Cars of the 70's

[Blackbeard 10]

My first brand new car was an H reg Austin 1300GT in Bronze Yellow, how I loved that car.

[Boginspro 10]

My first car was 26yrs old when I bought it a 1934 Morris 8,it was a runner but very shabby as it had been under a tarp for years.It took me months of work to bring it back from the brink,the paint on the body was brought back from flat to shiny with Brasso then Johnsons One Step wax!.It had wire wheels all rusted,these I sanded one by one with hemerery paper then hand painted black,inside the red imitation leather was brought to life with saddle soap.On the body the only rust was hand sized blisters on the running boards which were sanded then hand painted with brushless paint,the perished rubber was replaced by glueing on rubber floor matting cut to size.I even got the stop lights to work again,the brass switches were big lumps of verdigree which were cleaned up greased and replaced,inside the back window had a roller blind repaired to working order!.Driving the car was an experience it was all over the road over 50mph and it had a party trick,after a period of time the engine would splutter and stop caused by condensation in the ancient petrol tank!.It was cured in 5 minutes I unscrewed the top off the petrol pump,wiped it clean with a rag,put it together and it started instantly!.Everywhere I went people would look around it admiringly,it did around 50mpg,I ran the car for two years then I sold to a school teacher who kept pestering me for it!.I made a hundred pounds profit on it the only car I ever had to do so,although I ran a couple more and broke even,my old mates reminiss sometimes about my old Morris 8 gone but not forgotten!.

 

You are probably a slightly Older Tup than me, my first car was also a Morris 8, it was a 1939 Series E, was yours the earlier model or the same? I got mine in the mid 60's and never had any rust, I painted it with coach paint to brighten it up, it was black with green sides. The only thing I can remember in the way of repairs was the electric fuel pump and I had a spare bolted on the bulkhead. The firms cars in the 60's were Austin Cambridge and they were nice to drive but I preferred the earlier cars even then. I agree that the 70's was a bad period for bodies if you did not look after them but mechanically there were some decent motors. I started with bikes, a 1939 OEC, a couple of Ariel VB's, a 250 Francis Barnet and a few BSA's. After the Morris 8 I had a 1948 Austin 16 both were lovely cars and if I could afford one I would prefer one to a new car. I have driven new vehicles in the last few years but find no pleasure in driving them, in fact some of the latest cars are like driving a fast milk float.

[redted50 10]

60s-70s Had a Vauxall Velox column change bench seats,Ford Consul column change etc,Sunbeam Rapier,XJ6 4-2,Mark 3 Cortina,but the best bargain had to be a Ford Prefect,3 gears,me and my mate bought it just to get us to Blackpool and back,for£15.My mate didn't drive so let me have it.I must have had it 3-4yrs then sold it for £5.He had it for 5 years.It just went forever.The best car I had was a mk2 Escort 1100 with a 1300 gt engine and a twin choke webber carb.and I got it through a straight swap for my mk2 Cortina.What a car.

[alankearn 10]

After selling my Morris 8 my next car was a Standard Vanguard saloon,it was an attempt to copy American body styles shaped like a bullet it had bench seats,3speed column gear stick,body colour black polished to a mirror shine with Johnstons One Step solid wax and sporting white wall tyres!.In a straight line it went like a rocket the problems arose when you cornered,it rolled alarmingly probably a combination of cross ply tyres and my too fast driving!.It came to a head one icy evening driving home after a night out at the Strines Inn on the A57 I took the Rivelin turn just past the Post Office I was doing around 35mph,suddenly the car went into a spin it went round two full turns ending up facing the opposite way ending up against the high kerb.It was like being on a roundabout everything spinning past the windscreen in slow motion all the time accompanied by a high pitched scream from my then girlfriend,that was it I sold it soon after and purchased a Jaguar Mk 7,thats another story!.

 

My first car was also a 1947 Morris 8 (Series E) that I bought from Broomgrove Motors at the junction of Broomgrove Road and Ecclesall RD in 1953

[old tup 30]

My Morris 8 was two tone, black except the sides which were maroon so it probably was the same as Boginspro,s, remember when you switched on the ignition the petrol pump going tick,tick,tick!.What about the windscreen that opened outwards when it was a hot day,also the windscreen wiper that you could work manually if the electrics conked,and the speedo it was a roller type not a needle!.I bought my car around 1960 when I was 18 after a bust up with my old man,we had a two year old VW beetle the only snag being I was the only one with a licence in the family,everything went ok for a while but eventualy he became unreasonable dropping on me at the very last minute no matter about my arrangements!.I didn,t mind running everyone all over but he held it over me with a do it or else attitude so after a few months I told him were to stick it and it stood unused until one of my sisters passed her test!.Thats why I ended up with my Morris 8!.

[Boginspro 10]

My Morris 8 was two tone, black except the sides which were maroon so it probably was the same as Boginspro,s, remember when you switched on the ignition the petrol pump going tick,tick,tick!.What about the windscreen that opened outwards when it was a hot day,also the windscreen wiper that you could work manually if the electrics conked,and the speedo it was a roller type not a needle!.I bought my car around 1960 when I was 18 after a bust up with my old man,we had a two year old VW beetle the only snag being I was the only one with a licence in the family,everything went ok for a while but eventualy he became unreasonable dropping on me at the very last minute no matter about my arrangements!.I didn,t mind running everyone all over but he held it over me with a do it or else attitude so after a few months I told him were to stick it and it stood unused until one of my sisters passed her test!.Thats why I ended up with my Morris 8!.

 

From your description Old Tup I think your Morris 8 was a series 1 like the one in the link below -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Eight#/media/File:Morris_8_(1935)_(10275822905).jpg

 

Mine was one of these -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Eight#/media/File:Morris_eight_late_version_with_Beetlelike_headlight_covers_as_originally_fitted_to_final_versions_of_the_8.JPG

 

They had three models in a short space of time but the engines were very similar and they all had that pump that ticked, I would love any one of them now.

[raymondo1952 11]

Probably not all in the 70's but I will list most of the cars I've had I can remember, I'll try and remember them in order

 

1959 Bond 250 minicar open top

1963 bond minicar estate

Reliant regal bullnose 1960 had two of those

Isetta bubble car 1958

Reliant regal 1966 car

Reliant regal estate 1970

Vauxhall viva ha 1966

Hillman husky 1964

Vauxhall viva fc 1969

Vauxhall 101 vx/490 1966 one of my favourite cars I ever had...

Vauxhall victor fd 1970 nice car with the OHC engine

Vauxhall magnum 1974 fast car. in custard yellow colour and the strippy seat

Triumph 2500 pi big fast car 1973 model

Triumph 200 estate car 1973

Triumph vitesse convertible 1969 red 200cc

Bedford Ha vans had three of those..usually the ex buzzby vans

Bedford CF vans had two of those

BMC ju250 vans had two of them as well one was a left hand drive

Commer luton van

Morris marina van green 1977

1975 Morris mini bought for the wife the learn how to drive

another 1977 Morris marina van a black one that came from John heaths

Mazda 200 estate car,got nicked from outside the pub

Simca van good little van think a 1980

!970s Subaru estate car flat 4 air cooled engine

Moskovich car piece **** car never run right

Wartburg two stroke funny car, bought of a mate for £40

Had a dabble with Ladas had a two or three of them not very reliable

1989 Ford sierra estate car

Volvo 244 estate 1985

Volvo 245 estate 1987

Volvo 7 series 1989

1958 Vauxhall cresta in pink refurbished it, like a fool sold it must have been daft at the time one of the silliest things I ever did selling that car:mad:

Morris etal van

Morris etal van

Talbot sunbeam

Hillman avenger estate

Fiat panda

Ford fiesta estate car

Vauxhall viva estate

Talbot horizon

Citrone cx with the hydrolastic suspension

Ford popular 1959 bought as a wreck in 1990 refurbished and still own it now

BMW 5 series nice car 1989 in white

Peugeot 405

Ford focus

Vauxhall combo van 201 diesel still have

Mitsubishi shogun 3ltr petrol

Mitsubishi 2.5 diesel still have

Mitsubishi 3.5ltr petrol still have

Peugeot bipper still have

Ford connect van still have

Latest acquisition to the fleet is a 210 audi a4 convertible wife's car..

There are some I may have forgotten.

Loads of motorbikes as well to many to mention.

What was the name of your garage called

[Lobos 10]

What was the name of your garage called

I'm a motor mechanic myself...I went to college as a lad and did the apprenticeship bit,always been a petrol head two wheels three and four wheels anything engines...even old motor mowers and generators sad... I know

[tracyj 10]

ive got a wolseley 1300 1972 that im restoring at the minute.Lovely little car

[Lobos 10]

ive got a wolseley 1300 1972 that im restoring at the minute.Lovely little car

 

With the ubiquitous A series engine in it....good little engines, is it the one with the hydrolastic suspension...

[old tup 30]

Hi Boginsbro yes that's the same car as mine even the colour,mine was nearly in the same condition as the picture you posted!.Every one used to laugh and take the mick when I first bought it but I won them round when I finished doing it up,the cherry on the cake being my treble profit when I sold her!.I wish I still owned it today,oh well too late now!

[Boginspro 10]

Hi Boginsbro yes that's the same car as mine even the colour,mine was nearly in the same condition as the picture you posted!.Every one used to laugh and take the mick when I first bought it but I won them round when I finished doing it up,the cherry on the cake being my treble profit when I sold her!.I wish I still owned it today,oh well too late now!

 

Hello Old Tup, My experience with the Morris was very similar to yours, my mates would say it was too slow but it took me the length and breadth of the country and I never broke down unlike some of them with the "modern" cars of the times. Like you I would love to own one now.