| Author | Message | ||
     Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 165 Registered: 2-2013 |
As well as an emerging Rover P5 habit coming at me fast from the horizon, I have been sniffing around shady areas on the net and have been looking at Humber Super Snipes. For sometime I have been wondering if the Mark IV and V are totally undervalued and really quality luxury cars. Its that English habit with the walnut dash and leather and nice big gauges and the big steering wheel. Here they are going for beer money and up to two and a half grand for good restorables and up to 10 grand for mint models. Does anybody know about these cars at all? I remember them from many years back and I thought the idea of the petrol cap being disguised as a rear light reflector has a bit of James Bond twist to it. And what is it about Aston Marins that causes people to pay hideous amount of money for some like a DB5 and DB6 ? I have seen the cars up close and I just don't see the insane value of the things unless the very well healed have some twisted notion that driving one is going to cause the unwashed rabble to think you are Sean Connery when you drive past with a tweed cap and pipe and grey hair. I could understand it if you got the machine guns and the rear pop up shield to keep the bugs off the windscreen during fast reversals. I owned a DB6 one time in Sydney it was silver and had a nice packet being 3 inches long and I wish I still had it because I could have sold it on ebay and probably bought a Humber, its was a Corgi. And why does Elizabeth R have Corgi Dogs when an ear chopped Doberman with a spiky collar would look more the part? | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.121.92 |
The super snipe was another UK government favourite. The army also liked them as staff cars. WW2 Humber army staff cars had 4 wheel drive and predated the Jeep. The WW2 humbers were very well built and robust. The super snipe and the limo version the Imperial are good robust cars that drive nice. Nice straight six engine. Those Corgis can be vicious little buggers (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 166 Registered: 2-2013 |
Yes Bob, I think I may have a crack at one of those last model super snipes. You can get them quite cheap now. I have set up a Camargue blog. Just google my name plus Camargue and it comes up. No need for a password. How long it will stay up is another thing. I recently tried my hand at retirement but found its not what I want so I may just try to borrow a quarter of a million from some thieving bank and buy this very swanky Town Hall for sale which will fit in nice with the Camargue and my Toad of Toad Hall. Might fly the Union Jack, the Aussie Flag and the Red Sickle and Hammer for a hoot | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 167 Registered: 2-2013 |
I really like the western type of censorship especially when it involves personalized plates. In Queenland Australia, you cant have "weed" or "dope" but you can have "sodomy". Can you imagine it "oh look kids a Rolls Royce" "Mummy what does "sodomy" mean? I really wonder what the cops would do with that one!! Someone is Sydney has a Jensen Interceptor with "Loser" and I tried to get that for the Camargue but somebody already has it so I might settle with "CCCP" and freak my brother when he finally gets here from deep Russia and tell him uncle Putee sent it to me through the Embassy. What a hoot!! | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1557 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Vladimir, Is your Toad of Toad Hall a close or distant relative????  | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 168 Registered: 2-2013 |
David, who ever has that on his car is a man that can turn a boring party into a riot. Its a must have mascot but not sure if I am that twisted I will mount it on the Camargue. Where did you find the pic and what type of open wheeler was that car? | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 780 Registered: 1-2008 |
I had a Super Snipe many years ago. The idle could be set so low that you could almost count the fan blades as they wandered slowly past your gaze. As for cooling; you could remove the fan and it would only overheat in heavy traffic jams. Anything over walking pace would permit enough of an air flow through the radiator to keep it below boiling point. The interior was relatively quite sumptuous with all the leather upholstery, wood and chrome. I sold it to the BIL who soon trashed it - as he usually does with all his vehicles. Thank God he finally admitted a few years ago that he was a menace on the roads and returned his licence to the DVLA. After the Humber I had a couple of Standards. An Ensign and a Vanguard. Both were similarly favoured by the RAF as staff cars - the Ensign for Captains and the Vanguard for superior ranks. A local joiner had picked up a job lot of spares in an ex-MOD auction, so I could keep them running longer than I should have otherwise. Unfortunately some pikey broke into them and stole everything he could take. His haul included a spare engine, two spare gearboxes, several major components and all my tools stored in an old, wooden army rifle box. I lost heart at that point and scrapped them to make way for a brand new Ford Escort III. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1558 Registered: 4-2003 |
Vladimir, It is my own photograph of a RROC[Australia] member's car taken at the Perth Federal Rally in 2003. Unfortunately, I do not have details of the R-R vehicle which was a pre-WW2 vehicle possibly a Silver Ghost. Found the following photo which shows more detail:  | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.121.117 |
To make a mascot. Carve the mascot in wax. Coat with clay slip. ( slip is watery clay). Then fire the clay which will melt the wax out. Then fill mould with lead. Crack the mould and revel a masterpiece---- hopefully. This is called the lost wax process. Details on the web. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 781 Registered: 1-2008 |
I don't know if that range of models is still available, but it's one of 'The Wind in The Willows' series. That one is Toad of Toad Hall, perhaps the most colourful of the characters. He was particularly manic about mechanical devices, particularly cars, power boats and planes. Some years ago a troupe put on a musical stage version of the books for children. As often happens there was a bit of friction between two of the actors 'behind the scenes' which culminated one performance with Toad coming on stage to be berated by Badger for his motorised antics. Being Drunk As A Skunk, Toad responded with "Oh, shut the f**k up you stripey bastard" in front of a packed theater of youngsters. The run ended there. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.121.124 |
Vintage car part sites may have various car mascots. On Pawn Stars ( las Vegas ) had a 1930s RR ecstasy turn up. Corey Harrison offered $200. The vendor wanted $2000. Corey said RR collectors want cars not mascots. Lalique (spelling?) glass was popular. Check eBay for glass ornaments. When I showed my dad my Shadow he looked at the mascot and said a cock and bollocks would be good. My dad 1919 - 1995 was a corporal in the 8th army and a desert rat. WW2. He was very straightforward and said things with short comments that actually go very deep. In this case the male vanity and cars. He wasn't into cars and just brought a new cheap car every 8 years. When he stopped driving he wouldn't sell it because someone might park in his parking space. He also never took a driving test. Whilst in the army he was ordered to drive a Humber jeep in an emergency so he did so to make it army legal the army issued a license. This was common practice in war time. A 5 min drive providing you didn't hit anything they issued a full license. Back to Humbers. Wikipedia have an article on Humbers which is worth a read of. I remember hearing about the stage show of toad hall and a drunken verbal thespian. I think it was on BBC QI Stephen Fry. (Message approved by david_gore) |
