Bambys

[Jean]

Where are all the Bamby's hiding?
I only have three on the Register and one of those is mine! I am sure there are many more out there and I would love to have them on the Register so that we can all pool our knowledge of the little beasts! Jean

[Bob Purton]

Hi Jean. When up at the national in september we walked into the new museum at Bahards Leap only to be face to faced with our old Bamby., the one my wife drove around Hornchurch in for a couple of years. The car was really undrivable when we got it, the 50cc motor was so inadaquate that it was dangerous, we popped the 80cc suzuki scooter engine in instead. Its bad piontes were the brakes and the fact that the car would wag its tail when you accelerated! something to do with the engine mounts being too supple.The old girl still has the engine we fitted and it was great to see it again. Is that one on the register Jean?  Best wishes, Bob Purton

[Jean]

If you mean B636 URH Bob,  I am aware of it, it is R499 on the Register but I had not been made aware of its change of ownership. Sadly, unless the owners of cars inform me when they sell them on I can't keep the records up-to-date, which makes them rather nonsense.  I sometimes hear about them again when an enthusiastic new owner joins the Register or it is spotted in a Museum.  If it is in a Museum I cannot always be certain that it is not just on loan.  Now the DVLA are tightening up on accepting original registration numbers the correctness of my Registers records is becoming more and more important in the fight to keep original registration numbers..  So I would appeal to anyone buying or selling an unusual microcar, particularly if they know it to be on my Register please get in touch with me.  The RUM CAR number is the unique number given to a car for lif. The Register has been in existance since 1980 and for the early cars registered sometimes it is the only way of proving the existance of the Registration number.  If succeeding owners don't keep my records up to date in the future the original historic identification could be lost forever.  There is now the added difficulty in sorting replicas from originals which will only get more difficult over the years if records are not up-dated.  SO EVERYONE OUT THERE PLEASE HELP!  Jean

[Bambyman]

Hiya Jean, i have a Bamby and shall register asap, now, that I am making progress with it.

[Jean]

Hi Kevin Nice to hear from you.  Please Register your Bamby right away,  One of the best reasons for registering a car is that you then have instant access to other enthusiasts with like cars,and to  Rum Cars archive materials all of which could help you over come problems encountered whilst restoring .  That is our reason for existence rather than just keeping records of  pristine vehicles.  It is also nice to have a series of photos, as found, improving and finished article.
Many of the cars on the Register are wrecks that have been saved from extinction by an enthusiast, worked on then passed on to another owner to complete.  It is important to us to have a record of any unusual car as early as possible so that it gives us a greater chance to ensure that it is saved by someone.   DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT IS ROADWORTHTY OR CONCORS, we want to try to be of help before then.
So please anyone out there with an unusual microcar which is less than perfect make your first step putting it on our Register.  We may be able to help you find that elusive spare part or wiring diagram or  even help you to find it a good home if that is what is  wanted.  The more unusual cars we have on the Register, the more information we can gather, the greater the pool of help. Try us.
Jean

[Bambyman]

3 months later...sorry Jean I should have said thank you ages ago. Its a great forum, really pleased i joined and got my car on the register. The car itself is looking fairly good. I worked on it all day saturday and half of sunday. I have a small success and then leave it at that, think about it for a while, then do a bit more. Its the best way i have found, to overcome any probs. Rather than struggling and not feeling good about recovering the little beauty. I'm looking for an extra fan to direct at the engine and just need a new battery and speedo cable. Then I have to bleed the oil, put some petrol in and turn the key. Kevin

[Bambyman]

By the way, Jean, did you ever get a manx number plate. If not I will mension it to Sam tonight and see about obtaining one for you. Please let me know asap. Kevin bambyman

[Jean]

I Kevin, I am glad you are getting your moneys worth with RumCars they are a great bunch.  No I didn't get a Manx number plate and we would like one to hang up with our P50 and Trident.  Thanks for thinking of us  Jean

[Stuart Cyphus]

I've got a manx number plate! Alas, its the only one I've got so I'm hanging on to it! I got it at the Peel Rally by a rather intresting route.  Having arrived on site at 3pm thursday afternoon and set up camp with the others at the campsite, come 8pm we were all wondering if any one else was yet on the island, so I was elected to "go and find Grant Kearney". Where do I start? I know, I'll try Sam's house, so off I trot with me map in me 'and. Gets to his place, confronted by a garage with umteen Peels in it. "Hummm, someone must be here judging by all this lot!" Rings the bell, and several people come out, one is Sam, two are people I know not, except that the chap introducecis himself as "George". I explain myself & next I know George and his wife have scooped me into their car and next comes a whistlestop tour of all the pubs in Peel with the battlecar of "Lets go and find Grant" Come 9.30pm and were knocking up every guesthouse on the front looking for Grant, and typically he was staying in the last of the line, and he was out! It was at this point that I bumped into Jean and Andrew arriving.  During all this I had mentioned to

[Stuart Cyphus]

George that whilst I was on the Island I was after a Manx plate for the collection. He said Leave things with him as he know some people. Anyway, we eventually found Grant and the rest of the party, so now to fast-forward to Friday night and the events in the school.

 We all arrive at whatever time it was, get served with our drinks and chat to everyone. Then George popps up at my elbow and gives me a manx plate. Then latter on, Grant annouces our VIP specker for the evening, Former works forman of peel enginnering, (fanfare) Mr. George Gelling. And Up steps the the man who I only knew as George! And all the time thursday I didnt know exacly who, or just how famous he was!!!!!

 Anyway, latter that nigt, several people asked me where I'd got the Manx plate from. I told them I'd just mentioned itto that chap over there, and lo and behold hed presented me with one. Last I saw, several people were forming an orderly line in his direction. On the Sunday, I did mention to the museum staff that if they had a pile of manx plates for sale alongside the postcards, theyed proberly make a fortune flogging them to the mad forigeners such as ourselves. They thought it a good idea.....