What is Autoshite?

[fraser.innes.3]

To stop my favourite 'Grumpy old man' thread getting filled up with crap i have decided to start this thread.

 

Autoshite is whatever 'you' think it is!

 

I have 4 cars manufactured in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2011. Due to their ages it could be justified that none are autoshite, but i challenge anyone to deny that a 2001 Renault Megane Cabriolet 1.6 automatic fits this category.

But a totally rotten 60's e-type will never be shite in my opinion.

 

There's that word again, opinion. It's all about opinion, so just give the petty arguing a rest.

 

I don't comment on many threads, as although i enjoy them, my prattling on will not add any value.

 

Thanks

 

Fraser

 

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

[fordperv]

To me most of it is Unloved cars which no one in their right mind would spend time and money repairing, often the type of cars that were common place and ran into the ground because they were just transport

[sierraman]

I've nothing even remotely interesting. To me it's running a cheap car, reliably, on a tight budget. I'll never be posting up that I've bought a 1982 Lonsdale YD41, but I'm interested in it for sure, so take enjoyment from reading what others write. It takes me a fucking age to save up £600 to buy a car and I've got two kids that are my priority so I'm not down for restoring stuff but in years to come you never know.

[Kiltox]

Baby don't hurt me

Don't hurt me

No more

[sierraman]

Haddaway! That's the sort of shit that's in my speakers!

[mat_the_cat]

Skizzer (I think) posted a graph which summed it up perfectly in my eyes. Hopefully he'll repost!

[RoadworkUK]

I come here because I have absolutely no aspiration towards new, shiny things whatsoever. I've trained myself to be this way thanks to long-term skintness.

 

I still walk away from my nineteen year old car and look back at it over my shoulder with a feeling of pride, it's nice to be among others who do the same.

 

Autoshite is anything that can be bought for less than a years interest for a PCP on something with Bluetooth.

[Sheefag]

I've nothing even remotely interesting.  I'll never be posting up that I've bought a 1982 Lonsdale YD41,

 

 

A Lonsdale? Not remotely interesting? You're a bloody hero matey!

[sierraman]

No you've missed my point. The Lonsdale is interesting. Given my circumstances I'd be unlikely to come home with one. But you never know, stranger things happen at sea.

[Partridge]

I come here because I have absolutely no aspiration towards new, shiny things whatsoever. I've trained myself to be this way thanks to long-term skintness.

 

I still walk away from my nineteen year old car and look back at it over my shoulder with a feeling of pride, it's nice to be among others who do the same.

 

Autoshite is anything that can be bought for less than a years interest for a PCP on something with Bluetooth.

I've never spent more than £680 on a car.

 

Oxford Blue Sterling: £680

Green Sterling: £350

605: £350

Jag: £480.

 

But it all together and that's not a year's worth of payments for a modern hatchback!

[Shep Shepherd]

A bit like life - what you make it

[Timewaster]

"Autoshite is a hub of great international activity, cunningly disguised as a dozen blokes posting up photos of Talbot Solaras"

 

 

 

See also: http://autoshite.com/topic/14819-define-autoshite/

[John F]

It's the military wing of mumsnet.

[seth]

Price/value is irrelevant to Autoshite.

 

Just because something costs little (or is cheap motoring) doesn't mean it is Autoshite. 

Just because something is worth lots doesn't mean it isn't.

[Hertz]

I've been here a while (I don't own any shite by the way but love reading about old motors and your escapades in them). I don't think bangernomics as you call it was part of the original ethos. Nowt wrong with it of course but it's just a place to enjoy rare/unloved/forgotten cars and have a bit of crack with each other.

[captain_70s]

Not what it used to be, etc, etc.

[BavarianRetro]

Is it not a place for people interested in older cars?

 

Ideally those people should take their interest in older cars seriously, but they shouldn't take themselves too seriously.

 

That's why there's old diesel Peugeots and Mondeos, and there's Bentleys and S classes mixing in with MX5s and Sierras.

 

Older cars. That is it. Nothing else in common, so you won't agree with everything that everyone says, but you're all interested in older cars.

[Brodders]

Price/value is irrelevant to Autoshite.

 

Just because something costs little (or is cheap motoring) doesn't mean it is Autoshite.

Just because something is worth lots doesn't mean it isn't.

Too true. I reckon it has more to do with the whole "cars being generally unloved" by the general population than the price; after all, a Marina or an Ambassador in decent condition is probably worth a bit more than some Audis or Mercedes that most of the public would rather own.

 

It can also cover stuff that most people do like, but are a bit shit to drive by today's standards if we are honest, such as 2CV's or others.

 

Who am I kidding, it is a pretty fluid term, but if means something, which is more than can be said for most things in this age of front wheel drive BMW's.

[STUNO]

Autoshite. I use an old car as a daily, and have done for many years. looking about the innernet in 2009 I found this lot. They seemed to be just the type of people who liked what I did, so joined. The site has changed a bit, but the substance is still the same, buying and using shit cars that no-one wants. there are threads i don't bother with, there are ones i love to see updated. That's life !

I have posted very little about my 22 year old daily over the last couple of years because there is nothing to say. It just keeps on going, so have to rely on others misfortune.

It is a site i look at every day. I have also had the good fortune to meet a number of other members, both here and in the UK and have not met anyone I didn't like, and that is quite remarkable.

Love you all, even the grumpy ones.

[RoadworkUK]

In truth it's hard to say exactly what it is that makes Autoshite so compelling.

 

I suppose it's a bit like picking one's nose.

[Skizzer]

Skizzer (I think) posted a graph which summed it up perfectly in my eyes. Hopefully he'll repost!

 

Here it is: the Shite Frontier.  

 

I don't think it is perfect (though it's kind of you to say), and some people had suggestions to make it better that I agreed with but have forgotten and can't find the original post/thread, but it's a fair general guide to what I personally (and some others) think is/isn't shite.

[dollywobbler]

Generally, what makes this place is that there are very few cars that make us go 'that's too shit. Piss off.' That makes us pretty unique. We've even got PT Cruisers on here now, and Vauxhalls that maybe aren't that shit.

 

What I really love on here are the Herculean efforts made to save old rammel, whether scruffy Sierras, or seriously minty restos, like Vin's Fiat van and that amazing Mk1 Cavalier.

[taxi paul]

I am pretty new to the place. But for me its about people who are just the same has each other really and that's an interest in cars of the older variety. People who can see that just because its 15 years old and worth £300 doesn't make it a load of crap. They understand that because its an older cheaper car then it may have a few foibles and need a bit of tlc. When I drove wagons I used to get the new one every year because I done most miles. My old one would be passed down the line to eventually a book called mike got it. One day someone asked him did he mind having the oldest wagon and he just said " no cos when I scratch this no one can tell cos its wrecked. You scratch your new shiney one and you will get a bollocking" wise words.

[Dick Longbridge]

There was a thread on here a while back, talking about exactly the same thing. My take on it - I'll use my original analogy: Autoshite is flawed perfection. I did a track day for my 30th, and wasn't particularly inspired by the Lotus Elise, Subaru Impreza or the Porsche Whatever it was. They were predictable, reliable and very normal. However, when it came to the Ferrari, things were different. It required a hammer to whack the starter before shenanigans could commence. The instructor also warned me to lift my legs right up as I slid into the drivers seat, as it was easy to catch the pedals. Combined with the warning that I needed to treat the gearstick gently, as some ruffians had clean ripped it out when getting over-excited, I was in my element. Expensive oddball autoshite heaven.

[EssDeeWon]

Generally this forum is spot on, as long as you sort through some of the crap but how do you stop people starting a new thread about 'keyless entry' or 'Im thinking of buying a new car which one should I buy?'  Lets ignore that bollocks and concentrate on the proper shite threads.

 

Anything that causes modern car owners to turn their nose up can be classed as shite. Only recently I was kindly informed by someone who owned a white Peugeot 308 coupe on finance and using a deposit they also borrowed the money for from a family member that my Rover looked shit and should be put away in a shed.

 

Someone at work (actually a nice guy) who had a new Bini on finance mentioned something in the pub about Rovers as being total shit.

 

Yep they are shit, that's why I paid £400 for my car and your probably stuck paying nearly that every single month for three years, for something common as muck and worth a fraction of the price when you eventually own it.

[scruff]

Why take it so seriously. I first started coming on here (fnarr) because it was so funny; it still is funny, and the funniest posters are those who don't take any of it (especially themselves) seriously at all. It's a bit like reading old car mags, we all have our favourite writers, some that piss us off but hey that's life. 

 

I do admit it's the older motors that tickle my pickle but if there's a good story I'm interested whatever it is. I like the fact we have gents who either have or could clearly afford a few genuinely top-end motors if they wanted to, mixing it with ruffians running old bangers on a frayed shoestring and wondering where the next tenner for fuel is gonna come from. 

[mercrocker]

I come here because most classic car clubs, forums and events frankly bore me fucking rigid.   One or two are worth bothering with but I enjoy the same kind of car that used to be frowned upon by these organisations (well not forums cos they weren't about back then).     

 

As time goes on one or two more modern cars than I would have previously bothered with have come into my radar, like the 1980s Mercs, but essentially I have driven and owned 60s cars since my first one in 1977.   I am interested in far more cars than I will ever own, or want to own and this place does the job.  

 

The fact that as Scruff points out there is a good mix of folk on here (and a fair few that do not take things too seriously) makes it a good place to be - just like the ideal pub should be.  If the car park looked like 1980 had never happened that makes it all the more pleasurable.

[Timewaster]

Online Jalopy?

[fatharris]

AutoShite celebrates the unloved, interesting, obscure cars and the efforts required to preserve them.

 

That's how I describe it when I'm asked.

[Lord Sterling]

Is it the hot weather or summat bringing out the worst in people recently? I notice that the season of arguements/falling out and general moaning about content on this forum seems to be coming around more often now.

 

This is a public forum and anyone can join, we won't all get on unfortunately despite our shared interests in Autoshite/old unloved cars (there are a few here who annoy me profusely, but the 'ignore' button is a pretty useful function for that) and no, we won't all have the same taste/interest in cars. Some of our cars are newer than some others would like. I know that a fair few probably don't like/care for my BMW and I don't want them to, it isn't Autoshite, I know that. My Rovers probably are but I no longer have the time to commit to them I once did, so I don't post about them anymore. I do live in hope that I will be able to continue thier stories. I do sometimes post up about the BMW because it's all I've got to hand.

 

We've got all got lives away from Autoshite, for some of us here, those lives are becoming increasingly difficult and straining so our cars become the last thing we can concentrate on, yet we still want to contribute and keep the place 'running' but everybodys contribution/style differs which can lead to resentment and eventually fall outs/moaning. We are caught in a viscous circle which needs to be broken, it's up to you to look at what you are written and evaluate whether it's relevant or not.

 

P.S - Fraser - I've sent you a message about picking up the BMW discs. I sent it earlier on today.