RUMCars Forum

General Category => RUMCar News => Topic started by: Jean on March 16, 2012, 01:23:52 PM

Title: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jean on March 16, 2012, 01:23:52 PM
The Spring Edition of RUMCAR NEWS is in the post.  Our first issue this year is slightly thinner than usual but still lots of good articles.  Come on peoples give Chris a hand, send him some articles we can't expect him to do it all for you.  Incidentally there is a flier included asking you to send details of your new acquisitions  or alterations to what cars you own to Alastair please keep him busy too!!!
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on March 17, 2012, 11:23:39 AM
I got mine this morning and again a great issue, if you don't have yours yet be warned of some scary mug shots on pages 3 and 4 of some desperate looking characters! I wouldn't want to meet any of them down a dark alley, that's for sure!!

Congratulations to Perry on the completion of his P50 restoration in its original colour, it looks great!
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on March 17, 2012, 11:50:00 AM
may i second bobs remarks - much good reading to come well done chris and co. by the way if you thought john meadows quiet this issue i wouldnt expect much help from goggo mike shepherd after the pic. you posted  ;) scarey stuff  ;D to any children who might see the pic i meant  :D
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: g-o-g-g-o on March 17, 2012, 12:41:22 PM
Hi
  I received mine this morning, I'm ashamed at Chris for putting that picture of me in the mag, as you may or may not know I collapsed before christmas ( a mini stroke) I have had three before and did some damage to my face, they think I might have cracked a cheekbone and it is still swollen that side of my face - I am keeping a low profile and waiting for an operation, and in the meantime I am recoving - I did not reply to Chris asking for a phograph as I thought he has plenty of me - that photo of me must have been taken of me when I was very cross with Chris for not allowing me in to take  my autujumble stall on jeans event ( because I did not come in a microcar) I came in my Bedford van - he did offer me a wheelbarrow to wheel my autojumble in to the event - but with one arm not working properly I refused. I am considering whether to carry on!!!!!!!!!
                                                                                                                                                        Mike
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on March 17, 2012, 02:11:20 PM
I wouldn't worry Mike. Its the photo of Chris that is the scary mug shot, it even has the convict number on it!  :D :D

I wasnt aware you had been so ill, I wish you a fast recovery.

Here is a photo of us both on a happier day!
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jim Janecek on March 17, 2012, 03:01:01 PM
here's my favorite photo of Mike, very bubbly:

Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on March 17, 2012, 05:56:47 PM
great pic . i sold that to mike i had it machine knit for me - good innit , no wonder he's smiling  :)

stoery rally, germany i imagine - another great reason to smile  ;D
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Big Al on March 18, 2012, 09:27:00 AM
here's my favorite photo of Mike, very bubbly:



I often wondered if Mike should not have a Bubble bobble hat to go with this sweater. The only bobble hat with a sunshine roof for those intermediate days where your ears are cold but your bonce is warm.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on March 18, 2012, 09:30:41 AM
Dear Mike

I am sorry to hear that you have not been weel the last few months. I did wonder why my email had gone unanswered.

Unfortunately I am not very good at taking photographs of people, and I only had two images of you taken in 2008 at the open day. So I chose the best of what I had. . Let me have your favorite photo and I will ensure that it has pride of place in the next edition.

As Jean says I can do with as much help as possible to fill each editon of RCN, and as I have said before it is you guys who have all the knowledge, not me. I am just the person who pulls it all together. So if you have never written a magazine article before I urge you to have a go. I am very good at helping writers by taking their work and pulling it back into shape, without the readers knowing.

What I would like is some articles about the development and history of a particular engine manufacturer, or the weird and wonderful steering arm arangements used on a range of cars. Or Microcar firsts. Things that appeared on microcars before anybody else used them, like Fuel injection, Electric gear change, Dyna start, Glass Fibre bodies. The list of possible subjects is as big as your imagination.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Chris Thomas
Rumcar News

Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jean on March 18, 2012, 06:51:56 PM
My very good wishes to Mike for a speedy recovery back to full health and vitality, we all need you. The last time we spoke you said you had been unwell but as usual made very light of it, so please take care and don't over do things. Jean
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jonathan Poll on March 19, 2012, 07:40:01 PM
Nice, good issue as usual!

One typo though, it says "PVT" on the front page. However, the contents make up for it :)
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on March 19, 2012, 07:44:32 PM
Dear Jonathan

Well spotted. Give your self a Merit Mark for observation. How did we manage to miss that!!!!.. It just goes to show that sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

Chris Thomas
Rumcar News
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on March 19, 2012, 08:23:11 PM
another typo i was wondering who Mark was . of course you meant a merit mark  ;)
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jonathan Poll on March 19, 2012, 09:29:49 PM
Dear Jonathan

Well spotted. Give your self a Merit Mark for observation. How did we manage to miss that!!!!.. It just goes to show that sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

Chris Thomas
Rumcar News

I was wondering what a PVT was until I read it in the mag!
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: marcus on March 20, 2012, 08:45:17 AM
Shame about the photo of Mike, but the other two of him beaming away in Bob's Inter and in LD's jumper are great...what a jumper, brill!

Great issue, well done to all involved.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on March 20, 2012, 10:01:45 PM
Dear Friends

Who has the best photo of Mike Shepherd? with or without his jumper on!!!

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on March 20, 2012, 10:22:55 PM
dont think you will beat the one with the jumper on
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on March 20, 2012, 10:30:17 PM
I know why he is smiling so much, or shouldn't I mention the cheap Egon Brusch photographs?
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 15, 2012, 04:55:13 PM
sorry living in the past again - on this last issue .
i have a query for  Chris.
 in rum 112 page 30 you had a photo of a bond a being pushed into the museum. it's lhd - or is it ? has the photo been reversed somehow ? i thought i had the only lhd one in uk and would dearly love to see another .
does anyone else know the collection well enough ? we are told communication is poor with the museum so i haven't tried
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on June 15, 2012, 06:08:49 PM
Dear Richard

The white Bond A type is indeed left hand drive and is installed in the middle of the Bubble car museum as we speak. It is not a photo that has been reversed, or a car in another museum.

Now you have a good reason to go and visit Langrick for your self

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 15, 2012, 06:35:13 PM
thanks very much chris - great news indeed lots of things i dont know i.e. length/ position /direction of gearchange control to say the least . Bond A's are rare anyway , but two LHD 's in England -  i wonder if there's any connection ?
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on June 15, 2012, 08:13:16 PM
Dear Richard

The connection is they were both made by Bond.

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 15, 2012, 08:17:50 PM
and to think it never ocurred to me  ;) its just unusual to find a british built lhd drive microcar in this country i should say - stands by to be corrected  ;)
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on June 15, 2012, 08:46:39 PM
And corrected you will be Dickie! Most Brighton built Isetta's are LHD.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Jonathan Poll on June 15, 2012, 09:15:06 PM
... and many Nobels are LHD! Can be annoying, because I know a few of people who need dashboards, but it would be too much to get LHD and RHD ones refabricated!

Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 15, 2012, 09:28:13 PM
had no idea bob , but then i'm into unusual microcars  :) why ?
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on June 15, 2012, 10:19:18 PM
Ah, you dont like Hienkel/Trojans anymore then?
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on June 15, 2012, 10:52:56 PM
Dear Richard

Apologies for the cheap joke. I always find the most obvious things amusing.

I suppose the answer to your question is that in the early 50's all manufacturing was geared to exports as we as a nation were skint, a bit like we are now. So when the trend started to change manufacturers may have ended up with some unsold stock which would include both left and right hand drive models. Later less and less was exported amd more consumed on the home market.

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 16, 2012, 07:53:07 AM
mmmmm maybe  :-\ anyway doesnt explain my 1949 first few months of production Bond and wonder if it does the other one .perhaps they know its history and may explain things .

bob - i have many intersts including art deco but i dont talk of them on RUM site - why is there no smiley face sticking outs its tongue and going NAAAAH ! thats the one i'm looking for  :)
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Big Al on June 16, 2012, 07:56:38 AM
Dear Richard

Apologies for the cheap joke. I always find the most obvious things amusing.

I suppose the answer to your question is that in the early 50's all manufacturing was geared to exports as we as a nation were skint, a bit like we are now.  Later less and less was exported amd more consumed on the home market.

Chris Thomas

Please tell this to the nutters in the Government as I do not think they have spotted it yet. At the moment we seem to be exporting money, the idea is to export things and bring the money in. Nearly got it right I agree. Just the directions of flow are the wrong way round. Probably near enough for gongs and knighthoods.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Big Al on June 16, 2012, 08:05:25 AM
i have many intersts including art deco but i dont talk of them on RUM site - why is there no smiley face sticking outs its tongue and going NAAAAH ! thats the one i'm looking for  :)

I agree, Mind you Jonners is into Art Lego so you have competition.

Would the initial production have required commodities, like aluminium, under restriction for the home market in the need to produce products to export. The way round this was to manufacturer LHD cars officially to export. If they 'failed' to sell they could then be sold into the home market as waste was also frowned upon.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Bob Purton on June 16, 2012, 08:49:17 AM
I think you might have the answer there Al.

Richard, there is a stick out tongue smiley  :P :P :P It even looks a bit like you !
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 16, 2012, 09:36:34 AM
never figured out that tongue out one . its not the one i needed . i was loooking for a long protruding centrally placed tongue , possibly blowing a raspberry or as if about to !  ;)

dear claire do you think i am looking for the impossible  :)
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: richard on June 16, 2012, 09:52:24 AM
actually al i think the advantage of the bonds is that aluminium had no restrictions . but all early bond  production was still for export . i puzzle people when i talk of Balance of Payments and its deficit . people don't talk about it anymore . actually the most important economic figure isn't it ? or one of them . now the place in the news that carried this item is taken up by pippa's bum or posh spices heels - where did it all go wrong ?  :(
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Big Al on June 17, 2012, 08:20:37 AM
actually al i think the advantage of the bonds is that aluminium had no restrictions . but all early bond  production was still for export . i puzzle people when i talk of Balance of Payments and its deficit . people don't talk about it anymore . actually the most important economic figure isn't it ? or one of them . now the place in the news that carried this item is taken up by pippa's bum or posh spices heels - where did it all go wrong ?  :(

That might explain why Stan is still not keen on Bonds abroad despite there being original LHD cars around. He has a legitimate case that they should have been sold here and were far to good for Johnny Foreigner. Not sure if the Scots are allowed them even.

I was thinking when I wrote that Ali might have been free of restrictions. I really do not know how the system worked to administer the push for export though. Incentives, licences and tax by turn presumably. It allowed for these niche cars we like to find a market and get established before larger industry could really respond to the home market. When they did it was a bit patchy. If the general economy heads back to post war crisis voluntary we may yet see the rise of some new micro and light cars by necessity.

We were stopped being told the truth after Blair dismantled the BBC as an independent reporting organisation into a channel for Government propaganda on the back of lies to start the Gulf War. The fact the case for the BBC was later proved correct did not see the Beeb restored to its former position as independent, did it? Nor has a general election. Now it pays to view Russian foreign news and internet occasionally to find out what has not been reported in Britain by the media.
So officially we did not see the crash coming. Save if you bothered to look further than our Media it was completely predictable to the extent I got my investment out of Iceland a few weeks before they went bust, unlike the local Governments that bought the official line and lost millions. This is a game that is still being played out as we waste 'other peoples' money rather than admitting there is not a pleasant solution to the problem and borrow against the hope the next generations will wish to work hard enough to pay off the debt in an ever growing economy, ponzi scheme style when in fact that industrial base is actually struggling to stay in business. Great policy guys! Still in few more years you get a nice pension, a gong and some directorships or a Europe job so why worry.

This is very frightening when you realise the Government is now attempting to gag the press on the back of 'phone hacking, like the Government never, ever do this. INdeed they are altering the law right now! Never have I been less free in Britain.
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Chris Thomas on June 17, 2012, 11:40:20 AM
Dear Al

Perhaps censorship can be a good thing. Especially when people drift off topic and have a short rant. We all need to vent our spleen ocassionally but as always it should be done in the right place. Please try and keep to the topic.

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: RUMCAR NEWS 112
Post by: Big Al on June 17, 2012, 11:49:01 AM
Ah, Spleens  {




Faaaaaarb........



                                                                                                                                                          } Well I could, you mentioned it! Snigger, fnarr.