Evan Hillman's
HillmanCars Discussion Group
(Mirror Site)


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Want to chat with Hillman car fans all over the world? Want to find a rare part for an old Hillman?  Enjoy a bit of good-natured humour occasionally?  Improve your Hillman?  Want disk brakes on your Minx series IIIB?  Yes, the front end of a Minx series V can be fitted, but there are some things to beware of.  Got stuck while reassembling your Hillman, and need experienced advice?  Collectively, the guys in the HillmanCars discussion group have done everything you can do to a car. Quite often, parts from "cousin" cars within the Rootes Group (Sunbeams, Singers etc.) will fit your Hillman.  The chances are that somebody else has already tried what you're thinking of doing.  Therefore, we don't mind a bit of discussion about other marques (or anything else which happens to fit).  We also enjoy a comparative view of what the Rootes engineers made a bit different all those years ago.  However, for detailed discussion about those other marques, you may  get more detailed help from other discussion groups (see below).

How to subscribe to the HillmanCars group:

Subscribers receive copies of all distributed messages (as separate e-mail items), and are able to post messages for automatic distribution.  If you are content with the simplicity of this, you don't need a Yahoo id and you don't need to join a Yahoo Group.  Subscribing and joining are not the same thing.  Leave joining for later (see "Extra Features" section below), or not at all.

Send e-mail to HillmanCars-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Don't worry about the Subject field and message text – they're ignored.  The message server program will eventually add you (the sender's e-mail address) to its list of subscribers. It will quickly send you a messsage titled "Please confirm your request to join HillmanCars" – you need to respond in one of the specified ways to complete the subscription. To minimise the chances of spammers getting in, the group moderator will then evaluate your request to subscribe.  This might take several hours (or even days), so please be patient.  After approval is given, you will receive a "Welcome to HillmanCars" message, and copies of messages from other subscribers will start arriving.

When you want to post a new message:

Send e-mail to HillmanCars@yahoogroups.com . Choose the Subject field thoughtfully.  Don't leave it blank. In the body of your message, don't forget to mention where you live – especially if you are requesting parts etc.  Be aware that your fellow subscribers are all over the world – Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Great Britain, Asia, Scandanavia, ....

When you want to reply to someone else's message:

Simply click on "Reply to All" (if your e-mail program has that option).  At least one of the addresses in the "To" field will be "HillmanCars@yahoogroups.com" (or a pseudonym for it) – delete all of the others, because Majordomo will send the message to them (as subscribers) anyway. Don't fiddle with the Subject field – this is important to everybody who wants to follow this discussion as a "thread."  If your e-mail program doesn't automatically propagate the Subject field, please copy and paste it from the message you are replying to.
Be aware that some of us receive dozens of messages (from various sources) each day, so it is an absolute necessity for us to sort the inbox by Subject.  If your message is out of sequence, it's effectively wasted. On the other hand, if your contribution is a significant diversion from the original topic, please choose a new Subject field thoughtfully – e.g. Re: More Pertronix (was: Re: "Hillman - " Anyone out there?) .

Netiquette (network etiquette):

Please understand that when you post a message, it's like standing on a stage and speaking to a crowd of 200 people.  Here's a website with the rules of Netiquette.  These core rules of decency are generally accepted by the vast majority of internet users worldwide.
After you get to know a few of the prominent contributors, you'll understand that we're a good-natured bunch of people who don't mind stirring each other up a bit.  However, for some reason I don't understand, the Kiwis (people from New Zealand) are sensitive to Australians referring to their strange accent. (I'll probably get spammed for saying that ;-)

When you want to leave the group, here's how to unsubscribe :

It's your job to unsubscribe from the HillmanCars discussion group when you no longer want messages – other subscribers aren't able to remove you, so please don't annoy them by asking.

Send e-mail to HillmanCars-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com .

Don't worry about the Subject field and message text – they're ignored.  The message server program will remove you (the sender's e-mail address) from its list of subscribers.

If you can't get anything to work properly, and need human intervention, you should be able to get assistance from HillmanCars-owner@yahoogroups.com


Extra features of the HillmanCars group :

In order to access any extra features, you will need to join the Yahoo Groups scheme.  This is in addition to subscribing to the e-mail distribution scheme as described above. (You can subscribe as a part of this joining process, but it's more complicated to the first-timer).

Go to http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HillmanCars and click on the button near the top – "Join This Group."  After filling in the required information, you will very soon receive a fancy e-mail from Yahoo saying "Important! Click here to activate your new account."  (Yes, you must do that). Note: You can opt not to have a new e-mail address @yahoo.com created during this process of joining.

Now that you've joined the Yahoo Groups scheme, you can at any time go back to http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HillmanCars and click on "Sign in to Yahoo!" 

After entering your Yahoo user-id and password, the next screen will present several options, four of which are likely to be useful –

  1. "Edit My Membership" –  has special e-mail options, e.g. to receive a daily Digest instead.
  2. "View all Messages" –  gives an index to individual messages in the archive. From there, "Expand Messages" gives the full text of every message within that page. If you find the adverts to be overly aggressive, I recommend the following technique:
    1. Use Netscape instead of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
    2. Disable images (Netscape v7:  Edit –> Preferences –> Privacy & Security –> Images)
    3. Disable Macromedia Flash Player by referring to this Macromedia web page and following the instructions to "manually uninstall"  (halfway down the page).  Instead of deleting the specified files, rename them by inserting "$" at the front of the name (so you can put  things back together if desired).
  3. "Photos" (in the left column).--  This doesn't work unless your browser is set to accept images.  You are doomed to receiving all of the   pesky adverts except the Flash ones.
  4. "Leave Group" –  to cleanup the special settings established when you Joined this group.

Background to the HillmanCars group :

The group was created by Evan Hillman in April 2000, primarily for the purpose of gaining attention to refer people to the already-successful  hillman@can-inc.com  discussion list hosted & sponsored by Gary Moore since 1997.

During the first week of November 2004, the can-inc.com server ceased responding to any requests, so it was decided by the leading participants (including Evan) to encourage all known subscribers to transfer to the HillmanCars group at Yahoo.

We sincerely thank Gary Moore for his enormous and generous contribution to the community of Hillman car fans.
Click here for a brief history of the original Hillman List.


Other discussion groups & lists :

For info about the very active Hillman Imp discussion group, visit  groups.yahoo.com/group/Imps/
Subscribers to the Imp group, they have a separate off-topic discussion group –   groups.yahoo.com/group/Imps-OT/

For info about another Hillman Imp discussion group (much less active), visit  groups.yahoo.com/group/hillman_imps/

For info about  Hillman Hunters, visit au.groups.yahoo.com/group/Hillmanhunters/

For info about post-war Hillmans, Singers, Sunbeams & Humbers , visit  groups.yahoo.com/group/hillman-sunbeam-singers/

For information about  Commer Vehicles, visit  groups.yahoo.com/group/commer-vehicles/

For info about Rootes, Simca, Matra, Chrysler & Talbot, visit  groups.yahoo.com/group/rootes-chrysler/

For information about British cars, visit  www.team.net/tn-mail.html    Not mentioned on that webpage, but also available at majordomo@autox.team.net are the lists named alpines and tigers.  If you want them in digest format (one consolidated e-mail every day), use the lists named alpines-digest and tigers-digest instead.

For information about Humber, visit     www.smartgroups.com/groups/Humber


Abbreviations and technical terms

ADL – Australian De Luxe (Australian edition of Hillman Minx series IIIC). For a fine example, see Brian Vogt's car.
Alger – (Sunbeam) Alpine modified to look like the highly sought-after Tiger, and fraudulently sold as such.
CKD – "Completely Knocked Down" – disassembled car kits, assembled in their destination country.  Under govt. policy, this local component of manufacture served to reduce the import duty.
DPO – Dumb Previous Owner / Dreaded Previous Owner.  This is the idiot who made your car a restorer's nightmare by fitting Whitworth nuts on SAE studs, and by welding on parts that need to be removed for routine maintenance.
HSC – "Husky Sports Convertible."  Light-hearted reference to the Sunbeam Alpine (a sports convertible) whose floorpan design was derived directly from that of the Hillman Husky.
LBC – Little British Car, such as the Hillman Minx or Hillman Imp.
LRP – Lead Replacement Petrol.  The various oil companies mix their preferred substitute for tetra-ethyl lead with ULP.  Some car owners have experienced overheating, even to the point of serious engine damage.  A popular alternative is to simply fill up with ULP (or premium unleaded) and add a lead substitute concentrate or Morey's Upper Cylinder Lubricant.
NOS – New Old Stock (old spare parts which have never been used).
PCV – Positive Crankcase Ventilation.  Refer to http://www.aera.org/Techside/positivecrankcaseventilation.htm
ULP – Unleaded Petrol.  Since 1985, all motor vehicles sold new in Australia are legally required to run correctly without the use of tetra-ethyl lead.
Ute  – Australian term – abbreviation for Utility, a type of vehicle invented in 1933 by "Lew" (Lewis) Bandt who was the designer at Ford Australia.  In 1935 Henry Ford invited him to Detroit, where Lew designed a "pickup truck" for the USA market (especially Texas).  Here are pictures of our Ken Kite's excellent Mk VIII Hillman ute.
VSR – Valve Seat Recession.  Refer to www.vtr.org/maintain/valve-seats.html and www.bp.com.au/products/fuels/lrp/faq.asp?menuid=ec#f

Off-topic abbreviations :

MPV – Multi Purpose Vehicle – "anything large and shed-like" (according to one subscriber).
SHO – Super High Output (engine).
SUV – Sport Utility Vehicle (an American term for a 4WD wagon, nothing to do with sports cars or utes).
SWMBO – She Who Must Be Obeyed – (wife or equivalent person, with whom you negotiate the acquisition   of more Hillman cars, or use of the lounge room for an engine overhaul).

General internet abbreviations :

bovis.gyuvet.ch/3dict/312usene.htm

http://www.webenet.com/internetglossary.htm

http://www.loganact.com/tips/afaik.html

http://penpals.englishclub.com/abbreviations.htm

Technical terms :

Sometimes you will see automotive engineering terms used.  For example, Hillman cars have what's called recirculating-ball steering.   You will find www.howstuffworks.com to be very educational.

"Prince of Darkness" – modern description of Joseph Lucas, due to the ineffectiveness of 1930s Lucas lighting systems, and the (alleged) poor performance of 1960s Lucas electrics in general.   Some loyalists claim that this is unfair criticism, as all 1960s electrical systems were suspect.   Click here to see the Prince of Darkness jokes.

Parts suppliers :

Some list subscribers occasionally mention particular company names.  You might find those suppliers in the Parts section of our links page.

 

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