Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Jul 21, 2012 11:02:07 GMT
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That is lovely Scott, and a decent price as well. I had one years ago, it was fantastic fun. The blue engine paint and later-type oil filler cap on the engine makes me think it has a later 5-bearing recon lump in it too, which is an added bonus. The MOD really did maintain these well. GLWTS.
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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 21, 2012 10:45:12 GMT
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Right, here's the finalised stand line-up, I've got comfirmation of the stand booking now too.
1. BD: '94 W124 E200 2. Joe76 and family:'71 W114 Coupe Porsche 944 ;D 3. PS: '93 W124T E220 4. bigperm: '96 C280 Sport 5. bigperm +1: interesting Benz 6. bigperm +1: interesting Benz 7. bigperm +1: interesting Benz 8. W124: 220 TE 9. Tommy300CE: '90 W124 300CE 10. Benztaxi: W126 560SEC
If anyone's changed their plans could they let me know?
And if you'd be so kind as to indicate if you're camping or just coming for the day on Sunday that'd be a help too, as it'll save me drunkenly staggering around the campsite on Saturday looking for you.....
Just four weeks away now. Can't wait!!! ;D
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Morris LDs?Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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Jul 20, 2012 10:13:03 GMT
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Basically you've got a hefty chassis with a 2.2 litre four-banger in either petrol or diesel form, mated to a 4-speed transmission (which may or may not have synchromesh, depending when it was made). I've never driven one but if it's anything like the (slightly bigger) BMC FG I once drove it'll be, erm....challenging to drive. Glacially slow, with (as has been said already) ponderous steering, and rubbish brakes. And about 15mpg. Needless to say I'd love one.
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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 18, 2012 20:18:18 GMT
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Excellent read BD. The M5's probably my most travelled M-Way and Frankley Services hold a special place in my heart as they're the only place I've ever been banned from. ;D You and me both! Many drunken nights spent in there ar5ing about having food fights after closing time at 42nd Street in Halesowen, and playing OutRun in the arcade. Ahhhh the 1980's. ;D
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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 18, 2012 18:52:05 GMT
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Given the amount of traffic today attempting to escape to the South-West, it's hard to imagine what life was like before the coming of the M5, the first section of which opened fifty years ago this coming Friday.. The original thinking behind the initial section of M5 (and indeed the M50 which had already been partially opened in November 1960) was to provide a fast road link between the steel-making centres in South Wales and the motor industry (these were the days when we still actually HAD one) and more traditional metal-bashing industries of the West Midlands. Prior to the motorway's opening, hauliers had no option but to grind tortuously up the A449 over The Malvern Hills and through Worcester, or else brave the old A40 through the Wye Valley and negotiate the notorious bottleneck that was Gloucester, before heading up the A38 to Birmingham. You can see just how badly-congested Gloucester was by watching this fascinating piece of film. Following on from a motorway plan first mooted in 1936, the route was designed in 1953. By 1957 all the local orders had been made and land compulsorally purchased. Two years later the final design was finished and put out to tender, and work commenced early in 1960. Here's a cracking shot taken just after work started, and (because I'm a complete anorak) there's a screengrab underneath showing the same spot now on Google Streetview. The entire 28-mile section from Lydiate Ash just to the southwest of Birmingham to Junction 1 of the M50 at Brokeridge Common cost just £7million, including the building of the original Strensham Services. The section immediately north of this one from what's now J3 at Quinton was built between August 1963 and November 1965, with Frankley Services opening fully in 1966. Amazingly despite the protestations made by Worcestershire County Council to the authorities, the entire motorway was built with just two lanes in either direction....a decision which cost some £123million to put right over a period of sixteen years between 1977 and 1993 when widening work was finally completed. I've got vivid memories of being driven by Daddy Damaged on the M5 in its original state in the late 1960's, and of him pointing out to me where the motorway was going to continue onwards right down into the heart of the South-West. Work on extending it as far as Bristol commenced in the summer of 1967, and by Christmas 1971 it was possible to travel all the way from the M6/M5 interchange at Ray Hall to Bristol. Avonmouth Bridge was a major bottleneck as despite being scheduled to open in 1972, major industrial relations problems and construction issues meant that it didn't actually open to traffic until 1974. All southbound traffic had to exit the M5 at Portbury, travel all the way into Bristol under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and then out through Bedminster to pick up the motorway again at Gordano Services. Northbound traffic was even worse. Those of you who know the area can only imagine the utter chaos it caused. Again I have vivid memories of being sat in a traffic jam for so long on the way to Devon that my mother got out of the car, turned the gas on in the caravan we were towing and made us cups of tea and bacon sandwiches. The sections from Bristol south to Exeter were opened in a piecemeal fashion between 1973 and May 1977 when the then Prime Minister Sir James Callaghan opened the final section from Sowton Services to the A38/A30. So there you go. If you're headed South West this coming weekend and you're stuck in one of the interminable traffic jams on the M5 (which is now handling some fifteen times the amount of traffic it was originally built for), then take a minute to wish it a happy Golden Jubilee. ;D Happy Motoring. Brian More reading: The Motorway Archive motorwayarchive.ihtservices.co.uk/SABRE (Society for All British Road Enthusiasts) www.sabre-roads.org.uk/
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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 17, 2012 19:07:58 GMT
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I'm sure you've already seen this video, but it's made me want one as well. The amount of grip is actually litterally incredible.Lowered on coilovers to go rallying and confuse the hell out of other drivers. It would require a drivetrain swap though, which is impossible here unfortunately... Drivetrain swaps are hard on Nivas anyway. The running gear arrangement on them is incredibly strange, a combination of a live axle on the rear with IFS....but the front diff is actually bolted to the side of the engine block, making engine swaps awkward. Apparently the Fiat Twin-Cam will bolt in, but it's not straightforward. On the good side, wheel swaps are a doddle....Nivas share their PCD with the Suzuki SJ/Vitara and the Daihatsu Sportrack.
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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 16, 2012 17:05:57 GMT
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I had one back in the early 90's, brilliant off-road but woeful on it. 25mpg was just possible with careful driving, but to be honest they are so underpowered that you inevitably end up thrashing the norks off 'em, so round town expect 18-20mpg.
If you can live with that then watch for rust everywhere, knackered bushes, rattly timing chains, oil leaks, self-detaching front crankshaft pulleys, awful brakes (the front calipers are notoriously weak) and myriad electrical maladies.
All that will be forgotten the first time you take one off-roading though. They are known as the Russian Range Rover for a very good reason. Just about unstoppable in the rough stuff.
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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 15, 2012 19:32:31 GMT
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No I'm not on about my alcoholic grandmother. Although anyone who can live to the grand old age of 89 whilst still guzzling two bottles of Bell's a week deserves anyone's praise. No. I'm talking about this: Just a common or garden 1980 Chevy Malibu, bought off Craigslist for $2200 (that's £1413 at today's exchange rate) with just 8900 miles from new. The new owner got it home, yanked the stock 229ci V6 out, and replaced it with a built 3.8 litre V6 turdblower from a Buick Grand National. And by 'built' I mean 'built'. As in 611bhp at the rear wheels. On Methanol. More here: www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_1208_1980_chevy_malibu_grandmas_cooking/index.html
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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 15, 2012 18:54:24 GMT
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Meh bad......you'd still have been quids in though, my old Xantia made £225 when I lobbed it over the weighbridge a couple of months back.
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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 15, 2012 16:20:08 GMT
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Went for £227. You could have driven it home, cashed the tax in, weighed it in and made your money back plus a small profit.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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My Graffitied carBrian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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I like that.
Back in the early 90's I did the entire body of my Chevette in red, gold and green swirlies whilst drunk. Then wondered why I got stopped by Plod so often...... ;D
'Your Ride:Your Way'
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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 13, 2012 14:14:06 GMT
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Brian, we're going to have to let you down and bring Zoe's 944 Porker instead mate. The non-stop rain has meant it's just not been possible for me to get outside and crack on with welding up the Benz. Even with the best will in the world it wont be anywhere near ready in time. I can rebadge the 944 and I've got a spare stacklight grille kicking around that I could bodge on, if that's any good? Cheers, Joe It's German. It'll be welcomed.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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1936 Morris 14Brian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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I've watched this gestating both on here and FB in the last few months. Dead pleased for you!!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Here's how she looked just five years ago. Have another bump, Amigo!!!
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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No, it's a four-pot, maybe a Zetec, mated to a Hewland gearbox.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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There's a Bonito being rallied over here. Can't remember what engine it's running, it's definitely not VW 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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That is gorgeous.
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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don't drink anymore but I wonder if I can remember my old home brew recipe.... 'Green Organic Nectar, Blended Lovingly In Natural Distillery' "Gon Blind" for short ;D That's what I did after necking Jonny's cider last year. And what I'll almost certainly do this year, too. ;D
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Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,555
Club RR Member Number: 33
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Understated coolBrian Damaged
@damaged
Club Retro Rides Member 33
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You need something slightly less obvious to show your have discerning taste. Agreed.
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