Classic cars

[Rob.L 1,090]

57 minutes ago, Cliff Ton said:

 

I had an 1800 Firenza for a couple of years in the late 70s. Looked good but had no life or spark; lumpy and slow.

 

My (then) father in law had an HC with the 1759 engine. One day, he foolishly let me borrow it.
 

Got it up to an indicated 80 on the back road between Harby and Colton Bassett. All was fine until I got to a corner and found that the big heavy lump of cast iron under the bonnet wasn’t too happy about going round the bend. Luckily the verge was quite wide!

 

Behaved myself after that.

[MRS B 520]

16 minutes ago, Rob.L said:

My (then) father in law had an HC with the 1759 engine. One day, he foolishly let me borrow it.
 

Got it up to an indicated 80 on the back road between Harby and Colton Bassett. All was fine until I got to a corner and found that the big heavy lump of cast iron under the bonnet wasn’t too happy about going round the bend. Luckily the verge was quite wide!

 

Behaved myself after that.

Rob I learnt to drive on those roads, can remember going at quite a pace from Cropwell Bishop into Butler once where the bend is just as you enter Butler with my Dad shouting “BREAK NOW”  Having been with my own two kids teaching them to drive I can now understand what he must have felt like. We didn’t end up in the ditch though so all was good.

[plantfit 7,596]

On 12/7/2022 at 4:54 PM, Rob.L said:

2-door HC Viva?

 

They appear to be quite rare these days, so may be worth restoring if not too badly infected with rust worm.

 

Now, if it was a Firenza…

It is a Firenza

 

Rog

[plantfit 7,596]

Mini show/festival this Sunday at the Brayford pool Lincoln if anyone is interested, lots of mini's on show from the very early marks through to the (BMW) mini's, all free

 

 

Rog

[LizzieM 9,507]

I had an early 70s red mini and before that I had a green mini van loaned to me by a boyfriend when he got a company car.  I still had the red mini when I had my first baby and would drive to Nottingham from Oxfordshire with the pram in the boot, drop-down boot lid open and no registration plate showing.  Got away with it every time! 

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

On 12/9/2022 at 11:46 AM, plantfit said:

It is a Firenza

 

I had a Firenza for a couple of years in the late 70s. Looked good, but had no performance or go. Got rid of it as soon as I could afford to.

[plantfit 7,596]

Lizzie, all the early Mini's I worked on had a hinged rear number plate that sat vertical when the boot lid was opened making it still visible, could be the answer to you "getting away with it", just a thought

 

Rog

[LizzieM 9,507]

1 hour ago, plantfit said:

Lizzie, all the early Mini's I worked on had a hinged rear number plate that sat vertical when the boot lid was opened making it still visible, could be the answer to you "getting away with it", just a thought

 

Rog

That wasn’t the case with my Mini Rog, I also had the pram wheels protruding from the boot, held in by stretchy bungee things.  I reckon it was an early 70s model, bought in 1975 as I couldn’t face the thought of being stuck in an Oxfordshire hamlet without my own transport.  By the time I got rid it had holes in the floor, bit like a pedal car!  

[plantfit 7,596]

Ah the joys of owning an old mini Lizzie, you did well to get a pram in the boot, well half in the boot

 

Rog

[philmayfield 6,133]

We had a ‘family’ Mini back in the 60’s. I think it was about £425 brand new. I rolled it over on Woodborough hill one night and all the windows dropped out but I was still able to drive it home after picking them up. It was rebuilt with a new body shell. I still have a scar on my cheek as a reminder.

[Beekay 5,143]

When we lived off Valley Road, Sherwood, we had a 1973 mini clubman estate. At that time our son, Andrew had been for surgery on his legs to help with his mobility. He was put in what is known as a 'Broomstick plaster'. This is when both legs are pulled apart then plastered and a broomstick is also plastered onto the legs just below the knees. This is so the patient cannot bring their legs together and undoing the surgery. The hospital fashioned a board in the shape of wings, they called it "Vulcan or Concorde" board. This had castors underneath so enabled our son to lie on it and move himself around. With the clubman estate we used to drop the rear seats so my wife and I used to pick up board and son and slide him through the rear doors, a bit like a bread tray.

I used to tell him that the back doors didn't fasten properly so when I pulled away on a hill he must cling on or he would slide out the back.

Especially if we were facing uphill, like Breckhill or Westdale lane. He was not amused.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

Sounds a bit precarious!

[philmayfield 6,133]

Breckhill is pretty steep. On a snowy day passengers used to get off and push the 25 bus.

[Beekay 5,143]

59 minutes ago, Jill Sparrow said:

Sounds a bit precarious!

Just to put your mind at ease little sis, we did used to wedge the castors once we had the lad ensconced. I used to lift the rear castors and put a block of wood under, but I said nothing to my son. I thought I'd let him sweat a bit. 

@philmayfield, Westdale Lane and Breckhill was where I learned the art of crash box gear changing on double decker.

[LizzieM 9,507]

4 hours ago, plantfit said:

you did well to get a pram in the boot, well half in the boot

 

It WAS half a pram Rog, just the frame and wheels, the baby was in the carrycot bit, on the back seat.  No seat belts in those days either!  
I wouldn’t dream of doing that nowadays.  

Rog

 

[MargieH 7,600]

@Beekay  Was your son born with a dislocated hip?   At Harlow Wood we used to do those broomstick plasters.

@philmayfield I’ve never had to help push the number 25 up Breckhill but one  snowy icy day we schoolkids had to leave the bus and walk to the top of Westdale Lane to catch another ‘25’ to get to school.  

[Beekay 5,143]

@MargieH, in reply to your query, no, he didn't have a dislocated hip. When he about two he was diagnosed as Cerebral Palsy as they didn't know what his problem was. Much later in life it was discovered as 'Connective Tissue Syndrome'. He had problems with his Abducter or Adducter (sp) muscles, I can never remember which did what. One pulls the legs apart and the other brings legs together. Whichever it was needed to be stretched to stop him 'scissoring' when walking. It was explained to us as..." with an elastic band , you can only stretch it so far. But if you pierce a hole than it will stretch quite bit more'. This is what was done to Andrew's muscle, (Abducter/Adducter) and the broomstick plaster was then applied. It helped us to dress him etc., but he never walked without sticks again.

[MargieH 7,600]

It would have stretched his adductor muscles - the ones which are used to bring the legs together x

[Beekay 5,143]

Thank you for that Blossom. I never could remember which were which. At least you knew what I was talking about. Andrew was in his plaster for 7 weeks. On one occasion he said he wanted to stand up outside so Tina and I carried him outside and leaned him up against the wall, underneath our car port, It was snowing heavily !.

So we left him there and went indoors and closed the door . He soon wanted to come back inside and didn't moan again, (apart from wanting to turn over every 2 minutes. His bed was downstairs in the living room).

[MargieH 7,600]

BK  It must have been really hard for you as well as Andrew x

[Beekay 5,143]

It was Margie. And there's not a day goes by without thinking about him, and Colin, our youngest.

[plantfit 7,596]

A great time at the Brayford Lincoln today, Mini show some great looking old Mini's on display, the owners have put a lot of work into these motors and are very proud to show them off, great to see the "Skid marks Mini club" there from Leicestershire too, great company and great weather

 

 

Rog

[IAN FINN 808]

Good to see those old cars out and about.

[plantfit 7,596]

Old Mini

 

new idea

 

Rog

[Beekay 5,143]

Talking of Classic cars....here's the latest bridge.....