alastairq

An excellent choice in my view. The small Reliants are a decent choice for use in our modern world.... The only reservations I personally have, focus on the space for my body inside. If I were after a n old sports car,then the Reliant SS1 would be my choice, rather than any of the more common BMC/Trumpet products. The only issue I would have with the 4 wheeled Kitten-based options would be difficulties regarding the standard tyre sizes.

Not at the moment.... Just wanted to see some different viewpoints on what would have been staple basic motors..Especially at the cheapoh/banger end of the market in the late 1960's [a good ten years after being new?} Personally i cannot see there would be much difference between the A series 1275 motor, and the A series 1098 [later type, wider bearings] motor.... In a car such as the Minor. A single SU carb [easier to keep in tune]...on an A-plus motor from a Marina is the only 1275 I feel worth fitting....but it requires conversion from the Triumph-based configuration to the BMC A-series type configuration....I did one [from a Marina van, so low compression compared to the car versions]...earlier this century so know what is involved.... The 5 speed [Ford or Mazda/Toyota] gearbox conversion is an upgrade I'd not be interested in....I don't need that 'more pleasant drive' reason....For me the issue is increased weight, in the wrong place...which will alter the dynamics of the original car to me. If I really really wanted lower revs at a higher so-called 'cruising' speed then I'd alter the final drive ratio to that of the Sprites.... If I wanted to drive like a Must-get-on, I wouldn't start with a Minor or A35....Those still cheap enough to get hold of that fitted that bill, I probably would struggle to get in & out of. The A35, with it's spridget follow-on association, is obviously a favourite with the racing brigade....But I have reservations regarding it's ruggedness compared to the Minor. I know relatively little about the Standard...other than it didn't come as a 2 door [with a wider door for stiff auld boogahs like me]... The ability to use Herald/Spitfire upgrades is useful, but my experience of the Spitfire was that it was mechanically inferior to the BMC products.. The only reason I can think of for upgrading to disc brakes [for the Moggie] would be, ease of maintenance [compared to drums] and service parts availability. Since I would never be performing 16 stops from 60 mph within half a mile, I don't think brake fade would become an issue [ For me...dunno how everybody else drives around....not a rabbit hole I want to go down]..... I really chose those three vehicles from the viewpoint of cheapness to get hold of, if in a slightly 'rough' state. {I mean, really cheap...maybe a grand or so? Which would leave me with enough to spare to sort the essentials out] Small enough 'original' engines to be insurance friendly, and fuel friendly, I have no need for motorway mile munchers.... Plus, service spares availability. Also I don't think the interiors were anything but basic and serviceable....something else that appeals to me for a user motor... Although I would baulk at anything without a headlining.....I struggle to work upside down without taking a week off afterwards to recover. If I were to look at, for example, a Minor, with a view to upgrading [if I were a modern driver, and not an old school auldfarht]...I would simply look at fitting a Suzuki 5 speed gearbox and a Suzuki 3 cylinder , 1 or 1.3 litre, engine...plus some sort of strengthening upgrade for the rear axle ...[which I would do anyway.] Much as has been done in the trials car world. {Liege?}

Given the lower order results....I find I am rather pleased we don't have proportional representation, and power sharing...strangely.

OK..opinions, please Which of the following three have the most 'modern'....and acceptable, ''drive?'' Standard 10, Morris Minor 1000, or Austin A35? I have personal experience of all three in the past, but my memory is somewhat crowded of late.. I 'think' the Austin A35 was the more 'sporty' of the three to drive....especially since it contributed so much to the Austin Healey Sprite range. But I also felt the Moggie Minor to be the more robust of the three.... [I chose these three as being of conventional construction, with a good spares backup....no fancy FWD for starters....]

I believe Nisssan Navaras had the same issue....?

With my face, I don't need a mask.......

Pie factory?

I think the hoomin equivalent is, wrapping you around their little finger???

This is what happens when one lets the kids sit down too heavily in the rear seat?

Some problems there........Firstly, they don't have to beg for my vote......They have had a significant majority here for decades...the constituency being full of wealthy landowners, forelock-tuggin' lower orders, pensioners who come here to die, in their little seaside bungalows....and precious few from the 'working class'.... Secondly, our sittin' MP [who is a classic /old car enthusiast who has some sort of support in view of my other interests....torn somewhat, I am/ was! :) ] has retired,replaced by a young upstart from what I presume to be a long standing , wealthy business owning [or, did own....Dewhirst, if that name means anything?] EY family? So won't give a figg for my views or votes , as I 'don't count'..... Besides, my constituency is being turned into two......I suppose the Cons are hoping that they can now get two con seats instead of one? [Which is why LA areas were divided up....to get more conservative councilors into the one LA?]

Whoever convinced you of that misunderstanding? Post-carb cars hide their solubility under plastic coverings.....placed there by manufacturers to deliberately deceive the gullible car buying public! Anyway, floors aren't essential.....just 'nice-to-haves'...

That puss has similar colourings to the wee lad that adopted me last summer...and is still here. Mind, I knew where my lad had come from.....next door! They have a habit of giving homes [shelter and some grub] to various unhomables from the Cat's Protection folk....Along with sheep, ducks, etc.....[all unwanted where they were before....a quite noisy back garden!] ''My'' lad was one of a couple who arrived next door last summer...a much older, huge bundle of fluff who really doesn't want to confront anybody, and is wary of hoomins...and Bloo, so called [by next door] for his pale blue eyes. Bloo spent almost a month simply sitting on the steps watching my back door [I already had a not--mi-cat from the previous year....] Then , once he had plucked up the courage, he came inside....not to go outside again except for essentials.. According to Cat's Protection, he was thought to have brain damage....[He is a can short of a six-pack]... Next door aren't too worried about it all....they understand that one doesn't actually 'own' cats....they pick choose where they want to be.... It is accepted that if one of 'their' feline acquisitions prefers to live at mine, then so be it! I haven't gone out of my way to acquire any cats....more the other way around. I draw the line when next door's hens come a-knocking on my back door, however.... As do my not-mi-cats...cos the hens have a habit of blocking the catflap! Anyway, Bloo has a ''grubby chin'' just like TT-pete's lad... The trouble all really started when I replaced the old broken cat flap, with one that worked both ways...Prior to that, all cats learnt to knock on my back door when they wanted to come in..

I'm wondering how many cars in these pix would make excellent , useful modes of low cost transport for auldfahrts today????

Given the propensity for guardians of the Lieu to wear masks to prevent their own identity, that should be interesting? Personally I thought this 'mask' wearing was a consideration towards small children and pensioners who might be watching, and may find the ugly faces too much to cope with? Will that also extend to news footage where faces are pixelated out? Perhaps the arrests will extend to all the conservative blue-rinse ladies who manage to daube so much makeup on their faces, that to see them 'in the raw', so to speak, can lead to PTSD in the poor, and complete failure of Facial Recognition AI 'softwear' to identify? A question I'd like to pose is, what can I say to any member of the Conservatives who knocks on my door, canvassing, when I live in a profoundly conservative area of the country? I'd prefer it if they ran away screaming, of course...but one cannot have everything, I suppose?

Not quite shippystuff, but I thought this was an interesting enlightenment

I did read that another reason for the preponderance of new SUVs is the actual weight of the cars due to the batteries? The SUV design being the only thing capable of hauling tons of flammable waste around... In any event, it is all rather an irrelevance to me, since I don't think I'll ever be in a financial position of being able to acquire a new{?} car....Or even a pre 2017 'new' car? I am looking to be left with the choice of something usable as a stiff old pensioner, that is well over the 40 year old mark....and for no more than a grand or so, if that? Cheap to run [fuel wise, gotta be petrol], zero VED rated [even pre 2017 comes into play there?}, cheap on tyres, cheap on spares, easy to mend [one doesn't 'mend' new cars, does one?}, easy to get access to....hopefully with some sort of heater, as I feel the cold these days [probably don't eat enough?}....No, I don't picnic by the roadside...not my scene! But I do tend to spend more time driving back lanes these days, so often take to the muddy grass verges to allow obese moderns to squeeze past... Might help if I didn't need to wash the thing every week, too....

Not any longer...flogged it last summer, to realise the 'investment' of a small pension lumpysum...Nowt lost, much pleasure gained, Dearest Daughter now married......But the Ex needed a 'new' car, with no money to buy one, so I stumped up the cash....[we share taxi duties for my son to attend Uni, without having to use public [and useless] transport. The joys of autism.... :) } If that hadn't occurred, I might have stumped up for a reasonable Morris Minor...cheap to run, cheap to repair, and a bit more upright for my aging unbending body. However, perhaps not to be..Oh well, such is life, and I still have the Dellow, and a Cannon in bits, and a FIAT 126 Bis in bits....plus lots to anno the family with when I kharkitt.

Well, I now know they sold at least one!!

What amazed me about the CSMA magazine...[and put me right off the CSMA as an organization altogether]....was the fact that their driving assertions, and responses to letters [as above]....all completely ignored the fact that the Civil Service possessed the largest single body of driving & vehicle experts in the country, if not globally....All Specialist Driver Instructors with the MoD [and DSA] were Civil Servants....yet their knowledge and expertise was totally ignored by the CSMA! It was as if the Civil Service actually found subject-matter-experts within their ranks to be an embarrassment [to the office wallahs?] Facts getting in the way of bar-room knowledge [or, FAcebook, these days of cheap supermarket booze?]....??

No, there won't be a ''world war three'' in the old, cold war sense. That is recognised as being counter productive to all concerned. But we will likely see an attempt by Russia, within the next few years, to challenge NATO's Article 5....That is Putin's [acknowledged, and proven] ambition, to see the collapse of NATO [and probably the EU too]...so that Russia can then interact with other countries on a bilateral basis. Russia has always known that they could never stand up to the combined resources of NATO..[which is why they chose to concentrate their military energies on air defence, EW, etc]..during the cold war. But once NATO is seen as a hollow entity [would countries really rush to the support of those whom Russia attacks? ], then Russia can interact with all the smaller countries from a position of power, based on size & resources. Putin genuinely believes the democratic west is on the decline. He's probably right in that respect. Any politician who thinks this is all bluster and rubbish, needs to take their heads out of the sand. Russia doesn't want escalation, so will chose to prod NATO somewhere where the likes of us in the UK won't care about. Somewhere where, if NATO does stand up for its beliefs, Russia can withdraw and say ''ooops, sorry, bit of a blunder there''..... We are no averse to dumping on less fortunate nationalities, as history has proved. Much will depend on how secure Putin sees his regime within Russia?

For political psychology [from an expert who advises the UK Govt......] try looking through this guy's videos? https://www.youtube.com/@VladVexlerChat/videos He explains exactly what Putin's real intentions are. It is dangerous to view Russian policy from UK eyes...

Folks, try a few of these Youtube Channelers? For the key takeaways.... On recruitment and retention , try

The problem is, the current inability to recruit & retain. However, this is not unique to the UK Armed Forces. Armed Forces pretty much the world over are having the same recruitment & retention problems. I think the real issue is a total lack of strategy to enable the Country as a whole to become resilient within a couple of years or so. We are so reliant on outside sources for all our current needs, as society dictates, that we are far too vulnerable as a country. It only takes a short bombardment [one day of sorties from north of Norway is sufficient] from Russian cruise missiles and the whole Country would be approaching the ''dark ages'....literally..So reliant are we on wind, Norwegian gas, etc..for our civilian needs. As civilians, we are not mentally or physically prepared for such hardships. As a society, as it stands at present, we'd fall apart in next to no time. We lack the gazumph that existed during 30's....We also lack a generation that hasn't endured the Cold War, or the fears that were generated. I'm not on about nuclear warfare...far from it, that is unnecessary in order to persuade out voting population that we really should not support NATO, or Europe, or anybody else, any more...Especially when it means our electric cars cannot be recharged, or we'd miss our sunny hols in Majorca! The USA may be heading that way too....Isolationism is very attractive if one is economically large enough to not be subdued by bilateral international dealings. I'd like to have a lot more faith in our institutions as well...But the current crop of politicians seem intent on breeding mistrust.

The big question has to be, how long will Article 5 stand up? Do we [or anybody else for that matter?] really want NATO to continue? Or will everybody's foreign policies be reduced to ''I'm all right, Jack, s#d you?'' Will the carriers actually end up off Norway? Would we [the UK's voting public?] be bothered about Finland? Truly? Patton was right [IIRC?],