Modern Commer Replacement

[mgmark]

Congratulations to Mark for providing us with this epic thread.
 Here's to the next 100 pages and to the wonder of MB, the green goddess herself- the one and only Commer, gawd bless her and all who sail in her! 

Now then Andy, talking of the green goddess, it's been quite a while since we have had the pleasure of a contemporary picture of the old girl herself posted on these pages - words have been typed recently of brakes and hubs, and of negligible oil, water and fuel consumption but, frankly, there has been little in the way of pictures.  We need reassurance that, having fulfilled her duties admirably this year, she is not now lying forlorn and mouldering at the bottom of your garden like this poor specimen.........   

[Steve Pyro]

Here's a picture of the old girl that I took at RAF Marham 18 months or more ago - with the man himself at the wheel

[mgmark]

Here's a picture of the old girl that I took at RAF Marham 18 months or more ago - with the man himself at the wheel

Ah - a marvellous weekend to remember indeed!  Basking in the sunshine of early Sunday morning after a night on the pop at Mess prices, before thrashing cars around Marham's airfield.....

MG Mark

[Bob U]

Congratulation to one and all

[Andy Zarse]

The Commer sends it's best wishes for a successful 100 posts on CA and continued it's success. However, I think she's a bit worried all the media brouhaha regarding the Beckhams will detract from future viewings, thus a curse has been laid....

In response to recent photos, I was going to post the Marham pics, as she was looking fine there, but instead here's a couple of her in full Le Mans action:-

Firstly doing what she does best, and that's providing quality accommodation at a refreshingly affordable price. Note no awning this year.

Secondly, here's one taken from the cockpit whilst conquering the Pont De Normandie. Note the speedo is without kilometres per hour. As you might guess, the Commer doesn't hold with such foreign measurements and only travels in Imperial.

It was taken on a sunny monday morning on our way to a fourball at the Deauville Golf Club. Of course she was widely admired by the affluent Parisien club members as we drew up straight into the Club President's reserved parking bay. The security man was very enthusiastic, he ran over to us like lightning and quickly a small crowd gathered. I just wish we could have understood what they were all saying. As you know I don't really understand the French what with all that arm waving and shouting stuff, but they were very animated about it. Presently a scuffle broke out with the Gimp when the security man tried to snatch the keys which was not very pleasing to see and it was slightly embarrassing to hear the Gimp was blackballed; those steel toe cap golf shoes are very heavy aren't they.

I don't think we'll have any problems next year, the relevant curses were laid by you know who.....

[rcutler]

Here's a picture of the old girl that I took at RAF Marham 18 months or more ago - with the man himself at the wheel

Ah - a marvellous weekend to remember indeed!  Basking in the sunshine of early Sunday morning after a night on the pop at Mess prices, before thrashing cars around Marham's airfield.....

MG Mark

I can't remember that evening? 

[mgmark]

Andy,

Nice pictures of the old girl in action and still looking mighty fine.  A grand way to travel, and I note that you are not pressing her unduly, cruising at a shade under 50 when, according to the speedometer, she would be capable of 80+....

MG Mark 

[Andy Zarse]

I want a roof like this on my Commer. How Dan dare is that. From an article drawn to my attention in the Daily Mail last week regarding TV lLicence Detector vans, here's the link, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=468466&in_page_id=1770

but I quote (cos it's fantastic!):-

By 1955, fleets of new Hillman vans with twirling antennae were on the roads – stepping up the game of cat and mouse with viewers who refused to pay up. The Commer van, Britain's longest-serving TV detector vehicle, went into service in 1968 and heralded the age of putting downright fear into the public.

A classic public information film in 1970 summed up the approach. A bespectacled man in a tweed suit twiddles controls in his van as it crawls along a suburban street. Suddenly, he exclaims triumphantly: 'Yes, there's a TV set on at No 5. It's in the front room – and they are watching Columbo.' The excitement is palpable. The Commer survived until 1983.

Excuses officers report hearing on doorsteps have included: 'I don't watch it. It's on for my dog. He watches it, but I'm not paying for him', and, 'That's not a TV you can hear in the background. It's a tape of adverts I play to entertain the children.'

Pathetic excuses like that aren't going to cut much ice with a Commer I can tell you.

[Lorry]

"The Commer van, ................. went into service in 1968 and heralded the age of putting downright fear into the public. "

Says it all really

[mgmark]

That is simply outstanding   You must have one!  Even if it means crafting one out of loo roll centres, papier mache, coat hangers and poster paints a la Blue Peter.  

Dan Dare meets fire truck, ski racks, roof box, death rays etc etc.  That would certainly bring a contemporary look to the old girl - much more Top Shop than M&S!  Awesome.  Do you think it could be tuned to detect pikeys and automaticallly blast them with the zillion volt invisible Commer curse?

MG Mark

[mgmark]

Do you think it could be tuned to detect pikeys and automaticallly blast them with the zillion volt invisible Commer curse?

Which of course could be backed up by a suitably "in-period" law enforcement pursuit vehicle to nab the rotters.......

MG Mark

[Andy Zarse]

Do you think it could be tuned to detect pikeys and automaticallly blast them with the zillion volt invisible Commer curse?

Which of course could be backed up by a suitably "in-period" law enforcement pursuit vehicle to nab the rotters.......

MG Mark

Terrific teamwork! I'm assuming PC Puddingbasin keeps his extra-long night stick in the boot of the MGA?

[Andy Zarse]

i use to be one of the technicians that worked in those vans, very technical it was too, all oscilloscopes, wave generators and lots of tea, very dark and strong.

BTW, never worn a tweed suit in my life, tweed jacket and leather patches, yes, but never, the full suit, good brogues on the feet.

It's not very different today. We use a SatNav based on a moving cloth map out of the old HS Trident. The engine management system has numerous oscilliscopes and gives off unknown levels of radiation. The onboard computer is an old gas powered model known as a Rev StJohn Grylls Mk IV. The pilot light keeps going out.

[mgmark]

Do you think it could be tuned to detect pikeys and automaticallly blast them with the zillion volt invisible Commer curse?

Which of course could be backed up by a suitably "in-period" law enforcement pursuit vehicle to nab the rotters.......

MG Mark

Terrific teamwork! I'm assuming PC Puddingbasin keeps his extra-long night stick in the boot of the MGA?

Actually, he has two, cunningly disguised as the boot and bonnet stays, so as not to give the game away to unsuspecting villains, which are easily removeable and made of good, solid english steel....none of that modern deformable plastic rubbish.

MG Mark

MG Mark

[mgmark]

Do you think it could be tuned to detect pikeys and automaticallly blast them with the zillion volt invisible Commer curse?

Which of course could be backed up by a suitably "in-period" law enforcement pursuit vehicle to nab the rotters.......

MG Mark

Terrific teamwork! I'm assuming PC Puddingbasin keeps his extra-long night stick in the boot of the MGA?

Please excuse this un authorised, eversoslightly thread creep, in the Big Apple with a constable chum of mine and he's 'arranged' a drive out in a black and white, at one of the numerous coffee and dough nut breaks we were shown the arsenal the officers had to deal with miscreants that they occasional came across, the view of the 'night stick' was " we don't use this, it just makes 'em cross"

Ahh, now there's a thought - a good ole black n' white, cruising the leafy streets of suburbia...............

MG Mark