23-04-2022, 04:14 PM
I moved on from the E04A sit up and beg Ford Anglia after I had blown it up racing a GPO Minor van, fitted a 10 HP Prefect engine but with the 8 HP cylinder head off the Anglia. It went quite well, enough for a trip to Silverstone GP just after Jim Clark was killed.
Sold it to a workmate who frightened himself with it.
The replacement was a 124E 1200 Ford Anglia. That one turned over when I avoided hitting a blind man who had been told by a pedestrian to cross the road on the blind side of a hump back bridge. It was wet, the tyres were cross plies, not in the first flush of youth. One side was badly scored, bent half shaft. A garage "fixed" it with filler and put the wrong smaller brake shoes in that side. When the police examined it after a fracas with a driver who turned left into me with his right indicator on, it pulled left on braking, I got done for failure to maintain a road worthy vehicle. That was the last time I ever paid a garage for a repair until age recently made it essential.
A succession or Anglias of all types followed, all died with either rust or impact.
Working for an American company followed my apprenticeship, I used firms vehicles for a few years without too much drama apart from a new Escort van on 6ply van tyres that had as much grip on the road in the wet at a greased fish on ice. That one had a couple of front ends on until the boss borrowed it one weekend to move something. On the Monday it was fitted with radials. Never bent it again after in 160,000 miles.
I started work for my self, in the motor trade, and drove just about every type of vehicle that was on the road at that time, from Reliant 3 wheelers through the mundane BMCs, Fords, Vauxhalls, Hillmans etc. to nice ones like Jensen Interceptors, E type Jags, AC Cobras, all sorts of massive Yanks (Galaxies were great) and recovery Landrovers.
But the recovery days are another story all together.
Driving today is not the fun it was.
Sold it to a workmate who frightened himself with it.
The replacement was a 124E 1200 Ford Anglia. That one turned over when I avoided hitting a blind man who had been told by a pedestrian to cross the road on the blind side of a hump back bridge. It was wet, the tyres were cross plies, not in the first flush of youth. One side was badly scored, bent half shaft. A garage "fixed" it with filler and put the wrong smaller brake shoes in that side. When the police examined it after a fracas with a driver who turned left into me with his right indicator on, it pulled left on braking, I got done for failure to maintain a road worthy vehicle. That was the last time I ever paid a garage for a repair until age recently made it essential.
A succession or Anglias of all types followed, all died with either rust or impact.
Working for an American company followed my apprenticeship, I used firms vehicles for a few years without too much drama apart from a new Escort van on 6ply van tyres that had as much grip on the road in the wet at a greased fish on ice. That one had a couple of front ends on until the boss borrowed it one weekend to move something. On the Monday it was fitted with radials. Never bent it again after in 160,000 miles.
I started work for my self, in the motor trade, and drove just about every type of vehicle that was on the road at that time, from Reliant 3 wheelers through the mundane BMCs, Fords, Vauxhalls, Hillmans etc. to nice ones like Jensen Interceptors, E type Jags, AC Cobras, all sorts of massive Yanks (Galaxies were great) and recovery Landrovers.
But the recovery days are another story all together.
Driving today is not the fun it was.
Boater Sam.
