IBM Transport

[IBM]

1 hour ago, The Mantis said:

Exactly. My old man was a motor mechanic to trade in his younger days although he wasn’t in the trade during my lifetime. But he always fixed his own motors and I naturally just graduated from fixing my bike onto fixing cars. I’ve done a clutch, petrol tank, valve grinding, new wings, brake discs etc etc. However with the car I have now I got ready to change the oil, located the drain plug underneath the plastic tray they all have nowadays, but couldn’t even see where the filter was . So that was the end of my car maintenance days…

Yes I think we were all the same I learnt from my father who was a driver in the REME for three years and helped set up mobile workshops in Italy and Palestine and helping out he learned enough to become a mechanic and a plant fitter working on all types of plant and cranes who in turn taught me doing everything till the nearly 90's when I needed special keys for a drive shaft boot on my first Audi and went to an old school friend who had his own garage and charged £10 per hour so I gave up lying under cars in all weathers.  Did everything from servicing to an engine rebuild in Mk3 Cortina replaced front wings patched up the sills on the same car but got someone else to paint them, it was the worst car I had and was only 5 years old when I traded it in.  Back then it was working by torch light in the winter pouring the old oil down the nearest drain and putting the old filters brake shoes and anything else in the bin 

[IBM]

And now back to some classic cars down Ingles Street one similar to my Cortina 2000GT  that was my pride and joy when I was 21, I must have a look for a photo.  Also another Riley Elf, Bond Bug and pickup based on the Bug owned by an retired BT/Openreach engineer and when he passes my house in the Riley you can smell the oil for about 5 minutes.

 

 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

14 hours ago, The Mantis said:

We have the Myreton Motor Museum a half hour’s drive away in East Lothian, and the Museum of Flight nearby, which has Concorde on the site. Need to try and visit them this year as I haven’t been for yonks.

28 June 2008.  One of my wife's few relatives was getting married, near Falkirk.  The wedding was in mid afternoon.  The female side of the family were all getting their hair done that morning.  Just about the only male relatives were the bride's father and brother, and they weren't allowed out!  So what's a man to do?  Zoom round to Myreton, of course!

(I've also been to East Fortune, but can't seem to find any photographs.  I well remember the big Vulcan sitting outside.)

 

 

 

[IBM]

10 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

28 June 2008.  One of my wife's few relatives was getting married, near Falkirk.  The wedding was in mid afternoon.  The female side of the family were all getting their hair done that morning.  Just about the only male relatives were the bride's father and brother, and they weren't allowed out!  So what's a man to do?  Zoom round to Myreton, of course!

(I've also been to East Fortune, but can't seem to find any photographs.  I well remember the big Vulcan sitting outside.)

 

 

 

I like the MG TA  from the 30's and note the front wing of a Hillman Minx from the 50's

[IBM]

23 hours ago, IBM said:

Yes I think we were all the same I learnt from my father who was a driver in the REME for three years and helped set up mobile workshops in Italy and Palestine and helping out he learned enough to become a mechanic and a plant fitter working on all types of plant and cranes who in turn taught me doing everything till the nearly 90's when I needed special keys for a drive shaft boot on my first Audi and went to an old school friend who had his own garage and charged £10 per hour so I gave up lying under cars in all weathers.  Did everything from servicing to an engine rebuild in Mk3 Cortina replaced front wings patched up the sills on the same car but got someone else to paint them, it was the worst car I had and was only 5 years old when I traded it in.  Back then it was working by torch light in the winter pouring the old oil down the nearest drain and putting the old filters brake shoes and anything else in the bin 

Here it is and a very young IBM 

 

[IBM]

Along Eastgate some family cars and an American breakdown truck that does 1.5 mpg 

 

 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

Whenever we see an Anglia - like the one above or the one at Harpenden - my wife says "We had one when I was a kid.  And I was always sick in the back of it!".  (We have an emoji for that, but I'll spare you.)

She was clearly not a fan of the reverse rake rear window

[IBM]

Some more from Falcon Square.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

At first glance  I thought that Jaguar was a Bentley!

I have a photo or two of an early Fiat 500 Topolino, which I will put up when I get back home - I am in Croatia just now.

My next door neighbour - a stylish lady in her early 70s - had a Fiat 500, but not for very long.  She'd had a classic MX-5 for years.  Bought a new one when the redesign came out a few years ago, but she couldn't get along with it.

Next up was a Fiat 500, which lasted for even less time - I was able to use the old "Had you filled up the ashtrays?" line.  She then went on to a Mini, which she is very happy with.

Three brand-new cars in a few weeks! One of the problems with the Fiat was that her partner is over 6 feet tall (and ex-Scots Guards) - and he didn't fit in very well!

[The Mantis]

Thought I would put this up as it’s 60 years this week.My old man worked on the FRB construction even if it was just the toll booths, and I was at the opening with a girl in my primary class as we were allowed to choose two from each year. But my main thought was for @IBM when I saw the cars

Also, I managed to visit Myreton today and I got a load of pics. I have to say @snorbens_caleyman that they had a Topolino but I wasn’t interested enough to snap it…

[IBM]

On 9/6/2024 at 4:15 PM, The Mantis said:

Thought I would put this up as it’s 60 years this week.My old man worked on the FRB construction even if it was just the toll booths, and I was at the opening with a girl in my primary class as we were allowed to choose two from each year. But my main thought was for @IBM when I saw the cars

Also, I managed to visit Myreton today and I got a load of pics. I have to say @snorbens_caleyman that they had a Topolino but I wasn’t interested enough to snap it…

Cracking photo Mantis if you have any more you could start another thread  a great bit of engineering by Logan from Muir of Ord.  On the cars a black Ford Consul, Rover 90/100, Vauxhall Victor and a beautiful two tone Vauxhall Cresta.  I was a young boy when it opened and the first time I crossed it was going to camp in Milton Bridge, Edinburgh with the army cadets in 1972, been over it many times since.

[The Mantis]

11 hours ago, IBM said:

Cracking photo Mantis if you have any more you could start another thread  a great bit of engineering by Logan from Muir of Ord.  On the cars a black Ford Consul, Rover 90/100, Vauxhall Victor and a beautiful two tone Vauxhall Cresta.  I was a young boy when it opened and the first time I crossed it was going to camp in Milton Bridge, Edinburgh with the army cadets in 1972, been over it many times since.

It’s not mine, it’s nicked off Facebook but I will post up some shots from Myreton. The village of Milton Bridge is only a couple of miles away here in Midlothian between Roslin and Penicuik. I had a few pals who went to camp there back in the day.  Glencorse Barracks is in the village, it was the Royal Scots but I looked it up and it’s the Royal Highland Fusiliers now. Dolly the sheep was born/hatched/cloned/procreated about a mile away. Also Rosslyn Chapel which was quiet till some eejit wrote a bestseller of a book and they made a film of it

[+snorbens_caleyman]

I think I've said that we crossed the bridge on the evening of the day it opened, on our way to visit relatives in Newtongrange.  The traffic queues extended back across to the north side, and the fog was the thickest I have ever seen.

Newtongrange was so different from Sneck  - STV, pirate station Radio North Sea International, and the newsagent at the end of the road sold DC Superman comics!

My uncle was a Mason, and showed us around Rosslyn Chapel long before Dan Brown ever heard of it.

[The Mantis]

12 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Newtongrange was so different from Sneck  - STV, pirate station Radio North Sea International, and the newsagent at the end of the road sold DC Superman comics!

Nitten by the Bing as we call it, with the Dean Tavern, a classic Gothenburg pub, and the streets built (1st street, 2nd Street, etc) by the Lothian Coal Company. Just a couple of miles away from here, and in a sliding doors moment they would have been in SFL2 instead of Bonnyrigg having dominated the East Juniors for years. Similar to Elgin losing out to Ross County.

A couple from Myreton, a 1961 Zephyr Mkii, 6 cylinders and 2553cc., and a 1961 Humber Super Snipe, 2965cc, which was owned from new by Younger the brewer. According to the info card, the Humber didn't handle well but was good for 100mph...

[+snorbens_caleyman]

On 9/9/2024 at 9:06 AM, snorbens_caleyman said:

Newtongrange was so different from Sneck  - STV, pirate station Radio North Sea International, and the newsagent at the end of the road sold DC Superman comics!

Turns out that I meant the pirate Radio Scotland, which had the "Black Bear" as its signature tune.  Though I do also remember Radio NSI.

Don't remember actually receiving any pirate stations in Sneck.  Caroline maybe.  And Luxembourg, of course - not actually a pirate - if I turned the tranny (back then that was a radio, kids!) to the right angle.

[The Mantis]

8 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Turns out that I meant the pirate Radio Scotland, which had the "Black Bear" as its signature tune. 

Can't remember the Black Bear but do remember Stuart Henry the DJ. Went on to do Top of the Pops. Apparently fond of a spew on board the pirate ship.

1973 Sunbeam Rapier and 1913 Sunbeam 3 litre.

[IBM]

2 hours ago, The Mantis said:

Can't remember the Black Bear but do remember Stuart Henry the DJ. Went on to do Top of the Pops. Apparently fond of a spew on board the pirate ship.

1973 Sunbeam Rapier and 1913 Sunbeam 3 litre.

That 1913 Sunbeam is what you need for the winter as long as you have a warm waterproof coat, gloves, hat and goggles.  With the thin wheels and tyres that would glide through the snow no problem unlike the modern cars.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

And here is the promised picture of the Fiat Topolino.  Looks like I took only one photo of it at Shuttleworth last month, although I have many older photos of it and can dig them out if Mantis wants to see them    It's worth reading the info about the car to see how advanced it was.

 

 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

An MG for IBM.

 

And what to do with your war surplus aluminium....

[IBM]

I would go for the MG before the Fiat 

[The Mantis]

22 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

And here is the promised picture of the Fiat Topolino.  Looks like I took only one photo of it at Shuttleworth last month, although I have many older photos of it and can dig them out if Mantis wants to see them    It's worth reading the info about the car to see how advanced it was.

 

 

 

Ah right, that's more interesting. The one I saw was like the modern Fiat 500 but maybe I misread the info panel.

Here's a Fiat X19 by way of apology 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

My favourite car from Shuttleworth - a 1934 Railton.

[The Mantis]

Couple of cheap bangers:

1976 RR Silver Shadow ii

1964 Bentley S3.
6.2L, V8, 2113kg.

[IBM]

This is the best one I have without posting one from my wedding album in 1982  I seen it at a car show in Nairn I think and spoke to the owner Ernest Snape from Balloch asking if he would hire it for my wedding.  He offered it free for my wedding as it wasn't insured for hire along with his friend Jimmy as driver who turned up like a proper chauffeur with matching red velvet jacket   I did provide gifts for both and had to stop my best man from buying double whiskies for Jimmy as I was worried he would crash the car on his way back to Balloch 

 

[The Mantis]

Saw this from one of my contacts on Flickr - seen in Dunoon: