Come in, have a rant
Discussion
Suppliers sourcing and selling rubber components like engine mounts and suspension bushings that are split and deteriorating within a couple of years regardless of use/mileage.
Well, in general repro parts that are frankly cr*ap, and most owners are to take partial blame for being tight-arses and not wanting to pay a penny more than they have to. Vicious circle.
Not sure if this counts, but owners on FB groups or forums that ask questions like what or how much oil should I put in it and other basic questions that 5 mins reading a manual or even drivers handbook will answer.
Triumph Stag and TR6 owners that fit burr walnut dashboards
(I needed to get those off my chest)
Well, in general repro parts that are frankly cr*ap, and most owners are to take partial blame for being tight-arses and not wanting to pay a penny more than they have to. Vicious circle.
Not sure if this counts, but owners on FB groups or forums that ask questions like what or how much oil should I put in it and other basic questions that 5 mins reading a manual or even drivers handbook will answer.
Triumph Stag and TR6 owners that fit burr walnut dashboards
(I needed to get those off my chest)
The cost of simple engineering jobs, because all the machine shops have closed. I could get a head skimmed for £8 in 1990, a set of four liners bored for £20 and a crank ground, nitrided and balanced for £25. I could build an engine from bits for about £100.
Now because of 'classic car' tax which is similar to 'boat' tax everything has a zero added to the cost.
Minor rant over....
Now because of 'classic car' tax which is similar to 'boat' tax everything has a zero added to the cost.
Minor rant over....
I work hard. I earn reasonable money. I live in a modest house and I owe no money to anyone, apart from my mortgage. My credit card balance is zero. I am the long term owner of a classic which is probably worth what I paid for it 21 years ago, if not a little more. It's not going to blow up any time soon, but I want to sell it this year because I have fallen out of love with it.
Why are all the cars I lust after as a replacement so bloody expensive?
I know it's all relative and I'm stuck in the past, values-wise, but every time I think "I'd like one of those - reminds me of my youth*" I am astounded by what people are asking for them. I realise they don't all sell for that, or anywhere near it, but some must do. I need to lower my expectations, but hurrumph anyway.
Rant over, feel better now. Thanks.
*My youth was the 1980s, for the avoidance of doubt. Guess which era of classics are starting to rise quickly now...
Why are all the cars I lust after as a replacement so bloody expensive?
I know it's all relative and I'm stuck in the past, values-wise, but every time I think "I'd like one of those - reminds me of my youth*" I am astounded by what people are asking for them. I realise they don't all sell for that, or anywhere near it, but some must do. I need to lower my expectations, but hurrumph anyway.
Rant over, feel better now. Thanks.
*My youth was the 1980s, for the avoidance of doubt. Guess which era of classics are starting to rise quickly now...
Definitely Facebook. There is this annoying problem of everybody on the group's pages who claim to be experts. They give out the wrong info and if you highlight it, get told you know sod all. This is especially true with new owners of the make of car.
I agree about the roads. They are shocking. Although not paying road tax in a classic, should you moan?
Ebay. Prices for some parts are well out. This also is the case with some cars. I'd never pay the prices they are asking for some of the cars on there.
I agree about the roads. They are shocking. Although not paying road tax in a classic, should you moan?
Ebay. Prices for some parts are well out. This also is the case with some cars. I'd never pay the prices they are asking for some of the cars on there.
Cornish roads are like ploughed fields and the sides are never swept, add in tractors disgorging half a ton of mud just outside every gate and the incessant drizzly weather we've had and the car gets filthy in the first mile.
Even when it isn't wet all the other problems are still there.
Even when it isn't wet all the other problems are still there.
austina35 said:
I agree about the roads. They are shocking. Although not paying road tax in a classic, should you moan?
The main problem with the roads I used to find when driving my classic was that they were full of bloody modern rubbish getting in the way. I mean when you drive a car from before the introduction of speed limits on motorways why do you still have to adhere to them, most laws are applied retrospectively. And besides that no self respecting constable would have batted a eye lid at a gentleman out exercising his sports car damn it From what I gather from fellow ford owners is they should have given up after the Mk1 Escort.
"You should have bought a 2 door" is a common one I get when I'm just having fun in my 4 door mk1 cortina - the number of doors has never bothered me.
There seems to be an odd divide in classic cars, they either need to be as it left the factory (with better door gaps) or wildly modified putting out hundreds of horsepower. anything remotely between those 2 markers isn't worth anyones time.
"You should have bought a 2 door" is a common one I get when I'm just having fun in my 4 door mk1 cortina - the number of doors has never bothered me.
There seems to be an odd divide in classic cars, they either need to be as it left the factory (with better door gaps) or wildly modified putting out hundreds of horsepower. anything remotely between those 2 markers isn't worth anyones time.
Another from me: people's attitudes towards specific manufacturers / countries.
Italian cars rust.
French cars are made of mille-feuille and will kill you if you hit anything bigger than a bicycle.
British cars (remember them?) are stodgy and rusty.
German cars are perfect and have no faults whatsoever.
American cars don't go round corners.
Japanese cars are reliable and don't break down. Ever.
BMWs are all great to drive.
Any Lotus will be unreliable.
Front wheel drive cars are crap.
Nearly all of the above are generally spouted by those who have no experience of actually owning them.
Italian cars rust.
French cars are made of mille-feuille and will kill you if you hit anything bigger than a bicycle.
British cars (remember them?) are stodgy and rusty.
German cars are perfect and have no faults whatsoever.
American cars don't go round corners.
Japanese cars are reliable and don't break down. Ever.
BMWs are all great to drive.
Any Lotus will be unreliable.
Front wheel drive cars are crap.
Nearly all of the above are generally spouted by those who have no experience of actually owning them.
Definitely the "my experience is knowledge" crowd. People will state their own anecdote as fact even when it's proven demonstrably to be incorrect. Had a recent debate with a group about installing a fuel pump primer button in the car. I barely use it and it takes ages to start while it builds fuel pressure. I installed a little button to run the fuel pump alone for 15 seconds to prime it and the car starts like I used it yesterday. They insisted that the car had a rotten fuel tank and lines which is odd because the lines were replaced less than 3 years ago and the car has never had E10 fuel, nor does it smell of fuel anywhere near it. Despite me telling them it's the same way the car was when I bought it 5 years ago and the lines have been replaced since then (requiring the removal and inspection of the fuel tank) they insist it must have an issue.
I hate to see those cheap pressed black and silver number plates on cars that would not have had them when new. Rover P5s and P6s nearly always seem have their original plates which fitted the number plate plinths perfectly replaced by these awful things.
Cuz it can 'ave black plates mate. Yes but they look crap...
Cuz it can 'ave black plates mate. Yes but they look crap...
Edmundo2 said:
The f'*cked road surfaces....
A classic is a wonderful charismatic thing but it would be so much nicer if the roads weren't so shot to bits..
Fortunately they're covered in salt at the moment...
Rant over..
Yep - 13 inch wheels and crater-sized potholes/mountainous speedhumps don't make happy bedfellows A classic is a wonderful charismatic thing but it would be so much nicer if the roads weren't so shot to bits..
Fortunately they're covered in salt at the moment...
Rant over..
Turbobanana said:
I work hard. I earn reasonable money. I live in a modest house and I owe no money to anyone, apart from my mortgage. My credit card balance is zero. I am the long term owner of a classic which is probably worth what I paid for it 21 years ago, if not a little more. It's not going to blow up any time soon, but I want to sell it this year because I have fallen out of love with it.
Why are all the cars I lust after as a replacement so bloody expensive?
I know it's all relative and I'm stuck in the past, values-wise, but every time I think "I'd like one of those - reminds me of my youth*" I am astounded by what people are asking for them. I realise they don't all sell for that, or anywhere near it, but some must do. I need to lower my expectations, but hurrumph anyway.
Rant over, feel better now. Thanks.
*My youth was the 1980s, for the avoidance of doubt. Guess which era of classics are starting to rise quickly now...
I guess, to some extent or other, we’re all amazed by the pricesWhy are all the cars I lust after as a replacement so bloody expensive?
I know it's all relative and I'm stuck in the past, values-wise, but every time I think "I'd like one of those - reminds me of my youth*" I am astounded by what people are asking for them. I realise they don't all sell for that, or anywhere near it, but some must do. I need to lower my expectations, but hurrumph anyway.
Rant over, feel better now. Thanks.
*My youth was the 1980s, for the avoidance of doubt. Guess which era of classics are starting to rise quickly now...
However people get sucked in by the prices of the very best/concours cars often ( like in the PH SPOTTEDs )and just mentally write off owning that car…..forgetting perfectly reasonable ones exist for much much less if you really want to experience that model
As you’ve noted not ALL of them sell for amazing money. The year a concours RS2000 Mk2 sold for £100k a friend bought thrr we same model with a years MOT on for £15k
It’s garaged and he enjoys it at weekends - he’s had to do a bit of work on it…..but it’s been normal stuff you’d expect ……and the sort of thing we used to do on them when they were 10 year old cars
I’m sure the 100k one is lovely though if you want one to just look at
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