Tag Archives: Avenue Drivers Club

Coffee Croissant & Cars #06/14 – Avenue Drivers Club

Today’s blog comes from last month’s Avenue Drivers Club meeting at Queen Square where I marveled not only at the range of vehicles but the quality of the sunlight that enabled be to capture a few details I might ordinarily miss.

Bentley Arnage T, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Above a headlight cluster from a 2005 Bentley Arnage T automatic.

Sunbeam 3 litre TC Six, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

When Sunbeam wanted to take on the world of advanced motor engineering they went straight to the top and hired two FIAT employees; Vincenzo Bertarione and Walter Becchia who designed the first Sunbeam twim cam engines in 1923 starting with a 2 litre 122 cui straight six, which won the 1923 French Grand Prix and progressing to a 3 litre / 183 cui straight six as the 1927 example seen above, which after surviving an accident finished second in the 1925 Le Mans 24 hours.

Riley RMD, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

From 1949 to 1951 just 502 Riley RMD drophead coupé were built. Despite it’s regal interior opulence as seen in the 1950 example above, the would be the last convertible to carry the Riley name.

Chevrolet Custom Deluxe 20 Camper Special, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

For those into seriously long road trips Chevrolet built a Camper Special on the C/K 20 pickup trucks, this one dates from 1973, the idea is to take the tailgate off and slide a camper pod onto the load platform. Sounds easy but from experience best not done in a garage with a low ceiling.

Dodge Challenger, Avenue Driver Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The waste line on this ’71 Dodge Challenger is in my humble opinion a work of pure art, like taking a smidgen of Devon cream from the pot on the end of your little finger it’s perfect.

Toyota Supra Twin Turbo, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Back in the day when I was selling cars a turbo was something to aspire to and twin turbo’s were something strictly for the track, just as I left the trade Toyota introduced the 320 hp sequential twin turbo Supra Mark IV in 1993, a car that would remain in production until 2002. The tail lights seen here are on a 1994 model.

If you at a loose end in the Bristol area tomorrow morning you could do worse than pop down to Queen Square for Coffee Croissant and Cars.

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee Croissant & Cars #06/14″ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you join me again tomorrow when I’ll be featuring a gathering that included a blind folded guy driving a monster truck ! Don’t forget to come back now !

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Insurance Special – Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sportsroof

For the 1969 model year Ford introduced the second body upgrade to it’s popular Mustang range featuring quad headlights, a nearly 4″ longer body on the original 108″ wheel base, new Pony tribar logo and the fastback was renamed sportsroof.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Ford offered three versions of the Mustang which were aimed with competition in mind, Cobra Jet as seen here,for Drag racers, Boss 302 built for eligibility in the Trans Am Series and BOSS 429 for engine size elegibility in NASCAR.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Possibly the fastest of which would be the 428 Cobra Jet aimed at drag racers who if they opted for either the 3.90 or 4.30 locking ratio rear axle ‘Drag Pack’ options also got a bundle of performance improvements including an engine oil cooler which replaced the deleted Air Conditioning cooler, stronger crankshaft and connecting rods along with a better balanced motor, meaning more carefully matched parts which was known as the Super Cobra Jet.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Cobra jet in either form was quoted as a 335hp motor for insurance purposes though the actual figure was much closer to 400 hp. Cobra Jet motors could also be ordered with ram air scoops either attached to the bonnet/hood or ‘shaker’ scoops attached directly to the carburetor intake cleaner.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

1969 also saw the introduction of the Mach 1 trim level which included distinctive Mach 1 body stripes, steel wheels with bold-lettered Goodyear Polyglas tyres, pop open fuel cap, dual exhausts, competition cable and pin bonnet / hood retainers, matt black bonnet / hood and simulated air scoop as seen here.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The deluxe Mach 1 interior included simulated wood trim, high backed seats, additional sound proofing and remote sports mirrors.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Of the 302,971 Mustangs built in 1969, 72,458 were fitted with Mach 1 interiors.

Thanks for joining me on this “Insurance Special” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Early Morning Risers – Avenue Drivers Club

I have not been posting any irregular blogs from the Avenue Drivers Club meetings this year, this is because most of my Sunday mornings have been dedicated to relearning to drive the Institute of Advanced motoring way, however I have managed to get to a couple of ADC meetings at 8am and stayed long enough to grab a Coffee Croissant and enjoy the company off fellow early risers for an hour or so before my driving lessons.

Talbot Matra Murena, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Among the cars that turned up in January was this recently preserved 1981 Talbot Matra Murena with a galvanised steel chassis and 3 abreast seating which represented the zenith of the Talbot Matra partnership.

Ford Escort RS Van, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

When I first came to Bristol in the late 80’s and early 90’s the lads vehicle of choice for a Saturday night in the city center was a white Escort 35 Van with either an RS, like the 1989 example seen here or RS Turbo power train and styling features including the RS alloy wheels and decals which would normally be seen on hot hatch versions of the Escort.

FIAT GMC, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Two contrasting early risers at the March Avenue drivers meeting were this 1969 FIAT 500D and 1999 dual fuel GMC Sierra Pickup.

Opel GT Roadster, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

This 2008 Left Hand Drive Opel GT Roadster is a rebadged version of the Saturn Sky for the European Market, they were never sold in the UK because they were never manufactured with right hand drive.

Jaguar XK150, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

This magnificent 1959 Jaguar XK 150 was amongst the stars of this months Avenue Drivers Club meeting.

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When Vauxhall introduced the HC version of the Vauxhall Viva in 1970 they dropped the 2 liter twin carburetor version except for the Canadian market where the car was sold without Vauxhall Branding as the Frienza by Pontiac/Buick dealers. This particular car has is a 1971 Viva Deluxe that has been upgraded with a 2 litre / 122 cui motor and an unusual paint job.

Thanks for joining me on this Early Risers edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a ’69 Mustang. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Everything You Could Ask For – Ford Mustang Hardtop

The 1966 Ford Mustang introduced minor detail changes to the original ’65 models including a simplified front grill.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Below the bonnet / hood there were not many changes except the availability of the Cruise O Matic three speed transmissions on the V8 models.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Chrome trim was also added to the faux intakes ahead of the rear wheels. Slightly different wheel trims were standard but this ’66 car seen at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting in Bristol appears to be fitted with out of period wheel trims.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

In the cabin the original Falcon derived interior instrumentation disappeared with a five dial cluster as standard and two in car entertainment options were offered AM/8 Track Stereo or AM/FM Mono radio.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Rear seat belts also became standard in ’66.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

This particular was imported in 2008 and is showing signs of not having been kept in a garage since.

 Ford Mustang, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The ’66 Mustangs were aimed at both the single girl on a secretaries salary and the man in his 50’s looking to add a little spring to his step.

Thanks for joining me on this “Everything You Could Ask For” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Razzle Dazzle – Mazda MX5

Hard to believe that the Mazda MX5 celebrates it’s 25 anniversary this year, but it’s enduring qualities are no accident the idea behind the MX5 was first discussed in 1976 by Motor Trend journalist Bob Hall and Mazda’s Research and development heads Kenichi Yamamoto and Gai Arai.

Mazda MX5, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Sq, Bristol

13 years later the lightweight sports car which took it’s styling queues from the 1960’s icon the Lotus Elan was launched and many accolades and three generations of MX5 later over 900,000 units have been sold to make the model the most successful sports car of all time.

Mazda MX5, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Sq, Bristol

Today’s featured first generation NA model, distinguished by the pop lights, was built in 1993. This car is powered by a 1.6 litre / 98 cui motor twin cam motor which produces 115 hp.

Mazda MX5, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Sq, Bristol

The owner of this car used to own a Mazda MX5 Le Mans Special which was painted in the Renown colours which were carried by the rotary powered Mazda 787B that won the 1991 Le Mans 24 hours.

Mazda MX5, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Sq, Bristol

Having bought a white car the new owner thought it would be cool to find a paint shop to put some Martini® stripes on it and when he eventually found someone to take on the job he was not disappointed, of course he now has extra kudos because Martini® have returned to Formula One™ with Williams Grand Prix Engineering after a 35 year absence.

Mazda MX5, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Sq, Bristol

The original NA MX5 could reach 60mph in 8.1 seconds and has a top speed of 126 mph, Japanese market NA MX5’s, known as Eunos Roadster’s were restricted to 112 mph by the Manufacturer.

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Twin I Beam Flex-O-Matic – Ford F-Series Sport Custom

The fifth generation, US built, Ford F-Series pickups were built from 1967 to 1972, Brazilian versions were built from 1971 through 1992. A face lifted F-Series with a new grill appeared in 1970 and today’s featured ’71 Custom Sport version had further minor grill changes.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

’71 F-Series pick ups also featured a new steering wheel design, colour options and an AM/FM radio option.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

Ford marketed the ’71 F-Series on the strength of “Better ideas” which made “Ford Pickups work like a truck” and “ride like a car”.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

Better idea’s also included independent front “Twin I-Beam” suspension, first seen in 1965, which dramatically improved the handling over the pre 65’s solid front axle suspension, and dramatically increased the appeal of the F-series beyond the traditional agricultural and building trades communities.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The rear suspension was known as “Flex-O-Matic” in Ford’s marketing literature, this appears to be a regular solid rear axle and leaf spring set up with a rubber pad twixt the rear leaf springs and a shackle attached to the body which acts as a shock absorber on any upward movement of the axle.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The Twin-I-Beam and Flex-O-matic suspension are the bain of ‘Rodders’ lives because the front cannot be lowered without adversely affecting the geometry of the front wheels leaving them with too much negative camber, and the rubber pad and shackle interfere with the lowering of the rear suspension.

The Sport Custom seen in these photographs at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting is powered by a 215 hp 5.9 litre / 360 cui FE V8 motor.

Thanks for joining me on this “Twin I Beam Flex-O-Matic” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I be looking at a vehicle that appears to define the term “horseless carriage”. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Badge Transformation – Morris 1/2 Ton Pickup

The design for today’s 1972 (Nineteen seventy two) Morris 1/2 ton pick up, seen at a recent Avenue Driver Club meeting, dates back to the original incarnation of the Austin Cambridge which in A40 guise first saw the light of day in 1954.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Cambridge was updated in 1954 when it became the Austin A50 Cambridge and again in 1957 to become the Austin A55 Cambridge which stayed in production until the arrival of the Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II fitted with an all new Farina (as in Pinin) body.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Austin Cambridge 1/2 ton pickup was first marketed in 1957 with the latest A55 panels incorporated into the cab with a 4 cylinder 51 hp B Series motor.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

From 1962 the Pickup was fitted with a unique to type grill and the 61 hp B Series motor from the Farina A60 Cambridge launched in 1961, and Australian spec A55 Cambridge Mk II which was launched in 1959. 1962 also saw the first of these vehicles marketed with the Morris name.

Morris 1/2 ton Pickup, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Austin variant of the 1/2 ton pickup was dropped after Austin and Morris part of the British Motor Corporation was further merged with Leyland to become British Leyland in 1968. While the Morris variant continued in production until 1973. Despite having no further significant upgrades since 1962 the Morris 1/2 ton was still marketed with a “New, Tough and Versatile” strap line as late as 1968 !

Thanks for joining me on this “Badge Transformation” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow for a look at a Lamborghini Jarama. Don’t forget to come back now !

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