A hobby vehicle can be so many things. After seeing the selection that came to Hof Skole on Sunday, it could be anything from a restored Puch moped to "Gems" military truck.
Court meeting
Hof is located midway between Drammen and Grenland. For many, a nice car trip along nice country roads. And many people visited. There was a wide range both in type of vehicles and type of people. I saw families for several generations, and I think that many made the trip to Hobby Vehicle Day for social gatherings and picnics in the sun - and not least for the drive itself in a fun car that you don't normally drive.
So many vehicles!
It is ADCD – American Cars Drivers Club Vestfold - who is the organizer, but the meeting is open to all types of vehicles. Although there is no sorting or grouping of the vehicles, I see which cars appeal to different people. Cool youth cars with big engines and wide rims for the young. Nostalgia cars from the 60s and 70s for the elderly. Hotrods for car builders. Tractors and lorries for those who have proper sheds. Then there are cars that no one has seen before - which have been brought in from the US or another country just for fun. A high "fun factor" is perhaps the most important reason for acquiring a hobby vehicle?
Photo Sunday – Hobby vehicle day
At car meets like this, you can't bring all the cars. I have concentrated on walking closely so as not to bring too many people along. I have taken more photos than those published in this post. If you have a large screen, the images can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Nash 600
A fascinating car that was ahead of its time in many respects in 1949. Light, low and streamlined with closed wheel arches to get as many miles as possible out of the gas drops. It is equipped with an in-line six and three-speed gearbox.
DKW Sonderklasse 3=6
On the rear fender is written "3=6" to remind that DKW's 3-cylinder two-strokes offered the same advantages as 6-cylinder vehicles. A claim that can be debated. But the forerunner of today's Audi is a beautiful, well-constructed and solid car.
Madness Powered Mustang
Not only is it yellow - like "Lillegul" - but, like the film legend, has also visited Madness Power on Dal. Inside, I notice the same type of gear lever that rally drivers use when shifting sequentially. This is not only a Mustang for old nostalgics, but also a driving machine.
MG Midget
Classic MGs are an example of how you can have fun without driving fast. You don't even have to break the speed limit. The Midget in the picture has BMC's 1100 engine. They could also be had with the 1275 engine or the 1500.
Ford 20M P7A
We have written a lot about the Ford P7A (also called P7/1) here at Terje's cars, - but we have no photos of Turnier (also called station wagon). This is a 20M 2000 S with a 2-liter V6 engine. A notice on vegvesen.no reveals that this is also a Norwegian car.
Two desirable Fords
An Escort mk1 does not only appeal to old car nostalgics. Many car enthusiasts who were born long after the model went out of production have Escort on their wish lists. If you get your hands on a 1,1-litre driven by your grandmother, you can put in a new drivetrain based on a modern 2-litre which makes the light car very fun to drive. Next to the Escort was a Ford 17M (P7B) RS Hardtop with a 2000 V6. Note the registration number BC10001. The new numbers came in 1971 and it may be that Ford's head office in Kolbotn - where the BC plates belong - took the opportunity to get a special registration number. They didn't get BC10000. It went to an MGB.
Golf 1 series 1
Golf 1s are becoming rare - especially the cars from the first series - before the facelift in 1979. The chrome strip that frames the grill and the chrome surrounds on the bumpers are clear signs that it is a Series 1.
Opel GT
A street racer that caused a stir among everyone who had a taste for cars and driving. We have wrote about the Opel GT earlier but had no proper pictures. We got that now.
Mini Convertible
Classic Mini is, after all, very suitable as a hobby vehicle. There are several conversion kits for the Mini. We have seen a corresponding solution. Like the convertible, the Mini is an ideal hobby vehicle with a high "fun factor".
Ford Mustang II
We have many pictures of Mustangs, but almost none of Mustangs generation 2. They are rare. The scaled-down model that arrived in 1974 was long considered a second-rate Mustang – primarily because it was introduced without the option of a V8 engine. Fortunately, it came later. The car in the picture is registered with a 5.0-litre V8 and is the first time it has been registered in Norway. I started driving when the Mustang II came on the market. It was that model which was mentioned in the car magazines at the time, - and consequently not to avoid that it became a car that I - and certainly more than me - dreamed of owning.
Pontiac grand prix
The Pontiac Grand Prix also received mention in the car magazines around the latter half of the 70s. It was brought into Norway, but I don't remember by whom. Maybe Bergheim? A look in the vehicle register shows that several 76 and 77 models were first registered in Norway.
Volvo 242 L
The first Volvo models with the slanted nose are no longer a common sight. It is not particularly difficult to find earlier editions of the 140 series or later editions of the 240 from the 80s onwards. I know for sure that Swedish cars - both Volvo and Saab - rusted terribly around 1977 - usually in places where you normally never experience rust. The explanation could be that bad steel was used. It is therefore especially nice to see an early 240 again.
Opel Commodore 2,8 GS/E
This was the crème de la crème of Opel in the 70s. The cars with 2,8 liter sixes with electronic injection have become popular import cars to Norway - like the Ford 26M. These are relatively rare cars also on the continent.
Ford A, V8 and Hotrods
It is rare to see so many old Ford projects as here at Hoftreffet. Ford A original, or with flattop V8 or without fenders - or converted to hot rod. There are long traditions for rebuilding old Fords, so a hotrod project is to the highest degree car culture. I myself come from inner Vestfold and remember well that there were disused Ford A models all around the farms. It is probably these that have now been given new life as hobby vehicles.
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