Tag Archives: Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins

1991 Hino   Bedford TJ Front Bedford TJ Rear  Leyland Leopard Ulsterbus front Leyland Leopard Ulsterbus rear Two Green Dublin busesOnboard Dublin BusFV103 Spartan(1)

A second nosey around last weekend’s Dublin Port Rally

With Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins.

Patrick writes:

Today I bring you the conclusion of my weekend at the Dublin Port Rally. There were a host of lovely artics from the early 1980s which I had drooled over and an abundance of 1960s Leyland Leopards too. Reminding me of my own youth, there was a handful of old green double-decker Leylands and two Imp Mercedes buses – these used to operate on my local route in Drimnagh and each had a different body: one an Alexander and the other a Euro Coach Builders. Here are four vehicles I have chosen but I hope to get some more uploaded over the coming months on quiet car-spotting weeks:

1991 Hino: “I’m not up on Hino models so perhaps someone can clarify what it is. I do know that this was a demonstration model which was bought new by the owner in 1991 and never used commercially. It bears the Roadstone headboard as the owner did haulage for them but not in this specific truck. I remember them being used in Dublin in the 1990s as bin lorries if I’m not mistaken.”

1970 Bedford TJ: Much better than a camper-van! This has an accommodation box on the back and it sure looks comfy. It runs the 3.3 diesel engine putting out around 100bhp through a 5-speed gearbox. Originally it was commandeered by the Dutch army hence its left-hand drive setup.

1982 Leyland Leopard:Although many of the Leopards on the day were from 1966 I found a much later model from 1982 also. It was in use by Ulsterbus from 1982-2006 and utilised a body built by Alexander.

Two Green Dublin Buses: Perhaps the most memorable of all Dublin bus liveries was the green ones of the 1980s/1990s. The leftmost bus operating a 16A to Nutgrove is a 1974 Van Hool whilst the one on the right is a 1990 Leyland Olympian with Alexander body. You can also catch the corner of a 122 Imp from 1993 in Mercedes-Alexander guise.

The onboard cabin here, I think, is from a single-decker green Dublin bus registered UZG100. Interesting to note is the automatic gear selector which comprises a set of buttons rather than a gear stick or lever.

FV103 Spartan: I’ll finish off with something a little different. This Spartan tank entered service with the UK military in 1978. It is powered by a 6 cylinder Jaguar petrol engine.

Pics; Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins

Leyland Beaver Front Leyland Beaver Rear Ontario Bus Front Ontario Bus Side(1)Trantor Front Trantor Rear(1)UAZ Bukhanka Front
UAZ Bukhanka Rear

The second Dublin Port Rally took place over the weekend.

Vintage tyre kicking sleuth Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins went down on Saturday for a ‘nosey’.

Patrick writes:

The rally was located in an open space beside the Dublin Port Centre in East Wall and we were treated to warm, sunny weather all afternoon. The rally mostly comprises buses and commercial vehicles but there was a small selection of cars, motorbikes and military machinery also. I have a store of findings but you’ll only get these four for now.

1969 Leyland Beaver: CIE first acquired this truck in April 1969 and its first twelve years were spent hauling cement from Drogheda. It operated in the road freight division in Galway in the early 1980s and made a final transferral to Donnybrook garage where it was used as a tow truck. The Leyland was restored in 1998.

Canadian GMC Bus: When I first entered the premises, this Ontario bus was leaving and I thought I’d missed the opportunity to scope it out. Luckily it was just being given a run with some keen enthusiast passengers and returned some time later. The original Ontario registration is still visible on the dashboard. It dates from some time in the early 1980s.

1986 Trantor: Quite an eye-catcher this one. According to the owner it is labelled a “truck-lorry” and was assembled by a crowd called Trantor. It is, in essence, a mish-mash of different machinery: it is powered by a Perkins 6 cylinder diesel engine, has an Albion back axle and runs a Bedford gearbox. Only about 17 were ever made and this one was bought in Northern Ireland. Yes, it is still in regular use on the owner’s farm!

1976 UAZ-452 ‘Bukhanka’: UAZ were a manufacturer from the USSR and here is an example of one of their military ambulances. It was used by the Czech army and dates from 1976. Production of these “Bukhanka” vans began in 1965 and, in ambulance form, they could hold up to four stretchers. They were 4×4 and well capable of going off-road if needed be.

Beaver.

*snigger*

Pics: Patrick Cummins

 

1 renault24Peugeot 205 Cabrio5 corsa6

Pardon the French.

On holiday in Lorient, Brittany, France, Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins does what he always does.

Sniffs out three classic jammers for your motor coveting pleasure.

1. Renault 4 GTL ‘Clan’: “The Renault 4 was a once-ubiquitous car in Ireland and was used by the Department of Posts & Telegraphs. Although I’m too young to remember personally, I have in my mind that most 4s here were the panel van version. Here is a family car model in high-end GTL spec. It also bears the ‘Clan’ badge which is nothing more than a cosmetic accolade. Interestingly, Renault 4s were built in Ireland at a plant on the Naas Road, operated by Smiths, and then later at a plant in Wexford. These were all assembled by hand.”

2. Peugeot 205 Cabriolet: ‘The 205 Cabrio was referred to as the ‘CT’ and also fell in-line with the special edition ‘Roland Garros’ version of the car. Looking at the rear-end styling, I would guess this model is from the mid-90s.‘


3. Opel Corsa: “I remember seeing this Opel Corsa in the same location last year and it was unmoved throughout the 10 days I spent in Lorient. Perhaps it is not currently roadworthy. It’s nice to see a pre-facelift Corsa which indicates that it must be older than 1988. In the UK this was produced by Vauxhall as the Nova. Although there seems to be some cosmetic changes to the car, I would guess that it was originally a bog-standard petrol model.”

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Vauxhall Victor 2Vauxhall VictorTriumph Toledo 2Triumph ToledoNissan Vanette

In his endless quest for decent vintage jammers Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins revisits Walkinstown, Co Dublin to sniff out two unarguable classics and a deceptively underwhelming Nissan van.

1. Vauxhall Victor: “Found in the same garden as the Fiat 124 Coupe from last week the Victor looks abundantly more salvageable. It would be interesting to find out the reason for two classic icons to be found seemingly abondoned in the same garden. This was the last of the Victor models before the VX name took over in the late 1970s.

2. Triumph Toldeo: “Triumph launched the Toledo in 1970 and aimed it at the small saloon car market. Tax and insurance expired on this Toledo in 1999 so I wonder has it been lying up since then. Perhaps the mechanicals gave up rendering the car in need of restoration and the owner lost interest. The body is in bad shape currently.”

3. Nissan Vanette (1995):” I know it might seem a little underwhelming to submit a mid-90s commercial here but the second generation Vanette doesn’t rear its head too often. This example has seemingly nothing more than a very flat paint job. If the structure isn’t in tatters then this is certainly within the realms of becoming road-worthy again.”

Pics: Patrick Cummins

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In his quest for vintage bodywork, chrome dreamer Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins travelled to Walkinstown, Co Dublin and returned with these three stone cold classics.

1. Ford Zephyr: “I was delighted to randomly happen upon this Ford Zephyr 6 Mark III. The Mark III was manufactured between 1962 and 1966 and used a 2.55L inline 6 engine. My father recalls the Zephyr being used by the Gardai in the mid 1960s.”

2. Mercedes 280SE (W116): “The 2.8L variant of the early Mercedes S-Class was its entry-level engine. Nonetheless it’s such a shame to see a car of this caliber in need of a mountain of TLC. I’m no expert on old Irish registrations but could this be an original Irish car?”

3. Unidentified Fiat Coupe: “I came across this car lying up abandoned in a garden. At first glance I thought it was a Jensen Interceptor but then came to realise it was an old Fiat. My hunch tells me it’s a 124 coupe but maybe someone can clarify what model it is. Anyone?”

Pics; Patrick Cummins

Fiat 131 2 Fiat X19 Yellow Renault Saviem Tipper 2

Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins completes his look at his favourite jammers from the NCBI Classic & Vintage Show with two Italian stallions and a French commercial survivor.

1. 1980 Fiat 131: “The Wicklow-based owner is very proud of his Fiat 131 Supermirafiori. I’ve always been a fan of these cars and I just caught this on camera before he left the show grounds. It will be on display again at Bray Seafront in August and the Garden of Ireland run in September. I might even get to ride shotgun!”

2. 1978 Fiat X19: “This was bought by its current owner in 1984 and, save for a little bit of bodywork repairs, no major mechanical work was  needed. Everything is original bar the radio and this X19 sees the roads every weekend year round. There was a later 1989 model parked beside this in equally pristine condition.”

3. 1969 Renault Saviem Tipper: “Another car-park find, owner Rory Parker bought this left-hand drive example in Co. Wicklow. The unusual vehicle has been used for a bit of film work too.”

Pics: Patrick Cummins

Daihatsu Charade 2Datsun 280ZX 2
Honda NSX 2

All week Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins has kicked the wheels of his favourite motors from last weekend’s NCBI Classic & Vintage Show.

Today Patrick selects three classics all made in Japan.

1. Daihatsu Charade 5-speed: “Here is a pristine mark 1 Daihatsu Charade. The round headlights featured on model pre-1981 and, owing to its 5-speed gearbox, it probably used the larger 993cc engine.”

2. Datsun/Nissan 280ZX: “Featuring both the Datsun and Nissan symbols, this 280ZX has stood the test of time. For Japanese classic this is particularly applaudable as our Pacific friends used to be prime candidates for rusting to death. The front-end would suggest that it’s a facelift model from 1982 onwards but I’m still not sure.”

3. 1993 Honda NSX: “Although more contemporary than other vehicles on display, this modern classic has timeless styling which, in my opinion, is streets ahead of any of its Japanese supercar rivals (Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline, Mazda RX7 etc.). It’s one of very few Japanese supercars that doesn’t scream Fast and the Furious when you see it!”

Pics: Patrick Cummins