547 replies to this topic

[Mistron]

Originally posted by Stephen W


My 1970 Elan which goes to its new home on Tuesday!

Not sure what to get next!

Thal looks lovely, why on earth did you sell it?

You'll need to get something pretty good too replace a nice Elan

[Twin Window]

[sterling49]

Amazing Wolseley! The gearlever on the right is novel, I never knew they were so positioned. A good job it is not black with the bell on the front bumper apron You have been busy, I do not think I have seen one of these on the road for a good 30 years!

The yellow and green Elan is rather nice too, why would you want to sell that

[RTH]

Anyone remember 'Fabian of the yard '

This is a police chase from 1967.. but its not quite the right Wolseley



Lovely sharp photos by the way Stuart !

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by sterling49

Amazing Wolseley! The gearlever on the right is novel, I never knew they were so positioned.

Mine's a Series II 6/90 and that was one of the changes made from the SI (along with different rear lights, wooden dash, leaf springs on the rear and a truncated chrome strip no longer running under the rear window). There's only one other known roadworthy Series II left in the UK.

The Isis is the same configuration.

Originally posted by RTH

Lovely sharp photos by the way Stuart !

All taken on my phone Richard...

And on my old one at that, with 'only' 3.2 megapixels - my new one has 5.0!

[Ruairidh]

Very nice cars Twinny! You're a better man than me with the right side gearlever, I always found a way to get entangled in the lever whenever I got into a car with that arrangement.

So what is the daily driver?

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by sterling49
Amazing Wolseley! The gearlever on the right is novel,

The Nuffield cars were very confusing around that time.
Riley Pathfinder used that gearlever position although I have an idea the gearbox was different, and certainly the engine was, being the 2½ litre four - later became the Riley 2.6 with the 6/90's engine.
Pathfinder (and SI 6/90) had coil sprung rear with long semi-trailing arms and panhard rod which worked well provided the rubber mountings were in good condition. As Stuart says, SII 6/90 (and Riley 2.6) reverted to cart springs, simpler but not necessarily better.
Boring thought: my friends in right-hand rule-of-the-road countries cannot understand how we can manage to change gear with our left hand! Indeed the right-hand gearlever was common on RHD cars until about 1930, but so far as I know no LHD car had a left-hand gearlever. Discuss!
Oh and back on thread here's my car:

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Allan Lupton


Boring thought: my friends in right-hand rule-of-the-road countries cannot understand how we can manage to change gear with our left hand! Indeed the right-hand gearlever was common on RHD cars until about 1930, but so far as I know no LHD car had a left-hand gearlever. Discuss!
Oh and back on thread here's my car:

Very nice Allan, what'll she do mister ;) Thought, did the gentlemen driving LHD cars have very long arms then? Or did they always have someone riding shotgun

[Mistron]

you can tell someone who is used to side gear levers by the way they avoid getting it up their trouser leg as they get in the car!

took me a long time to master getting into a derby Bentley or 20/25 Rolls with the 'panache' which befits the car.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Ruairidh

Very nice cars Twinny! You're a better man than me with the right side gearlever, I always found a way to get entangled in the lever whenever I got into a car with that arrangement.

So what is the daily driver?

If you think about it it's no different to driving a LHD stick-shift!

The Wolseley is my daily-driver, but only when the roads are dry and salt-free. That'll give me about ten days a year, then!

[Patrick Fletcher]

Have driven both many years ago .... but the Isis gear shift had a strange feel when going up the gate .... like pushing into a rubber stopper/buffer - always went in but felt strange ......................
"its what the bishop said to one of MM's girls"

[Twin Window]

The linkages are quite odd, fairly inefficient and prone to failed bushes. Once they've been fettled, however, they're perfect!

[Allan Lupton]

Originally posted by sterling49


Very nice Allan, what'll she do mister ;) Thought, did the gentlemen driving LHD cars have very long arms then? Or did they always have someone riding shotgun

a) 70 m.p.h. on public roads(!) with perhaps another 10 m.p.h. available . . .
b) not many cars built as RHD with RH gear levers seem to have been offered in LHD form in the early days. Those that were seem to have had centre gear-levers, rather than the logical left-hand.
Remember too that up-market and sporting French and Italian cars where RHD until quite late (1950s in the case of the Italians) even in those left-hand rule-of-the-road countries
c) that gear-change on the Pathfinder and Wolseley 6/90 is mechanically the same as a column-change, so the uncertain and soggy feel is similar. Veteran & Vintage RH levers were on stout cross-shafts that engaged the selectors directly, so are very positive.

[Patrick Fletcher]

Was the Isis exported to the States?
It was reasonably large for its day and was well built and finished.

[Twin Window]

It was the top-of-the-range Morris of its era and the biggest too, yes, but I don't believe it was exported to the US. Some went to Canada though - presumably this was due to the Canadians driving on the left at the time? Likewise they went to Australia and New Zealand too.

[Patrick Fletcher]

Tomorrow I will start the hunt !
What about India?

[Catalina Park]

There are some around here (Australia) Not much rust where I live, the sun burns the paint off pretty quick though. :

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Patrick Fletcher

Tomorrow I will start the hunt !
What about India?

Quite possibly!

Originally posted by Catalina Park

There are some around here (Australia) Not much rust where I live, the sun burns the paint off pretty quick though. :

I imported the Wolseley back from NZ where it had enjoyed a similarly moisture-free fifty years, but the paint is consequently very thin as you say. The day I got it home last June it started to rain and I reckon its had fifty years-worth since then... Sadly it's had to live outdoors without a cover on it during that time as the Isis has the only garage space, which is a pity as it's a genuine low-miler with just 51k miles on the clock. In fact that's the real beauty of it; it is almost entirely original with nothing above tyres, battery, mats and bulbs having been replaced since 1957.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Twin Window

Sadly it's had to live outdoors without a cover on it...

Can't be a good thing...

[Mal9444]

Woke up to the same phenomenon (for the South Coast of England it's a phenomenon) this morning. Snow covering everything. Our snow has already melted in the warm morning sunshine. I've looked three or four times, but no Wolseley 6/90 can I find revealed. Must have melted with the snow...

[flat-16]

Have you looked into a CarCoon for the Wolesley, Twinny?

There's only one other known roadworthy Series II left in the UK.

When you consider how many were built, and how elegant Gerald Palmer's lines are, I can't help but wonder if there's an analogy in the above statement for many things manufactured / designed in Britain over the years :


Justin

[Kingsleyrob]

Very nice Wolseley Twinny! I'd love to have an MG Magnette ZB Varitone - from the pen of the same Gerald Palmer

It's the only thing I'd swap my 1962 Austin A40 for. Ok, I'd swap it for an MGA too, just for the summer

Rob

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by Mistron


Thal looks lovely, why on earth did you sell it?

You'll need to get something pretty good too replace a nice Elan

I want something faster & to get the most out of the Elan it would have had to have been 'butchered' something I wasn't willing to do.

[bradbury west]

There was quite a detailed piece in one of the comics recently on the 6/90, IIRC
RL

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by flat-16

Have you looked into a CarCoon for the Wolesley, Twinny?

When you consider how many were built, and how elegant Gerald Palmer's lines are, I can't help but wonder if there's an analogy in the above statement for many things manufactured / designed in Britain over the years :

I haven't Justin, as I didn't think I could afford anything - and only when it was too late did I discover that actually, I could...

There were only around 1,200 or so Series II 6/90s produced (all between October 1956 and May 1957), with a decent percentage of those being exported, so I guess it's not too surprising that there are just two UK runners left! What is surprising though is that the 6/90, like the Isis, wasn't popular when current - hence the low production figures, even when all three (or two, in the case of the Isis) versions are added-together. Indeed the 6/90 was such a salesroom flop that Gerald Palmer lost his job as a direct result...

Originally posted by Kingsleyrob
Very nice Wolseley Twinny! I'd love to have an MG Magnette ZB Varitone - from the pen of the same Gerald Palmer

Thanks - although it's not looking that good as we speak! Yes; the Magnettes are very pretty cars - I think GP lost a little bit of that magic on the 6/90's finishing touches myself. Its rear-quarters look positively unfinished to me in fact!

[David Birchall]

A friend just sent this photo of my 1935 Bentley together with friends Bristol and Astons at Whistler last fall:

[weisler]

Although it is my Dad's car, I do feel like part owner with all the time we've spent wrenching on, and enjoying it together!

[MPea3]

Having owned some 25 cars over the last 30 years, I finally no longer own a car. This is my everyday transportation.

[David Birchall]

Great! I am going to post something on the youtube thread you may-or may not-enjoy!

[Andrew Stevens]

Lotus Elise has just left the family after 10 years...a sad day, but it's in preparation for a big move! Still left behind is my Alfa 1750 GTV - just back on the road after a 2.5 yr rebuildhttp://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bootie.boot/GTVRebuildPics/photo#5172713374027581378
and the Ferrari 365GT 2+2 - a charming old bus and lots of fun...if a little thirsty on the fuel! Will be shipping it to the UK with us next year, not looking forward to the cost of fuel!
Not to mention the hack E46 323Ci

[Andrew Stevens]

Bugger - appear to have stuffed up the image posting ...here is a link:
http://picasaweb.goo...713374027581378

[Rosemayer]

Here you go Twinney



http://gblandco.com/gb/wol/wol1.html


http://www.oldclassi...6_90_saloon.htm

[Robin Fairservice]

Where do you live? Looked a bit like Canada. My wife liked the Value Village price tag! One of her favourite dress stores!

[Rosemayer]

Not my car found the link on the internet.But I believe you are right.

[flat-16]

Originally posted by Rosemayer
Here you go Twinney



http://gblandco.com/gb/wol/wol1.html


http://www.oldclassi...6_90_saloon.htm

Looking at it from the front, it has an almost Aurelia-esque quality to it. Not sure that I agree with Twinny's remark about the car looking unfinished (although I haven't had a chance to observe the beast at such close quarters, so I wouldn't disagree fervently with a curator of one). I like the lack of unnecessary detail on the 6/90's rear; smooth and elegant IMO - definitely an underappreciated British car.


Justin

[ZOOOM]

Corvette, 2006, convertable, 6 spd. RED!
Wife's.... Cadillac 2008, CTS.... a four door Vette....
ZOOOM

[Robin Fairservice]

I should have looked harder; the Wolsey has Ontario licence plates.

[2Bob]

ASP 340C clubman (Australian clubman formula circa 1970s) 1300 cc production based engine live rear axle no LSD etc). Shown at practice day first time out after 19 year restoration (well 2 years part-time work spread over 19 years). Owned since 1985 (3rd owner). First race (this time around) due August 23rd.

[llmaurice]

My possesions are a knackered old 240,000mile , 11year old Ford Transit van and a 1983 Van Diemen Formula Ford 2000 which Son Chris races .

[Brynmor]

Interesting vehicles between my father and I:

MK1 Escort Mexico

MK1 Mini Cooper

Escort Cosworth (dads for 14 years now)

Sadly my daily drive Lotus Elise had to go due to our newish baby arrival, so it's now a 1000cc Suzuki Swift with the wife and baby in a Peugeot SW..;)

[RTH]

Originally posted by llmaurice
My possesions are a knackered old 240,000mile , 11year old Ford Transit van and a 1983 Van Diemen Formula Ford 2000 which Son Chris races .

Do you have a photo Maurice


.....Of the Transit !

[Frank S]

The black wheels are Saleen Parnelli Jones Edition - "Minilite inspired" 19x9/10 with Pilot Sport PS2 275-35. Silver are Ford SVT "Fanblades" 18x8.5 with RE-01R 245-45. Second pic has Ford Racing Performance Parts dual exhaust conversion.



Looks good, feels good, sounds good. Mmmm mmm.

--
Frank S
Sun Diego CA
USA

[Aero426]

My heaps from right to left:

1980 Fiat 124 Spider
1970 Plymouth Superbird
1969 Dodge Daytona
1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

[Robin Fairservice]

Here is my 1984 Corvette:



and here is my 1950 Jowett Javelin:



Our other cars are a 1994 Jeep Cherokee and a 2008 Ford Fusion. ( Not the UK little box on wheels).

[jeremy durward]

i have two Lepton formula vees and just bought a 1969 corolla sprinter... in a rather sad state.



me at the last collingrove hillclimb

[Breadmaster]

Originally posted by Aero426
My heaps from right to left:

1980 Fiat 124 Spider
1970 Plymouth Superbird
1969 Dodge Daytona
1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

I'm very jealous!

[Buford]

Me too. In fact more than that. I'm pretty pissed off.

[mikeC]

Here's a couple of mine - on the left a 1958 Lancia Appia Pininfarina coupe, and on the right a Volvo 480 Celebration. Also in the garage, an 1977 MGB Roadster and a 1936 BSA Scout