S A Barrett's Sussex shite spots: Best Spot Ever???

[barrett]

Indeed it's a Blitz, first I've knowingly seen in this country. I have actually seen an identical Hymer camper but Vauxhall-badged also so presumably you could buy one here, too

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its incredibly ugly

[michael t]

Love this thread, great for keeping track of chod density and quality in a certain area of the UK. must get my spotting thread back up and running. Love that Sirion, proper minging 

[Vince70]

‘FG’ is a Brighton registration I think. I imagine that Sirion has lived in close quarters to the sea for all of its life.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It must be as my WBOD has FG in the reg and is a Brighton/ Worthing car originally

[Dick Cheeseburger]

MIssed your last lot.  That white 240 estate with the whitewalls is a 'dungeon' car. Its the one that was stolen and then recovered from a banger racer's yard, fortunatly not yet too badly damaged.

Well spotted. I didn’t realise it ended up back on the road - great to see. I remember the thread on the blue very well, right up until it got messy. Was it on here at the time? Blue one is here, anyway: http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/157873/stolen-volvo-240-london-good

 

Here’s hoping the shitbag who stole it got his comeuppance.

[barrett]

So, I was looking back through my previous spotting thread (http://autoshite.com/topic/5861-brighton-spots-2014-omg/page-1) the other day trying to find a specific photograph, in an a quest to prove somebody else on the Internet WRONG (successfully, thanks for asking) and I realised I used to make a lot more effort providing a commentary on my photographs, rather than just slinging up a load of pictures with virtually no context. Occasionally, I even tried to be funny. I'm not sure when or why I stopped making so much effort here. I suppose it is indicative of a general CBA attitude that pervades my entire life. Frankly, I would be very happy just sitting around in my pants all day, every day, watching TV and eating cake.

Anyway, I may or may not try and make more effort in future. Or I might just kill myself, whatever. Here's a picture of a Transit van

 

Remember this?

 

Well, it's been joined by two more. Great work. The silver one is quite rough, but the other two look surprisingly decent. I've no idea what they are for, as they don't seem to move much. I can't tell if they're working for a living or just somebody's sick fetish, but I'm happy to see them

 

I consider camper vans low-hanging fruit, amd not really in the same category as 'proper spotting'. There's not really a reason for this, a 40-year old camper has just as much right to be documented as a car of the same age, but I have never felt that same sense of satisfaction when photographing a camper. Essentially, these next images are the product of an entirely joyless experience on my part, and I hope some of that comes through to the viewer.

 

Check out these two. It's amazing how much difference a big plastic bumper can make, isn't it. I felt a real frisson when I saw the silver car, happy to be documenting something so rare and glad to discover an old car local to me I had never seen before. The photo I took of the red one was incidental as I walked past, I thought to myself I probably should, as one day it'll be gone, but again, a joyless experience despite there being very little difference and only a handful of years between the two

 

A Saab I was much happier about seeing. There is something so massively evocative about this colour, there must have been loads about when I was a kid - one of the last common cars with chrome bumpers (my personal arbiter for whether or not a car was 'interesting' when I was three years old). Also, a DS

 

It's using a phone to post here that does it, typing is a total nightmare. Anyway, two other things that on the cusp of being interesting (how times have changed), the Subaru for being a very basic model and the Corsa purely for its condition

 

Not much to say here, really. If it was in better condition I wouldn't have bothered, I don't think, but that gaffer tape really made it appealing. Still the most nerve-wracking car I've ever driven.

 

More autoherence. I stopped to snap the Civic and only then noticed the Volvo a couple of cars away.

 

You know, this morning I was thinking idly about how unappealing I find the 02 BMWs. That's the sort of shit I think about. I just can't get excited about them, sorry. Seeing this one it's afternoon hasn't changed my mind.

 

This, however, was great. Not something I'd particularly want to own, I think, but always great to see one still in use. Actually I've changed my mind, I would own one of these, I bet they're totally sensible amd quite nice to drive

 

Here's a car I would love to own. Cheating, a bit, as it was at Staplefield on the day of the Brighton Run, but tough shit. I love it.

 

Right, that's it. Nothing mindblowing, but it's late in the year and I really am suffering with serious CBA-itis. I think I need a holiday to somewhere rich in shite. It's been more than six years since my last holiday ffs!

[vulgalour]

Font on the plates of the Transit is appealing.  I agree on 02 BMWs too, they're just... meh.  The Toyota immediately after is more interesting, even if it does have a stupid lights and number plate layout on the back.

[DodgeRover]

That's me in the Transit! I think they're the original Serck number plates.

[danthecapriman]

That's me in the Transit! I think they're the original Serck number plates.

Looking good! Your towbar looks suitably meaty btw!

[DodgeRover]

Previous owner used it to tow a very large caravan - bit of a stereotype I know!

[FakeConcern]

Years ago I lived in an upstairs flat and the chap below had an 02 BMW (tempted to put Beemer as someone said we shouldn't) in orange, I rather liked it, but Mrs Concern thought it was a Skoda! (when Skoda were a joke).

Also Gaffer tape should be re named Giffer tape in this context.

[Jon]

Great work barrett, Please continue with wordy shiz with the pics, so my spotting thread looks a bit more normal. I did enjoy your guest presenters, as well - didn't Saville make an appearance?

 

Totally agree with the camper comment - I think the reason is that they survive in such great numbers compared to their commercial variants, as people seem happy to just have them hanging about, for some reason. On the subject of survivor numbers, I think that's the reason why a flat front SAAB 99/900 is always more interesting than the later ones, although I like to read about any of them on here.

 

One slight positive can be the documenting of all the terrible guff that owners often can't help but adorn their campers with -  I'm thinking mostly terrible graphics, really. 

 

Keep up the good work and if the UK winter gets too depressing and you want to break your 6 year holiday hiatus, just pop over for a visit. I'm sure we could find you a mid-80's Corolla to blezz about in.

[barrett]

Careful what you wish for Jon, I might turn up on your doorstep one day.

 

Anyway, a few more. It is still definitely a fallow period of spotting. Because my interest in cars really does stop in the '80s, with a few exceptions, I find there is far less stuff I want to photograph on the streets these days, even things that are 25 years old seem like modern cars to me. I guess I'm just getting old. I'll start off with my best recent find. I can't remember where exactly these were, but certainly not Sussex. Somewhere around the Warwickshire/Oxfordshire border I expect. Good candidate for the shite cars & houses thread but I seem to have cropped most of the house out.

 

Everything else is going to seem like an anticlimax after that, but this thing especially (see above for my feelings on campers)

 

Lewes, New Years Eve. I thought this was a Mk2 Fiesta from a distance, but was disappointed to discover it was merely an old Pool. Odd, as I don't like Mk2 Fiestas any more or less than these things.

 

A Ssangyong Rodius in Horsham. I recently had dinner in Paris with the bloke who styled these. Bet not many of you can say that, eh?

 

Not really a spot as I was driving this thing for an article. I have never paid the slightest bit of attention to Alpines before but this example is absolutely beautiful. Original red interior, that grey paint and the hard top (which the owner has never considered removing since he fitted it) plus the steel wheels. It sounded great too, and was pretty nice to drive though hardly exciting.

 

More like it. A proper old car just sat on a driveway. I really like how these look but presumably they are absolutely horrid to drive?

 

This was round the corner from the Austin, and the next two spots were on the same street. It really is a 'thing'! I wish somebody could explain to me why it happens so often. Anyway, this was pretty tidy but obviously not in use for a while.

 

This old shed was just up the road. Bit modern for me but great to see in this sort of shape

 

And this was 200 yards away. I suspect I have spotted this one before several years ago, parked somewhere else entirely

 

Now usually I don't do this, but... frustratingly under a tarp when I walked by, this Google snap is much better than what I managed. Sorry.

 

Finally for now, this 405 I saw in France whilst picking up the 404 had been given Le Jacky Touch for sure, but I actually really liked it and it was the only interesting car I saw in 450 miles of mostly motorway driving

 

Right, that's it. See ya next time losers.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Who is the stylist on that Rodius then? Is it Ken Greenley? If so us shiters have a lot to thank him for. his time will come I reckon, I just hope it happens while hes still alive

[barrett]

It was Greenley and John Heffernen, who's the one I know. Together they also did the quite nice '90s Bentley Continental thingy and Ken did the Panther Solo. Quite a portfolio of rubbish. The Rodius was supposed to look like 'a yacht' and 'like nothing else on the road' and it certainly succeeded in one of those briefs.

[SierraMikeHotel]

When you're in Lewes, always check out that spot where the blue Polo's parked. There's often something interesting there.

[Psycho Charlie Knobcheese]

I recognise a lot of the cars on here! I used to live about 50 yards down the road from the white Polo on page 1... It was still there when I left 2 years ago.

The festering Sherpa carcass at the bottom of Cowley Drive on P3 looked like that 15 years ago!

[timolloyd]

Amazingly the garden full of P4s on the A22 North of East Grinstead, spotted earlier in this thread, has been cleared. Must have been there 25 years at least!

[barrett]

Shame about the P4s, that was a real local landmark.

 

The Polo recently moved to the house next door (in a space that was occupied by a fucked Princess about 20 years ago, if you remember that?) but quite quickly disappeared completely so I suspect it is now bean cans. Shame, as it didn't look too bad really

[barrett]

Righty-ho. When I moved to this neighborhood as a child about 20 years ago our family car was a Mk3 Cavalier, and this Mk3 lived at the other end of our road. It's still there, and I see it being driven almost daily. I suspect the chap may have had it from new.

 

My phone camera hates anything less than perfect light. I only discovered this after taking the photograph below, so sorry about that. An American panel van like an Econoline is one of those vehicles that I would quite like to own, but would feel totally wrong driving about in the UK. Some American stuff is fine in this country, but some of it seems so intrinsically linked to the nation's culture that to transport it over the Atlantic and drive it on these shores feels like entirely missing the point. Amd, having to park it in central Brighton. Still, cool though innit

 

Here's a 306. Not rare, not unusual. I just liked the look of it.

 

Only moderately more interesting. Still so many of these around that it would sent seem worth photographing them, but I suppose they are getting on a bit in years now and numbers are due to fall dramatically in the next few years

 

Bit more like it. I see this every time I drive to Hastings but only recently decided to stop and snap it.

 

Oh, talking of Citroens, I totally forgot about this BX in Paris in February. It seemed to have one window down or missing so was presumably totally fucked by the time the snow thawed

 

Another Citroen, this Visa seems to have been abandoned at Bicester Heritage. I should probably investigate.

 

Really liked this scruffy old Riley in Wales a few weeks ago. Did make me start giving serious thought to running a '50s car as my sole daily again.

 

And this, driving back through Gloucestershire near chez Glover - "that must be something to do with Sam" said my colleague. It must be nice to have such a good reputation.

 

This was in a particularly charming little part of London, just round the corner from Alan Bennett's house (and Tara King's apartment, for any Avengers fans in the house). I had just 'spotted' Mary Portas walking her nice dog about 30 seconds before taking this.

 

Nothing nice to say about this spotting experience whatsoever, it's a Sierra in Worthing in the rain.

 

I love a four-door Skyline, and that's exactly what this is, so it gets included here despite being MODERN

 

Aaaaaand for something completely different, here is somebody else's spot of ME during the omg beast/east chaos when my dull modern car wouldn't start and I had to commute in a 1959 DKW for a couple of weeks

 

Bye!

[Sudsprint]

That DKW is a lovely thing to behold.

 

Great '1960s Cold War' era feel to the photo too!

[vulgalour]

In Hove somewhere

20170113_112526.jpg

Recent update made me browse back through the spots and I realised the plate on this looked familiar. That's because I've just started reading his build thread: http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/192439/scimitar-brakes He's had it a while now, seems to be his only car. Certainly has the right attitude towards it which seems mostly be to use it and personalise it but don't do anything that might ruin it completely.

[jonny69]

Fucking hell, you are properly rubbing shoulders with the celebs these days.

 

Anyway, that Micra way up there ^ with all the silver gaffer tape all over it and some kind of prolapse in the rear door. That's made my day that has.

[barrett]

Minimal update time. This knackered Astra was on a trading estate near Cambridge. Check out the moss! There were loads of these things in my extended family when I was a kid, all painted that China blue colour for some reason. I really didn't like them and thought our Mk1 was a far better car.

 

This Nissan Sunny van was a few doors down from me one morning as I set off for work. Never seen before it before or since, although I know I've snapped one of these before and I fear it might just be the same one. That was five years ago, though, so I guess enough time has passed. Always worth remembering how Nissan invented an entirely new 'face' for this model of Sunny which was unlike all the others we got in this country

 

Tesco car park remains a strongly fertile hunting ground. In fact, I'm at the point now where I see cars there which I know are repeat visitors that I've been unable to photograph and now I'm just biding my time waiting for them to return.

This 480 looked nice in this light, so have two pics

 

I live a very boring life. I don't have the sort of thrilling social milleu of my early 20s to support me. I no longer take drugs, I don't even (really) smoke anymore. In fact, the only time I ever really feel a glimmer of excitement is when I notice an unfamiliar automotive shape in the distance. My hands grow clammy, I fumble into my jacket pocket to retrieve my phone. I activate my camera, yards ahead of the car, and hold it poised between three fingers. I check the street to see how might be watching. Do I look like a car thief? Or just a sad fat man with no friends?

 

*muffled sound of ecstacy*

 

'It's pure shite!' I think to myself, 'they're gonna love this one on the Internet, my real mates.'

 

I take another snap and shuffle away, content, for a short time at least.

 

Oh, then I drove a 1922 Peugeot Quadrilette to Nevers and back (about 800 miles). This was in our first stop at Forges-les-Eaux. Driven by a Gifferette, slightly rough round the edges, just somebody's old car. Lovely.

[barrett]

Just found these two 'action shots' from France. Loved the Lada

 

 

[mercrocker]

 

This Nissan Sunny van was a few doors down from me one morning as I set off for work. 

 

I live a very boring life. 

 

then I drove a 1922 Peugeot Quadrilette to Nevers and back (about 800 miles). 

 

One of these sentences must be incorrect.   Where else in Internetland would you  find them in a single post, though?

[jonny69]

RUMBLED! YOU'RE NOT BORING AT ALL. YOU'VE HAD US OVER A BARREL ALL THIS TIME, YOU FRAUD!

[barrett]

Righto chod-lovers, I have managed to dredge up another dozen examples of depressing automotive conveyances from the depths of my phone. Let's start with this TRIPLE BONUS snap from my last trip to France. Apart from the lovely BMW, the thing behind is one of those interesting Delahaye VLR things which was just about as advanced as vehicle design got in the 1940s. This was owned by the Delahaye guru Xavier Tassel, at whose chateau this event was partly held. Inconviently though, he died about half way through the proceedings. Nice chap.

 

Spotted at Laugharne, home of Dylan Thomas and the inspiration for Llaregubb in Under Milk Wood. I'm not sure Dylan was much of a shiteist but I'm sure he would have appreciated the boxy, functional nature of this first gen Civic Shuttle

 

Later the same day, at a services on the M4. I watched this pull up and waited, just out sight, for the occupants to get out, walk across the car park and into the services. Only then did I pounce for my snap, such is the shame I feel over my innocent hobby. The hub caps are nice, though

 

This is a Land Rover

 

I suspect I have already captured this natty Amazon before, but so be it. Not keen on the wheels, natch, but the rest is alright

 

This soft-focus Midget is a recent local addition. Ordinarily outside my remit, this one makes the cut for 1. The hard top 2. The seemingly random primer piebalding and 3. The sheer length of time it's been parked on the street without any number plates

 

I love lawn mower specialists. They seem to be one of those businesses that exist in a full-on timewarp. Everything is a bit rusty and smells of Castrol R. This one has recently branched out into Bond Bugs

 

A good example of a car I would have ignored not that long ago. This was in excellent condition and, bad-boy exhaust aside, had a certain allure I rarely experience with German cars

 

Amusing GARK numberplate aside, this was mostly notable in kickstarting an office meme of calling Escorts 'Eskies' because that's exactly the sort of thing people who have Escorts would say. 'Nice Esky, mate' (it wasn't)

 

Sunbeam Talbot and Morris part of a collection of rotting tin behind a local classic car garage

 

I couldn't tell you if this is a pukka Carrera S or not, but it's still a pretty badass choice of car for a shopping trip to Tesco

 

These final shots from the press/trade car park at Beaulieu Autojumble, which always offers up a few gems. No prizes for guessing my favourite

 

Et voila! Not mch more exciting than a half decent post in the lazy spotters thread really, but I have certainly become a very lazy spotter so what else do you expect?

[barrett]

Well, as that was such a roaring success, have a few more from a weekend in Holland. Even by my standards, these photos are all of quite appallingly bad quality, sorry about that! I've also only had a couple of hours sleep, driving from the ferry straight to the office this morning, so I CBA writing any commentary whatsoever. A proper bumper update, then.

 

 

Yeah, soz about that! What a load of old rubbish. I'll do better next time

[barrett]

Well, tat last update went down well. I fully admit it was pretty sub-par though so fair enough I guess. This next batch will hopefully be a little more exciting. Let's start gently with a pair of Volvo. This first one, for readers with long memories, is sat in the spot where once was the world's shonkiest Datsun Laurel, a daily driver that was sadly written off and broken for bits. Nice to see the owner keeping the faith with a similarly unfashionable, dynamically challenged barge

 

This photo can be dated by the preponderance of autumn leaves on the ground. This one is very local to me and in lovely condition despite being used as a proper working vehicle

 

I used to think John Heffernen (of Ssangyong Rodius fame) styled the Calibration, when in fact he did not. Now every time I see one I say 'NOT by John Heffernen', which is exactly what I said when I spotted this tidy example in Bicester

 

Seen on the same day, a fabulously scruffy Rebel. I've always loved the look of these but have never had a chance to drive one.

 

Back in B-town, a P6 in my favourite colour in nicely used condition. It's only a matter of time before I buy a cheap P6, break it, push it into the barn and then sell it a year later at a slight loss I reckon.

 

This Midi was spotted outside ACA on the day I bought the wretched R16. I was younger then, more nave, easily led. Oh, well.

 

Hastings. This obviously loses points for being a camper, albeit a converted ambulance camper, but it claws some back for the perfect combination of pressed steel Sercks on the front and raised digits on the back - with two digits missing and the outline painted on in Hammerite

 

Next up, a French Starlet, which presumably means somebody drove it over here from France. It was fairly near the channel tunnel to be fair, but still, vive le merde!

 

London now, and a very yellow Alpine

 

More to my taste, these two were seen in the same car park adjoining a block of flats. 'A turquoise scarf and silver rolled up over a Merc... Montclair' (I don't know if it actually is a Montclair)

 

More coming...