Motoring Fads

[Notafettler]

PS I only attempted to wash it once but the paint started to come off so never did it again.

 

[Drago]

I'd agree it was a bit bizarre, and too quirky for the market at the time, but it wasn't stupid. Plenty of cars today, including many F1 cars, have asymmetric or non-circular steering wheels. It was an idea before its time, which I would class in the category of 'answers to questions that no-one had asked'.

Now, what was stupid was the alarm system of the Austin Montego, about the same period. Car alarms were still a novelty, and BL thought they would go one better with a proximity sensor that (in theory) detected a thief approaching the car and yelled "Warning! This vehicle is alarmed!" Of course, naughty children sussed the enormous entertainment possibilities. Near me, there was a newish Montego that had a constant group of kids dancing round it, making the warning message go off. Owners begged BL garages to disable it, and in a few months it was no longer to be seen in the product range. Did no one in the product approval meeting have teenage kids and raise the alarm? Apparently not.

My Allegro has a racy looking Mountney steering wheel, that could snap knicker elastic more than 50 metres away.

 

[Beebo]

Pops and bangs remaps. The sooner people get bored with this fad the better.

I was behind a really rubbish Honda jazz with a huge spoiler and roll cage today.
It kept flashing flame from the exhaust.
Their must be people who think it’s cool, but it isn’t, it’s just totally naff.

 

[screenman]

Has anyone mentioned a nodding dog on the rear parcel shelf?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Has anyone mentioned a nodding dog on the rear parcel shelf?

Don't forget the dice hanging off the mirror.

 

[slowmotion]

You'd struggle to get a car now without the whole rear nearly blacked out - manufacture fit.

I'm amazed that so many people want to look like Jack Nicholson's chauffeur.

 

[Drago]

Both of our cars have privacy glass from the factory. I'm not sure that Volvo's are quite the sort of thing Jack Nicholson would want to bendriven around in.

 

[Profpointy]

Filling gaping rust holes with nespaper and P38/P40 filler. Alas, not many of these crafstmen left now.

I filled some quite big holes in the sills of my metro by applying hammerite very thickly. The surface tension covered the hole with a bubble of paint and i kept layering it on. Good enough for an MOT. The holes had been half inch across not mere pin pricks. I should probably have done it properly with black tar and newspapers rather than bodgin

 

[taximan]

I had a sit up and beg Ford Prefect (mid to late 50s I think) I patched holes in the bodywork with Several layers of brown paper and paint, It made quite a solid repair..........................................................until it rained . This was long before MOT days of course.

 

[Profpointy]

I had a sit up and beg Ford Prefect (mid to late 50s I think) I patched holes in the bodywork with Several layers of brown paper and paint, It made quite a solid repair..........................................................until it rained . This was long before MOT days of course.

It'd be fine these days as a classic car of that age is exempt from MOT