I-Spy Classic Cars/Bikes-What have you spotted?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Couple of spots mooching around Northumberland...

A mini minor old B-Reg (1964) in a whatmay have been Florida Green, but very presentable,...and very small!

Colour was pretty much like this, although this is a later colour.......Aqua



and a red Healey something like this



Regards Neil

[white exec]

...and very small!

Not a lot* wasted...

*Like the famous Rover P6 video, a very special set of suitcases must have been available!

[Gibbo2286]

...and very small!

Not a lot* wasted...

*Like the famous Rover P6 video, a very special set of suitcases must have been available!

Those first ones were frankly dreadful but the buyers loved them and time ironed out most of the problems which included:

Oil in the clutch through dodgy seals.
Water in the petrol, tank breather dangling in the subframe top channel sucking the rain in.
Water in the foot wells, floor panel join to forward panel fitted under instead of over causing it to act as a water scoop.
Ignition washed out every time it went through a water splash, rubber covers fitted as extras improved this but not a complete cure.
Electric petrol pumps hung underneath in the wet quickly failed.
Condensation caused all the cardboard internal door panels to warp and buckle
Synchromesh failures in the early gearboxes
Oil leaks landed on the driveshaft Moulton joints causing them to swell and burst, fixing U bolts rubbed together until if ignored they broke and cut holes in the gearbox casing.
Many more I can't remember at the mo but it didn't stop the model being a sales success, the problem was despite its success it never made BL any money, priced too low from the start.

[Zelandeth]

Spent a few hours this afternoon parked next to this.







It's a 1970 Skoda Octavia - and one of the very last, hence being a bit of a parts bin special with the S100 dash and tail lights. My car was the oldest thing there right up until that rolled in!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Spent a few hours this afternoon parked next to this.



It's a 1970 Skoda Octavia - and one of the very last, hence being a bit of a parts bin special with the S100 dash and tail lights. My car was the oldest thing there right up until that rolled in!

posted up these two on the nice pair thread a while back. The connection is they are both Skodas, and the first I do believe is an Octavia. Came from Nemesis to Go from his interesting blog of his trip to Prague.



Regards Neil

PS bit of old coach nostalgia on the whatsthisthen? thread if you haven't already seen my posts.

[Gibbo2286]

I bought one of the old Octavias, a saloon, back then in auction for £40, it ran ok but the steering had almost a quarter turn of the wheel before it moved anything, worn out steering box was the fault and it took weeks to find one, new not available, used fifty miles away.

I got it fixed up and sold it on, just a week later the guy who bought it rolled it and wrote it off.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Not an original bit of photography from me but saw a lovely light blue one of these. Yes a real head-turner motoring up a Northumberland hill.



Unlikely ever now to appear on a Classics under £10K thread, indeed one of its bigger brothers the FMR Tg500 Tiger sold for $322,000 in 2013.

Yes it does have an extra wheel, but quite an exceptional price



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

The more you read about these little cars the more interesting they are

www.conceptcarz.com

Powering the KR200 was a 11.7 cu in Fichtel & Sachs air-cooled single cylinder two-stroke engine nestled in front of the rear wheel, right behind the passenger's seat. With two sets of contact breaker points, to reverse the KR200, the engine was stopped, and then restarted, going backwards. Whether intentionally or not, this was achieved by pushing the key further into the ignition switch than normal. The same four gear ratios were available in reverse as in the forward movement thanks to the positive-stop transmission.

Similar to flying an aircraft, the controls inside the KR200 were all operated by pushing instead of turning. The steering bar provided a very direct response best suited to small, measured inputs thanks to its connection directly to the track rods of the front wheels. Putting the car in neutral no matter what gear it had been in before when actuated, the gearshift lever had a secondary lever on it. Transmission would have to be shifted back to first before the car would be able to move from a direct stop. The KR200 featured a full set of pedals that included brake, clutch and accelerator

87 mpg and a top speed of 56mph...thats enough for me, though admittedly not much room two-up plus a labrador and luggage for a holiday trip

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Two spots for me today, 1960's and British, and both well looked after and immaculate.

A Riley Elf sort of like this...always nice to see one of those "heated rear windows".



and a very popular classic a MGB Roadster, with the particular example I saw being a gleaming red with chrome bumpers.



Regards Neil

PS for number plate enthusiasts the example ELF was originally registered in London, and the MGB with the "TAX" reg originally registered 1st August 1969 in Monmouthshire.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well, I somehow don't think my classic car spot of today is likely to be the saviour of French Car Chat, which seems to be totally becalmed at the minute

Just how much interest is there in a 1973 Hillman Hunter Estate in a dullish green sort of like this...(next to the beige one)
Thanks to Nomad Geordie on retrorides for the pic!



It still seemed to be being used as a workhorse, and with a patina commensurate with its vintage.

But will another Hillman from the 70's cause a ripple of excitement.....yes a green Avenger estate. According to Classiccarcatalogue Avenger Estates have

...... an ingenious seat variation for a double-bed configuration, in conjunction with the front reclining seats. Avenger estates are made in de Luxe and Super form, and are equipped as standard with heated rear windows, alternators, and radial tyres.

Regards Neil

[white exec]

I used to own a 1959 Morris Mini in a dark red, which, by 1969 (when I bought it) had gone quite matt (and powdery) in finish.
Why do those early Mini's look as if they've just been finished in undercoat?

[NewcastleFalcon]

That's definitely worthy of a like from me Chris! With my Picasso problems parked at the moment and going nowhere fast I do like a bit of French Car Chat even if it is about Mini's!

Never been the greatest resprayer, and my tartan red mini, did have some very nice bright tartan red patches where I had been doing my rubbing down, filling, priming, wet and drying and spraying, in sharp contrast to the relative dullness of the rest of the paintwork....never got the hang of blending it in.

Bang up another, topic Chris, see if it sparks some interest out there

Regards Neil

PS came across a spectacular road in Norway, on my internet travels so if it hasn't already been posted up I'll shove it on your Spectacular Roads thread. Also been taking a bit of an interest in Chile, following my spotting of a Chilean diplomatic car the other day. Know very little about it but lakes mountains, and volcanos are a recipe for a few spectacular roads over there you would have thought.

[white exec]

Spraying not my thing either, although I'm a bit better at it nowadays than back in 1969, while still at college in Warrington. My Burgess electric wasn't the best bit of kit either. Bought the '59 Mini as a body shell, no wheels, and no engine. Saw it in someone's front garden in Lymm, where I was living. £15, and another £15 bought me an Austin 1100 engine/box, which I rebuilt. The Mini body was actually number 510 (or thereabouts), and they started numbering them from 101 onwards. It was also part of an original batch, 60lb lighter, and built from a steel that didn't rust - and it never did.

I painted it black (unusual then), carpeted everything inside (including roof and door insides), provided it with an enhanced dash, and fitted a couple of Rover 2000 reclining front seats. It acquired twin SU's, and the obligatory Pico big-bore exhaust, but otherwise the Austin 1100 was standard, with the benefit of its floor remote gear lever - somewhat better than the Mini pudding-stirrer.

Ran it for many years. Remember exploring Scotland several times in it, before there were any decent roads in the western Highlands and islands. Bought an auto box for it while in Tobermory (where else?), and fitted it to replace the now elderly original manual one. An interesting vehicle, which I sold in an instant in about 1976 for surprisingly decent money. Bought me a Rover 2000, which continued my Rover story of Ten, Sixteen, P5 3L, P6 2000, 2000TC and 3500S. After that, it all went Citroen...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Spraying not my thing either, although I'm a bit better at it nowadays than back in 1969, while still at college in Warrington. My Burgess electric wasn't the best bit of kit either. Bought the '59 Mini as a body shell, no wheels, and no engine. Saw it in someone's front garden in Lymm, where I was living.

Random link there......after stopping off at the Mere AA Box we continued up the A50 and pulled in at a Garden Centre at High Legh where amongst other things I picked up a free copy of "Lymm Life" August edition, for a bit of a browse. Now come on.....holidays don't get much more exciting than that! An AA Box bagged followed by a visit to a garden centre, and a read of Lymm Life........

Excellent stuff about your mini Chris. I bought my Mini (1969) at 10 Years old (the car not me) in 1979, it had 36,000 miles on and I paid £360 for it. Within a couple of weeks it was in for its MOT, and cost me £70. Ball Joints, and a worrying clunk at the rear, cured by a new knuclle joint. Learnt all the do-it-yourself mechanics with that car, subframe, clutch, brake and hydrolastic pipes, and most of the driving skills.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

...and spot of the day an Inca Yellow Triumph Stag



I like a Tahiti Blue as well



Nice site here click on a colour and get an example www.stagbytriumph.co.uk

Regards Neil