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#51
19th May 2017, 09:01
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Spot on Roy. It is a Railton. I did some research on Railton some years ago as my dad's dad had one in the late '30s to about '52. Not the one in the picture - that is just off the Nett, but a similar bodied convertible. I saw it only once in 1951 and it was in a sorry state mechanically and bodily by then even for a 7 yo to see. There was a photo in the family but unfortunately has been lost over the years. My father used to tell stories of coming home on leave and driving it around the Newcastle area with poor brakes and a smoky engine. Most Railtons were built on the Hudson Terraplane chassis/engine imported from the USA and either sold as complete cars or chassis only, for a coachbuilder of choice. The engine was a 4.2ltr straight 8 which was in my g/dad's car. What happened to the car is also a mystery - my g/dad remarried in '48ish and none of his belongings passed to my dad, when he died, which was a sore point in our family. JJ. 
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#52
19th May 2017, 09:12
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Yep, Malcolm. I don't know the actual year of my g/dad's car but my dad always said it was 4.2ltr so the later 4168cc st8. JJ.
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#53
19th May 2017, 21:09
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Thanks Jolly Jack.
Noel Macklin is one of this Country's unsung heroes. Just don't get me started on another of his brilliant ideas, the Fairmile Marine Company of Cobham, Surrey, (where he lived.) We will be here all night, and Chadburn will miss his beauty sleep!  Regards. Roy.
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#54
21st May 2017, 13:22
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What's these then?
Anyone want to guess these two. Just one clue - no American members need bother.
JJ.
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#56
21st May 2017, 19:50
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Right again, Malcolm......Pity you didn't know the Lincoln model but you're close enough. Just kidding!! 1995 T/bird V8 and 1994 Lincoln Mk8. JJ.
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#57
21st May 2017, 20:04
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My car during the very early eighties.
 Maybe not exactly a classic, bog standard 850. Served me well though. This pix taken at Llanberis carpark.
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#58
22nd May 2017, 15:38
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They served many people well, Bob - me included if only for a short time. Back in the late '60s, I was doing work on my main car and bought a cheap old mini to save riding my pushbike to work. The mini was painted Post Office yellow and had things on it like ....don't laugh....chrome eyebrows over the headlights, wire mesh covers over them as well, Rally type seat covers and a set of Minilight wheels (or is that Minilite?). It drove ok but had lots of rusty areas. When I didn't need it anymore, I stripped and repaired the body and put one of those complete fibreglass flip fronts on. I then painted the car..... Ford Aubergine with a Ford Light Orchid roof......sort of purple and pink!!...it looked pretty good and I kept the Minilite wheels and the rally formed seat covers. It's the only car I ever sold for more than it cost me. I went to a local car show yesterday and there were several supercharged Minis with really well engineered installations. The Mini is definitely an icon. JJ.
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#59
23rd May 2017, 16:34
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Minis were such versatile cars, My first vehicle was a mini van, a foolish trip over the Keighley Gate road (stony track) one night turned it into a convertible, you could have the floor open or get it welded, except there was nothing to weld to. I think I paid £20 for it.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#60
28th May 2017, 03:30
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wanted to buy a 1963 BSA Star for 250 nz pounds but fare on Southern Cross was cheaper, fell in love with Jag XK120 but was never able to afford it, even at my age would like to buy a Sunbeam Talbot but its condition could be like me, tight and squealy joints etc,
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#61
28th May 2017, 17:21
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I can't imagine they made that many XK120s, but what a beautiful car. Sunbeam Talbot always seemed a little heavy, rather like the Armstrong Siddeley, the Hurricane was more like a nasty draught in performance.
The old Sunbeam shaft drive motorbikes were unbelievable for longevity.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#62
28th May 2017, 18:57
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__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Corporal Hicks (Actually Ripley said it first.)
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#63
28th May 2017, 21:38
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Yes, Bob, 2 cylinder, the back one had less of a good time than the front one. My mate had one, it had done over 100,000 miles with a double adult sidecar and then the same again without, he was told. Lovely smooth thing.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#64
1st June 2017, 22:08
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Living as I do now in Houston, Texas, I don't see too many older British cars. Plenty of Range Rovers and the occasional Roller and the odd MGB. To keep my sanity I have to make do with a couple of British classic car magazines. My ideal old car would be Bristol 401, but I would have to add modern disc brakes to be able to drive in Houston traffic.
Cheers, Nick Jones
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#65
1st June 2017, 22:53
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I haven't seen a Bristol for years, a very elegant car.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#66
4th June 2017, 20:19
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I've seen some elegant Bristols over the years, too..........................They have their knockers but each to their own!
JJ.
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#67
4th June 2017, 21:34
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Jaguar XJ220.
Originally conceived as a racing car for long distance and endurance events such as the 24 hours at Le Mans. It was intended to have a new twin turbo V12 engine, but Jaguar couldn't devote enough time or money to develop it. In any case, the class it was intended for had a rule change that meant it wouldn't comply, and so a team of designers worked after hours and on Saturday mornings to create a road legal supercar. The V12 4.3 litre fitted in the luxury XJ12 saloons was not suitable for the high speeds required, and so the V6 turbo lump from the BL rally metro ( as driven by Tony Pond) was used.
Advance orders had been received for the original V12 engine car that was planned, and many punters cancelled when they heard they would be getting a V6 instead. Jan Lammers took the prototype around a banked oval test track at just over 200mph, which was calculated to equal 220 mph on a straight road, hence the name of the car. It took Jaguar a long time to sell them all off, and only a few have come on to the market since. This one has personalised plates, and is owned by a Mr John Butterworth.
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#68
4th June 2017, 21:44
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Cortina Mk 1.
An early Ford Cortina Mk 1. My Dad owned this for a few years. It had been lightly modified and re-sprayed for a schoolmate by his Dad who worked at Reynolds Motors of Dagenham. It had been changed from dark blue to light blue metallic, with an imitation black vinyl roof. (Underseal!) It had lowered suspension, Cortina GT wheels and Goodyear G800 radials. Shortly after Dad bought it he put a short block motor in it. Being only a 1200cc motor with bits off the equivalent Anglia 1200 Super engine, it wasn't the fastest Cortina on the road, but it was one of the quickest on the back roads and country lanes as it handled as though it was on rails.
The photo was taken on Dartmoor in August 1968.
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#69
5th June 2017, 04:18
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#70
5th June 2017, 12:57
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XJC.
Hi Roy, the pic you put up recently showing the non production Jag XJ coupe was interesting - I never knew of it's existence before. Looking at it on the X300 (I think?) body, it doesn't look so good as the Series 2 coupe, more like just a 2 door saloon to me.
The Series 2 coupe was always my 'fantasy' car back in the day, and in 1986 I was able to get one. As usual with the cars I bought it needed work. The interior and mechanics were good but the bodywork needed a lot of welding on the parts that usually go. To cut the story a bit shorter, I had to fit new inner/outer sills, front wings, rear wheel arch and lower rear quarter panels. To this end I had to buy a MIG welder and this work took about a year to complete, with more grinding than welding as it took time for me to become proficient. While doing that I made up my mind that the project was going to be more resto-mod, than bring back to original. I had seen another XJC with the chrome bumpers removed and a fibreglass front and rear ends fitted, at a car show and the fellow agreed to make me a set from his moulds. My car was maroon with the obligatory vinyl roof, so to keep it just one colour I decided to spray it black. I'd done many re-sprays over the years so the painting was no problem but the labour in getting the car prepared was arduous and time consuming. Gloss black has to be so meticulously prepared as it shows every imperfection. When the car was ready, I tried to contact the bloke about the fibreglass mods, but couldn't get him. With the front and rear bumpers not having very good chrome, I decided (years before it became popular by Chip Foose), to modify the existing bumpers to 'hug' the body closer and to paint them so they gave the car a more modern look (to me , anyway!). This entailed cutting the front one in two, shortening and adjust the curve at each end. The rear was a three-piece one any way but a cut and shut was needed there also but ending in a one-piece unit. More scabby welding and grinding!! My Jag was a 4.2 and not the 5.3 V12, but it turned out a lovely car to drive but still only 12 to 15 mpg - maybe nearly 20 on a long run. Pics here.
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#71
5th June 2017, 20:01
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Hi Jolly Jack,
You did a good job with your XJC. The only ones left now have all been repaired, and the rust buckets have gone for scrap. Those Series II body shells all had similar rust problems. Regarding modifying the coupe, I saw one a few years ago that the owner had totally rebuilt. He had updated it with Series III bumpers and grille, removed the vinyl roof (which was put on to help disguise the "cut and shut" welds and lead loading around the rear pillars to produce the two door version from the saloon body,) re-trimmed the interior with Series III Sovereign parts and dashboard and re-sprayed it a dark metallic green. I asked him if he would ever sell it, and he replied he would sell all his other cars first, a couple of which had won concours prizes. My Series III XJ6 will do around 23 mpg on a decent run, but only 12 to 14 mpg around town. The V12 5.3, even in "High Efficiency" guise will struggle to do better than those figures. Regards. Last edited by Dartskipper; 5th June 2017 at 20:09.
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#72
5th June 2017, 20:08
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They may not have been, because they really held the road well. Braking could be pretty impressive too, given that wearing seatbelts hadn't become compulsory then meant I nearly had a very close encounter with the dash board once! Dad sold the car to a mechanic in Torquay, and he drove it for a while until the prop shaft let go when he was going to a family wedding. The UJ gave up at around 65 mph apparently. Reards,
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#73
6th June 2017, 09:11
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Hi Roy, Thanks for that. That job being so time consuming and hard work, I've never painted another car since!!
I was at a car show last week, mostly for the JOC, etc., but all makes of cars and bikes as well. There was a XJC 4.2 there that had had it's vinyl roof removed and it looked awful - you could see why the factory had so much trouble getting the roofline correct as I could see plainly it was 'not right'. Lead loading at the factory would probably have been too costly. With my car, my first thought was to remove the vinyl and paint it (the whole car) a metallic light blue, but I'm glad I didn't after seeing that. At the time, I would have liked to change the front and rear to series 3 but way too expensive even using used parts. Regards, John. (JJ.)
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#74
8th June 2017, 22:58
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What is the survival rate for old Jaguars? They have the quality to interest people, but they are complex.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais. Rabelais
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#75
9th June 2017, 11:52
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John, I think the survival rate is better now as most earlier Jags are an appreciating asset, causing owners to look after them better. As far as complexity, I don't think they are any more complex than most cars. Just my opinion though. I'd rather work on, say, an older XJ/XK than the modern motor with all it's electrickery. Jags do have a certain kudos, and up to 2009 were instantly recognisable. Now, not so much, or so Mrs. JJ says! The XF for example, can look very similar to a Tesla - not to our enthusiast eyes though!! I admit the latest XJ is a pretty striking car. JJ.
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