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Author Topic: Solved: PN #210 -- Bill Johnstone's Cygnet - home-built car, 1960  (Read 1750 times)

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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #25 on: March 10, 2012, 02:53:37 AM »
Quote from: Wendax on March 09, 2012, 01:04:51 PM
Shetland?
Not Shetland but quite close!
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Offline Wendax

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #26 on: March 10, 2012, 06:15:00 AM »
Skye?
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #27 on: March 10, 2012, 06:20:41 AM »
Quote from: Wendax on March 10, 2012, 06:15:00 AM
Skye?
Your heading in the wrong direction (SW)
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Offline Tom_I

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #28 on: March 10, 2012, 08:23:12 AM »
Fair Isle?
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #29 on: March 10, 2012, 09:38:13 AM »
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #30 on: March 10, 2012, 10:50:19 AM »
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #31 on: March 10, 2012, 10:50:51 AM »
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #32 on: March 11, 2012, 04:28:37 AM »
Well, it seems this is a re-post, but woodinsight is looking for more information about Bill Johnstone's home-built car, constructed in 1355 1955

The wheel covers seem to be from a Ford Prefect. Is that the chassis we're looking for?
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 10:10:20 AM by Otto Puzzell »
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Offline Wendax

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #33 on: March 11, 2012, 04:32:04 AM »
Now I know why it looked so familiar to me  :doh:
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #34 on: March 11, 2012, 05:17:23 AM »
Well let me say right away I had no idea it was a repost.
I didn't search under the builder's name as the car has a name of its own.

So rather than merge it now let's continue with the puzzle by asking for the following information -

Name of the car - ?
Year of the car - 1958-1960 (established)
Chassis used - ?
Engine fitted - ?
Builder - William Johnstone, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

The car has been restored and is now painted red.
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #35 on: March 11, 2012, 05:18:27 AM »
Quote from: Otto Puzzell on March 11, 2012, 04:28:37 AM
Well, it seems this is a re-post, but woodinsight is looking for more information about Bill Johnstone's home-built car, constructed in 1355.

The wheel covers seem to be from a Ford Prefect. Is that the chassis we're looking for?
The chassis is not Ford....
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #36 on: March 11, 2012, 08:35:28 AM »
Quote from: Otto Puzzell on March 11, 2012, 04:28:37 AM
Bill Johnstone's home-built car, constructed in 1355.

Crikey, I know they like to think they are more advanced up there than we are, but I didn't think they were quite so far ahead..!
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #37 on: March 14, 2012, 05:00:12 AM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 11, 2012, 08:35:28 AM
Quote from: Otto Puzzell on March 11, 2012, 04:28:37 AM
Bill Johnstone's home-built car, constructed in 1355.

Crikey, I know they like to think they are more advanced up there than we are, but I didn't think they were quite so far ahead..!
;D
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #38 on: March 14, 2012, 05:02:13 AM »
Okay, one more clue for now - the car is named after a bird.
and don't forget I also need the chassis/engine information for the point.....
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Offline ImpishGrin

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #39 on: March 14, 2012, 06:58:45 AM »
It's the Swan, with a Douglas engine.
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #40 on: March 14, 2012, 11:23:09 AM »
Quote from: ImpishGrin on March 14, 2012, 06:58:45 AM
It's the Swan, with a Douglas engine.
Not Swan but a good guess.
The engine was originally a 350cc Douglas motorcycle engine......but what was it replaced with?
I'm going to LOCK this for you as I think you're on the right lines
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #41 on: March 15, 2012, 07:24:36 PM »
Is this unlocked yet?!
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Offline ImpishGrin

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #42 on: March 16, 2012, 09:22:32 AM »
I give up, so it can be unlocked, no problem. The only info I found (on an Orkney forum) is that it was made by Bill Johnstone with a Douglas engine and named Swan.
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #43 on: March 16, 2012, 10:46:30 AM »
OK, thanks.
Actually believe it was called the Cygnet (a baby swan of course), although that may have been spelt Signet (as in ring!)
As already established it was built in 1955 by William Johnstone (known locally as 'Blocky Bill') of Quadrant, Kirkwall utilizing a Douglas motorcycle engine.  Unfortunately I can't say what that was replaced with, but I'm working on it! William Johnstone had founded Hatston Concrete in Hatston and made his fortune.
The bodywork was, I believe, built with the help of Herbert Rendall, a local plumber and tin-smith in Kirkwall.
The car was originally registered BS 1111 (originally allocated in the 1920s to a Rover and which was later transferred on to Bill's Rolls-Royce) and has recently been restored.  It is now red (as I see you said before..) and belongs to a Walter Scott; it's still in the Orkney Islands.

I'm still trying to find out the other info requested!
« Last Edit: March 21, 2012, 03:30:53 PM by Carnut »
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #44 on: March 21, 2012, 04:05:55 AM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 16, 2012, 10:46:30 AM
OK, thanks.
Actually believe it was called the Cygnet (a baby swan of course), although that may have been spelt Signet (as in ring!)
As already established it was built in 1955 by William Johnstone (known locally as 'Blocky Bill') of Quadrant, Kirkwall utilizing a Douglas motorcycle engine.  Unfortunately I can't say what that was replaced with, but I'm working on it! William Johnstone had founded Hatston Concrete in Hatston and made his fortune.
The bodywork was, I believe, built with the help of Herbert Rendall, who was actually a plumber in Kirkwall.
The car was originally registered BS 1111 (which was later transferred on to Bill's Rolls-Royce) and has recently been restored.  It is now red (as I see you said before..) and belongs to a Walter Scott; it's still in the Orkney Islands.

I'm still trying to find out the other info requested!
Apologies for the delay (see my reply on Slow Answers).
According to my source the car was called the Cygnet.
LOCKED for you to provide the missing bits......
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #45 on: March 26, 2012, 06:22:40 PM »
I have acquired a DVD of Bill Johnstone driving this car!
Firstly it's just a bare chassis for a couple of minutes then he drives the completed car (registered BS 1111 and blue, but not the light blue of the puzzle picture and neither does it have that grille) around some country roads.

But - there are no words, only music, and neither is there any description or specification of the car!  It doesn't mention the name Cygnet either, just "Bill Johnstone's car".

It's tiny: barely larger than a fairground ride car..
But I guess it's on an Austin 7 chassis.

The car is owned today by a Walter Scott, in Orkney, but I have not yet been able to ascertain from him what engine the car now has (possibly an 848cc BMC A-series).
« Last Edit: March 26, 2012, 06:26:27 PM by Carnut »
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #46 on: March 26, 2012, 11:48:25 PM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 26, 2012, 06:22:40 PM
I have acquired a DVD of Bill Johnstone driving this car!
Firstly it's just a bare chassis for a couple of minutes then he drives the completed car (registered BS 1111 and blue, but not the light blue of the puzzle picture and neither does it have that grille) around some country roads.

But - there are no words, only music, and neither is there any description or specification of the car!  It doesn't mention the name Cygnet either, just "Bill Johnstone's car".

It's tiny: barely larger than a fairground ride car..
But I guess it's on an Austin 7 chassis.

The car is owned today by a Walter Scott, in Orkney, but I have not yet been able to ascertain from him what engine the car now has (possibly an 848cc BMC A-series).
Intriguing!
I know the car is 9 ft long and 3.5 ft wide.
It was built on a shortened and narrowed xxxxxx 8 chassis from 1935.
The engine was originally a 350cc Douglas but this was replaced by an Austin Seven engine as the Douglas was not powerful enough. As my source is from 1994 the engine may have been replaced again.
If you can give me the chassis make - not Austin but another very popular British brand - then the point is yours.
Still LOCKED for you.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2012, 12:06:22 AM by woodinsight »
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Offline Carnut

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #47 on: March 27, 2012, 04:35:25 AM »
Thanks!
So it must be a Morris 8 chassis?
I can send you the DVD to watch if you'd like?
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: MJW #841
« Reply #48 on: March 27, 2012, 04:45:13 AM »
Quote from: Carnut on March 27, 2012, 04:35:25 AM
Thanks!
So it must be a Morris 8 chassis?
I can send you the DVD to watch if you'd like?
Yes it is based on a radically altered Morris 8 chassis.
Another well earned point for you.
and yes I'd love to see the DVD of it.
I'll post the short article about it in the next few minutes.
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Offline woodinsight

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Re: Solved - MJW #841 - Cygnet 1955/1960? by William Johnstone
« Reply #49 on: March 27, 2012, 05:00:44 AM »
I notice in the article below that they state that Bill Johnstone started building the car in 1958.
I had the date of completion as 1960 therefore there is still a question mark regarding the year.....

This can be merged with the original puzzle now.

The article from 1994 -
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