For those interested in old cars.

[alastairq]

If the above is a recent photo...then a check on the DVLA site shows that engine to be a 1200cc [4 cylinder?] motor. All of around 40 bhp at best!

A further check on the MoT check website shows it to be an Austin A40. I presume, given the year of registration, it is, or was, a Somerset?

 

It has an awful lot of spark plug leads for a 4 cylinder motor.....  :)  :)

 

 

[pH]

On 19/07/2022 at 00:44, alastairq said:

Any VW at the right [or wrong?] place on the line could be a bit of a mongrel when it went to the dealers.

My VW bus had the bodyshell of the earlier type 2 bay window...IE, low front indicators, small rear lights, etc...[the better looking of the variations, in my view]...but had the altered mechanical upgrades of the next iteration of the bus, namely, larger disc brakes, suspension improvements, etc., normally found in the buses with the high indicators up front, and the large, rectangular rear light units and associated panel alterations.

This seems appropriate music at this point:

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

4 hours ago, alastairq said:

If the above is a recent photo...then a check on the DVLA site shows that engine to be a 1200cc [4 cylinder?] motor. All of around 40 bhp at best!

A further check on the MoT check website shows it to be an Austin A40. I presume, given the year of registration, it is, or was, a Somerset?

 

It has an awful lot of spark plug leads for a 4 cylinder motor.....  :)  :)

 

 

From the look of it, the only visible bits that might have come off an A40 Somerset are the door handles.

 

Presumably (?) the chassis did.....

 

John

[Erichill16]

I think it’s a 6 cylinder (V6 ?)  and seem to remember seeing Ford on the engine bits.

 

 

[boxbrownie]

49 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

I think it’s a 6 cylinder (V6 ?)  and seem to remember seeing Ford on the engine bits.

 

 

 

It’s an Essex V6 Ford engine, correct.

[gr.king]

With wheels, drive belt, fan blades on alternator and hot engine parts fully exposed to inadvertent contact, how can that be safe, road legal, and capable of passing an MOT (clearly not being in the "substantially original" condition for MOT exemption)?

 

Is this yet another example of a hopelessly inadequate level of policing with no enforcement of vehicle safety standards "on the road", hence all the examples of blindingly misaligned ultra-bright headlights, inoperative side lights/indicators/brake lights, illegally re-spaced or completely missing registration numbers, no lights or reg Nos on trailers (being towed/bounced along with impunity at well above their category speed limits), speeding vans, speeding lorries on single carriageway roads, dangerous overhanging loads, yobs on unregistered scrambler bikes, unlit cyclists, cyclists on pavements, illegal e-scooter users etc. etc?  Only the private motorist exceeding the speed limit (even very marginally) or driving in a blatantly dangerous manner right under the eyes of the plod receives any attention...

[Oldddudders]

43 minutes ago, gr.king said:

 Only the private motorist exceeding the speed limit (even very marginally) or driving in a blatantly dangerous manner right under the eyes of the plod receives any attention...

Of course! The speed camera is HM Treasury's friend! Limited paperwork and a fine in the bank. All the other issues require evidence and statements, maybe expensive court proceedings (eventually) and cost police time. 

 

Self-funding policing has been a Treasury goal since heaven knows when. Of course, they thought they had it made in 1996 with Rail Privatisation looking to eliminate BR's subsidy - and look how that evolved!

[alastairq]

....and Government seems to think we'll be in favour of tax cuts????

 

We reap the whirlwind of 25 years of 'having it good,' financially...where cut-backs had to be made, but always, to a minority without voice, or where it cannot be immediately seen?

 

What needs to be balanced is...in my view..the fact that all these apparent transgressions, and their frequency of occurrence, get media publicity [always with an ulterior agenda, methinks?], so, they are all we hear about. No mention of all the good things that go on in the world of the public highway?

 

We live today in a world of 'expediency, ' I feel.

 

People flout the Law, and consider that, if no harm is done, if pleasure is brought to a few, then, what is the problem?

 

After all, shouldn't the Police be chasing burglars or somesuch????

[Dunsignalling]

Yet another boy racer killed one of his passengers in yet another "single vehicle incident" not far from here last night....

 

I wonder if his car was roadworthy?

 

Impunity from legal consequences of ignoring laws that aren't enforced, eventually leads to many more being treated with similar contempt and has corrosive effects on society in general.

 

A growing  proportion of the population seems not to care if something they fancy doing, or can make a few quid from, is legal or not, so long as they get away with it. 

 

If a device that thwarted speed traps became available, they'd sell in the hundreds of thousands, legal or not, moral or not. Might even buy one myself.....

 

Better still if it was a smartphone app that I could get a free bootleg copy of.....

 

John

Edited July 24, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, alastairq said:

....and Government seems to think we'll be in favour of tax cuts????

 

We reap the whirlwind of 25 years of 'having it good,' financially...where cut-backs had to be made, but always, to a minority without voice, or where it cannot be immediately seen?

 

What needs to be balanced is...in my view..the fact that all these apparent transgressions, and their frequency of occurrence, get media publicity [always with an ulterior agenda, methinks?], so, they are all we hear about. No mention of all the good things that go on in the world of the public highway?

 

We live today in a world of 'expediency, ' I feel.

 

People flout the Law, and consider that, if no harm is done, if pleasure is brought to a few, then, what is the problem?

 

After all, shouldn't the Police be chasing burglars or somesuch????

 

But they very rarely seem to do either, to much effect, these days...

Edited July 24, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[gr.king]

15 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

Impunity from legal consequences of ignoring laws that aren't enforced, eventually leads to many more being treated with similar contempt and has corrosive effects on society in general.

 

John

Not exactly the way I would have phrased that point, but never a truer word was spoken.

[MJI]

16 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

Impunity from legal consequences of ignoring laws that aren't enforced, eventually leads to many more being treated with similar contempt and has corrosive effects on society in general.

 

John

 

One problem we have now is the large amount of trivial and silly laws, people ignore them and carry on with their lives.

 

I am going to mention the phone in car laws, some are sensible some are excessive. I occasionally break one of them.

 

Phones are awkwards and get in the way. Sometimes it is in my pocket and gets annoying, I pull out of pocket and place somewhere else.

 

I just move it like I could move anything annoying, but because it is a phone - illegal, even if turned off.

 

It should be illegal to USE with hands, not just move.

 

There are a lot of over prescriptive ones now to do with cyclists.

[boxbrownie]

12 minutes ago, MJI said:

 

One problem we have now is the large amount of trivial and silly laws, people ignore them and carry on with their lives.

 

I am going to mention the phone in car laws, some are sensible some are excessive. I occasionally break one of them.

 

Phones are awkwards and get in the way. Sometimes it is in my pocket and gets annoying, I pull out of pocket and place somewhere else.

 

I just move it like I could move anything annoying, but because it is a phone - illegal, even if turned off.

 

It should be illegal to USE with hands, not just move.

 

There are a lot of over prescriptive ones now to do with cyclists.

I would imagine it’s that way because it is easier to see you touch/move the phone than to actually catch you using the phone and prove it. “No officer, I wasn’t dialling on the phone in its holder on the dash, just moving it as the sun was reflecting into my eyes from it”……..😇

[MJI]

40 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

I would imagine it’s that way because it is easier to see you touch/move the phone than to actually catch you using the phone and prove it. “No officer, I wasn’t dialling on the phone in its holder on the dash, just moving it as the sun was reflecting into my eyes from it”……..😇

 

Instead of driving without due care and attention.

 

What will be the next micro law?

 

And they expect the Police to know them all?

 

Hence many going unchecked and other option of the occasional being enforced when not real.

[Dunsignalling]

I often wear cargo trousers/shorts which accommodate my phone comfortably. Otherwise it goes in the glovebox (or in the boot if it needs charging, there's a useful little cubby next to the power socket).

 

The car has steering wheel Bluetooth controls but I don't make outgoing calls unless I'm stuck in traffic and going to be delayed getting somewhere.

 

John

[alastairq]

3 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

I don't make outgoing calls unless I'm stuck in traffic and going to be delayed getting somewhere.

 

 I don't touch my phone, full stop!

Not because it's unlawful, if sat in a car, 'in charge', but because my phone is so old [AKA backward] I cannot send or receives texts, or answer phone calls [I don't often make phone calls..preferring texts which don't necessarily wait for the recipient to get to their phone]..without putting my reading glasses on, then handling the phone with both hands, whilst concentrating on tapping the correct 'keys' to achieve what's needed...a full time job in my case, to the exclusion of other tasks.

Reading a text means swiping, poking and prodding, before peering...Answering a call often results in the wrong swipe, and cutting the whole thing off.

 

Not that I care about being cut off.  

Being a titewad pensioner, I have my phone screen set on its lowest setting, so I don't have to charge the thing up so often.

 

In fact, if it's a sunny day, I have to sit down somewhere cool and dark just to respond to texts.....

So the new, more specific, Laws regarding mobile phones have not affected me, or my driving, one iota.

 

As for buttons on the steering wheels?

 

On my most modern daily [20 years old, still, but made this century, sadly]..I struggle to find the 'horn button' area on the steering wheel....the centre being a bland plastic padded mass apparently full of airbags....with a tiny embossed 'horn' symbol. I rarely use my horn..but when I  do, the moment passes all too quickly , with the sight of yours truly bashing various parts of the steering wheel centre trying to get the things to make some sort of noise.

 

All rather pointless in my case....

So Lordy only knows how I'd get on if confronted with a steering wheel full of buttons for this, that and t'uther?

 

I don't ever use a radio, or ''ICE'' when driving...Preferring to focus my entire attention on driving, and caring for my vehicle.....finding it easier to drive saving the other road users from themselves and their mistakes. Whilst trying my darndest not to make too many myself.

 

Today the biggest issue for me is, can I get in & out of the car with a modicum of dignity?  Can I then hobble off to my intended destination without too much pain in said dignity recovery?

I am also starting to find actually turning my head to look over my shoulder at angled junctions to be getting rather a limiting exercise.

To the extent that,if physical visibility allows, I sometimes 'lay back' a little from the 'give way' lines so I don't have to turn my head round quite so far.

 

Which modern, younger drivers do not understand....

[PhilJ W]

Watching 'Murder in Provence' on Sunday night I see that the hero drives a classic Citroen DS. The fourth* fictional TV detective to drive a classic car AFAIK unless anyone can name any more? *Columbo, Peugeot, Bergerac, Triumph Roadster and Morse, MK II Jaguar. 

[steve1]

Can we have some old cars and give up the politics please?

 

steve

[Nick C]

9 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Watching 'Murder in Provence' on Sunday night I see that the hero drives a classic Citroen DS. The fourth* fictional TV detective to drive a classic car AFAIK unless anyone can name any more? *Columbo, Peugeot, Bergerac, Triumph Roadster and Morse, MK II Jaguar. 

Saga Noren in 'The Bridge' had a '77 Porsche 911

[boxbrownie]

Magnum PI…….Ferrari and scary shorts 🤣

[30368]

7 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Magnum PI…….Ferrari and scary shorts 

 

Has anyone tries to drive a Ferrari 308/328? I tried one out a few years back with a view to buy however I could only operate the clutch pedal with the outside edge of my left shoe due to wheel arch intrusion. It took a few minutes to recover, I bought a new Maserati Coupe CC instead.

 

I can't comment on the scary shorts....

 

Kind regrads,

 

Richard B

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, 30368 said:

 

Has anyone tries to drive a Ferrari 308/328? I tried one out a few years back with a view to buy however I could only operate the clutch pedal with the outside edge of my left shoe due to wheel arch intrusion. It took a few minutes to recover, I bought a new Maserati Coupe CC instead.

 

I can't comment on the scary shorts....

 

Kind regrads,

 

Richard B

I’ve only driven a 246 and that was fine, even with my size 13s……but changing the fuel pump was a PITA 😁

[alastairq]

Tom Selleck, in that marvellous [and somewhat hauntingly themed] series, ''Jesse Stone.''

 

Who rocks up in a 60's IH Scout?  [My kind of motorcar, really. Ugly, lacking in goggle-appeal, tough as ol' boots, tiswotitizz, no-nonsense...Suitable for someone who really doesn't give a hoot for other people's views...[Yet respects their 'rights' to hold them....a huge difference!]

Such a pity they rotted worse than a Daihatsu 4Trak?

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Nick C said:

Saga Noren in 'The Bridge' had a '77 Porsche 911

The original 'Maigret', with Rupert Davies, is being broadcast on 'Talking Pictures TV'; wonderful selection of 1950s/ early 1960s, mainly French, cars, IIRC, the man himself uses a Peugeot 203.

[PhilJ W]

33 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

The original 'Maigret', with Rupert Davies, is being broadcast on 'Talking Pictures TV'; wonderful selection of 1950s/ early 1960s, mainly French, cars, IIRC, the man himself uses a Peugeot 203.

Does Maigret count? Its set in the 1950's when the cars used were current models.