Still a lot of rubbish out there
Discussion
I've been to 2 or 3 classic car shows this season and have been quite disappointed with the condition of many of the more affordable vehicles on display. For example if I owned a 1971 MGB GT, I don't think I'd want to display it a classic car show with it sagging on its ageing springs, rust bubbling through the wheelarches and chrome-plating peeling off the brightwork. There was another one with a dirty great paint run down the almost matte finish bonnet, or the Stag which looked like they had covered it with orange peel before badly respraying it. What about the Alfa which was more filler than steel? Do the owners really think other enthusiasts want to see that?
I know many of you will say it's the owner's choice how they look after their property, but I personally think these 30 - 40 year-old classic cars deserve better.
I know many of you will say it's the owner's choice how they look after their property, but I personally think these 30 - 40 year-old classic cars deserve better.
LotusOmega - would you rather everyone with a less than (in your opinion) show worthy car stayed away, or do you want them to spend their money on bringing up the standard of their cars?
If it's the former - there would be a lot of poorly attended shows.
The latter - why should they? They may be planning on sorting it when funds allow, they may need the advice of a fellow enthusiast to inspire them (hence being at the show) or they may be perfectly happy with it...
I would gather that you would consider all my vehicles to be below your standard but you might be surprised at the amount of interest attracted by my 1936 Austin resplendent in its satin black paint, or my tatty Spitfire kit car with micro blistering all over, or even my Subaru pick up which needs welding for the next M.O.T. Admittedly, most of the interest does not come from discerning connoisseurs but from "ordinary" folk who get excited at seeing something different to the norm and to most ordinary folk a tatty MGB is quite exotic!
I would love my cars to be in better nick but realistically what with potholed and gravel strewn roads, car park morons and the like as everyday drivers they wouldn't stay that way for long... and I can think of far better things to spend my money on than shiny paint.
The other point to remember as you are referring to the more mundane stuff, is that these are probably the sort of shows where all the cars are provided by enthusiasts and car clubs - maybe if show organisers were willing to pay exhibitors rather than charge them, they could specify a standard for show cars...
If it's the former - there would be a lot of poorly attended shows.
The latter - why should they? They may be planning on sorting it when funds allow, they may need the advice of a fellow enthusiast to inspire them (hence being at the show) or they may be perfectly happy with it...
I would gather that you would consider all my vehicles to be below your standard but you might be surprised at the amount of interest attracted by my 1936 Austin resplendent in its satin black paint, or my tatty Spitfire kit car with micro blistering all over, or even my Subaru pick up which needs welding for the next M.O.T. Admittedly, most of the interest does not come from discerning connoisseurs but from "ordinary" folk who get excited at seeing something different to the norm and to most ordinary folk a tatty MGB is quite exotic!
I would love my cars to be in better nick but realistically what with potholed and gravel strewn roads, car park morons and the like as everyday drivers they wouldn't stay that way for long... and I can think of far better things to spend my money on than shiny paint.
The other point to remember as you are referring to the more mundane stuff, is that these are probably the sort of shows where all the cars are provided by enthusiasts and car clubs - maybe if show organisers were willing to pay exhibitors rather than charge them, they could specify a standard for show cars...
Edited by spoodler on Tuesday 14th May 13:09
I agree with OP
at shows there should only be highly polished show cars as the rest should be out driven not parked up in a field
personally I'd much rather see a go car than a show car - if the go car happens to be highly polished too then all the better but it's always go over show for me (probably why I wasn't asked twice to find cars for the display ring)
at shows there should only be highly polished show cars as the rest should be out driven not parked up in a field
personally I'd much rather see a go car than a show car - if the go car happens to be highly polished too then all the better but it's always go over show for me (probably why I wasn't asked twice to find cars for the display ring)
Whilst it's nice to see the immaculately restored cars I remember my joy at seeing a "used" E type at the St Saturnin Friday meet at Le Mans a couple of years ago.
So few cars seem to get used these days that it was quite a surprise to see one that was lovingly used rather than lovingly stored. Nothing wrong with a bit of patina IMHO.
O/T - one of things that always niggles when new TV programmes cover old cars (Life on Mars for example) is how the old cars always look immaculate, rather than dirty rusted heaps of junk at 3 years old! Respect to the makers of Endeavour for having a dirty Jag
So few cars seem to get used these days that it was quite a surprise to see one that was lovingly used rather than lovingly stored. Nothing wrong with a bit of patina IMHO.
O/T - one of things that always niggles when new TV programmes cover old cars (Life on Mars for example) is how the old cars always look immaculate, rather than dirty rusted heaps of junk at 3 years old! Respect to the makers of Endeavour for having a dirty Jag
GadgeS3C said:
Whilst it's nice to see the immaculately restored cars I remember my joy at seeing a "used" E type at the St Saturnin Friday meet at Le Mans a couple of years ago.
So few cars seem to get used these days that it was quite a surprise to see one that was lovingly used rather than lovingly stored. Nothing wrong with a bit of patina IMHO.
Absolutely. Somebody I know is selling their old MkII Jag, and he said one of the perspective buyers came along and described it as 'shabby chic'.So few cars seem to get used these days that it was quite a surprise to see one that was lovingly used rather than lovingly stored. Nothing wrong with a bit of patina IMHO.
Needless to say I abolutely love it, in its beaten up old way with wire wheels and incorrect 4.2 engine.
Would you like me to give you forewarning of any show I might happen to attend in my daily 71 BGT so that you can either avoid the disappointment, or have some time to ready yourself to deal with it?
I'm personally just as happy to see concourse condition cars as I am those in daily use. It would be quite sad if all cars were in the same 'better than new condition' in my opinion. I get so much enjoyment from using a classic as my daily driver and it would be impossible to maintain a car like that in show condition, I would hate for that to mean I wasn't welcome to attend any shows.
I'm personally just as happy to see concourse condition cars as I am those in daily use. It would be quite sad if all cars were in the same 'better than new condition' in my opinion. I get so much enjoyment from using a classic as my daily driver and it would be impossible to maintain a car like that in show condition, I would hate for that to mean I wasn't welcome to attend any shows.
Crosswise said:
Would you like me to give you forewarning of any show I might happen to attend in my daily 71 BGT so that you can either avoid the disappointment, or have some time to ready yourself to deal with it?
I'm personally just as happy to see concourse condition cars as I am those in daily use. It would be quite sad if all cars were in the same 'better than new condition' in my opinion. I get so much enjoyment from using a classic as my daily driver and it would be impossible to maintain a car like that in show condition, I would hate for that to mean I wasn't welcome to attend any shows.
I'm personally just as happy to see concourse condition cars as I am those in daily use. It would be quite sad if all cars were in the same 'better than new condition' in my opinion. I get so much enjoyment from using a classic as my daily driver and it would be impossible to maintain a car like that in show condition, I would hate for that to mean I wasn't welcome to attend any shows.
Yes, that. Exactly that.Our '79 Midget will never win any prizes at a show but she's a lovely old thing and I know that lots of people take pleasure in seeing her. As Crosswise said, when a car is used often it is not possible to keep it at concours standard and we are anything but rolling in cash so we can't afford to fork out a fortune on making the car perfect. I like to see classics in any condition, provided they are roadworthy, so to me a well-used Allegro is just as good as a trailer queen Ferrari.
I'm pretty sure you're alone on this matter, OP, because our Midget is welcomed and admired wherever she goes.
LotusOmega375D said:
I've been to 2 or 3 classic car shows this season and have been quite disappointed with the condition of many of the more affordable vehicles on display. For example if I owned a 1971 MGB GT, I don't think I'd want to display it a classic car show with it sagging on its ageing springs, rust bubbling through the wheelarches and chrome-plating peeling off the brightwork. There was another one with a dirty great paint run down the almost matte finish bonnet, or the Stag which looked like they had covered it with orange peel before badly respraying it. What about the Alfa which was more filler than steel? Do the owners really think other enthusiasts want to see that?
I know many of you will say it's the owner's choice how they look after their property, but I personally think these 30 - 40 year-old classic cars deserve better.
Stag sprayed through peashooter at sharnbrook car show on sunday,i personally love to see a classic in its working clothes but the paint on the stag was really dire.I know many of you will say it's the owner's choice how they look after their property, but I personally think these 30 - 40 year-old classic cars deserve better.
ClassicMotorNut said:
I'm pretty sure you're alone on this matter, OP, because our Midget is welcomed and admired wherever she goes.
My family has just sold the 79 Midget we've owned for well over 25 years. We never let it turn into a rusting hulk, but it was used regularly in all weathers. We just felt a responsibility to keep it looking nice, not concours. It wasn't an expensive exercise by any means.LotusOmega375D said:
My family has just sold the 79 Midget we've owned for well over 25 years. We never let it turn into a rusting hulk, but it was used regularly in all weathers. We just felt a responsibility to keep it looking nice, not concours. It wasn't an expensive exercise by any means.
Obviously our Midget isn't as bad as that. She is not a 'rusting hulk' and we, too, feel a responsibility to keep her looking nice. Although she has noticeable blemishes they don't make her look bad and she still looks quite presentable. I suppose you aretalking about cars worse than ours, of which there are many, but as I said to earlier, I am happy to see classics in any shape or form as long as the owners are doing their best to care for them (you don't know why some of these cars are as bad as they are.My advice, as is often the case, is to just ignore the cars I don't like. I am perfectly happy to admit that I get pretty pissed of when I see the Mondeo and Galaxy owners' clubs at the Bromley Pageant of Motoring, but I just pay no attention to them.
I remember the classic car show at Knebworth last year, we turned up in the girlfriends Morris Minor (its her only car, which she has done around 22,000 miles in over the past 3 years) and they unknowingly ushered us to park with the MMOC 
The car was unwashed, with a great gouge down one of the fibreglass wings where she hit a fence reversing it, had a smashed headlight where someone reversed into it in Tesco the day before and was full of McDonalds wrappers. Coupled with the tatty chrome and flakey paint, it was fair to say none of the other old members of the owners club came to talk to us
I would much rather have a classic and use it, get the fun out of it and not worry about it being perfect. She has probably done more miles in that car than most of the owners there would do in a lifetime, and in 3 years we have had a lot of great memories, adventures and trips away to make it all worth while.
Plus its fun getting all of the show queens in a huff
ETA
And contrary to your title, bad paintwork and rusty chrome does not make a car rubbish
The car was unwashed, with a great gouge down one of the fibreglass wings where she hit a fence reversing it, had a smashed headlight where someone reversed into it in Tesco the day before and was full of McDonalds wrappers. Coupled with the tatty chrome and flakey paint, it was fair to say none of the other old members of the owners club came to talk to us
I would much rather have a classic and use it, get the fun out of it and not worry about it being perfect. She has probably done more miles in that car than most of the owners there would do in a lifetime, and in 3 years we have had a lot of great memories, adventures and trips away to make it all worth while.
Plus its fun getting all of the show queens in a huff
ETA
And contrary to your title, bad paintwork and rusty chrome does not make a car rubbish
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