up Reg Nos? I have a number of photographs where I want to identify the make of vehicle (car, bus, lorry, van). The DVLA site only works with current vehicles, not with scrapped ones. I used to have a couple in my favourites but have lost them.

 

Stewart

[Rugd1022]

 

Don't know the first thing about American tin but surely the McQeen (Bullitt) Mustang was a 68 GT fast back. I'll never forget the shape as I had a Corgie 325.

 

 

 

The Mach 1 was brute ugly 69 job.

 

 

 

For those that like their 1960's American tin, Lalo Schifrin, Bottle Green VW Beetles and have 15 minutes of there life to waste, this guy does cool edits.

 

 

 

 

P

 

 

The Mach One was a much larger looking car than the 'Bullitt' version. Talking of which, I watched it again recently and think it's actually underated as a film in its own right, the famous car chase gets all the attention but the look and feel of the film makes it a fantastic period piece, the late '60s San Francisco backdrop, the excellent supporting cast and Lalo Schifrin's perfect score giving it something 'extra' which a lot of films don't have. When director Peter Yates spoke to Schifrin about scoring the car chase Schifrin told him it would be much better with almost no music at all and he was right...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the two Mustangs used in the film was found and restored a while ago, last year I think, it had been repainted white but digging deeper beneath the paint and filler revealed some of the dents from the car chase were still there. Wouldn't mind a replica some day..!

[doilum]

I did like the XR3's, best company cars I ever had. Prior to them I owned a Mk1 XR2, a great little car. My son went to look at one the other day but it was advertised for a serious amount of money. Should have held onto mine!

I had two. The first was an early 4speed carburetor model with some radical camber / castor settings. A true four seater gokart. The later one was a bit softer but more civilised and could easily deliver a mile minute pace on cross country A roads. In contrast its successor, an Escort GTI with a good deal more power was only a 50mph car. To be fair it was a much better motorway muncher and, if restricted to 80, would return 40+mpg even when four up with holiday luggage. Children were not impressed as it could easily manage the 300 mile holiday run non stop. The XR3i struggled to top 275 miles forcing at least one pitstop.

[Killybegs]

I had two. The first was an early 4speed carburetor model with some radical camber / castor settings. A true four seater gokart. The later one was a bit softer but more civilised and could easily deliver a mile minute pace on cross country A roads. In contrast its successor, an Escort GTI with a good deal more power was only a 50mph car. To be fair it was a much better motorway muncher and, if restricted to 80, would return 40+mpg even when four up with holiday luggage. Children were not impressed as it could easily manage the 300 mile holiday run non stop. The XR3i struggled to top 275 miles forcing at least one pitstop.

 I should have said that my two XR3's were actually the later XR3i's. The second one was more sophisticated but wasn't as quick as the first one. Maybe it went faster because it was bright red! I can't remember what they were like on fuel consumption. I did try an RS 2000 but the company drew the line at that!

[alfsboy]

I owned an Xr3 and an XR3i.The XR3 was one of the first  German built ,4 speed box and a big carb .The exhaust went and I managed to get the last genuine  ford 4 speed box exhaust  in the country .It had been Zeibarted from new  and gained for a previous owner blowing the engine and showering the engine compartment  with oil  and also rustproofing it .I was the 2nd owner .The  original guys wife ended up as the driver and just after she sold it to me she had a massive crash when a motorcycle landed on her windscreen   and went into the cabin  .The rider was doing well over 100 and  it killed him .She was in crutches and bandages for years and was saved by being in a largish Merc .She would have been killed in the XR3 .After fitting a souped up carb after some trouble the thing went even quicker and I loved it .Sadly it hit about 240,000 and the floor went as prophesied by my Escort part man. The car still looked new but it was all paper thin and a Beemer sang its song to me of thicker panels ,autobox (my legs were playing up at that time ),still bloody quick  and still red.As my wife muttered "still a drugs dealer special"

[doilum]

I owned an Xr3 and an XR3i.The XR3 was one of the first  German built ,4 speed box and a big carb .The exhaust went and I managed to get the last genuine  ford 4 speed box exhaust  in the country .It had been Zeibarted from new  and gained for a previous owner blowing the engine and showering the engine compartment  with oil  and also rustproofing it .I was the 2nd owner .The  original guys wife ended up as the driver and just after she sold it to me she had a massive crash when a motorcycle landed on her windscreen   and went into the cabin  .The rider was doing well over 100 and  it killed him .She was in crutches and bandages for years and was saved by being in a largish Merc .She would have been killed in the XR3 .After fitting a souped up carb after some trouble the thing went even quicker and I loved it .Sadly it hit about 240,000 and the floor went as prophesied by my Escort part man. The car still looked new but it was all paper thin and a Beemer sang its song to me of thicker panels ,autobox (my legs were playing up at that time ),still bloody quick  and still red.As my wife muttered "still a drugs dealer special"

Mine was still pretty rust free at ten years old. Apart that is, from a scare at seven. The original battery failed and was replaced with a Bosch unit. This lacked the terminal caps of the motorcraft original. Just six months later a daughter complained her feet were getting wet. Close inspection showed that the whole battery tray and bulkhead had rotted out in that short time. It must have been a common problem because a full replacement section of bulkhead was available. Fitting involved removing most of the dash, seats and carpets. B I l welded it up. Can't remember if that was last job for the oxy acetelene or first one for the new mig.

The battery was located under the rear edge of the bonnet and water ran down taking acid with it. Later cars came with a plastic cover over the battery.

[doilum]

I should have said that my two XR3's were actually the later XR3i's. The second one was more sophisticated but wasn't as quick as the first one. Maybe it went faster because it was bright red! I can't remember what they were like on fuel consumption. I did try an RS 2000 but the company drew the line at that!

The first one was quicker because, like the original mini, it could be thrown into corners with minimal lifting or braking.

[PhilJ W]

Anyone know any good websites for looking up Reg Nos? I have a number of photographs where I want to identify the make of vehicle (car, bus, lorry, van). The DVLA site only works with current vehicles, not with scrapped ones. I used to have a couple in my favourites but have lost them.

 

Stewart

Unfortunately a lot of the old records were destroyed, very few issuing authorities bothered to keep the records and many that do survive are in private collections. One thing that I have which is very useful is Glass's index of registration numbers 1929-1965. This give the issue year, and sometimes the month as well of most registrations but does not identify individual vehicles. Why not post the photographs here, I'm sure there will be someone who can identify many of them?

[alfsboy]

I  suspect I have owned one car no one else has .An NSU Wankel Spider.Nice little sports car until it went wrong and NSU  didnt support spares as its 2000 run didnt require it ...doh

[RJS1977]

Anyone know any good websites for looking up Reg Nos? I have a number of photographs where I want to identify the make of vehicle (car, bus, lorry, van). The DVLA site only works with current vehicles, not with scrapped ones. I used to have a couple in my favourites but have lost them.

 

Stewart

 

The DVLA website does list some scrapped/unregistered etc vehicles, but only that they last had contact with in the last 20 years or so.

[peanuts]

I did like the XR3's, best company cars I ever had. Prior to them I owned a Mk1 XR2, a great little car. My son went to look at one the other day but it was advertised for a serious amount of money. Should have held onto mine!

had an 82 Y plate xr3 one of the last of the carb ones in black had 5 speed box lecky windows and sunroof headlight washers half leather seats and 14 inch alloys binned the ford carb and manifold fitted a pair of webber 40 dcnfs piper 285 cam solidlifters fourbranch manifold and 2inch exhaust .went like a rocket once i got bored of that stuck a minisport 1.9 conversion and the lsd box with 15 inch alloys from the RS turbo front and rear strutbraces plus polybushed all around proper little flyer more than one or two golf gtis got a supprise .only thing that came near it for shear grin factor was my mates 205gti 1.9 that was just a hooligan machine

[boxbrownie]

I  suspect I have owned one car no one else has .An NSU Wankel Spider.Nice little sports car until it went wrong and NSU  didnt support spares as its 2000 run didnt require it ...doh

Bit newer but most likely just as rare......Audi A6 Hybrid......when we bought it in 2012 there were 26 registered and 24 were demos

 

Gone now but a lovely car.

[MJI]

Most go carty car I have ever driven was my old Sunbeam.

 

I had it during the end of the hot hatch era, it was old then but went well enough. Had all new suspension though, forest springs and competition struts

 

Had two very funny TLGPs One was a MG Metro and I had a trailer on (full of lightish stuff), the other a warm hatch who red lined when I hit power band (tall gearing).

 

However one FWD hot hatch found out that RWD cars take different lines in tight bends.

 

I do miss that car.

[peanuts]

spotted these three lurking in a compound in chorlton red stag has severe tin worm

 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/153816608@N03/5cA3j5

 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/153816608@N03/s96T0w

[phil_sutters]

Edited January 26, 2019 by phil_sutters

[alfsboy]

Bit newer but most likely just as rare......Audi A6 Hybrid......when we bought it in 2012 there were 26 registered and 24 were demos

 

Gone now but a lovely car.

Mine was only 6 years old and 9 were imported .Mine was originally used by Shell.I kept looking at the one in the Science Museum wondering if I could nick some bits off it .I didnt lose money  when i sold it  and years later my cousin bought it back and restored it.His father  was one of the original  classic car restorers  in the 60,s.Unbelievably the rotor seals I needed were make in Seven KIngs near where I worked .They had boxes full  from cancelled NSU orders but kept them just in case...doh .NSU could have told me .I still have the sales brochure .

[Rugd1022]

A newly discovered Radford Cooper S which has popped up in Japan, it was originally two tone brown and gold with Minilites and was registered 'AJK 848C' in 1965 but looks very swish in its subtle new colour scheme with a set of very rare Mk1 Cosmic alloys (the same as used on all of The Beatles Minis...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by Rugd1022

[boxbrownie]

Not sure about the colour TBH, then again the original brown might have been worse!

 

Dont even get me started on those awful headlamp surrounds...... 

[boxbrownie]

Interesting original plate though considering it is a 998

[big jim]

Not quite as old as that classic mini but I got my £1200  ‘barnfind’ cooper s back from the midlands last week, had it booked straight in for an MOT to see what I’m gonna have to spend to get it back on the toad 

 

failed on brakes (which is understandable for a car that has done 40 miles in 2 years) and ive had to replace a bulb and indicator stalk as it kept putting full beam in if I touched it (only £12 for a replacement)

 

Only concern was it leaked coolant during the MOT when the tester revved it up for the emission test, looks to have come back through the header tank (which are prone to splitting) which meant it failed on emissions too as he couldn’t get a reading (kept spiking) but I’ve been advised to redex it and rev the balls off out of it to get the emissions down, the first shot of redex certainly threw some nice white clouds out of the exhaust!

 

In all I think once the brakes are done and I thrash it a bit more I should have it back in the road for less than £100 outlay

 

[Rugd1022]

4 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Not sure about the colour TBH, then again the original brown might have been worse!

 

Dont even get me started on those awful headlamp surrounds...... 

 

Well, it takes all sorts..!

 

I think the headlamp rims are from a Wolseley or Riley 1.5, there's a slight 'peak' at the top on some of these and when fitted to Minis the top of the wing is reprofiled by hand to match them. Not keen on them myself but I do like the car itself. Boy would I love a proper Radford Mini...