Wheelz

[floppybootstomp]

In which forum members can list their modes of transport from past and present preferably with pix.

If no pix available perhaps you could find a generic pic of the conveyance in question.

Any mode of transport qualifies as long as it has at least two wheels on it. Airplanes, gliders, boats, helicopters, space shuttles and chieftan tanks do not really qualify for inclusion

My very first motorised vehicle was a Lambretta LI 150 Mk II to which I later added a Mk III front fairing and mudguard to and bored it out to 175cc.

It cost £35.00 and I bought it from a fella in Streatham in April '67. Passed my motorcycle test first time around June '67. I think it was a 1959 model but not terribly sure about that.

Came off the thing a fair few times but didn't suffer any serious injury, the worst hurt being some nasty road rash I picked up on the IOW. remember well sitting in the hosital casualty department whilst the nurse picked out bits of gravel from under the skin on my arm.

That's me in first pic and my little brother in the other pic.

I have some more pix coming up, all 4-wheeled.

 

[crazylegs]

Ooooh I like this thread and I just know its gonna be a goody..

Right my first ever road legal form of transport was also 2 wheeled like Mr Flopp's..

It was a Honda CB50J and was a very rare 4 stroke 50cc motorbike, I rode it on L plates this was back in 83 and the bikes reg was T reg and was registered 1978, infact I paid £65 for it and sold it about a year and a half later for £120 so I done alright out of that particular deal..Funny story to go with this is the guy I sold it to had it about a year and then started to customise it and chop it a little with all kinds of different modifications, I said to him one day whilst standing in his garage that the no. plate could be worth checking out as it could be worth a few quid as private plates were not a big thing like they are now but were still fetching decent sums of money for the right reg..

Went round a few days later and he had sold the registration to a company and had reregistered the bike on a Q plate..
How much did he get for the plate I hear you all thinking, £120 was what he got which I had sold the bike to him originally for that sum, can you believe that, I felt gutted as I was the one that originally mentioned that the plate might be worth a few quid, seems deep down I musta known that as I used to think the same thing when I had it..
The Bikes Reg was ACE 178T make of it what you will!

Don't have a pic unfortunately of that bike but have found one on Google in Blue, My one was actually white and looked far better in that colour...Here ya go..

Was one of the only 50cc bikes round our way that used to thrash all the other kids Yamaha FS1ES otherwise known as Fizzy's!
Those were the days.. There'll be more up I promise!

 

[floppybootstomp]

CL: I'd never heard of that bike before - quite unique

One more from me for now, my very first motor car, I have a feeling I've posted these pix before but hey - thread continuity

This is a Ford E493A manufactured in the same year I was born.

It belonged to the father of a school friend of mine who'd had it stored in his garagae for around 10 years and just wanted to get rid of it.

It had no front wings fitted but came with two new ones painted in primer plus the original headlights. The main body section where the captive nuts were fitted to hold the wings on were rusted away. So I soaked some softwood, probably abot 50mm x 25mm until I could bend it to fit curve of wing and hammered it home into gap and used araldite or similar to secure.

Let it dry a week and then screwed new wings to the wood. Very solid. Sprayed front of car same colour I'd sprayed scooter - metallic purple - intending to eventually spray whole car that colour but it never happened. The paint, incidentally was mixed from maroon and silver, somehow it came out metallic. I had a spray gun and compressor.

The car cost me a fiver. It needed a new battery which also cost a fiver. It had leather seats, 4 doors, a windscreen that opened outwards, cable brakes and three gears. It was slow but absolutely to this day the most fun car I've ever driven.

It had character by the bagloads and was actually quite roomy.

At the time these pix were taken The Stones' Honky Tonk Women was in the charts, man had walked on the moon for the first time this year. Never did take a full pic of the car, sad to say. These pix were taken just outside of Bournemouth and on the Studland ferry in Bournemouth.

Eventually the differential fell to bits and I couldn't find a replacement at any breakers. So it got scrapped. I still mourn that day.

First 3 pix are my car. Second 3 pix are grabbed from online.

 

[Taffycat]

Good thread Flopps. I remember seeing those old Fords too! That was an ingenious piece of work on your part, to use wood to fix the wing, great stuff.

Of the various cars we have owned over the past 30-odd years, the one I would most love to still own, would be the Ford Zodiac Mk IV. Our's was metalic silver and at the time, bought for a song, because with her 3L engine, it was considered to be a bit of a gas-guzzler. This was the time of the 1970s "petrol crisis" when pump prices started to rise.

Anyway, you know how you sometimes feel "at-one" with your car..? That's exactly how I felt with the Zodiac. It was a dream to drive. We were living in a terraced road in the city at the time, so parking spaces were sometimes at a premium, however, I used to be able to squeeze it into the tightest of spots, no problem at all, despite the long, broad bonnet.

There was plenty of oomph under that bonnet (remembering that there weren't any speed-cameras around at the time, and the motorways were certainly not so congested either..... oh yes, and I was 30 years younger! Lol) It was the most comfortable and spacious ride you could wish for. Thickly upholstered seats were like sitting in an armchair, so that every bump and jolt was absorbed; long journeys were relaxed and you could get out at the other end, feeling as though you'd just traveled a few blocks.

The back end was quite short, although the boot was actually capacious. There was a reflector bar running along the width of the rear ... which is one of the things that helped to distinguish the car from it's close relative, the Zephyr. Although aficionados could easily identify one from the other.

Sadly, she became too expensive to keep. MoT tests were finding more problems, which were beginning to cost more each time, so eventually and very sadly, we had to let her go. We weren't very "into" photography at that time, so had to find a pic on the Net.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Nice one Taff

I have a story about the Zodiac.

I can't quite remember how but my mate had the use of one of those for the weekend and at the time they were considered luxury cars and this one was less than a year old.

We travelled to The Lyceum in London's Strand in it and pulled up right outside the theatre where the crowd was queuing up to get in. The idea was my mate would drop us off to get a place in the queue, park up, then return to us.

But as soon as we pulled up the doorman came running over, opened the door and ushered us inside to the performers entrance. He sat us all in a room and asked for the keys so he could park it up.

Well alright So ten minutes later he came back with the keys, told us where he'd parked it and directed us down a corridor to the performer's dressing rooms. We didn't want to push our luck so we just made our way across the stage and went into the public crowd.

It was quite fun being Emerson Lake & Palmer for half hour or so

Just shows you what having a flash car can do for you

The Zodiac is also featured in Wreckless Eric's evergreen ditty 'Recconez Cherie':

On a convenient seat by the lavatories
In the sodium glare
We used to wait for the bus in a passionate clutch
And go as far as we dared
Do you remember
When I passed my driving test
Took you to the pictures
Forget the rest
Do you remember
All those nights in my Zodiac
Playing with your dress
Underneath your Pac-a-Mac

Reconnez Cherie
Quand nous avons vive en ecstasy

And then a voice from afar in the back of my car
Whispered 'Gay Paris'
And looking ever so French the bohemian dream
You said 'bonjour mon ami'
Do you remember
When I moved into my studio flat
Hot sticky nights
In the summertime in bedsitland
Do you remember
When you sold your paintings in the gallery
And they said 'mais oui ce soir,
'C'est la vie c'est le tricolor'

Reconnez Cherie
Quand nous avons vive en ecstasy

words and music Wreckless Eric / Eric Goulden (Zomba Music)

 

[Taffycat]

That's a great story Flopps! I can just imagine you all being mistaken for the real celebs!

Here's the song, sung by Wreckless Eric himself, enjoy!! YouTube

 

[Abarbarian]

This is a stock photo of my first ever engine driven wheels.

It is a 250cc BSA Sunbeam and did not have much street cred compared to Lambrettas or Vespas. Was a good runner though.
Only lasted a couple of weeks as some S**t for brains in an oncoming car decided to turn right across my path. Still limp today from the broken leg. Apparently the guy jumped out of his car after he had seen me flying through the air and bouncing of two car bonnets, and stood looking at his crumpled wing crying " oh my car my poor car.
Me mate who was stood at the crossroads told me later that I stood up claret pumping from the snapped leg with jagged white bones sticking out of the torn jeans and took a half step towards the guy before collapsing unconscious. Spent 6 months in a plaster.
Funny thing is he got a £10 fine for careless driving and I got a £10 fine for not having a tax disc.

 

[EvanDavis]

Loving all the pics on this thread. I only wish I was old enough to appreciate them a bit more. Does modern day transport count on this thread ?

 

[muckshifter]

my first two wheeler was a ...

 

[nivrip]

Well, here's my bit.


My very first vehicle was an Austin A30 bought for £65 not long after I passed my driving test. It trundled along fairly well but there were two holes in the floor near the driver’s feet and the road was clearly visible through them. After about six months it needed a MOT and failed because of the brakes. I couldn’t afford to get new brake pads so I sold it for £50. I have a picture somewhere but I can’t find it so this one will have to do.

After that it was a series of not very interesting cars – Vauxhall Viva, Mini, Austin Maxi, Golf, Austin Princess and many other ordinary vehicles.



Probably the most interesting car I was involved with was a third share in a Lada in 1996 when three of us drove to Russia from here for a holiday/ business trip. The idea of the Lada was that it would be no good taking a modern Western car because, if it broke down, then no-one in Russia would be able to fix it. However, Ladas were everywhere and easy to fix (we saw them on street corners all over the place being fixed). We bought it for £800, had it checked over and set off from Newcastle on the ferry to Hamburg. Drove to Berlin, Warsaw, into Belarus where we picked up a Russian friend and then into Russia itself. The idea was to sell the Lada in Russia, where they were in great demand, and get back any way we could.



The car ran fairly well and could do about 65 mph downhill with the wind. The roads got progressively worse as we went from Germany to Poland to Belarus and then Russia. Often there were no road signs at junctions and our Russian pal had to ask directions from lorry drivers. In a town called Voronezh (our pal’s hometown) we sold the car for about £1000. It was much admired because it was only slightly rusty AND it had a sunroof which no others in Russia had. They didn’t care that it was right hand drive.



So then we went off on the Trans Siberian Railway to Irkutsk, just north of Mongolia.

After many other travels and adventures we heard that the sale of the car was not allowed by the authorities because we did not have the correct paperwork. So we had to go back to Voronezh and drive the car back to the UK where we sold it for £850, a majestic £50 profit.




The pic shows the actual Lada and this was taken at the Belarus/Russia border, not the main border crossing between Minsk and Moscow but a lesser known one between Gomel, in Belarus, and Bryansk, in Russia (bet you've never heard of either of those). The official border post is the "building" with the sloping roof in the background which looks like a cattle shed. Notice the sunroof.

It was a wonderful, bizarre holiday. I could go on for hours but I fear boredom would set in.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Hey Nivrip, yo links not working

Sounds like a great trip.

Following on from the Ford E493A, my next vehicle was a Ford Anglia 105E van. I took this vehicle to Hastings one day and spent all of that day running a girl named Frances up and down the very steep hilly streets in Hastings looking for a friend of hers.

In retrospect I realise Frances used me.

I met her at 'The Cobweb' a Hastings nightspot where me mate Steve Maxted DJ-ed at the time. I fancied the hell outta her. Long blonde hair, slim, yes I know, the usual, lol

Anyhow, eventually I visited Frances' home. My goodness.

Just outside of Hastings there's a village named Pett. That's where she lived in a detatched country home with stables. And horses. And a very well off mater and pater. The yob from the council estate met with somebody far above his station. Needless to say we never hit it off I think posh birds have an inbuilt protective program to ward off lower species. Or something.

I was a journalist at the time, Frances was still at school. I ended up a non-journalist with a drug habit whilst Frances went on to write for Record Mirror. Funny old world. I think I may have influenced her in her career choice.

Ok, generic pic of Anglia 105E (Harry Potter) Anglia Van:

In the end the gearbox went and so did the van. I swear the Hastings streets killed it.

Next up was a mini van.

 

[nivrip]

Hell, what's going on? How did your pic get into my post?
This is what it should have been.

And now I see that, on my original post, my first pic is where the second one should have been.

And this on the Belarus/Russia border.

 

[Abarbarian]

Hell, what's going on? How did your pic get into my post?

And now I see that, on my original post, my first pic is where the second one should have been.

That will be the KGB they will do anything to stop the secrets of the LADA from being revealed.

 

[Urmas]

... the secrets of the LADA from being revealed.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Secrets? Like the maximum acceleration of a Lada?[/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] 9.8 m/s². Only in the downward direction, however. [/font]

 

[floppybootstomp]

Hell, what's going on? How did your pic get into my post?
This is what it should have been.

And now I see that, on my original post, my first pic is where the second one should have been.

All sorted now

 

[Taffycat]

A very interesting story Niv, hope you will feel inclined to tell us a few more

Abarbarian, eew! The thought of your leg after that accident, and to think the cause of it only received a £10 fine!!!

Anyone remember the Austin Cambridge...?

Before the Zodiac, we had an Austin Cambridge, quite square in shape, with raised "fins" along the rear end (rather good for getting one's bearings when parking, actually.) It had a 1600 engine but it was already getting on a bit, so we regularly needed to "tinker" with it to keep it running.

A relative of Terry's came over from Canada with a friend, to stay with my in-laws. My father-in-law brought them to the city (by train) to visit us, so that we could take them for a bit of sight-seeing. The Canadians were ranchers, who owned neighbouring properties. They were both well over 6 ft tall and bulky. One of them was a former bomber pilot.

When getting into the car, the Canadian guys would usually sit in the rear, offering me a lap, because there was no room to sit anywhere else! As they got in, the car's suspension would sink perceptibly. Father-in-law would have the front passenger seat to himself and Ter would drive.

All was well, until ambitiously, we encountered a fairly steep hill. Terry gave the car a run at it and the old Cambridge made a valliant attempt to climb it, but half way up, it became apparent that she wasn't going to make it. He had gone down through the gears, but two weighty Canadians were a tad more than the engine could manage and we ran out of steam...! No matter how much he coaxed, we were going nowhere, not even in first gear, so, there was nothing for it but to all bale out and leg-it to the top, where we would be picked up again! We soon realized that this would be the scenario for every hill!

Before we finally said goodbye to the Cambridge, there was a knock at the door one day, and a very smartly dressed young guy was standing there, asking if he could have a word with the car's owner. He was after the number plate, for his boss, and would like to make us an offer for it. (This, btw, would have been the very early part of the 1970s, so as Crazylegs points out above, "cherished" number plates were not such a big thing.) We were given the princely sum of £25 for the plate, which seemed like quite a windfall at the time.

Once again, I don't have an actual photo, but found the one above, on the Net. Ours was the same colour too.

 

[nivrip]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Secrets? Like the maximum acceleration of a Lada?[/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]9.8 m/s². Only in the downward direction, however. [/font]

9.8 m/s squared??? It was never as fast as that !!!!!! Even downhill. We were regularly overtaken by laden down. old lorries in Belarus.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I remember the Austin Cambridge. And the Morris Oxford. And soon come from me details of one of it's derivatives I owned.

After the Anglia van died I bought a one year old mini van from the newspaper I was working for. I was paying for it at £1.00 a week taken from my wages.

Pretty nondescript motor really, I was never really fond of minis but I did find it quite useful for having a somewhat intimate tete a tete with the female of the species and as frequently as I could made use of all that floorspace with the aid of a handy tartan car blanket.

Only pic I have is of it pranged. Raced my mate in his big lorry box van, he pulled over sharply left, I accelerated - straight into the back of a Mk I Ford Cortina Bugger. It was repaired though.

 

[crazylegs]

Love reading this thread!

I have travelled in every car in this thread so far except Flopp's early Ford 396a..

The Austin A30 was small and I remeber my dad owning an Austin A40 too which was more angular in shape and seemed even smaller, well it was in the back..
The Lada well not much to say about that really but it was a piece of **** Sorry Niv!
Dad had an Anglia too I liked that car but he got rid of it a week later, the Austin Cambridge was a long car but always seemed very cheap to me inside like the seat material and carpets, whereas the Morris Oxford was a more comfortable ride and way more opulent in the seat department with nice thick carpeting, I liked my dads Morris Oxford and would play spot the Oxford game in the back with my brothers and sisters on long Journeys, sometimes we got it wrong as it sometimes turned out to be an Austin Cambridge instead...ha ha

My mum took driving lessons with my dad in our Mini Clubman Van that looked just like Flopp's van but had windows in the back at the sides, embarrasing story to go with this was my mum and dad were out in it one day as dad was giving mum a driving lesson, although mum I'm sure was giving dad an earache lesson, mum said she stopped at a set of lights and was waiting patiently for green when her door burst open and 2 burly guys told mum to get out, the other guy was on dads side and told him to get out aswell..
"We are taking the car they said", much to my mums bemusement, they then got in and drove off leaving mum and dad on the pavement with there belongings and nothing else, Dad had a very strange look on his face and couldn't look my mum in the eye, she shouted at my dad what was all that about!
Unfortunately my dad had missed a payment or two on the HP they had taken out on the car and the owner of the garage had sent 2 of his gorillas to snatch the car back, just so happened they spotted the car whilst sitting in traffic and decided to do the deed there and then leaving a highly embarrased couple at the side of the road right in front of all the other drivers waiting at the lights..
Still don't think she has forgiven him for that after all these years, always makes me chuckle though when she tells me that story, She says never again do we have anything on the never never...So funny..
that just wouldn't happen nowadays would it..

I'll stop nattering now and let someone else have a go!

 

[crazylegs]

Well time to resurrect this thread as its such a good read, dissapointed more people haven't added to it though, come on people!

My second bike was a Yamaha RS100 a 2 stroke this time, and was only marginally faster than my CB50J 4 stroke bike, it topped out at about 60mph and maybe 65 downhill with the wind behind and me laying on the tank..

I had another that was Yellow in colour too and I have managed to pull out a pic of it with me and my nephews and nieces..God was that really me!

This was taken at North Weald airfield when one of the many famous airshows were on, Note Hangar no.1 in the background this was 1984 I believe and just a couple of years earlier I briefly bumped into the legendary Sir Douglas Bader at the Airshow just after the Battle of Britain flypast. I didn't know what the man had achieved then and just knew he was a fighter pilot in the RAF and had lost his legs, only later did I find out what a hero this man was and the courage he had shown.

Who can tell me what the aircraft is in the background of this photo!

Right come on someone elses turn now, get posting those pics..