Old cars

[BagONails]

All these old Ford motors are really bringing back some memories for me:

Berger's Mk I Crapi - I never owned one but my dad had a new one on a J plate for a few years until it filled up with smoke on a Spanish campsite one year, sold it quick!

Musky's MKII and MKIII Cortinas - Dad had 2 1600E models one was brand new but stolen after a year, I'd never seen him look so sad! He then bought a secondhand one about 3 years old to replace the incendiary Crapi and kept that car going for more than 20 years (quite a feat considering the annual salt bath and lack of electro dip coat in those days.)  The MkIII's included 2000 GT and 2000E models which mum always drove because the MKII's steering put her neck out!

My first drive in mum's car was a MKV Cortina 2000 GLS last of the line before the Sierra came in.  I nearly did a full 360 in the lane in the snow and ended up parked with front wheels on the edge of the ditch feeling very silly somehow managed to rock it back and forth and eventually escaped my predicament with no damage.

A10GF - 3.0 MkI Consul Granada - I know what you mean, those cars were, powerful plush and very nicely trimmed for a Ford!  All crushed velour and wood cappings. Only problem , the heaters never worked properly when they got old. I was an Essex boy and Ford apprentice. My first proper job in the company was process engineer on auto components across the river in Woolwich. A sod to get to and we started at 8am. We had a choice of the Dartford tunnel (before the bridge) or go up the A13 towards the East End and use the Woolwich Ferry which wasn't a bad option in the summer when I was on the bike but wintertime was grim.  There was four of us all coming from Essex and we came up with a cunning plan whereby we drove down through Ford's Dagenham estate to the jetty, parked our cars for free (we were employees after all) went across the Thames to Erith, Kent on the Ford Ferry and then got into our 'team' Granada or 'Granny' as they were always known...This car was totally illegal, it had no MOT, no insurance, road tax and a dummy plate! We all took it in turns to drive the 5 miles or so to the Woolwich plant, to share the risk of a pull! (In Plumsted, actually the old Woolwich arsenal building,  Arsenal FC's original ground was our car park)  It was always parked on private property and we got away with this for about 18 months all we did was feed its voracious appetite for fluids until one day we rocked up as usual and it was gone! Stolen...probably just as well. Needless to say we didn't report the theft! 

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
This thread is bringing back memories.
As kids we pooled our pocket $$$ and got a few Ford Prefects and Zephyrs to bush bash. I can't remember which one had no seats so we sat on banana boxes.
My first car was a 1961 VW Beetle for $750 about a year before I was old enough to get a license. I was working (apprentice F&M) at AGL and worked on VW motor compressors (two cylinders were motor, two cylinders were compressor) so had access to spares. I tied a rope around the bumper bar and rafter, used a stick to wind it up a few times to get it high enough to use the same method in reverse to drop the motor. I rebuilt the motor from 1100 to 1400, HC pistons, big cam, twin port heads and twin Weber carbs. I had two 6v batteries in series for the driving lights and CB radio, I'd just swap'em over weekly to keep'em charged. I then tweaked the suspension and brakes and started on the Baja kit. I only got the front end done when driving to work a wog in a panelvan ran a stop sign and bent her like a banana.
Sold the motor to buy my first road bike.
Cheers

[RogerSB]

These are the older 'Classic' cars I've owned and restored, I didn't have to restore the MG Magnette, VW Beetle and County Station Wagon. All were used as family and daily transport. My first car was a 1950s Standard 10 with wondering steering, but I don't have a photo of it. Next was the MG Magnette, bought on hire purchase in about 1969. When I came home I parked it outside the house and my wife looked out the window to see what I'd bought and there was a gasp and she said 'That's not ours is it?' After the Standard it was pure luxury. It was a lovely car, based on the Farina range and had a walnut dash, leather seats, B Series engine with twin carbs. The picture is an illustration I did of it. Unfortunately they were prone to rust. As did all the other Farina cars, e.g. Austin Cambridge. Morris Oxford, Wolseley 15/60, etc. I did have a two tone grey Austin Cambridge for a short time, which I part exchanged for a Vauxhall Viva 1800, which was quickly part exchanged for the VW Beetle because the Viva 1800 had twin carbs, was fast but it drank fuel like a tank.

My wife drove some these cars to the school where she worked, as well as our BSA C15 Star and Matchless G3. When she turned up in the Series 1 Land Rover (with a heavy winch on the front) her head mistress said 'Shirley, I wouldn't be surprised if you turned up in a helicopter one of these days'.

Top
1959 MG Magnette Mk III, 1951 Austin Devon. 1953 Ford Prefect E93A,

Middle
1954 Hillman Minx Mk VII, 1958 S1 Land Rover, 1961 Rover 100 P4,

Bottom
1966 Morris 1000, 1977 VW Beetle,, 1982 County Station Wagon.

[KiwiGF]

The ‘84 lotus is my current oldie (i dont count the 96 landie as old….yet).

I had one of these before but sold it in ‘99. I bought this one a year ago and whilst it’s no longer a fast car by current standards it’s still great fun.

[Colsbeeza]

Here is my first car. A 1952 Holden FX. It was purchased from my grandmother in 1971. It was my grandfathers since new but he died in 1963. That's me in front with the curly hair which is all gone now. I still have the car but off the road since 1990.
Col

[Rex]

Middle
1954 Hillman Minx Mk VII, 1958 S1 Land Rover, 1961 Rover 100 P4,

I had a Minx Mk VII too when I was an apprentice. It rode nicely but slow as as a slow thing with 1265cc of brute SV power. Nice column change too.

[Topdad]

My first car was bought from my dad for the princely sum of £10 a 1938 ford prefecy in pristine condition. It was to give me some rudimentry knowledge of enginges and as the price inc insurance (I was only 14 ) my old man would drive it down to seaforthe beach below the high tide line I could drive for a while he took the dog for a walk great fun eventually it came to renewal of insurance which was to much as I was saving for a bike so it was sold ended up behind a hse which I passed on the bus to school and I watched day after day as the vandals around scrapped it!

[Bsareg]

My first car was a 1937 Jowett 8hp. 2 cylinder sidevalve bought for £8. It wasn't a runner so my girlfriend and I tried for ages to push start it up hills and down. When my father came to help he open the bonnet and said ' where's the coil ?'.................

[BagONails]

My first car was bought from my dad for the princely sum of £10 a 1938 ford prefecy in pristine condition. It was to give me some rudimentry knowledge of enginges and as the price inc insurance (I was only 14 ) my old man would drive it down to seaforthe beach below the high tide line I could drive for a while he took the dog for a walk great fun eventually it came to renewal of insurance which was to much as I was saving for a bike so it was sold ended up behind a hse which I passed on the bus to school and I watched day after day as the vandals around scrapped it!

You brought a tear to my eye there TD