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

[myglaren]

I briefly had a red one. Nice little car.

[white exec]

We had an 1850HL in British Racing Green. Quite fun, once the nodding carbs, the awful distributor, and the intermittent overdrive had been sorted out. P.D.Gough made their first stainless system for the Dolomite for ours!
A slightly odd driving position, I remember: felt as if you were 'perched' in the car, rather than snugly seated in it.

[Zelandeth]

Today's spots were an E plate Nissan Micra just off the A5 in MK, and down in Bletchley was a W plate Vauxhall Chevette (snapped a photo of that which I'll add tomorrow if time permits). Looked lovely and original but loved rather than mint, which I think is honestly often better on a car of that age.

[NewcastleFalcon]

There is a very nice gallery associated with a good nostalgic article from Car Magazine titled "Driving-the-classics: Vauxhall Cavalier,-Viva-and-Chevette on the Route Napoleon 28 excellent images if you click on the first pic from the article itself, including the tartan interior of the Chevette which is something else!

http://images.car.bauercdn.com/pagefile ... scale=down

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

A Chevette Zel!!! Not seen one of those in the metal for nigh-on for ever now... Good lookers too.. Shame about the mechanicals...

[harryp]

Work colleague had a Dolly 1850. Unknown to me, he tried following me one night down a very rough stretch of road that had been heater-planed prior to re-surfacing; IIRC the A4067. He fell further and further behind until the road surface improved and eventually caught up with me. I was just happily cruising down to Glais with the family in our Renault 16TS and did note the disappearing headlights behind
He later said he was bouncing all over the road and was rather incredulous when I said I didn't feel much at all. Good old torsion bars!!

[CitroJim]

Yes, torsion bars have a lot to recommend them... I'm really quite a fan of them....

I once had the joy of driving a 16TS and I fell desperately in love with it... Fast, stylish interior and very comfy... Something a Q-Car and the column change as I recall was excellent in the extreme...

The Dolly had the looks though... The 16 externally was no real looker but you could forgive its slightly frumpy appearance for how wonderfully and totally competently it did everything else... It even rusted better than anything else

When you think the Austin Maxi was up against it there really was no competition and people still wonder today why the Maxi was not the world beater it might have been.... But for the R16 it might have been.. That and much better build quality and the ironing out of some serious design defects...

[Gibbo2286]

The 1940s Vauxhalls had torsion bar front suspension, just a short bar and the set up was peculiar, when you braked the front went up instead of down as you would expect.

I've just come back from Mr Tesco, at the T junction a happy couple in a Bentley convertible with the roof down, towing a boat passed across the front of me, too quick for a photo though.

Ps. I've had one of those Vauxhall torsion bars in my tool box for fifty years, an excellent heavy duty punch for knocking out bearings and the like.

[white exec]

Moggy 1000 and Rover P5 were torsion bars at the front, iirc - Moggy a round one, Rover a 1" sandwich of thick flat leaves, all laced up in a greased gaiter, like the rear leaf springs: typical Rover! Height-adjustable with a large bolt, I think. You can't beat being laced up in a . . .

[NewcastleFalcon]

Quite appropriate with Cheltenham going on this week....

Outside the "Horse and Jockey"

F Falcon own work on location in Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Regards Neil

[harryp]

My 16 had floor gearstick and as a Scottish import "poor road" suspension; which meant thicker front torsion bars which were exceptional when I fitted HD dampers. A lovely, lovely car

[Zelandeth]

Have to admit that a DeLorean would definitely be in the lotto win garage.

Mate back up north has a really scruffy example, and I really like it. Even if it did try to knock me out as I was getting in, and even though the interior is a complete parts bin special. Seriously - go find a decent photo and see how many cars you can count bits from!

[Gibbo2286]

Quite appropriate with Cheltenham going on this week....

Outside the "Horse and Jockey"

dmc.jpg

Regards Neil

I'll be in Cheltenham tomorrow.......................not for the horses though, I'm having a cataract op in the general hospital

[NewcastleFalcon]

]
I'll be in Cheltenham tomorrow.......................not for the horses though, I'm having a cataract op in the general hospital

Don't worry if you see a few little green men when you come out Gibbo, it will be perfectly normal for St Patrick's Day at Cheltenham!

http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article ... -Day-3.jpg

My spot yesterday....a evening-time encounter....a white convertible caught in the headllights, late commuterish time, with the distinctive shape of a herald/vitesse. Surely no one can be using one of those as a daily driver these days!

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Spotted a white Triumph Stag yesterday afternoon in Newport Pagnell near the Aston Martin works... It looked and sounded absolutely gorgeous

My other spot yesterday was a Moggie Minor but never mind... I'm not a fan of those...