For those interested in old cars.

[pH]

Another mall parking lot find:

 

 

I believe it’s a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere wagon. The badge just forward of the front door reads “ATOMIC II”, but I can’t find out what this is - perhaps a trim level?

[boxbrownie]

Ooooo, that might be a set of mag wheels as well.....serious stuff.

[alastairq]

I don't have much idea of how much these cost to buy new....either $ or relative prices, but these were sold as mid range family cars....yet the options [going Commando was one!!    really! ].....included over 7 litres of V8, and BHP figures up in the 300s mark....with supposed top speeds of 120-odd mph, and zero-to-sixty times around 6 or 7 seconds......Amazing,  for the time,  yet all from a family car!

Do 0-60 in under 7 seconds with 4 screaming kids in the back, plus MIL?

 

http://www.motorologist.com/wp-content/uploads/1966-Plymouth-Belvedere-brochure.pdf

 

Over here, BMC were floggin' us the Austin Cambridge!!

[Oldddudders]

In 1966 UK's already-busy and often windy roads weren't wonderful for powerful, large but less-than-nimble cars like that Plymouth, and cross-ply tyres still predominated. America had long straight roads, expressways and freeways and is a vast country. In the UK Motorways were few and far between. Yet only a year later UK got the 70 limit - indicating that road carnage was already unacceptably high. When did August Bank Holiday get moved from the first weekend to the last, specifically to reduce the death-toll on the roads? Of course the Cambridge and its badge-engineered clones from Riley, Wolseley, Morris and MG, were quite stodgy, but sales continued into the '70s.

 

Even if they had been affordable, the UK didn't need muscle cars in any number. Mini-Coopers and Lotus Cortinas were quite fast enough and much more suited to the road conditions. And they didn't sell in vast numbers, indicating what the average motorist thought they needed - and could afford. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, alastairq said:

Do 0-60 in under 7 seconds with 4 screaming kids in the back, plus MIL on the bonnet?

 

FIFY.

 

Mike.

[alastairq]

3 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

FIFY.

 

Mike.

 The mascot, of course?

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, alastairq said:

 

Do 0-60 in under 7 seconds with 4 screaming kids in the back, plus MIL?

 

 

11 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

FIFY.

 

Mike.

 

8 minutes ago, alastairq said:

 The mascot, of course?

Is that where they got the idea of air bags from?

[alastairq]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Is that where they got the idea of air bags from?

 MIL?

[MrWolf]

2 minutes ago, alastairq said:

 MIL?

 

Mother in law.

 

In my experience of being married, a different kind of air bag.

[alastairq]

When did airbags change from windbags?

[MrWolf]

Not sure, I have only just got used to seat belts!

[alastairq]

Seat belts?

 

Reminds me of the tussle I got myself into when visiting  one of my Canadian Cuzzins.  Amongst other stuff, he had a GM Canada version of what I thought was a Cavalier?

I was roped into driving it whilst Cuzzin took another vehicle into Barriere, to fetch him home.

This thing had the typically US fashion of seatbelt, which meant one simply got into the car and shut the door...the seatbelt was automatically draped around you, as it was partly located in the door itself.

 

I didn't realise this!

Neither did I get into the car behind the wheel in the same manner as US & Canadian citizens apparently normally do!

Being a tall & fairly broad boogah, I reversed into the seat, bum-first, before swinging my legs in [The seats nearly always needed adjusting for me, anyway]

So as a consequence, my legs got all tangled up in the seatbelt as the door was starting  to close....

I recall much kerfuffle as everyone tried to untangle me from the belt, and the door....

 

My 'own' car was an example from Rent-a-Wreck hire car company. I had booked  a 'standard', or 'large' car before flying out, so that my family wouldn't feel cramped on the inevitably long journeys we took.  We ended up picking up a Ford Taurus, since the Cadillac we ere supposed to have had been shunted by a digger the morning of collection.  I never did find out how the air con worked...never ever having had a car with air con in my life before. It was bl@@#y hot for June in BC...My Missus had us tramping along many logging roads too...Interesting driving, if one traverses the road in between turns with the grader? [It had gone up, but had yet to come back!] We were lucky....we mostly were on the ungraded side The graded side was full of folks fixing punctures, as the stone had all been turned over, sharp side up!!

I think we in the UK are lucky to just have potholes. [I don't see why I should pay to have potholes fixed! I never have an issue with them, and those that do, obviously put looks before practicality...and should have opted for steel wheels and 80 profile tyres, instead of fancy wide alloys and the lowest possible profile tyres that can fit, short of painting the rims with rubber?  }

Intolerant of other drivers??

 

Moi?? 

Never!!!       

 

[russ p]

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

 

 

Is that where they got the idea of air bags from?

 

I don't bother with them , I drive around with a lilo on my lap and if I think I'm going to crash I pump it up!

[boxbrownie]

5 hours ago, alastairq said:

When did airbags change from windbags?

Depends whether she is moaning or had Brussel sprouts for dinner 

[pH]

9 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

In 1966 UK's already-busy and often windy roads weren't wonderful for powerful, large but less-than-nimble cars like that Plymouth, and cross-ply tyres still predominated. 

 

Even if they had been affordable, the UK didn't need muscle cars in any number. Mini-Coopers and Lotus Cortinas were quite fast enough and much more suited to the road conditions.

 

I first visited Canada in 1968, with another Scottish cousin. We were amazed/appalled by North American cars. We bought a 12 year old Buick for $35 at the start of the summer, and left it with another cousin when we flew home - he sold it for $30. We saw a road test of the latest Chevy Impala on a TV motoring show. It included an emergency stop, in which the car did a 180. The presenter described this as ‘satisfactory’  - we nearly fell off our chairs laughing.

 

And we had several conversations with Canadian cousins and others about the relative abilities of things like Impalas and Minis on some of the backroads in the local area (St. Catharines to Niagara Falls). They just could not understand how a car with an engine under 1 litre could have left a muscle car in the dust (or in the ditch!).

 

5 hours ago, alastairq said:

My 'own' car was an example from Rent-a-Wreck hire car company ... My Missus had us tramping along many logging roads too...

 

Rent-a-Wreck are (were? - the several local franchises we used to use are all closed) a great company. I presume, with improvements in car longevity, they have problems now getting old cars cheap enough to make the business model work.

 

Did you check your rental agreement? - you may not have been allowed to drive on unmetalled roads. The ‘better’ rental companies don’t allow it now and, apparently, can use satnav data to check if you have.

[PhilJ W]

We once hired a Hillman Avenger from Hertz (UK). It would have fitted in well with rent a wreck.

[peanuts]

Came across this beautey whilst on a delivery today 

[boxbrownie]

Is that a 2CV based “7” behind it?

 

Long time ago now, was it called a Locust or something like that?

[alastairq]

3 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Is that a 2CV based “7” behind it?

 

Long time ago now, was it called a Locust or something like that?

 Not Locust, or Locost..these were conventionally equipped Se7en-types.

 

More likely one of these?

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6270894

Edit...........in fact, it probably is the car in the above photo, looking at what i can see of the reg number???

 

Incidentally, the Se7en shape really is a case of form, following function.  After all, what about the Lotus 6?

Edited May 20, 2021 by alastairq
found more info

[boxbrownie]

5 hours ago, alastairq said:

 Not Locust, or Locost..these were conventionally equipped Se7en-types.

 

More likely one of these?

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6270894

Edit...........in fact, it probably is the car in the above photo, looking at what i can see of the reg number???

 

Incidentally, the Se7en shape really is a case of form, following function.  After all, what about the Lotus 6?

That’s the one I was thinking about, well done.

 

I actually think the locust type had wooden panels as well!

 

I stuck to a nice Westfield 7.....the very first with a long pedal box fitted.....I needed it being a lanky  

[Captain Cuttle]

On 18/05/2021 at 04:38, MrWolf said:

 

Ditto Hillman Avengers.

Jowett Car Club very active, many Javelins, Jupiters and Bradfords still around. I wish i kept my Bradford CD prototype van. This  was the saloon CD4, metallic green built in 1953.

[MrWolf]

I did own a Javelin at one point, around 1996, black with tan interior, regd DTK 61 IIRC. I had it in storage on a friend's farm whilst I built a new garage and some charming soul pinched the radiator grille and the auxiliary tail light off the boot lid.

[Oldddudders]

I can't verify it, because he's been gone some years, but I'm fairly certain schoolchum Michael took his driving test in a Bradford van. It wasn't in great nick, but they thought they ought to put some sort of seat in for the examiner. He was 17, he passed. Mind you his parents owned a farmhouse with a bit of land, although only a few acres, mainly orchard. For years he had been learning to drive a selection of venerable heaps around their land. There was a six-cylinder thing of some sort, which would only run on four most of the time, but apparently had an annoying habit of suddenly invoking all six just as you lifted off. On more than one occasion this resulted in a close encounter with the log pile. Such is growing up. 

[Captain Cuttle]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I did own a Javelin at one point, around 1996, black with tan interior, regd DTK 61 IIRC. I had it in storage on a friend's farm whilst I built a new garage and some charming soul pinched the radiator grille and the auxiliary tail light off the boot lid.

I just asked on the Jowett FB group which is connected to the Jowett Car Club but they said not listed, do you know if it survived or what the chassis number was?

[MrWolf]

I don't know to be honest. I sold it to a Paul Hudson from Shirebrook Notts. The wooden flooring was shot but the metalwork was very good, even under the back seat. Apparently grilles are a nightmare to find, probably why mine was stolen.