old Bond dealership

[Big Al]

D souped up is really only bettered by something like Nick Price's Mk G twin which managed to hussle my twin box Goggomobil 300 with 400cc gearing all the way from Cheltenham to Toddington. That Goggo was known to cruise happily at 60 mph and leave Schmitts behind so we would been in advance of that. An impressive Bond but not as pretty as a D tourer, which would be my choice of the bunch as well.

[Bob Purton]

I'm not a fan of modified cars[says he who is currently building a special!] but the 250 villiers barrel conversion seems reasonable and invisible as I recall?

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

I think this is overboard myself - Jag powered with Shorrock Blower.

From http://oldstox.com/EarlyBritishDragRacing.htm

[richard]

do any of those Bonds in the first photo still appear on DVLA ? and apart from *HF wallasey they were registered *CA - Denbighshire just over the border into Wales 30 miles away and strangely *ME Middlesex - hundreds of miles away ! if anyone knows can they tell me if my first legal bike suzuki AS50 does ? HHF684H (i think   )Incidentally Bobs old yellow schmitt FCM was first registered in Rock Ferry ( Birkenhead ) sold by a different dealer, Bob Simister I think . Bobs schmitt passed through my hands briefly in an awful  state before reaching Bob , i sold it to buy the Bruetsch - time will tell if i did the right thing long term but at the time i was disillusioned with the "help" offerred by the MOC.

[Bob Purton]

Yes, so was I but the MEC came up trumps! Besides, my policy is restore the vehicle first, worry about red tape afterwards.

[Big Al]

Yes, so was I but the MEC came up trumps! Besides, my policy is restore the vehicle first, worry about red tape afterwards.

Ran out of red tape but we have this none standard black stuff that sort of fits at more money so we can take the piss out of your car when you exhibit it having bought our red tap from a secret source. Mind you the MOC know nothing about Breutschs so on balance your probably better off.

I wonder if there was ever a firm called Simister Dexter? The left handed dyslexic Roman might not have known what the right was doing.

So is that a Jaguar C type or a D type? Crumbago!

[Bob Purton]

I'd say Crimebago!

[richard]

maybe a crime but at least it's well punctuated , a rarity on here   , it does have a COMMER after it , doesn't it  

[richard]

dragging one last bit of info out of the B/W photos . the garage was displaying the large yellow and black AA enamel sign . i looked in my 1949/50 AA book (matches my 1949 Bond A ) and the design was only displayed at garages offering free breakdown service .apparently this service was complementary to those members paying the full subscription of 2 guineas a year . motorcyclists and owners of three-wheel cars paying the reduced rate of 1 guinea were not so covered !

in the wallasey area there were 4 Morris dealers , inc. Robbs , but only one Singer agent - hence the Singer signage ?


on the issue of Bonds being likely to be involved in accidents due to poor braking we can't argue really . but to be fair in those days brake lights were not compulsory , this changed i think in 1954 i think when it became mandatory to have one brake lamp , also indicators were not common .

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

on the issue of Bonds being likely to be involved in accidents due to poor braking we can't argue really . but to be fare in those days brake lights were not compulsory , this changed i think in 1954 i think when it became mandatory to have one brake lamp , also indicators were not common .

Purely by coincidence  I came across a 1954 copy of "The Service Station" magazine at a car boot sale at the weekend which has a short article about "Trico-Floberth Ltd's flashing signal programme in response to the new regulations about direction indicators which came into force on January 1st 1954." Although those regulations dictated what the indicators had to look like and how they had to operate if they were fitted, I was suprised to find it didn't make them compulsory. In fact when I looked into it a bit further http://www.ukmot.com/ it seems the law still applies that if no front or rear position lamps are fitted to a vehicle, there is no legal requirement to fit any other lamp. But you have to ensure that any lamps that are fitted are permanently  disconnected, painted over or masked. Vehicles have had to be fitted with one stop lamp since 1 Jan 1936 (two since Jan 1971) by law but direction indicators are still entirely at the manufacturers discretion.

[richard]

funny it must depend where you look   my 1949 BOND A was never fitted with brake lights or indicators - and  indeed the only headlamp dipping is to turn out the offside headlamp  !

Quoting from my 1949 AA book " direction indicators and stop lights are not compulsory, but if fitted must comply with certain conditions, e.g. where electrically operated , direction indicators must be coloured amber , be of not less than 6 ins. in illuminated length and not wider than one and a half inches. The illuminated surface must be visible from both front and rear of the vehicle . "
pretty specific .
my 1954 Gordon has one brake light and i paraphrase - to comply with recent legislation

[Big Al]

garages offering free breakdown service .

It is not the dealers offering this service via the AA protection racket now, but the manufacturers. Love the computers, exhaust filters that 'block' up, dual mass clutches (re-inventing the cush drive 'cos the engine is as rough as hell) leading to expensive repairs. Meanwhile the bereft AA has been sold to the highest bidder into a machine to rip off the stranded motorist for private investors profits. CAn I say I prefer a Robb's Garage at the end of the street and sensible car technology.

[richard]

waiting to be corrected was that a COMMER van behind the jag/bond ?

[Big Al]

waiting to be corrected was that a COMMER van behind the jag/bond ?

I hope so. What else could it be. Did the badge some as Dodge?