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My First Car

We had a Austin 1100,. whenever it rained the engine cut out, the fuel pump was on the floor under the boot, so
when it got wet the motor cut out, would agree it was a nice ride!! Bernard
 
1954 situp and beg Ford popular, matt grey. 6 volt elecrics meaning the headlights were like candles and I became very expert at using the cranking handle to start the beast. 3 forward gears, top speed of 60mph going downhill with the wind behind me. That was in 1967, so in love with the beast I never parted with it and to this day it sits in the garage.
 
My late brother-in-law had a sit-up-and-beg Pop, which he was given and rebuilt from the ground up. Made a lovely job. Unfortunately, my father-in-law decided to charge the battery with a 12V charger....nuff said.

Big Gee
 
johndavies said:
1954 situp and beg Ford popular, matt grey. 6 volt elecrics meaning the headlights were like candles and I became very expert at using the cranking handle to start the beast. 3 forward gears, top speed of 60mph going downhill with the wind behind me. That was in 1967, so in love with the beast I never parted with it and to this day it sits in the garage.
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John, Michael had one of these he will be so jealuos when I tell him you still have yours!
 
Peter i hope your driving has improved looks like you,ve just crashed into your sisters pram and she doesn,t look to pleased.Dek:rolleyes::rolleyes::D
 
I must say I am most impressed with your back garden pedrocut, as one who never had a pedal car or large backgarden.
paul
 
paul stacey said:
I must say I am most impressed with your back garden pedrocut, as one who never had a pedal car or large backgarden.
paul
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This was in Brookvale Park by the Bowling Green, the Sons of Rest would be down on the right. The girl in the pram was my cousin and she had come up from the Smoke.

I had just driven down from the back garden, across Witton Allotments ...

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All the Best Peter
 
My first car was an Austin 18 taxi circa 1936. Three of us bought the car from a mate at work, we paid £4 each for it, yes £12 for a car. It was 1958 I hadn't long passed my test, we had such fun in that car. The photo shows me at the wheel just before we took off on one of our excursions from where we lived in Erdington, usually to all parts of Brum, or up Cannock Chase.1-DSCF9445.JPG When the M1 was first opened in somewhere around 1960/1, they were trying to educate drivers as to what sort of vehicles should or should not go on the new motorway, our old Austin 18 taxi was the one they used as an example as to not go on a motorway. Mind you it was a bit bent at the time and in a scrap yard.
 
My first car was a beige eight year old mini, which I had in May 1976 - SAL 694F. She took me loads of places and I really enjoyed her like no other car. I suppose it's always the same with your first one. Somewhere I have a photo, but I have not got a clue where.
 
I had mentioned my 1st car earlier in this thread but with no pic, but I had put a pic in a Birchfield Rd thread so its easy to drag it here.
I bought the Hillman Imp new from showroom, it broke down after 2 miles. The kind dealer came out and towed me back, took a carburretor out of another new car, fitted it in mine and I drove to Sutton to put some petrol in, slammed the door on my thumb and got a painful black nail - it was an interesting day !
The car was 4 years old in the pic.
 

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My first car cost £5 and was a ford prefect,(sit up and beg), 3 forward gears, no heater, and windscreen wipers you had to help in heavy rain, and just a small dashboard light for the speedo and petrol gauge which did't light up much, in winter you had to keep the side light windows open to stop it fogging up, really cold, but did the job and I loved it. The half shaft snapped at the 5 ways lights at about 2am in the morning I was going in the Army next day so just left it at the side of the road.
paul
 
Split wind screen 1955 Morris Minor bought 1971 for £18. It was a great little car, except that when you opened the drivers window, it fell down to the bottom of the panel, and I had to carry a knife to get it back up again. Sold it to a mate for £55 and within a week the front axle collapsed. I did feel a bit guilty

1955-morris-minor-1000-2-door-saloon.jpg
 
Another older thread which I had not seen. I did trawl through it in case I had already posted here.

My first car, which I got whilst in the RAF in 1956, was an old 1935 Austin 10. It was very basic, compared to modern cars but it served me well for almost a year and took a few of us many places. We were never stopped by an authorities - which was just as well. I sold it on to an airman when I was posted.
 
This was my first car bought from a Rootes Dealer on the corner of Wellhead Lane and Aldridge Road.
oldMohawk said:
I had mentioned my 1st car earlier in this thread but with no pic, but I had put a pic in a Birchfield Rd thread so its easy to drag it here. I bought the Hillman Imp new from showroom, it broke down after 2 miles. The kind dealer came out and towed me back, took a carburretor out of another new car, fitted it in mine and I drove to Sutton to put some petrol in, slammed the door on my thumb and got a painful black nail - it was an interesting day !
The car was 4 years old in the pic.
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My first car was a mini - bought new in 1976 - savings plus a bank loan. Total £1500. I kept it for 13 years until it needed too much doing to it. My only complaint was the boot was too small to hold a full grocery shopping. If my memory serves me correctly the tank did not hold £5 of petrol.
 
My first car was a Mk1 Ford Escort, metallic light blue. Bought it of a guy from Rednal, it was completely clapped out. He must have filled the cylinders with molyslip or some other gunge to bring the compression back up so it would start. Proper sawdust in the gearbox stich up, it was every penny I had.

I did manage to fix it and ran it for quite a few years.
 
Morturn said:
My first car was a Mk1 Ford Escort, metallic light blue. Bought it of a guy from Rednal, it was completely clapped out. He must have filled the cylinders with molyslip or some other gunge to bring the compression back up so it would start. Proper sawdust in the gearbox stich up, it was every penny I had.

I did manage to fix it and ran it for quite a few years.
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I remember buying a car from Moseley once, I paid him £42 for it, mind you I was only earning about £7 a week, before I got home to Stirchley the near side front wheel seized up. I fixed it with my mate Bill, painted it gold, ran it for a couple of months then scrapped it.
 
Stevehanson said:
Yes I was over the moon, every morning with my hands bleeding, cranking it with a starting handle try to get it started, and the time going over Breedon bridge with it on fire.
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Some great memories though eh, those old cars really make us appreciate the newer ones.... or do they
 
I never owned a car in Brum, when I left to go to the USA I did finally get to own an 1956 Oldsmobile a real rocket V8 automatic. had dzens since then. My Dad in Brum drove Rovers in the 1950s I now drive a Boxster with the top down most of the time
 

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John,

Very nice, and I've just given up driving due to a combination of factors. That second picture looks a bit like Howard Rumsey's old place down at Hermosa Beach.

Maurice
 
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