Old Sod's Army-most missed car.

[bog]

Some great tales offered. Peabody, I have an old 1930's Austin and I have called her Mildred also! Sad tale of the Austin 7 left to rot. I had a 1961 Anglia that suffered my boy racer days and used to go like a rocket. My worst car i think was an Austin Allegro, why I bought the thing I have no idea! Always in my yoof recall Sunday morning being polish the care time. Every area was got at in readiness to show off to my lady at the time, now I cant be arsed to even wash it!!!

092.gif   

[Holders]

The worst car I had was an Austin Allegro estate. First it had a head gasket problem and burnt oil like petrol. Then, one day I was driving along the Shere by-pass and there was a sudden noise at the back. I slowed down to see the offside rear wheel rolling passed me as the car began to touch down gently on its hub. I rang the AA or RAC who said they'd have to come and check if I needed to be relayed or if it could be towed. I explained that I had the rear wheel had parted company from the car in a mechanical shearing sort of way and that I had it in my hand. Not literally, I was in  phone box, but I had to make the point or I'd have wasted hours. They sent a low-loader.

[BestOfBrede]

Morris Minor UNJ 910 light green - yuk colour but still had original leather seats and never let me down. I remember a really cold and snowy winter must have been early 80s, and going on Nightshift. All the lads with newer cars had problems but me, no problem - started first time and again in the morning!

And you had a starting handle if you needed it.

I never needed to use it but yes, it did!
Really wish I Had kept the ol' girl
Called her VII (my girlfriend was VI)

[ron]

Some great tales offered. Peabody, I have an old 1930's Austin and I have called her Mildred also! Sad tale of the Austin 7 left to rot. I had a 1961 Anglia that suffered my boy racer days and used to go like a rocket. My worst car i think was an Austin Allegro, why I bought the thing I have no idea! Always in my yoof recall Sunday morning being polish the care time. Every area was got at in readiness to show off to my lady at the time, now I cant be arsed to even wash it!!!

092.gif   

Ah, bog and f321ffc....we are brothers in the 105E brotherhood ! I had a '63 Ford Anglia when it was 4 years old as my first car. 119FLN .....It was eventually towed to Curly's breaker' yard in Hayes after an unfortunate encounter with a Sunbeam Tiger in Hillingdon. I rolled it as a guy cut across in front of me...I got an insurance payout for a write off, he got the massive fine of £15 plus £10 costs for 'without due care'.  Just about the only car I ever had that if two blokes were sitting in the front with overcoats on, then they were wedged in between the doors and each other. Happy times though.

[ron]

Morris Minor UNJ 910 light green - yuk colour but still had original leather seats and never let me down. I remember a really cold and snowy winter must have been early 80s, and going on Nightshift. All the lads with newer cars had problems but me, no problem - started first time and again in the morning!

And you had a starting handle if you needed it.

I never needed to use it but yes, it did!
Really wish I Had kept the ol' girl
Called her VII (my girlfriend was VI)

I remember the rhyming slang at the time for that item of kit was "The old Harry Randall". I don't know how widespread that was though...

[bobbo]

I miss my 1961 beetle it would be worth at least 4K now.still driving a VW though.

[Twig]

I've always been a bit of a petrol head.  I was so keen to drive that I started with a three wheeler when I was 16 back in 1968, a Berkley T60.  I've driven some junk and some nice cars over the years, I was very keen on my MGA 1600.
My most missed car is an Austin Healey 3000 Mk III.  I owned it until three years ago but because I live in Dubai and it was stored in the UK I was persuaded to sell it.
In Dubai I am fortunate to drive a Porsche 911 S (997 gen 2).  It is a quantum leap up from anything I have ever owned before but it has spoiled me, goodness knows what we will buy when we return to the UK next year!   

[bog]

Twig, what a car that Healey.   :Haynes The Maestro: :yay: :clap_hands:

092.gif

[BestOfBrede]

My ol man had a number of cars but his fav was a Zephyr 6, I always wanted a Humber but couldn't afford one back then.

[Holders]

My old man's best car was a 1933 SS Jag. It went past everything apart from a petrol station and for that reason lasted about a week before he got rid!

[VicHalomsLovechild]

Years ago we were given an old Montego Countryman estate by an in-law. It's possibly the ugliest car in Christendom but it went like stink, carried tons stuff in it over the years we had it. It never failed to start and never failed an MOT's and all we did was put petrol and oil it and washed it occasionally when the neighbours complained. Couldn't fault it, apart from its ugliness and its brown/biege colour scheme.
Eventually we gave it to a farmer who cut the roof off the back and used it to haul animal feed up and down his farm. He probably still has it.   

[epsomraver]

Some great tales offered. Peabody, I have an old 1930's Austin and I have called her Mildred also! Sad tale of the Austin 7 left to rot. I had a 1961 Anglia that suffered my boy racer days and used to go like a rocket. My worst car i think was an Austin Allegro, why I bought the thing I have no idea! Always in my yoof recall Sunday morning being polish the care time. Every area was got at in readiness to show off to my lady at the time, now I cant be arsed to even wash it!!!

092.gif   

Ah, bog and f321ffc....we are brothers in the 105E brotherhood ! I had a '63 Ford Anglia when it was 4 years old as my first car. 119FLN .....It was eventually towed to Curly's breaker' yard in Hayes after an unfortunate encounter with a Sunbeam Tiger in Hillingdon. I rolled it as a guy cut across in front of me...I got an insurance payout for a write off, he got the massive fine of £15 plus £10 costs for 'without due care'.  Just about the only car I ever had that if two blokes were sitting in the front with overcoats on, then they were wedged in between the doors and each other. Happy times though.

I had a Mk 1 ford consul , VPJ 790  bought for £10 off a bloke at work, also had a 100E van that had the vacuum wipers, the faster you went the slower they did, best car in Yoof was a split screen morris 1000 van that belonged to a bloke who worked for Stratstones the Jag dealer on Brixton hill, he had the rear kitted out the same as a Jag with big leather seats, reading lamps the lot, right passion wagon down Windmill road on  Wimbledon common, steamed up well also :005:

[glenhodgso]

 

1964 Ford Anglia, bought it in 1971 sold it a year later to a friend it  was written off soon after I sold it .
Regretted selling it but always said I would get another someday, that day came about 5 years ago when one that had not been on the road in 30 years came up for sale locally, the fruits of my labour can be seen on the left  in my avatar . 092.gif

0001.jpeg

[grandad]

I miss my Citroen SM Maserati 1971. 153 MPH
Also my 1921 Cirtoen Cloverleaf open tourer.

[Twig]

Twig, what a car that Healey.   :Haynes The Maestro: :yay: :clap_hands:

092.gif

Yes and it was it in the classic two tone blue and off white colour combo.  I loved it but it was a constant source of friction between my wife and me, in the end I relented.  Got a good price but that was little consolation.  Had even used it as the wedding car for one of my daughters.   

[bog]

Holders, I had a sharp intake of breath when reading of your father's best car. Please don't tell me he sold it for little money?! That is just about one of my best ever cars that I dream about!  :clap_hands: :yay: 082.gif They had to change the name to Jaguar cos of the same name as that Hitler's delightful SS.

092.gif   

[bog]

To Ron and F321ffc. Did your 105E Anglias have a problem with the top of the steering box coming loose? Seemed as though the steering wheel was going to become a frisbee! This was a common fault, I worked at Dagenham Motors Alperton  and Andrews of Ealing and we often had to tighten them up. Blimey that was over 40 years ago!

Twig, you must have felt gutted as it drove away.  I never got over selling my 1936 Austin Hertford. Painful to recollect aint it!

092.gif

[Holders]

Holders, I had a sharp intake of breath when reading of your father's best car. Please don't tell me he sold it for little money?! That is just about one of my best ever cars that I dream about!  :clap_hands: :yay: 082.gif They had to change the name to Jaguar cos of the same name as that Hitler's delightful SS.

092.gif   

He never paid more than about £10-£15 for a car so I don't expect he got much back. We're talking early 60s here when no-one wanted the old cars which were all that he could afford. They're classics now but everyone wanted newer.

His best coup was a 3-wheel Bond that he bought off the side of the road for 30/- and sold to a dealer for £20. Later, a friend proudly drove it round to us to show it off and told my dad that he'd paid £50 for it. That would be maybe mid-60s so a lot of money.

[bog]

Holders, that is right. I recall a massive Bentley that probably went round Brooklands for a few pounds, no one wanted it!! Oh for hindsight!!   

092.gif

[Holders]

Hindsight is an exact science.

My old man fancied a Roller for £200 but he thought he'd get embarrassed driving around in something with headlamps a foot in diameter.