For those interested in old cars.

[PhilJ W]

I once had a Suzuki SJ10 which was as tough as old boots. It could wade up to about 18 inches without any problems, except that water got in through the rust holes in the floor. 

[Nick C]

50 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I once had a Suzuki SJ10 which was as tough as old boots. It could wade up to about 18 inches without any problems, except that water got in through the rust holes in the floor. 

I remember going to an off-roading day down near Chichester about 15 years ago, and watching a couple of SJs playing - they seemed to be having great fun, not much power, but so light they could get through all sorts of stuff where the bigger vehicles would get bogged down...

 

Only a handful of them left now though (<300 on the road), I guess rust has claimed most...

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I once had a Suzuki SJ10 which was as tough as old boots. It could wade up to about 18 inches without any problems, except that water got in through the rust holes in the floor. 

 

I had Minis. You needed the water for the carpet mushrooms to grow.

[PhilJ W]

6 minutes ago, Nick C said:

I remember going to an off-roading day down near Chichester about 15 years ago, and watching a couple of SJs playing - they seemed to be having great fun, not much power, but so light they could get through all sorts of stuff where the bigger vehicles would get bogged down...

 

Only a handful of them left now though (<300 on the road), I guess rust has claimed most...

There are none left on the road now according to DLVC and those that are left are all SORNED. No doubt many of those that were SORNED no longer exist.

[Dunsignalling]

2 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

There are none left on the road now according to DLVC and those that are left are all SORNED. No doubt many of those that were SORNED no longer exist.

 

Or purely used off-road. The last couple I've seen were both on trailers....

 

[Nick C]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

There are none left on the road now according to DLVC and those that are left are all SORNED. No doubt many of those that were SORNED no longer exist.

284 on the road in Q1 2023 according to howmanyleft.co.uk - that's all SJ variants combined though, clicking through shows a couple of the trim levels extinct but most in the single figures or low doubles.

[PhilJ W]

Most of those are SORNED. Most of those that are on the road are the high end variants such as the SJ413 Santana.

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, 30801 said:

 

I had Minis. You needed the water for the carpet mushrooms to grow.

 

1300s were good gor that as well...

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

1300s were good gor that as well...

 

I didn't think they lasted long enough to grow a mushroom?

Edited October 2, 2023 by 30801

[Hobby]

Mine would have... If I hadn't removed the carpet! ;)

[alastairq]

As a mid-teenager in the middle of the 1960's, one of the folk I was 'acquainted' with, a young fella just out of college or whatever...drove a Sprite Mk2

When he decided to marry, he felt the need for a more 'family' orientated car..so sold the Sprite and purchased a [mk1] 1100.

I recall how he , oddly, found the 1100 to be far superior in almost every respect to the Sprite..

Comfort, performance, practicality, even road holding...

 

My early driving tuition was somewhat disjointed by also being in the Merchant Navy as a youngster, but I started taking lessons in an 1100, finally taking my test in a 1300 GT.

The only real dislike I had for the 1300GT was, the bling.

 

Much the some way I disliked similar with the mk1 Cortina estate, and its fablon wood panels.

 

I only ever owned one 1100 [a mk1] briefly, in the mid 1970's, when it was over 10 years old, roten as a pear, but I needed some transport very briefly for moving house, so my BIL, who owned a scrap yard, gave to me the 1100 which still had a bit of ticket on it.

Before returning to its scrappy fate, I took all the seats out and used it as a wheelbarrow, shifting what seems like tons of hardcore for my new driveway.

 

[figworthy]

11 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

TBH, unless you require a vehicle that will do what the Land Rover was designed to, I've never fathomed why anybody would want to....

 

Draughty, uncomfortable, thirsty, vague steering, etc. etc. etc. Apart from off-roading, it doesn't actually do very much remotely as well as more conventional vehicles.

 

Definitely an acquired taste.

 

I had a IIA for 15 years (and 20+ years on still miss it), much of that as the daily drive (one vehicle owner).  Yes, it was draughty (air con comes as standard sir), thirsty, watching her ladyship trying to drive down a straight road could be entertaining (so long as no one was coming the other way), but it did have something that contemporary vehicles seemed to lack, character.

 

Adrian

[jcredfer]

6 hours ago, alastairq said:

As a mid-teenager in the middle of the 1960's, one of the folk I was 'acquainted' with, a young fella just out of college or whatever...drove a Sprite Mk2

When he decided to marry, he felt the need for a more 'family' orientated car..so sold the Sprite and purchased a [mk1] 1100.

I recall how he , oddly, found the 1100 to be far superior in almost every respect to the Sprite..

Comfort, performance, practicality, even road holding...

 

My early driving tuition was somewhat disjointed by also being in the Merchant Navy as a youngster, but I started taking lessons in an 1100, finally taking my test in a 1300 GT.

The only real dislike I had for the 1300GT was, the bling.

 

Much the some way I disliked similar with the mk1 Cortina estate, and its fablon wood panels.

 

I only ever owned one 1100 [a mk1] briefly, in the mid 1970's, when it was over 10 years old, roten as a pear, but I needed some transport very briefly for moving house, so my BIL, who owned a scrap yard, gave to me the 1100 which still had a bit of ticket on it.

Before returning to its scrappy fate, I took all the seats out and used it as a wheelbarrow, shifting what seems like tons of hardcore for my new driveway.

 

 

I had an MG Midget J2 {1932 and rather basic} for over 4 years, when father decided that - as I had become a fledged teacher - it was time for an upgrade.  He would loan me the money, to be paid back at an agreed rate, so far so good.

 

He appeared one day, in a powder blue Morris 1100, which he thought was a suitable replacement.  I can't disagree with the jist of the observations above - less draughts, cornered ok, more power - BUT!!!  - Instead of being cocooned as part of the machine {If memory serves, 3' 6" wheelbase, 3' seating width} - sat in a vacuous Morris box - upright!!  A gearstick that would have been more suited to a pensioner walking to the shops and none to sure about which of the slots it might wander into.  Totally lacking in the connection with the environment experience, with glass wind-up windows, where was the feel of where the car was travelling, let alone pulling the elbow inside the door, when passing through "Bovine" deposits on the local roads.  Potholes passed over resulted in a floating sensation, not quite feeling like a decent grip on the tarmac, which didn't instil much confidence.  Oh and the exhaust had the roar...  of a baby passing gas and excrement into a nappy.  Driving had been reduced to an experience similar to a cinematic experiment simulating driving a pancake on custard - brilliant...  if that's the style you want.....

 

{N.B. Back then, Powder Blue wasn't exactly a colour suitable for a PE Teacher.....  No personal problem, it just wasn't the "in thing" back then.}

 

Thankfully, within a month of protest, the problem was resolved with another MG, a B this time, early, original low suspension, unrestricted breathing and matching tyres and in touch with the environment- again.

 

Father, some years later, redeemed his choice, with a 1300, Riley TC, which had the ability to ask the driver to pay attention, with good reason.  It was good to see that the Old Boy got it worked out in the end.  {Nod to Mark Twain, there...  🤣 }

 

 

[Kickstart]

21 hours ago, Nick C said:

I remember going to an off-roading day down near Chichester about 15 years ago, and watching a couple of SJs playing - they seemed to be having great fun, not much power, but so light they could get through all sorts of stuff where the bigger vehicles would get bogged down...

 

Only a handful of them left now though (<300 on the road), I guess rust has claimed most...

 On Youtube, there is a series of videos on restoring an Suzuki LJ80 by Yorkshire Car Restorations

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Dunsignalling]

13 hours ago, figworthy said:

 

I had a IIA for 15 years (and 20+ years on still miss it), much of that as the daily drive (one vehicle owner).  Yes, it was draughty (air con comes as standard sir), thirsty, watching her ladyship trying to drive down a straight road could be entertaining (so long as no one was coming the other way), but it did have something that contemporary vehicles seemed to lack, character.

 

Adrian

I have a Skoda Yeti TDi these days. Civilised, averages 43 mpg without trying and 50 on a run. The on-demand 4wd is excellent with diff-locking if I select it.

 

She handles the limited amount of off-road use and towing work I still require without drama and is a quick, nice-to-drive/ride in conventional car when that's needed.

 

Basically does it all, so long as one doesn't need an out-and-out "explorer's" car!

 

John

Edited October 3, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[Rugd1022]

My mate's '66 Hillman Super Minx at rest...

 

 

 

[doilum]

My wife had an SJ for a while in the early noughties. White with a pink stripe and (gospel truth) it came with a tape of I'm a Barbie girl jammed in the radio cassette player. Everyone loved it and years later youngest daughter has had a continuous string of small 4x4s.

[PhilJ W]

I had an SJ back in the nineties. It was already old when i bought it, a B reg. It was fitted with a massive bull bar from new and as such I was able to keep it when they were banned. That bull bar accounted for three drivers doors and several front bumpers. Drivers don't always check that it is safe before they open their doors and some stop over the white lines when pulling out from side turnings. One even reversed back hurriedly when he saw the bull bars approaching.

[alastairq]

I recall being led [maritally speaking] to a local Suzuki  dealership in the later 1970's, to look a purchoicing a Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid..

Unfortunately for us [maritally speaking] my heart was taken by the Suzuki SJ20{?} jeep parked in the same showroom.

No way could I squeeze my heart away from the Jeep towards the more sensible [from her viewpoint] SC100 Coupe [with it's Hillman Imp connotations]..

Being dragged kicking and screaming towards the car wouldn't come close to the torment I underwent. The SJ jeep beckoned....despite its roughly 40 bhp engine [Who needs power...it's what it does that's important]..

We ended up back home, both of us, empty handed.

I eventually ended up with a VW type 3 fastback ['orrible thing really]....whilst t'uther 'arf got her dream vehicle...a new Vespa P200....!!

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by alastairq

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, alastairq said:

I recall being led [maritally speaking] to a local Suzuki  dealership in the later 1970's, to look a purchoicing a Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid..

 

The current Ignis borrows some design cues from the Whizzkid and also is available with four wheel drive so it would have made you both happy :)

 

[alastairq]

3 hours ago, 30801 said:

 

The current Ignis borrows some design cues from the Whizzkid and also is available with four wheel drive so it would have made you both happy :)

 

Sadly, not only is it new [therefore unattainable] but that marriage is 45 years beyond redemption....

[johnlambert]

Last year I had a brief drive in an Austin 1300GT. I've always admired the ADO16 but this was my first taste of the car. I was amazed how good, competent and modern it felt. Although the 1100/1300 range had plenty of faults, I can't help thinking that it was probably the best car to come out of BMC/BL and the corporation's failure to produce a worthy successor (although I'm sure the Allegro isn't as terrible as it's often portrayed) is a sad commentary on what happened to Britain's largest home-grown car manufacturer.

 

Further back in time, I have driven a MG Midget with the same 1275cc engine. By every measurable standard I think the 1300GT is absolutely the better car. However, for some reason, it isn't always possible to be strictly objective about these things. How do you quantify the joy of the wind in your hair (if you enjoy it)? What metric is appropriate to preferring a car that wraps itself around you, instead of leaving you to rattle around like a marble in a sweet tin? Sometimes, for reasons that only other car people will get, better isn't actually better.

 

I guess that's why we love old cars.

[Hobby]

I loved both my 1300s, I always wanted a GT but never got one unfortunately. They were rust buckets, though what wasn't back then! Used to get through radials on the front in 8000 miles and going down the coast road at Southport had my back seat passenger bumping his head on the roof! Those were the days!

[peanuts]

This would get all the bra burners knickers in a twist today 

[steve1]

41 minutes ago, peanuts said:

This would get all the bra burners knickers in a twist today 

 

And rightly so.

 

steve