What's made you smile today?

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Weren't they originally used by ex motorcycle riders (who tended in the past to be DIY) as if reverse was blanked off they could drive on a full motorcycle license.
As an apprentice I recall there was a lad in the village who had the pi** taken out of him, for driving his restricted three wheeler into his tight garage and then being stuck as he couldn't open the doors or reverse out.
There were some strange driving regulations in those days. I had a 125cc Lambretta series one as my first "ride to work" vehicle, but was able to sell it and ride a 600cc Matchless G11 Super Clubman motorcycle complete with sidecar on L plates and take passengers, it was great fun for a 16 year old and spent a lot of it's time on two wheels, especially with my hard cornering, happy days.

One of our younger lads - what am I talking about, I was a young lad back in those days! - anyway, he had a Bond Minicar. A 3 wheeled device with a two stroke air cooled engine and very small looking wheels - it had no reverse gear. I can confirm the attraction of such devices was you could drive them on a motorcycle license. When I was into my Hillman Imps I always fancied a Bond 875 which used the Imp engine - and probably made it far too fast for it's own good! At that time I was offered an ex fire service water pump (it was powered by the Coventry Climax engine which was the basis of the Imp's engine) I thought that was a step too far though and didn't buy it.

 

[bugsymike]

One of our younger lads - what am I talking about, I was a young lad back in those days! - anyway, he had a Bond Minicar. A 3 wheeled device with a two stroke air cooled engine and very small looking wheels - it had no reverse gear. I can confirm the attraction of such devices was you could drive them on a motorcycle license. When I was into my Hillman Imps I always fancied a Bond 875 which used the Imp engine - and probably made it far too fast for it's own good! At that time I was offered an ex fire service water pump (it was powered by the Coventry Climax engine which was the basis of the Imp's engine) I thought that was a step too far though and didn't buy it.

Wasn't the Climax engine 1100cc? I used to see them at Government auctions as the waterpump, possibly in "Green Goddess".
A friend at college had a Bond MiniCar with the Villiers 197cc engine.
Thinking some more my friend with all the Cycle Master engines has a Bond Minicar he takes to France on occasion. I believe he had a Dynastart system which allowed starting the engine backwards using a separate set of points and being two stroke ran fine to give "reverse gear" though presumably if your courage allowed, the same speed backwards!!!
The only danger with the design was if the engine didn't totally stop before being started in the other direction it could destroy things.
Just looked up the Coventry Climax Spec. "A later version of the Coventry Climax (FWB) was enlarged to 1460cc and produced 108 horsepower. Still another (FWE) was used to power the Lotus Elite" Wow!

 

[StevenRB45]

Out and about again..

Another lovely spring day.. although it was very frosty this morning.

Very much rinsing the weather for all it's worth at moment as sick of constant grey rain. Which of course returns tomorrow..but at least the wind direction changes to southerly so we'll no longer be setting coldest day in April records. Next week is meant to get up as high as 17 degrees!

Also the lad has already been asleep for half an hour having walked 10k and also been swimming this morning not that it's tactical you understand.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Out and about again..View attachment 443942

View attachment 443943

Another lovely spring day.. although it was very frosty this morning.

Very much rinsing the weather for all it's worth at moment as sick of constant grey rain. Which of course returns tomorrow..but at least the wind direction changes to southerly so we'll no longer be setting coldest day in April records. Next week is meant to get up as high as 17 degrees!

Also the lad has already been asleep for half an hour having walked 10k and also been swimming this morning not that it's tactical you understand.

Great pictures, thanks. In the second picture there's an interesting selection of outfalls into that stream. slightly left of centre is a mortar'd stone outfall -storm drain maybe? and to the right of it, more or less centre of picture, are a couple of plastic pipes, let's hope they are land drains and not from the big house up the hill a bit?

 

[StevenRB45]

I noticed them at the time as sitting on a bench with the lad..one of those where you wonder what the heck they are draining.

Probably not the most convenient water body to the house..

 

[Cheest]

That looks like a great place to wet a line.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Round trip to Swindon this weekend, to spy on Portland Bill. Well mother in Laws funeral actually. The Panda Alesi seen in Sainsburys turns out to have been the man himself, but we missed actually meeting as he had left when we came back out of the shop. The whole trip was done at 44.5mpg, fully laden. I booted it pretty hard on the way home, not much came passed us and I can attest to the fact that the TA improves its peformance as it gets to 20K which we did recently. Now at virtually 21K and we were bowling along at quite high speed all the way back so Im very pleased with the 44.5. The way this tiny engine regains speed, and allows overtaking loaded to the roof and full of people and dog is astounding. Its got enough go to get rid of 6 cars and an articulated lorry in a remarkably short space on a short stretch of A road. There are few taxing hills but everyting it did go up was accomplished with ease in top gear. All four wheels need a clean as covered in brake dust which is a first for a very long time. The only problem is Barney decided the back shelf was a good place to get a view out while he was left in the car on Friday. It will take a bit of patience to remove all those dog hairs. Thankfully the shelf shows no signs of having 13kg of dog laid on it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

That looks like a great place to wet a line.

In this country that would probably involve several permit and licences and a tone of time fighting beurocracy! Every tiny bit of land and water belongs to someone and permits must be obtained to avoid jail or execution....

 

[Steveetee55]

Round trip to Swindon this weekend, to spy on Portland Bill. Well mother in Laws funeral actually. The Panda Alesi seen in Sainsburys turns out to have been the man himself, but we missed actually meeting as he had left when we came back out of the shop. The whole trip was done at 44.5mpg, fully laden. I booted it pretty hard on the way home, not much came passed us and I can attest to the fact that the TA improves its peformance as it gets to 20K which we did recently. Now at virtually 21K and we were bowling along at quite high speed all the way back so Im very pleased with the 44.5. The way this tiny engine regains speed, and allows overtaking loaded to the roof and full of people and dog is astounding. Its got enough go to get rid of 6 cars and an articulated lorry in a remarkably short space on a short stretch of A road. There are few taxing hills but everyting it did go up was accomplished with ease in top gear. All four wheels need a clean as covered in brake dust which is a first for a very long time. The only problem is Barney decided the back shelf was a good place to get a view out while he was left in the car on Friday. It will take a bit of patience to remove all those dog hairs. Thankfully the shelf shows no signs of having 13kg of dog laid on it.

Did a long trip in mine few months back got 49 to the gallon I got 3 jack russells & their band from my car