The work classic car day

[jonny69]

This is the only classic car event I've "attended" this year. I say "attended" because it was at work so it probably doesn't count, because I just drove to where I normally drive to in the car I normally drive in. Anyway, we managed to convince colleagues to bring in a small selection of cars, a motorbike and a vintage bicycle for a lunchtime show and shine. Which was actually quite fun because it was glorious sunshine

First up; the bike: a 1925 Triumph 500cc single. This is a truly fantastic piece of machinery with the throttle controlled by two levers on the handlebars - one for the air and the other for the fuel. Suicide gearchange by the lever next to the tank. It has a total loss oiling system which you periodically pump manually to get oil round the bearings. He rode it in 4 miles:



Very tidy early 70's Mini with a custom interior. Nice and narrow, just how I like them:



"The Beast", a Herald-based kit car with Triumph straight 6. I forget what it's called, but the styling is based on a particularly ugly Ferrari and this recreation is, believe it or not, a lot prettier. It's quite fun to be in, too:



Pretty tidy Mini Moke and accompanying interior, or lack of:





1938 Marsden Sunbeam bicycle:



Split-screen Morris Minor 4-door has been treated to a nice restoration and a very nice original leather interior:



The 1500 and the Midget are both owned by the same guy. Not entirely sure how he got both in to work on the same day, but we have been known to use the work carpark as classic car storage, accidentally* of course:





Mine. I don't really talk about my car much on here, but I've recently had an engine disaster and spat the bottom end all over the M25. When I pulled the broken engine out last weekend, I dropped in a partially complete Cortina engine that Kevfromwales had donated to me a couple of years ago. I wasn't sure if I was going to get this running in time, or if it was even going to run because it felt a bit tired, but I had a last-minute crack at it last night. Adapted exhaust, bolted the last few things on, roughly timed it and it fired up and appeared to drive ok. I gave it a few tweaks and a wash this morning and it seems to be fine. Either that or it's going to be a long walk home:



And and all-standard Austin 1300. A bit wobbly looking in places, but well loved and is regularly in the carpark:

[Squire_Dawson]

Heater in a Moke seems a bit pointless.

[hairnet]

jonny wins at anglias

[Cavcraft]

Hats off to the Marsden owner for such a class bit of bike and having a pound shop lock to 'secure' it. 

[PiperCub]

Was thinking that about the Moke's heater too.

 

What I'm jealous of is that you work somewhere that has folk with interesting transport.

Where I work, there are several hundreds of cars in the car parks and you know what? Apart from my kit, virtually none of them are even vaguely interesting, loads of bland boxes, faux 4x4's, vans-with-windows, shitty so-called mini's etc.

 

Do have a smart late 60's MGBGT & a V6 Alfa 156 - both of which I've owned in the past (the 156 last year) plus a battered old S2 Landie worthy of these pages.

[HillmanImp]

Where do you work? The only oldest car that belongs to anyone at my work other than me (W reg rover 200) just got scrapped and replaced by a Vauxhall Adam.

[PiperCub]

I've always get irrationally upset with anyone who dares to show up in an older car than me.

[dollywobbler]

That Mini looks a bit old for an M-reg. Was it imported at some point? Lovely selection though!

[twosmoke300]

I would have to have a matched pair of front tyres on the beast . Cos they are so on show

[Skizzer]

Like. Muchly.

 

How cool would it be if the office car park looked like that every day?

[jonny69]

Glad this went down well. I work in science at a big measurement lab on the west of London. I really ought to do a work carpark spotted thread because, classics aside, scientists really do drive some spectacular chod. There's a young lad with a very straight early Ford Orion, one of the students has a well worn Mini which I often see 4-up on the way into work and there is a couple of absolutely hanging Heralds. Must be owned by the same bloke. Yeah I quite like working here because I'm not the odd one out

[Shep Shepherd]

When I drive either of my Volvos to work, I have the oldest car in the car park by some considerable margin. This makes me happy

[Noel Tidybeard]

That Mini looks a bit old for an M-reg. Was it imported at some point? Lovely selection though!

wipers are wrong way round for a '73 mk3

[Richard]

It's a Mk2, it's got external door hinges and sliding windows.

[quicksilver]

It's a small world, I know the chap who owns the Triumph and Midget. He also has a green Chevette that's currently sitting on my neighbour's drive enhancing my view considerably

[dollywobbler]

It's a Mk2, it's got external door hinges and sliding windows.

 

Yes. but I had it in my head that Mk2 ended in 1971. Actually, my book reckons Mk3 ran from 1969-1971 and I'm pretty sure the Mk3 had internal door hinges. It also looks like a Cooper, and they finished in 1969 (Cooper S ran to '71). Just wondered what the story was.

[mercrocker]

I always think it would be great if we had classic-only parking at the front of our building but not many share that idea, even though the MD has a bubble car and would probably approve.   Not long ago we still had a Leyland Lynx and Bedford TK in the engineers department but its all lease crap now.

[dollywobbler]

I always think it would be great if we had classic-only parking at the front of our building.

 

I used to dream of this, especially when I was staff at a publisher of classic car magazines.

[jonny69]

It's a Mk2, it's got external door hinges and sliding windows.

 

I spotted those bits and thought they looked a bit early for the reg, but I don't know my Minis all that well. I'll see if I can find out what the story is.

 

 

It's a small world, I know the chap who owns the Triumph and Midget. He also has a green Chevette that's currently sitting on my neighbour's drive enhancing my view considerably

 

Lol. There was a Chevette for sale locally - wonder if it's the same car.

[PiperCub]

Back when I started proper work after uni I remember clearly our department head politely asking those of us with, shall we say, less-than-tidy cars to - and I recall his exact words:

 

"Can you please park that junk around the back of the building, you're making the place look untidy"

 

Guess what? 25 years later, I still delight in parking my old stuff where I shouldn't. As an athiest I see it as spreading the gospel of Chod.

[jonny69]

I wonder how the bible would read if you simply replaced the word God with Chod?

[Split_Pin]

I wish I worked where you worked!

[richardmorris]

My work classic car day is me turning up in a car. I think my newest (the merc.) is 10years older than the next oldest in the business centre parking.

[PiperCub]

I wonder how the bible would read if you simply replaced the word God with Chod?

 

Maybe:

 

And on the seventh day god created the chod - and he was most pleased as the chod was good........................... in fact, mmmm,  that diesel BX only needs a couple of spheres, a bit of work on the brakes and a service.......... well worth £300.

[Angrydicky]

Don't know of anyone else at my work with classic cars, they certainly don't take them in if so. I've always got the oldest in the carpark by a considerable margin, the next oldest is usually an utterly knackered H reg Corolla, which is thankfully still going strong.

[richardmorris]

On the noticeboard at work I have a cartoon cutting from the guardian about cars in the work carpark. My favourite is about the 2CV,...

 

"a 2cv in the carpark is fine, as every company needs its sock-sniffing eccentric, but more than one means the company is generally underpowered and going nowhere fast".

[mercrocker]

Its quite scary how it creeps up on you - the fact that there aren't any Volvo 240s, Ambassadors or Bluebirds left in the car park these days.   Even people who used to buck the system seem to have degenerated into mass Mokka/Yaris/Juke ownership.   I blame the lease company that came round peddling their filth last year, people honestly think they are getting a free car!

[PiperCub]

Exactly what I think is happening - as you say, with lease cars folk are fooled into thinking they are getting a new car for free every couple of years. Seemly they don't understand it's like renting a place to live rather than buying, you pay through the nose for something you'll never own, it's never going to be an asset to you. Once on the treadmill, it's hard to get off.

 

I'm amazed how many of the young people I work/have worked with who drive around in practically new cars, for instance, the apprentice chap who's just finished and joined us full time on shift drives a 62 plate car (a Corsa I think) and he's 20. I'm not against this if that's what you want, you're a big boy/girl & it's your money to waste as you see fit but I'm sure they don't get it really. Oh well, hopefully they'll live and learn.

[lisbon_road]

I work (generally) in a small factory in rural Gloucestershire.  Thankfully the carpark still has some older motors in it, the oldest being a J reg Astra which is totally immaculate though unfortunately one of the saloon ones.  The owner is very proud of it too, and recently had the engine fixed after the cambelt broke.  There are other older cars, though some of the apprentices do have much newer ones than me for sure.  But that isn't hard.

[jonny69]

Apparently it's national drive your classic car to work week or something and we're having another one of these this week at some point. Assuming the organiser actually tells anyone, that is, which he hasn't yet...