a discussion someone raised about cars

[E21_Ross]

someone started a conversation and it went a little like this

bloke: was that you driving that really old bmw the other day?

me: yeah

bloke: why don't you sell it and get something newer, like a VW golf, like mine (mk3...hardly 'new')

me: about 13-14months ago i had a mk3 golf as well as my bmw, i sold the golf because it was dull to drive and boring

bloke: but it will be more reliable

me:i doubt it, and i couldn't care less, it doesn't excite me in the slightest

bloke: that's just stupid


you can't describe it to these sorts can you. i've raised a few threads now about this sort of thing, is it inherently impossible to drill into peoples heads that well cared for, well built cars can be every bit as reliable as new cars?

also, is it actually possible to describe what 'character' is in a car to people like this?

[Carfiend]

Because the majority of people are more concerned about how they look than what enjoyment they get out of driving.

First thing my mother said when I brought the Skyline home was "couldn't you get anything newer?". It is a 98 car with less than 15k miles on it....

[TTwiggy]

we have an obsession - as a result of the way we present our index plates - with having the latest registration number/letter in this country...

sad

[2 Wycked]

I feel your pain. People say the same thing about my E30, except that the answer to the question "Couldn't you afford something newer?" is always no.

[LuS1fer]

I stopped noticing plates a long time ago, especially as os many seem to be personailsed. I was behind a new Civic the other day with a P prefix plate and it never even crossed my mind it wasn't correct. Then I began noticing just how many "new" plates there were on the roads now and how these old prefix plates now look far better!

[300bhp/ton]

E21_Ross said:

someone started a conversation and it went a little like this

bloke: was that you driving that really old bmw the other day?

me: yeah

bloke: why don't you sell it and get something newer, like a VW golf, like mine (mk3...hardly 'new')

me: about 13-14months ago i had a mk3 golf as well as my bmw, i sold the golf because it was dull to drive and boring

bloke: but it will be more reliable

me:i doubt it, and i couldn't care less, it doesn't excite me in the slightest

bloke: that's just stupid


you can't describe it to these sorts can you. i've raised a few threads now about this sort of thing, is it inherently impossible to drill into peoples heads that well cared for, well built cars can be every bit as reliable as new cars?

also, is it actually possible to describe what 'character' is in a car to people like this?

I think this thread of mine touches on something similar: http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Renn Sport]

OP: I am totally the same if car/bike doesn't excite me then I have to get rid of it.

I think like you cars are more then just a transport device. I need to feel connected, inspired or appriciate the engineering or chracter of my cars.

[anonymous-user]

2 Wycked said:

I feel your pain. People say the same thing about my E30, except that the answer to the question "Couldn't you afford something newer?" is always no.

I get my E30 on Monday my first RWD too

I no doubt will get asked the question and I shall simply reply "Yes I could, but I didnt want one" I may add "Now fk off to your little eurostbox, if you could do me a favour and pop home and stay there and leave the roads for people who want to drive, not banally get from A-B in a haze of mediocrity"

Nothing winds me up more than people commenting on things I have bought. "I bought it, therefore I must like it, your opinion is worthless to me otherwise I would have asked for it wouldn't I chops"

[E21_Ross]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

enjoy the E30, great cars. what one are you getting? i was tempted by an E30 318is a while back but kept the E21, i love it's even more retro charm too much

well, some people buy cars not because they like them, but because they will be cheap to run etc. i bought my E21 because i like the way it looks and it has bundles of character. each to their own i guess, but it just bugs me how just about everyone is so naive. more nice cars for us i guess.

[anonymous-user]

E21_Ross said:

enjoy the E30, great cars. what one are you getting? i was tempted by an E30 318is a while back but kept the E21, i love it's even more retro charm too much

well, some people buy cars not because they like them, but because they will be cheap to run etc. i bought my E21 because i like the way it looks and it has bundles of character. each to their own i guess, but it just bugs me how just about everyone is so naive. more nice cars for us i guess.

Its a 325 SE Saloon

I promised myself an E30 ever since I could say it and my mate is getting rid of his as he has just got a Boxtser

I cannot wait, I plan to run it for a year and get used to RWD and then I may turn it into a track toy

[E21_Ross]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

the 2.5 makes a lovely sound track only been in a sport so not sure what the SE's are like to drive, but fun i'm sure! at least they are still out there being enjoyed

[ctallchris]

People buy volkswagens because they think they are reliable. They are no more reliable than equivalent cars (and 2001-2003 ones can be as bad as citroens according to what car)

When having a discussion with someone who chose a VW ignore them for the most part. If you want a reliable dull car buy a small japanese car. It will be more fuel efficient and reliable and cheaper. If you want to be conned then pay a massive premium for a plastic interior which is marginally better than other plastic interiors

[aka_kerrly]

oh dear.
You appear to have met one of the many many people in the land who can only associate how good/bad a car is by its number plate thus making anything older than their car inferrior.

Dont worry i get it all the time, the majority of cars in our work car park are 3-7 years old and i get asked why i persist in driving my old golf when i could have a 5 year old mondeo td for £3k- perhaps becuase i couldnt give a monkeys about how new or old my car is so long as its something i want to drive!

BTW id trade my golf for a gold E21 323 with a 330I lump in

Dave

[anonymous-user]

This does indeed boil my piss!

but you have to remember, the general public don't give a toss about cars, and are not interested. The only time they become interested is when they suddenly realise, with horror, that their family car is approaching 3 years old and will suddenly become an embarrasment in front of the neighbours who have now got 'newer cars'... So they rush out to get financed up at the local dealership, and breath a sigh of relief at the sight of a '59' reg on their drive...

I'm not interested in this type of behaviour at all, and am FAR more bothered about what the car is, how does it sound, does it handle well, is it 'cool' etc, but it does really annoy me when the 'new family stbox on finance' brigade try to get involved in car discussions with you.

One guy at work came up to my desk recently and asked me "is that your old Porsche outside?" I replied yes and the only thing he could say about it was "crikey, it's a fair old age isn't it? Must cost you loads to keep it running".. I couldn't even be bothered to tell him that the particular model I had was a dream come true for me, or indeed it's financial value. As far as he was concerned it must be 'knackered now' because it was out if warranty.

Just ignore these people... You cannot argue with stupidity or someone who doesn't understand the topic.

Edited by NinjaPower on Friday 26th February 16:05

[911p]

E21_Ross said:

Well cared for, well built cars can be every bit as reliable as new cars?

If not more reliable, as they are mechanically simpler. My dads old Porsche 964 was far more reliable than the 996 he has at the moment...

[Woodstar]

NinjaPower said:

This does indeed boil my piss!

but you have to remember, the general public don't give a toss about cars, and are not interested. The only time they become interested is when they suddenly realise, with horror, that their family car is approaching 3 years old and will suddenly become an embarrasment in front of the neighbours who have now got 'newer cars'... So they rush out to get financed up at the local dealership, and breath a sigh of relief at the sight of a '59' reg on their drive...

I'm not interested in this type of behaviour at all, and am FAR more bothered about what the car is, how does it sound, does it handle well, is it 'cool' etc, but it does really annoy me when the 'new family stbox on finance' brigade try to get involved in car discussions with you.

One guy at work came up to my desk recently and asked me "is that your old Porsche outside?" I replied yes and the only thing he could say about it was "crikey, it's a fair old age isn't it? Must cost you loads to keep it running".. I couldn't even be bothered to tell him that the particular model I had was a dream come true for me, or indeed it's financial value. As far as he was concerned it must be 'knackered now' because it was out if warranty.

Just ignore these people... You cannot argue with stupidity or someone who doesn't understand the topic.

Edited by NinjaPower on Friday 26th February 16:05

Could not have said it better myself!

Edited by Woodstar on Friday 26th February 16:09

[E21_Ross]

aka_kerrly said:

.....E21 323 with a 330I lump in

Dave

i'm not sure if anyone has done that conversion, though fook me it would be good! i plan on fitting an E36 328i lump in mine in about 2 years or so. the engine in mine is still going strong, uses no oil, still loves to take abuse and i can't afford to shell out the 4-5k it will cost all in (inc. a big brakes upgrade!)

regarding people who said the porsche must be unreliable etc, well i've done over 20k in my E21 in under 2 years, i've broken down twice, one wasn't the cars fault (i hit a high speed bump at speed, and tore a hole in my exhaust and tore it off the mounts!! though to be fair, the car still did move....noisily!) the other was a failing water pump. neither of which cost me more than £100 to fix. 28 years old now, still going strong. during the snow etc, a few mates were like 'i bet ur car won't start etc', one of them has a ford KA which failed to start whilst i was next to him, my car (parked next to his), after being sat for about 8-9 days, covered in snow and ice....fired up first turn of the key.

oh i must have had such a smug look on my face

Edited by E21_Ross on Friday 26th February 16:10

[anonymous-user]

911p said:

E21_Ross said:

Well cared for, well built cars can be every bit as reliable as new cars?

If not more reliable, as they are mechanically simpler. My dads old Porsche 964 was far more reliable than the 996 he has at the moment...

Agreed, I remember when I had my XR2i and the alternator went, I rang the AA and when the guy turned up he reached into the van for his lump hammer with a smile on his face, he explained that he could still work on the older cars and get the running, a new car he would just have to tow to a garage as they dont like being hit

[E21_Ross]

911p said:

E21_Ross said:

Well cared for, well built cars can be every bit as reliable as new cars?

If not more reliable, as they are mechanically simpler....

my indy specialist i take it to (specialise in the older beemers) said he can get the head off my car in about 20minutes. to change the water pump it took him 30minutes. he said for a mate he changed an alternator on a vw toureg....the engine had to come out or something. (think it was the alternator he said) either way, it made me laugh!!

[inman999]

Try having a science v religion debate with your average american. utterly pointless.