Print

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

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

https://youtu.be/SyiJQ5_CbXM

 1959 a time when gay meant happy rather than you took it up the..........

Pretty sure his Jag didn't have a 5 star safety rating.

 

[Lizzie Zoom]

Yep, they lived very dangerous lives on the track, and it was ironic he died on a public road.

Graham Hill was another one who lived a life high in risk, and was killed in a plane crash, with Niki Lauda almost going the same way

Looking at that Jaguar he must have been traveling at some speed!

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Yep, they lived very dangerous lives on the track, and it was ironic he died on a public road.

Graham Hill was another one who lived a life high in risk, and was killed in a plane crash, with Niki Lauda almost going the same way

Looking at that Jaguar he must have been traveling at some speed!

What are the odds he was 'one over the eight' Lizzie?

[Lizzie Zoom]

Yep, they lived very dangerous lives on the track, and it was ironic he died on a public road.

Graham Hill was another one who lived a life high in risk, and was killed in a plane crash, with Niki Lauda almost going the same way

Looking at that Jaguar he must have been traveling at some speed!

Kl
What are the odds he was 'one over the eight' Lizzie?

He would probably have been well over the modern day limits, but of course everyone drank and drove then, and it seems he had. The drink from the celebration, and the cocktail cabinet, no doubt added to the problem; excessive speed, over confidence, drink, death!

There is apparently some evidence now that he was road racing with a friend in a Merc. So, a combination of some bad factors contributed to his untimely death

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Yep, they lived very dangerous lives on the track, and it was ironic he died on a public road.

Graham Hill was another one who lived a life high in risk, and was killed in a plane crash, with Niki Lauda almost going the same way

Looking at that Jaguar he must have been traveling at some speed!

Kl
What are the odds he was 'one over the eight' Lizzie?

He would probably have been well over the modern day limits, but of course everyone drank and drove then, and it seems he had. The drink from the celebration, and the cocktail cabinet, no doubt added to the problem; excessive speed, over confidence, drink, death!

There is apparently some evidence now that he was road racing with a friend in a Merc. So, a combination of some bad factors contributed to his untimely death

No breathalyzer before 1967........no speed limits on motorways before a 'temporary' 70 MPH limit in 1965.......made permanent in 1967.

[BazaJT]

Back then of course some family cars couldn't even hit 70 and of those that could most were closing in on their top speed!Motorcyclists on "L" plates were restricted to a maximum of 250cc[unless the bike had a sidecar strapped to it] on safety grounds and then the Japanese manufacturers started bringing in 250s that were pretty near as fast as the old Brit 650s.I forget what year seatbelt wearing became compulsory but for some years before that it was compulsory for manufacturers to fit them for the front seats but not compulsory for them to be used.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

1959 was a vintage year. 
Mike Hawthorn was suffering kidney failure and didn't have long left to live, so that may have contributed to his gung ho attitude driving fast.

[New POD]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

I remember seeing one or two early Mini badged as Austin Seven.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Personally speaking I thought the Imp from 1963 far superior to the Mini.........despite it's many faults.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I agree. The Imp Stilleto was a lovely little car. The concept of all alloy rear engine / transaxle was far superior to the Mini, but it suffered the usual quality problems of cars built by factories infested by Communists.
Then lack of proper maintenance by owners meant most of them died a premature death.
A Hayabusa engine Imp would be a nice project. 

[STEMO]

I hired one when I was based in Colchester, XNO 69L. Really enjoyed thrashing it up to Liverpool and back, felt much sturdier than the mini.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Some folk in Colchester still speak of the mad scouser who was once stationed there. 
I was very innocent in 1959. I was two months old at the end of that year. 

[STEMO]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

[Lizzie Zoom]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Yep, my first company car was a brand new L reg 1972 Ford Escort Mk1, in red.  I thought I was the bees knees as none of my friends had such luxury!

[STEMO]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

[STEMO]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

Brand new hire car.

[Viral_Jim]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

Brand new hire car.

A very smart motor for a young man from up North! 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

Brand new hire car.

A very smart motor for a young man from up North! 

Agreed......no indoor crapper or bath but a brand new car. Lino everywhere.

I imagine they thought you were getting too big for your boots.

[Auto Addict]

Personally speaking I thought the Imp from 1963 far superior to the Mini.........despite it's many faults.

One parked outside the local Halfords the other day, immaculate condition.

[ronnyd]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

Brand new hire car.

A very smart motor for a young man from up North! 

Agreed......no indoor crapper or bath but a brand new car. Lino everywhere.

I imagine they thought you were getting too big for your boots.

You forgot about having the old newspaper on the dining table as a cloth.

[STEMO]

What year was L reg? 74? I must have been 21 when I hired that car, seems a very distant memory 

'L' reg ran from 1st August 1972 to 31st July 1973.

Right, I must have been 20 then.

.........perhaps the mighty Imp was a few years old by the time you got your hands on it. You could have been 30 if the Imp was a decade old.

Brand new hire car.

A very smart motor for a young man from up North! 

Agreed......no indoor crapper or bath but a brand new car. Lino everywhere.

I imagine they thought you were getting too big for your boots.

You forgot about having the old newspaper on the dining table as a cloth.

Old newspaper?   

Ahhhhh.....you mean toilet roll. 

[BazaJT]

Had an Imp van[early ones were badged Commer Cob]that was a great little car.Always liked the look of the Sunbeam Stiletto/Hillman Imp Californian even though they were less aerodynamic than the standard saloon.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Aero doesn't matter much with a top speed of 64mph. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

A nice example here for 20 grand ! 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hillman-imp-californian-82-miles-from-new/254297817328?hash=item3b3554c0f0:g:B9YAAOSwzD9bTu2O

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

A nice example here for 20 grand ! 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hillman-imp-californian-82-miles-from-new/254297817328?hash=item3b3554c0f0:g:B9YAAOSwzD9bTu2O

Hmmm......perhaps not.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Priced using the tried and tested ' think of a big number ' method.

[New POD]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

I remember seeing one or two early Mini badged as Austin Seven.

There was a Morris Mini Seven and an Austin Mini Seven, and later a BLMC mini and a leyland mini, and eventually a Rover mini. all as shite as the last. (Says the man who despite his father's advice owned 4 at different times. (2 at once)

[Doctor Gollum]

Priced using the tried and tested ' think of a big number ' method.

On Saturday, someone paid £3,400 for a Mk1 three door Astra. In brown...

So anything is possible 

[BazaJT]

I believe it was only the early Austin variants of the mini that were badged as Austin 7 Mini while the Morris versions were Morris Mini Minor.

[Lizzie Zoom]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

I remember seeing one or two early Mini badged as Austin Seven.

There was a Morris Mini Seven and an Austin Mini Seven, and later a BLMC mini and a leyland mini, and eventually a Rover mini. all as shite as the last. (Says the man who despite his father's advice owned 4 at different times. (2 at once)

Do not forget also the Riley Elf and the Wolsey Hornet, one of the latter, a 1968 Hornet III we had in our car collection for 6 years.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

I remember seeing one or two early Mini badged as Austin Seven.

There was a Morris Mini Seven and an Austin Mini Seven, and later a BLMC mini and a leyland mini, and eventually a Rover mini. all as shite as the last. (Says the man who despite his father's advice owned 4 at different times. (2 at once)

Do not forget also the Riley Elf and the Wolsey Hornet, one of the latter, a 1968 Hornet III we had in our car collection for 6 years.

Horrible things.

The genetic mutations of the car world.

[Sir Tigger KC]

1959 was a vintage year. 

Issigonniss launched the Austin Mini Seven, and in great British tradition, it was under *developed, poorly engineered and still a great success for 40 years. 

*My dad had one that leaked from the floor when it rained and had 3 gearboxes under warranty.

I remember seeing one or two early Mini badged as Austin Seven.

There was a Morris Mini Seven and an Austin Mini Seven, and later a BLMC mini and a leyland mini, and eventually a Rover mini. all as shite as the last. (Says the man who despite his father's advice owned 4 at different times. (2 at once)

Do not forget also the Riley Elf and the Wolsey Hornet, one of the latter, a 1968 Hornet III we had in our car collection for 6 years.

Horrible things.

The genetic mutations of the car world.

This Riley Elf looks like fun! 

[biggriffin]

Why when people return to the good ol' days, do they go gooey eyed for the old bangers,and desperately want one..  Would I fook want an old bag of nails,  If I was offered an original Shelby, yes please and sell it straight away.   

[terry paget]

My first car was the Austin 7 version. That was in 1960, it cost £550, and I bought it in London so that I could part exchange my Velocette Venom in the deal The power of the Austin 7 was 32bhp, against 36 from the Velocette. My friend Roger Barge bought a Hillman Imp later, and allowed me to drive it to a wedding in Birmingham. It went well. I recall the engine was based on a Coventry Climax fire pump engine, all alloy. The throttle 'cable' on the early models was pneumatic, a hose running from throttle pedal to carburretor butterfly; wonderfully light and friction free, but too light for its own good, and caused throttle butterfly pivots to wear out prematurely, and was replaced on later models with a conventional bowden cable.