Random Picture Thread

My first car was a 1961 Plymouth Valiant, possibly one of the ugliest cars ever built.



It had a custom, detachable body, thanks to the rusted out rocker panels. 4 guys could have just lifted it off the chassis. It had 200K miles on it when the rear locked up on the Jersey Turnpike (from which I was later banned from ever driving on again) and I swapped it for the tow bill, with the 225 slant six running fine, if using about a quart a month.

 

@PAR Push button automatic?

 

Might have you beat-- 1949 Henry J that I bought used from my uncle similar looking to the one in the photo. I used "Coke" signs that I robbed off the family grocery store to patch the holes in the rusted out floor. The Tin signs would be worth more than the car today. Man it was a bad ugly auto.

 

My car was so ugly, I took it to the beach and tried to bury it.

 

Looks like an Austin 1000 - they were actually a nice looking little sedan. A friend of mine had one, I was really impressed with the fit and finish.

 

Kevin; Where exactly did you bury the car?

http://youtu.be/gZ6QVuD8U1I

In the SAND!

 

It was actually one of these.

 

The venerable Morris Minor surely. I thought I recognized the outline but got distracted by a family crisis. Haven't seen one for years. It became the subject of an ancient conspiracy theory when the model was discontinued (basically it cost too much to build, went too slow and delivered too little but it ran forever - at least compared with other British autos) and spawned a long lasting campaign to have it re-introduced. Nice little motor, a friend had one, it cost way more than my Ford which had far more internal space and could leave it in the dust on the highway. But my Ford is long dead and that Minor may well still be running . . .

Britain's answer to the Volkswagon Beetle, but I don't think they had understood the question.

 

Right car wrong name --I seem to be doing that a lot lately, Sorry Jack I thought you were Fred. RETRACTION -- The full name is Austin Morris Minor 1000 --I an't going crazy after all YAaaaaa

 

Boats and boating can be a magnificent obsession, but, alas, it can become a negative in life. But, thankfully, there is a cure. All you need to do is gaze at this picture, when the almonds stop moving, I guarantee, you are cured ! You must enlarge the picture for best results.

 

I walked passed a Minor convertible yesterday and a guy in the next street is restoring a Minor Traveller (estate car )

There are several firms that specialise in restoring these cars.

 

Some even put V8's into them . . . - - - (not necessarily firms)

Morris Minor 5.2 V8 - - - Morris Minor V8 ‘‘messy sound’’ from underneath the carbon hood !!​

 

Doctor Who audition?

 

The Minor was reputed to be one of the few Britsh cars of that era that would run indefinitely in the rain; I think the guy who cut off the inner wheel arches for that installation may have changed that!

I had more problems with an Italian scooter and a Japanese car in the rain than I ever did with a Britmobile . . . but things were simpler - and therefore easier to repair - back then. I recall hitching a ride in an Austin of some sort (model name escapes me) and it was running rough and obviously about to die. They owner had no clue but when it finally stopped and he opened the hood I reached in and tightened the wire to the ignition coil; first place you looked back then. The wee nut had fallen off and I think I did something clever like screwing a pencil erasor on the the terminal to hold it together. He was so in awe of my mechanical genius that he went out of his way to drop me off at my digs. It felt nice to earn one's way in the World . . .