Been There - Done That

[sunny-dave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-41212203

I remember a trip back from the West Country in about 1986 in my R5 Gordini - the wipers failed (broken linkage) somewhere well south of Bristol.

After a bit of head scratching we deployed some string and took turns to drive and yell "Pull" whenever the screen got too wet.

It must have been one of the first 'hands free wiper systems' (at least for the driver) - and I would have been interested to know what law we were breaking ...

SD :+)

[Buenchico]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/34/made

[Buenchico]

^^^ Note that windscreen wipers don't need to be 'electric'; they only need to be 'automatic'. I can hear your argument in court now: "I'm not guilty because every time I shouted 'Pull!' my mate automatically operated the wipers!"

[sapelesam]

Well well, second person I've ever come across who owned a Renault 5 Gordini, I had a gold one Y200 ??? was the reg if I remember correctly. Gear stick seemed to be connected by a stiff bit of rubber.

[sunny-dave]

I've still got a photo of my red Gordini - VRJ434X - a fantastic car ... when bits weren't falling off :)

[Tilly2]

I had a similar problem with my Renault but it was the clutch pedal. It used to stick and I had to tie some rope to it and pull each time I wanted to change gear. Those were the days!

[Tilly2]

...I pulled it out after changing gear. It stuck to the floor.

[tonyav]

You had a Renault, Dave ( LOL ).
Blew the engine up in a Ford Anglia South of Bristol once, Dave.

[pixie374]

I had a Fiat 127. Loved it :-). But its windscreen wiper flew off in some torrential rain- and it only had one in the first place.

[tonyav]

and it only had one in the first place.

Had the other one flew off earlier, pixie ?.

[pixie374]

I don't think so, tony. I'm sure it always just had one?

[Cloverjo]

I think I remember cars with only one (big) wiper.

[tonyav]

Should have had two, pixie ( mind you it being a Fiat you never know ).
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=mjy7m2GN&;id=644B81D2E7BDAC71798FB193F649C36E2723F681&thid=OIP.mjy7m2GNYn6xxipLjFaXRAEgDY&q=fiat+127&simid=607990770360979064&selectedindex=6&qpvt=fiat+127&mode=overlay&first=1

[pixie374]

Really? I was sure it was only meant to have one... but I was 17... xx

[DTCwordfan]

Rain X - well worth a bottle in the boot.....

[tonyav]

Or remove the windscreen, DT ;-)

[jno]

sure thing, Cloverjo

http://petrolblog.com/2014/06/10-best-single-wipers/

[EDDIE51]

Anyone ever had a Renault Dauphine , remember them?
They were so poorly made that brand new ones were delivered with the underside already rusted through.

[tonyav]

My grandad had one of those ( for about 6 months ) when I was about five years old, EDDIE, Baby Blue it was.

[EDDIE51]

Worst car for rust I ever had was a Wolseley 15/50 , the posh version of the Austin Cambridge. I took it home and parked it on the road outside my front door. The next morning the drivers door was lying in the road beside the car, it had fallen off in the night. But as I only paid £9 for it as spares for my Austin Cambridge and it had 4 new tyres it was a bargain. I transferred the wheels with the new tyres to my Cambridge sold the clock out of the Wolseley for £5 and then got another £5 from the scrap yard for the rest of the car.

[tonyav]

All cars were rust buckets back in the day, EDDIE. Especially Vauxhalls.