Discussion
Mine was in one of these - it actually happened twice.
These little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
These little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
roscobbc said:
Mine was in one of these - it actually happened twice.
These little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
You made my morning rosco, what a great funny storyThese little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
These stories are always funny 'many moons ' later!
At the time they is mini mares, but as long as no one gets hurt...
I had been on a 'death ride' with some Mopar mates down the A3 in my 69 R/T Charger. (LFN 7).
We always called them that as you get someone (unsuspecting) in the back seat (after its been polished).
Then fly around long corners at break neck speed like the wurlitzer lol...
So we are on the A3 and the guy in the back says ''these old Mopars are well slow''...
I looked at him and then the 'clear road' in front and went for it...
I was using most of the three lanes as the steering was a tad lose doh.
Can't say what we went up to too, but they was screaming 'well good'!
Then I drops them off and whist parking outside the house on 'full lock' the front suspension collapses.
OOPS that was lucky...
A bit like this with less body damage lol.
At the time they is mini mares, but as long as no one gets hurt...
I had been on a 'death ride' with some Mopar mates down the A3 in my 69 R/T Charger. (LFN 7).
We always called them that as you get someone (unsuspecting) in the back seat (after its been polished).
Then fly around long corners at break neck speed like the wurlitzer lol...
So we are on the A3 and the guy in the back says ''these old Mopars are well slow''...
I looked at him and then the 'clear road' in front and went for it...
I was using most of the three lanes as the steering was a tad lose doh.
Can't say what we went up to too, but they was screaming 'well good'!
Then I drops them off and whist parking outside the house on 'full lock' the front suspension collapses.
OOPS that was lucky...
A bit like this with less body damage lol.
You can do a lot of damage at 55mph like the Charger picture (above) and my mates 71 Runner!
He was very upset but 'walked away' after hitting a Range Rover in Reseda California!
My view is 'you can always get another Runner, but another life is a bit more tricky'...
(at least the roadrunner badge survived lol)
They is $350...
I'm sure his eyes were straight before the crash???
He was very upset but 'walked away' after hitting a Range Rover in Reseda California!
My view is 'you can always get another Runner, but another life is a bit more tricky'...
(at least the roadrunner badge survived lol)
They is $350...
I'm sure his eyes were straight before the crash???
Edited by Gtxxjon on Friday 27th May 09:18
rat rod said:
roscobbc said:
Mine was in one of these - it actually happened twice.
These little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
You made my morning rosco, what a great funny storyThese little b'stards are front wheel drive. Design isn't good using a pair of prop shaft type UJ's instead of CV joints - so UJ 'surge' on lock is an issue. The other issue is the wheel design which is like a Vespa or other scooter wheel. So a 1" approx splined drive shaft with a large cap headed nut secured with split pin. The wheel bolts to lugs on the edge of the brake drum. Brake drum is cast iron. Drive shaft is cast steel. Wear rate on drive shaft/brake drum was quite significant on my 8 or 9 year old example and the 'slop' caused by the wear allowed the retaining nut to cut through the split pin, The centre nut rotated undone and the left hand fron wheel 'left the scene'.........automatic reaction is to slam the brakes on......thing is that the brake drum has gone with the wheel and the brake cylinders have 'popped' loosing all hydraulic pressure......so no brakes, just the friction and grinding down of the left hand front king pin to retard the vehicle. Things didn't stop there. I didn't mention that I was on my way in work in Romford. Back then the traffic was relatively light and fortunately there were few other vehicles on the road at 8 o/clock in the morning.......except for a United Dairies milk float a couple of hundred yards down the road and facing up the hill (forgot to mention the slight hill). I was travelling down the hill at about 30 mph when the wheel came off. It kinda got snagged-up in the wheel arch and perhaps slowed-up a little before finally overtaking me on the pavement whilst I doing a 360 spin around in the Berkeley. I managed to get out of the car and started to run down the hill to try and catch up with the wheel which was probably travelling about 10 of 15 mph down the hill.......towards the milk float .......... The milkman in his cab was bending over and marking-up his customer book and totally oblivious to the now rapidly advancing wheel, with me chasing it and shouting at him. The wheel hit the front of the mild float squarely in the front. The milkman jumped-up in the air. Being fibre glass the cab didn't dent - it sprung-out again but with a whole series of cracks and shattered strands...........Mr Milkman was too surprised and shocked to ask for insurance details - we didn't speak (other than me saying sorry of something silly) and I simply picked-up my wheel and took it back to the car. It was like nothing had ever happened........I kinda managed to fix the Berkeley.....but not properly and the same thing happened a week so later but with a different result. Wanna hear that story?
but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
My dodgy wheel story involves the ‘last of the line’ Rover Mini Cooper I had as my daily runabout, back in 2004 I was helping my brother out with his Class 37 loco preservation group up in North Yorkshire and drove up there from Warwickshire. In those days I often drove like a demon, booting it on the long stretches where there were no cameras or other slight hinderances to making good progress, so the trip there and back was carried out with as much gusto as the little 1275 engine could muster, particularly on the M6, M1 and A1. Coming back I heard a very slight grinding noise from the O/S front corner as I approached the slip road for Rugby, then silence then I was suddenly facing north again before coming to a grinding halt. I got out to have a look at the front end to find the big 13” wheel stuffed right up into the wheel arch. Looking underneath it turned out the steering arm on that side had simply snapped in half. Stunned, it made me wince at what would have happened just a few minutes before when I was doing 90mph!
Edited by P5BNij on Friday 27th May 11:10
OK fella's here's part two of the two wheeled three wheeler story.
The design issue I previously mentioned about using U/J's instead of CV joints is perhaps worthy of further explanation. The Berkeley T60 used an Excelsior 328 cc twin two stroke mounted 'up-front'. It used a conventional enough chain drive from the 4 speed plus reverse gearbox (much as you would expect on a motorcycle) only now it drove a centre mounted differential. In turn two short driveshafts with U/J's each end connected to the front hubs.
Its strange that 30 years later the same short driveshaft set-up cropped-up again.......this time on the rear end of a Corvette. Back when the Berkeley was originally designed and at the height of the drive towards micro-cars this was an acceptable solution (doubt if anyone had ever heard of CV joints (except perhaps Alex Issigonis when designing the Mini). Short drive shafts work well enough on the rear end of a Corvette, although extreme deflection of the U/J's (like when doing drag type starts and on the 'bump stops') can promote extreme wear. Image driving a Berkeley......its light enough to physically lift-up the rear end if reverse failed. Being front wheel drive, very light and low it would give a Mini a run for its money on the 'twisty' stuff. As we all know with our V8 powered American stuff, even with a low powered V8 without a 'posi' pulling right out of a 'T' junction and hitting the gas will promote a delightful one wheeled rolling burnout. And so it was (almost) with the Berkeley......but now you had the advantange of front wheel drive........except unfortunately for the U/J 'deflection' issue. So, yes it would do a nice wheelspin turning right out of a 'T' junction but now the 'surge' characteristics of deflected U/J's showed themselfs as surge as the U/J's struggled to pass over there centre points......the effect was either to snap the drive chain - or - give a good rendition of a car using Kangaroo juice, with the front end jumping about with the wailing two stroke engine making a "waa", "waa", "waa" sound. This amused any onlooked immensely with the "piece de resistance" usually being the drive chain braking and being deposited on the road.
Anyway back to the story.
I should perhaps have learned from the first wheel loss - OK, so the left hand king pin nut (quite large and substansial) was only ground down about 50% - in my view plenty of material left to be safe. No, it was the sloppy splined drive shaft/brake hub that I really should have attended to. They should have been replaced.....and they were, but only following wheel loss number two.
This was a similar occurance to the previous wheel lost - but this time the wheel went in a different direction.........oddly enough it happened a week later on a Sunday evening, so there was little traffic around. The last 'loss' was travelling down the sight incline in Victoria Road - this one was in Brentwood Road which only half a mile away was parallel to Victoria Road (and shared the same incline). I was travelling down the hill with two rows of two-up/two down terrace houses on my left hand side. I was outside the end of one row of houses that were set back from the street by about 20 feet. The next row of house were effectively much further forward towards the road with only a 3/4 foot deep fron garden.
This time the wheel seemed to burst out of the nearside wheel arch at an angle perhaps of 120 degrees from the car - it hit the kerb whiuch projected it over the top of the low Privet hedge and up in to the air at an angle hitting the side of the next terrace house, unbelievably at first floor level, narrowly missing a first floor bedroom window............and then fell in to the front garden. I quickly ran into the garden, collected my wheel.....and amazingly other than a 'disabled' car in the road it was like absolutely nothing had happened......no one came out of either of the houses.
This is the location today............
https://goo.gl/maps/EQtL6YY44SsRc42b8
The design issue I previously mentioned about using U/J's instead of CV joints is perhaps worthy of further explanation. The Berkeley T60 used an Excelsior 328 cc twin two stroke mounted 'up-front'. It used a conventional enough chain drive from the 4 speed plus reverse gearbox (much as you would expect on a motorcycle) only now it drove a centre mounted differential. In turn two short driveshafts with U/J's each end connected to the front hubs.
Its strange that 30 years later the same short driveshaft set-up cropped-up again.......this time on the rear end of a Corvette. Back when the Berkeley was originally designed and at the height of the drive towards micro-cars this was an acceptable solution (doubt if anyone had ever heard of CV joints (except perhaps Alex Issigonis when designing the Mini). Short drive shafts work well enough on the rear end of a Corvette, although extreme deflection of the U/J's (like when doing drag type starts and on the 'bump stops') can promote extreme wear. Image driving a Berkeley......its light enough to physically lift-up the rear end if reverse failed. Being front wheel drive, very light and low it would give a Mini a run for its money on the 'twisty' stuff. As we all know with our V8 powered American stuff, even with a low powered V8 without a 'posi' pulling right out of a 'T' junction and hitting the gas will promote a delightful one wheeled rolling burnout. And so it was (almost) with the Berkeley......but now you had the advantange of front wheel drive........except unfortunately for the U/J 'deflection' issue. So, yes it would do a nice wheelspin turning right out of a 'T' junction but now the 'surge' characteristics of deflected U/J's showed themselfs as surge as the U/J's struggled to pass over there centre points......the effect was either to snap the drive chain - or - give a good rendition of a car using Kangaroo juice, with the front end jumping about with the wailing two stroke engine making a "waa", "waa", "waa" sound. This amused any onlooked immensely with the "piece de resistance" usually being the drive chain braking and being deposited on the road.
Anyway back to the story.
I should perhaps have learned from the first wheel loss - OK, so the left hand king pin nut (quite large and substansial) was only ground down about 50% - in my view plenty of material left to be safe. No, it was the sloppy splined drive shaft/brake hub that I really should have attended to. They should have been replaced.....and they were, but only following wheel loss number two.
This was a similar occurance to the previous wheel lost - but this time the wheel went in a different direction.........oddly enough it happened a week later on a Sunday evening, so there was little traffic around. The last 'loss' was travelling down the sight incline in Victoria Road - this one was in Brentwood Road which only half a mile away was parallel to Victoria Road (and shared the same incline). I was travelling down the hill with two rows of two-up/two down terrace houses on my left hand side. I was outside the end of one row of houses that were set back from the street by about 20 feet. The next row of house were effectively much further forward towards the road with only a 3/4 foot deep fron garden.
This time the wheel seemed to burst out of the nearside wheel arch at an angle perhaps of 120 degrees from the car - it hit the kerb whiuch projected it over the top of the low Privet hedge and up in to the air at an angle hitting the side of the next terrace house, unbelievably at first floor level, narrowly missing a first floor bedroom window............and then fell in to the front garden. I quickly ran into the garden, collected my wheel.....and amazingly other than a 'disabled' car in the road it was like absolutely nothing had happened......no one came out of either of the houses.
This is the location today............
https://goo.gl/maps/EQtL6YY44SsRc42b8
rat rod said:
You made my morning rosco, what a great funny story but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.
As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
At the time TBH it seemed like normal activity. I only had the Berkeley about 9 months at best (swapped it for an AJS 500) and other than the Firenza 2300 SL some 5 or 6 years later it was the most unreliable and fragile vehicle I ever owned. I was a case of repair/correct the last problem - get a day or so use - brake down again - take two weeks or more getting parts/machining bits/putting it back together - so another perhaps 2/3 days use before something else failed. There is a part 3 to this story - the body that would 'arch' upwards in its centre under heavy braking - and the door that broke thru' its check strap, snapped its hinges and fell off........... but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
I had a early 60’s Bond, may have been older
as I’m sure it had no Reverse gear??
It had a twin Villiers motorcycle motor,
Ugliest car ever , was a laugh though,
We did look into turning it into a boat,
But it’s construction was terrible, almost impossible to make it water tight!
Think that’s why I fancy a Europa !
as I’m sure it had no Reverse gear??
It had a twin Villiers motorcycle motor,
Ugliest car ever , was a laugh though,
We did look into turning it into a boat,
But it’s construction was terrible, almost impossible to make it water tight!
Think that’s why I fancy a Europa !
P5BNij said:
That was brilliant Rosco - in my head I was picturing Peter Sellers playing you and Eric Sykes playing the milkman!
My dodgy wheel story involves the ‘last of the line’ Rover Mini Cooper I had as my daily runabout, back in 2004 I was helping my brother out with his Class 37 loco preservation group up in North Yorkshire and drove up there from Warwickshire. In those days I often drove like a demon, booting it on the long stretches where there were no cameras or other slight hinderances to making good progress, so the trip there and back was carried out with as much gusto as the little 1275 engine could muster, particularly on the M6, M1 and A1. Coming back I heard a very slight grinding noise from the O/S front corner as I approached the slip road for Rugby, then silence then I was suddenly facing north again before coming to a grinding halt. I got out to have a look at the front end to find the big 13” wheel stuffed right up into the wheel arch. Looking underneath it turned out the steering arm on that side had simply snapped in half. Stunned, it made me wince at what would have happened just a few minutes before when I was doing 90mph!
That's one of your 9 lives gone i would say .My dodgy wheel story involves the ‘last of the line’ Rover Mini Cooper I had as my daily runabout, back in 2004 I was helping my brother out with his Class 37 loco preservation group up in North Yorkshire and drove up there from Warwickshire. In those days I often drove like a demon, booting it on the long stretches where there were no cameras or other slight hinderances to making good progress, so the trip there and back was carried out with as much gusto as the little 1275 engine could muster, particularly on the M6, M1 and A1. Coming back I heard a very slight grinding noise from the O/S front corner as I approached the slip road for Rugby, then silence then I was suddenly facing north again before coming to a grinding halt. I got out to have a look at the front end to find the big 13” wheel stuffed right up into the wheel arch. Looking underneath it turned out the steering arm on that side had simply snapped in half. Stunned, it made me wince at what would have happened just a few minutes before when I was doing 90mph!
Edited by P5BNij on Friday 27th May 11:10
90 mph in a Mini ,
are you mad ,you must have been thinking you were in your Loco 
Gtxxjon said:
You can do a lot of damage at 55mph like the Charger picture (above) and my mates 71 Runner!
He was very upset but 'walked away' after hitting a Range Rover in Reseda California!
My view is 'you can always get another Runner, but another life is a bit more tricky'...
(at least the roadrunner badge survived lol)
They is $350...
I'm sure his eyes were straight before the crash???
Shame , looks like it was a lovely car, nice colour as well.He was very upset but 'walked away' after hitting a Range Rover in Reseda California!
My view is 'you can always get another Runner, but another life is a bit more tricky'...
(at least the roadrunner badge survived lol)
They is $350...
I'm sure his eyes were straight before the crash???
Edited by Gtxxjon on Friday 27th May 09:18
Wonder more of these old don't end up like this ,unless bought up with them and learn
to respect their flaws it's a wonder the uninitiated don't write them off on their way home.
roscobbc said:
rat rod said:
You made my morning rosco, what a great funny story but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.
As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
At the time TBH it seemed like normal activity. I only had the Berkeley about 9 months at best (swapped it for an AJS 500) and other than the Firenza 2300 SL some 5 or 6 years later it was the most unreliable and fragile vehicle I ever owned. I was a case of repair/correct the last problem - get a day or so use - brake down again - take two weeks or more getting parts/machining bits/putting it back together - so another perhaps 2/3 days use before something else failed. There is a part 3 to this story - the body that would 'arch' upwards in its centre under heavy braking - and the door that broke thru' its check strap, snapped its hinges and fell off........... but not for you at the time i should imagine,look forward to part 2.As said before we need to write a book but nobody would believe us ,unless they owned classic cars of cause.
newsatten said:
Being a boat man have you ever thought about getting a decent boat instead of another car
I have every time i get in a traffic jam especially when driving a classicsupposably for pleasure, Had 2 and never got round to putting them in the water,
Did drive a ex Torpedo boat up Southampton water once at night , that was fun
rat rod said:
newsatten said:
Being a boat man have you ever thought about getting a decent boat instead of another car
I have every time i get in a traffic jam especially when driving a classicsupposably for pleasure, Had 2 and never got round to putting them in the water,
Did drive a ex Torpedo boat up Southampton water once at night , that was fun
Err no, the purchase prices are horrendous,
As are running costs , anything fun will do 1 mpg,
Plus you need at least one other really keen
Participant!
Lovely thought but that’s it ,
Being realistic I genuinely think I’m out now,
The Dodge has been gone almost a month now
so maybe I’m getting used to the idea!
Shame I don’t play golf or tennis as that’s about all one can do around here ,
I used to do a bit of sea fishing but that’s now also dead as the seas have been hoovered dry of fish!
Ces’t la vie
newsatten said:
rat rod said:
newsatten said:
Being a boat man have you ever thought about getting a decent boat instead of another car
I have every time i get in a traffic jam especially when driving a classicsupposably for pleasure, Had 2 and never got round to putting them in the water,
Did drive a ex Torpedo boat up Southampton water once at night , that was fun
Err no, the purchase prices are horrendous,
As are running costs , anything fun will do 1 mpg,
Plus you need at least one other really keen
Participant!
Lovely thought but that’s it ,
If I had a few million lying down the back of the sofa I think I would dabble in a new build vintage style wooden boat powered by a Packard 4M-2500 V12
When I was a kid the next door neighbours who I was close to, he was ex-Navy, and was a gunner who spent most of WW2 serving out in the Mediterranean with the RN MTB flotilla, and I used to listen to his tales of living about a very fast and noisy 5000 gallon floating fuel tank of high octane AVGAS, which he said emptied very quickly, when those 3 x 2500ci V12's were at full chat......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV3oEkkI6t4
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