This is for the benefit of Bolly5 who posted on the forum asking about Mk.5 tail-lights. This is the only picture of an original Mk.5 tail I could find. To see it full size just click on the photo itself.
Just for good measure, here's another Mk.5, the photos were taken in a country town in NSW. It's too long ago for me to remember which one. I was going to include this car in my "unusual Mk.5s" series I was doing a few months back because of its knock-on wire wheels but then I noticed the factory demo Mk.5 that featured in the brochure had the same wheels and hubs. I wonder if it is the same car. Roger Boylan's mate had a red wire-wheeled Mk.5 at the same time as Roger had the red Mk.4 that Alan Foster now has. I remember the two cars were stored together in Roger and Carol's back yard. Maybe that's the same car too.
Getting back to the tail-lights, I was always going to change mine to Datsun 240K because they were easily obtainable back then. We had a member who was a spray painter at Nissan at the time. I resisted the temptation. Rob Wilson (yes, Gary Allen, the same Rob Wilson) fitted Fairlane tail-lights to his Mk.5 and there was another one getting around with Mk.1 Cortina tail-lights.
Just for good measure, here's another Mk.5, the photos were taken in a country town in NSW. It's too long ago for me to remember which one. I was going to include this car in my "unusual Mk.5s" series I was doing a few months back because of its knock-on wire wheels but then I noticed the factory demo Mk.5 that featured in the brochure had the same wheels and hubs. I wonder if it is the same car. Roger Boylan's mate had a red wire-wheeled Mk.5 at the same time as Roger had the red Mk.4 that Alan Foster now has. I remember the two cars were stored together in Roger and Carol's back yard. Maybe that's the same car too.
Getting back to the tail-lights, I was always going to change mine to Datsun 240K because they were easily obtainable back then. We had a member who was a spray painter at Nissan at the time. I resisted the temptation. Rob Wilson (yes, Gary Allen, the same Rob Wilson) fitted Fairlane tail-lights to his Mk.5 and there was another one getting around with Mk.1 Cortina tail-lights.
As discussed on phone John, Car from Boylan's back yard was purchased by me in about 1976 ish. Had wire wheels via redrilled Triumph hubs. Photos are on my other lap top in BKK so will send to you when I get back I think this was the car in Bolwell brochure as had grille bar etc . Rob Wilson's Mk 5 was the same car, he bought it off me n then fitted red motor and HK front n rear ends and ZA Fairlsne Taillights I then bought it back off Rob n cannot recall where it went next.
ReplyDeleteToday I saw the ultimate Mk.5 tail-lights. Remember the Chrysler Royal that had the DeSoto Firesweep rear-end? Just check the tail-lights. They must be on a Chrysler website somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe top pic is the nicest photo of a Mk5 I've seen. It shows a nice line of the rear quarter.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know why Bolwells went away from the flip front for the Mk7?
Jim
My guess is that Bolwells were thinking more about rigidity when they did away with the flip front. Bear in mind the Mk.5 had a steel floor, steel backbone and steel outer sills to which the upper body was pop-riveted. I have always been in 2 minds about the flip front. It was great when you had to do anything under the bonnet, you could actually step right in there. Then when those Triumph Herald bonnet catches couldn't hold the bonnet down you had second thoughts. But then dzus fasteners or bonnet pins solved those problems. Now, after seeing photos of my old Mk.5, it looks like the bonnet is the only bit to survive in one piece.
ReplyDeletePete G reckons you couldn't go past the '59 Caddy bullets for tail-lights.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply, John. I only just caught up with this. My email probably sounded a bit odd because of it.
ReplyDeleteI guess the proviso is that the tub is absolutely rigid which wasn't the case it seems. Any scuttle shaking would be easily seen I imagine
Jim