locost_bryan

Sunday Herald: Classic Ford Transit nets starring role

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=11361700

Driven Classic: Ford Transit MKII

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/image.cfm?c_id=9&gal_cid=9&gallery_id=146798#17476838

Got passed by one of these near Huntly on Sunday night, but on seriously big arch-filling rubber.  Looked real nice.

Yikes, it sure is nasty.

yeah, they cut off the Maxi's best bit, at least with the hatch it was a useful load lugger.  Slow and unattractive, but another fwd BMC Tardis.

Who the fuck'd drive a thing that looks like that? Even in 50 years it still won't be cool.

London shoppers and sightseers received a shock last week as HRH The Queen toured the capital, alone and unannounce at the wheel of a Fiat Multipla! Many who were convinced they saw her, also saw other Multipla-driving celebrities such as Ali G, Elton John, Pavarotti and even Batman and Robin!

http://www.fiatpress.co.uk/press/article/4899

That Aussie one looks the business. The front reminds me a bit of the Firenza Can Ams that we had back in Africa. They were GM's answer to the Ford Capri Peranas that were also a South African developed car. Sadly most of those Can Ams are long gone now.

http://www.africanmusclecars.com/index.php/chevrolet-holden-opel/chev-firenza-canam

http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/chevrolet-firenza-can-am-south-africas-muscle-car/

Chevrolet Firenza CanAm Race Retro 2013 Pure V8 Sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMbRn3si_BY phwoar!   :grin:    

Or Turbo one properly?- It would totally piss off the flat peak crowd crammed into their skyyotaries if you screamed past them in a multipla. Especially if you had a golden retriever and 1.5 kids in the back seat.

It was based on the Bravo/Brava, had the same 16v 1.6 or 1.9 JTD options, should be able to slot in any FIAT powertrain?  1.9 JTD chip-tuned for 118kW/158bhp and 296Nm...

Just had a look at your pictures, interior door handles are the same as my 1995 LDV van, as I had been told! No doubt other Marina parts fitted to it too.

 

One of my best friends' mum had a TC Coupe when I was a very young lad, I really liked that car.

 

I did not realise they were built in OZ with a 6!

 

Didn't BL build a Marina coupe with Rover V8 to evaluate for a possible rally contender? 

BL built a few V8s, read about them here http://www.cjw-consulting.co.uk/v8_route/v8_route.htm. 

One competed on the 1974 London - Sahara - Munich marathon rally - was running third when the axle broke in the desert.

The "spare" ended up as a Sport Sedan in West Australia.

Hey Bryan, it was really good chatting to you last night. We are looking forward to catching up with you again next month. Hopefully we get to see the Marina in the flesh pretty soon too. If you aren't doing anything next Sunday please come along to Caffeine & Classics at Smales Farm. That will really inspire you.

I'll be down in Hamilton this weekend, visiting my father-in-law.  He's a retired auto-sparky, used to work form home, still has some Lucas stock in his garage...

Who the fuck'd drive a thing that looks like that? Even in 50 years it still won't be cool.

328,862 "Europeans" - I suspect mostly Italians  .  http://left-lane.com/european-car-sales-data/fiat/fiat-multipla/

Top Gear's "Family Car of the Year" four years running... still didn't make TG's "cool wall".

Clarkson's "review"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QtV7KU3r6w

The fella who owns it came and took it away so not to pay storage where I'm currently working. So sadly I let it slip. I did keep asking to buy it but no joy

Now you'll have to buy an ugly new one...

That last ones really had a thrashing with the ugly stick...  

As an Old School virgin, was great to put some names and faces to the handles (even if I've forgotten most of them already   ).

Some sweet rides.  A bit more motivation to get the Marina back on the road...

I owe ZebraDude some readies for a truck load of parts, so I better come.

Will have to bring the Old Girl's Jazz - do they have a parking spot for nana cars?

I'm not the only trainspotter.

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/commercials/leyland-commercials/sherpa-leyland-commercials/the-cars-leyland-sherpaleyland-daf-200-400ldv-pilot-convoy/

Have a soft spot for the underdog, especially everything from BMC/BL that was a good idea delivered half-baked  .  So many what-ifs and shoulda beens...

That 4.6 RR sounds exciting...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=3073440

 

this guy seems to have some cool old cars rotting away

Dang, there's at least two that I'd happily take off his hands (repower the Princess with the silky-smooth 2200 from the Austin "6" like BL did in the UK).  Just as well he's at the far end of the country from me.

British crap you wouldn't be interested in.  Like an austin 8 in pieces with some stuff missing and a car everyone would laugh at. Neglected van.

If by "everyone" you mean the Top Gear knobheads would laugh at it, then us Old Schoolers will love it.   Heck, my Marina gets way more positive reaction than derision.

Good to hear you've got it going again.  My first Mini had the key on the dash - once the keys had worn a bit with age, you could start most BMC cars with any key (same for Fords and Hillmans).

Ironic your DAF tow van has an ancestry at least as long as the Transit's.  It evolved from 1974's Sherpa, which was cobbled together from Leyland's parts bin, utilising the chassis and axles from the JU250 of 1967 (and it's predecessor, the J2 of 1956!), and the rear bodywork from the J4 of 1960.

Will have to keep an eye out for the TV series.

Very handy of Bedford to design the CF engine bay to take a V8.

Always loved the CF with a V8, looks better than the Chevy van of the same vintage imho.

A pity Vauxhall's planned OHC V8 never made it to production. http://www.annteak.com/viva/slant-4-or-v8-you-decide/

Wonder if it was just coincidence that the Slant 4 shared some dimensions with the 1966 Pontiac OHC 6 and the venerable SBC.  The original 265 SBC shares it's 3.75" bore with the 2000 and 3" inch stroke with the 2300.

Nope, not even once.

But you drive an Austin A35 van (or at least the Hero in your avatar did  ).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/4751383/Buying-classics-Cheap-and-cheerful.html

 

 "I can put everything I ever learnt in motor racing into driving it round the Wandsworth one-way system on a wet Saturday night, blow off all the Ferraris, and nobody takes a blind bit of notice."

 

James Hunt

I'm a firm believer in small economical runabouts for daily driving.  But just not ones that look like Nana's shopping trolley. A small engine with big wheels and a bit of "attitude".  

ive never seen that written on them before, and ive had a few sets.

 

i would wager that they are exactly the same as a regular casting, and that wording is some sort of arse covering exercise by the manufacturer.

An Aussie dude was asking about them, and posted a photo here

http://www.mysandman.com.au/forums/showthread.php/2740-Unknown-mags/page2

Probably an arse covering exercise.  I've seen similar wording on some Minilite and Panasport wheels, usually lightweight ones intended for circuit racing.  Although postings on some forums imply it may have been to avoid expensive certification...

Read all about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_B21_engine

Volvo stuck a hairdryer on the 360 GLT in the mid-80s, afaik the same bits as all their other 2-litre turbos.

I think you shouldn't have bought shitty old dailes. My MK2 Golf was so great, I have hardly had to do anything to it, probably 5 hours a WOF. and even then it was a pleasure to work on because none of the bolts were rusty etc.

 

Sorry Roman, but having to drive an echo is a deal breaker for me.

Someone near me has a black 3-dr Vitz RS on polished alloys (fill the arches nicely), has more of a Euro hot-hatch look about it, and a bit more poke from a 1.5.  Hmm, wonder if 1.8 1ZZ and 6-speed would fit?

Wifes 07 Jetta does a long term average of 8.6l 100km

open road about 6.9l 100km

I've had it down to 50l 100km

(wanted to see how far I could get the onboard display down to lol)

Can be great fun trying to get silly numbers from the onboard computers.  Managed to get my Mazda6 to show 0.0l/100k going down a steep hill   and over 50l/100k going back up 

First family car I remember was a Mercury V8 ('46 iirc), then a Plymouth Savoy ('58 iirc), followed by a brand new '73 Falcon wagon - 200cid 3-on-the-tree with Cosmic Blue metallic paint and Aunger slot mags - gave me serious street cred at intermediate school.  

The family Honda Jazz (2008 1.3 CVT) has averaged 6.3l/100km over 107,000km, most of that on the school run, with a couple of trips to the South Island thrown in for good measure.  Less than $300 for each dealer service.  Before that I had '92 1.3 Corolla, great fun to drive with the Amon-tuned suspension, but could never better 7l/100km on my commute - Jazz did 5.3l/100km for the same trip.

My first car was a Mini 1000, regularly got 38mpg round town, and up to 68mpg on a long trip on the rare occassion it got driven gently  .   Fitting twin carbs and a warm cam dropped it to 28mpg, but really improved the fun factor.