New Members!

I have had a bit of time today to read the latest LOCI magazine, which contains an excellent "think piece" by our own Dave1800 about the future of the 'Crab. It's an excellent bit of work and definitely thought provoking.

Perhaps our new members have signed up on the back of this article? If so, please join in chaps - we'd enjoy more contributors and stories to follow, rather than a few more readers.

Chris.

David,
Some really important comments raised in your article in LOCI. I've recently been lift sharing with a 30 year old colleague from the office. Inevitably talk got to cars and he seemed really interested in the Wolseley so I offered a trip to a local pub one evening if he wanted. 'Yes please' was the response. Could he take some pictures? especially the Wolseley light, and would I mind if he put it on his facebook page? He really fancies a Mercedes R107 SL Sports but the point is that social media and the web really are the way that this generation communicate. By them getting together in the way that we do on this forum will keep their cars on the road for longer. Is 400 Landcrabs the minimum number required to keep them viable in the long term with remanufactured parts? Ask the Princess/Ambassador community who's UK numbers are down around the 100 mark still on the road. Others are heading the same way; now only 350 or so Montegos. If I owned one I would be hoarding parts now.

If it weren't for this forum I would find owning my car a more difficult and more lonely experience. I gave us a plug in my LOCI article for very good reasons.

Happy motoring - Nick

In some ways, the 'Crab has more of a chance than some other cars. It's BMC family, which is enormous. It was never popular in the Mini/Minor sense; it's never been victimised - Metros lose engine to Minis; 1500s and Marinas lose brakes to Minors; Princess calipers have been nicked into just about every surviving 2 door Escort in the country and there are other examples as well.

Engine wise, the MGB is a godsend, even of you don't like the A55 sports car (That's what it is.......). Huge survival rate, so businesses supply parts. Mechanically, the 'Crab is a tough old boot so not a lot is needed on a regular basis. If you really can't find a wheel bearing kit, go down to your local transmission/bearing place and order them. They are universal components, not BMC specific.

Where we struggle is panels and trim, really. 450 cars left? No-one is going to tool up to make us new wings. Repair sections might be nice. Hadrian Panels has ceased production, so even sills are effectively on run-out, despite being shared with the Maxi (which is also severely endangered).

It's not components that worry me - some ingenuity and lateral thinking will always reveal a way - it's knowledge. I like to think I've learnt a lot about the 'Crab over the years and take a little pride in some of the solutions I've arrived at (Electronic ignition project worked out quite well; Lockheed servo was quite pleasing), yet I have an expert and good friend not 10 miles from here who absolutely will not go on line and share his experiences; despite being perfectly capable of emailing left right and centre. It's only one more step and he won't take it.

Ho hum, rant over.

Chris.