Nash Rambler

I glad you guys enjoyed my ‘stary’. Must check my spelling a bit better.

Just another episode with the Rambler. Remember I said that the starter button was under the clutch pedal. Well, one day the car was being a bugga to start and eventually, the button got so hot, it burst into flames. A pinic disconnection of the battery and some water thown in against the fire wall dowsed it before any real damage was done.
The button was cooked so I had to fine another. At that time, only the Mini was still using a similar button but it was way too small to either fit, or to handle the starter current required to turn over the 3.3 motor.
I did some hunting around and eventually found an almost identical starter button used on, of all things, a combined harvester. Worked like a dream.

Gee I wish I still had that car. BTW, as ugly as it was, it was still a chick magnet.

Cheers, Doug

Re Nash Rambler

Don’t know why but my image didn’t post so I’ll try again. This isn’t my car but same model and colour.Oh, and mine had a bonnet supports that worked.

This is the later A40 Farina

Moggy

I learnt to drive in a well worn one of those. On the day of my test, I was given a brand new one, with everything in a slightly different position. Passed my test though.
There have been some interesting oldies in this thread so I looked up my old Nash Rambler station Wagon. Ugly, tucked under wheels like the Metropolitan, flat-head 3.3, staight 6 motor. Only comfortable driving position was with your arm (L.H.D.) up on the window ledge and brakes that really struggled to slow it down from 100mph (indicated) Fabulously light and positive column change. Starter buttom was on the floor, under the clutch pedal. Park in gear, no problem, won’t jump forward. Just don’t dip the clutch too far on gear shift.
An interesting concept was the water pump drive. It was coupled to the rear of the dynamo via a flexible coupling. As the dynamo was moved for belt tensioning, the pump, being fixed to the side of the block, re-aligned by having it’s impellor shaft mounted in an ‘O’ ring. All very neat except….

Cruising down the Doncaster by-pass, with all my family and luggage on board, the smell of burning caught my attention. Looked at the temp gauge, showed cold. anyway, stopped to be on the safe side, opened the bonnet and saw to dull red glow over the entire flat top head. The coupling had broken and the piece still attached to the dynamow was bent at an angle. In it’s wild rotation, it had clipped the piece still attached to the pump and had thrown it so hard that it un-seated the ‘O’ ring. The pump was real low on the block and all my water was way back up the road.

I jury rigged it, got more water, waited till the block had cooled, but the damage was done. On later examination, a crack from inside one of the exhaust valve ports, ran up to the top surface, crossed it to it’s bore and then went down about 1 and a half inches.

Bearing that in mind, I still finished my journey to Leicester where I drained it, changed the oil and later drove it to Leuchars, Fife, by keeping an eye on the temp guage and topping up the water from a 5 gallon can fitted with a tap. If I kept over 30 mph, little water was lost due to cylinder pressure, I think. Sold the car later to a guy who was going to put a diesel in it.

Sorry, long stary but I hope you enjoyed it.

My first car was a Wolseley? Can’t remember the model but it was something like the attached photo, similar colour as well. Thing is, I didn’t have to buy it.

Whilst on my fitters coarse at RAF Yatesbury, a fellow coarse member bought the car and for some reason, decided to strip the engine down. Having done whatever he wanted to do, he re-assembled it and then came the time of reckoning. It wouldn’t start. For 2 weeks he tried everything he could think of. Check and recheck as much as he could, nothing worked.

One evening, he returned to our billet and called out “Anyone want a car?” Howls of laughter went up (he was the butt of our jokes since day one)
“Who’ll be daft enough to buy that heap of s**t” someone shouted.
“I’m not selling it, I’m giving it” he replied.
Quick as a blink I said “It’s mine”
More hoots of laughter as I received the keys and left for the Car Club hanger.
An hour later I was back and the smiles left the lads faces when I told them it was running perfectly. What was wrong with it? He had checked the plug leads for being on the right plugs, but didn’t realise he had the leads 180 degrees out of phase in the distributer head. Why he had taken all the leads out at the same time, I’ll never know.
I did offer it back to him but he refused to take it, much to my delight. I was mobile at last.

Thank God I emigrated 35 years ago. Seems ‘ol Blighty is really going to the dogs. My kids all still live there and I feel sorry for them but, it’s up to those who care, to get off their backsides and do something about it. Unfortunately, Oz is begining to go down the same path as racialism becomes a growing concern.

Stay safe, Doug

Why? Is this site missing something? Split your members and membership slips.
Just my humble opinion.

And there was me thinking that Formula One was the most boring ‘motoring’ programme on the BBC just now…:D

Oh you are so right, RenFrew. I’ve even had to start watching American oval track for some motoring excitement, God help me.

As for TG, we’re still watching 2004 episodes but I love it. Who cares if it’s scripted, who cares if it’s only exotic machines (of course they’re 5/6 years old now so we might be able to afford them) who cares if the presenter have huge ego’s. It’s the best of British comedy, along with The Vicar of Dibly and such.

I agree that FG was boring, the Oz version of TG a total failure but I never miss TG unless it’s a repeat.

Moggy C you will have to change either your attitude, or your name. Moggy is the nick name for the best, and last true sports car made, the Morgan, and who wouldn’t like one of them.

A rather cool 25* today, might have to put a shirt on :diablo:

I’ve been out of the country for over 30 years now so I have to ask, what is a Chav, Anna? Obviously a ‘nick-name’ for one of your ‘fellow citizens’ but form which country?

Happy Christmas everyone.

Doug