18-08-2021, 02:52 PM
Hi Nick.
That's a good story indeed. My first car was a 1960 VW 1200 Beetle bought in September 1971. Talk about worn out!!!!
From memory it had done about 70,000 miles it was rusty to say the least with no running boards or rear bumper mounts. My neighbour who was a brilliant welder made running boards and sorted all the bad bits.
Once warned up the oil light flickered, the main bearings rumbled, it used a pint of oil every 120 miles and the layshaft bearing in the gearbox whined in lower gears. It did though start instantly hot or cold. The 6v lights were worse than a candle and the voltage regulator went on fire one day. I disconnected it and tried to drive home on the battery, then it started to misfire blowing a hole in the exhaust because of backfiring. Parts were expensive. My next car was a 1964 850 Mini, great little car which I swapped for a 1967 anglia van as I was selling colour TVs on the side, it had no drivers floor other than a bit of plywood and the rubber mat. After a MOT failure I bought a 1965 Commer Imp Van, great condition but continual engine problems even after a recon engine it was never right. I gave up selling tellys and replaced it with a late 1969 Skoda 1000MB delux in 1974 which was a revelation. Economic, comfortable, well Engineered and 100 times better than those "in the know" would let you believe. This started a long relationship with Skoda of 25 years. I did have some projects in between like BMW 2002 Auto BMW 2000 Touring, BMW 2002Tii. Citroen GS, 2CV,Dyane and Visa amongst others, including a couple of Fords, 100E Anglia, Orion, Mk5 Cortina.
After the Skoda's as I have little time for VW, I had Nissan Primera, Rover 75s Audi 80s and more recently two Fiat Pandas. Now lumbered with this C3 Picasso.
Oddly its now driving very well indeed.
I hope the BMW mini isn't the one with the Prince engine. Let's hope the timing chain hasn't snapped. Incidentally the crank and cams do not have keyways the sprockets are just held in alignment by friction.
That's a good story indeed. My first car was a 1960 VW 1200 Beetle bought in September 1971. Talk about worn out!!!!
From memory it had done about 70,000 miles it was rusty to say the least with no running boards or rear bumper mounts. My neighbour who was a brilliant welder made running boards and sorted all the bad bits.
Once warned up the oil light flickered, the main bearings rumbled, it used a pint of oil every 120 miles and the layshaft bearing in the gearbox whined in lower gears. It did though start instantly hot or cold. The 6v lights were worse than a candle and the voltage regulator went on fire one day. I disconnected it and tried to drive home on the battery, then it started to misfire blowing a hole in the exhaust because of backfiring. Parts were expensive. My next car was a 1964 850 Mini, great little car which I swapped for a 1967 anglia van as I was selling colour TVs on the side, it had no drivers floor other than a bit of plywood and the rubber mat. After a MOT failure I bought a 1965 Commer Imp Van, great condition but continual engine problems even after a recon engine it was never right. I gave up selling tellys and replaced it with a late 1969 Skoda 1000MB delux in 1974 which was a revelation. Economic, comfortable, well Engineered and 100 times better than those "in the know" would let you believe. This started a long relationship with Skoda of 25 years. I did have some projects in between like BMW 2002 Auto BMW 2000 Touring, BMW 2002Tii. Citroen GS, 2CV,Dyane and Visa amongst others, including a couple of Fords, 100E Anglia, Orion, Mk5 Cortina.
After the Skoda's as I have little time for VW, I had Nissan Primera, Rover 75s Audi 80s and more recently two Fiat Pandas. Now lumbered with this C3 Picasso.
Oddly its now driving very well indeed.
I hope the BMW mini isn't the one with the Prince engine. Let's hope the timing chain hasn't snapped. Incidentally the crank and cams do not have keyways the sprockets are just held in alignment by friction.
