www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/
www.heritage.org.uk/
Due to the weather I was reduced to museum visiting over the hols. Showed my face at both the above.
Probably Gaydon was more interesting of the two. Highlight was a whole room of cut away engines (including the 14. K Series from my beloved 414.) Also a *vintage* 1250 cc MG capable of 200mph. I'm wondering if it's the 1250 that later appeared in the various MG's? Big section of landrovers which was a waste of space - even series 1's can be seen on the road still and a Freelander is *not* noteworthy. Other lowlights were a Rover 213 Vitesse from the 90's (why?) and various other modern cars of little interest. Interesting to see significant space given to jet cars - didn't realise they were ever considered yet there was 20 years of work on them!
Bike museum was good. If anything it suffered from having too many exhibits. There wasn't any room for detailed written explanations. Pretty wide selection of bikes though, including one diesel british bike form 95.
Each gave 3-4 hours of entertainment and sore legs form standing up for hours on end. Also we were 2 out of 5 visitors to the NMCM and 2 out of 10 at Gaydon, not exactly overcrowded. Well worth it if you're in the midlands and it's raining. (Which it always is)
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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Not always raining toth altho I came to live in Somerset for the warmer winters here.
Your note revived ancient memory of a morning in 62 on my bicycle standing at lights at crossroads in Coleshill when strange vehicle pulled up alongside on trade plates. Twas none other than the motor that became JET 1. There was a lot of money spent on this project I should think Cyd probably knows more than I do about it.
A week or two later came alongside Jensen FF on its way to West Bromwich with MD or some other suited exec. In metallic blue with masking tape all over the names and some of the trim.
Happy Motoring Phil I
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Toad
That you cannot look upon a Series 1 Landrover with awe and appreciation amazes me.
Can I suggest, with tongue in cheek for I do admire you, that you visit
digilander.libero.it/caricacell/
DVD
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That you cannot look upon a Series 1 Landrover with awe and appreciation amazes me.
You misunderstand. I love em and often used to have a shifty at LRO in my regualr browses in Smiths. [1] It's just in a museum you expect to see things you can't see elsewhere. Even series ones aren't *very* rare. A neigbour has one (I assume it's a series one - lights are inside the wings in the grill) and you see them sitting in farm building all the time. So yeah. I'd love a nice 70's series 3 SWB and a series one will always turn my head. Just not rare. The series one was fair enough but a whole row of maybe 20 off roaders 19 of em series 3's or later is a waste of space.
Can I suggest, with tongue in cheek for I do admire you, that you visit digilander.libero.it/caricacell/
Very good DVD, luckily my head phones are in. Unluckily I laughed out load in a silent lab and everyone's looking at me. ;-)
[1] As an example of my veneration of Land Rovers I was once in a band called 'Napalm Landrover'. [2]
[2] Our career was sadly stunted because our parents would only let one of us have an instrument. (He was lead guitar)
[3] Not such an impediment - none of us could play anyway.
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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Museums any good for pulling then Toad?
Actually looked out for your car as we passed the Wellington Museum. Had to explain to SWMBO why we might be looking for a Rover parked up and why that was of any interest.
We were down the fish before I'd managed to explain.
MM
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Museums any good for pulling then Toad?
Depends which angle you view it from. A young, attractive, well read and wealthy young lady would have found at least one fairly easy target. [1] For a fairly scruffy bloke with a vague interest in K series engines and bikes crumpet was a bit thin on the ground to say the least. Maybe the West Bromwich museum of sewing and giggling would have been better!
Actually looked out for your car as we passed the Wellington Museum. Had to explain to SWMBO why we might be looking for a Rover parked up and why that was of any interest.
I'm flattered! I went past it 4 times but was always in a hurry. Will stop by it ASAP in the hope that I can hear some for Jerrys (?) tales of working on planes and racing. I'm guessing he won't be too shy to chat!
If I'd known you were in the area you could have slipped a new cam belt on the new beast. I don't think my mother would have let you in the house in oily clothes but you could have watched the queen's speech through the front window! ;-)
I gave you some thought too: Warners is now a citroen garage, not rover. They did the belt but seemed not to have put the mileage on the receipt. I questioned this and he pointed at the figure. I hadn't noticed it because it started with a zero and mileages of toadsters always start with a one.
I realised my mistake:
"I see now you do citroens you have to have 8 figure mileages", I quipped.
"Yep, they just go on and on." say mechanic.
A DW moment if ever there was one.
[1] Me.
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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>>A DW moment if ever there was one.
Dumb question time - what's a DW moment?
HF
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Dumb question time - what's a DW moment?
HF, I think Toad is refering to one of the regulars (David W??) and his affection for Citroens. But then again, you can never tell what Toad means :o)
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Toad,
Where there's a West Bromwich museum of sewing and giggling there is likely to be a West Bromwich college of sewing and giggling...that's the place to head for.
Not the best time to do your cambelt over Xmas. During the visit to see F in law I said I'd give his Golf a run as it had been standing unused for months since he's been poorly.
Checked all the fluids, washed it, dusted inside, pumped up the tyres and gave it a blast to Evesham, down the by-pass, back in the Cheltenham Road,along Waterside, up Port Street and home.
Two things struck me. Why is that right turn filter into Waterside by the bridge still as bad as it was 30yrs ago and why does Port Street look just as grotty as in 1975?
Actually it would have been nice to get home but the Golf conked out in Broadway High St. Rolled to a halt half on the path, double yellows etc....had to get towed home....oh the shame of it.
The electric fuel pump had failed out of the blue!
Anyway never mind a DW moment, I thought it was likely to be a Toad moment when the Cheeky Girls were on Jonathon Ross New Years Eve.
;-)
MM
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BTW there was a Rover SD1 in plod colours and a Norton Interpol II, both of which made me think of your good self.
Ever chewed on a donut in or on either of these?
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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Gaydon is the best one in the country and the jet cars deservedly get a lot of space. For me the best one of these is the T4 (Shown at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show). This is still in working order and my father was privvy to a show of it about three years ago. According to him, the sound of the engine was a constant low whine (idle was a 'low' 9,000 rpm) and yet it was good for 130mph.
Why the T4? The bodyshell and chassis was the forerunner to the Rover P6 and they were serious about a gas turbine engine option. This is the reason why the front suspension is horizontally mounted to allow enough room for a Rover Gas Turbine.
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I recall seeing JET1 on show in the Science Museum when it was a couple of years old.
At the time there was much talk, IIRC, of gas turbines being widely used in lorries. Can't think why because the fuel consumption even in the Rover was nothing to write home about: something like 16 mpg I recall!
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Brian, I did my industrial training from college at Leyland Motors Bus and Truck division (just becoming BL I think) in Leyland, circa 1973, and remember seeing a prototype gas turbine tractor unit (artic) trundling around the site on test. You usually heard the whine and notice the exhaust heat haze as he went past the window. Nothing came of it I think. The BL prototype building was always worth a look if you could get in without being caught.
Mark
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You'd be a bit miffed if you got stuck behind it in a traffic jam and got to watch the front of your car slowly melt away :)
Dan J
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Hi Toad
Don't know if I must have bumped into you cos I was at Gaydon that week for the following reason:
Gaydon has an amazing collection of cars (in varying states of repair) from the marques which made up the Rover Group at the time just before the BMW purchase. When entering the museum the BMW connection is reinforced by the showing of Austin 7s with BMW Dixis (Sevens built under licence).
Your point about Land-Rovers is a serious one: now that Gaydon is the HQ of the (now Ford-owned) Land-Rover operation the non-Fords are being winnowed out and Fords, Jags and Aston Martins are being introduced.
The museum will even entertain offers from collectors for duplicates (i.e. Minis, 1800s etc) - so everyone else, go now before the collection is dispersed!
pat
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Also well worth a visit is the National Motor Museum in Coventry City Centre. Thrust II and Thrust SSC now both live here. It's free to get in, though you do have to pay Covs outrageous parking fees.
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