# Your ordinary motors. Days gone by.



## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

The unexceptional. I was looking at cars aged between 1960 and 1990 and especially in the period 1980 to 1990. When cars were easy to look after with a tin of waxoyl and tub of filler, rather than IBD readers etc. Any one remember some of these?

Who is going to admit to having owned a Morris Marina or Austin Aggro or similar then? Any pics with your pride and joy?

Come on @WRENCH bet you had something like a wartburg or daf or yugo?

and I bet @BondandBigM had a capri or maybe even a Renault fuego?

Any one had something like this?


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

This could even be the very car we owned; some people might think that I have shown it here in its natural habitat... :laugh:

Jeremy Clarkson abhorred the Vauxhall Vectra but for us it was a reliable load lugger, and it might have been heavy but we both felt safe and well protected when driving it around. Our particular car was identical in appearance to the one shown here, though less "tatty" but was a 1.8 rather than a 2 litre. We got it second-hand and kept it for twelve years before deciding that the need for economy dictated we buy a Suzuki Splash (pics from megavaux.co.uk):


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

@Nigelp

An olive drab Marina estate with a 1500cc BMC diesel coupled to a Humber Scepter overdrive box. Bond Bug, CA Bedford crew bus. Series 111 109 Land rover with a straight six. Ford P100 truck with a V six. Loads of Morris 1000 vans and a couple of pickups. Early Land-cruiser. Like this.










Austin Gipsy, like this,










A lomas bodied Land rover 109, like this, which I had great plans for, bought as a non runner, but some guy was desperate for one to go to the Gobi Desert so I moved it on.










Bought a Suzuki SJ413 in 1993,and that, and my Hi-Lux, never gave a problem in about 15 years of ownership.

And my favourites ? A Holbay Hunter, and a Fordson ET6 Truck.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

WRENCH said:


> @Nigelp
> 
> An olive drab Marina estate with a 1500cc BMC diesel coupled to a Humber Scepter overdrive box. Bond Bug, CA Bedford crew bus. Series 111 109 Land rover with a straight six. Ford P100 truck with a V six. Loads of Morris 1000 vans and a couple of pickups. Early Land-cruiser. Like this.
> 
> ...


 wow but no marina


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Nigelp said:


> wow﻿ bu﻿t no m﻿arin﻿﻿a﻿﻿


 Started off like this one, bought it for £35.










My mates brother had taxis with the 1500 BMC diesel coupled to an auto box for town work omly, but they were dire, about 45-50 mph tops. He gave me one for nothing. Had to screw up the front torsion bars a bit to lift the front end so the deep sump didn't bottom out, and lifted the rear spring shackles to compensate. The Humber four speed with overdrive gave it about 60 on a good day, but fuel was much cheaper, because I had my own tank. You probably wouldn't get it insured these days.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

WRENCH said:


> Started off like this one, bought it for £35.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 My first car memories are one of these. My dad crashed it and we ended up in hospital. I was ok i was in my baby seat in the back, dad had a few cuts.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Nigelp said:


> The unexceptional. I was looking at cars aged between 1960 and 1990 and especially in the period 1980 to 1990. When cars were easy to look after with a tin of waxoyl and tub of filler, rather than IBD readers etc. Any one remember some of these?
> 
> Who is going to admit to having owned a Morris Marina or Austin Aggro or similar then? Any pics with your pride and joy?
> 
> ...


 Ha Talbot Solara

Didn't have one but drove a few as company cars.

And Capris, yep at the last count about 10


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

then one of these which had to go because dad did his cartilage playing for Nelson












BondandBigM said:


> Ha Talbot Solara
> 
> Didn't have one but drove a few as company cars.
> 
> And Capris, yep at the last count about 10


 remember the tagora?


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Nigelp said:


> My first car memories are one of these. My dad crashed it and we ended up in hospital. I was ok i was in my baby seat in the back, dad had a few cuts.


 My father-in-law had a 1501 estate with that weird back door. Did the rear window wind down or something. Tell you what was a great comfy run around. My mate had one of these. It was like a big slipper.


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## deano1956 (Jan 27, 2016)

two of theses , one VDP and a nice estate

deano


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

deano1956 said:


> two of theses , one VDP and a nice estate
> 
> deano


 we had a garage in Burnley called Hebdens in the 80's when these came out. I remember sitting in a Montego Mayfair with wood and crushed velour it felt magic!


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

*My old 1976 Scirocco GTI. *

*Strebro dual exhaust. Pirelli P6 on BBS basketweave.*

*Kamei front and rear spoilers.*


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Here's another horror. Try going round corners fast in one of these.










Here's another that was too fast for its own good.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

WRENCH said:


> Here's another horror. Try going round corners fast in one of these.
> 
> 
> 
> Here's another that was too fast for its own good.


 land crab a corsair my dads first car was one of these! Probably in the mid 60's










He got it after getting the front wheel of one of these stuck in the tram tacks in blackpool and the roof blew off on the prom. Then the engine blew racing a bsa bantam


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## RTM Boy (Jun 1, 2011)

Kicked off with one of these (borrowed photo, but same model and colour);










Stupidly swapped for a Mk3 Escort, which broke down every time I drove it (borrowed photo again - but same colour);










Quickly moved on to one of these (borrowed photo again, but same model and colour again) - crude by modern standards - carb, no power steering, windy-up windows, AM-only radio, but reliable (at a time when German-badged cars actually were more reliable...which is not the case anymore...)










Wish I still had the Mk1 Escort...


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

RTM Boy said:


> Kicked off with one of these (borrowed photo, but same model and colour);
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 and all worth more than a merc s class or roller of the same age if mint these days. Especially the first Escort. Strange old world.


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## Littlelegs (Dec 4, 2011)

My 1st car was a mark3 1.1litre escort in red which I did Starship miles in, followed by a mushy pea green skoda Estelle which I bought for £300 and ran until it died due to the need for welding.

A mate worked for skoda at the time and got me a white version of the same model for £100 with tax and mot so it wasn't worth fixing the green one. I kept the engine out of it though and some other bits, which turned out to be a bonus as I blew a hole in the white one's engine trying to drive at 100mph when really late for work  . In my defence I had very little money and they were so basic you could fix em with a lump hammer and mole grips and where I was working you wouldn't have parked a decent car. :biggrin:

The white one I sold after 12mths for double what I paid and replaced it with a Skoda favorit 1.3gl. An upgrade as it had an engine up front :teethsmile: . I gave that to my skoda mate when I got a bit of cash and bought a mark 4 escort. He'd lost his job and needed a car but couldn't afford one and I wouldn't have got much for it anyway.

I must find some pictures. They were cheap motoring and the rear engined Estelles were great fun in the snow :thumbs_up:


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

I had one of these as well.










My mate had a 2.5PI.








then he got a Dolomite Sprint.










Dreadful.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

1974-5. Me sitting on the back of my friend's MGB roadster, and his mum's Ford Capri in the garage...


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

> This could even be the very car we owned; some people might think that I have shown it here in its natural habitat... :laugh:
> 
> Jeremy Clarkson abhorred the Vauxhall Vectra but for us it was a reliable load lugger, and it might have been heavy but we both felt safe and well protected when driving it around. Our particular car was identical in appearance to the one shown here, though less "tatty" but was a 1.8 rather than a 2 litre. We got it second-hand and kept it for twelve years before deciding that the need for economy dictated we buy a Suzuki Splash (pics from megavaux.co.uk):


 Despite Clarksons ramblings there was nothing wrong with a Vauxhall.

Although some were slightly better looking than others. I had one of these, never missed a beat and they still look good today.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Nothing wrong with a droop shoot










Or the HB gt.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Great thread and lots of "ordinary" cars to look at dating to a period that, as an increasingly aged codger, I can still remember well. :biggrin:


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## Turpinr (Dec 18, 2017)

WRENCH said:


> I had one of these as well.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Couple of my mates had Vitesse' and although i was into bikes at the time i remember Dolomite Sprints being popular with lads who fancied themselves.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Remember the stylish A40 Farina ? Hatchback before its time.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

For the family bloke that couldn't stretch to or want a Golf GTI. Had a couple of them.










And anyone have one of these Fiat 131's


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Fiat 131 mirafiori .....1300....what a gutless rust bucket........moved on to 2 litre twin cam still rusting but it could go a bit


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

BondandBigM said:


> And anyone have one of these Fiat 131's
> 
> ﻿


 *Didn't they make an Abarth version for Group 4 ?*


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## Turpinr (Dec 18, 2017)

bridgeman said:


> Fiat 131 mirafiori .....1300....what a gutless rust bucket........moved on to 2 litre twin cam still rusting but it could go a bit


 I'd put my lifes saving on an alfa sud rusting quicker than any car, ever


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Turpinr said:


> I'd put my lifes saving on an alfa sud rusting quicker than any car, ever


 Strongly advised brother in law not to buy one,did he take any notice? He certainly wished he had when tried to sell it


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Turpinr said:


> I'd put my lifes saving on an alfa sud rusting quicker than any car, ever


 Nope.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

Turpinr said:


> I'd put my lifes saving on an alfa sud rusting quicker than any car, ever


 my dad had one of those loved it but it went so rusty the front window fell out into his lap! :laugh:

swapped it for one of these!












WRENCH said:


> Nope.


 try one of these for rust!










mine had been welded more times than soft mick by the time i was 22


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## Turpinr (Dec 18, 2017)

Nigelp said:


> my dad﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ had one of those loved it but it went so rusty the front﻿﻿﻿﻿ window fell o﻿u﻿t into ﻿his lap﻿!﻿


 Jesus Christ, i didn't know they were that bad :sign_what:



WRENCH said:


> Nope.


 Same sh1te Italian steel no doubt. They have it at work because it's cheap. Even Chinese steel is better


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

WRENCH said:


> Remember the stylish A40 Farina ? Hatchback before its time.


 My Dad had one of those in pale blue. Must have been 50 years ago(ish). Strangely, I can still remember the registration number - 1992 VX.



WRENCH said:


> Nothing wrong with a droop shoot
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Did my apprenticeship at a Vauxhall dealer. Used to love the old droop snoots, especially the 2.3's

That HC Must have the wrong plates on it - they definitely weren't out in '65

This was my very first (legal) car - Austin 1100. Cost £37.50 as it had a knackered gearbox. I fixed it myself with bearings from a scrap mini gearbox and the only part I had to buy was the oil sealing 'O' ring between the box and the engine. Cost me 19p! I remember the reg too DSF725C

stock photo



Heres me fixing it in about 1976!


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## deano1956 (Jan 27, 2016)

That HC Must have the wrong plates on it - they definitely weren't out in '65

steve is that not a Hb like wrench indicated ( a GT) I also remember there being a "brabham " version


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

Oops! Typo. Of course, it's a HB. Cant edit it now though.Yeah, prob a GT - 2,000cc I think. It looks like it's got a gloss black bonnet too. That's wrong - they were Matt black. When the first one was delivered to our dealership for sale, the PDI guys spent half a day mopping and polishing the bonnet up because it looked dull! It had to be sent away to be resprayed matt again!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

And some French ones as well










@BlueKnight


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

First car I remember being in at over the ton. Me and two of my mates watching the Speedo creep past from the back seat on The a A9 heading South from Wick.










Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

The modern version of the Princess.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> The modern version of the Princess.


 They were actually OK. Huge floor area between the front and rear seats, and well carpeted with no transmission tunnel to spoil a comfortable sleep when pissed. :laughing2dw:


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## Foxdog (Apr 13, 2011)

I had one of these as my first car back in 81' bought it off a mate, crap but it was mine!

Nige' I had a Fuego I have a pic somewhere so will attempt to dig it out.


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## Boots (Sep 22, 2018)

This was my first car (except without those nice wheels)

1.3L on a T plate

(photo borrowed)


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Back in the late 70's I tooted around in one of these, it wasn't mine but I had the occasional use of one.










And if you weren't high enough up the ladder at work to get a Solara you got one of these.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

BondandBigM said:


> Back in the late 70's I tooted around in one of these, it wasn't mine but I had the occasional use of one.
> 
> 
> 
> And if you weren't high enough up the ladder at work to get a Solara you got one of these.


 Talbot Horizon! When I was at a loose end during the long 18 week summer holidays from Uni and My Dad was on Maintenance at a mill called Hollin Bank in Brierfield, he got me a job labouring in conforming bandages. The mill belonged to the big Smith & Nephew group. I actually really enjoyed working there and was better paid than after I graduated and went into the NHS! I got £115 a week tax free! Which was fab in 1992 for a 19 year old.

The place was like a carry on film. There were two blokes running the engineering side of thing known as Tatts and Greeny. A right pair. Both long gone now, both alcoholics proper characters. Anything that wasn't nailed down, Greeny would have. Including all the scaffolding from the front of the mill when it was being painted! He also had some of the lads of maintenance painting the working mans club he was treasurer at. It ended up in S&N corporate colours. And Greeny put in an invoice for his services.

Tatts was his side kick sort of over all the engineering lads and lunch time was in the pub and lunch was half a bottle of whisky and a pork pie.

One day he put his finger in a machine to remove a stuck bandage, just as the cutters came down...taking his finger off clean.

I'd to take him to hospital and we used his car. It was a red Horizon. We set off on the M65 and it rained torrential rain bouncing! I put the wipers on and there weren't any! He said 'No it doesnt have any when it rains sometimes i've to stop on the hard shoulder while it passes'...


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)




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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

Littlelegs said:


> My 1st car was a mark3 1.1litre escort in red which I did Starship miles in, followed by a mushy pea green skoda Estelle which I bought for £300 and ran until it died due to the need for welding.
> 
> A mate worked for skoda at the time and got me a white version of the same model for £100 with tax and mot so it wasn't worth fixing the green one. I kept the engine out of it though and some other bits, which turned out to be a bonus as I blew a hole in the white one's engine trying to drive at 100mph when really late for work  . In my defence I had very little money and they were so basic you could fix em with a lump hammer and mole grips and where I was working you wouldn't have parked a decent car. :biggrin:
> 
> ...


 my mum learned to drive in a skoda estelle a red one with big white stripes like starsky and hutch. it was 500 quid in the early 80's really solid old thing. Cut price 911. Back in the 80's a skoda dealer opened up in burnley and my dad nearly bought one new. I think they were 3 grand. He bought a Rover SDI instead for £2350. 3 grand got you the top one with the big plassy bumpers and plastic sunroof and alloys!












Boots said:


> This was my first car (except without those nice wheels)
> 
> 1.3L on a T plate
> 
> (photo borrowed)


 My mum had one of those after she passed her test it was a b ronze 1.3GL Auto. With vinyl roof. It was lovely when she got it in 1987 on an s reg, by 1989 it was rotten. Again worth a bit now.


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## Turpinr (Dec 18, 2017)

this is the same colour as my Dad's, it's classed as grey for some reason.



Steve D UK said:


> My Dad﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ had one of those in pale blue. Must have been 50 years ago(ish). Strangely, I can still remember the registration﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ number﻿ ﻿- ﻿﻿﻿﻿1992﻿ ﻿VX﻿﻿


 Re the A40, i can remember them.

My dad had an Austin A35, got it around 1964 and i can remember the the reg. of his too, 4773E.

A completely uncluttered dashboard with about 2 warning lights.

We were in the Scottish Highlands going down a narrow winding road and had a head on (not very fast though) with a Mk1 Escort, brand new, they hadnt been out long.

The Escort came away a very poor second in the damage stakes.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

@Nigelp This is the only one of my old cars I have a digital copy of, a Rhodesian built Alfa Romeo Giulia from 1973 or thereabouts. Pictured here in 1989 somewhere in the Northern Transvaal, 1.6 Twin Cam, 5 speed box


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Nigelp said:


> skoda﻿ ﻿estelle﻿


 They were really nice to drive, excellent light and precise steering, and if the gearshift was properly maintained, super smooth. My mate had the "sports" (Rapide I think it was called) model, and I used to love driving it.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

For a while we lived in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham and my Dad worked at a factory in a place called Alum Rock! I wasn't the best of places and he was told it might be a good idea to get a little car to go to work in as the locals had a habit of nicking your wheels if you had to stop at a red traffic light! I'm going back to 1987 and he had a Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 3 on a 1979 V plate. He was told to get something that wouldn't attract attention so he bought one of these...on a b reg for 1600 quid with 12000 miles on the clock, he drove it down to sutton from Burnley taking a load of stuff to the new house including my Hamster. Apart from the Hamster doing a runner at the prospect of living in Brum, my dad didnt realise 70 was the top speed of the 126 and drove all the way there at 70 or as close as he could...It was really noisy.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Here's another odd-ball. With the Freeman Saunders/Fergie diesel.


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## stdape (Mar 9, 2018)

I use to have a Ford Cortina mk2, great car

I remember many moons ago, my friend was asked to deliver a car, Austin Maxi. I went along and told him be careful around corners, the turn on them is terrible, drives like a steamroller. On the way at a fair speed come to a bad corner!! As you can imagine that car was not going to turn at speed, ended up on gravel shootover, thankfully nothing or no one hurt, Except his pride lol with a few choice words. One of worst cars


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

My father-in-law had one of these. It was nothing special to drive but I liked it. He gave it to me, but it was absolutely rotten underneath, way beyond what I was prepared to take on, so it went to the breakers.










Another favourite of the period was this.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

WRENCH said:


> My father-in-law had one of these. It was nothing special to drive but I liked it. He gave it to me, but it was absolutely rotten underneath, way beyond what I was prepared to take on, so it went to the breakers.


 I can't see many Richard Mille watches on display...had he sold out? :tongue:


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## maker (Oct 28, 2017)

If anyone wonders how many of these cars are left on the road you can find out here.

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk


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