My first car was a pale blue Morris Traveller like this one. It had 11 careful previous owners, a view of the road through the floor and the wheels fell off more than once. My third car was a Beetle. I couldn't believe that we had won the war.
My first car was a real eyecatcher a rusty light blue mark 1 escort with a black wing. It sure turned heads. I sold it to buy a tax disc for a maestro with a starting motor you had to hit with a hammer to move and a gear system where you had to regularly stop on the hard shoulder , open the bonnet and reconnect. Oh and it caught manflu every time it went through a puddle. I drove it out in front of another at a roundabout so that Norwich union would give me more than the local money laundering car breakers.
My first car was a Mini 1000 which, like all Leylands, developed holes in the wings. These were patched up with fibreglass laid over bits of airfix Lancaster bomber wings tied up with string, to fill the hole
My pal had a Shammy (car, not the windae cloth), emdy mind o them?
Talking about poor design and Singer cars (part of The Roots Grp.) The first car my parents bought was a forest green Singer Gazelle which had the handbrake situated to the right of the driver between the seat & the drivers door. Big Bro killed it on a concrete pillar exiting the Clyde Tunnel, crash barriers were installed soon after.
They got worse when Rootes was taken over by Chrysler. I knew a guy who crashed into the safety fence on the tunnel approach. He was so drunk he flagged down the police.
We had a Hillman Super Minx estate. My wee brother looked at the brochure and reckoned the car was called "Acky-Saurus" (for the younger bloggers, most cars were given a name as part of the family back then).
Oh OK, if all we've got to talk about is cars, then I learned to drive in a Bedford van, something like this Second day out, my Dad, in a moment of madness told me to drive up over Canada Hill, a narrow road with many twists and turns. Got to the bottom and a hairpin turn left, back to town. Didn't quite straighten up in time, took the van right through the fence into a field. Yes, the handbrake was also to the right of the driver.
A close family relative of mine had three of the most bizarre road accidents I've known. Firstly her Austin A35 was being towed to the scrapyard and the towing driver informed her not to worry that her brakes didn't work, that he wouldn't be going fast and if she couldn't stop in time just to roll into the back of him and his bumper would take the strain. Unfortunately at a crossroads outside Coatbridge police station she panicked and swerved to avoid the towing car which had slowed to stop on a downward hill. The scrapyards offer dropped considerably by the time she eventually got there. Secondly in an automatic Cortina parked outside the old post office in George Square she managed somehow to get in and drive off with her crooklock still on attached to the steering wheel and brake. at least this time she couldn't swerve to avoid anything, she just ploughed right on in. Finally her replacement automatic was proudly parked in her recently built garage. She left it in neutral and her man left it in park but this was obviously not a topic of conversation at the evening meal. So out she goes, starts the engine, looks out the rear view window and accelerates through the front of the garage. Fortunately there were no paintpots in the way or it could have been even messier.
Teach mantra
ReplyDeleteA Merc an' that
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a pale blue Morris Traveller like this one. It had 11 careful previous owners, a view of the road through the floor and the wheels fell off more than once. My third car was a Beetle. I couldn't believe that we had won the war.
DeleteGet A "GRIP" On Yourself ;-)
DeleteMy first motor was another BMC classic .. a Wolseley Hornet.
DeleteRetrim all Rovers
ReplyDeleteYup there are times, when the f***bookers just dont quite get the theme.
ReplyDeleteThey are thick as mince. Batchetta instead of Barchetta complete with exclamation marks.
Deletefirst car.....austin allegro..from queensborough motors.....but they went down market and moved to whiteinch for goodness sakes
ReplyDeletecheers frae the dale
Sorry Dale but Glen's Morri Thou wins.
Delete
ReplyDeleteMONDAY
Bridges? Jeff Bridges? Burning Bridges?
What we need is advice from Civil Engineers!
Whur's MacLean when you need him?
Delete
ReplyDelete...and there's more...
My first car was a real eyecatcher a rusty light blue mark 1 escort with a black wing. It sure turned heads. I sold it to buy a tax disc for a maestro with a starting motor you had to hit with a hammer to move and a gear system where you had to regularly stop on the hard shoulder , open the bonnet and reconnect. Oh and it caught manflu every time it went through a puddle. I drove it out in front of another at a roundabout so that Norwich union would give me more than the local money laundering car breakers.
ReplyDeleteThe Esso sign means happy motoring....
Deletei just hope naebody here ever owned a fuego!!.
ReplyDeletea man doon the street had one.....he went onto to become an HMI.....that is so funny
cheers frae the dale
Nope but first motorbike of significance I had was a Honda 175 CB Twin, 78mph tops until I interfaced with a maroon Hillman Imp .. bastard!
DeleteI knew two people with Fuegos. A gay chap in Lesmahagow who had one in turqoise and my neighbour who had been in jail.
DeleteMy first car was a Mini 1000 which, like all Leylands, developed holes in the wings. These were patched up with fibreglass laid over bits of airfix Lancaster bomber wings tied up with string, to fill the hole
ReplyDeleteMy pal had a Shammy (car, not the windae cloth), emdy mind o them?
The Singer Chamois was an upmarket Imp. Walnut dash, two-tone paint.
DeleteThat's the one
DeleteNever heard of her. But two-tone was never my scene either.
DeleteA sad story of poor design, shoddy construction and ultimate failure.
DeleteHere they try to palm one off on the Dook.
Talking about poor design and Singer cars (part of The Roots Grp.) The first car my parents bought was a forest green Singer Gazelle which had the handbrake situated to the right of the driver between the seat & the drivers door. Big Bro killed it on a concrete pillar exiting the Clyde Tunnel, crash barriers were installed soon after.
DeleteThey got worse when Rootes was taken over by Chrysler. I knew a guy who crashed into the safety fence on the tunnel approach. He was so drunk he flagged down the police.
DeleteWe had a Hillman Super Minx estate. My wee brother looked at the brochure and reckoned the car was called "Acky-Saurus" (for the younger bloggers, most cars were given a name as part of the family back then).
DeleteHe had been checking out the accessories page
DC
Oh OK, if all we've got to talk about is cars, then I learned to drive in a Bedford van, something like this Second day out, my Dad, in a moment of madness told me to drive up over Canada Hill, a narrow road with many twists and turns. Got to the bottom and a hairpin turn left, back to town. Didn't quite straighten up in time, took the van right through the fence into a field. Yes, the handbrake was also to the right of the driver.
ReplyDeleteDrivers today would weep if they had no power steering.
DeleteI had a Dinky like that - I think it had Kodak on the side.
DeleteThe next get together I'll bring my "Matchbox" Morris Milk Van with milk crates to Show an' Tell.
DeleteA close family relative of mine had three of the most bizarre road accidents I've known. Firstly her Austin A35 was being towed to the scrapyard and the towing driver informed her not to worry that her brakes didn't work, that he wouldn't be going fast and if she couldn't stop in time just to roll into the back of him and his bumper would take the strain. Unfortunately at a crossroads outside Coatbridge police station she panicked and swerved to avoid the towing car which had slowed to stop on a downward hill. The scrapyards offer dropped considerably by the time she eventually got there.
ReplyDeleteSecondly in an automatic Cortina parked outside the old post office in George Square she managed somehow to get in and drive off with her crooklock still on attached to the steering wheel and brake. at least this time she couldn't swerve to avoid anything, she just ploughed right on in. Finally her replacement automatic was proudly parked in her recently built garage. She left it in neutral and her man left it in park but this was obviously not a topic of conversation at the evening meal. So out she goes, starts the engine, looks out the rear view window and accelerates through the front of the garage. Fortunately there were no paintpots in the way or it could have been even messier.
You have relatives outside the family?
DeleteI've still got two crooklocks with keys in the garage .. a great piece kit for facing-off road ragers, any offers?
DeleteAre they poor men's Krookloks?
DeleteI fear you'll go the way of Joe the Jam Man Glen.
Delete(see earlier blog.
Yer correct Mr Miller, devil is in the detail apologies for all the typos.
DeleteI am suitably chastened by the threats from South America and would like to keep my teeth, so no more nitpicking.
DeleteBy the way, you forgot to close the brackets.
Delete
DeletePortuguese punctuation. Parentheses are optional, as is the comma following Joe the Jam Man and preceding Glen.
>8-D
ReplyDeleteGephyrophobia songs are rarer than gephyrophobic radio presenters.
I'll be asking for Reba McEntire. Again...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete
DeletePortuguese grammar. I hope your bridges are of a higher standard of construction than that thar sentence.
>8-D
Ouch.
DeleteI would ask for this song from my childhood.