AC Invacar

[Fraz13]

Hi, I am new to the forum. I found it when I was trying to find info on AC to change a part of my logbook. Anyway I contacted a couple of guys from here and they were very helpful, the last one pointed me towards the forum to post up info on my little AC.
   
   Most will remember these cars from the 70's and 80's as disabled people's cars, most memories are of them round football pitches.
   
   My car is a 1975 AC Invacar with a 500cc Steyr-Puch 4/ 2 cylinder engine in the back, AC variable transmission.
   
   I had been looking for one for some years and finally got this one in October last year. The paint was shocking so decided to restore that, taking the paint off opened a can of worms and ended up rebuilding the front and rear bumpers as well as sorting out hundreds of spider leg cracks that were all over every panel.
   
   The car starts and drives and is fully road legal withMOT, Tax and insurance.
   
   I hope you enjoy seeing one again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[B.P.Bird]

Fraser,
   That certainly takes me back and you look to have managed a rather good restoration. I love the go faster wheels and the appropriate Surrey County Council registration mark. Seeing the High Street Testers two wheeling one of these around Thames Ditton was sometimes the highlight of a visit to Stores. There was always a persistent rumour at the works that a couple of comedians had used their lunch breaks to install a Bristol engine in one......

[administrator]

In the mid-sixties, AC were known as the company that made the fastest and the slowest cars in the land!
   
   I wonder if we should start a Microcars register?  There must still be some Petites out there, and I believe the 'City Car' prototypes went to a collector in the USA.
   
   Will it come to the National Day this year in Yorkshire?

[AC Ace Bristol]

.
   .
   Fraser
   
   Better still bring it down to The ACOC GOODWOOD Sprint in November,
   Would be great to Muster half a dozen on the grid for a couple of demonstration laps, during the lunch break.
   
   Seriously , very few exist and the AC Turned out plenty to keep the Factory busy,   Not Actually PC but did you have to be invalid to have one or did you become invalid because you had one..[:0]..[B)].
   
   Cheers
   
   Keith

[Fraz13]

I wasn't sure on where the car came from or lived during its time in service but Surrey County Council sounds interesting, especially as I purchased it from a chap near Leeds who owned it since it was retired in 2003 and it sat in his yard since and it's now living just outside Glasgow with me so it's well travelled.
   The amount of people who have said to me to fit a Hayabusa engine in it, I'd rather it was close to original and it's capable of 70mph so it's fast enough.
   I was asked about the Yorkshire meet, I may manage that but can't promise just yet, I need to invest in a decent trailer and tow vehicle first as my wee golf really isn't strong enough for a journey like that towing.
   There were over 21000 of these built, figures are limited but I believe 200ish left, 35 of these registered with DVLA and mine may be the only one on the road at the moment.
   2003 saw the last of the Government owned cars recalled and scrapped. Only privately owned cars were saved. However they we're ordered off the roads as well and over the years the chaps at ICR (Ivalid Carriage Register) managed to re register some others with DVLA. Taxation class has to be changed from disabled to tricycle although mine is now Historic and they need a class 3 MOT. Once this is done it kills all the speculation about these been banned from the roads because they were dangerous. No more dangerous than a Reliant Robin, it's only because they 28ish years in service and the mobility scheme had been running since the 80's and it wasn't viable to keep these going any longer and with only one seat they were seen as antisocial.
   I love my little car and love the fact it's so rare and it may be the only one on the road. I want it to be seen by as many people as possible so it will be traveling the country over the next few years.
   As for the last question haha Obviously these were the mobility car of the day, if you wanted a car this was your only choice, it was modified for your disability. The first time I drove the car on the road I thought the government had a plan to dispose of disabled giving them these cars because it really is awful to drive, but the more I drive it, the more I like it.

[Flyinghorse]

There are quite a few Ac owners in Scotland. Your  car must be a candidate for the rest and be thankful hill climb  near Arrochar.
   
   Bill Telford who runs classic car tours would be the man to contact:
   
   http://www.classic-car-tours.com/rest-be-thankful

[shep]

I had one which my son Ted has recently been restoring. It has tiller steering with twistgrip throttle and clutch, and press down on the tiller to brake! I always said any able bodied person who drove it for more than an hour would become disabled from the sheer effort! Yours looks excellent and I love the Minilite wheels.

[SJ351]

That looks good -like it!

[Fraz13]

Thanks for the comments guys.
   
   My car has handlebars and it's hard enough to drive, I only have the use of one arm but I put the other arm on just for ease, one handed tiller would be a nightmare. The good thing about these cars is they are very easy to modify, I fitted a foot brake to mine as the handlebar pushing down for brakes was an accident waiting to happen. I'll be fitting a foot throttle too. I have been offered a steering wheel kit too so that may be an option one day.
   
   Arrochar isn't far from me so may take a run up, however I doubt if do the hill climb lol

[Fraz13]

Thanks for the comments guys.
   
   My car has handlebars and it's hard enough to drive, I only have the use of one arm but I put the other arm on just for ease, one handed tiller would be a nightmare. The good thing about these cars is they are very easy to modify, I fitted a foot brake to mine as the handlebar pushing down for brakes was an accident waiting to happen. I'll be fitting a foot throttle too. I have been offered a steering wheel kit too so that may be an option one day.
   
   Arrochar isn't far from me so may take a run up, however I doubt if do the hill climb lol

[lighthouse]

quote:Originally posted by Fraz13
   
Hi, I am new to the forum. I found it when I was trying to find info on AC to change a part of my logbook. Anyway I contacted a couple of guys from here and they were very helpful, the last one pointed me towards the forum to post up info on my little AC.
   
   Most will remember these cars from the 70's and 80's as disabled people's cars, most memories are of them round football pitches.
   
   My car is a 1975 AC Invacar with a 500cc Steyr-Puch 4/ 2 cylinder engine in the back, AC variable transmission.
   
   I had been looking for one for some years and finally got this one in October last year. The paint was shocking so decided to restore that, taking the paint off opened a can of worms and ended up rebuilding the front and rear bumpers as well as sorting out hundreds of spider leg cracks that were all over every panel.
   
   The car starts and drives and is fully road legal withMOT, Tax and insurance.
   
   I hope you enjoy seeing one again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[lighthouse]

Hello,
   
   I have been trying to contact someone regarding an Invacar model 70.  I need an owners manual/handbook for the car.  It was found in a field north of Seattle Washington USA.
   Can you help please?
   
   
   
   

quote:Originally posted by Fraz13
   
Hi, I am new to the forum. I found it when I was trying to find info on AC to change a part of my logbook. Anyway I contacted a couple of guys from here and they were very helpful, the last one pointed me towards the forum to post up info on my little AC.
   
   Most will remember these cars from the 70's and 80's as disabled people's cars, most memories are of them round football pitches.
   
   My car is a 1975 AC Invacar with a 500cc Steyr-Puch 4/ 2 cylinder engine in the back, AC variable transmission.
   
   I had been looking for one for some years and finally got this one in October last year. The paint was shocking so decided to restore that, taking the paint off opened a can of worms and ended up rebuilding the front and rear bumpers as well as sorting out hundreds of spider leg cracks that were all over every panel.
   
   The car starts and drives and is fully road legal withMOT, Tax and insurance.
   
   I hope you enjoy seeing one again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[BE774]

Hello Bob, I sent a private message to your email address, did you receive it and did you have any luck with the leads I suggested?

[lighthouse]

I have been in contact with the archivist but have no had communications for a while.  I do not know if my emails are getting to him.  Right now I am in the dark regarding the status of my search for the owners manual/handbook.

[bobbylangley]

Archivist's contact is found in Action but this should be it:
   acocarch@gmail.com