Crap Cars of the 70's


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Chap went into Halfords and asked "have you got a pair of windscreen wipers for a Lada?". The sales assistant thought about it and then replied "we normally ask for cash, but that would be s fair swap

Just looked back at this post of yours Mick...can you imagine today? "I shall have to warn you sir that those three kids not safely restrained in safety belts are gonna cost you,as is the missing num

My Dad had a vauxhall victor,he had it for donkeys years ,he loved that car,A strange thing is after he died,my daughter came downstairs (she had just looked through her bedroom window)she said 'grand

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In 74 or 75 my neighbour, when we lived on st Ann's valley, had a new Volkswagen golf and I had a mini van. There was an horrendous hail storm one day, hail the size of golf balls, when it had finished we went out to have a look and his roof on the golf resembled a golf ball. My mini van had no damage, i think Volkswagen sorted it though. I reckon they use better steel nowadays.

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The much maligned Morris Marina was also built here at Zetland in the south eastern suburbs of Sydney. Starting in 1972 with 1.5 and 1.75 litre engines. The cars came in CKD kits and used many local components

In 1973 the Morris badge was replaced with a Leyland badge and in 1974 a six cylinder version of 2.6 litres that could do 0-60 mph in under nine seconds.

When production ceased in 1975 just over 30,000 had been manufactured.

Image result for 6 cyl morris marina australia

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11 minutes ago, Oztalgian said:

In 1973 the Morris badge was replaced with a Leyland badge and in 1974 a six cylinder version of 2.6 litres that could do 0-60 mph in under nine seconds.

I bet that was a handful!! A better bet in those days was the Dolomite Sprint, that was loads of fun. And quicker!

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Yes Waddo understeer was a major problem although I understand that they improved this in later versions. Although beefed up on the sixes the suspension did not handle Australian road conditions that well.

According to my specifications manual the Dolomite Sprint clocked 0-60 in 8.4 seconds

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I think it was the 'dolly' that won an award for the innovative cylinder head design but had a reputation for blowing gaskets.

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Yes it was Brew, one lobe of the single camshaft operated two valves. The inlet valve was operated directly by the cam and the exhaust valve by a rocker arm off the same lobe. Revolutionary in its day. There were 4 valves per cylinder in the 1998 cc motor.

As with many cars of the era it had a cast iron block and an aluminium head and unless a rust inhibitor was used corrosion led to blocked radiators, overheating and ultimately a blown head gasket.

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I see that there are only about 8 Simca 1100s still registered.  Hardly surprising, as they rotted almost faster than they were made.. eventually falling off their wheels.  They could be picked up cheaply though and I had several. The front brakes had a fixed caliper with twin pistons, which provided amazing braking for the time and none of the problems often apparent with sticky floating calipers in single cylinder designs.

 

They were the first ever 5 door, front wheel drive, transverse engined hatchback, with fully reclining seats.  Introduced around 1967 I think. This made them a very practical vehicle and I often camped overnight in mine when on caving trips.

The engine was the same basic unit which found its way into assorted Talbot branded cars later.  Practically unburstable, but sloped back at a very rakish angle in the Simca, which made the (all too frequent) re-setting of valve clearances a messy operation. I never did cure tappet rattle on them. but it didn't seem to affect their performance or reliabiity.  A great concept which really should have been developed better and built into a more durable body shell.

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5 hours ago, Brew said:

I think it was the 'dolly' that won an award for the innovative cylinder head design but had a reputation for blowing gaskets.

I must have had a good un, never gave me any problems apart from the insurance and regular replacement of tyres. Wish I still had it.

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Ah yes, the dreaded ferrous oxide weevil. It manifested itself around the top of the struts, side sills, bottom of doors, front and rear sub frames, in boots and bonnets, and around windows, in the wings, in fact everywhere. I cannot believe that the auto manufacturers did not know how to cure it. I suppose as everything it all comes down to cost.

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I'm certain they knew how to cure it.  They didn't want to and the market didn't demand it.  Even Rolls Royce models of that period could rot.

 

Now, Mrs Col is driving an 02 Reg Fiat Punto ELX.  That's 18 years old.  It's had a bit of welding underneath for MOT purposes but nothing else.  18 YEARS OLD!!!!

AND A FIAT!!!!. I had Fiats for years and rot was never a problem.

 

My 04 Civic 2.0 litre 'S' has no appreciable rust anywhere.  16 years old. 70k miles. No rust.

 

They can do it when they want to.

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8 hours ago, DJ360 said:

Now, Mrs Col is driving an 02 Reg Fiat Punto ELX.  That's 18 years old.  It's had a bit of welding underneath for MOT purposes but nothing else.  18 YEARS OLD!!!!

AND A FIAT!!!!. I had Fiats for years and rot was never a problem.

 

Old Fiats were rubbish at rotting, but these days they last as long as most others.

 

A friend had a Fiat 131 Mirafiori which was R-reg (1976). By the time it was 4-5 years old it had visible rust on the wheel arches. Like your Mrs, I also know someone who has an 02 Punto and there isn't a sign of rust anywhere.

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6 hours ago, Cliff Ton said:

Old Fiats were rubbish at rotting

 

On the contrary, I think they were bloody good at it!

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A few years ago, I had a Fiat Punto as a courtesy car while my Peugeot was being repaired. It was brand spanking new, with only a dozen miles on the clock.

 

The only way I could get the radio to work was to switch the headlights on.

 

They might have fixed the rust problem, but the Italian reputation for crap electrics still persists.

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I had a Morris Minor 1000 traveller. The one with wooden bits. The guy before me plated the floor as it was rotten. By the time I sold it, the plates were rotten too. I could see the road under my feet and the brake cylinder came away from the rotten chassis. Took my workmates out to the Palais, got hopelessly drunk. When I got home, one guy from the back was missing and I'd torn a wing off - still don't know how! One of the guys reckoned a milk float was involved. 

 

Dolomite sprint had a weird camshaft that acted like a double cam. Seriously quick in those days - coppers drove them. Modern Focus would now blow it away along with Escort BDA and Mexicos.

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45 minutes ago, Winnie6664 said:

Dolomite sprint had a weird camshaft that acted like a double cam.

Yes four valves per cylinder and only one camshaft operating all 16 valves.

One lobe of the cam operated directly on the inlet valve via a "top hat" and the exhaust valve was operated by a rocker arm from the same lobe. Valve clearances were adjusted by shims. The design of the head won a British Design Council award obviously they had never had to adjust the valve clearances which was a bugger of a job.

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Had a red 'Dolomite Sprint'.....about 1980..loved it ..flick switch for overdrive.........Dont know owt about its 'Cylinder' 'Valves'' or 'Camshafts'' i bet it had some........wouldnt know a 'Camshaft'' if it sat on me 'Kitchen Table''   

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My brother in law had a Ford Anglia the one with the pointed windows at the back. he never ever cleaned it. would run it on empty, when he took it to trade in/scrap yard/ sold it can not remember which, but the person ask if the car had every been left in the Trent , as the car was full of rust. it was the only thing keeping the car to-gether, if it had been cleaned it would have disintegrated

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