Today we look at MOTORING back when our boys help the World Cup aloft.
Roads - Motorways only arrived in 1959 and there were few by-passes so
any longish journeys went through every little viage and town, took bloody ages.
The cars then were almost like the Flintones', a few that I travelled in
let water in when it rained and our feet got wet !!!
Cars started to rust and start to fall aprt after a few years mostly the sills and wings.
Most cars were quite old due to the lower standard of living and the effect
of MOT tests which came in in 1960 hadn't yet cleared the roads of dangerous wrecks.
As cars were low-tech and relatively simply most people did their own repairs, just buy a Haynes manual and the relevant parts form Halfords and one could happily replace your trunions or your knurdle-thrub flange widgets in an afternoon
But the downside was cars regularly broke down or wouldn't start (often due to poor maintenance)
(These days I never even open my bonnet from 1 year to the next)
As for the famous cars of the day one should give a mention to the Mini, that proud icon of the British motor industry. The earlier minis were a tad basic, the instrumentation consisted of just a small round speedo in the middle and a gaping gash on either side, where today's cars have a dashboard and instruments.
The windows were only of the sliding varety and the door handles ....... well .....the door handles were simply a piece of string (nylon cord on the Deluxe model) with a wooden "skipping rope handle" to hold and pull down.
And what of the Motor Industry back then ? British cars were so poorly thrown together they found it cheaper to deliver a car with it's myriad defects and let the customer find the faults which the local garage would then fix. Often these faults prevented a customer from actua;;y driving it away from the showroom.
The industry was dying on it's feet with factories more often than not, closed for weeks on end after unions called strikes over an extra 2 minutes on tea breaks so more and more people sensibly bought foreign-made models.
British cars were total CRAP ....but British crap.
1966 Puffin's guide. Part 2
posted on 24/1/17
You go camping regularly, whitewall?
posted on 24/1/17
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posted on 24/1/17
Haynes Manual instruction: 'If it doesn't move the introduction of a flat-nosed drift might be necessary',🛠
I had a 1963 Mk1 Ford Cortina with a LW/MW/SW radio fitted showing BBC Home, Light & Third channel frequencies as well as the BBC World Service, Hilversum, Radio Luxembourg and a whole host of the world's cities.
posted on 24/1/17
and almost every car in those days leaked oil all over your driveway. No matter how tight your sump drain nut was ...it always facking leaked
posted on 24/1/17
I used second-hand oven pans for drip trays.
Moving on in time, I borrowed a mate's BSA Bantam for the motorcycle test. The ultimate 'white knuckle' ride not as they were dangerous, but because of the rigid suspension struts. The test, in February 1975, was to undergo a ride around 4 streets, an emergency stop and then 3 Highway Code questions. That was it.
posted on 24/1/17
Wonder if anyone has given a name to their SUV ? bet it's a bloke's name
posted on 24/1/17
comment by ®åρtor✡ (U1071)
posted 40 minutes ago
You go camping regularly, whitewall?
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When we can, France mainly. But always slowly.
posted on 24/1/17
Way back in the late 60's I had a Paddy Hopkirk Mini Cooper Special.
S* it off a shovel job, had a top speed of 98mph, which is not a lot compared to today's cars.
But the mini had 12" wheels (compared to my current cars 19" wheels) and at times it was like being on a roller coaster ride at a theme park
The biggest problem was its hydrolastic suspension, would come out occasionally to see the car leaning over which meant I had to get the suspension pumped up!
It was a fun car and will always have a place in my heart as it was also my very first car.
posted on 24/1/17
But as you say, compared to current cars ..................!!!
posted on 24/1/17
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