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No it wasn't...

 
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:31 pm    Post subject: No it wasn't... Reply with quote

I was watching "Greatest Ever Screen Chases" on the box last night ( Sky3 - Freeview 11 at 7pm ) hosted by Richard Hammond.
One of the clips was of the Beatles leaving a UK theatre circa '64 and being confused as to where their car was located.
Hammond quipped as to what car they were driving around in.. " an Austin Princess estate.." he sneered.
I'm surprised at this slip up as it was clearly, certainly, positively, 100% a Vauxhall Victor estate!
Dipstick.
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:12 pm    Post subject: Re: No it wasn't... Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
Hammond quipped as to what car they were driving around in.. " an Austin Princess estate.." he sneered.
I'm surprised at this slip up as it was clearly, certainly, positively, 100% a Vauxhall Victor estate!
Dipstick.


Oh dear, was it the last one, from the 1970s?



I remember them well.

There have been others of course,





and they too look nothing like a Vauxhall Victor



my favourite model of the Victor was



because it looked like a small Chevy Laughing

Happy New Year in an hour!


Last edited by John W on Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:51 pm; edited 3 times in total
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was one of these... Razz


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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Victors just turned into rust buckets. I remember one of our neighbours once, taking us to football, had a four inch hole in his floor !

Don't see any of the angular 70s Princesses anymore, same fate I guess
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes they were rust buckets for sure. Sad really as the early Victors, like the 59 model, were nice looking cars in my mind at least, specially the estates! very Americanised design ( Loved the PA series with the big oval tail lights! ).
From memory, I reckon cars back then, Vauxhalls in particular, could be showing signs of bad body rust at only 4 or 5 years old. They had lots of little pockets for solid mud to collect didn't they!
My Jeep is nearly 9 years old and not a spot of rust to be seen anywhere, and it hasn't been particularly looked after from new.

I remember having a sneak preview of the "angular" Princess under wraps, '74 I think it was.
When I saw the sleek front end ( and concealed screen wipers like American cars ) I thought it was a winner. The back end however was a different story... Rolling Eyes
I wonder if it was designed by committee? Laughing
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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good auto anti-corrosion coatings didn't really appear till the late 1970s, and then soon the automakers were able to offer warranties etc.

You're right about the little corrosion-susceptible areas, early paint processes relied on sprayers spraying the primer and they would often miss crucial spots, and later dip processes suffered from air bubbles and the electrodepositing dip paints couldn't reach those difficult spots. Nowadays the electro dip paints have improved and vehicle design is very much geared towards ensuring total primer application and excellent corrosion protection.

The Renault 5 was a great example of the rust hole, appearing near the petrol tank filler Shocked
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a self confessed hoarder and one of those people who doesn't like to discard anything still serviceable... Rolling Eyes I cringe at seeing some of the cars scrapped today with no rust on them at all!!

When we were younger, we put every effort into keeping our old bangers on the road didn't we?. Body filler by the pound onto wire mesh, foil or even newspaper! Laughing
Welded plates all over the inner wings and chassis, GumGum pushed into blowing exhausts with tin cans wrapped around the holes and jubilee clips at either end.... I got really good at that! Laughing

I have an old '93 Escourt estate which we've stopped using as a "dog's car" because of a small leak on the petrol tank. It's not worth repairing today and yet there's nothing wrong with it at all with no rust what so ever.
I should scrap it really but it's now serving as a day kennel for our two Newfoundlands! Laughing Laughing

In the back of my mind, didn't they change cars from Positive to Negative earth to assist with anti corrosion?? or am I dreaming that! Shocked
I reckon BB will know....
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Minx



Joined: 09 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:


The Renault 5 was a great example of the rust hole, appearing near the petrol tank filler Shocked


Tell me about it. Crying or Very sad I borrowed money off my brother to pay for a new wing and a new door skin for my Renault 5. I decided to sell it whilst it was looking so good, but before the buyer turned up with the money, the b*****r shorted out, set on fire under the bonnet, welded the steering lock on etc etc
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Confused Did you claim on insurance?
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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
In the back of my mind, didn't they change cars from Positive to Negative earth to assist with anti corrosion?? or am I dreaming that! Shocked
I reckon BB will know....


Yes. They changed from Anodic to Cathodic Electrodeposition, technology developed by the US company PPG. The technology was licensed in UK by paint companies then PPG bought up some of them.

The process passes electric current through the paint tank, bit like electroplating but you're depositing a resin/paint onto the vehicle metal. The body shell is the cathode, and the paint thickness on the outside is 25-50 microns, bit less on the inside.

As well as the paint there were advances in bodyshell degreasing and pre-treatment with adhesion-promoting zinc phosphate. The cathodic technology was first introduced in the UK in 1978 at the Chrysler plant in Luton which might be the Izusu plant there now. Gradually every plant changed to cathodic paint, particularly when the Japanese were building new plants at Sunderland, Swindon and Derby all with the new process. All the UK plants still run the process, in fact I expect 90% of the world's plants run the PPG process.
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Minx



Joined: 09 Dec 2006
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Location: France/Spain/Peterborough/Tenerife

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:

Welded plates all over the inner wings and chassis, GumGum pushed into blowing exhausts with tin cans wrapped around the holes and jubilee clips at either end.... I got really good at that! Laughing

.


In an old Wolsely, we had a scary moment when, having unlatched the bonnet to deal with some other crisis upon leaving the pub, we failed to secure it properly. At 60 mph over Saddleworth moors, after a loud bang, we were suddenly confronted with a metal wall in front of the windscreen. Screeching to a halt, and finding that the bonnet was now banana shaped over the roof of the car. we hammered it down, tied it with string, and then later fitted two buckle and strap fittings to keep it in place for the rest of its (fairly short) life.

Never saw a better dashboard though, all walnut! Laughing
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Minx



Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4088
Location: France/Spain/Peterborough/Tenerife

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
Confused Did you claim on insurance?


You know, you've just ruined my evening. Although it's over 23 years ago, I don't remember trying to! And yet, so dire were my circumstances at that time (and so antsy was I at that time) I can't believe I didn't try. I won't sleep tonight.

Particularly as I had, in anticipation of the agreed sale, bought a pool car from the company I worked for, Vauxhall Cavalier (the nice svelte shape, (circa 1983) not the chunky one) 2 years old with 90,000 miles on the clock. I asked the Transport Manager if it was a good buy, and he said "Yes, but it's breathing a bit heavy", a euphemism for more oil than petrol as it turned out. Lovely car though, but c**p on ice. Handled only marginally better than a Ford Capri in the winter months.

I still sold at a profit though!

There just isn't the same excitement these days, is there? Wink
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes that happened to me too in my old Zephyr Mk3 estate... driving home about 4 in the morning half asleep after sneaking out from my girlfriend's place....

It woke me up for sure! Laughing I also secured it with rope, but for months afterwards.

Never owned a Wolsely ( wasn't a 4/44 was it?? ) but a departure from my mainly Ford ownership was to your screen name.. a Hillman Minx, a 1966 model I think.
It wasn't a cool car for a hip chap to be seen in but it was a great car to drive.
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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy 13/8/07
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Minx



Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4088
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:

Never owned a Wolsely ( wasn't a 4/44 was it?? ) but a departure from my mainly Ford ownership was to your screen name.. a Hillman Minx, a 1966 model I think.
It wasn't a cool car for a hip chap to be seen in but it was a great car to drive.


You know, I think it was a 4/44 though I couldn't swear to it. Would have been around 1968 (and old at that time!). After that, oddly enough, we bought a Hillman Minx, (1963 model I think) with the registration "1000 N". Some guy chased us all through Salford trying to buy the reg plate off us. It was a great solid car, not a lot of problems. I learned to drive in it, with the obvious problems that ours had the handbrake on the right hand side, and no syncromesh - not that I would have noticed at that time, so busy was I grinding gears anyway. Not a great crowd puller though, and we were happy to exchange for a more upmarket, but infinitely more troublesome Escort 1300, which had the endearing tendency to chuck hot water all over the passenger's feet from the heater.
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