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Post by Les on Apr 5, 2016 16:34:05 GMT
9 From Peter Capon We were the proud owners of a 1938 Hillman, the sort that you see in the films, big square and black. We did not use the Hillman much because my father was not keen on driving, either that or he thought it would break down on him. I remember whenever we did venture out he would drive with the window open so that he could notice any unusual smells that might be coming from the engine. Although dad told us that he was going deaf, he would listen out for the slightest differing engine noise and stop to investigate. We spent more time smelling and listening than we did driving. Batteries were not perfect in the fifties and this was another reason for concern. Dad always turned the engine over by hand as he said it was to save the battery, I did not think to ask what he was saving it for. I remember one of my rare trips to Maidstone market in the car, while dad was doing the buying he left me to sit in the car, with strict instructions do not touch anything, I could not resist the window wiper motor that hung down from the front windscreen and decided to start it up. I did not tell my father what I had been up to and when he returned with a live chicken and the engine would not start, the air was blue. Dad noticed immediately that the wiper motor lever was set to on and I got a clip round the ears. It was my fault I should have known, he never used the wiper motor, and we would stop driving if it started to rain. goo.gl/photos/WCpquLNDa2toU2bY6this is a Austin 7 but much the same This is a much newer car than the one I owned and a lot cleaner My first car was a Morris 1000 1958 vintage, not a flying machine by any means; still it did go for a while. I blew the engine up after a flat out 50mph run down to Ashford. I replaced this with a Gold seal re-con, which was not much better. I remember driving to Cornwall in this car and not being able to drive up some of the hills. goo.gl/photos/guGKML5tTCgxeWrF6
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Post by Les on Apr 5, 2016 18:48:06 GMT
What was your fist Car mine was a humber super Snipe .My friend saw it near where I lived asked if it was for Sale and borrowed £6/10s off of me to buy it.
The he brought a Hillman Minx and gave the log book to me.
I brought a Rover 12 and swapped the Humber for some tyres for the Rover as they hard to get in those days
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Post by Les on Jul 15, 2016 5:26:54 GMT
After the Rover I got a jaguar mark VII wrote off on the way to the the Which Doctor at Hastings.
Then a Mark VIII Jaguar
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Post by Les on Aug 2, 2016 19:47:51 GMT
My next car was a austin A35 van with windows. Would often take it up to Dartford knocked the big ends out of it replaced the engine. Then on a trip to London via Dartford knocked out the lay shaft in the gear box. It drove ok till I tried to reverse when parking. so replaced the gear box. then on a return trip from Luton through London where Oxford road and Regent Street meet it had been raining and I braked and it hydropland into the car in front. holing the radiator . So I scraped it.
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Post by Dave Brooks on Jan 20, 2017 14:36:10 GMT
From Peter Capon We were the proud owners of a 1938 Hillman, the sort that you see in the films, big square and black. We did not use the Hillman much because my father was not keen on driving, either that or he thought it would break down on him. I remember whenever we did venture out he would drive with the window open so that he could notice any unusual smells that might be coming from the engine. Although dad told us that he was going deaf, he would listen out for the slightest differing engine noise and stop to investigate. We spent more time smelling and listening than we did driving.
Batteries were not perfect in the fifties and this was another reason for concern. Dad always turned the engine over by hand as he said it was to save the battery, I did not think to ask what he was saving it for.
I remember one of my rare trips to Maidstone market in the car, while dad was doing the buying he left me to sit in the car, with strict instructions do not touch anything, I could not resist the window wiper motor that hung down from the front windscreen and decided to start it up. I did not tell my father what I had been up to and when he returned with a live chicken and the engine would not start, the air was blue. Dad noticed immediately that the wiper motor lever was set to on and I got a clip round the ears. It was my fault I should have known, he never used the wiper motor, and we would stop driving if it started to rain.
This is a much newer car than the one I owned and a lot cleaner
My first car was a Morris 1000 1958 vintage, not a flying machine by any means; still it did go for a while. I blew the engine up after a flat out 50mph run down to Ashford. I replaced this with a Gold seal re-con, which was not much better. I remember driving to Cornwall in this car and not being able to drive up some of the hills.
This is an example of a lovely old Austin 7 Posted by LesApr 5, 2016 at 7:48pm What was your fist Car mine was a humber super Snipe .My friend saw it near where I lived asked if it was for Sale and borrowed £6/10s off of me to buy it.
The he brought a Hillman Minx and gave the log book to me.
I brought a Rover 12 and swapped the Humber for some tyres for the Rover as they hard to get in those days
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There must have been a glut of Hilman Minx's in the fifties as I bought a lovely old Hillman Minx as my first car when I passed my test in 1963. Went up into town and looked in the little garage opposite Brenchley Gardens, and too expensive - ended up on a ''bomb site'' at the top of Earl Street (not too sure of the exact location) purchased the car for £60 and was mortified to find it had a steering gear change - drove all the way down Earl Steet and Week Street in 2nd gear as I couldnt find the right gear!! It was built like a tank and still have fond memories of all the weekend trips out to the coast and Romney Marsh! First leart how to use newspaper as a backing to my attemps at filling the rust holes, needless to say it was the cleanest car in Maidstone! Sold it a year later as it failed MOT (got £70 as the guy wanted it for parts).
Maybe Tilling Steven's rebuilt Hillman engines added to there popularity
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Post by Les on Jul 14, 2017 17:27:42 GMT
Austin Champ from Peter Capon
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Austin Champ from Peter Capon Jun 12, 2015 at 5:20pm
Although this tale is not entirely specific to Maidstone, it did have its origins here, for this is where I bought the beastie.
How many of you can remember looking through the Exchange and Mart in the sixties and dreaming of riches and fast cars. The Exchange and Mart had it all, but one that always comes back to me was the thrill of looking at Battersea Fun cars ad that promised a fully restored Austin Champ Jeep complete with a petrol can strapped to the back and a shovel strapped to the side. Best of all they would spray it any colour that you could want. Remember…………. And all for the price of two hundred pounds….. What a bargain.
Wellllllll there was a young man in Maidstone who was selling his jeep for one hundred and sixty pounds. It was painted lime green and the exposed nuts and bolts painted in glorious red. I’m sure that was how my migraine started on reflection.
Although I didn’t have a penny to my name but with the promise of a career in the musical business in London he lent me the thing until my money would come through, what a trusting soul.
I was told that the jeep would do at least twenty-five miles to the gallon, did it heck, for the rest of my ownership days I spent more money on that damn thing than I did on anything else. Was it worth it I hear you say? Of course it was, it was the biggest girl puller in the south east of London.
Now for the down side, the brakes were virtually non-existent, the steering was a two man job and if someone parked too close it would have to stay there until someone gave you some room to manoeuvre.
This all took place at a time in my life when I moved to London to pursue a career in music. Every where that I was known they would come out singing Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep, Cheep, Peters got a Jeep, Jeep. The sixties were magic.
I played many pubs and clubs in London and at one particular one I was laughed at by a guy who drove a long wheelbase Land-Rover. He was under the impression that the jeep was over sized, overpriced and as far as he was concerned over here. It all got a bit silly and the usual my jeep is better than your landie started.
It was agreed that we would meet outside and check the capabilities of our vehicles to end this silly argument.
With an entourage we exited the club, roped both vehicles back to back and someone shouted go.
I didn’t even put the jeep into four wheel drive and pulled away quite easily, too easily so I stopped and turned to see what had happened. The landie was still attached so I continued to pull, this time I could feel a sort of yanking from side to side, a shout went up STOP, STOP.
What had happened was with the first pull his wheels were going forward but his vehicle was being pulled backwards. That was when I had stopped to check if he was still there, the second time that I had pulled away he had applied his hand brake but had still been pulled backwards.
Come to think of it I was banned from this venue later because they thought that I had connections with the IRA, probably because of the type of music I played and the following of Irish that I attracted, nothing to do with the ex-army vehicle I’m sure.
Happy Days. entry date 09/09/2012
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