Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 12, 2013 20:29:38 GMT
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Does sound to me in that video as though she's only firing on three? Lovely rasp from the exhaust though. Love the way you've cracked on with this Soph, can't wait to see it on the road.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Street Scenes 1975-2000Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 12, 2013 20:06:16 GMT
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More 70's shots...I'm trying to add a little local interest as I go, bear with me... Here we see a whole bunch of traffic descending Mount Pleasant towards Redditch Town Centre. An 'Ergomatic'-cabbed AEC or Leyland following an Austin Maxi mini-cab (that phone number and that of their deadliest rivals 63535 is etched on my brain forever. 66002 ran a fleet of Triumph 2000's/Maxis/Allegros, 63535 had at least a dozen Skoda S110s. I kid you not), a Renault 16, and an Anglia. Parked up we see a Ford Corsair (post-65, and V4-powered rather than 1500 pre-Xflow...different badges, y'see) and one of West Mercia Police's massive fleet of Mini vans. With 848cc lord knows how they actually managed to catch any criminals.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Street Scenes 1975-2000Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 12, 2013 19:44:47 GMT
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This brings back some memories. John's Motor Accessories was a veritable Aladdin's Cave, the kind of shop you just don't see now. Everything from spark plugs to stickers to spotlights, with gangways just big enough for one person to walk through. Was still open when I started driving in 1983, and even then was still a sort of meeting-place for Redditch 'car guys' of a saturday morning. His daughter worked in the shop too, and had an absolutely huge pair of erm....headlights. The building's still there and largely unchanged, though nowadays it's a Nail Bar. Anyway, check out the 2CV4!!!!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Street Scenes 1975-2000Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 12, 2013 19:22:21 GMT
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Again, 1972. Proof if it were needed that matt-black bonnets are nothing new. That Mk1 'Tina was the chavved-up Saxo of its' day. It's no surprise to learn that Redditch is a Midlands town, looking at this photo. With the exception of the Mk1 Tranny and Escort in the distance, everything on the street is a BL product. Even the tractor unit moving out of shot is a Guy BigJ, built in Wolverhampton by Guy Motors, owned by Jaguar. Wonderfully evocative. Tizer-liveried Bedford TK waiting to squeeze through a narrow gap on Evesham Street in Redditch, circa 1967, behind a Mini van, brand-new Austin 1100 and Ford Zodiac.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Street Scenes 1975-2000Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 12, 2013 18:38:18 GMT
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Another one from Redditch, though I'm having trouble identifying exactly where this is. 1971/72, check out that PB Velox/Cresta and the Series 1 Land-Rover!!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 12, 2013 15:47:32 GMT
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Bump for the weekend. Gotta go!!!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Street Scenes 1975-2000Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 12, 2013 15:42:51 GMT
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A few from Redditch, where I grew up, with annotations for those who live there now, so you know where they were taken! Grove Street looking towards Alcester Street, circa 1972. Unicorn Hill, looking down towards the railway station. Check out those near-new Mk1 Escorts! Again circa 1972. The newly-finished Car Park 4. That Triumph Acclaim driving in dates the photo to about 1982/83. A view which once was voted 'Britain's Most Boring Postcard'. Redditch Bus Station taken in the late 1970's (bus fans will thrill to the sight of so many Leyland Nationals gathered in one shot). Has since been redeveloped twice.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Replied.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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If this is still available next weekend, I might pop over with a battery. Cheers - Dave - I bet it'll start, too. This will sound melodramatic to anyone who didn't know about it, but whenever I see that car it reminds me of being ill last summer, and the psychological dark cloud that followed me about for months afterwards. I just don't want to see the bloody thing every time I look out of the kitchen window.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Car - Mercedes W124 E200 Saloon Year - 1994 M Mileage - 123k Tax - SORN MOT - None. I've been debating what to do with this for ages now, but I can't bear to see it stood on my drive when it's a fundamentally sound car but I've absolutely no motivation to do anything with it (and SWMBO wants it gone, more importantly LOL) so it's got to go. Been standing since November last year when the tax ran out, I have tried to start it but every time I do it turns over once then the immobiliser kicks in and it just clicks. Maybe it would start with some better jump leads or a booster pack but I really can't be ar5ed with it. NOW STARTING/RUNNING FINE. JUsT NEEDED A BIG BATTERY AND SOME DECENT JUMPLEADS.I bought the car in March 2012, used it daily all through last summer with absolutely no problems. Everything works apart from the heater blower which worked sporadically but then stopped altogether. 136bhp four-banger coupled to a switchable autobox, everything worked as it should. Fuel-wise it's far better than you'd expect, I was averaging 35mpg commuting up and down the motorway to work, it would touch 40 on a long run if you used the cruise control (an absolute boon on long journeys) but drop to about 30mpg around town. 123,000m with a folder full of bills and old MOTs to back it up. Lots of it's in Spanish though, a legacy of the time it spent in Spain. The bodywork's in good order for a W124, other than being absolutely filthy at the minute from standing. It spent a good proportion of its life in Spain during the 2000s which has meant that the dreaded rust is far better than most of these. Both front wings are starting to go at the front of the arch, there's a weird patch of rust behind the number plate on the bootlid (which also has a dent in the top of it, pics below) and around the radio aerial on the rear wing, and there's a localised area of bubbling on the NS A-post by the screen around a hefty stonechip. Other than that the floors/sills are all good and inside the jacking points is solid too. Inside it's an agreeable place to be with acres of cow everywhere. Seats are in good order, the only damage inside is some cracked leather on the centre armrest and cracked veneer on the wood trim around the gearlever (normal MB stuff). It's got those uber-cool rear headrests that drop down at the push of a button when you want to reverse. Dead cool, until you have to get into the back and put them back up again. There's no stereo. Up until it came off the road it drove absolutely fine, with no knocks or bangs from the suspension (although it did creak at the front end a bit when manouevring at low speed) or steering. Engine-wise it was superb, oil pressure staying at full deflection at anything above idle no matter how hot it was. Temperature always normal (in fact every morning I used to be able to tell to the second the point at which the stat would open and the gauge would drop LOL), no smoke, no rattles or bangs. Slight chatter from the hydraulic lifters when starting from cold but gone within a second or two. Timing chain on this, so no belts to worry about. Here it is at last year's RRG on the Benz mafia stand.It had a new back silencer box last summer, other than that I didn't have to put a spanner on it in the 3000 miles I drove in it. But it was never really me, I bought it because my Xantia had knocked the bottom end out of itself and I needed some wheels. Those of you know me well will know that my first love is French tat, not uber-reliable Teutonic barges. It's on SORN but obviously there's no MOT, it's been standing for eight months so ANY prospective buyer will need a trailer or some means of transporting it. Being an automatic means it's not towable without disconnecting the prop. There's also a set of the proper 15" MB alloys with two decent and two FUBARd 195/60x15s to replace the horrible W202 rims that are on it at the minute (both front tyres on the car are close to the limit). Come armed with that and £300 and take the bloody thing away. Scrap prices around here are hovering around £125 a tonne right now, if it's not gone by the end of this month I'll rip the interior out of it, take the wheels off and put the rest over the bridge. I'd sooner someone saved it though as with some decent rimmage and the living daylights slammed out of it it's be an uber-cool ride for someone. But not me. Not interested in swaps for anything, cash only. PM me for contact details, the car's in Bromsgrove just off J4 of the M5 and J1 of the M42, just SW of Birmingham.
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Last Edit: Aug 13, 2013 13:30:35 GMT by Brian Damaged: Sold!!! Thanks RR!! :)
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Provisionally 2pm, meeting KFW and Ryan there. And yeah, camping Friday and Saturday.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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hey guys anybody organizing a convoy to RR2013 from the brum/midlands area ? A few of us meeting up Friday afternoon at The Pit Stop just off J5 of the M5, it's only about 35 mins down the motorway from there to Prescott.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Midlands StandBrian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jun 30, 2013 21:10:31 GMT
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My compadres from the Gung-Ho Rally Team have asked me to book a stand for them this year, so it seems a bit daft leaving folks disappointed at not getting on a stand when I can park mine with the rallying freaks from Droitwich. 1. timbaker - Mk2 Polo Breadvan 2. BenzBoy - Nissan Patrol MK / VW Golf GTI / Other... 3. Emma Jones - Peugeot 205 4. Chas - Either of the 3 retros. 5. donut - Volvo 240DL 6. MrSpeedy - Triumph Vitesse (with added rust) 7. Brock05 - Volvo 164 or 240 8. Justanotherhigh - Whatever will make it there (most likely Allegro 9. Jason Mayall - Rover 200 BRM 10. Mr S - Jacked up 1975 Chevy Blazer 11. 2002gimp - 660cc Turbo 1955 Standard 8 12. Maxxxer - Boringly Work In Progress but not entirely stock MG Midget 13. Toreno(andrew morgan) -mk1 fiesta 14. Stu farr - mgb gt (if he gets it painted in time) 15. malcolm x- 1200 herald (hopefully 16. RickyR - Rickman Ranger 17. Andy R - VW Golf GTi MK2 18. Dougalmagic - 72 vw beetle (if it's working) 19. Rysz - 87 Civic Shuttle. 20. adam73bgt - potentially lowered MGB GT Reserve List 21. aaron-escort eclipse 22. Gavin Sansom - Slightly bonkers BMW E30 3.2 23. RoccoGuy - battered renault 11 turbo Read more: retrorides.proboards.com/thread/151786/midlands-stand?page=2#ixzz2Xjgn7QMq
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jun 24, 2013 19:24:58 GMT
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Now sorted. Thankyou!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Metro + Slots [pics]Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jun 23, 2013 14:17:53 GMT
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Interesting mix of old (slots) with new (stretch). And the bonnet's brilliant.
Like that a lot.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jun 23, 2013 13:18:47 GMT
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If two of them don't mind being tied to the roof bars then I'd be happy to help with the Mini Unfortunately I'm not sure I could squeeze five people inside very safely (did it once on the way to the pub, it wasn't pretty...) Seriously though, I'd be happy to help if they don't want a big car and could make up a convoy of smaller classics? Thanks buddy. Red, white and blue Minis a la The Italian Job!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jun 23, 2013 10:37:11 GMT
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use the bx - CLASS IN A GLASS I'd thought of that. Five girls in prom dresses climbing out of something that sounds like a bag of bolts, smelling of diesel and wet dog. LOL SRSLY they are a lovely family and I know the mum's stressing her head off about it now.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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A bit of a bizarre request....
I've a friend who had arranged for someone in Redditch to transport her daughter and four of her friends to their Prom Night this coming Thursday (June 27th) in a VW Split camper. Unfortunately the camper's developed a problem and the owner can't now do it.
If there's anyone in the South Birmingham/Redditch/Worcestershire area who could help out, please PM me.
Thanks muchly!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jun 22, 2013 10:01:28 GMT
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I started work on a 2cv van but sold it before I got to really get going, I've figured out a clever bed idea, and should hopefully get the bed I bid for and a new camping stove in the next few days. Anyway, picked it up this morning, drives tight as a drum but feels rather gutless, one can only hope that when I start kitting out the back I don't slow it down too much more! They came gutless from the factory, Chris. The non-turbo 1800 dizzler in these was a horrible old lump of pig-iron, having said that they are nigh-on indestructible. We had one a few years back which was kitted out for rally servicing/chase car duties, with a full compliment of tools/towing gear/waterproof clothes/tarpaulins/CB yada yada the blessed thing would struggle to pull 70mph on the flat. Never ever let us down though.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Bookmarked, can't wait to see this progress.
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