Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[myglaren]

Another Rover then?

Congratulations, you're a winner!

...Or do we make you figure out exactly which year and model too?

I'll plump for a 1961 Rover 100

It's Annie Walker's, from the Rovers Return.

[Zelandeth]

Another Rover then?

Congratulations, you're a winner!

...Or do we make you figure out exactly which year and model too?

I'll plump for a 1961 Rover 100

Very close, you're one year and 10 out.

1962 110.

It was pretty inevitable I'd have another one. I really enjoyed the first one I had. It was just too rough to be a long term prospect though. About the only things on the car which weren't just utterly worn out were the gearbox and rear axle. The chassis was really sound, but the body was fairly far gone, the interior was really worn out, everything leaked, there was a giant crack in the side of the block, it needed a radiator, the exhaust was blowing, the chrome was all in poor shape and the heater didn't. Despite all of that though it still drove lovely. Realistically though the long term prospects of it were poor, especially as they really don't command serious money and a lot of parts (especially trim and interior bits) are pretty expensive.

Despite that it turns out it is now undergoing a nut and bolt restoration. Which makes me very happy.

This one however is a bit less of a basket case.

It's not perfect by any means, but is a lot more of a realistic proposition to keep on the road. It's fairly recently had a fair chunk of work done on the body and a respray. Apparently some of the work underneath still needs to be properly painted and there's some work needed to the boot floor still. The chrome isn't perfect by any means but passes the ten foot test, likewise the interior definitely isn't new, but is streets ahead of my previous one.

It's also been fitted with seatbelts which is definitely nice to have. The lack of belts and partially collapsed driver's seat in my last one meant you kinda of ended up hanging onto the wheel for dear life when cornering.

I don't really know a huge amount about the mechanical side of things beyond that it seems to run well and has had a lot of the things you'd expect done recently, including a replacement brake servo which is nice as that's north of £500 to change. The asking price was cheap enough for the general condition that honestly I was willing to roll the dice a bit on that side of things. The seller has been using it regularly for the last couple of months without any major issues (and it's someone I know via a forum rather than random off the street), so fingers crossed.

Delivery is booked for Thursday (probably actually arrive on Friday), as it's 200+ miles away and that was going to be quite a mission to collect.

[CitroJim]

Wow! That looks good good Zel Loving the colour

Looking forward to having a proper look at it in due course...

[mickthemaverick]

Congratulations, you're a winner!

...Or do we make you figure out exactly which year and model too?

I'll plump for a 1961 Rover 100

Very close, you're one year and 10 out.

1962 110.

It was pretty inevitable I'd have another one. I really enjoyed the first one I had. It was just too rough to be a long term prospect though. About the only things on the car which weren't just utterly worn out were the gearbox and rear axle. The chassis was really sound, but the body was fairly far gone, the interior was really worn out, everything leaked, there was a giant crack in the side of the block, it needed a radiator, the exhaust was blowing, the chrome was all in poor shape and the heater didn't. Despite all of that though it still drove lovely. Realistically though the long term prospects of it were poor, especially as they really don't command serious money and a lot of parts (especially trim and interior bits) are pretty expensive.

I'll claim a partial victory as the nearest shooter from the field of triers!!

It looks smart enough considering the cost, based on you suggesting it was 1/3rd of what you'd expected, so here's hoping for a more permanent stay in your fleet than its predecessors!!

[Gibbo2286]

I like that especially the colour.

I fitted a new factory engine in a much earlier 75, surprised it came from the factory with everything on including the distributer and plug leads and all timed up ready to go.

[Rp0thejester]

I'm extremely disappointed ZEL!!!! I even entered your Zelandeath kingdom looking for clues/not cheating...just using initiative! And no mention of a new rover.... If we meet again and your driving the Trabant or another 'column shift' car you'll have to show me how it works, never seen one before, just thought it was an automatic.

[Zelandeth]

In fairness I think this is only the third time I've bought a second example of the same model of a car. So it was likely to cause some confusion. I did try to hint at needing to challenge assumptions, but it was always a bit of an unfair one.

The idea of a manual column shift is something which by and large died out after the 60s. They usually require more linkage pivot points etc so tend to be quite vague. The Trabant is the exception there in that it is a single rod that runs down to a single bush, hooking straight onto the selector fork. So it's actually a really precise shift - hands down the best column shift gear change I've ever used.

Here's the way it's laid out, courtesy of the handbook.

It really is a joy to use. Quite similar to how the shift on a 2CV/Dyanne/Ami works.

One of the other big problems with column shifts is that it's a lot more work to do a left/right hand drive conversion. It would have been a real headache on the Trabant if they had ever tried to do a RHD conversion.

[Rp0thejester]

Oh okay, any idea why a lot of American vehicles had column shifts fitted? Or was it just a case of better the devil you know?

[mickthemaverick]

Only a suggestion but maybe the penchant for the front bench seat was the cause?

[CitroJim]

The last car I drove with a proper column change - as apposed to the 2CV/R4 and early R5-type 'umbrella handle' shift was a Renault 16. I found it very good and very intuitive.

Watching you in the Trabant Zel, the gear change looked more like flicking a switch than changing gear!

And yes, I think you may be on to something with the bench seat theory Mick...

[myglaren]

The last car I drove with a proper column change - as apposed to the 2CV/R4 and early R5-type 'umbrella handle' shift was a Renault 16. I found it very good and very intuitive.

Watching you in the Trabant Zel, the gear change looked more like flicking a switch than changing gear!

And yes, I think you may be on to something with the bench seat theory Mick...

That was something I loved in the GS. As you said Jim, just like flicking a switch.

[Gibbo2286]

As I'm older than a lot of you I have been through the whole era of column change cars, some, the Rootes Group and the Austins were good, easy to use and maintain others were a bit of a nightmare, the Standard Vanguard and Triumph Mayflower and Renown gave endless trouble and adjusting them was a real pain.
The Hillman Minx was a real fingertip change if it was set up properly.

[myglaren]

I can only remember driving one vehicle with a column change, an Austin van.
Boss also had an Austin Cambridge estate car, different in appearance to the van, that may have has a column change but don't think so.
I did have a Hillman Minx, my first car. I don't recall a column change in that either.

[Zelandeth]

I think one of the reasons they hung around in the US longer was that automatics became the norm there. A column change for an auto makes far more sense as you can get away with a single cable or rod in most cases as you just need to push/pull in a single plane rather than two for a manual. So it doesn't come with the same cost and complexity penalty that the same layout for a manual will.

[Gibbo2286]

I can only remember driving one vehicle with a column change, an Austin van.
Boss also had an Austin Cambridge estate car, different in appearance to the van, that may have has a column change but don't think so.
I did have a Hillman Minx, my first car. I don't recall a column change in that either.

Most of the mid-fifties Rootes cars were column change, I learned to drive in one of these the van version of the minx