No, an English Ford panel truck, as in, "British Lorry" or Ford Anglia. Little tiny fellow shaped like a 1970 Ford Econoline with the hood and engine out in front of the front seats. I could almost see over the top of it if I stood up as tall as I could get.

That's what I'm talking about too. After they were called Anglia's they were called Escorts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escort_(Europe) Look at the first generation.

 

No, an English Ford panel truck, as in, "British Lorry" or Ford Anglia.

Actually that would be a Van not a lorry!
I learnt to drive in a Anglia, just as about as basic a vehicle as it could get.
Then graduated to Zepher, 6 CYLINDERs.
Max.

 

Then graduated to Zepher, 6 CYLINDERs.

My first-ish vehicle in HighSchool was a 78 Ford Zephyr 4 door sedan. POS top to bottom and it was what I learned about just how poorly designed Fords electrical system could be on some models.

As most early 90's kids I had it decked out with a high powered sound system but learned the hard way about Fords near non existent electrical surge protection in their cheaper vehicles after going through several amplifiers due to the HV spiking the old mechanical voltage regulators for their crap alternators and various other poorly to non existent snubbed electrical stuff made in it.

I think that might have been my first vehicle I refitted a Delco 10SI alternator from a junkyard chevy to to help clean up the worse source of electrical noise plus give it a stable DC power. Fords alternators of the time were crap and a half compared to the Delcos!
Beyond that the ignition and heater motor got snubber capacitors added to them to cut their noise down. Still had a load of odd background pips and buzzing in the sound system at low volume but it stopped it from killing my amplifiers.

 

As long as we're talking first cars: '69 Chevy Bel Air. 327 -- best small block ever. Paid $300 for it.

 

As long as we're talking first cars: '69 Chevy Bel Air. 327 -- best small block ever. Paid $300 for it.

Is that a Buick or a Chev behind it?


kv

 

My first Vehicle was a Willy's Jeep Panel Wagaon


After that one was this little beauty 66 Midnight Green Mustang

 

That's what I'm talking about too.

Actually that would be a Van not a lorry!

You can see that I struggle to translate British into American.
It's not important, except that I keep learning how much I don't know.

 

My first-ish vehicle in HighSchool was a 78 Ford Zephyr 4 door sedan. POS top to bottom and it was what I learned about just how poorly designed Fords electrical system could be on some models.

Not sure if the British Ford Zephyr was the same, 1960's straight 6, standard.
It had the habit of dropping out of gear on an over-run, slope etc.
It made coming down the steepest hill in England, Porlock Hill 1 in 4 a bit scary!.
Max.

 

Not sure if the British Ford Zephyr was the same, 1960's straight 6, standard.

Inline six and automatic and not much else. I had it for 2 - 3 months before stepping up to a 1984 Mercury Topaz four door. Put 130,000+ miles on that one myself ending at over 250K when I sold it off for $1000. Needed the money to puy for the 1989 Ford Taurus that replaced it but really wish I had kept it just for nostalgia reasons of being what I considered my first vehicle.

Still dream I am driving it now and then and actually feel a bit sad thinking about right now.

 

Is that a Buick or a Chev behind it?


kv

No clue. I shamelessly grabbed the photo from the internet. I don't have any photos of the actual car that I owned.

 

Not sure if the British Ford Zephyr was the same, 1960's straight 6, standard.
It had the habit of dropping out of gear on an over-run, slope etc.
It made coming down the steepest hill in England, Porlock Hill 1 in 4 a bit scary!.
Max.

Not even close. In fact, someone's memory is quite whacked because there was never a FORD Zephyr sold in the US. It was a MERCURY Zephyr and that was a variation of the Ford Fairmont. The Fairmont and Zephyr were Fords attempt to offer a smaller family sized vehicle and available with the gas guzzling abilities of your choice. 5L V8, an inline 6 or the Pinto's anemic 2.3L 4 cylinder.

Quite different from a Zephyr from Ford Europe.

 

Quite different from a Zephyr from Ford Europe.

Pride and joy, manuf: 1950-1972.
Everyone asked how I could afford to run it.
Max.

 

Update on the trencher. Turns out enough people need trenching work done next spring that I have people offering to pay for parts to get mine going already!

My Dad and Brother need a bunch of trenching done so my Dad offered to buy new tires for it now in trade for their future work once it's back together and running!
I can also use is heatable garage to work on it this winter being my big shop is uninsulated and unheated and the rig is too big to fit in my workshed because the door is too narrow and on the side not the end.

I likely also have at least one other person who is thinking they will have work for me with it too and the odds are once the word gets out I have a bigger unit I will probably have more work beyond that by then as well.

Damn thing might turn into a real job if too many people find out about it being the word is, as always around here, the local contractors are as greedy as hell on that sort of work.

 

Might as well register your business now.

 

Might as well register your business now.

Already been one for years.

Never advertized beyond word of mouth and it pays my bills to the level I am comfortable with without feeling like actual work. It ain't oilfield money income but it also isn't 3500+ hour oilfield work years either and that's good enough for my wants in life.

If anything the thought of it growing to be anything more than it is without my wanting it to is a bit of a put off. I've found that creating work for myself with what I have now is way too easy. The more greedy, and sloppy, the bigger contractors get around here the more us private-ish off the beaten path guys pick up work we never went looking for.

I got $200 cash forced into my hand last winter for ~15 minutes of snowblower work while en route to blow out my Grandmas yard with our big tractor blower rig. I refused it twice but they insisted I take it because it was half of that any contractor they had talked to wanted. For that they are going to get their tiny driveway (tiny by my normal country snow moving standards) blown out for free as long as Grandma is alive. (Maybe 5 - 10 minutes of work now that I know where everything is at in their yard. )

Last winter I found out the local crooks have a new scam. A $100 anti liability fee. You have to pay them $100 to not be liable for any damage they do to your property and they will not do any work without it. That on top of a $100 show up fee and the standard $200 an hour one hour billable minimum they hit people with.

 

Well, with people like that ... You might as well rent your snow equipment to your younger relatives so they can earn some money. You can stay inside where it's warm .... And the youngsters can do the work. I'm sure you will make them an equitable offer on the rentals....

 

The only younger relative I have is my niece, who is 15, and she has no interest whatsoever in that sort of work.