Roobarb

Oooh. That TT is the business!

I own one of those fancy Porsche beetles and the handling really isn’t for everyone. Lift off oversteer is fun when you want it to happen but when you don’t... Years ago, I was test driven, by the owner, in a SWB 911 (before the prices went insane - around ‘91). We ended up off the road with the back end skimming over a ditch. It was quite ‘exhilarating’. At the end of the drive, the owner looked at me and said ‘I’m guessing your not interested’. Right now, I would love a Karmann Ghia, but that’s more cruiser than sports car!

Great car! Love it. What’s the first pound land upgrade. Really enjoy your posts and a great selection of cars. Well done!

Ok, I’ll bite Phil. What’s in a gumbo? We don’t get such fancy dishes “oop north”.

Thanks for digging that up. I’ve said it before, I think Harris is a top bloke. He’s the type of guy who comes over to you at a car show and shows a real interest in your mk3 escort when your surrounded by a bunch of fancy £50k plus sports cars as he knows you have real passion about it.

Delorean?

How long have you been a super flying / successful scrapyard owner, looking for a new ‘on site’ guard dog kennel, while worrying what people will feel about your acne? Or is that just your FaceBark persona? I fear you have been keeping things from us Mr Dave Q, if that is your real name...

When I first moved to the US I went to look at an ex-Dukes of Hazzard ‘car’ - where the term car is used in its most loose. The front end had been replaced after it had been bananaed from filming. Had photos of it before and after it’s use along with signatures of the duke boys lacquered on the dash (no Daisy - the deal breaker ha ha ha). The interior was little more than a couple of battered black generic bucket seats and a cage, all original (allegedly) and all badly sprayed orange. At the time it was a little over £10k. Luckily I bought a used Elise instead (random huh!). Why luckily? Well I live in Minneapolis - I can only imagine the hate it would have seen during the George Floyd riots.

This is my current Stuttgart squeeze - sorry for the repeat pic, but it took me an age to get it running and still needs more loving!

Went to pick up milk late tonight and as I trudged back through the car park, I heard a deep throated beetle go by. Look up and it’s an incredible silver 356 A coupe looking all outlawed. Pretty much my dream car since about 1987 when I started driving. Wish I could say one day one will be mine, but have never quite been able to get my pay to catch up with that level of inflation. Achingly cool though. Thanks for posting. I went to the old museum that was a little more than a long big garage back in the early 90s. Managed to tour the plant too. ‘If you get the chance, the Prototypo museum in Hamburg has more of the same and well worth a visit.

Was at some nobby car show this weekend. Parked up the old 911 as someone parked up an Aston next to me. They asked the marshal person if they were close enough to my car to which I said ‘don’t worry, the rust isn’t contagious’ and got, not a peep. Just totally ignored. This was there though and it did make me smile (and go a bit squishy) There were more Aston, Ferrari’s and Lambos (including one supposed to cost $4M) but this little Lancia really did it for me!

Chompy - so sorry to hear this. I had a Mk1 Golf many years ago and did just the opposite. It had an issue plague. As I fixed one thing, something else happened. I had a remanufactured engine fitted. New coolant pipes, new radiator, new suspension, new battery, new exhaust including header and then lots of stupid things like buttons on the dash and dash lights. It was endlessly draining. Not just on the pocket, but also the soul. When I eventually gave up and sold it, I sold it with a virtual book full of receipts for work and parts and have never been so happy to finally give in on a car. I think you did the right thing. It looks like another draining car. That all said, the guy who had my car, told my uncle that it was one of the most reliable old cars he’d ever had and now he understood why people loved old VWs so much. Bugger.

Must be bloody heavy. Look how far it’s pushed the suspension down...🤪

Just noticed this picture and it made me smile. The 1960 future with spoked wheels, Batwoman looking like she has just crashed through a fabric shop (complete with bow to ‘wrap up’ the image, weird plexiglass dome that must have been a bugger in a side wind and a cool VW Karmann Ghia hiding out in the background. Today’s super hero’s just don’t know how lucky they are!!!

How cool is that! Wow those stickers have survived well. My Grandad bought his Nova hatch from the very same place. The Uphill garage. Not far from where I used to live (Brean). When I was learning to drive, they had an amazing yellow MGB Roadster (rubber bumper) that was almost as exciting to me as Sam Fox was at that age. Real Wayne’s World ‘One day, it shall be mine’ stuff (the MGB that is, not Sam Fox).

Fantastic! That must be one hell of a bollocking you’re giving those young ones. You’ve been gone over an hour and us idiots are in suspense to see the colour of your chod! edit: damn you posted while I typed... Well bought sir. That there is a chod of beauty!

So chord worthy and has a Haynes manual available. That narrows it down a bit...?

Here’s a slightly better shot...

I can never hear those two words (ding-dong) without getting an image in my head of Leslie Philips or that other cad... Terry Thomas!

Had a pretty shitty week last week, including this: Little old lady hit the front off my car while Roobarb Jnr and I were stopped, waiting to turn out of a car park. Why the grin - well everyone was okay, and it’s forcing me (good excuse) to drive my old chod. Other than not having any cassettes any more, I’m really quite enjoying having ‘electric window races’ (who’s is the slowest) and fighting the ‘box to get the right gear without too loud of a crunch. Beats only getting to drive it on a sunny Sunday.

Victorian Dad for sure. It’s either that or send him up the neighbors chimneys... Unfortunately Roobarb Jnr goes to a special school for kids with bad dyslexia, so anything we can do to keep him working toward normal reading and writing proficiency is something we try to do. He has had a few weeks off and school is 12:30 to 3:30. After that we try and do things with him to make up for the fact that he’s a good kid and know that many of his friends locally are just dossing around. This is us two nights ago magnet fishing (apparently someone on YouTube does this so Jnr wanted to find his own treasures - this runs most notable yields were a large metal pipe, a fork and a fishing hook) I have no idea why there are candles on the bank in the first shot!

Cos I is mean (and after paying for it, I’m the poor bugger!).

Back of a dentists / Starbucks car park, where I’ve been mooching an interweb connection while waiting for Roobarb Jnr to get out of summer school.

For those looking for similar levels of Americana-ism, I’m strongly trying to resist buying this... https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/santa-rosa-chrysler-new-yorker-1965/7158882066.html If it was within a 500 mile radius of me, it wouldn’t still be for sale. 2000 miles is a bit far, even for me! Its just a long weekend ride right?...

Saw this posted today... Made me smile!