240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Dippydog]

I always liked[still do]the look of the coupe,although I did read once that the saloon is the more aerodynamic of the two.Mind you at the speeds they could attain in standard I doubt aerodynamics plays any large part.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Dippydog

I always liked[still do]the look of the coupe,although I did read once that the saloon is the more aerodynamic of the two.Mind you at the speeds they could attain in standard I doubt aerodynamics plays any large part.

Rumour has it the Reliant Robin is more aerodynamic in reverse (more like a raindrop shape) so on that basis i can see how the Imp (and its derivatives) saloon is more aerodynamic than the coupe version.

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Dippydog

I always liked[still do]the look of the coupe,although I did read once that the saloon is the more aerodynamic of the two.Mind you at the speeds they could attain in standard I doubt aerodynamics plays any large part.

I don't know about the aerodynamics, 'Dd', but the saloon is most definitely the more practical. I once helped a friend move flats in mine, while the rear seat in the coupe is only really suitable for small children.

And don't be deceived about speed. With it's slightly warmed over motor, the Sunbeam was a quick car. I can assure you that it had the edge over a Mini Cooper on the straight, but the Mini's pin-sharp (FWD) handling evened things up when it came to the twisty bits!

With a 998cc conversion and some more serious tuning, it became a very quick car that enjoyed some success on the rally scene. Don't forget that cars were much lighter then, and only needed relatively modest power to achieve a more than respectable power to weight ratio.

Regards, John.

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

I don't know about the aerodynamics, 'Dd', but the saloon is most definitely the more practical. I once helped a friend move flats in mine, while the rear seat in the coupe is only really suitable for small children.

And don't be deceived about speed. With it's slightly warmed over motor, the Sunbeam was a quick car. I can assure you that it had the edge over a Mini Cooper on the straight, but the Mini's pin-sharp (FWD) handling evened things up when it came to the twisty bits!

With a 998cc conversion and some more serious tuning, it became a very quick car that enjoyed some success on the rally scene. Don't forget that cars were much lighter then, and only needed relatively modest power to achieve a more than respectable power to weight ratio.

Regards, John.

In the early 70s one of the local rally set, had one at 998, and reputedly 10,000
red line rpm.🧐

Now that was quick!🚀

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

I don't know about the aerodynamics, 'Dd', but the saloon is most definitely the more practical. I once helped a friend move flats in mine, while the rear seat in the coupe is only really suitable for small children.

And don't be deceived about speed. With it's slightly warmed over motor, the Sunbeam was a quick car. I can assure you that it had the edge over a Mini Cooper on the straight, but the Mini's pin-sharp (FWD) handling evened things up when it came to the twisty bits!

With a 998cc conversion and some more serious tuning, it became a very quick car that enjoyed some success on the rally scene. Don't forget that cars were much lighter then, and only needed relatively modest power to achieve a more than respectable power to weight ratio.

Regards, John.

I’m not particularly doing anything on the 21st, so Dan and I may take a trip to Yorkshire for the Mathewson’s auction. There is a Honda Benly I like the look of, and that Sunbeam as well.

https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction...pp=48&pn=1&g=1

We’ll see

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Othen

I’m not particularly doing anything on the 21st, so Dan and I may take a trip to Yorkshire for the Mathewson’s auction. There is a Honda Benly I like the look of, and that Sunbeam as well.

https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction...pp=48&pn=1&g=1

We’ll see

That is the bike that should have rung warning bells for the British motor-cycle industry in the '60s, Alan. It sounded the death knell for the likes of Bezza's C15, Triumph's Tiger Cub and a zillion other bikes.

We didn't learn our lesson then, and the Japanese went on to show us how to make motor-cars a decade later. I mind when the Datsun Cherry came out - it even had a fitted radio, for heaven's sake - how could the likes of our Morris Marina ever hope to compete with that?

Enjoy your day in Yorkshire!

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

That is the bike that should have rung warning bells for the British motor-cycle industry in the '60s, Alan. It sounded the death knell for the likes of Bezza's C15, Triumph's Tiger Cub and a zillion other bikes.

We didn't learn our lesson then, and the Japanese went on to show us how to make motor-cars a decade later. I mind when the Datsun Cherry came out - it even had a fitted radio, for heaven's sake - how could the likes of our Morris Marina ever hope to compete with that?

Enjoy your day in Yorkshire!

Regards, John.

Just to rub salt in the wound John, the Cherry also had an A series engine, derived from the BMC A Series and is very similar mechanically. However, the Datsun version was a smaller displacement (1171cc if memory serves) yet produced 69bhp (almost as much as the 1275GT Mini on twin carbs @ 72bhp) and was more economical too.

Adding some vinegar in that salty wound, Datsun started out building Austin Sevens under licence so it really was a case of the student becoming the master!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

That is the bike that should have rung warning bells for the British motor-cycle industry in the '60s, Alan. It sounded the death knell for the likes of Bezza's C15, Triumph's Tiger Cub and a zillion other bikes.

We didn't learn our lesson then, and the Japanese went on to show us how to make motor-cars a decade later. I mind when the Datsun Cherry came out - it even had a fitted radio, for heaven's sake - how could the likes of our Morris Marina ever hope to compete with that?

Enjoy your day in Yorkshire!

Regards, John.

How right you are John, the Benly was a fantastic little bike for the era (electric start and no oil leaks) when compared with Bantams, Tiger Cubs and so on. What I'd really like is a CB77 (the 305cc twin), which was the first Japanese challenger for the larger bike market (remember that at that time 500s were considered large bikes, and 650s were the superbikes of the day).

We did learn the lessons rather slowly

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

How right you are John, the Benly was a fantastic little bike for the era (electric start and no oil leaks) when compared with Bantams, Tiger Cubs and so on. What I'd really like is a CB77 (the 305cc twin), which was the first Japanese challenger for the larger bike market (remember that at that time 500s were considered large bikes, and 650s were the superbikes of the day).

We did learn the lessons rather slowly

I'd say we are still learning those lessons Alan, we are still educating foreign students and they go back home and develop the things we should be developing and marketing.
As a nation, we seem to have a strange attitude of resting on our laurels when we have created something good, other nations then take our ideas, improve them and/or make them more reliable/economical/faster/better/whatever and sell them back to us, putting our businesses out of business in the process.

Alternatively we come up with good ideas, the money people here say "that'll never catch on so we won't finance the development etc" so the inventors go elsewhere. Then they become an international success and their products become household items.

[Moomoo]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I'd say we are still learning those lessons Alan, we are still educating foreign students and they go back home and develop the things we should be developing and marketing.
As a nation, we seem to have a strange attitude of resting on our laurels when we have created something good, other nations then take our ideas, improve them and/or make them more reliable/economical/faster/better/whatever and sell them back to us, putting our businesses out of business in the process.

Alternatively we come up with good ideas, the money people here say "that'll never catch on so we won't finance the development etc" so the inventors go elsewhere. Then they become an international success and their products become household items.

City spivs want a quick return.

Vision and imagination are not a prerequisite qualification for such!