Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[STEMO]

An abomination, attempting a gear change was normally more successful from the rear, it was like mixing a bucket of plaster🤣

My Austin 1100 was exactly like that.

[TheBoy]

I believe one or two of you were lucky enough to drive round in one of these back in the day? 

Mine was the stiffer sprung 575 variant.  Wider tyres as well IIRC.

Still wore out the mudflaps on corners though.

A complete crock of shite. My final memory of it was one o the mechanics ripping the door mirror off it and throwing it across the carpark in a fit of temper.

Lower geared as well, hence I always lost the countryside races* against my Ital 440 colleagues.


*the rule was you could only use 1st and 2nd gear.

[wingman]

Started 1965 as a TT(A) and when allowed to drive as a linesman (1968) remember well the rubber winged, no heater and restricted (plate with smaller orifice between air cleaner and carb) 850cc wheezy engine. Fortunately quickly wrote my one off when the aforsaid engine dropped a con rod through the side of the crankcase. This was followed by another later model which was also quickly written off after it ripped one of the suspension arms from the chassis due to tin worm rot. As a punishment I was given a 15cwt Diesel Commer van by the depot mechanics which had the gearbox lever positions reversed (ie 1&2 where 3&4 should be) whilst I waited for a new van.
Much to my disgust this was another Morris 1000 except this time in yellow!!

[STEMO]

I believe one or two of you were lucky enough to drive round in one of these back in the day? 

Mine was the stiffer sprung 575 variant.  Wider tyres as well IIRC.

Still wore out the mudflaps on corners though.

A complete crock of shite. My final memory of it was one o the mechanics ripping the door mirror off it and throwing it across the carpark in a fit of temper.

Lower geared as well, hence I always lost the countryside races* against my Ital 440 colleagues.


*the rule was you could only use 1st and 2nd gear.

We, of course, didn't have time for stuff like that. On subs maintenance we went straight from the exchange to the cafe for breakfast (caff was about half a mile from exchange and you couldn't move for GPO vans) then a couple of hours work before going to the pub for a pint, (yes, drinking and driving) eating our butties, and a quick game of footie in the park. Didn't matter if the job was 10 miles away, you drove to this park. Another couple of jobs and take the van back. Happy days.

[STEMO]

Started 1965 as a TT(A) and when allowed to drive as a linesman (1968) remember well the rubber winged, no heater and restricted (plate with smaller orifice between air cleaner and carb) 850cc wheezy engine. Fortunately quickly wrote my one off when the aforsaid engine dropped a con rod through the side of the crankcase. This was followed by another later model which was also quickly written off after it ripped one of the suspension arms from the chassis due to tin worm rot. As a punishment I was given a 15cwt Diesel Commer van by the depot mechanics which had the gearbox lever positions reversed (ie 1&2 where 3&4 should be) whilst I waited for a new van.
Much to my disgust this was another Morris 1000 except this time in yellow!!

Those commer vans. Dear me 

[Nick W]

Call that nostalgia? This was my old bus:

Those headlights are not standard. Nicked from a Frogeye Sprite.

They were on those specially ordered rubber wings. Standard Minor vans used the same panels as cars.

[STEMO]

Call that nostalgia? This was my old bus:

Those headlights are not standard. Nicked from a Frogeye Sprite.

They were on those specially ordered rubber wings. Standard Minor vans used the same panels as cars.

That's just a stock picture I found, not the actual van we used. CBA searching any more pics.

[STEMO]

This was more like it

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Rubber wings?

What is the reason for this?

[Nick W]

An abomination, attempting a gear change was normally more successful from the rear, it was like mixing a bucket of plaster🤣

My Austin 1100 was exactly like that.

That's down to broken mounts for the remote gearlever. Which doesn't do the engine mounts any good either. 1100s with all the fittings in good order have the best gearchange of any gearbox-in-sump FWD A-series.

[TheBoy]

I believe one or two of you were lucky enough to drive round in one of these back in the day? 

Mine was the stiffer sprung 575 variant.  Wider tyres as well IIRC.

Still wore out the mudflaps on corners though.

A complete crock of shite. My final memory of it was one o the mechanics ripping the door mirror off it and throwing it across the carpark in a fit of temper.

Lower geared as well, hence I always lost the countryside races* against my Ital 440 colleagues.


*the rule was you could only use 1st and 2nd gear.

We, of course, didn't have time for stuff like that. On subs maintenance we went straight from the exchange to the cafe for breakfast (caff was about half a mile from exchange and you couldn't move for GPO vans) then a couple of hours work before going to the pub for a pint, (yes, drinking and driving) eating our butties, and a quick game of footie in the park. Didn't matter if the job was 10 miles away, you drove to this park. Another couple of jobs and take the van back. Happy days.

We were young, and keen

Besides, if you were near Waddesdon Exchange and down your first couple of jobs buy 10:30ish, you know the exchange TO would have the bacon on by then.

[Nick W]

Rubber wings?

What is the reason for this?

The vans that were used before Minors had them too. The Post Office was probably fed up with TB's grandad crashing them so much

[wingman]

Oh god - that brings back horrible memories. Wrote that one off when the roof seams rotted away over the cab.
Finally got a Viva van which lasted me until as a Technical Officer on Exchange mtce we were allowed to use our cars with a paid allowance instead of a van. This carried on for me until promotion to the dizzy heights of management.

[YZ250]

.......
Those commer vans. Dear me 

Drove the Commer vans and pick ups when I worked for MoD. They had a bolt under the accelerator pedal to restrict the speed on site, so as apprentices we wound the bolt in to gain the extra few mph. No idea if the bolt was standard fit or an MoD modification. 

[Rangie]

We had Bedford CF automatics in the LAS went extremely well and slammed into reverse gear whilst moving forward had a marvellous wheelspin.