How practical is your classic?

[Huntsman]

427James said:

Oh dear - restoring one now in Dubai without aircon - not sounding positive. Would it be assisted by dynamatting the entire floor pan?

Interesting question as I'll be restoring my 3.8 coupe sometime soon. I plan to have the manifolds ceramic coated in black and to wrap the down pipes in exhaust tape right back under the car.

On the GK, I'm planning ceramic coat manifolds, wrap the pipes all the way, dynamat double layers, fit air con!

[lowdrag]

I wouldn't bother with ceramic - it falls off over 60mph. Better get a stainless manifold and wrap it. The voice of bitter experience talking!

[Huntsman]

lowdrag said:

I wouldn't bother with ceramic - it falls off over 60mph. Better get a stainless manifold and wrap it. The voice of bitter experience talking!

Tony - that's the first time I have heard anyone say that ceramic such as Zircotec falls off.

I know the enamel on the jag manifolds is short lived, but failing ceramic is news to me.

[Riley Blue]

I could use my Riley every day but that would mean moving my daily driver first - so while I'm in it I complete my journey in it, keeping the Riley for 'fun driving'.

[Todzilla]

Car - 1964 Lincoln Continental

Practical - went to Classic Le Mans in 2008 and we were the only car that didn't have anything other than us in the interior; so in the boot we had all the camping equipment, food (in a car fridge) for a week - Ok so we topped up along the way, chairs, clothes, pots pans, BOOZE etc... On top of that we can carry 6 passengers in air-conditioned bliss and cruising comfortably at more than 80mph all day long...

Impractical – the fuel consumption of a 7 litre engine cruising comfortably at more than 80mph all day long... Oh, and parking. 18'6" long and 6'6" wide just doesn't work.

[crofty1984]

If you count an old 205 as a classic, then very, it's my daily driver.
If not I have an excel that's lived in a hedge for 12 years. So not very practical.

[lowdrag]

Huntsman said:

Tony - that's the first time I have heard anyone say that ceramic such as Zircotec falls off.

I know the enamel on the jag manifolds is short lived, but failing ceramic is news to me.

Whoops - mea culpa. Was thinking of enamel. Apologies.

[ez64]

Had a Range rover classic 200tdi and used it for literally everything and anything. Daily run around/long distance/proper off roading and best of all country lane fords at what felt like a gazillion miles an hour

Was perfect in every aspect and was fairly cheap on fuel, never once let me down apart from me slamming into high range by accident on the motorway on the way to work. Just unclipped the gear gaiter reconnected the linkage and no problem.

[dycecooper]

I run a TR7V8 as my daily driver, other than being thirsty it is very practicle, good sized boot, recently bought a huge BBQ, just sat it on the bootlid and tied it down

[V8 FOU]

Last weekend drove the Esprit 120 miles for the PH R/R shootout, then went on to pick up 4 17" wheels and tyres for the gf's toyota and drove home. Had removed the passenger seat first though1 Hey, a practical Esprit!!

My first car was a '54 Reliant. Alloy bodied too1 used to carry engines and all sorts inside with the passenger seat removed.

[sdmurray]

Huntsman said:

madbadger said:

Huntsman said:

Yesterday in the Morris Traveller we had.

2 empty wine bottles.
1 empty gin bottle.

Fail.

You clearly had potential room for two full wine bottles and a full gin bottle.

they were full the evening before!!!

No good, you should never run dry!



. . . and to answer the question - perfectly practical!

[cdodgyd]

1971 Merc W108 with a 3L diesel (from a W123) fitted. Driven daily in all weathers - I do not own a modern car.

Seats 5 in comfort, very reliable (mechanical injection and no ignition system to worry about) 30mpg on veg oil (can be had free used or at least 1/3rd less than diesel if bought fresh), huge boot, will sit at 80mph all day, tax exempt, cheap insurance, disc brakes all round, power steering, sleek and stylish looks so still great for shows!

Edited by cdodgyd on Friday 6th July 18:41

[Alfachick]

cdodgyd said:

1971 Merc W108 with a 3L diesel (from a W123) fitted. Driven daily in all weathers - I do not own a modern car.

Seats 5 in comfort, very reliable (mechanical injection and no ignition system to worry about) 30mpg on veg oil (can be had free used or at least 1/3rd less than diesel if bought fresh), huge boot, will sit at 80mph all day, tax exempt, cheap insurance, disc brakes all round, power steering, sleek and stylish looks so still great for shows!

That is a very very cool car! How do you stop it rusting? I would love to be able to drive a classic through the winter without having it rot away in front of my eyes. Lots of salt on the roads up here pretty much constantly from end of October till April.

[XJ13]

427James said:

Coco H said:

Etype is hopeless. Too hot in the summer and not much space. Midget much better. We used to go on holiday in it with a fortnights worth of kit and spare parts

Oh dear - restoring one now in Dubai without aircon - not sounding positive. Would it be assisted by dynamatting the entire floor pan?

James - don't let that put you off! I lived in South Africa for about 5 years and my day-to-day car was a S1 E-Type OTS. OK, it was mostly in the Highveldt and perhaps not as hot as Dubai but pretty warm nonetheless! After all, the design of the hood means it is a simple matter to drag it up with one hand if the sun gets too much (even on the move - but don't tell the "safety elves").

I later acquired a Jaguar 420G barge with aircon but did practically all my day-to-day driving in the E-Type. I didn't bother with dynamat and was glad I hadn't done so. You may find you need that heater (engine) if you drive after sunset with the top down when the temperature can fall quite markedly. Nothing like wafting along in an E-Type under a starry sky with the soft glow of gauges to accompany you and a gentle heat from the transmission tunnel/bulkhead to cosset you

[cdodgyd]

Alfachick said:

That is a very very cool car! How do you stop it rusting? I would love to be able to drive a classic through the winter without having it rot away in front of my eyes. Lots of salt on the roads up here pretty much constantly from end of October till April.

Thank you Alfachick. These are well built and under appriciated cars, which can still be had fairly cheaply. They're gas guzzlers with the petrol engines though, which in the UK is a no-no, hence the conversion (which is quite easy). Many LHD cars have been done, but I have yet to hear about another RHD.

Yes, rust is really my only worry. Last summer I went to the local supermarket and bought some cheap new (not used!) engine oil. I thinned it with white spirit and sprayed the mixture with a probe into all box sections. Unlike Waxoyl, you could see the oil seeping through the seam welded joints so I knew it had penetrated the really hard to get to stuff (see pic). Its also far less messy to use.
The high impact areas have been covered with stone chip after a rub down with a wire brush. I did this last bit by bit because its a horrible job!

[Huntsman]

cdodgyd said:

1971 Merc W108 with a 3L diesel (from a W123) fitted. Driven daily in all weathers - I do not own a modern car.

Seats 5 in comfort, very reliable (mechanical injection and no ignition system to worry about) 30mpg on veg oil (can be had free used or at least 1/3rd less than diesel if bought fresh), huge boot, will sit at 80mph all day, tax exempt, cheap insurance, disc brakes all round, power steering, sleek and stylish looks so still great for shows!

Edited by cdodgyd on Friday 6th July 18:41

That's a great addition to this thread.

I was talking to a chap tonight with a 6 year old Lexus that needs a DPF, the cost was pretty scary, your Merc makes me even more convinced that classics make very good sense for every day cars.

I reckon any car with acronyms is heading for £££££'s to fix it.

[Aar0sc]

Surprisingly, I'd say. Seen here carrying it's spare engine:

Here, carrying our new lawn mower:

It brought back some spare gearboxes:


Aa

[TheLordJohn]

However much stuff you can fit in a series 3 XJ - that's how practical mine is lol.

[anonymous-user]

I have just returned from the most excellent Latitude Festival in Suffolk, using my 1990 Lotus Excel as the camper truck. Two adults, one seven year old child, a four person tent, gas stove, pots, sleeping bags, clothes, wellies, food, booze, and some toys, all fitted in to the car, and we managed to slither it through the mud to and from the parking area and didn't get stuck. On the way back we also has hula skirts, a Lakota Sioux war bonnet, a helium filled dolphin, and some army surplus greatcoats to add to the contents, plus some mud, but they all went in.

I ran a 1970 Jensen Interceptor as a daily car for over a year. I am thinking of making my Excel my daily driver.

[Huntsman]

Poor Morris suffering more abuse, I wanted to collect all the poles for the boat tent and the ladder from the lock up and take to boat yard in one trip.

Edited by Huntsman on Monday 10th December 10:39