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My First Car

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
I sat in a few times on Sunday afternoon's, Got to know the lads Conti Pete Howard lots of drugs etc But Howard lived into his 90s!!
 
My first car was a red mine,reg. 889 UP. I cant remember the reg. of any other cars ive had, including the one i have now, which is a bit of a problem when you have to input your reg at a parking machine.
 
1st car, bought before i had a license, and taught to drive by a friend, on a bombsite somewhere, was a red MGA softop ULK 21. Kept it in a neighbours garage for 12 months while took driving lessons and passed test in Sept 1969. Kept for 5 or 6 years then sold it for £50 to a work colleagu who restored it and sold it on.
I remember collecting it from a house in Streetly and drivingit back to Bordesley Green, after about 1 hour driving lesson as described before! I think i was about 19. I know i paid £120 for it, saved up from playing in pop group in Germany for 2 years.
 
My first pedal car is in the Pedal Car thread but not easy to find because of a spelling mistake in the thread title :)
Here's my pedal car on a sunny day during 2nd World War. Me driving, my sister in the trailer.
I remember pedalling it and trailer all the way from Beeches Estate Great Barr to my Grans in Perry Common, with a bit of help up the hill of Greenholm Rd. Wheels on it look good - tyres and spokes - and I'm wearing a uniform !
Greenholm_Hill.jpg
index.php
 
My first car was in 1964 a pedal Kettcar bought for me at Christmas, I did not want a dolls pram like my sisters (bit of a tomboy). It was bright red with Kettcar motif and a number one on the front bar. I was the envy of all the boys in the neighborhood, they all wanted to push me so they could have a go on it. I can still remember how fast it went downhill and how much that made my heart beat. Found a photo very similar to the one I had but mine had white tyres and was brighter red. Memories I love em!
kettcar 1964.jpg
 
My first car???
My first real car was when I arrived in the USA in 1957 A new MGA with my Dad's AA RAC badges on that he sent over to me and of course a Yankee bird! (girl)
 

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My first car was a 100E Anglia passed down to me. About 1968. Before then I was on 2 wheels, and my girlfriend was relieved to travel in comfort at last. It (the car) lasted a short while before throwing the big ends out on the road. A friend had a 100E Prefect, which ran OK, but everything else was dodgy. Over the final night of of its tax, we did an engine change. He needed his car until then to carry his own girlfriend. Next day, back on the road, a bit tired. My girlfriend helped as well, not going to lose a keeper like that. Andrew.
 
My first car was a 100E Anglia passed down to me. About 1968. Before then I was on 2 wheels, and my girlfriend was relieved to travel in comfort at last. It (the car) lasted a short while before throwing the big ends out on the road. A friend had a 100E Prefect, which ran OK, but everything else was dodgy. Over the final night of of its tax, we did an engine change. He needed his car until then to carry his own girlfriend. Next day, back on the road, a bit tired. My girlfriend helped as well, not going to lose a keeper like that. Andrew.
i had a 100e escort. and i took the sv engine out and put a later 107e ohv engine and running gear on it
 
i had a 100e escort. and i took the sv engine out and put a later 107e ohv engine and running gear on it
I look back fondly on the days when car parts were interchangeable. I also turn white when I think of what I did to keep a car running in those poor student days. Wouldn’t consider it now. Being a budding engineer from the start is probably what kept me on this earth. Before the car I had a James Cadet bike with ho-hum front forks. My mate’s bike was a James Captain. Guess what happened for the day of my bike’s test. Looked a bit odd, but passed OK. Then everything was restored for the next day. Andrew
 
My first car was a1929/30 Austin 7. Two main bearing crank shaft and three speed crash box, lasted less than a year, bought from a junk dealer. Next car was a 1948 MG TC, 19” wheels on the front with 15” on the back with oversized tires.
My first car in the US was a 1954 Ford sedan V8. Then I bought a brand new 1964 Triumph TR4, red with black interior! Great car until the new wore off, fortunately I was able to fix most of it myself!
 
I look back fondly on the days when car parts were interchangeable. I also turn white when I think of what I did to keep a car running in those poor student days. Wouldn’t consider it now. Being a budding engineer from the start is probably what kept me on this earth. Before the car I had a James Cadet bike with ho-hum front forks. My mate’s bike was a James Captain. Guess what happened for the day of my bike’s test. Looked a bit odd, but passed OK. Then everything was restored for the next day. Andrew
when i was a MOT tester i saw allsorts of bodges some DANGEROUS. like a piece of 3/1 timber and 2 hose clips to repair a rear spring,on a moggy 1000. wish we was allowed to take them off the rd like they do now:(
 
I had a second hand Hillman hunter back in the eighties after I passed my test, handbrake on the right hand side. Was a great drive but difficult to start on a cold morning. My next car was a Bright yellow Ford Fiesta that I bought at a car auction for £40, cost me all of £20 to get it through its MOT. Had it for three years. Colour was great to spot in a crowded car park when you had forgotten where you parked the car.
 
My first was a 1939/40 Morris 12/4 which I bought 'as seen' (i.e. no warranty) from a local garage. After a week or so I decided to change the engine oil as it seemed a bit on the thick side. Well it must have been filled with gearbox/back axle oil as after refilling with SAE40 the big ends knocked like a pneumatic drill so after a few weeks I sold it to a guy at work who used to be a car mechanic (he was aware of the problem!). After that I bought a Hillman Minx about the same age for £15. That had cable brakes, the cable to each wheel being attached to a bar connected to the brake pedal so each brake was adjusted separately. Trouble was the cables stretched so after a short time the brakes became out of balance and so on braking it was anybody's guess which direction the car would take. I quickly scrapped that one!
 
My first was a 1939/40 Morris 12/4 which I bought 'as seen' (i.e. no warranty) from a local garage. After a week or so I decided to change the engine oil as it seemed a bit on the thick side. Well it must have been filled with gearbox/back axle oil as after refilling with SAE40 the big ends knocked like a pneumatic drill so after a few weeks I sold it to a guy at work who used to be a car mechanic (he was aware of the problem!). After that I bought a Hillman Minx about the same age for £15. That had cable brakes, the cable to each wheel being attached to a bar connected to the brake pedal so each brake was adjusted separately. Trouble was the cables stretched so after a short time the brakes became out of balance and so on braking it was anybody's guess which direction the car would take. I quickly scrapped that one!
they prob did get the oil out the axle before replacing it with sawdust. :(
 
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