...and then a Princess happened, which was nice.

So, I managed rather spectacularly to lose my log in info and bookmark for this blog, not sure how I managed that but I'm back again now and hoping to keep up the regular updates.

Since I've been gone, the Polo went and died on me, I'm not sure exactly what's wrong but it's a suspected knackered head and/or head gasket at the moment.  I did the only sensible thing and started thinking about what car I could use while he was broken and fleetingly thought about getting myself an Austin Princess.  Did some asking, a little research, then one turned up almost on my doorstep at a bargainous price, I was really rather surprised.  Over the next few weeks I'll update the blog with the story but for now, here's some glamour shots of the old girl.

Oh, and I'm fully aware of the daftness of buying a car five years older than the broken one that has a reputation for being unreliable and isn't exactly frugal with the dinosaur juice around town.  And I'm fully aware of how many shades of brown the new car is... I know it makes no sense, but then if I had to explain it to you there's a good chance you wouldn't be reading this blog anyway.

The above is an 1980 Austin Morris 1700HL Princess 2.  She had her problems, but quite a lot of those were niggles and are now fixed.

2012 - Mk3 Cortina Pick-up

Let's kick off 2012 with an old car event.

I collected my much loved old armchairs from my old house, my ex had replaced the old suite with a new one and they'd come up for grabs.  After a bit of Note sending I found a fellow club member willing and able to help out with his pick-up.

The car is a Mk3 Ford Cortina with a Ford Sierra P100 bed and a 2ltr EFI Ford Granada engine

Used, abused but loved and capable.

Fictional Hearses

Austin Allegro estate.

Imagine this with a V shaped engine up front powering the rear wheels too.

Chevrolet El Camino

Great car and photograph to start with, I just tinkered with it.  Credit for the original is still on the photograph.

Austin FX4

I wonder why there isn't a taxi hearse out there, surely there's enough cabbies would want to hire it for that last fare?

It's October, I've been tinkering with some digital photographs while I convalesce following surgery (boo).

Three Wheeled Retro Racing

Back in the eighties and nineties Dad would take us all out to various race meets.  Early on he had a Goldwing bike and sidecar so we went to see those.  Later it would be rallying at Clumber Park.  I found these pictures the other day entirely by accident, a happy little window into the past on what looks like a crisp Autumn morning.

Wirksworth

This weekend just gone, the parents and I went to Wirksworth for the art festival there.  The festival is not really of any interest to this blog, but some of the spots were.

This made us chuckle, mobility scooter with a Motorway Maintenance sticker on the back and a high visibility jacket on the seat.  I believe the women in purple skirts were part of a performing arts thing... or maybe it was just a strange coincidence.

Dad and I spotted this bike at about the same time.  The bike is a make I'm unfamiliar with, it being the first one I'd ever seen, but Dad was au fait being a bike riding type way back when.

Twingo!  Don't see these too often in the UK, they were primarily sold in France as rental cars.

Nissan Figaro.  One of the more successful attempts at a retro styled modern car which is itself now considered a retro vehicle due to its age.  Hard to believe this little 2 seater coupé is a Nissan Micra underneath it all.

Sooty Van, aka Bedford Rascal.  I believe these sleep one and a half people, are a little more unstable than the miniature van counterpart and quite rare now.  Perfect for wending your way around the narrow streets of Wirksworth though.

Moving House

When you move house almost entirely with a tiny car and a roof rack and your friends have Photoshop, this is what happens.

BAM! Hillman Imp

Garage find Imp, used regularly and restored just enough to preserve it.  Love this sort of thing.