OO Military Vehicles

Possibly part of the kits-to-Iran contract? A very juicy business that came to a sudden stop with the fall of the Shah.

Cheers, Steve

No- there was a daily service from Gosford Green to Linwood and vice-versa carrying all manner of components. Similar arrangements exist today for Ford between Garston Dagenham and Silla (Valencia). There were 30' containers, latterly branded 'Chrysler United Kingdom', and I seem to recollect also some skeletal ones just to carry complete body shells. The Hunters may have ceased to be delivered in CKD form when the Shah fell, but production in Iran has only just ceased. Presumably the desert climate caused them to rot more slowly than the UK built examples...... Brian

Originally a munitions line which became vital to Britian's security in two world wars, now sadly converted to yet another road.

(kim)

They made Hillmans 280 years ago?

(I guess you meant cc (ml?), but that's how it struck me!)

That's quite big for a first car. Did you have trouble insuring it or did you stick it in your mother's name like the rest of us? :o)

(kim)

I'm driving a 2.2L. That's the "small" GM standard engine, used world- wide, even in Saabs. Used to be you could hardly get anything N. American under a 3L 6cyl. I also have a standard transmission - only because I ordered it direct from the factory; I'd rather spend the money on alloy wheels and an electrically adjustable driver's seat (my wife is 5' 2"). And our petrol just went up from 45p to 60p a litre.

Doh! That was addressed to Nigel of course, not Martin.

(kim)

I don't. I'm far too young! :-)

Luxury!

My Dad had one of those. It had four gears, but the indicator stalk also doubled as a switch that would put it into "overdrive". The handbrake was a bit odd. Instead of being on the centreline of the car, it was down the right-hand side of the driver's seat, so you could trip over it as you got out of the car.

Those Hillmans were always outdated in design - 250 years behind sounds about right!

Dates from pre-seatbelt days, when bench seats were the norm in larger cars- the Vauxhall Cresta I learnt to drive in was the same IIRC (talk about Hunters being big for first cars- the Cresta was a 3.3l engine with a 3 speed gearbox and a 7" clutch...My sister let her foot of the clutch at the end of our street, shot across the road and through a filling station forecourt) Back post-1973 oil-shock, a college friend used to pick up large British cars for a pittance, and run them into the ground. At one point , he had a couple of Mk2 Jags and a big Rover on the go- all this on a grant. Brian ps- to head slightly back to topic- the Cresta straight-6 was a derivative of the engine that my dad had in his ex-WD Bedford.

My dad bought a second-hand ~1960 (year) Humber Super Snipe; not that he needed or could afford it, he just liked it. However, it was not the greatest to drive; it had a 3-speed column shift, and the 6 cyl engine was so quiet it was hard to judge the revs on a gear change. Nice leather seats, though, and lots of room for 5 or 6.

I wish, my mum used to work for an insurance broker and therefore refused to play, much to my disgust as that's what all my college friends did! As I recall the car cost me £250 and it cost £280 to insure it TPF&T. This was either 1980 or 1981.

My daughter, over 30, self-employed and living in the centre of Toronto, was paying £900/yr for insurance plus $165 for residential parking. She has decided to get rid of the car and rely on a combination of Autoshare, taxis, public transport, and car rental for longer trips. It'll save her thousands, and simplify her accounting for business travel.

"MartinS"

OUCH!

I've just purchased a brand spanking new KIA Rio currently sitting in my driveway with 204KMs on the clock. Automatic, power steering/brakes, aircon, auto door locks, stereo/CD player etc., etc.. Most of the available toys in fact.

Insurance? All perils, full replacement cost, Can$904 per year. Only limitation, no second drivers under ten years experience. Like that's gonna happen. :-)

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

My insurance in Cobourg on a 2000 Saturn L is $575 per year. My daughter - $2000. Only 100km from Toronto makes a huge difference.

"MartinS"

Amazing difference, isn't it?

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

I think you'll find that age makes a bigger difference than location.

(kim)