Vintage Vehicles

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Originally Posted by Jolly Jack

I doubt it was converted Bob, although there were/is companies that do that. Ford did produce cars for the UK, Japanese and other RHD markets in the '50/'60s and later. They never had much success over here for obvious reasons. More recently, their Explorer, with only the V6 is an example - underrated, just like the Chevy Blazer. I think it was intended to produce the latest Mustangs in RHD, because of their popularity, but I've been to many American car shows and never seen other than LHD ones. The American car scene is popular over here and many enthusiasts, if not all, prefer to have LHD anyway.


JJ.

Now that Australia no longer makes Ford cars various models are being imported included Mustangs from the USA which are now being built in RHD (just for the English speaking world ).

[Jolly Jack]

Originally Posted by YM-Mundrabilla

Now that Australia no longer makes Ford cars various models are being imported included Mustangs from the USA which are now being built in RHD (just for the English speaking world ).

YM, apparently, in the UK there is a 12month waiting list for a RHD Mustang, but that doesn't bother most US car enthusiasts as they prefer the LHD ones anyway, through independent UK suppliers. I don't blame them as I use(d) mine as daily drivers with hardly any inconvenience. It does force you to be very cautious overtaking though!!
I've never driven a modern Mustang, but on hols last year in the US, we tried to rent one. It was 'suggested' we pick a Taurus, if we didn't want our teeth shaken out!! I'm sure they're not that bad, but chose a Taurus at Mrs JJ's insistence!!


Regards, JJ.

[YM-Mundrabilla]

JJ,
My experience with a new Mustang here in Oz is actually secondhand from my GP who took delivery of his late in 2016 after a wait of well over 6 months IIRC.
His has a soft top which is madness here in Melbourne in my view as it is almost always cold and wet in Winter and very hot in Summer. Nevertheless he is happy with it although he has had warranty issues and comments that it is thrown together in comparison with his previous car which was a Z3 or Z4 (?) BMW. Not sure of the model but the latest little 2 door BM.
Never been a Ford man myself, used to be GM until got one of their Opel models. Now mundane Toyota for the last 20 years.
Geoff (YM)

[BobClay]

Was working on the roof of the restoration garage again yesterday (it's turning into a saga) and they had this very nice V8 MGB in for some work. Sounded very nice.

[Jolly Jack]

Originally Posted by BobClay

Was working on the roof of the restoration garage again yesterday (it's turning into a saga) and they had this very nice V8 MGB in for some work. Sounded very nice.

Yes Bob, you can't beat the sound of a V8. Even the old Ford 'Flat head' can sound very sporty. Forget your high revving screaming V12s!!


JJ.

[BobClay]

This was me at a motorcycle show in Blackpool in the 70's drooling over a Triumph Hurricane, a sort of customised version of the Triumph Trident that I then owned.

[jg grant]

Hi Bob from sunny NZ. A few years back I worked on Lion witch and wardrobe, on set,known to the crew as LWW , not me, the film. Anyway one of the unit guys had a massive 2.3Lt Triumph called a trident. A lot of bike and not the kind of machine you would want to drop. I had a Triumph Tiger cub back in 19mumble which I rearranged via twelve foot wrought iron church gates. Then a Norton dominator which tried to rearrange me. So I left for the colonies where it was much safer. There I bought ,rand new off the showroom floor a 1970 Austin Maxi. My shrink tells me I'm getting better every decade. What a heap of crap that thing was. But I have owned a 1970 P5B Rover coupe since 1980 and one day when my brain catches up with technology I will post a picture of same.

[BobClay]

Well it says Vintage Vehicles so I figure this photo is ok. Someone up in my home town of Stafford took this pix the other day when some classic Deltic Engines paid a visit. I remember these thundering monsters gradually replacing steam engines when I was at school.

[Farmer John]

Mighty beasts, did they not have 3 pistons arranged in a triangular configuration? Well, banks of cylinders.

[Malcolm G]

Originally Posted by Farmer John

Mighty beasts, did they not have 3 pistons arranged in a triangular configuration? Well, banks of cylinders.

SIX pistons arranged as 3 opposing pairs with three crank shafts in a triangular arrangement, as you say, hence Deltic from Greek Delta.
Usually in a bank of 6 giving 18 cylinders....

Also used in Dark class fast patrol boats.

[BobClay]

Even a steam enthusiast would have to admit these were very pragmatic mighty looking beasts.

[Dartskipper]

Originally Posted by Malcolm G

SIX pistons arranged as 3 opposing pairs with three crank shafts in a triangular arrangement, as you say, hence Deltic from Greek Delta.
Usually in a bank of 6 giving 18 cylinders....

Also used in Dark class fast patrol boats.

And Ton class minesweepers.

The roots of the design go back into the early 1940's when an Admiralty Committee were looking for a high speed lightweight diesel engine such as the German E Boats were using. Given that Napier were busy developing a 24 cylinder "H" layout aero engine for the Hawker Typhoon, it took some time before the Deltic engine reached production. One of the original specifications called for the use of non magnetic alloys in its construction, with a view to installation in minesweepers.

Roy.

[BobClay]

A mate of mine in Stafford sent me this photo which is fascinating and should be captioned: "Be very bloody careful what you poke your fingers into."

[Tom Alexander]

Two ships have carried the name MV Sir John Cass. The first, commissioned in May 1940, as HMS
ML 252 a Fairmile B torpedo boat, was converted after the Second World War and was used by the Sir John Cass School of Navigation for radar training.

I did my 2nd. mates radar training on the first vessel, which, if I remember correctly was powered by 2 Delta engines, one for each prop. Rolls Royce rings a bell as the manufacturer, although that distant memory could easily be corrected.

[Gulpers]

Originally Posted by pompeyfan

My car in New Zealand, a 1939 Morris 12 parked outside my room at the hospital in Auckland where I worked. I bought it around 1970. Cars were very expensive in those days, so many of us had to by 'old bombs' as we called them. Although old, I drove for miles on my days off often driving up to see friends in the Bay of Islands.

Sunroof too David - posh!

[Varley]

#113 I am sure another Diamond D'e will supply his name but gearboxes and masters do not always mesh.

Having got ribbed for showing interest by observing whilst an inspection of the gearing on 'his' GTV and dropping his Brightstar into it he learned to secure the torch firmly on a lanyard.

Unfortunately the next time the opportunity came, with torch firmly secured so as not to fall into the gubbins again, his keys slipped out and into them when he bent down for a better look. They were more difficult to retrieve!

[Farmer John]

Originally Posted by Varley

Unfortunately the next time the opportunity came, with torch firmly secured so as not to fall into the gubbins again, his keys slipped out and into them when he bent down for a better look. They were more difficult to retrieve!

Eventually, when all is secured, the onlooker will be drawn in by all the lanyards and suspending cords, and then someone has a very nasty job.

PTO shafts on tractors are very fond of bits of trouser leg, leading to the ingesting of the person leg. A worker on one farm I worked on, lost his leg like that out in the fields, tourniqueted his leg with his belt and drove back to the yard. The will to live can be strong.

[BobClay]

Yes I thought the lanyard idea could definitely have a downside when I read that. The old headlamp is the way to go.

My mate in Stafford apparently used to work on some parts for that gearbox long ago. They also did some of the electrical components for that engine there. Most of the site is retail park now.

[jg grant]

bought in 1980 in Sydney. Still going strong.

[Jolly Jack]

Going through some old stuff I found this Mag from 1958.
I was at school in Rochester and used to go through to Chatham to a good newsagents and confectioners that sold usually unobtainable American mags. I would usually get Motor Trend, Hot Rod and this regularly. Road & Track included articles on European cars often, as well.
This cover showed the new (then) Chrysler 300D which, except for the Imperial, was the top model. I don't think Chrysler fins got much higher, unlike the '59 Caddy.


JJ.

[Dave McGouldrick]

Originally Posted by BobClay

A mate of mine in Stafford sent me this photo which is fascinating and should be captioned: "Be very bloody careful what you poke your fingers into."

Helluva pocketwatch

[Tony Skilton]

A significant correction required to posts 109, 110, and 112.
The Napier Deltic has 18 cylinders in a triangular configuration (effectively 3 x banks of 6 cylinders). As the engine has 3 crankshafts (one at the top and one at the bottom of each cylinder bank), and the engine has no cylinder heads but is horizontally opposed, it actually has 36 PISTONS, not 6 as stated. During development, the engineers had significant timing problems until they decided to have 2 crankshafts rotating in one direction, and the 3rd rotating in the opposite direction.
Somewhere I have some Deltic cutaway photos I took in the York Rail Museum. Just gotta find them!

Skilly

[Malcolm G]

#122 - How is that a significant correction to what I wrote?

6 pistons per bank x 6 banks = 36, in 18 cylinders. Sounds the same to me.

[Tony Skilton]

Hi Malcolm,

No offence meant, but on reading the statement in the earlier post, I ran it past two of my sons (35 & 33, who are both technical people in very responsible positions), and they couldn't clearly understand what was stated. I could, because I have seen Deltics, but they couldn't. When I then described the engine layout to them a bit more clearly, with a diagram, they then understood the description. The only error I made in my description was stating that the pistons were horizontally opposed, which is technically incorrect as the banks of liners sit at 120 degrees to each other, so only one set of cylinders is truly 'horizontally opposed'. The others could be described as 'opposed piston configuration', but definitely not horizontal.

Cheers,

Skilly

[Malcolm G]

Yes, no problem, I was trying to be brief, assuming too much....
But we definitely agree that the NOISE was the great part whether in vehicle or vessel!