Old cars that just depress you.
Discussion
VW Splittie Campers.
They look great but you know they are permanently on the brink of exploding with rust, the engine is about to detonate, there is a quarter inch of suspension travel and they driving experience is medieaval.
I just get depressed when I see one yammering away in the indide lane of the M3 on the way to Cornwall. You just know it's going to come back on a low loader.
They look great but you know they are permanently on the brink of exploding with rust, the engine is about to detonate, there is a quarter inch of suspension travel and they driving experience is medieaval.
I just get depressed when I see one yammering away in the indide lane of the M3 on the way to Cornwall. You just know it's going to come back on a low loader.
fatboy69 said:
Allegro's, Montego's, Maestro's, Metro's, Datsun 120Y amongst others. I could go on but I won't!
I'm actually surprised that the 70's BL stuff and 80's Austin-Rover stuff actually depresses you, due to the fact you hardly ever see the cars mentioned above on the road! (Apart from the Metro of course).angusc43 said:
VW Splittie Campers.
They look great but you know they are permanently on the brink of exploding with rust, the engine is about to detonate, there is a quarter inch of suspension travel and they driving experience is medieaval.
I just get depressed when I see one yammering away in the indide lane of the M3 on the way to Cornwall. You just know it's going to come back on a low loader.
My daily commute is along part of the M5 near Bristol. Fridays wouldn't be the same without seeing all the VW camper vans parked on the hard shoulder with their engine covers open and a blonde-haired surfer-wannabe scratching his head...They look great but you know they are permanently on the brink of exploding with rust, the engine is about to detonate, there is a quarter inch of suspension travel and they driving experience is medieaval.
I just get depressed when I see one yammering away in the indide lane of the M3 on the way to Cornwall. You just know it's going to come back on a low loader.
A lex said:
chazola said:
Ford Sierra estate. For me it just gives out a kind of 'put me out of my misery' look of crapness.
How very dare you!A MK2 2.8 (or was it 2.9?) 4x4 Ghia estate was one of my Halo cars for a very long time!
Another vote for the mk4/5 Escort. Mk3 Golf too.
I agree that most cars are pretty dull. Modern ones probably more so.
Contigo said:
Most cars do, I find it very difficult to get excited about cars unless they are the sports type or stand out from the crowd. I also cannot get excited about some of the cars that seem to have heaps of praise on here like old TVR's and MX-5's.
I know it's a dick move to check peoples garage when they say things like this but...why didn't you buy a sports car or one that stands out from the crowd.I agree that most cars are pretty dull. Modern ones probably more so.
Definitely the Mk.1 Mondeo, although never had a problem with any of the other revisions.
My depression may, in part, be due to the fact that the company I worked for at the time when they were on lease (1996-P mostly) allocated them to field engineers, so by the time I had the pleasure of driving one it was normally on 150,000 miles after three years' very hard abuse, the seats were collapsed and the interiors were full of greasy crisp crumbs and melted chocolate flakes.
That said, they must have been pretty tough in order to manage 50k miles/year with no respect, sporadic servicing and a lead right foot from their allocated drivers.
My depression may, in part, be due to the fact that the company I worked for at the time when they were on lease (1996-P mostly) allocated them to field engineers, so by the time I had the pleasure of driving one it was normally on 150,000 miles after three years' very hard abuse, the seats were collapsed and the interiors were full of greasy crisp crumbs and melted chocolate flakes.
That said, they must have been pretty tough in order to manage 50k miles/year with no respect, sporadic servicing and a lead right foot from their allocated drivers.
The crap cars from any decade past are still crap when you see one but there is a certain nostalgia that kicks in, it is like seeing someone you used to work with but didnt have a lot of time for or a song you werent keen of but haven heard in twenty years, your opinon mellows and it is just nostalgia, things seldom seen become rare and somehow more valued, even a Brown Maestro brings a smile.
Remember the miserable afternoons in Double Maths at school ? now imagine being given ten minutes to go back and observe, or the long boring car journey in your dads old car, ten minutes to sit in it and drink in the smells and re-aqauint yourself with the experience, five minutes in a shop you used to go to as a kid, long since demolished....
I was walking the Dog and a group of four people walked past a minty fresh looking "Jet Black" model Metro from about 88 and were getting all misty eyed over it, nostalgia, it is powerful and dangrous.
You go back to things after years of newer, bigger, better and faster and sometimes it doesnt work but sometimes you regret not going back sooner, I went at 18 from cycling to driving and then didnt bother until I was well into my thirties and the simple pleasure of cycling came flooding back,sometimes the new thing overwhelms what was good about the old thing.
Remember the miserable afternoons in Double Maths at school ? now imagine being given ten minutes to go back and observe, or the long boring car journey in your dads old car, ten minutes to sit in it and drink in the smells and re-aqauint yourself with the experience, five minutes in a shop you used to go to as a kid, long since demolished....
I was walking the Dog and a group of four people walked past a minty fresh looking "Jet Black" model Metro from about 88 and were getting all misty eyed over it, nostalgia, it is powerful and dangrous.
You go back to things after years of newer, bigger, better and faster and sometimes it doesnt work but sometimes you regret not going back sooner, I went at 18 from cycling to driving and then didnt bother until I was well into my thirties and the simple pleasure of cycling came flooding back,sometimes the new thing overwhelms what was good about the old thing.
jbi said:
V8Triumph said:
Even though I know a brand new, well specced Corsa cost more to by than one of my cars - I still find them depressing.
my dad recently had a 1k mile corsa rental. had to have a sit in it just because, it was terrible (aside from the fact i couldn't work out how to unlock it) the interior is just so wierd and chubby
It seems every mondeo over 10 years old has gaffer tape on the bumpers..
http://www.jack-frost.co.uk/mondeo_gaffer_tape.htm...
richardxjr said:
No. Most people think if it's old it's shagged. New cars just depress me. And that's just seeing and hearing them, before we get on to the financial suicide involved in buying them.
I agree with you Richard.When I see an old retro car on the road it usually makes be smile, I have affection for those unloved cars that are neither modern or "classic". As above, I find chintzy, high/slab sided, bloaty modern cars depress me the most.
tangerine_sedge said:
My daily commute is along part of the M5 near Bristol. Fridays wouldn't be the same without seeing all the VW camper vans parked on the hard shoulder with their engine covers open and a blonde-haired surfer-wannabe scratching his head...
A friend had a VW camper on the standard springs. As it turns out it's possible to work on the underside of it without a jack since it has about a foot of ground clearance as standard. It is hilarious driving down the M5 though. 
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