Winter update. Few days off over the Christmas spell has seen a bit of progress on the old Series 2A. Seen here on the move 'twixt 'shops on board the slightly dodgy transporter, the floor is in fact completely rotten hence the skilfull application of a couple of scaffold boards. All's well that doesn't fall off the trailer and the series is now mobile under her own steam and ready for mot test next month. In point of fact I have very rarely lost items from trailers - complete trailers is a different kettle of squirrels, twice that would be, oh and I did run over a caravan once but somebody else was towing it so that probably doesn't count.
Do you remember the Dinky Toy version of this? They did it in orange, as my letterhead, and green. There may have even been a blue one like this. All were driven by the stock Dinky man in tan overalls and matching cap, which really is the only way to drive something like this. I hope your works wardrobe extends to such appropriate accoutrements.
ReplyDeleteWhat was it like when you ran over the caravan? I remember seeing (in the 70s) a caravan that had fallen over on Telegraph Hill (A38,qv) south of Exeter and it was an astonishing tumbled confection of what seemed like balsa wood, Formica and nothing else. By the side of the road the family from Birmingham blubbed fatly. I laughed like a drain, as any Devon boy would of course, until my Mini (699 TOD) boiled over about a hundred yards further on, as was its wont on that particular incline.
ReplyDeleteMy father's first car was an apple green Ford Popular, registration SJF 437. One of the very first times I got pissed (M&B Brew 11) I sprayed weedkiller on the bonnet whilst trying to sober up in the garage before I went indoors to face the Ashley Inquisition.
ReplyDeleteRon - the caravan incident was just East of Eucla, September '80, overtaking a Range Rover pulling a massive caravan, I was driving a W series Kenworth with 45ft trailer at about 75mph. The caravan got sucked under the rear trailer bogie and was squished. My conservative estimate would be about 430,000 pieces. I learned some new words that day. I seem to remeber the W series had a Cummins diesel, either 380 or 420 horse - I'll check that out.
ReplyDeleteYes, alright, but what about my dad's Ford Popular?
ReplyDeleteNot too sure what to say, Peter, about the Ford Pop'. Quite interested in the weedkiller business though, do you recall what the chemical was and do you have any idea what part you hoped it would take in sobering you up ? A friend of mine, driven by the same concern as yourself, holed up in an outhouse, on awakening he slurped a good mouthful from a bucket and tipped the rest over his head as a freshener - only to discover it was Jeyes Fluid - two weeks in hospital to recover.
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure what it was. It was red, and might as well have been hydrochloric acid. It had a spray nozzle, and without looking where it was pointing I pressed the button. It took the apple green paintwork right down to the bare metal, bubbling as it did so. My father went absolutely apeshit.
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