Instant Regret

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

My first car (in the 1950s) was an old Ford 8 – anything after that was a bonus. If it was raining you could not use the windscreen wipers and accelerate(?) at the same time as the wipers were powered, I believe, by a valve in the engine inlet manifold via a 'reserve' tank which in itself was a serious misnomer. You had to use a calendar, not a stopwatch, for the 0 to 60 time and you could only achieve that going downhill with a following gale. Don't ask me about the 6 volt electrical system.

Derek.

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

My first car was a new 1968 VW Beetle (light blue with black interior) 1500cc with 12 volt system.

Had to sell it two years later to pay for the honeymoon !!!!

Why did I do THAT !!!

Harry Smith

[Byron Rees…(Ron)Participant @byronrees-ron]

My first car, was a 1966 Mk 2 Ford Consul, two tone paint, Bench seat and 3 speed dash mounted gear shift, bought it for £25. which was 6 weeks wages then. The head gasket went and the engine seized as I didn't know anything about cars then and kept driving it!!!. Pushed off the Gants Hill roundabout in Essex by a huge Volvo artic lorry. It had Maserati air horns that played Colonel Bogie (Not fitted by me) which I sold for £25 and the car sold for £10. scrap!!

Next came a 1962 1200 VW Beetle with the 6v system, (Driving in the dark was fun) and the little rear window and cover over the rear light. Went everywhere in that, but it would'nt go up the hills in Cornwall! That had to go when the spare wheel and all its mounting fell through the floor at the front, and there was only cardboard, painted bodywork colour holding it all in. Most of the chassis pan would have been next to go.

You certainly learn a lot about cars when you started in the 60's.with very little money and a lot of rogues and villains about.

RON.

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