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Rick Site Admin

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22784 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:11 pm Post subject: Your cringe-worthy car modifications |
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Do you recall any modifications that you've made to cars in the past, that when you look back & think about them now, make you shudder?
Driving my A40 with "racing driver" white squares on the door is slightly embarrassing to think about now, I admit.
Fitting alloy wheels to my first Spitfire, without using wheel nuts with the correct shoulder on them, soon caught me out too ...
RJ _________________ Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop |
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Peter_L
Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 2680 Location: New Brunswick. Canada.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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Back in the day when I would squeeze myself into a Mini and do foolish things in the forest, I kept my crash helmet on the back parcel shelf.
I had switches that turned off brake and rear lights.
Also a fairly fancy relay system that switched on Hi-Low Beams and Spot lights, when Hi Beam was selected. |
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peter scott

Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7215 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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For my anaemic Morris Minor I welded up a couple of induction stubs to take twin SUs. They gave the impression of improved performance but balance deteriorated when the engine warmed up due to me using plastic pipe and Jubilee clips to connect the two throttle shafts. I also ran it on totally bald tyres that gave good grip in the dry but I had to be careful in the wet.
Peter _________________ https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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Peter_L
Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 2680 Location: New Brunswick. Canada.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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peter scott wrote: | For my anaemic Morris Minor I welded up a couple of induction stubs to take twin SUs. They gave the impression of improved performance but balance deteriorated when the engine warmed up due to me using plastic pipe and Jubilee clips to connect the two throttle shafts. I also ran it on totally bald tyres that gave good grip in the dry but I had to be careful in the wet.
Peter |
Talking of tyres. some people have been known to swap around wheels to have tyres that passed MOT. But one day, the plot was somewhat thwarted when a wheel, minus its nuts, dismounted itself as the said vehicle reversed into the road. |
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Phil - Nottingham

Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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I too had a a fancy relay system to select the twin headlights and fog spots on my 1975 bright yellow Golf Mk1 1100L GTI lookalike too in 1980/81 - in fact the whole car would be cringe worthy now _________________ Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2 |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4236 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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Back in the 80's when I had my first Bedford CA, someone from college gave me a 18" air horn and compressor from a lorry, I fitted it to the roof of said van and wired it up....problem was that the compressor was a 24volt device, so there was a delay after pressing the horn button as the pressure built up before it made any noise.....after a couple of seconds it would make a pathetic squawk after about 10 seconds it was more of a horn type noise but no where near the level that size the trumpet suggested!
Dave |
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MikeEdwards
Joined: 25 May 2011 Posts: 2707 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:56 am Post subject: |
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When I had a maroon 1600 Firenza, I recall fitting some rectangular fog lamps under the bumper, those with black plastic grilles over the lenses just to make them even less useful in fog. One weekend, I decided that it would look better if I painted the grilles, and the wiper arms, in body colour. I can't remember if it was already all the rage back then, or whether I thought up the entire body-colour trend - if the latter, then I can only apologise. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4860 Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
Not one of mine I hasten to add, but something I saw when visiting my daughter over Christmas.
 _________________ Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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baconsdozen

Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.
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BigJohn
Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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And they melted if you forgot to take them off and switched the lights on by accident, (you don't need to ask how I know this do you?) |
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Peter_L
Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 2680 Location: New Brunswick. Canada.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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baconsdozen wrote: | Can anyone else remember when padded spot light covers were the 'in thing'?.
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Do I have to admit to having 5 spotlights on one of my Mini's, all broken, but padded out and fitted with "Cibie" covers.
and of course one in similar fraud on the boot lid. |
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Ray White

Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 7115 Location: Derby
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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As you might expect from this boring old fart, I never did anything to my cars that would embarrass me today. Any modifications were correctly done with my work checked by my Father. I never even fitted any "go faster" stripes. Boring! |
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