#MyCarHistory
(5/5)
But the Commer also marked a significant milestone in my motoring history: it was the first vehicle I had ever bought that wasn’t carried away on a recovery truck or just scrapped. I sold it with a year’s MoT to someone who drove off in it. I had cash in my hand!

But what could satisfy my desire for a van – it had to be a van – with ease of use in the city, but the potential to be radically customised? Find out next week...
#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #Commer

#MyCarHistory
(4/5) It took a while to realise I wasn’t getting all the performance available. To be honest, it took being overtaken by a funeral procession on Highgate Hill… The disbelieving looks on the faces of the mourners, passing a Commer lumbering uphill at walking pace, foot to the floor in second, still haunt my nights.

Once sorted, it had pretty good acceleration, despite the gear lever moving about two feet for each gearchange.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #Commer

#MyCarHistory
(3/5) Early on I customised the front end, using the tyre rack on the rear of a Land Rover to achieve the shape I wasn’t looking for, but most of the damage was fixed by the firm application of a size 9 from inside the cab.

Amazingly, despite such a low mileage the carburettor was completely shot. Fortunately I had hung on to my old Nikki carb which, rejetted, would have been perfect. If I had only sorted out the throttle linkage.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #Commer

#MyCarHistory
(2/5) A genuine one owner 15cwt Commer van, freshly resprayed, tidy and a good runner. Apparently having covered 33000 miles in its shortish lifetime it was meh at first sight. Getting it home and tidying the interior a little, it emerged that its one owner seemed to have been Dyno-Rod, judging by the business cards down the seat backs and other crevices.

A set of chrome moon discs and custom mirrors were soon added.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #Commer

#MyCarHistory
(1/5) The 1970s. The custom street van is coming to prominence. The National Street Van Association is in the ascendant. Custom Transits are everywhere, tricked-out Bedford Cfs abound. The Chelsea Cruise is in full swing. My old Bedford HA, Wolfraces, General Grabber tyres, lumps of Isopon carved into wheelarch shapes, had failed its MoT.

So what could I buy to fit in with the zeitgeist? Obviously, it was this...
#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #Commer15cwt

@davidwilkins @DazzlingDamo You'd have to be a weird individual to be nostalgic for any of my first cars… #MyCarHistory

#MyCarHistory
(5/5)
It remains the only car I’ve ever owned that was stopped by the police three times on one journey but until the MoT expired, it fulfilled its role perfectly. It’s replacement was a little more expensive (but not much), from a similar sort of dealer, and was fresh as a daisy after 165,000 miles as a Brixton minicab. But that must wait until next week. I hope to see you then.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BedfordHAvan

#MyCarHistory
(4/5) Sadly, I can’t find any pictures of the solid Isopon arches I created for the wheels. ‘Special’ doesn’t do it justice. But it did begin to look better. It was actually a great learning car, regularly failing in creative but inexpensive ways and broadening my skill set as it did so. As the picture shows, it could reach Derbyshire from London – and get back again!

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BedfordHAvan

#MyCarHistory
(3/5) I removed the bumpers for that ‘street van’ look and to quell the nausea, exchanged the rusting doors for something more solid in a fetching green, and replaced the diff after dropping the clutch to demonstrate to a mate the hilarious lack of traction from a lovely set of Wolfrace alloys, 5½x12” on the front, 7x14” on the rear, clad in General Grabber let’s-call-it-rubber.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BedfordHAvan

#MyCarHistory
(2/5) I’m not the sure interior had been fully valeted and the tyre pressures ranged from 45psi to 12, but it started (eventually) and the rag in the petrol filler was a lovely touch. Unaccountably it was the last one left of the batch the dealer had sold, but it ran flawlessly for fifteen miles before the fuel pipe clogged from the accumulated detritus, a problem that diminished over the year as the mileage climbed.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BedfordHAvan

#MyCarHistory
(1/5) As the #BondBug disappeared on the back of a breakdown truck, once again I cast around for a desirable mode of transport. Reliable, smart, comfortable and cheap, I found it in a bombsite car dealer of the type you don’t see anymore. It even had special edition paintwork and a year’s MoT!

Yes, a 1970 Bedford HA van in the unique South East Gas Conversion Unit blue emulsion colour scheme. £125 and not worth every penny!

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BedfordHAvan

@megabreadvanchannel
Having seen the Mega bread van, I have a feeling you'll like ep7 of #MyCarHistory…

#MyCarHistory Reposted - no idea where it went first time...

(2/5) Yes, a 1973 Bond Bug 700es, just £625 pounds (about £5000 today, plus £2000 to insure – young, working, no dependencies...)

Out into the rush hour and, about 15 miles down the road, the brakes failed. No problem, only the Elephant & Castle to negotiate and the handbrake still worked… Amazingly we got home unscathed and the following morning I put the car up on the ramps.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

#MyCarHistory
(5/5)
...Happily it only takes four drunken rugby players to pick it up and drop it in the middle of the road.

My girlfriend at the time was less impressed at paddling in hot green liquid when we got caught in traffic. It was duly skimmed (allegedly) and fitted with a new head gasket, but the problems lasted until I had to pass it on soon after.

Now I had no money, so the next couple are… interesting. Hope to see you next week.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

#MyCarHistory
(4/5) The Bug was a hoot, light enough that 700cc could move it along to an indicated 98mph (probably closer to 75mph), economical, hilarious handling.

Things to try in a Bug:

- driving in deep snow. The single front wheel randomly picks a rut and you’re left driving at about 30 degrees to the direction of travel, looking through a side window

- parking outside a pub on a snowy road with a steep camber...

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

#MyCarHistory
(3/5) Or half-way up, when it stalled and – still no brakes – rolled into the rear of my sister’s Mini. The Mini was undamaged (although it did try to kill me later) but the front of the Bug fared less well. I learnt everything I know about glassfibre repairs from that car and also that Charles Lock Motors didn’t know how to tighten brake pipe unions.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

#MyCarHistory
(2/5) Yes, a 1973 Bond Bug 700es, just £625 pounds (about £5000 today, plus £2000 to insure – young, working, no dependencies...)

Out into the rush hour and, about 15 miles down the road, the brakes failed. No problem, only the Elephant & Castle to negotiate and the handbrake still worked… Amazingly we got home unscathed and the following morning I put the car up on the ramps.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

#MyCarHistory
(1/5) My old A40 having met its fate after the front fell off - cue obligatory Youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM – I scoured the London Evening Standard for a suitable replacement and one Friday night headed by public transport from Streatham in South London northwards to the bohemian delights of Ponders End, where Charles Lock Motors had a prime example of the dangers of 1970s recreational pharmaceuticals.

#ClassicCars #ClassicCarsOfMastodon #Cars #BondBug

@TimQuerengesser @straphanger
Looks like, for once, I was ahead of the game…

My London runabout (and only car at the time) c.1980, a 360cc two-cylinder 1977 Honda TN7. Just about the only shortcoming as a city car was the realisation that *you* were the crumplezone.

For those following that sort of thing, it's episode 7 of #MyCarHistory - coming soon!

#Cars #weirdcarsofmastodon #HondaTN7 #ClassicCars

#MyCarHistory
@RickGaehl @chromblitzen @cyprusvillagelife
I knew it wasn't pretty but the instant I posted the picture of my old A40 the government sounded an emergency warning alarm.

Bit of overkill, don't you think?