The First Year in the Life of a Philippines Car Spotter

[davocano]

Just a few street spots 'cos the month of January is so bloody awful in general;

I only put this here 'cos the parking is pretty terrible and that number plate.

B/W 'cos the oranges came out as purples for some digital reason. Fascinating*

Cheating again because Aston Martin dealership but this is one of the ninety-nine Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brakes.

[davocano]

A gut pull drag on me

Into the chasm gaping we

Time is on my side, yes it is

 

Coronavirus lockdown means updates to this thread are now possible. Don't bother holding on to your collective hats, it's not all that really.

A very early 306 with the "all new 306" badge on the rear that I MUST go back and take a close-up shot of.

The big ole V6 put off the buying publics I'm sure.

A re-spot; nice to see it's still around and it's still in the same place. Be nice to your local traffic warden.

A garden ornament.

A bangernomical.

Always nice to see a "classic" Range Rover.

Seen in a Tesco car park. I'd live* in one if I could.

*a Tesco car park, not a Triumph 2000

[davocano]

Only here for those funky rims.

A very late Arosa...

... and a very late Mk4.

Three things that are guaranteed to survive The Pandemic: insects, Keith Richards and old Volvos.

Another local car that has proved to be quite elusive for a number of years.

[lesapandre]

Volvo has an oil change every 10,000 miles

Keith has a blood change every 10,000 lines*

*allegedly 

[davocano]

Not the "Pussy Wagon" that Tarantino had in mind when writing Kill Bill Vol.1; a loss to modern cinema.

Oh dear. "Beyond Economical Repair" isn't it. MOT'd 'til September tho.

Starting to thin out nowadays.

Oooh, these are mighty pretty; V6 for extra wood.

Six figure millage but looks well cared for.

Spotted this one from the rear and thought "Iveco"; imagine my surprise when. Never seen a Renner in this config 'til now.

 

[davocano]

Another Renner with AS written all over it. Well, in the middle of the bonnet anyway.

Fairly early E36 Compact. There's another one locally of a similar vintage wearing OE wheel covers that I'm yet to catch.

A regular E36 316i.

All singing and all dancing spec; 2.8i Ghia X auto. Deflating tyres were not in the brochure tho.

A re-spot with much better photos this time.

"Monroe Levelling System"; is that summat the caravanners would know all about?

Blimey.

[davocano]

The 1st of March 2020 feels like a century ago. On that day in history, I attended the Breakfast Club at Walton Bridge.

A pair of Fizzies; the bleu one wears a Française plate.

Stanley Steamer dating from a real 100 years ago; powered by paraffin. Didn't manage to catch any steaming tho which was quite disappointing.

Don't see many of these nowadays; not quite as rare as an al fresco dining experience from without the confines of ones own back garden.

If the badges are to be believed, this is a Hartge H7.

528i which was for sale @ < £6K.

A bit OSV Chevette

Clubman ticking a few AS boxes.

[davocano]

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end....

The freedom to jump in the motor, drive a few miles, park up and have a wander around. Sigh.

A trio of old estates

Did any ex-BT Ka vans escape the M25 perimeter? I keep seeing 'em around.

A trio of old reds

[davocano]

Three different Golves, all in a row.

Not many of these 'round my way with any one of the differently engineered badges.

Like a Kei car that got too big for its boots. Although the tyres do look well proportioned.

A long E38 imported from somewhere that wasn't once a British Colony and with a helpful* sign in the back window there.

Probably owned by the same guy as the Flavia back there on page 14.

It's amazing what you can find tucked away on Industrial Estates.

I'm always very, VERY cautious about entering such areas and pointing a camera about despite the fact that much interesting vehicles are often found there. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of "The Sweeney".

Speaking of the 1970s, I found this on an old-school Ind.Est back in 2012.

 

[barrett]

I know what you mean about industrial estates. There is usually a wealth of tat around but never, ever a nice vibe, and I'm too much of a soft boy to saunter around too confidently waving a camera infront of proper men. You're usually alright on a Sunday when most businesses are shut (or any day at all, at the moment). Good spots as per!

[davocano]

Previously seen in the "Great Number Plates" thread.

This has been For Sale for a long, long while. £1770 IIRC.

Only the second Tribute I've ever seen. Probably some reasons why?

Not many of these 'round my way with any one of the differently engineered badges.

Quite the early Polo of this gen.

A lady came up to me and asked what I was taking photos of; I explained that Infiniti cars are quite an unusual sight in the UK and then she asked me if I'd like to take a picture of her Citroën DS3.

I politely declined.

She was about my age and quite easy on the eye; with the benefit of hindsight and adulterous fantasy-tinted spectacles, I think I may have missed an opportunity for some pre-lockdown social interaction there. Sigh.

Oooh, a Robin still on its wheels in a not particularly salubrious cahncl estate.

My last spot before SHIT GOT REAL

[davocano]

So I managed to wring a couple of posts worth of spots out of April, thanks to some State-permitted daily exercise on a bicycle. It turned out to be quite good in the end.

The 2015 Civic Type R is only a bit less bonkers-looking than it's 2017 successor.

Early C5s are a bit hard to find.

Yet another one of the seemingly unlimited number of "Limited Edition" Minis; this one is a "Seven".

Abandoned Corsavan (the van content gets better later, trust me)

It's that early facelift 306 again, as promised. It's pretty bASe too, being an L with N/A diesel.

Ah, so I mis-remembered that badge as "all new 306". Pretty rare tho, oui?

[davocano]

A re-spot but from the other side this time and it's still working for a living.

It has a similarly employed companion that I haven't managed to catch before now.

In between all the vans, a Cortina in the wild. Which was nice.

Parked in a secure yard so I had to break out the long lens.

Eight years ago it was parked on an unsecured street not too far away. And yes, it is indeed ex-British Airways and it's still not too far away from Heathrow Airport.

Further to my conversation with @barrett up there, I stumbled across this gem on an old-school industrial estate. Despite the "lockdown", it was pretty much business as usual for many of the units so I had to make an essential journey on the following Sunday.

Unlicensed since 2004, I suspect this has been tucked away indoors until quite recently. It's an early one, oui?

[davocano]

It's the beginning of May and we can go nowhere and do nuffink really, so I went to my local Aston Martin dealer on a Sunday. Oooh, quiets.

DB4 GT Continuation

Vanquish Zagato

DB11 that's been through a hedge with enough trauma for full airbag deployment. Not that obvious even on full zoom but lockdown content desperation yo

[davocano]

Little cars with sliding doors have always fascinated me.

Probably 'cos I still remember this being bought for me in 1972.

These really are disappearing like the millions of Cortinas that preceded them.

N-plate Mk4 re-purposed as a storage facility.

Limited Edition Puma Black.

RS Turbo in the wilds of it's home driveway.

[davocano]

I 'dub your

'dub action

'dub's just a

distraction

Panel and window T2s

Cabrio Beetle

Well, this was interesting. A late plate madness Corrado with LHD and deceptive badging. Turns out to be a US-spec VR6 which was sold over there as the SLC.

 

[davocano]

Some lovely Rover action.

[davocano]

Some vannage action.

An affordable home in London Pt.2. This is a Bluebird Penthouse and it was built in the 1950s.

An affordable haunted house in London

Money will never be an object LDV

Super GL 4WD HiAce motor house

 

[davocano]

I was pleased to see that street maintenance is still being a thing.

Dumped XJ40 with wheel covers so probably a bit bASe; a fag-smoking neighbour was scoping me and I didn't have the nuts to go looking for a tax disc.

E39s are starting to disappear and I don't recall the Tourings being that common ever. Probably just my poor memories tho.

Subaru Levorg. A quite unusual modern.

[davocano]

This month concludes with a couple of candidates for Spot Of The Year.

Yes, it's a Vitesse.

Looks abandoned but taxed and MOT'd so it's probably just Coronabandoned.

 

[davocano]

A bit of car-related employment has facilitated the first of the June installments.

Possibly started life as a Chevrolet dealership promo item but I can't be sure.

A couple of RS Fords from the 1980s.

1964 NSU Quickly N. The "N" in "Quickly N" equals "bASe".

PT Cruiser converted to PT Panel Van. Much rust bubbles around the former window slash door frames are hard to see here.

OMG it's a Škoda Rapid was my first and many subsequent thoughts.

[davocano]

Not spectacular spottings to end the June thanks to virus and ting.

Golf owned by a yoot I presume. Good on him or her.

I read somewhere on AS that these are regarded as shit in France? 'Cos they're quite rare on this side of le Chanel n'est pas?

Don't see the GTV on the street much these days. This one is a bit lacquer peely.

A luxury coupe when new but looking a bit tired now.

BAGGEDYO (I have no idea what the yoot would actually describe this as and that's exactly how the world should be). It were all slot mags and jack-ups back in my day.

I suspect this a new addition to the smol plumber's stable. Others can be found ^ up there somewhere.

Previously seen in the "colour" thread.

Oooh, a denim Beetle. For the 'Dubber who doesn't have to try... too hard.

[davocano]

PHEW WHAT A SCORCHER (in the SE)

Before I assume a liquid form and end the day as a congealed puddle of cholesterol and scar tissue, here's some July spottings.

Sherpa living quarters.

Bangernomic bASe Fiesta

Cherished plate on a cherished R8

Gold. Always believe in your soul. You've got the power to know, you're indestructible.

15,000 miles on this little Knightsbridge fucker. Nice, innit.

Hardly ever see Espaces nowadays and this generation is even more hardly ever seen-er.

 

[davocano]

This 205 Rallye was in for MOT and absolutely stank of petrol. Personally, I would have failed it solely on the (not pictured) interior which was MINGING

Some repairs happened to the fuel system and it passed. Good.

Never seen an R8 that's been old skooled before now.

A re-spotted Carlsson from the rear this time.

There's a 'Dub scene in Jersey apparently.

Spotted this from the rear and thought Piaggio Ape. Pleased to discover it was in fact an Innocenti Lambro 175.

[davocano]

Rarely spotted outside of the show environ.

Oooh, nice.

A lovely looking car when new and the design has aged gracefully. The automotive equivalent of MILF

It's another late '90s Fiesta. Zetec and less bangernomic this time.

A re-spot again with some minor detail changes. Still one of the greatest affordable homes in London I've ever spotted.

Neither a home nor affordable. Nor a car. This is "Astoria", a 1911 houseboat converted into a recording studio and owned by Dave Gilmour of the popular beat combo known as Pink Floyd. Who's that grey haired chap striding up the garden there? Wish He Was There. Well, it might* be him....

[davocano]

Spotted this from the rear and thought Bedford TK. Pleased to discover it was in fact an Austin FFK. Thank you google.

An adjacent Ford Pilot was a slightly less unlikely vehicle to find parked up on a suburban side street. Rubber bumper Midget under the cover there.

Mmmm. Ghia X V6. Homer Simpson drool.

Th

The streamlined 323F is disappearing a bit fast now.

A few highlights from the Shepperton Classic Cars meet to conclude the month of July. The not pictured Gilbern Invader that was also present features in a much recommended thread owned by @95 quid Peugeot

[High Jetter]

Great spots, especially the Merc, Austin truck and Miriafiori

[davocano]

God I'm so lazy. I might make a New Year's Resolution to eighty-six this thread and just post the cream of my crop in Lazy Spotters.

In the meantime, here's some highlights from the August meet at Walton Bridge.

This guy rode his Gixxer through a tear in the space/time continuum.

One for @Cavcraft perhaps; a '76 Suzuki B120

Managed to catch a bit of steam emanating from the previously spotted Stanley Steamer.

Saaaab

3000E

Handsomest Beast in Show award went to the Borgward Hansa

I got all unneccessary over this 403ci Monte Carlo

240 GLT

Unusual to see an estate version.

Post-lockdown fever meant a massive turnout and the always limited parking meant this Irish-plated Super Snipe could only make a drive-by.

The rectanguloid headlamps have recently been replaced by rounduloids. I think they look OK.

Oooh, a Supersport. @dollywobbler spotted one on the same day by some remarkable* coincidence.

[davocano]

Wildspots were limited this month; here's a re-spot to fill out the post.

Like the Look of this Landy.

Those mirror mounts are magnifique, oui?

Early Avensis in not so common estate version.

Another 240 GLT...

... with unusual spotlamps.

[davocano]

September is turning out to be a month of peaks and troughs, spotting-wise.

Not sure where to place this Primera on the graph.

One of those Mustangs that were imported in LHD before Ford USA cottoned on to the RHD money they could trouser.

John Cooper Works GP

Semi-abandoned Elise

These are really scarce now in my areas.

Living in luxury

Sacre bleu! Sorry, sacre blanc!