Ex Emergency Services Cars

[john.wigley]

At the other end of the scale ...

40 odd years ago I happened to work for a national 'bus company that ran bog standard Minis as Inspectors' cars - ferrying drivers to early starts at outlying depots, mechanics to breakdowns, admin staff about their business, all sorts of similar errands. Very few cold starts, nearly always warm and serviced every couple of weeks as required, they would run for three years and 300 plus thousand miles with little more than the odd puncture to interrupt progress.

Although Zierbarted or similar, rust was the main problem in those days after three winters spent on salt covered roads. The rear subframes were notorious for it; the fronts, generally covered in oil from a less than continent engine, usually faired a little better.

I bought my first and only new car in 1978, a Mini 1000, mainly in the light of that experience. I ran mine for six years and 66000 miles with only one breakdown - the alternator failed at 24K just less than two years old and was replaced FOC under B.L.'s 'Supercover' scheme. My first Volvo, a 1972 145E, became it's replacement and the rest, as they say, is history!

Regards, John.

[Existential Crisis]

Originally Posted by Dibble

Ex colleague was also an Instructor at Tulliallan and he said the best patrol by far was the 850 T5. He loved the one he used there so much he bought it when it came up for auction.

His initials weren't GF were they?