The Dark Wob

I liked those 2 door 1100s, quite nice to drive and ride in but I never owned one because of rust and some iffy mechanicals. How did they think that whiney gearbox cobbled up from A30 bits was good enough?

Time has found that the mechanicals are pretty simple and robust on them really. Like a Mini but being a bigger chassis, so much easier to work on than one. Suspension doesn't really give too much trouble on them and most hydrolastic cylinders are still in good condition now. Only the hoses go on them but they're readily and easily replaced. Main issue with the mechanicals is when rot inevitably detaches the subframes from the car...

Whiny gearbox does give it character though. My beef is the low gearing in 4th of the 1100 unit. At 40mph it feels like you're in second gear. 50mph is uncomfortable and 60mph feels like you're hitting the engines VMAX.

I would really like a 1300 2dr though like the one in that video. 1300 being geared better and 2dr look nicer imo. RobT's one on AS is almost perfect on what I'd want.

Does make me really want to go for a run out in my 1100 though. Calipers need sorting first really though as they're binding up a bit.

SiC wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:54 am

I would really like a 1300 2dr though like the one in that video. 1300 being geared better and 2dr look nicer imo. RobT's one on AS is almost perfect on what I'd want.

If only he'd give it some love. The tatty shed look is a pity on a car that's lasted this long.

cros wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:56 am How did they think that whiney gearbox cobbled up from A30 bits was good enough?

Because the competition had cart springs and bugger all room inside.

It would be interesting to do the same mortgage-car running comparison today as well.

Average house price at the moment is 256k. 15% mortgage (38.4k equity) on a 30 year term with 5yrs fixed is about £900 on the best deals atm. 35 year term is £814.

£900 in 2019 is about £63 in 1971. Or £15.75 a week. But that'll be a fresh-ish purchase of a mortgage too. £800 is about £56, or £14 per week.

So probably similar sort of amounts really.

Obviously house prices have boomed way way past inflation. However the cost of the mortgage is similar thanks to mighty low interest rates. But that doesn't get over the fact that a lot more money in real terms needs to be paid back. Which is ok if rates stay at their historic lows.

Also as house prices are so high, the cost of getting a deposit down is massively higher. Hence limiting to those that are able to save such a big deposit with decent wages or very lucky enough to get given it (grandparent inheritance/parents/etc). But those that have been given it often will struggle on the "affordability" criteria - despite usually paying far more per month on rent.

Welcome to the 2021 housing market.

I did some similar finger-in-the-air sums myself and came to the same broad conclusions.....much the same. Just obviously talking far greater sums of actual money.

SiC wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:18 am £10 per week in 1971 (i.e. 3 year old car) now is £142.41 per week.

Probably about the same as buying then running a standard family 3 year old car nowadays if you include depreciation?

Cars have never been as cheap as they are now.

The A30 gearbox is a distant ancestor and not remotely similar to the transverse units. Given a gearbox in sump design was basically revolutionary at the time with only one oil and filter to change for the whole lot, contained in one compact unit, they did very well.

paulplom wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 6:59 am Gf's dad has a chrysler 300c in diesel estate form on his drive. It has the bentley badges on the wheels along with the big fuck off grille. I'm sure the engine is mercedes and it has an auto box. It's been stood a year or so since it failed it's mot on a frayed seatbelt. He's replaced that but never bothered retesting it as he bought an s80 while it was standing. I fired it up about a week ago and it sounded sweet as a nut.
I could make enquiries if you're interested.
Fuck it, I'm going to ask him anyway. I think I'd look cool af cruising in it.

See what they say, how hard is it too put the correct hemi motor in these?