For those interested in old cars.

[steve1]

22 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Looks like it, at first I thought it was just the single headlamp model but looking closer appears to have twin 5 3/4” lamps

surely is a thing of beauty.....

 

Twin 1964 model.

 

Basicically in excellent condition but needs a bit of TLC.

 

steve

[Kickstart]

8 hours ago, PatB said:

 

I'm pretty sure I remember a time when there was such a thing as a "Daylight Only" MoT, allowing for vehicles with minimal lighting systems. IIRC, on motorcycles only a brake light was required.

 

However, that was back in the relatively free and easy 1980s, so I wouldn't be surprised if things have tightened up a bit now.

Still very much a thing.

 

Essentially having a rear position lamp renders all the others compulsory, but without that you can have no lights (not even a brake light). While technically you can have a brake light in this situation, finding a brake light with no provision for a rear position lamp might be a pain, and if it has provision for one then probably a fail for a non working rear position lamp and all the other lights missing.

 

There is /was a comment In the MOT rules about lights not being required on bikes from before a certain date. I suspect that there might be some 90 year old law that does make a daytime MOT not road legal, but the vehicle lighting regulations do not bar them.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[alastairq]

Bike and car[?} MoT's and CU regs do differ somewhat....

 

edit....A quick Google finds that advice regarding MoTs and Insurance presented on Google, by Thinkmoney...who purport to be a respected banking authority, is totally incorrect.  Pure misinformation, created by getting such motoring advice written up by an individual who actually knows little about the topic....as do many motorists.

Edited June 23, 2020 by alastairq

[PhilJ W]

At one time an older vehicle if it complied with the regulations current at the time of registration it was not necessary to update it. For example the requirement for two rear lights was introduced in 1955. London Transport's RT type buses, all registered before the legislation came into force only ever carried one rear light when in LT service.

[boxbrownie]

38 minutes ago, John Harris said:

 

Pocher are actually part of the Hornby Empire now, though oddly they only do modern 'supercars' nowadays and motorcycles.

 

jh

Sadly yes, not being owned by Hornby (I think) but the fact they only do modern super cars, to my mind the old vehicles really lend themselves to those kind of models with important stuff on show......but most likely much more expensive to produce.

[PhilJ W]

38 minutes ago, John Harris said:

 

Pocher are actually part of the Hornby Empire now, though oddly they only do modern 'supercars' nowadays and motorcycles.

 

jh

They came to Hornby with Riverossi IIRC. They were sold off by the hedge fund that ran Hornby in 2017. Production has now ceased altogether.

[Kickstart]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

At one time an older vehicle if it complied with the regulations current at the time of registration it was not necessary to update it. For example the requirement for two rear lights was introduced in 1955. London Transport's RT type buses, all registered before the legislation came into force only ever carried one rear light when in LT service.

Not sure if true, but I was told once that the only one that was implemented retrospectively was the requirement for a rear view mirror (not just wing mirrors) In the mid 1960s

 

All the best

 

Katy

[alastairq]

8 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

At one time an older vehicle if it complied with the regulations current at the time of registration it was not necessary to update it. For example the requirement for two rear lights was introduced in 1955. London Transport's RT type buses, all registered before the legislation came into force only ever carried one rear light when in LT service.

 Whilst that is correct as a basic fact...London Transport actually fitted two rear side lights to RT's...but kept one [offside] brake light [above reg number plate?]

They also only had one dipped [N/S] headlight, with two coming on for main beam...for a while, anyway.

Certainly when I drove them in service, 1972-1974.

[PhilJ W]

32 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

Not sure if true, but I was told once that the only one that was implemented retrospectively was the requirement for a rear view mirror (not just wing mirrors) In the mid 1960s

 

All the best

 

Katy

Outside mirrors were not compulsory on cars until the late 1960's, with the exception of estate cars and light vans were a load might block the view from the interior mirror. The requirement for a mirror (singular) was introduced in the 1930's. I had a 1968 Anglia estate, that had mirrors on both wings but in the paperwork it mentioned that the nearside mirror was an optional extra.

[alastairq]

55 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

Not sure if true, but I was told once that the only one that was implemented retrospectively was the requirement for a rear view mirror (not just wing mirrors) In the mid 1960s

 

 AFAIK.....the only retrospective regulation I can think of, was the requirement to [retrospectively?] fit windscreen washers if wipers were obligatory [ not certain, as not all wipers are obligatory...thus far I've got away without washers on my Dellow...]......

[John Harris]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Sadly yes, not being owned by Hornby (I think) but the fact they only do modern super cars, to my mind the old vehicles really lend themselves to those kind of models with important stuff on show......but most likely much more expensive to produce.

 

I can remember Pocher car kits in the 60s, but the range grew in the 70s & 80s.  Even then, though I thought they were attractive models, they seemed so big that a collection was impractical.  That said, I'm sure the older kits (and cars) would sell well enough these days.

 

Back in the day there was quite a cottage industry of extra detailing parts for these kits.

 

jh

[alastairq]

Anybody remember what I currently know as, the Merit model racing car kits?

I seem to recollect Merit weren't the first producer of these same kits?

Does anybody know who the originating manufacturer would have been? My mind is dim in that respect.

[PhilJ W]

The first kit produced by Merit was the grey Fergie tractor IIRC. Pocher kits are still available on E-bay but some kits attract a premium price £1,500 in some cases. The biggest model in the range was a Volvo truck which in 1/8 scale must be huge.

[PhilJ W]

7 hours ago, alastairq said:

 AFAIK.....the only retrospective regulation I can think of, was the requirement to [retrospectively?] fit windscreen washers if wipers were obligatory [ not certain, as not all wipers are obligatory...thus far I've got away without washers on my Dellow...]......

IIRC they are not a requirement if the windscreen folds down. Washers are not required if the windscreen can be opened.

[steve1]

16 hours ago, alastairq said:

Anybody remember what I currently know as, the Merit model racing car kits?

I seem to recollect Merit weren't the first producer of these same kits?

Does anybody know who the originating manufacturer would have been? My mind is dim in that respect.

 

Certianly do. I built several in the late 1960s/early 1970s. A bit basic but could be modified successfully.

 

More gen here --> https://www.maronline.org.uk/merit-124-scale-kits/

 

steve

[Nick C]

19 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Outside mirrors were not compulsory on cars until the late 1960's, with the exception of estate cars and light vans were a load might block the view from the interior mirror. The requirement for a mirror (singular) was introduced in the 1930's. I had a 1968 Anglia estate, that had mirrors on both wings but in the paperwork it mentioned that the nearside mirror was an optional extra.

 

It wasn't actually until 2010 that it became a requirement for both external mirrors to be fitted - any vehicle build prior to that only has to have the offside one, along with either nearside, internal or both. Right up until the early 90s it was common for cheaper cars to have the nearside mirror as an optional extra...

Edited June 24, 2020 by Nick C

[PhilJ W]

20 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Outside mirrors were not compulsory on cars until the late 1960's, with the exception of estate cars and light vans were a load might block the view from the interior mirror. The requirement for a mirror (singular) was introduced in the 1930's. I had a 1968 Anglia estate, that had mirrors on both wings but in the paperwork it mentioned that the nearside mirror was an optional extra.

 

24 minutes ago, Nick C said:

 

It wasn't actually until 2010 that it became a requirement for both external mirrors to be fitted - any vehicle build prior to that only has to have the offside one, along with either nearside, internal or both. Right up until the early 90s it was common for cheaper cars to have the nearside mirror as an optional extra...

But before that only a single mirror was required and most car makers opted to put them inside the car. Many car derived light vans (Ford 300E, Morris Minor) had very small rear windows making the internal mirror virtually useless anyway, just as well that an additional external mirror was compulsory.

[alastairq]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Many car derived light vans (Ford 300E, Morris Minor) had very small rear windows making the internal mirror virtually useless anyway,

 

 

It always amused me to find an interior mirror in the cab of Military Land Rovers....totally useless for their intended purpose [except perhaps for soldiers to accurately place their cam cream makeup?]...yet fitted, nonetheless.   

Behind the driver's perch would be things like thick roll-over bars, mounts for personal weapons, probably racks for radio stuffs.....At the rear would be an almost completely opaque plastic rear window, in the rear sheet [if it was chilly, and the back was not rolled up?]

Yet, there it was...an interior mirror!

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Gas vans used to have interior mirrors, totally useless when the bulkheads were fitted!

 

Mike.

[johnlambert]

22 hours ago, John Harris said:

 

I can remember Pocher car kits in the 60s, but the range grew in the 70s & 80s.  Even then, though I thought they were attractive models, they seemed so big that a collection was impractical.  That said, I'm sure the older kits (and cars) would sell well enough these days.

 

Back in the day there was quite a cottage industry of extra detailing parts for these kits.

 

jh

 

I've just got back into the world of model car kits, check out Britmodeller (I think) which is a bit like RM Web for model kit people.  There are some threads on building/detailing/improving Pocher models.  Despite their size some models feature dimensional compromises (possibly to fit in fully detailed engine and transmission components).  Some models even have crankshafts and pistons that move (not that you would ever see them on a completed model).

 

Recently I've followed the build threads for a Pocher Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca.  It seems like an odd beast because it is beautifully detailed but isn't a model of an actual car, the bodywork borrows elements of a couple of different coach built designs so there are bits that might be Barker and other bits that might be Gurney Nutting (not sure of spelling) and Pocher even modelled the scuttle too high (probably to clear the gearbox casing), which means the bonnet doesn't sit level.  From what I remember, the rolling chassis from Rolls-Royce included the radiator, bonnet and scuttle so this should be the same on all Phantoms (allowing for manufacturing tolerances).  Still, they do look great when finished well and you can add photo-etched bits, leather trim, wood veneer and whatever to your heart's content and your wallet's dispair.

 

The cheapest Pocher model I've seen was a complete but very tired-looking Mercedes-Benz 500K convertible that sold on ebay for about £112, you can add a nought to that (at least) if you have an unbuilt kit.  But it was collect in person and as about 24 inches long, 9 inches wide; and they are heavy (so I'm told) so heaven knows where I'd put it in my one-bed flat?

[Rugd1022]

Douglas, Isle Of Man....

 

 

[steve1]

Fair enough, that's her name but where in the IoM?

 

steve 

[russ p]

43 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

Douglas, Isle Of Man....

 

 

 

Two V8s they were quite rare, notice the Leyland cars logo which became the Austin rover logo but with the additional flash for jaguar 

[jcredfer]

Good looking cars, with that smooth V8, but never really caught on.  Possibly less appealing for the proper motorist, as a result of the large obstruction to the view through the windscreen.

 

Regards

Julian

 

[RANGERS]

1 hour ago, jcredfer said:

Good looking cars, with that smooth V8, but never really caught on.  Possibly less appealing for the proper motorist, as a result of the large obstruction to the view through the windscreen.

 

Regards

Julian

 

Nothing obstructing the view from the drivers seat on that.