How about a 'period' classics pictures thread
Discussion
manorcom said:
A great picure of the junction at 5 ways Edgbaston Birmingham 1966. I remember this juncrion it usd to be a nightmare:
The Triumph 1300 / 1500 looks remarkably compact and modern. My aunt had two of them which I remember being quite feisty little movers with six of us on board, going off up the new-fangled M6 in the early '70s.As it is Christmas, perhaps you might like a story for a change, a true one. Let me know if I should'nt have posted it please.
Today it is exactly 50 years since an event which changed my life forever. On Wednesday 18th December 1968 I had a car accident. Whilst my injuries were not actually life threatening, at the time it was very painful, but let me explain.
The previous summer I was 18 years old and had done quite well at my new job. I have always been quite good at systems and implementing them. I was working at the Shirley depot and the company had just taken over another firm in Lichfield. I suppose I was the obvious choice to move to the company and convert them to our well proven systems. So to my delight I was told I was going to be issued a company car. The Company mainly used Vauxhalls at that time so I pored over the new Viva HB brochure. I loved the coke bottle shape of it and the stubby gear change was great. Although I lusted over the more powerful SL90 I knew I would get just a base 1200 model. I started a Lichfield and a couple of weeks later I was asked to report to head office to pick up my new car.
So next morning I got a lift to the head office and reported to the transport managers’ office. The first thing he said was “What colour do you want Keith?” I replied “I would prefer blue.” To which he said with a wry smile “You can have green, green or green?” So green it was going to be then. I signed the paperwork and followed him to the garage. Going in I could only see 3 new green Ford Escorts. I complained “I was told I was getting a Viva!” He replied “We have signed a new deal with Bristol Street Motors and we are going to have Fords from now on.” The shape was somewhat boring compared with a racy Viva and besides Fords’ had a reputation for not starting in the winter. But hey I was told never to look a gift horse in the mouth and went on my way to Lichfield.
I soon fitted a Radiomobile radio, bullet wing mirrors, and spotlights all funded by the sale of my old Viva HA. A regular visitor to Hednesford Hills Raceway for stock car racing, a sticker was affixed to the rear window. At weekends I would remove the hubcaps and the air cleaner [to get that loud sucking sound], I had my new rally car. You can guess I was the envy of my mates, only 18 with a new car!
That Wednesday evening we had been rehearsing our band at the Chesterfield Club in Castle Bromwich so I was quite warm after drumming for a couple of hours. When we finished Cathy Phillips, the club owner’s daughter and our band secretary said that one of the bar staff had not turned in and it was getting busy. She had contacted a replacement who couldn’t get to the club so I volunteered to go and collect her and we could get some fish and chips on the way back. The air was not cold [at least to me] when we went outside to my car. Cathy and my friend Bernard decided to come with me. The journey of around 6 miles or so didn’t take long but I hadn’t noticed that the air temperature was dropping very fast. The road was damp but it was not raining.
When you are young you don’t see danger, you think you are going to live forever. I was, I thought a good driver and not the slowest around, I already had 2 speeding tickets; I went round a small island on the Warwick road, a quick left and right…….Then my car was floating totally out of control on a sheet of black ice. We hit a car travelling towards us head on with a combined speed of around 50 – 60 mph. With no seat belts, my head struck the steering wheel and I passed out for a minute or so. Cathy, sat next to me got a small bruise on her leg but Bernard who had been sat in the back leaning forward chatting to us was nowhere to be seen. Cathy, to this day, swears she got out of the car and saw Bernard sat cross legged dazed in the road 10 yards away. She hadn’t let him out of the two door car [Bernard never remembered what happened]. The windscreen had shattered so we can only assume that he had been catapulted through it. Gladly he was totally uninjured. The other driver and passenger were slightly injured.
The impact had knocked out or broken 6 of my bottom front teeth and the roots were protruding through my chin. I was pouring blood and it took 20 minutes for the fire brigade to extract me from the car. The pain when they cut through my gums to remove the teeth I will remember forever. I have worn a bottom denture since.
The Police prosecuted me for undue care and attention. In law there is no such thing as an accident. It is always someone’s fault. I got another endorsement but after pleading they let me keep my licence. No replacement new car for me then. The oldest worn out thing they could find. Ah well c’est la vie.
There is an old wives tale about your whole life flashing past your eyes in slow motion with traumas like this. I can tell you it is absolutely true. But I think that event saved my life. I made some decisions that night. To be a better driver I went on two diving courses. To finish with my then girlfriend [that is another story]. Never leave an argument unfinished. When you love someone, tell them, don’t hold back. And probably the best one is one of my father’s mottos; don’t go through life wishing you had done something, do it and worry about it afterwards
Today it is exactly 50 years since an event which changed my life forever. On Wednesday 18th December 1968 I had a car accident. Whilst my injuries were not actually life threatening, at the time it was very painful, but let me explain.
The previous summer I was 18 years old and had done quite well at my new job. I have always been quite good at systems and implementing them. I was working at the Shirley depot and the company had just taken over another firm in Lichfield. I suppose I was the obvious choice to move to the company and convert them to our well proven systems. So to my delight I was told I was going to be issued a company car. The Company mainly used Vauxhalls at that time so I pored over the new Viva HB brochure. I loved the coke bottle shape of it and the stubby gear change was great. Although I lusted over the more powerful SL90 I knew I would get just a base 1200 model. I started a Lichfield and a couple of weeks later I was asked to report to head office to pick up my new car.
So next morning I got a lift to the head office and reported to the transport managers’ office. The first thing he said was “What colour do you want Keith?” I replied “I would prefer blue.” To which he said with a wry smile “You can have green, green or green?” So green it was going to be then. I signed the paperwork and followed him to the garage. Going in I could only see 3 new green Ford Escorts. I complained “I was told I was getting a Viva!” He replied “We have signed a new deal with Bristol Street Motors and we are going to have Fords from now on.” The shape was somewhat boring compared with a racy Viva and besides Fords’ had a reputation for not starting in the winter. But hey I was told never to look a gift horse in the mouth and went on my way to Lichfield.
I soon fitted a Radiomobile radio, bullet wing mirrors, and spotlights all funded by the sale of my old Viva HA. A regular visitor to Hednesford Hills Raceway for stock car racing, a sticker was affixed to the rear window. At weekends I would remove the hubcaps and the air cleaner [to get that loud sucking sound], I had my new rally car. You can guess I was the envy of my mates, only 18 with a new car!
That Wednesday evening we had been rehearsing our band at the Chesterfield Club in Castle Bromwich so I was quite warm after drumming for a couple of hours. When we finished Cathy Phillips, the club owner’s daughter and our band secretary said that one of the bar staff had not turned in and it was getting busy. She had contacted a replacement who couldn’t get to the club so I volunteered to go and collect her and we could get some fish and chips on the way back. The air was not cold [at least to me] when we went outside to my car. Cathy and my friend Bernard decided to come with me. The journey of around 6 miles or so didn’t take long but I hadn’t noticed that the air temperature was dropping very fast. The road was damp but it was not raining.
When you are young you don’t see danger, you think you are going to live forever. I was, I thought a good driver and not the slowest around, I already had 2 speeding tickets; I went round a small island on the Warwick road, a quick left and right…….Then my car was floating totally out of control on a sheet of black ice. We hit a car travelling towards us head on with a combined speed of around 50 – 60 mph. With no seat belts, my head struck the steering wheel and I passed out for a minute or so. Cathy, sat next to me got a small bruise on her leg but Bernard who had been sat in the back leaning forward chatting to us was nowhere to be seen. Cathy, to this day, swears she got out of the car and saw Bernard sat cross legged dazed in the road 10 yards away. She hadn’t let him out of the two door car [Bernard never remembered what happened]. The windscreen had shattered so we can only assume that he had been catapulted through it. Gladly he was totally uninjured. The other driver and passenger were slightly injured.
The impact had knocked out or broken 6 of my bottom front teeth and the roots were protruding through my chin. I was pouring blood and it took 20 minutes for the fire brigade to extract me from the car. The pain when they cut through my gums to remove the teeth I will remember forever. I have worn a bottom denture since.
The Police prosecuted me for undue care and attention. In law there is no such thing as an accident. It is always someone’s fault. I got another endorsement but after pleading they let me keep my licence. No replacement new car for me then. The oldest worn out thing they could find. Ah well c’est la vie.
There is an old wives tale about your whole life flashing past your eyes in slow motion with traumas like this. I can tell you it is absolutely true. But I think that event saved my life. I made some decisions that night. To be a better driver I went on two diving courses. To finish with my then girlfriend [that is another story]. Never leave an argument unfinished. When you love someone, tell them, don’t hold back. And probably the best one is one of my father’s mottos; don’t go through life wishing you had done something, do it and worry about it afterwards
Posting another period photo seems somewhat superfluous after reading that Keith but here's a jolly one from the archives, perhaps a caption competition is in order...?
(The last line of your post is so true, I'm determined to bag something 'special' like a Lotus Europa, Esprit or a Jensen Interceptor before time overtakes me)
(The last line of your post is so true, I'm determined to bag something 'special' like a Lotus Europa, Esprit or a Jensen Interceptor before time overtakes me)
N7GTX said:
A couple taken from my Ford days.
A molested 1.6 ghia built in Germany so Ziebarted and why its not covered in rust (note the nearside headlight rusting though). Engine was a Burton stage 2 and previous owner had jacked the rear and fitted some nice lights on the axle. Real classy. A few trips to the scrappy sorted that. Midnight blue I think the colour was. Taken around 1990.
One of my fave cars. Modena green and had just been resprayed (as you can tell). The contrasting RS side decals were not available from Ford (and no t'internet then) so never stuck them on. That was 1981 and sold it for £800
Original engine with around 65k miles. I luvved that car....... 
Mine and my Friends’ RS2000s, XR2 and works Lotus Sunbeam rep at MOTEC, High Ercall Autotest - circa 1985A molested 1.6 ghia built in Germany so Ziebarted and why its not covered in rust (note the nearside headlight rusting though). Engine was a Burton stage 2 and previous owner had jacked the rear and fitted some nice lights on the axle. Real classy. A few trips to the scrappy sorted that. Midnight blue I think the colour was. Taken around 1990.
One of my fave cars. Modena green and had just been resprayed (as you can tell). The contrasting RS side decals were not available from Ford (and no t'internet then) so never stuck them on. That was 1981 and sold it for £800
Original engine with around 65k miles. I luvved that car....... 
Overbrook in Chipping Cotswoldshire have a gold S2 for sale...
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1018602
Sardinia, 1976...
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1018602
Sardinia, 1976...
[quote=Loose_Cannon]Punk rocker Dave Vanian with his Mk1 Capri and Mk3 Cortina at the time of his wedding 1977. Elvis Costello was on the short guest list!
.... I was impressed he used a MK1 till I realised it wasn't a 3.0 and had silly blown arches 
presumed he lived dangerously 
i.e going but not stopping
.... I was impressed he used a MK1 till I realised it wasn't a 3.0 and had silly blown arches presumed he lived dangerously i.e going but not stopping Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff