Those 'disabled' vehicles

Jonni2bad · 28 Apr 2003, 17:04 (Ref:583003)

Can anyone shed light on the make of vehicle used by disabled people in the 70's (there are some still around)... they were 3 wheelers, light blue and had a handle bar type steering wheel??? Come on, you must remember them!! I think they were maybe State issued, but could well have been a private purchase thing, i'm not too sure.
Any info gratefully received.

garcon · 28 Apr 2003, 17:28 (Ref:583023)

Can't remember who made them. I think they made them under contract for the government. And I have a feint recollection of it being a rather surprising company. Wsn't TVR was it?!

Dave Brand · 28 Apr 2003, 17:31 (Ref:583026)

Most were Invacars, powered by a 197cc Villiers engine, although AC made a more upmarket version.

I believe they were all issued by the NHS.

Dave Brand · 28 Apr 2003, 17:42 (Ref:583034)

A quick Yahoo search came up with a lot of refences. Try:

http://www.virtualgaz.co.uk/invacarpage.htm

or:

http://www.3wheelers.com/invacar.html

sss · 28 Apr 2003, 19:15 (Ref:583119)

could you not show them yours mr brand

Dave Brand · 28 Apr 2003, 19:41 (Ref:583135)

Quote:

Originally posted by sss
could you not show them yours mr brand

Bog off!!!!

Bluebottle · 28 Apr 2003, 20:25 (Ref:583172)

I saw one in Camden the other day, and there was one in Pinner untill a few years ago. The ones built by AC had Cobra headlights (Ok, it's a fairly generic headlight, but it does conjour up images of grannies pinching lights from Cobras for their Invalid Cars!)

Jonni2bad · 29 Apr 2003, 07:29 (Ref:583463)

Thanks to you all, especially Rt. Hon Mr.Brand esq. The web-page link was just what i needed as i've been trying to get hold of some pics of one for ages. Looking at those images and reading the stories has rekindled memories of youth - I first came across these 'cars' when a neighbour used one circa 1976, and he would often let some of the local kids sit inside and and pretend to drive them.. lots of fun when you're 7 years old !!

I cant believe that the Govt are scrapping them, or that it's now illegal to drive them on UK roads - typical short-sightedness from Whitehall or wherever. Im sure they could raise money by selling them off, cos I know there are people out there as strange as me who would love to own one just because they're soooo different. I'm not a window licker myself, but perversely which I had been just to say I'd owned one.

Cheers to all....

Logrence · 29 Apr 2003, 10:05 (Ref:583587)

One of those little things would be much better than a scooter for trundling round paddocks across the land!

sss · 29 Apr 2003, 17:08 (Ref:584030)

i suppose you wouldnt be able to fall off a 3 wheel machine would you logrence.

by the way did everyone know that logrence is now a stunt rider

TimD · 29 Apr 2003, 20:58 (Ref:584321)

The official name for them is the AC Type 70. And it is indeed the same AC that brought us the Cobra. I'm sorry to hear that they're being bought up for breaking, as they were an icon of the middle seventies.

Sad to say, the last one I actually saw suffered the indignity of being entered in a banger race meeting's "ramp rollover" competition.

It didn't win.

neilwaynesmith · 30 Apr 2003, 07:24 (Ref:584632)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bluebottle
I saw one in Camden the other day, and there was one in Pinner untill a few years ago. The ones built by AC had Cobra headlights (Ok, it's a fairly generic headlight, but it does conjour up images of grannies pinching lights from Cobras for their Invalid Cars!)

The problem is allegedly fake Cobra builders using AC invalid carriage chassis numbers for their replicas, then trying to pass them off as the real deal...

Osella · 30 Apr 2003, 09:59 (Ref:584755)

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonni2bad
I'm not a window licker myself

as in the Aphex Twin song??

What is a Window Licker (glad I didn't miss-spell that w/o the n!)anyway??

Jonni2bad · 1 May 2003, 06:39 (Ref:585908)

Quote:

Originally posted by Osella
as in the Aphex Twin song??

What is a Window Licker (glad I didn't miss-spell that w/o the n!)anyway??

Well, that got me searching! Never heard of Aphex Twin b4 your post.. Ive tried to find out what they meant by the title but can't be 100% sure, however I don't think me and them were talking about the same thing! My reference, midly offensive if you lack any sense of humour, is of a disabled person - you know the type, minibus goes by with group of people who lick the window 'cos they know no better!

That should get a few irate posts in reply!

Maybe I should start a new string asking for the best (or worst) slang terms.......

Truckosaurus · 1 May 2003, 10:39 (Ref:586063)

Quote:

Maybe I should start a new string asking for the best (or worst) slang terms.......

I have heard the term 'spaz chariot' used for the vehicles in this thread.

Which brings me to my own tale:

In approximately 1993, I was working in Portsmouth, and after an evening of beer drinking a group of us were walking back to someone's house in the North End district. This part of town is laid out in a grid pattern so you amble along (esp after a couple of drinks) random streets heading in the vague direction until you reach your destination. Anyway, we got halfway down one 100-yard long road when we realised pretty much every other car was one of these bright blue disabled cars. It seemed there was a workshop in that road which specialised in them. It was very surreal.

**ghinzani** · 11 Mar 2023, 21:20 (Ref:4146744)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

I have heard the term 'spaz chariot' used for the vehicles in this thread.

Which brings me to my own tale:

In approximately 1993, I was working in Portsmouth, and after an evening of beer drinking a group of us were walking back to someone's house in the North End district. This part of town is laid out in a grid pattern so you amble along (esp after a couple of drinks) random streets heading in the vague direction until you reach your destination. Anyway, we got halfway down one 100-yard long road when we realised pretty much every other car was one of these bright blue disabled cars. It seemed there was a workshop in that road which specialised in them. It was very surreal.

That would be Paulsgrove Road, just discussing with my In-Laws ?

Bluebottle · 1 May 2003, 20:41 (Ref:586677)

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonni2bad

Maybe I should start a new string asking for the best (or worst) slang terms.......

or maybe not!

ensign14 · 1 May 2003, 21:19 (Ref:586728)

There used to be an Invacar at St Andrew's (Blues ground), over by the Jeff Hall stand, in the late 70s. I assumed we had precisely 1 disabled supporter & that's where he parked.

They are being scrapped? Just shows you what a moronic tosspot excuse for a government we have. They could make a few bob flogging them. Let's face it, they're never gonna do any damage.

fast95pony · 2 May 2003, 08:56 (Ref:587051)

Sorry , but I was reading this thread and when I reached window lickers I started giggling so much I spilt coffee all over my shirt and keyboard...

I think I need therapy..

It's not funny...it's not funny...

D-Type · 7 May 2003, 13:45 (Ref:592385)

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonni2bad
I cant believe that the Govt are scrapping them, or that it's now illegal to drive them on UK roads - typical short-sightedness from Whitehall or wherever. Im sure they could raise money by selling them off, cos I know there are people out there as strange as me who would love to own one just because they're soooo different.

The reason the government are scrapping them is the number of good small automatics around these days - Micras, Corsas, etc. It's cheaper to fit an auto with hand controls or whatever and the result is a lot safer. Then you can remove the adaptation and sell the car.

What is ridiculous is the criteria used to determine eligibility for a blue badge, zero road tax and a motability grant. It is something like being unable to walk 25 yards (unless you're a Labour Party member in Northern Ireland). My daughter can only drive an automatic that has been converted to left foot operation. She gets absolutely no help with specialist driving instruction or getting her car converted.

Truckosaurus · 7 May 2003, 14:11 (Ref:592412)

Quote:

My daughter can only drive an automatic that has been converted to left foot operation.

Excuse my curiosity, but what does this involve? I'm guessing, moving the pedals over a bit?

garcon · 7 May 2003, 14:56 (Ref:592457)

Or swapping them round

No end of fun if you give some unsuspected person a go...

D-Type · 7 May 2003, 21:39 (Ref:592923)

Quote:

Originally posted by Guy Humpage
Excuse my curiosity, but what does this involve? I'm guessing, moving the pedals over a bit?

They leave the brake pedal where it is and move the accelerator to the left of it.

There are three options - remove the original pedal completely, make it changeable with a spsnner or used hinged pedals.

We went for the last one. They fit a second accelerator to the left of the brake pedal and replace the original pedal with a hinged one. The two accelerators are mechanically linked by a cable so that when you pull one down the other folds up out of the way. They gave us a bag of bits - the original accelerator pedal, the footrest for your left foot that they'd removed, etc. Apparently it's an hour's job for a mechanic to put it all back.

I've tried driving it with the left foot pedal. It's almost impossible as it feels so wrong. Using the right foot is a bit better but not much. I can't understand how old time racing drivers could drive cars with a central accelerator and readily switch to the normal set up.

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