I’m done with vintage cars - not
Discussion
dhutch said:
Fairly epic thread recovery!
Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
Fabulous car, trust that you will be enjoying the ownership experiences for years to come.Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
Haven't been on PH for years, but stumbled across this thread searching for something else and I thought I'd add my 2p's worth.
I'm a recent convert to vintage cars and it has absolutely taken over my life, to the point where I'm not sure I'll ever buy another postwar car again (aside from daily transport). I still enjoy the modern stuff, but given a finite amount of time and money, I think prewar cars will always take precedence now for me.
I've got this little Austin Seven Ulster replica. It's the most fun I've ever had on a wet roundabout and despite being the slowest car I've ever owned by some margin (I sold a Chimaera 500 to make way for it...) a revvy little engine and a very snarly side-exit exhaust means that it never actually feels that slow. Plus, you can drive it everywhere like you're on a qualifying lap and still hardly ever get held up by other traffic.
The one thing it's not very good at is long-distance cruising. It'll do about 65mph flat out, but it gets pretty frantic above about 45mph, struggles a bit with hills and offers fairly rudimentary braking capabilities. I'm in no hurry to change it, but at some point I'd like to find something that has a similar character but a bit more cruising ability on modern roads. I'm toying with the idea of some sort of Riley 9 or perhaps an Alvis 12/50, neither of which I can afford at the moment, but both should be attainable at some stage.
I'm a recent convert to vintage cars and it has absolutely taken over my life, to the point where I'm not sure I'll ever buy another postwar car again (aside from daily transport). I still enjoy the modern stuff, but given a finite amount of time and money, I think prewar cars will always take precedence now for me.
I've got this little Austin Seven Ulster replica. It's the most fun I've ever had on a wet roundabout and despite being the slowest car I've ever owned by some margin (I sold a Chimaera 500 to make way for it...) a revvy little engine and a very snarly side-exit exhaust means that it never actually feels that slow. Plus, you can drive it everywhere like you're on a qualifying lap and still hardly ever get held up by other traffic.
The one thing it's not very good at is long-distance cruising. It'll do about 65mph flat out, but it gets pretty frantic above about 45mph, struggles a bit with hills and offers fairly rudimentary braking capabilities. I'm in no hurry to change it, but at some point I'd like to find something that has a similar character but a bit more cruising ability on modern roads. I'm toying with the idea of some sort of Riley 9 or perhaps an Alvis 12/50, neither of which I can afford at the moment, but both should be attainable at some stage.
Chris71 said:
Haven't been on PH for years, but stumbled across this thread searching for something else and I thought I'd add my 2p's worth.
I'm a recent convert to vintage cars and it has absolutely taken over my life, to the point where I'm not sure I'll ever buy another postwar car again (aside from daily transport). I still enjoy the modern stuff, but given a finite amount of time and money, I think prewar cars will always take precedence now for me.
I've got this little Austin Seven Ulster replica. It's the most fun I've ever had on a wet roundabout and despite being the slowest car I've ever owned by some margin (I sold a Chimaera 500 to make way for it...) a revvy little engine and a very snarly side-exit exhaust means that it never actually feels that slow. Plus, you can drive it everywhere like you're on a qualifying lap and still hardly ever get held up by other traffic.
The one thing it's not very good at is long-distance cruising. It'll do about 65mph flat out, but it gets pretty frantic above about 45mph, struggles a bit with hills and offers fairly rudimentary braking capabilities. I'm in no hurry to change it, but at some point I'd like to find something that has a similar character but a bit more cruising ability on modern roads. I'm toying with the idea of some sort of Riley 9 or perhaps an Alvis 12/50, neither of which I can afford at the moment, but both should be attainable at some stage.
Fantastic thing - I’ve got one recently and aren’t they fabulous fun?. Like you say, completely involving and thrilling but in a different, very pure way. I have fast classics and moderns but the Ulster really does stand up to them in terms of fun.I'm a recent convert to vintage cars and it has absolutely taken over my life, to the point where I'm not sure I'll ever buy another postwar car again (aside from daily transport). I still enjoy the modern stuff, but given a finite amount of time and money, I think prewar cars will always take precedence now for me.
I've got this little Austin Seven Ulster replica. It's the most fun I've ever had on a wet roundabout and despite being the slowest car I've ever owned by some margin (I sold a Chimaera 500 to make way for it...) a revvy little engine and a very snarly side-exit exhaust means that it never actually feels that slow. Plus, you can drive it everywhere like you're on a qualifying lap and still hardly ever get held up by other traffic.
The one thing it's not very good at is long-distance cruising. It'll do about 65mph flat out, but it gets pretty frantic above about 45mph, struggles a bit with hills and offers fairly rudimentary braking capabilities. I'm in no hurry to change it, but at some point I'd like to find something that has a similar character but a bit more cruising ability on modern roads. I'm toying with the idea of some sort of Riley 9 or perhaps an Alvis 12/50, neither of which I can afford at the moment, but both should be attainable at some stage.
Getting something bigger but with the same character probably points you towards the expensive end of Frazer-Nash and Bugatti tbh, but light, sporting Riley 9’s and 12/4’s are absolutely there. I’ve driven a 12/50 and that was lovely but felt more grown up and perhaps better considered as a half way house to a Bentley or similar.
I’ve just bought another prewar car for the distance/cruising thing but have cheated by buying a ‘hopped up’ Ford V8 Woodie!
rovermorris999 said:
I'm leaning the same way. I'm on the lookout for something like a Riley Gamecock or perhaps an MG M. Even nice ones have been struggling in the last year at auction so it's a buyer's market at the moment.
I suspect it will remain so for the foreseeable as the old blokes who can remember these in Period are sadly long departed . Get on and buy it .Skyedriver said:
That's a bonny wee thing.
I keep having ideas of an A7 or maybe a MGTD or something but worried that I'll get bored of it too easily.
Speaking as a fellow Scotsman , where you are located I don't see boredom as an issue . Get it out from under the Mattress and enjoy yourself before its too late .I keep having ideas of an A7 or maybe a MGTD or something but worried that I'll get bored of it too easily.
reddiesel said:
I suspect it will remain so for the foreseeable as the old blokes who can remember these in Period are sadly long departed . Get on and buy it .
I will when the right car comes up. I've just sold a 1979 Buick Estate wagon and a Morris Minor van last year so I have space and a few quid towards something. There's a Gamecock up now on Car and Classic but it's been punted around for about a year and failed to sell at auction a few months back. Likewise the MGM on the same site. That failed to sell at auction last year with a guide of £16-20k so realistically perhaps a £15-16k car. The owner wants £21500 and it's sitting there, a pity as it's a nice car although I'd prefer a Riley. I think many sellers are not coming to terms with the market. It's also a small market and a simple internet search can tell one a lot about how often and for how long a car has been for sale and for how much.reddiesel said:
Skyedriver said:
That's a bonny wee thing.
I keep having ideas of an A7 or maybe a MGTD or something but worried that I'll get bored of it too easily.
Speaking as a fellow Scotsman , where you are located I don't see boredom as an issue . Get it out from under the Mattress and enjoy yourself before its too late .I keep having ideas of an A7 or maybe a MGTD or something but worried that I'll get bored of it too easily.
rovermorris999 said:
I will when the right car comes up. I've just sold a 1979 Buick Estate wagon and a Morris Minor van last year so I have space and a few quid towards something. There's a Gamecock up now on Car and Classic but it's been punted around for about a year and failed to sell at auction a few months back. Likewise the MGM on the same site. That failed to sell at auction last year with a guide of £16-20k so realistically perhaps a £15-16k car. The owner wants £21500 and it's sitting there, a pity as it's a nice car although I'd prefer a Riley. I think many sellers are not coming to terms with the market. It's also a small market and a simple internet search can tell one a lot about how often and for how long a car has been for sale and for how much.
I think you are 100% right about sellers not coming to terms with the Marketplace and I sympathise with them because these sort of cars are a labour of love and for many a life time commitment . How does one put a price on that . Its great however that many more sellers are now putting more emphasis on finding the "right sort " of Owner as they are monetary value . Personally owning a fleet of light Commercials I am overjoyed at this vehicle below ( moderators please delete if anyone is offended or I have broken any rules ) which when you think about it is owned by the same type of Person . This old bloke has lavished much care on attention on this albeit more modern piece of machinery in the course of his small Business . At nearly 400,000 miles covered he is inviting an AA Inspection . What a credit to both the Owner and the Manufacturer , I am genuinely overjoyed to come across it whilst browsinghttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204664783502?itmmeta=01...
rovermorris999 said:
I will when the right car comes up. I've just sold a 1979 Buick Estate wagon and a Morris Minor van last year so I have space and a few quid towards something. There's a Gamecock up now on Car and Classic but it's been punted around for about a year and failed to sell at auction a few months back. Likewise the MGM on the same site. That failed to sell at auction last year with a guide of £16-20k so realistically perhaps a £15-16k car. The owner wants £21500 and it's sitting there, a pity as it's a nice car although I'd prefer a Riley. I think many sellers are not coming to terms with the market. It's also a small market and a simple internet search can tell one a lot about how often and for how long a car has been for sale and for how much.
Why don't you contact the Owners and go and see them , its always a good day out looking at something you are interested in and you often find a deal can possibly be done if you have taken the trouble to make the journeyreddiesel said:
Why don't you contact the Owners and go and see them , its always a good day out looking at something you are interested in and you often find a deal can possibly be done if you have taken the trouble to make the journey
I've seen better Gamecocks for similar money, one lovely one in superb mechanical and bodily order sold at ACA last April for £23k inc commission. That was a £30k+ car 18 months ago. I am chatting to a lovely chap who is finishing the restoration of one and also has had the car with the next chassis number for over 40 years.I have chatted to the MG owner, he's pretty firm on the price. He may be a flipper, not had the car long but discovered he 'doesn't fit' so can't actually drive it. But perhaps I'm being unfair.
I agree about sellers often wanting to find the right sort of owner but owners of pre-war cars generally are that type. The worry some saloon owners have, especially if the car is a little tatty, is that someone will take the body off to make a pastiche sports car special, something that is very prevalent sur le continent apparently.
crankedup5 said:
That’s a very nice counter to my ‘dead market’ comment. Perhaps it’s the market that I have been involved with that feels dead, which is why I mentioned except top end cars. I hope I’m completely wrong in my assertion which I have considered owing to the same pre war cars being for sale for month after month.
Having said that I am currently in the market for an Austin 7, being a member of two ‘7’ club branches and no ‘7’ in my garage means Om missing out on a whole load of fun.
There are certainly challenges afoot for pre-war owners.Having said that I am currently in the market for an Austin 7, being a member of two ‘7’ club branches and no ‘7’ in my garage means Om missing out on a whole load of fun.
I'm a (London) Talbot owner and the demographic is still solidly 65+, at 42 I'm generally the youngest owner at any event, and by a margin! Maybe that'll change as sons and daughters step into the fold, but I'm doubtful.
A bigger worry is the dying-off of marque experts; a lot of the established restorers are technically already long-retired and I'm not even sure that the gearbox guru is even still alive! The youngest proper specialist is now into his 60s and while there might (*might*...) be a couple of younger guys easing into that role, I'm not sure. Much talk of technical self-reliance and that's fair enough, but it's not the sort of thing that attracts the money!
And yes, the low-mid market is in the doldrums - but the extent to which that is relative to the headiness of the last decade isn't clear to me.
Regardless, it's still a nice way to enjoy cars; a multi-faceted hobby rather than just driving, and any drive is an event.
aeropilot said:
ettore said:
I’ve just bought another prewar car for the distance/cruising thing but have cheated by buying a ‘hopped up’ Ford V8 Woodie!
Have you joined the VHRA yet?
I have a slightly uncomfortable relationship with car clubs and the VSCC (fantastic) is the only long term commitment I've had. VHRA looks like fun though.
AmyRichardson said:
There are certainly challenges afoot for pre-war owners.
I'm a (London) Talbot owner and the demographic is still solidly 65+, at 42 I'm generally the youngest owner at any event, and by a margin! Maybe that'll change as sons and daughters step into the fold, but I'm doubtful.
A bigger worry is the dying-off of marque experts; a lot of the established restorers are technically already long-retired and I'm not even sure that the gearbox guru is even still alive! The youngest proper specialist is now into his 60s and while there might (*might*...) be a couple of younger guys easing into that role, I'm not sure. Much talk of technical self-reliance and that's fair enough, but it's not the sort of thing that attracts the money!
And yes, the low-mid market is in the doldrums - but the extent to which that is relative to the headiness of the last decade isn't clear to me.
Regardless, it's still a nice way to enjoy cars; a multi-faceted hobby rather than just driving, and any drive is an event.
I don't think we can predict the longer term market. Whilst changing demographics are absolutely a factor I think it is more complex and nuanced over the longer term. My 16 year old son is a normal trendy young chap who also happens to be a petrolhead and he's convinced that prewar and vintage cars will be a strong growth area as we switch towards EV's and more utilitarian forms of transport. They are obvious and very mechanical items that are extremely rewarding to own and operate and they offer the starkest difference from modern motoring. In the same vein, my 19 year-old fashion-student daughter loves vintage fashion and textiles.I'm a (London) Talbot owner and the demographic is still solidly 65+, at 42 I'm generally the youngest owner at any event, and by a margin! Maybe that'll change as sons and daughters step into the fold, but I'm doubtful.
A bigger worry is the dying-off of marque experts; a lot of the established restorers are technically already long-retired and I'm not even sure that the gearbox guru is even still alive! The youngest proper specialist is now into his 60s and while there might (*might*...) be a couple of younger guys easing into that role, I'm not sure. Much talk of technical self-reliance and that's fair enough, but it's not the sort of thing that attracts the money!
And yes, the low-mid market is in the doldrums - but the extent to which that is relative to the headiness of the last decade isn't clear to me.
Regardless, it's still a nice way to enjoy cars; a multi-faceted hobby rather than just driving, and any drive is an event.
If you go to a VSCC meeting today, it is noticeable the volume of young people competing and enjoying and, whilst this is obviously a very narrow demographic, it may point to a changing of taste as well as a change of demographic. Everything would need to continue to become more affordable to facilitate this but I don't see that as a bad thing (at all). I'm sure the economic prospects for average prewar cars aren't great but I bet A7 Ulsters are a pretty safe bet (amongst many others!).
ettore said:
aeropilot said:
ettore said:
I’ve just bought another prewar car for the distance/cruising thing but have cheated by buying a ‘hopped up’ Ford V8 Woodie!
Have you joined the VHRA yet?
I have a slightly uncomfortable relationship with car clubs and the VSCC (fantastic) is the only long term commitment I've had. VHRA looks like fun though.
I see you're Berks as well, there's quite a few members in the Berks and North Hants area. A good few of them will likely be hanging around at the NAMCO open day/party on Good Friday that Billy normally puts on to coincide with Wheels Day.
Recently treated myself to a tidy little Swift 12 ‘M’ open tourer of 1923 vintage. Proper little vintage with right hand gear change, central throttle pedal and rear brakes only. Side valve 1940cc 4 cylinder side valve. So a nice four seater ready for some Summer fun (if NHS mend me properly enough 
)
I will try and get a image up at some point.
)I will try and get a image up at some point.
aeropilot said:
Yeah, VHRA is all about fun, and driving, not polishing and sitting in a field. Great camaraderie as well.
I see you're Berks as well, there's quite a few members in the Berks and North Hants area. A good few of them will likely be hanging around at the NAMCO open day/party on Good Friday that Billy normally puts on to coincide with Wheels Day.
Ah, proximity always helpful so I should probably join - what's NAMCO?I see you're Berks as well, there's quite a few members in the Berks and North Hants area. A good few of them will likely be hanging around at the NAMCO open day/party on Good Friday that Billy normally puts on to coincide with Wheels Day.
ettore said:
aeropilot said:
Yeah, VHRA is all about fun, and driving, not polishing and sitting in a field. Great camaraderie as well.
I see you're Berks as well, there's quite a few members in the Berks and North Hants area. A good few of them will likely be hanging around at the NAMCO open day/party on Good Friday that Billy normally puts on to coincide with Wheels Day.
Ah, proximity always helpful so I should probably join - what's NAMCO?I see you're Berks as well, there's quite a few members in the Berks and North Hants area. A good few of them will likely be hanging around at the NAMCO open day/party on Good Friday that Billy normally puts on to coincide with Wheels Day.
https://namcoamerican.com/
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