Afternoon chaps just thought I would post this …. My mum just gave me my grandfather’s AA book that is as old as I am ? very interesting reading … though since it’s 1974 I think things have moved on a tad!
I know it’s not 500 related but didn’t know where else to post I’m guessing this may be familiar to some of you mature more distinguished gents!

I'll put my hand up for 'distinguished' but maturity has always eluded me.

Delightful reading - things were so much more... mechanical... in those far off days when the only electronics were in the car radio (if you had one!).

I used to purchase a Brit magazine called 'Practical Motoring' which was far more hands-on and less boy-racer than the local auto mags. They occasionally included handy free gadgets like a mini squeegee for clearing mirrors which included a plastic blade for scraping ice, and a 'brake tester' three metal balls in a clear case that rolled up inclined ramps. You were supposed to stick it to the driver's side window, hit the brakes from a given speed and see how many balls you could get to run up their ramp and drop.

A simpler time...

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

I'll put my hand up for 'distinguished' but maturity has always eluded me.

Delightful reading - things were so much more... mechanical... in those far off days when the only electronics were in the car radio (if you had one!).

I used to purchase a Brit magazine called 'Practical Motoring' which was far more hands-on and less boy-racer than the local auto mags. They occasionally included handy free gadgets like a mini squeegee for clearing mirrors which included a plastic blade for scraping ice, and a 'brake tester' three metal balls in a clear case that rolled up inclined ramps. You were supposed to stick it to the driver's side window, hit the brakes from a given speed and see how many balls you could get to run up their ramp and drop.

A simpler time...

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Haha yes maturity….. personally in body only ? the mind is another story!
It has been very interesting so far I must say I’ve only read the drum brakes section … very very similar to the ones on my 2011 car this book actually goes into much more detail than the Haynes manual though I’m not sure how much applies these days .. quite funny though that a 2011 model has the almost same brake set up on the rear as a 1974 car! Very retro

Brakes have indeed changed very little over the years. Same is true for disc brakes. ABS is the one major innovation that has been added.

I have something similar from about the same era by the ADAC (German AAA).
Even better was a book I read when I was sixteen (long ago..) borrowed from the public library „Du und der Motor“ (you and the motor). Explained all the basics like ignition, carburettor etc. very well. This was my foundation to work on cars.
Found a 1937 edition of that one recently in a book exchange phone booth. What a delight!

When I was looking for inspiration for the purchase of my first car in 1970 I came across an article in the Australian 'Wheels' magazine on the Mazda 1200 Coupe and placed that firmly at the top of my shortlist. I found one on my first foray into the market and there's been a Mazda in the driveway ever since. Recently I actually found and bought a copy of that very same magazine, April 1970, which was a real nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Coincidentally I bought my Twinair 500C at exactly the same premises as that first Mazda...

My old dad had a Fiat 1500 (the one with the chrome "Millecinquecento" script written out on the glovebox lid.. ) and he had a Fiat workshop manual somehow that was a fascinating read, even though I was about 8 at the time.

It was the thickness of about 5 Hayne's manuals, so you can imagine the difference in detail. I'm not sure if I read it because I was interested in the nuts and bolts, or whether I became interested in the nuts and bolt because I read it...

It's a pity that modern times the manufacturers hide every technical aspect behind subscription services or paywalls.. even the parts list is difficult to get hold of now. If I was the CEO, I'd sell every car with a workshop manual and a parts CD.. if people understand more about their car and knew what to do to fix it (even if they couldn't attempt it themselves) I think there would be a lot more old cars around, more competent owners and even arguably better drivers.

Ralf S.

Baglady1990 said:

Afternoon chaps just thought I would post this …. My mum just gave me my grandfather’s AA book that is as old as I am ? very interesting reading … though since it’s 1974 I think things have moved on a tad!
I know it’s not 500 related but didn’t know where else to post I’m guessing this may be familiar to some of you mature more distinguished gents!

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You mock.. but back in the day, that distributor picture would be the cause of nightmares..

But you would be able to dismantle it, clean it and re-set the points in the dark and in the pouring rain.. mainly because you had to do that so many times..


Ralf S,

Ralf S. said:

If I was the CEO, I'd sell every car with a workshop manual and a parts CD

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Why would they want to do that?

Ralf S. said:

I think there would be a lot more old cars around

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Manufacturers are in the business of selling new cars; it's not in their interests for there to be a lot of old cars around.

I think the regulator should mandate that every car must be sold with a workshop manual and a parts CD (or free access to the equivalent information online).

Dell provide full technical documentation and all available software updates for every computer they sell, online, with no access restrictions. I'd like to see it mandated that anyone selling any product that's capable of being repaired must do the same.

Baglady1990 said:

Afternoon chaps just thought I would post this …. My mum just gave me my grandfather’s AA book that is as old as I am �� very interesting reading … though since it’s 1974 I think things have moved on a tad!
I know it’s not 500 related but didn’t know where else to post I’m guessing this may be familiar to some of you mature more distinguished gents!

Click to expand...

I have 2 AA book simular to this that I was given when I was learning to drive, the first one is in a plastic carry case & I think is early/mid 70's but the other is a just a normal book which is simular but not as good as the first I think is late 70s/very early 80's but will have to double check when I blow the dust off them as I'm not 100% sure of the dates. It was a very interesting read as it showed the common caburettors of the time such as SU's, Stromberg & Webers & it had all multiple pages on the pictures so you can see the inside of the parts & see how they worked. When my Mini 1000 was on the road I used to look in the book in the case to fix any small niggly mechanical problems as at the back of the book after the fault finder section it had all the modern cars of the time listed with their basic maintenance specific to each car such as spark plug gaps, tappet gaps, firing order etc. It lists quite a few old Fiat such as 131's, 127's, 128's, Mini's & other BL cars.

Back in the 70's I could confidently tackle a Mazda 1200 head gasket in an afternoon, and that knowledge could be applied to almost any other vehicle of the time. I wonder if that still applies? I wouldn't even consider doing such work on my Twinair - even if I had the workshop manual and all the electronic doodads required.