edcayton

Try DAX Mike, that's one of the better Cobra replicas. Ed

You're right, it's not a Mk1. It's got later doors with wind-up windows and handles(!), and the later windscreen so I would suggest the 1965 registration is correct. I think it is probably a Tifosi Rana conversion which uses GRP mouldings for the front (easily done) and rear body sections (much more difficult). I went to have a look at them at their Lincolnshire base recently and was most impressed with the quality. A very pretty and civilised car can be built and it is a good thing to do with the horrid-looking 1500 ("rubber bumper") Midgets which can be bought cheaply. I don't think it would make financial sense on an earlier Spridget, and it is NOT a cure for severe rot because the new panels don't contribute much to the strength and these cars really do rust! That said, there have been other Frog-eye replicas including one on a Mini. Geoffrey Healey had some involvement with one built on the Isle of Wight, I forget the name. It didn't take off, I get the impression it was built by GRP boat-builders when they didn't have much work on. Ed

Morning all. Neil, the Groudle Glen does look a lovely railway. I woke up around 2.30 so went out to look at the eclipse. I was expecting the Moon to look bigger, but to me a normal full Moon is more impressive. Not a fan of Burns. When I was at Dumfries Academy I had a sadistic English(!) teacher who enjoyed making the wee Sassenach read Burns out loud. Ed

Err, which end is the front? Ed

There was a Viva "E" towards the end; it was based on the Firenza coupe body shell, and built down to a price to the extent that it didn't have a passenger sun visor. Ed

Could Chrisf's steak help Ashcombe's black eye? Dave-will that chippy be open today, it being Sunday? Certainly around here the "proper" chippies are shut, so we have to make do with McD's, BK and KFC. Health food, bah. Ed

Gordon, can not you, Martin and one or two trusted people keep in touch by PM? I have to say I've had a brief look, and whilst it is really beyond me I don't understand all the negativity. Anyway, if you leave where will we get pictures of fish? Ed

I can very much understand falling in love with someone of the same sex and wanting physical affection. I found/find the idea of what I consider to be the "homosexual sex act" to be distasteful. My sons assure me that this is now a very common heterosexual act, so I don't know. This is quite a long way from the OP, or is it? Ed

I had a work colleague with an HB Viva which he told me was a 1600. Being a know-all 18 year old apprentice I told him he couldn't have! He took me to the car park and opened the bonnet to reveal what I think was the smallest version of the Vauxhall slant-4 OHC engine. Ed

A work colleague/friend of my Dad and his father liked the HA Viva so much that they bought two identical dark blue ones-CXD 821 and 822 B. I liked the idea of that, but it was out-classed by the directors of my son's previous company who bought matching Aston Martins. They didn't get the consecutive number plates though as they already had their own. Ed

The problem is that we are tribal beings, and that loyalty to the tribe is a highly valued trait. In modern Western society we don't have tribes so we invent them. Loyalty to Queen and Country is "good", to a skinhead gang is "bad" in most people's eyes. Prejudice is loyalty stood on its head. Our basic instinct is to be aware of people from different "tribes". The easiest target is people who look or sound different from us, railway modellers are not so obvious! So, many people from "minority groups" form tribes. Now some folk can't hide their "differences", the most obvious being different racial groups or those with physical disabilities. Some can hide them and do so, some can and are brave enough not to. I don't know if people "choose" their differences. I'm not aware of making a choice to like trains, I just do. Is it a "choice" to be a Goth or a transvestite? Our society has changed rapidly in recent years. I think we are all uncomfortable about some aspects of that. I'd like to think that the more "intelligent" of us can rise above prejudice although unfortunately there are some very intelligent racists for example. Of course, tribes intersect. On this thread we came here primarily because we like trains and are having a reasoned discussion (who'd have thought?). I suspect that some will have taken one look at the title and run a mile. Respect to the OP for having the courage to raise this, and to the other posters for the thoughtful replies. I thought long and hard about what to write, I hope it's not total b0110x. All the best Ed Seems very trivial after Katy's post which arrived when I was tryping. I did think about deleting this, but I'll let it stand.

What a shame that the Sprite owner has felt the need to put the HEALEY letters on the bonnet, I guess he got fed up with knowledgeable people telling their offspring "that's an MG Midget". Ed

Bristol Cars still trading (and hoping for a new model soon) will repair cars from the first. I,m guessing that any parts they can't get they will make. Ed

Only had a ride in a 403(?) convertible back to back with an Alvis TF convertible. One felt like it was made by a lorry builder, the other like it was built by an aircraft builder. The Bristol was delightful. Ed

Me too. Pinky and ring finger. Apparently it's a combination of a trapped ulnar nerve, carpal tunnel and diabetes. I am re-learning to play in open tuning with a slide (making awesome noises with the Les Paul), and am re-jigging my steel-strung acoustic to be a lap steel. Ed

Dunno about Merx, but Autocar are running a long-term Audi A4. In last week's issue (before VWGate) the author talked of the need to put Adblue in the tank, and that the car screamed at him to do it at fairly regular intervals. It wasn't clear to me whether the Adblue went into the fuel tank or a separate container. Ed

Why? Ed

Scottish pronunciation from Dumfries-j as in dye above, hame for home, fayther for father, twa for two, this affy for this afternoon and the morn (with a rolled r) for tomorrow, I'm sure many others are available but these are the ones that come to mind immediately. Ed

If you are burning a fuel (Hydrogen plus Carbon) with air-the Nitrogen usually plays little part, then you will get the oxides of Hydrogen(Water) and Carbon-monoxide and dioxide-you better hope there's not much Carbon monoxide. Because diesels are inherently more efficient then, all other things being equal, they will use less fuel and emit less CO2 per mile. That is why the Gov encouraged us to buy them by taxing them at a lower rate (usually). Of course other emissions are available. As I said elsewhere, I agree with Boris on the move to electric vehicles in cities. Yes, there will be pollution from the charging source but the important thing is that the vehicle will not produce any in the urban environment, especially when stationary. I'm not at all convinced by stop-start mechanisms on ic engines. As far as VW is concerned, it seems to me that if the relevant authority sets a test or standard then the manufacturer has to meet it as best he can. I'm not sure that the "spirit of the law" comes into it. Grrrr-and I have seen the Daily Mail front page Ed

My late and much-lamented aunt did b&b for most of her life. Not in a guest-house but her private house. She was a committed Christian. The biggest bedroom was a "triple" with a double bed and a single. She was always happy to let that room to two or even three people of the same sex. However, a non-married opposite-sex couple would be one in the front single and one in the back single. Not sure whose sexual preferences she offended! Ed

I didn't like being called "sir", but one of the kids told me it was easier than trying to remember all the teachers'names. Ed

just obeying orders? Ed

I thought the whole point of the Monarchy was that it didn't. Ed

Two Anthony's in our street when I was young, so one was Tony and the other became Ant. 50 years on (!) I'm still in touch with Ant, who is still Ant to his family and me but Tony to everyone else. Not heard of the other one since. Neither pronounced the "h". Ed

Cars had dynamos back then, so you really did need to conserve the battery, hence the sidelights. Ed (edit-reply to Nidge's post #2094)