Whatsthisthen?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Try your first reaction to this, who knows might get us to a conclusion

whats this then?

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

My first reaction to that was Triumph Dolomite which doesn't help me much, same sort of thing I've been playing with!

[mickthemaverick]

Further searching tonight has led me down the VW path. I believe the car could be a Fox/Derby/Polo/golf based on the pictures below. The wheel arches could be correct as in the beige car, the suage lines are correct in quite a few, the lights could be correct and the colour could be correct. The number plate remains questionable but a square one could be fitted as in the golf. So from these pics I think you could assemble the car under the snow:

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

BFTW

Thats the sum total of tonight's research. My Bond film is finishing so its Zebeddee time!

[NewcastleFalcon]

You may be right Mick I cant imagine its anything too exotic at that time, and those VW's would be a common site littering residential streets. Its odd that whatever car is suggested its easy to pick out things which maybe dont fit exactly with our mystery car or what we assume about that mystery car. That dark patch on the rear quarter panel just above the coachline could easily be interpreted as a model name or number very typically of the small datsun.
The square numberplate seems a logical first conclusion, but bits of the "normal" oblong plate obscured by snow could easily give that impression.

But why Gibbo would bother to take a picture of it...you would have to take it to the chemist and pay good hard earned and get it developed in those days.

Here's another crop of black and whites from a few angles, to prolong the agony. I was looking at a toyota Celicia fastback in white for a time,

agony prolonger four different ways!

REgards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

I spent some time considering the MR2 of the time with mixed results. I think the real problem we have here is that even if we are lucky enough to come across an exact replica of Gibbo's photo we still won't know for certain that it is right!! I suspect we may end up with having to settle for possibilities that do meet all the characteristics whether real or presumed!! So I'm going to leave that puzzle today and go and take a friend out who has been shielding since 9th March and is longing to escape from the house!! It will only be a ride to a park and a stroll around I expect but it will be properly appreciated I'm sure.

[Gibbo2286]

It's a digital camera photo Neil, must have been taken 1970s/80s but that may have just been for the snow scene.
I'll put another up from the same time when I get my desktop up and running again, no photos on this pesky laptop.

[NewcastleFalcon]

The back end looks a little like a Datsun 100A

Datsun 100A ?

I am erring back towards the Datsuns. I have been looking through the 210s and they came with a huge variety of light configurations and even panel variations.

I've been right around the houses, searched everything on "HatchHeaven"...

https://hatchheaven.com/archives/tag/1970s/page/5

...which has 8 pages on the 70's and 10 pages on the 80's covering every hatch you could reasonably think of, or would be likely to appear on a Birmingham street, and I conclude that this particular car, very much in line with Bobins first response does fit most of the "clues".

Datsun 120A F-II Coupé
https://www.flickr.com/photos/83468718@N06/48898835373/

Where is the top coachline I here you say?

screenshot

screenshot

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Here's another one for good measure with UK plates and the coachlines

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reallylo ... MB-s9Yd1s/

and if you prefer moving pictures, a DIY film, and a gentle Midlands accent this is for you...



Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

This is proving to be a right pain!! But sorry Neil I can't go with the rear lights on the 120. "Snowy's" are definitely straight edged:

Own work

[NewcastleFalcon]

Some lights for the 120A F2 were less fancy than others



REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Appearance fitted

screenshot

Havent zoomed in yet but there may have been a trim difference between the 100A F2 and the 120A F2 but I think the lights are pretty close to overcoming the objection.

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

AAH!! That makes it favourite for me if some did have straight edged lights because everything else fits. I just tried magnifying snowy and then pipetting the colours of each part of the light lens to see if I could get confirmation of which way up they are, red on top or amber on top. My feeling is red on top but the experiment
is not very helpful although if anything it does tend to confirm that. What do you think?

Own work

[NewcastleFalcon]

This is how they fit on this example. Maybe pre-1978 cars had the earlier type lights, or the fancy lights were an extra.

screenshot

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Do you think Snowy's lights are red on top or amber on top?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Do you think Snowy's lights are red on top or amber on top?

From the picture there is marginally more light on the lower half than the upper half. Whether that proves the orange indicator lens is in the bottom half and hence not exactly the configuration of the F2 more square lens I dont know.

How many cars have you come across from that period which for the most part, and with evidence, sport a square Number plate? I would say two...the alfasud occasionally and the Datsun 120a FII more often than not.
How many also have a squarish rear light cluster?

How many have the makers name and model logo on the rear quarter panel? Virtually none.
How many can be shown to have all the above plus in some examples the top coachline, and a lower trim in a similar position to Snowy?

I think it fits most, maybe even all, but obviously I do not know for sure. I think I have to rest my case....nothing obvious has jumped out in all our deliberations to say thats definitely "Snowy" but I reckon we have given it our best shot until gibbo unearths some more pictures, maybe in the summer when the snow has gone

That Hatchheaven Site I referred to earlier really does have virtually every hatchback you can think of for the 1970's 1980's...dont think snowy has a Boot in the three box style so its in that site somewhere, and the best fit for me is the Datsun 120A Fll Coupe which made its way into this country in 1976, and hopefully appeared next to Gibbo's mates house in the winter of discontent! When else was the snow memorable enough to take a picture!

Regards Neil