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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I can see the 'road tester' has a stopwatch or two in his left hand but does anyone know what the other gubbins inside the car is, and it's purpose?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234634696634?

[Nick W]

It's a decelerometer for testing the brakes.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

It's a decelerometer for testing the brakes.

Which one?

[Lizzie Zoom]

It's a decelerometer for testing the brakes.

Yes the MOT tests on my A40 in 1970-72 were carried out using that very basic devise.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'm still none the wiser as to which one.

[Andy B]

'my' tester still has a decelerometer because his rollers won't take my 4x4 ...... my previous tester had rollers that would turn the wheels on the same axle in opposite directions

[Andy B]

I'm still none the wiser as to which one.

Are they not both the same thing?

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'm still none the wiser as to which one.

Are they not both the same thing?

Both?....there are 4 things. What is the thing on the dash?

[Andy B]

....

Both?....there are 4 things. What is the thing on the dash?

point taken .... I was just looking at the things on the door. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

The one on the left side of the dashboard is the type of brake tester they used to put on the floor were the front passenger sat.  They would do a short drive and come back with their opinion about your brakes.  Mine always passed as I maintained them well.

The other devices in the picture I believe do a similar job, and are just to show what testers used in 1965.  By certainly the late sixties, I saw only the aforementioned brake deceleratometer being used. After all cars were so basic then, so testing as I witnessed was very simple.

My regular tester at a local SE London garage just used a small hammer to tap the chassis / floor pans for rust and passed my A40 every time.  The chassis though was so rotten the body was not attached to it, and the cross member supporting the front passenger was not attached to the chassis or body; floating in the air!!

Yes, MOT tests were simple then and let our old bangers go around long past their use by date!

[ronnyd]

Started off just lights, brakes and steering. God there were some deathtraps on the road in those days, tyres down to the canvas or cords. My old A55 had holes in the floor and we could watch the the road unfold by just looking down. 

[countrywoman]

Yes it was still basic in 76 when I first started doing MOT testing, you had to be over 21 and have X amount of experience before . Not like now, just a basic course with no knowledge about cars ----------
Only equipment we had was a pit, trolley jack , basic beam tester and decelerometer brake tester.   

[LC0112G]

AIUI the MOT tester is still supposed to use a decelerometer (Tapley tester) for cars fitted with limited slip (or locked) differentials.

https://www.bowmonk.com/products/view/tapley-brake-test-meter

[Lizzie Zoom]

Started off just lights, brakes and steering. God there were some deathtraps on the road in those days, tyres down to the canvas or cords. My old A55 had holes in the floor and we could watch the the road unfold by just looking down. 

How familar

My A40 filled up with water on it’s floors whenever I drove through large rain puddles.  My passengers got used to putting their feet up so they didn’t get soaked!

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

No MOT test before 1960. Old people have told me it was common to see tyres as bald as a babies arse with the inner tube showing.

No tubeless tyres back then.