RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Big Al on October 22, 2014, 01:25:40 PM
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Its finally happened after long discussions. The Larmar was put into a VW van between the bulkhead and wheel arch boarding, where its 7 foot 6 inches odd fitted perfectly. So its gone, but with a far better chance of being returned to road use than if it remained with me. Another rare small car gone but I feel its for the best. Still more things to be placed in a good home. Queue Root's photographic evidence service when his clockwork Internet service is rewound.
Come the winter I must liaise with Alaster and update records of cars attributed or previously owned by me, where I might have better intelligence. Though many just seemed to disappear into a black hole or the 'owners' refuse to admit ownership!
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I was going to flag up an "off topic " alert until I realised that despite its misleading title this has nothing to with British Rails latest excuses for missing punctuality figures :)
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Further to that station announcement is that the next car to be fiddled with is not a RUMcar really. It is a Messerschmitt KR200. Needs to be got going and driven until someone fancies owning it, as I do not really need it. Ideal starter Schmitt. Barn find and 99% correct parts, save some MOC alternative consumables that you kind of have to live with, unless you know the inside sources. Cosmetically scruffy, but solid and will be running well when I am done. Besides I need it out of my Kitchen! Another reason for buying and modifying the Bungalow!
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Please let Alastair know who you sold it to for the record
Chris Thomas
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How about posting a picture of your recently dearly departed and lamented Larmar?
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Stuart has them. I tend not to do the picture thing since I was there when it happened.
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At last, my clockwork internet has been wound up again! Anyway, at last are (a few of) the Larmar photos. This was the first time I'd seen one in daylight so I made sure I made the most of the opportunity with 50-odd photos and counting.
So, a quick tour now in four photos, around what is either the 48th, or 248th Larmar Car off the production line, depending on how the chassis numbers should be interpreted. Notice the full foot controls, unlike most of production, this one wasn't an invalid carriage...
The last time one was seen in the open? Burford NMCR, 1986...
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Thanks for posting the photos Stuart.
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So to specifics.
This is a later version. It is a car and I owned this once before and it did a few events including Bristol Classic Car Show. If you look closely, yes, it does have original painted coach lines to go with the traditional two tone colour scheme. The car is curious mix of quality and economy and I can see where Larmar, who still exist, can have become precision engineers. The car is pretty original and complete. Those panels missing will not be to hard to fabricate. The top might be more of a challange as nothing was left. On getting it out I was amazed to find the engine still turned, not least as the multiple chains driving fan, gears, starter etc looked pretty rusty. Just shows the benefit of storing things with oil chucked over everything.
Between the two ownings of this Larmar I had the other one I found, which was an Invalid Carriage version. This was the car supplied to a British buyer who converted it to have an additional pedal and sold it to Bruce Weiner. It had the honour of being the cheapest car at his recent RS Auction and is now with Jeff Lane.
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Good clear pictures of one really ugly car ! As a Gordon owner I am delighted to be eclipsed !
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Oiiiii, that's our local Essex built car your calling ugly! ;D
I have to agree though. Even I would have to choose a Gordon over a Lamar. I wont tell you why as you wouldn't like it. ;)
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hmmmm ???
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Alan I do hope you have asked the new owner to put it on the Register so that it is not lost to posterity like so many other cars that you have known. Jean
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The last time one was seen in the open? Burford NMCR, 1986...
Last time I saw one was at the BW auction Feb 17 2013. It got sold to Jeff Lane, so it is now still available to be seen at his museum.
It was similarly missing a panel or two.
The starter and engine look to be Petitie like- are they?
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The starter looked like a standard Lucas unit with a bendix on. The Mk C Bond offered a similar arrangement as an option extra to chopping your front structural bulkhead in half. Bonders, being practical folk, fitted a kick start and saved the cash for more Woodbines in most cases.
So you have seen the other car I owned, Steve.
Nearly got the Den sorted so I will be shortly contacting Alister to follow up his cold cases, as I will have most of the info in places where I can access it on the cold dark winter evenings.
I have a slight problem with giving out info on cars I have sold. It is really up to the buyer to decide if he wants other people to have full, part or no knowledge of, what is now, his property. I have to respect that. More so from the period of officially trading. Yet it is coming up to 7 years since I stopped trading and things from over 10 years ago can be discussed, as the official documentation can be disposed of.
There is one particular buyer who told me on no account was I to release any information on his multiple purchases. I have no reason why, though I can guess, but ultimately its not my business and this was part of the terms of the deal. So that is that and even Roots attempts to catch me out have failed to illicit what was included. The only info is in my head. I can think of a few other cases where information would be restricted, but in most cases they are for 'normal' unusual cars.
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The starter looked like a standard Lucas unit with a bendix on. The Mk C Bond offered a similar arrangement as an option extra to chopping your front structural bulkhead in half. Bonders, being practical folk, fitted a kick start and saved the cash for more Woodbines in most cases.
did you know its an illegal move to kick start a Bond ( cranking a vehicle ) - thus leaving the driving seat unattended with the engine running .
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Alan, whilst I respect your views on nondisclosure of a car's new owner when it is sold, if that car had already been put on our Register by some previous owner, it is the duty of the current owner to declare that he no longer owns that particular car. I agree that it is entirely up to the new owner to declare his ownership to the Register. I do think it is a pity that some folk are so secretive and I am sure they would not be if they were true enthusiasts. The Register has, after being in existence some 30 years, acquired a wealth of history and pictures of many cars which a true enthusiast I am sure would want to know about. Should any of you make a new acquisition why not Register it with Alastair with as much detail as possible and you may well be surprised to learn the vehicle is already known to us and we have history that will be of news to you,whats more should this prove to be the case you do not have pay to put it on the Register. In this way many gaps can be filled in, cars we had thought to have been destroyed may come to light and you could fill in the gaps in your knowledge. Alastair will always respect your wishes should you prefer to remain an unknown owner, details that we have on the Register are never released without the permission of the current owner. However, I feel even if a car is owned for its value alone which I feel many are these days, any added provenance can only add to that value. Maybe this could be a new topic for discussion as the way forward for the Register of Unusual Microcars needs to be decided to meet the need of the next generation of owners . Jean
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The starter looked like a standard Lucas unit with a bendix on. The Mk C Bond offered a similar arrangement as an option extra to chopping your front structural bulkhead in half. Bonders, being practical folk, fitted a kick start and saved the cash for more Woodbines in most cases.
did you know its an illegal move to kick start a Bond ( cranking a vehicle ) - thus leaving the driving seat unattended with the engine running .
No, I did not. But thinking about it it would make sense. That will be why they were not fitted from standard, despite nearly always appearing afterwards.
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Er ... The kickstart was always fitted as standard. 'Twas the (more legal?) electric start, operated from the driver's seat, that was originally optional.
I suppose the point about not being in control of the vehicle is true, but a prosecution is unlikely. The same can be said of a starting handle on a Morris Minor, and so on.
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Jean , whilst I think I understand your sentiments I for one do not feel any DUTY to do anything whatsoever !
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Yes, that jumped out of the page at me too. Probably the wrong choice of word.
Lets just say that it would be in the interests of the register and its uses to.........
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Er ... The kickstart was always fitted as standard. 'Twas the (more legal?) electric start, operated from the driver's seat, that was originally optional.
I suppose the point about not being in control of the vehicle is true, but a prosecution is unlikely. The same can be said of a starting handle on a Morris Minor, and so on.
My A, B, and C all had hand starters by cable through the bulkhead. Not all of them had a kick starter fitted, including the one from MacIntires (spelling?) that was left after the Club representatives cleared the premises out. Likewise the Menzies car. Some of these were out of very long storage, so pretty original. I always accepted that the cars were supplied with hand start or electric start, therefore. Happy to be wrong, as I am no expert on Bonds.
One wonders if kicking a Bond over, bonnet open, leg in engine bay, after its stalled on some girt roundabout would even compute with modern policing. Probably be nicked for ABH or something daft, as the camera would be 'evidence'. Police tried kicking Dave off the Motorway not so long ago convinced a Trojan was not legal on there. Big argument. No not an IC, No its 200cc. No 200cc is legal as what cc was that bike that went passed? etc etc.
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Yes, that jumped out of the page at me too. Probably the wrong choice of word.
Lets just say that it would be in the interests of the register and its uses to.........
I think this was a 'duty of care' type duty, rather than a fight for your country type duty. I understand the point anyway.
My take was if I signed off such a car, its vanished. If I do not, then a query comes back to me. I know where the car went. its situation might have changed, and an approach might be possible. So in effect its a live dead entry, rather than a dead dead entry.
Interestingly on several occasions when cars were moved on, and an attempt was made to follow it up, it resulted in a denial of ownership from one or other of the parties. These things just are not as straight forward as might be thanks to the way some people make and protect their money and assets, organise their relationships or even advance their personal value out of illegal activity. Yet they can be enthusiasts for cars. Having traded I have dealt with all sorts, including people I refused to supply cars to!
Now it is possible to sort some of these things out as time has gone by, and if I do choose to write a book about the odd life trading unusual cars, then this whole issue has to be visited so I maintain my agreements, yet can take advantage of the most interesting things that happened.
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Meanwhile the KR200 continues to frustrate. The engine mounts replaced, the clutch lever unjammed, poor electrical contacts for the starter system sorted out the car resolutely refused to start.
A check on fuel showed none. Back up the system to find the clean fuel tap now blocked again. So a clean out of the tank and a magnet fitted to the far end of the tank on the outside of the tank to collect the ferrous particles.
As usual the flow then stopped at the choke tube. The plunger had its rubberized seal disintegrate. They do this if left laying about unused. They work once or twice and then fill the carb with crumbly crud. Injecting petrol into the engine showed the unit wanted to work. However a backfire during this broke the 'new' silencer I was to fit correctly. The strain of misfitting had seen a mount fail taking part of the wall with it. So a lump of scrap really. Removing the carb showed it fitted poorly, being jammed onto the studs. Over tightening the nuts shears the weak alloy into the hole, reducing its diameter. With no gaskets to seal it the reason for over-tightening become clear. So still not running but we inch forward. I have a silencer and I have material to make a new plunger - better than Bing's, is the Bing item alcohol proof? The carb is serviced and a set of gaskets found.
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Surely Al if a Bond has a hand start then it does have a kickstart . As I have yet to pull or kickstart mine you have much more knowledge than me but the hand start cable goes through the bulkhead to the kickstart lever ? Albeit that it wasn't intended as a kickstart it could be used as such
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Long time since I had my last early Bond. Maybe so.