how old are you?

[Ixion]

And the only ticket I ever got until last year was dished out by a MOT cop in one of those black and white Mk IV Zephyrs. He got me to sit in the passenger seat while he wrote out the ticket and I can still remember looking out over this huge expanse of bonnet. Mightily impressed I was.
Of course I wouldn't have been so impressed if I'd known about all the troubles they had with this model. Overheating for a start. Apparently in the British Ford HQ for many years "Mark IV" was a swear word.

But even I'm not old enough to remember cops in Mk I Zephyrs...

I owned a Mk 4 Zephyr until some pillock stole it . Didn't have any particular problems, except that the steering was heavy as , and it tended to leak from the rocker covers. Gutless but.

The Mk1 was better for its day.

Better still was the radar unit they used to sit on the roof. Big as a TV set (not kidding) and with a huge aerial on top of it that looked like it was made from half a dozen coat hangers.Could only be used on a stationary car of course. Radar was magic then, kids used to come out and hang round and watch open mouthed when word went round that the cops had their radar out.

[Wolf]

I still hear that (and see the smoke) every so often. A very nice sound it is.

I've seen one of the old steamers in serveice from time to time. Want to save up and take myself, Juliet and the kids on one.

[rfc85]

THE 80'S WOULD OF ROCKED!

-Indy

they did and i had a mean time, remember the wahine as a school kid 70s an early 80s were great-pissed off i missed vietnam but ? Always stood for the national antham? and and god save the queen before that-still do- but i'm old and and like to think i still retain the values i was brought up with

[pete376403]

Never saw one on the roof but saw plenty hanging off the rear bumper, big barrel shaped units, maybe 500 mm diameter. Course they couldn't chase you with one of those hanging off, so they would stand out on the round with a raised hand. Gentlemens rules decreed that the speeder would stop.

[pete376403]

I've seen one of the old steamers in serveice from time to time. Want to save up and take myself, Juliet and the kids on one.

WE have a railway line running along the back of our house, and every now and then Mainland steam run an excursion train (usually an Ab or a Ja). When that happens lots of the neighbours pop out and watch the train go by, then nod to each other with a "I remember those things" look.
And theres a thing - the road sign for a railway line is a stylised steam engine - yet most young drivers today wouldn't have ever seen a real one. No wonder people get bowled by them from time to time.

[Ixion]

Never saw one on the roof but saw plenty hanging off the rear bumper, big barrel shaped units, maybe 500 mm diameter. Course they couldn't chase you with one of those hanging off, so they would stand out on the round with a raised hand. Gentlemens rules decreed that the speeder would stop.

Yeah, they were the later ones, replaced the older big square "on the roof" model. Considered very sneaky and unfair, cos they were hard to spot (!)

[Ixion]

I've seen one of the old steamers in serveice from time to time. Want to save up and take myself, Juliet and the kids on one.

'Tis well worth it. A really nice day's outing. Everybody is always really friendly (what is it about steam trains that makes everybody so relaxed and friendly ?). And kids really love it.

[scumdog]

Harrumph. Well if someone gave you a good clip over the ear for disrespect, 'twas probably me.

Used to annoy me that did.

Ford Zephyr was good, but not as good as the Ford Pilot I reckoned. [ now, listen to em, "whats a Ford Pilot ?". Wonder if anyone remembers them. And that damn distributor]

Don't talk about Ford Pilots and brakes in the same breath, what a 'mare to set them up, - and then it was only good for the first week.

[scumdog]

I still hear that (and see the smoke) every so often. A very nice sound it is.

And putting pennies on the tracks for them to run over and flatten.

[Ixion]

Don't talk about Ford Pilots and brakes in the same breath, what a 'mare to set them up, - and then it was only good for the first week.

So ? They only had to work long enough to get a WOF. Ever tried towing a heavy caravan with a Pilot ?

[scumdog]

So ? They only had to work long enough to get a WOF. Ever tried towing a heavy caravan with a Pilot ?

I'd sooner strap myself into a Zeke fighter full of explosives and head off yelling Tora Tora Tora.!

Seriously, towing a caravan with a Pilot would be a mission - overheating, not stopping.....

[Ixion]

I'd sooner strap myself into a Zeke fighter full of explosives and head off yelling Tora Tora Tora.!

Seriously, towing a caravan with a Pilot would be a mission - overheating, not stopping.....

My uncle owned one for some years. And used it to tow his big caravan out to the Orewa Holiday Camp every year with it. He seemed happy enough. But his attitude was that it was up to everyone else to get out of his way. Sort of rolled on at a relentless 35 mph.

People didn't worry so much about overheating then. The Razorback used to be lined with cars with steam billowing from them. Just wait for it to cool down, top up the water , and carry on.

[scumdog]

My uncle owned one for some years. And used it to tow his big caravan out to the Orewa Holiday Camp every year with it. He seemed happy enough. But his attitude was that it was up to everyone else to get out of his way. Sort of rolled on at a relentless 35 mph.

People didn't worry so much about overheating then. The Razorback used to be lined with cars with steam billowing from them. Just wait for it to cool down, top up the water , and carry on.

Yeah, with only a 4lb cap on the radiator (or less) it doesn't take much to reach boiling temperature.

My F100 has no fan and a 4lb cap, boils if you are doing too much low speed manouevring but no damage gets done.
Not like when you get a boil-over with a 16lb cap.

[Ixion]

Yeah, with only a 4lb cap on the radiator (or less) it doesn't take much to reach boiling temperature.

My F100 has no fan and a 4lb cap, boils if you are doing too much low speed manouevring but no damage gets done.
Not like when you get a boil-over with a 16lb cap.

Did the Pilot even have a pressurised system? 'twas thermosyphon I think, no pump, and most of those old ones weren't pressurised at all. E93A Prefect, which was similar to the Pilot (same weird suspension design and funny valves) had no pressure. Solid brass screw on radiator cap.

[oldrider]

Any one from the Hutt Valley or Petone? Ask your Oldies what it was like when the City had their own traffic cops and Petone had MOT traffic cops. Then ask them if they want to return to those days. It was diabolical but a lot of fun. They had to stop chasing you if you crossed the border and they had different radio frequencies too so they couldn't chat. From 15 to 21 I had enough tickets to cover my wall. They hadn't started taking your licence off you like they do now back then. The real cops used to drive big black Humber Super Snipes and they didn't very often do traffic, if at all. One Hutt City traffic cop was named Arnold Barr. Ask your oldies if they ever heard of him he was notorious as a real mean dude in those days. They nearly all drove Mk 1 Zephyrs or Ford V8 coupes. Oh well I guess that's just boring, thought you might be interested. Cheers John.