Beautiful Cars & Trucks

[Eric]

1 hour ago, tous said:

Given the high-back seats, panel door on the starboard side and the fact that it probably runs, I reckon it's late 1960s, early 1970s and not British.

I wonder how long the rear doors lasted before they got dinged and dented to heck with no bumper back there.

Didn't the Ford Transport own the utility vehicle market in Britain?

Here is a Bedford van camper conversion. This might simply be a case of Opel repackaging the Bedford van for the German market.

 

[tous]

Perhaps one day they'll learn how to manufacture hinges that tuck inside rather than bolt on the outside.

Looks like they got it on that model.

[Eric]

2 minutes ago, tous said:

Perhaps one day they'll learn how to manufacture hinges that tuck inside rather than bolt on the outside.

Looks like they got it on that model.

A lot of Bedfords took styling routes more like this.

 

[Eric]

I guess the custom van craze made it across to GB, back in the Days of Disco.

 

[tous]

When I visited England on business in the late 1980s, 1990s, vans like the Beford and Ford Transits,  were all over the streets of London.

Traffic jams everywhere, and they were constant, were 60% work vans, 10% big saloons of the rich fellers and 30% taxis.

This was before they had the congestion fee (tax.)

I took the subway (tube) and got around just fine.

The money was strange, so was some of the food, and so were some of the accents, but nice people and great old buildings.

You can joke about Lucas electrical systems and they'll laugh with you. 

Make the trip if you possibly can.

I did try driving on the left out in the country.  It isn't that hard if you pay attention.

[Eric]

36 minutes ago, tous said:

When I visited England on business in the late 1980s, 1990s, vans like the Beford and Ford Transits,  were all over the streets of London.

Traffic jams everywhere, and they were constant, were 60% work vans, 10% big saloons of the rich fellers and 30% taxis.

This was before they had the congestion fee (tax.)

I took the subway (tube) and got around just fine.

The money was strange, so was some of the food, and so were some of the accents, but nice people and great old buildings.

You can joke about Lucas electrical systems and they'll laugh with you. 

Make the trip if you possibly can.

I did try driving on the left out in the country.  It isn't that hard if you pay attention.

The British taxis are remarkable vehicles. The basic design has been around since the 1940s, but has been continuously updated. I imagine they are probably making them hybrids or EVs by now.

Here is a brief How It’s Made clip of their construction. I love shows like this.

 

[Eric]

This is an interesting documentary on the history of British taxis. 
 

 

[Borg warner]

12 hours ago, Eric said:

The British taxis are remarkable vehicles. The basic design has been around since the 1940s, but has been continuously updated. I imagine they are probably making them hybrids or EVs by now.

Here is a brief How It’s Made clip of their construction. I love shows like this.

 

From the video: "And for many London visitors, a taxi ride is more than just transportation. It's a Tourist attraction in itself."  --The same could be said for the taxi's in Tijuana, Mexico! Many legendary stories are told today.

[tous]

Thanks for the documentaries, Eric.

I enjoyed them.

Like you, i can sit for hours watching How It's Made.

[tous]

6 hours ago, Borg warner said:

From the video: "And for many London visitors, a taxi ride is more than just transportation. It's a Tourist attraction in itself."  --The same could be said for the taxi's in Tijuana, Mexico! Many legendary stories are told today.

I have had the displeasure of having to take cab rides in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit.

The cars were dirty, inside and out and the drivers often hadn't taken a bath for a week and few could speak English or knew how to get to my destination.

As much as I hated driving in unfamiliar cities, I preferred to rent a car rather than ride with some Third World denizen fresh from an illegal border crossing.

Not always.  I have had pleasant, professional  cab rides i those cities as well.

Paris taxi drivers will always try to pad the fee for foreigners by taking the scenic route and never having change.

London taxis are a different universe.

[Eric]

1 minute ago, tous said:

I have had the displeasure of having to take cab rides in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit.

The cars were dirty, inside and out and the drivers often hadn't taken a bath for a week and few could speak English or knew how to get to my destination.

As much as I hated driving in unfamiliar cities, I preferred to rent a car rather than ride with some Third World denizen fresh from an illegal border crossing.

Not always.  I have had pleasant, professional  cab rides i those cities as well.

Paris taxi drivers will always try to pad the fee for foreigners by taking the scenic route and never having change.

London taxis are a different universe.

I think that cabbies in the DC area have been consistently the rudest and craziest I've dealt with. The cabbies in Las Vegas have been the friendliest, most helpful. I'm guessing drunk people are generous tippers.

[Eric]

[pipedreams]

1948 Chrysler Town and Country 2 Door Woody Convertible

[pipedreams]

1965 Pontiac Bonneville

[Schmidt Meister]

1969 Chevrolet Custom Van.

[Schmidt Meister]

1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 - 455 HO Built To W30 Specs, .030+, Comp Cams, MSD Ignition, Headman Headers, Muncie 4 Spd Manual - Brandywine And Jet Black

[Eric]

4 minutes ago, Schmidt Meister said:

1969 Chevrolet Custom Van.

OK, what kind of lens did they use to take that interior shot, because I want to use one to update my **** photo on Tinder.

[Schmidt Meister]

1970 Oldsmobile 442 W30 'Camino' - Converted From Vista Cruiser Using Parts from A 442 And A 3rd Gen El Camino - Touring Coupe

[tous]

Pffffft. 

That's nothing .

We know a feller that can weld the rear half of a Mid-90s Maxima to anything and make it look good.

 

[Schmidt Meister]

19 minutes ago, Eric said:

OK, what kind of lens did they use to take that interior shot, because I want to use one to update my **** photo on Tinder.

That's hilarious. It does look huge, don't it, rofl. (The interior of the van)

[Eric]

[Eric]

[tous]

Did Chrysler make any appealing automobiles in the 1950s and early 1960s?

[Eric]

Just now, tous said:

Did Chrysler make any appealing automobiles in the 1950s and early 1960s?

 

[tous]

Mebbe I just don;t get them.