What cars did you drive - when you were younger!!

[footplate1947]

Can tell you that 1939 Morris 10 was quite something. It had great heater and had hydraulic jacks on all 4 wheels and all you had to do to change a wheel was up the near side bonnet and wriggle a small lever and the whole car lifted off the ground. The wind screen wound out had top hinge and winding handle, for a summer breeze and it have all solid leather seats. In those days that must have been real top of the range. It only lasted another 3 years as it was rusting rear chassis and too costly to repair. But it was 24 years old when that happened.

[Mountain Goat]

My grandad had one. (A Morris 10. I have seen a photo of it. It was black).
I am not sure, but it may have been this car or another... One had a half opening front window which he could see where he was going in smog by opening it. He would get home followed by a stream of other more modern cars turing into his driveway as all they could see were his lights. They couldn't see like he could.
It is most likely another car. He told me about his first car. It was an Austin 7. He bought it cheap of a guy who had it in bits in his garage. It wasn't that old and someone (I assume the man he bought it off) had completely dissasembled it and had not put it back together. My grandad rebuilt it and had it for a few years. He said the tiny drum brakes didn't do a lot. There was one hill in the area (Cannock) which had a long downhill with a crossroads and traffic lights at the bottom. He said he would have to time it so they were green when he passed, as there was no way he could stop if they were on red.

[footplate1947]

Well far as I remember that old Morris 10 had pretty good brakes for drums in those days. Perhaps they needed a good service. As far as opening the front windscreen to see in fog, that does not make sense because it only opened a little bit did not come right up. He would have had to couch down and peer out of the bottom slit. I reckon your grandad ate a lot of carrots MG. Or he modified the screen so it came right up himself. I think they only came in black in those days. I remember clearly as a boy in the 50s there were a lot of pre war cars running around and most of them were black.

[Mountain Goat]

He had more then one car. It was the Austin 7 that didn't have very good brakes. I believe we are talking about the days just before WW2 or just after. He had more then one vehicle (Not at ghe same time). I only know the Austin 7 because he told me it was his first car, and the Morris 10 because it was the car they moved to Wales in so my mum remembers it. The car that had the half opening front window I am not sure what it was. It is likely to be a 1920's to '30's car as few could aford a newer car.

[RAF96]

Nobody has beaten my 1939 Morris ten yet have they, or did I miss it. Is there a prize

Posted earlier - 1936 two door Singer Bantam, OHC engine, full hydraulic brakes, sun roof, opening windscreen, leather seats, luggage rack at the back, two tone blue over black paint, starting handle.
Rob

[footplate1947]

Well MG ,,,,,,,,,, my Morris 10 had wind opening windscreen hinges at the top. Far as I remember it opened about 4" or so at forwards from the bottom . I don't remember how that affected the screen wipers. They must have been hanging from the top. Odd thing is I cant remember what the REG number was but the ignition key number was MRN 45. Now how the heck I remember that after all this time fails me.
Yes you are right about the Austin 7 brakes They had rod brakes and were very difficult to balance the adjustment which was by lock nuts and threads on the rods. Hard to get all the brakes working all together. Heck of a braking system to adjust. If the Austin 7 were had full load say 4 people they only went up steep hills backwards through lack of power reverse gear was lower than first gear. They were horrible little cars I thought. Our milkman had one and he used to take us to school sometimes and we had to go up a very steep hill too get to school. Memories

[Mountain Goat]

I can beat it with a different mode of transport. A bicycle that we believe was made from my mums ancestors in 1926, but apart from that, not really.

[footplate1947]

Nobody has beaten my 1939 Morris ten yet have they, or did I miss it. Is there a prize

Posted earlier - 1936 two door Singer Bantam, OHC engine, full hydraulic brakes, sun roof, opening windscreen, leather seats, luggage rack at the back, two tone blue over black paint, starting handle.
Rob

When were you driving that around must have been the early 60 I suppose. Did it last long and survive the dreaded rust. I was just wondering if it was saved and restored.

[RAF96]

I bought it in 1962 for a fiver and flogged it six months later for a tenner in part exchange for the 47 S.Talbot.

It was in good condition and had had an engine rebuild, but there was something awry with the timing and I never got it running.

I only ever drove it on the end of a tow rope.

Here is a picture of it then...



Rob

[GeoffAlan2]

I was a motorcyclist for several years, then bought a very 2nd hand Austin A35 van, which lasted 10 months before dropping to bits. I sold it for scrap for £35, which was £5 less than I'd paid for it. Then, after a return to motorcycles, for a short spell a brand new Fiat 126, which was traded for a Mini 1000, I slowly graduated to larger cars, usually bought new, or ex-demo, until two years ago I sold my last car a 9 yr old Toyota Auris I'd bought new. Now my wife's Toyota Yaris Hybrid is our only car, and while I do drive it, it's not 'my car'.

My dad had an A35 van with rear seats fitted. He bought it privately from my cousin's workmate. Dad didn't know how to drive but had lessons with my uncle and passed his test in the van on his third attempt.

We went to many places in that van. Very fond memories of travelling in the back with my brother. It was only a year old when dad bought it. I did drive it a few times while I was learning to drive. It was eventually written off in an accident while it was parked outside my dad's work place by one of his colleagues. Replaced by a secondhand Hillman imp.

Mine had the rear seats. It was truly rusty, lifting the foot-well mats you could see the road through the rust.