MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 (edited) One of the last vans still earning it's keep. It's actually an Ital with early wings and grille fitted. Edited April 12, 2021 by MrWolf 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 12, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 12, 2021 14 minutes ago, MrWolf said: This early Marina is still a daily driver. Something a bit fishy going on there, FF is the Merionethshire suffix which is used when re-registering cars with an age related plate when the original has been lost, unless it's one of the few vehicles actually registered there. Mike. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 It came off a farm in the Marches, it's one owner from new. I know what you mean about the FF registration, I have owned two vehicles that used it, SFF215 and SFF786. It was one that Swansea used mostly early 90s, after using up a lot of SV suffix, before reverting to AS suffix. They've been using a lot of old London numbers recently. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 On 09/04/2021 at 10:32, MrWolf said: If you can remember the registration number then it shouldn't be too hard to find out. Spent some time on this one, can’t find any photos or information but I think it was C525GWG. We’re should I look? Thanks Robert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 52 minutes ago, MrWolf said: This early Marina is still a daily driver. Number plate seems appropriate, but only 5/10 for spelling. Julian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 12 minutes ago, Erichill16 said: Spent some time on this one, can’t find any photos or information but I think it was C525GWG. We’re should I look? Thanks Robert "GOV.UK - Enter the registration number of the vehicle" https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk I couldn't find anything, but you have to have the exact registration number. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 52 minutes ago, MrWolf said: This early Marina is still a daily driver. Number plate seems appropriate, but only 5/10 for spelling. Julian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 Just now, jcredfer said: Number plate seems appropriate, but only 5/10 for spelling. Julian It's a terrible car, since it was dragged out of the barn it has been down to Cornwall and across into Suffolk. Then a little Jaunt around Germany and Poland. The following year Portugal, then Italy. In 2019 it was given a rest on a two week trip around the Scottish Highlands. Admittedly the indicator switch has destroyed itself more than once! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 26 minutes ago, MrWolf said: "GOV.UK - Enter the registration number of the vehicle" https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk I couldn't find anything, but you have to have the exact registration number. Thanks, the more I think about it the more I believe the number is correct. Robert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 4 minutes ago, MrWolf said: It's a terrible car, since it was dragged out of the barn it has been down to Cornwall and across into Suffolk. Then a little Jaunt around Germany and Poland. The following year Portugal, then Italy. In 2019 it was given a rest on a two week trip around the Scottish Highlands. Admittedly the indicator switch has destroyed itself more than once! Similar experience with one my wife came equipped with, although it did have the additional decorative ripple roof, from when she dropped the rear end into a ditch {she did say it was quite gentle and given the rather thin metal, I quite believe her}. It did similar trips, due to RAF postings being rather distant from family in Devon. I can't remember it failing to get to any of the destinations, although the slightest side-wind would put that at serious risk. I suspect that the reason it continued to run was down to such a basic design, that there was so little that could actually fail to work. Get in, switch on... drive {taking note of any passing side-winds} arrive... switch off and get out and enjoy the destination... simple... All of which ignores, ride comfort, handling, fuel, seating, noise, driver position..... et al.... Julian 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 (edited) 9 minutes ago, jcredfer said: All of which ignores, ride comfort, handling, fuel, seating, noise, driver position..... et al.... Julian Being ex forces you would be reminded of Land Rovers and Bedford MKs... It also rather spoils the traditional image of airmen's personal transport! Edited April 12, 2021 by MrWolf SNAFU 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northmoor Posted April 12, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2021 1 minute ago, jcredfer said: Similar experience with one my wife came equipped with, although it did have the additional decorative ripple roof, from when she dropped the rear end into a ditch {she did say it was quite gentle and given the rather thin metal, I quite believe her}. It did similar trips, due to RAF postings being rather distant from family in Devon. I can't remember it failing to get to any of the destinations, although the slightest side-wind would put that at serious risk. I suspect that the reason it continued to run was down to such a basic design, that there was so little that could actually fail to work. Get in, switch on... drive {taking note of any passing side-winds} arrive... switch off and get out and enjoy the destination... simple... All of which ignores, ride comfort, handling, fuel, seating, noise, driver position..... et al.... Julian Despite being brought up in a BL-owning family, I've never wanted a Marina (although my brother-in-law would as he learned to drive in one) but am always pleased when I see cars like this still running. No-one buys cars like these as "investments", they buy them because they have an affection for the model and will very probably lose every penny they spend on them. Whenever you watch most period dramas set in the 1960s/70s, you'd think 50% of people at that time drove E-types and MGBs. In fact it was the boring and not particularly good cars (like Marinas) that people actually commuted in, went to school, went on holiday, drove round to visit Grandma and everything else they did in cars. They are our real automotive history, not 2-seater sports cars. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 Classic car fans in America have a phrase for it: "The more there were, the less there are." Everyone threw away the commonplace as being worthless. Or in the case of classic cars, broke up all the ordinary models to restore the high end and sports versions. You only have to look at Mk1 and 2 Escorts to know that's true. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 11 minutes ago, MrWolf said: Being ex forces you would be reminded of Land Rovers and Bedford MKs... It also rather spoils the traditional image of airmen's personal transport! My Spine still suffers the memories of the military Landrovers and various trucks, not sure the odd Austin Champ should be in this list, but great fun they all were. The sports car in the picture certainly trumps the 1932 MG Midget I bought for £90, but I learned so much about how cars worked from keeping it running, on nil funds. It took me 4 more years to own an MGB, which also had to be kept running on equally nil funds... great education and even better fun. Julian 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 22 minutes ago, MrWolf said: Classic car fans in America have a phrase for it: "The more there were, the less there are." Everyone threw away the commonplace as being worthless. Or in the case of classic cars, broke up all the ordinary models to restore the high end and sports versions. You only have to look at Mk1 and 2 Escorts to know that's true. I did see a Nissan (Datsun?) Bluebird hatch and Ford Sierra last week, not seen either types for some time. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 42 minutes ago, jcredfer said: My Spine still suffers the memories of the military Landrovers and various trucks, not sure the odd Austin Champ should be in this list, but great fun they all were. The sports car in the picture certainly trumps the 1932 MG Midget I bought for £90, but I learned so much about how cars worked from keeping it running, on nil funds. It took me 4 more years to own an MGB, which also had to be kept running on equally nil funds... great education and even better fun. Julian I think that we would all like a 30s MG for £90 now! An uncle by marriage worked for Reid & Sigrist in the development shop at Desford Aerodrome and comes WW2, found himself in the RAF, but still at the aerodrome. He managed to score a Hillman Aero Minx similar to the coupe in the photo, probably because he was one of the few who could get hold of full fat petrol. My first car was a somewhat more mundane Austin 8, which was already nearly 40 years old, but only cost £295. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 (edited) 44 minutes ago, Erichill16 said: I did see a Nissan (Datsun?) Bluebird hatch and Ford Sierra last week, not seen either types for some time. Oddly enough, I saw a car at the other end of the scale this afternoon. A beige Mini Moke. I can't remember the last time I saw one, I had assumed that they were all hidden away in bank vaults! I also saw two teenage lads in an immaculate 1987 Metro too. It reminded me of when that car was new, we were driving PA Crestas and Vanguards, just to be different! Edited April 12, 2021 by MrWolf Stupid autocorrect 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Flashheart Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Not everyday you see these in for an MOT. Rob 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 13, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2021 How many plenums? Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Must be one of the last ones with that bunny killer under the front bumper? D reg? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted April 13, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2021 Possibly a twin plenum but a lot of those were E plate That looks a truly lovely car except you can just make out post 01 numberplate font, totally ruins a classic 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 13, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 13, 2021 Just watched Secrets of the Transport Museum. They found one of the cars, a 1928 FWD Alvis seriously infected with woodworm. But it appears to have been dealt with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Flashheart Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 1 hour ago, MrWolf said: Must be one of the last ones with that bunny killer under the front bumper? D reg? Is a B reg 1984 car,was very tidy inside, outside and underneath, needless to say it passed no problem. Rob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 I knew a guy back in the mid nineties who bought an identical looking one that had been lowered and had a lot of tuning done to the engine. (I deliberately avoided taking too much interest in case I got roped in to sort it out) Unfortunately the lowering had been done by cutting down the springs, so much so that if you jacked the back end right up, the springs fell out. He seemed happy to just pull it out of the garage, rev the #####s off it for about twenty minutes and then put it back. I don't know what happened to it because he blanked me after I turned up with a 1959 Chevrolet, even though it only had the "little" V8. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 14 hours ago, Lord Flashheart said: Not everyday you see these in for an MOT. Rob Very nice. Had a text from my mate yesterday saying he saw a 2600 SD1 had just sold for £15k, he's wondering if he should sell his own 2600 now, so he can cash in and buy something else. It's noticeable that despite plenty of doom and gloom and hardship due to covid a number of classic cars are starting to change hands again. In other news my Mini 30 has at long, long last gone to its new owner! The guy who put a deposit on it back in January on his mate's behalf was due to collect it and pay for it at the end of last week but his mate changed his mind at the last minute. Luckily I had a few other interested parties lining up to view it and a young lad who lives just round the corner coughed up and collected it yesterday. Now I can crack on with tidying the garage and filling the vacant space with something else, a Maserati of some sort is still at the top of my list but I'm looking at yanky doodle V8s again too. With this in mind, I'm being ably assisted by some very knowledgeable yank owning chaps on Pistonheads who know what will and what won't fit inside my garage. I'm also topping up the potential purchasing pot by selling off some Mini bits I'll no longer need. This will fit in my garage nicely.... But this won't....! I think the only yanks on my wanted list that will fit are Mustangs, Cougars, Corvettes, Corvairs, Firebirds and Camaros. Within my grasp financially are a few larger cars which are just a few inches too long and / or too wide - mid '60s Impalas, Buick Rivieras and Dodge Coronets and Polaras. One particular car which I like is a factory built RHD '66 Chevy Impala pillarless four door, it would be a doddle to use as a weekend car and for work occasionally if only it would fit inside the garage, at the price it looks very good value.... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1319504 The research is half the fun isn't it? 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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