Classic car daily driver?
Discussion
Internet at home has been off, BT Openreach have gone underground, so I'm compiling this when I should be working...
For perspective I'll be driving from Colwell, through Yarms, Shalfleet, to Newport, on the Cowes Road just past the prison, down Stag Lane. I leave at 7am and there's no-one on the road, done it in 19 mins.
Love them, but I want something with a bit more umph!
Oh b
ks to this I'm not doing anymore quotes.
Going to see something on 3rd Nov...
RedSwede said:
Only you can decide that
Good point!steveo3002 said:
stock pile some good quailty parts on the shelf for when you need them
Yes, I reckon its £500 on the shelf waiting. Including a spare wheel with a tyre mounted ready to go, plus a spare tyre, so when needed you have options.RedSwede said:
80s cars had moved the game on a long way, and would be infinitely more usable - something from Merc or BMW, maybe a W126 if you want a big saloon, 635CSI (rust!!) if you want rakish, would still have a chunk of that old car charm
Been there with E28's and R129's, fab cars, did some epic drives, Southampton to Tunnel and down to Lake Konstance in 1 day in an E28 520i was soooo comfy and relaxed. But my heart is in 60's cars.Riley Blue said:
13 miles each way, twice a day shouldn't put undue strain on a Mk2. It's only 130 miles a week, assuming a five-day working week, and it should easily cope with that provided you stay on top of maintenance. I'd happily do it in my Riley.
And indeed some days I work from home, we're talking 5k miles a year max.classicaholic said:
join the AA
Gave up with them after 20 years a while back, after it was sold to the French outfit, the value and level of service just got worse. Back in the 80's it was the only game in town. More recently been a breakdown cover refugee, but now with Aviva as we have all cars/houses etc with them. Here on Isle of Wight RAC have 2 vans which seem to cover us very well.Norfolkandchance said:
I think it depend on how critical arriving at a set time everyday is! If you have a job where being a bit late from time to time is OK then go for it.
I'm so vital I'm not sure if they even know when I am here....CRA1G said:
Doesn't Jacob Rees-mogg use a vintage Bentley as a daily.....
Bentley T1. Not vintage. As it happens I have a Silver Shadow in the garage, which is all but the same as JRM's. Puddles of Oil said:
Much more fun than driving a Eurobox!
Exactually!mike9009 said:
Hi Huntsman,
I use my 1982 VW T25 to commute to work occasionally, Ryde to Calbourne 'ish' (I think you are IOW based??) but only when I know the weather should be good. Headlights are terrible, wipers poor, crap blowers, no heated rear screen, no air con, no ABS and not as comfortable as my other vehicles. On a lovely summer's morning, it is great heading across the Downs in the van but a wet October morning in the dark with misted windows, no way.
I even doubt my Smart Roadster in today's weather.... again the headlights aren't great despite some other mod cons....
It just is not fun commuting in an older vehicle even on the island when the weather is rubbish, just makes the commute more stressful (for me!)
Mike
Waving from Newport! We should have a meet up, excitement on Sandown seafront next year with the IOWCC sprint. I use my 1982 VW T25 to commute to work occasionally, Ryde to Calbourne 'ish' (I think you are IOW based??) but only when I know the weather should be good. Headlights are terrible, wipers poor, crap blowers, no heated rear screen, no air con, no ABS and not as comfortable as my other vehicles. On a lovely summer's morning, it is great heading across the Downs in the van but a wet October morning in the dark with misted windows, no way.
I even doubt my Smart Roadster in today's weather.... again the headlights aren't great despite some other mod cons....
It just is not fun commuting in an older vehicle even on the island when the weather is rubbish, just makes the commute more stressful (for me!)
Mike
For perspective I'll be driving from Colwell, through Yarms, Shalfleet, to Newport, on the Cowes Road just past the prison, down Stag Lane. I leave at 7am and there's no-one on the road, done it in 19 mins.
crankedup said:
Was going to suggest a moggy! Great little car and very reliable for a vehicle of such age.
Had 4 moggies, Mogginton, Bottomley, Babar and Maureen!Love them, but I want something with a bit more umph!
Oh b
ks to this I'm not doing anymore quotes.Breadvan72 said:
I have mostly been driving assorted clapped out classic cars as dailies on and off for the last twenty years or so. I usually have one modern shed (something about six to ten years old that I don't really care about), but according to whim I will drive whatever classic I have that happens to be nearly working at the time. My most loony spell was using a Jensen Interceptor as a daily in London and elsewhere for almost two years, a while back. I also drove it to the Abruzzo and back on holidays. It can be done, but all the factors mentioned above are real. You get on first name terms with RAC or AA blokes.
Steve, the RAC man...nice chap.Going to see something on 3rd Nov...
Breadvan72 said:
Pics! Or it didn't happen (yet).
PS: Re Volvo Amazon - I second the Motion.
Acksherly, the car I am going to see is a bit of a silly thing, but suits me and my need. Until it breaks down, or needs a new chassis.PS: Re Volvo Amazon - I second the Motion.
But, I also think, an Amazon estate, would make a perfect everyday family car, plus, even the 240 estates are looking good now too.
Mrs H has an ageing Honda CR-V, its going to die, but say we bought a nice Amazon estate and put it into service as a daily, there'd be a period of some months to iron out the issues, but we could keep the CR-V in parallel for a little while just in case.
Riley Blue said:
Nice, very nice.
I've had my eye on them for years. It was used in the early 90's for some historic rallying, its not been painted since, so its very much 'dans son jus'. there's not any interior other than the seats.Test drive showed that the early MGB 3 syncro box has a tired 2nd gear syncro, no surprise! On the test drive it went down to 3 cylinders, when we got back a poke around found only one dissy cap clip was on, which got her back on 4 pots. Water is getting into the filler cap, so tha needs sorting.
No seats belts, so that needs sorting, some method for a car seat too.
And finally, tyres are 17 years old, so need changing.
I reckon I will need a 6 month period to get it into shape for daily use.
AMGSee55 said:
once you've de-bugged it
There's going to be a bit of that....I had it delivered from Cambridge to a Chum in Portsmouth, plan was to drive it to the ferry, then drive it across the Isle of Wight to my home.
The 6 miles to the ferry went fine, buoyed with success i took a photo and posted it on the Gilbern Club facebook page
As soon as I pulled off the ferry, it started to misfire...then came to a standstill, 15 mins later it stated, got me a couple of miles further, then another 15 mins rest and I made it home on 3 cylinders. Its just condensor, coil, plugs, old fuel crap. Think timing is out by a mile.
Huge clonk from the rear when switching off the overdrive! Perhaps a hub spline.
Feels a bit out of balance, Lots of lead on the rims.
Riot to drive.
Facet red top is noisy.
Exciting news, my Idiot Certificate arrived in the post, along with an electronic ignition and a new Lucas gold HT coil.
As I posted, the drive home was less than a success, misfiring most of the way and coming to a stop twice, this morning I whipped out the dizzy to install the powerspark electronic doofer and found this....
Look carefully at the white wire, halfway along it had been touching the dizzy shaft, insulation worn through, that'll be the misfire then!
Running vastly better, next job is to get the strobe light I bought for £6 in about 1990 fired up!
I had forgotten that if I run a car in the garage, without shutting the garage door or the utility door, or both, that the bloody CO alarm by the boiler in the pantry goes off, as it is doing right now!
As I posted, the drive home was less than a success, misfiring most of the way and coming to a stop twice, this morning I whipped out the dizzy to install the powerspark electronic doofer and found this....
Look carefully at the white wire, halfway along it had been touching the dizzy shaft, insulation worn through, that'll be the misfire then!
Running vastly better, next job is to get the strobe light I bought for £6 in about 1990 fired up!
I had forgotten that if I run a car in the garage, without shutting the garage door or the utility door, or both, that the bloody CO alarm by the boiler in the pantry goes off, as it is doing right now!
Edited by Huntsman on Saturday 23 November 18:19
Finished fitting the alternator, now charging at 14 volts, warning light on dash functioning correctly. Nice.
Fiddled about a bit more, added a terminal to the coil, so now have the tacho working. I tried to set up the timing, dig out my strobe light, had a look, but I could not see the mark, so I had a bit of a clean up on the crank pulley and painted on a new mark (Internation Toplac yacht enamel in snow white, couldn't find tippex!)
Reckon we are very close to some test drives.
Fiddled about a bit more, added a terminal to the coil, so now have the tacho working. I tried to set up the timing, dig out my strobe light, had a look, but I could not see the mark, so I had a bit of a clean up on the crank pulley and painted on a new mark (Internation Toplac yacht enamel in snow white, couldn't find tippex!)
Reckon we are very close to some test drives.
I am the prophet of the Isle of Wight, I predict that Bunwagon72* is heading for a breakdown (mechanical or electrical, praps mental)
I was all set for a test drive with the electronic ignition and alternator conversion, plus a pair of static lap belts now fitted, went to start it and the ignition switch disintegrated..... This is now resolved, with a new cheap Chinese crappy switch from ebay, but the man with the HIAB delivered the boat engines to home for some work over winter and now I can't get the Gilbern out....
I leave Colwell at 7am, to Stag Lane, a fast run is 19 mins, so must pass you towards the Newport end. If you see a nutter driving a dirty white Vx Combo van with roof bars, looking vacant, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the finest of classic FM that's me.
mike9009 said:
Completely missed the updates to this thread. When are you starting the commuting? I am usually trundling along the Forest Road between 0720 and 0740 each morning from Newport to shalfleet. Either in my Smart Roadster, BMW E92 Coupe or rarely my T25.
What are you commuting in at the moment?
Mike
Er... so the harsh reality is that since the Gilbern arrived at the house and was parked in garage it hasn't actually, er, moved. What are you commuting in at the moment?
Mike
I was all set for a test drive with the electronic ignition and alternator conversion, plus a pair of static lap belts now fitted, went to start it and the ignition switch disintegrated..... This is now resolved, with a new cheap Chinese crappy switch from ebay, but the man with the HIAB delivered the boat engines to home for some work over winter and now I can't get the Gilbern out....
I leave Colwell at 7am, to Stag Lane, a fast run is 19 mins, so must pass you towards the Newport end. If you see a nutter driving a dirty white Vx Combo van with roof bars, looking vacant, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the finest of classic FM that's me.
- In the 70's as a child, Mrs Halliwell in the village had a motorhome that had been used to deliver bread, know as the Bunwagon, us kids just rolled around in the back.
mike9009 said:
Too dark at the moment..... See you in Spring with the Gilbern!! 
Be interesting seeing it against my Smart Roadster??
That would be an interesting comparison for the classics dwarfed by moderns thread, the Gilbern is tiny, its in the garage in front my of Silver Shadow for effect! Be interesting seeing it against my Smart Roadster??I bunkd off early to collect a relly for chrimbo, managed in the last hour of daylight to get the second boat engine moved out the way, so I could now give the Gilbern a drive.
Test drive! Only half a mile, but went ok! Might venture further tomoz.
I have sorted the previous owners modifications to the tank breather, it is now not open to the air! Less risk of a mighty explosion launching the fibreglass bootlid into space when turning on the battery charger.
Battery is on charge, I think it needs a new one really, I must check if its discharging while turned orf, To facilitate charging, the bootlid, no stay rod you see, is held open with a bungee up to the garage roof. I must remember to unhook it before driving orf, else when it finally lets go, it'll come through the back of the screen and garrote me.
I have sorted the previous owners modifications to the tank breather, it is now not open to the air! Less risk of a mighty explosion launching the fibreglass bootlid into space when turning on the battery charger.
Battery is on charge, I think it needs a new one really, I must check if its discharging while turned orf, To facilitate charging, the bootlid, no stay rod you see, is held open with a bungee up to the garage roof. I must remember to unhook it before driving orf, else when it finally lets go, it'll come through the back of the screen and garrote me.
Status of the Gilbern so far....
Apart from one test drive of 1/2 mile, its broken down everytime I've driven it.
It seems to be fairly well trained now, most recently, on Friday, after about 6 or 7 miles it started to misfire, finally konking out as I pulled up outside the house, where I could then roll it straight back onto the drive!
No need to call Steve, the very pleasant RAC man!
Float bowls are full of crap, fresh fuel coming through piss coloured!
Hey ho, all good fun, knew it would take some sorting.
Apart from one test drive of 1/2 mile, its broken down everytime I've driven it.
It seems to be fairly well trained now, most recently, on Friday, after about 6 or 7 miles it started to misfire, finally konking out as I pulled up outside the house, where I could then roll it straight back onto the drive!
No need to call Steve, the very pleasant RAC man!
Float bowls are full of crap, fresh fuel coming through piss coloured!
Hey ho, all good fun, knew it would take some sorting.
Riley Blue said:
Tyres are most likely going to be swapped for 'all season' rubber, the idea being to drive it 'all seasons'. Possibly.
The roads here on Isle of Wight tend to be wet and muddy, although we rarely get a frost, I'd like all season tyres, but choice seems limited in 165/80/14. Might have to try a 175/80/14Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff