Grumpy old buggers thread

[4bee]

[QUOTE=1950landy;3155224]

Every brand had a story

Mid eighties a friend bought a new Daihatsu. Couple of weeks old and back to dealer as brakes were funny. Told needed a new master cylinder and none in stock in Australia. Would be here in a week. No loan cars available. Couple of months later and many excuses later - list order, service manager left with order book, dog ate the paper work- might have made that one up but you get the picture. Friend decides to look up the address of Daihatsu in Japan and write them a letter. This letter was not emotional just laid out facts your girl bought new car and excited but dealer not able to obtain part could they help. As luck would have letter arrived in Japan at same time as a delegation of Australia dealers. Rather than being praised they found themselves being interrogated as to why this customer was not happy and why a simple repair had not been completed. Friend had to confirm by phone to Japan that car had now been fixed and they were now a happy customer

Or in seventies a Mercedes that would not go and no one could figure out why. Been in the garage for weeks and customer not happy. A senior trainer from Germany was in Australia visiting and was asked to sort it as a training exercise for the mechanics but could not figure it out either. Do not remember how that one ended up. This on what today would be considered a simple car technology wise

Or in UK about 20 years ago VW Golfs filing up the service car storage area as they were breaking down all same symptoms but no one could figure out why for weeks[/QUOT

Sorry double post , internet as slow as a Sloth this morning & thought it had not posted .

Thanks JD for your usual bit of History. Is good to hear of things past that today we take for granted.

It is good to hear these stories as it tends to, dare I say, "flattens the curve" a bit.

Our olde 1924 FIAT 501 Tourer had a 9 gallon steel tank of fuel, as you said behind the dash, I used to think this was a bit weird but in a T bone it was well protected by the high position & the super strong Chassis rails common back then.

To refuel, the bonnet had to be lifted. Not very thief proof though but back then we didn't have thieves, or Drive offs, which seems so popular lately.

[JDNSW]

[QUOTE=4bee;3155250]

Thanks JD for your usual bit of History. Is good to hear of things past that today we take for granted.

It is good to hear these stories as it tends to, dare I say, "flattens the curve" a bit.

Our olde 1924 FIAT 501 Tourer had a 9 gallon steel tank of fuel, as you said behind the dash, I used to think this was a bit weird but in a T bone it was well protected by the high position & the super strong Chassis rails common back then.

To refuel, the bonnet had to be lifted. Not very thief proof though but back then we didn't have thieves, or Drive offs, which seems so popular lately.

Our ford T had the tank under the driver's seat - with fuel rationing and a nearly empty tank, proceeding up steep hills in reverse was not unusual. Refuelling required removing the front seat cushion and the board underneath it. The Reo that replaced it had the tank behind the dash - no problems, small hatch just in front of the windscreen provided access. No fuel gauges, and you had to turn the fuel off after stopping in case the needle valve leaked and flooded the carburettor, potentially draining the tank.

The Swift we had after that had a rear mounted tank, under the spare wheel, where a boot would be if it had one (there was a folding luggage rack behind the tank). It had a vacuum tank to supply fuel to the engine. The mechanical fuel gauge was on top of the tank.

The Austin that replaced the Swift had a tank under the boot, with a filler in the mudguard, and a fuel gauge in the dash.

None of these had any sort of lock on the fuel cap. And although the Ford and Reo had ignition keys, they had no door locks - in fact, the ford (a light truck) had no doors. The Swift had a door lock (for which we had no key) but the (factory) ignition was a pushpull switch. The Austin was the first car we had that locked.

[4bee]

[QUOTE=JDNSW;3155256]

Our ford T had the tank under the driver's seat - with fuel rationing and a nearly empty tank, proceeding up steep hills in reverse was not unusual. Refuelling required removing the front seat cushion and the board underneath it. The Reo that replaced it had the tank behind the dash - no problems, small hatch just in front of the windscreen provided access. No fuel gauges, and you had to turn the fuel off after stopping in case the needle valve leaked and flooded the carburettor, potentially draining the tank.

The Swift we had after that had a rear mounted tank, under the spare wheel, where a boot would be if it had one (there was a folding luggage rack behind the tank). It had a vacuum tank to supply fuel to the engine. The mechanical fuel gauge was on top of the tank.

The Austin that replaced the Swift had a tank under the boot, with a filler in the mudguard, and a fuel gauge in the dash.

None of these had any sort of lock on the fuel cap. And although the Ford and Reo had ignition keys, they had no door locks - in fact, the ford (a light truck) had no doors. The Swift had a door lock (for which we had no key) but the (factory) ignition was a pushpull switch. The Austin was the first car we had that locked.

Thanks. You have just reminded me the FIAT had a calibrated hardwood dipstick to check fuel contents. Stored under Driver's seat. Never found out if it was an original "device" or added by the original owner.

Fuel Tanks under seats? A fore runner of Land Rover engineering maybe for Military LRs or just common sense at that time.

From all the above, we have come a long,long way.

[JDNSW]

[QUOTE=4bee;3155261]

Thanks. You have just reminded me the FIAT had a calibrated hardwood dipstick to check fuel contents. Stored under Driver's seat. Never found out if it was an original "device" or added by the original owner.

Fuel Tanks under seats? A fore runner of Land Rover engineering maybe for Military LRs or just common sense at that time.

From all the above, we have come a long,long way.

All Series 1 Landrovers had the tank under the seat and filled by removing the seat cushion. An external filler only appeared with the Series 2, and tanks moved to the back with the Series 2 109 wagon but stayed under the seat for all others until the 110 and 90 in the early eighties.

[scarry]

John,was the battery moved to its new position, under the seat for Series 3,or 2A?

I just remember a grumpy father muttering on about this when we had a brand new Series 3 LWB stuck in Eli Ck on Fraser island,on a rising tide,no one around in those days to help.

Two high tides went over it before it was recovered,and was back on the road, after spending a week at A & T in Brisbane.

Much to my fathers dismay,that was also the last LR the company ever bought,they then went to Tojo's,and still use them exclusively today.

[JDNSW]

John,was the battery moved to its new position, under the seat for Series 3,or 2A?

I just remember a grumpy father muttering on about this when we had a brand new Series 3 LWB stuck in Eli Ck on Fraser island,on a rising tide,no one around in those days to help.

......

Batteries remained under the bonnet for all Series Landrovers except:-

Diesel from Series 1 1957 had one of two six volt batteries under the seat. This continued in 2a until 1967? when they reverted to a single 12v battery under the bonnet.

Six cylinder 2a and 3 from 1969? the battery went under the seat as the boosted master cylinder encroached on the aircleaner space so it went where the battery used to be. V8 and Isuzu also went under the seat from their introduction in 1979.

As far as I am aware, swb Series 3 kept it under the bonnet until the end of production in 1984.

[scarry]

Batteries remained under the bonnet for all Series Landrovers except:-

Diesel from Series 1 1957 had one of two six volt batteries under the seat. This continued in 2a until 1967? when they reverted to a single 12v battery under the bonnet.

Six cylinder 2a and 3 from 1969? the battery went under the seat as the boosted master cylinder encroached on the aircleaner space so it went where the battery used to be. V8 and Isuzu also went under the seat from their introduction in 1979.

As far as I am aware, swb Series 3 kept it under the bonnet until the end of production in 1984.

Thanks,thats good info.

It was the 2.6,6 cylinder,staying on topic,he used to grumble about that as well,not much more power,but used a lot more fuel

Here is an old pic,some may have seen it before.They also had a large stainless steel fuel tank and water tank mounted at the front of the cargo area behind the seats.Some,but not this one also had what we called scrub bars,they ran from the front bar up to the roof,one on each side.

I dont know if this is the one that was drowned,i will have to dig out the pics of the drowned one,but i think they are on slides.

[RANDLOVER]

[QUOTE=4bee;3155261]

Thanks. You have just reminded me the FIAT had a calibrated hardwood dipstick to check fuel contents. Stored under Driver's seat. Never found out if it was an original "device" or added by the original owner.

Fuel Tanks under seats? A fore runner of Land Rover engineering maybe for Military LRs or just common sense at that time.

From all the above, we have come a long, long way.

This reminded me that I had seen a similar "hardwood dipstick to check fuel contents" somewhere, but as I didn't know anyone with an old FIAT I was at a loss, until I remembered my old retired mate had such a thing for the diesel tank on his boat.

On the subject of small cars, why do the owners insist on parking them right at the front of parking bays, especially in dimly lit areas such as underground carparks, so one gets one's hopes up thinking there's a free bay only to find a horrid little car in the way?

[4bee]

[QUOTE=RANDLOVER;3156154]

This reminded me that I had seen a similar "hardwood dipstick to check fuel contents" somewhere, but as I didn't know anyone with an old FIAT I was at a loss, until I remembered my old retired mate had such a thing for the diesel tank on his boat.

On the subject of small cars, why do the owners insist on parking them right at the front of parking bays, especially in dimly lit areas such as underground carparks, so one gets one's hopes up thinking there's a free bay only to find a horrid little car in the way?

The good olde dipstick won't tell you fibs unless you left you bi-focals at home.
As well as Motor Cycles Side on. One wonders how many MVs & MCs get dinged belonging to a thoughtless owner? Lots I hope, but next week they'll do it again I suspect, while still wondering why it also happened a week before.

[4bee]

Speaking of "Scrub Bars" reminds me of a mention in a Viet era book about Mil LRs where they fitted a Star Picket vertically to the Brush Guard to cut the piano wire of a Viet Cong trap at speed.

It was braced to the rear & bolted to summat.







It was the 2.6,6 cylinder,staying on topic,he used to grumble about that as well,not much more power,but used a lot more fuel

Here is an old pic,some may have seen it before.They also had a large stainless steel fuel tank and water tank mounted at the front of the cargo area behind the seats.Some,but not this one also had what we called scrub bars,they ran from the front bar up to the roof,one on each side.

I dont know if this is the one that was drowned,i will have to dig out the pics of the drowned one,but i think they are on slides.

[/QUOTE] Bloody hell! I had one of those brush Bars kicking around for couple of years tripping over it all the time due to it's shape so it went into the scrap bin one day.


I suspect it came off a S2A LWB that I scrounged but it also had a seized donk. ( 2 1/4)