One of the good things about modern cars is their resistance to rust. In the 70s, a Ford would start rusting within a few years. Now it is rare to see even quite ancient cars with rust and holes. I travelled in a car with a hole that allowed you to see the road underneath...partially covered up with a plank. That was before MOTs took all the excitement out of driving.
Now you've got me,my first Mini had a hole in the floor,as a teenager I thought it hilarious to get my mates to check under the mat just before going through a puddle.
Ah, but the thrill of atually starting a car by handle was immense. The nearest to feeling macho I've ever been. My mate's old Humber had one, alongside a column gear change. It needed the handle 'cos you shure as hell wouldn't bump start it unless at the top of a hill. I remember always parking my old Robin Reliant at the top of an incline for that very purpose. Happy (if scary) days.
Aah nostalgia. I too had rusty flooring in my Ford Escort. Cars were challenging then, you never knew if their battery would inexplicably go flat, the spark plugs would get wet, the radiator would spring a leak, and my favourite you would lock yourself out by locking the keys in the car. I actually learned how to break into my car it became that frequent Bump starting was a common thing back then. Always exciting when it worked.
Ah,the joy of drying out your spark plugs How boring it is to go out to your car and have it start first time.
Now you've done it. It won't start now Forgot to mention exhausts. they don't rust and fall off any more!
When I lived in Soton in the late 70`s I had a Hillman Imp (Made in Scotland !). I replaced the clutch in the carpark at Cobden Rise, Bitterne Park.
Ha! You were posh only having one hole in the floor! My first car ( alfasud) was made of holes, cleverly held together with some tiny bits of good steel, plus some rust that was carefully shaped like bodywork by highly trained Italian craftsmen. Holes in both footwells were a design feature to help ventilation.
Saw an very interesting photo today from the floods up North. When I say interesting I'm not avoiding the fact that it must be devastating for everyone affected and my heart goes out to them. However, putting this aside for one moment, look at this: This is a woman cleaning her shop/cafe/restaurant window. How on earth the water hasn't penetrated her property goodness only knows. Sandbags aren't brilliant. Even bricks and mortar are porous eventually. Look at that water level. The weight of water on that glass must be enormous. I can only assume it's double-glazed, though if it is it must be a thinner early type and wood framing. Not your usual flood picture, eh.?
Trust you to write a post, in answer to Fran's, referring to the film Ice Cold in Alex as I was going to if I hadn't read your message. Plugs out, in reverse gear and crank the starting handle. Did it once in a driveway when a friend of a friend couldn't get his collectors Austin back in garage. More of a demo than the real deal because we could have pushed it. But it worked. Reply worth waiting for.?
One of things that still make Fiats [Alfas, Lancias, etc..] depreciate in value quickly is a reputation for rusting. They stopped doing it in the early 1990's but reputations do carry on. As far as I'm concerned that's fine because if I ever want to buy another little runabout a Fiat will be high on the list. Very well engineered, innovative and decidedly unpopular if over a certain age. One of the last cars I owned was a Fiat Tipo 1.4ie. I drove it until it was utterly knackered and there wasn't a spot of rust on it when it went to the scrapheap. Never let me down either.
Alfa Romeo ( of years ago to be fair) buy an engine & gearbox, get a body thrown in for free. My dad had an alfasud, best handling car he ever owned he said, it's body simply didn't last.
I saw a rare Alfa Sud once. The owner must have been really peed off as it obviously hasn't come with the four stacks of bricks that all the other ones I ever saw, came with. They'd given him tyres.
Glad I'm not the only one to try it! Yes I cheated a bit by only loosening the plugs but I was under some pressure for time. It was the memory of the film, and Anthony Quayle's character getting the truck up that sand dune that made me think of it. But, as you say, it worked a treat. Sadly, I think that old Rapier was the last car I owned which had a dog for a starting handle fitted. Modern times, eh?
The owner was on Radio 2* yesterday being interviewed about Dilley being in Barbados when he said he should have been in his willies** in York. During the interview, the owner tried to use a very well known phrase, but either the pressure of being on live nation al radio got to him, or he named the bar after himself. He said in response to a big question..."Well, that's the fifty-five thousand dollar question" Yes, the wine bar is called Plonkers. *clearly someone told me this because I am far too young a trendy to be listening to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 Edit: ** = wellies (thanks Fran)
