wonwinglo

Phoenix,thank you for the great set of pictures,and what a moving story,try and persuade everyone to keep this classic car in the family.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Phoenix

i think it is on the side of getting kept

Bunkerbarge

Phoenix, what an absolutely superb motor car and what a credit to your Grandfather. He must have been a very interesting man to know.

I would suggest that the best place for such a beautifull machine must be in a motor museum, most of which would be happy for you to loan it to them on a long term basis.

It really does deserve to be enjoyed by everyone as a fitting tribute to a very dedicated man.

Bunkerbarge

Ok my first ever motor car was the obligatory Mini.

I had relied on bikes for quite a number of years but eventually I decided I wasn't getting any younger (and I wasn't getting any dates!) so I had to look into the possibility of four wheeled transport.

At the time my brother was working in a garage so had all the contacts etc to put together a project. He got himself a beat up old write off mini and stripped it down to the basics. He welded up the floor, which was coming adrift, and decked it out with a fancy bonnet with two additional lamps neatly faired in to it, flared arches, skirts all around, alloy wheels, lowered roof etc etc. He painted it white and with the red leather interior it looked stunning.

Unfortunately for me it only had a basic 850 engine so it really didn't live up to its expectations when it came time to put my foot down. Many many times at the lights I would be challenged to see what it would do only to be met with smirks when the well known austin gearbox whine emitted from the engine at the old girl crawled away from the standing start.

I have to say though wherever I went that car always drew admiring glances and I almost felt a part of a select club just for driving it.

I had many a challenge in it including a broken accellerator cable requiring me to drive home by keeping the choke out to get some revs up and a broken clutch which needed me to crawl up to a set of lights whilst still maintaining some forward motion without having to change gear. When I got home I simply stalled it.

At the end of the day though my brothers not too clever welding took its toll and the floor fell out of it again and it was eventually scrapped. A great way to be introduced to driving though.

Sad part was I still never got any dates but I had some good fun trying.

Phoenix

he done alot in his life when he retired at 62 he had been renting a storage shed to use as a workshop where he service cars and got them mot'ed and also restored cars for people

wonwinglo

Sounds like a really clever chap Phoenix,back then everyone tinkered with cars because not like todays multi moduled electronic boards that you just replace when things go wrong,you could actually repair them,I had an uncle just like your Grandfather,he lived at Consett,County Durham right on top of a big hill,right out the back was a large wooden garage where he kept and cherished his Austin,a coal miner his car was everything to him on long trips to Whitley Bay at the weekends,he was a lovely gentle kindly figure to me and someone that I will never forget,he started with motor bikes,then motor bikes with a sidecar ( if you have never rode one of these then you have not lived,such fun !) then a gradual progression to cars,you needed a good engine to get up those hills.
Keep that car,it will always remind you of a great man your Grandfather was,you could always enjoy days out at the vintage car shows with a big display board with pictures of the cars past,and also your Grandfathers memories will live on forever that way,I am sure that is what he would have wanted anyway.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

wonwinglo

A tad quicker than your average family saloon are the world land speed record holders,lets take a look at what man has achieved since 1964-

Craig Breedlove 1965,600.60 mph.
Art Arfons 1965,576.55 mph.
Craig Breedlove 1965,555.48 mph.
Art Arfons 1964,536.71 mph.
Craig Breedlove 1964,526.28 mph.
Craig Breedlove 1964,468.72 mph.
Art Arfons 1964,434.02 mph.
Gary Gabelich 1970,622.47 mph.
Richard Noble 1983,633.47 mph.
Andy Green 1997,763.04 mph.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

John

Like Richard my first car was a Mini 850 at 17 I thought it was the mutts nuts I went all over in it, not really much else to say about it apart from the day I bought it I was driving home and got pulled for speeding I had no tax and my insurance didn't start till the day after, I picked it up early, I guess it was my lucky day I told the copper I had just bought it and was very very sorry and would never speed again and he let me off

I broke my promise it's very rare I stick to the speed suggestions I've even been flashed by a speed camera but nothing ever happened looks like there was no film in it, my luck can't hold out for ever

Nigel.D

I take it that was your Grandad behind the wheel as well? I gotta tell you that that is a thing of beauty its "artwork" and as such i would keep it as a lasting memorial to a talented man who obviously put a lot of love into its restoration. It oozes character,class and would be such a shame to let it go

Phoenix

that is the very man nigal