Hirst Cabs does Harewood House

June 21, 2009

Bit of a mad day today - Harewood House car show, booked two tickets in order to bring two items from the fleet for the Old Japanese Car stand (organised by Mash). Due to them being taxed/tested, this duty fell on the Charmant and Galant. I hastily fitted an aerial to the Charmant on Saturday (the old one rusted off - cheap Halfords toss), then spent Sunday morning hastily giving both cars a wash. I didn't do anything to the interiors, as I'm not very good at that, so they were both full of empty carrier bags and the likes. Soz.

Anyway, I hopped in the Charmant and headed over to Vicsmith's joint as he was playing private hire driver today - the deal was he got to take the Galant there and the Charmant back. He led as he knows Leeds much better than I do, but we couldn't be prepared for the circumstances - a closed sliproad meant a weird detour and then we entered some absolutely enormous queues.

This was my view for about two hours. Glad I fit that aerial as at least I could have some Magic 828 action. Due to a faulty radiator fan on the Charmant, I was having to manually regulate the temperature by putting the heater on full blast and turning the engine off where possible. Nightmare! Further amusement was had by watching one of the Galant brakelights work intermittently - I have suspected it was doing this for some time, think it might be a dodgy connector maybe. Might want to look at that really. Ah well. We eventually arrived at the show and were waved into the car park, then it was kind of implied by some woman working there that it'd be near impossible to get to the stand - hurtled across the grass fields and found it within a couple of minutes, no bother!

There we go! That was actually taken towards the end of the show to be honest. Funny to see them both together - I get to see them all the time in the driveway but it's weird to see them in a kind of "posed for" shot together. As for the other cars on the stand.....

Crikey. Mash's B10 was there too but I forgot to take a picture of it. Soz Mash! New to me were the B-reg Accord (absolutely MINT), MK1 Lancer (astounding) and the Ratdat/Mash 323 GT (new Autoshite school bike?).

More non-OJC stand stuff later - cheers to Vicsmith for putting up with the hassle and displaying some amazing road knowledge of the mess that is Leeds.

4.1k · June 21, 2009

Nice one! No hassle from the flat cap/'real classic cars' brigade?

June 21, 2009

First time I have seen one that isnt blue-nearly bought one in the early 90's. Look a nice Datsun/Toyota alternative.

June 21, 2009

No hassle, but there was quite a lot of modern stuff on show.

Lovely Capri GL MK2, very similar inside to Vicsmith's MK3.

And an equally lovely Capri S.

I like looking through car show shots because you get pictures of amusing-looking people like this chap who seems to either really like the Capri or is just about to give it a right telling off.

Is this a Zodiac or a Zephyr? I can imagine "AlistairK" buying this and it developing loads of unfortunate problems before ultimately being dead outside his garage. Bad luck Akku!

Cortina Estate GT, does such a thing exist? Looks ace, vinyl roof actually suits it.

BOLLOX PATROL

Nice VP Maestro in a very typical Maestro colour.

Mint Celica, it's been a while since I've seen a tidy one of these. I see the odd scabby one though.

Hirst-Ride! I'd love this, I would floor it around corners and send those chintzy trims flying.

Brown Dolomite, note the bored wife inside. I think this was the first "bored wife" spot.

Ssangyong Owners Club - to be honest I found their stand far more interesting than some of the toss on display. Good work lads!

ACK. I absolutely love Montreals, inevitably it had people inside it so I couldn't have a good poke around. Balls!

June 21, 2009

Note the lovely Probe in the background.

Nice and shitey, I would be delighted to drive this around.

Sorry if you don't like MK2 Capris, but there were loads of them - probably more than the MK1 and MK3 ones put together! Mental.

POLICE STOP

I hate the scene tax as much as anyone else, but I'd love a MK1 Escort to tool around in.

Superb Carlton! I'm 90% sure this is the one that was on Retro Rides a bit back.

Anyway that's enough for tonight, I'll get some more up over the coming week. There's all sorts of things.

June 21, 2009

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32,529 · June 22, 2009

That is the same Carlton from R-R, Is it mrcrapgame the owner?It's been popping up on ebay since, Does look nice though, Think it was only like Ã‚Â£300 when he brought it.

4.1k · June 22, 2009

Ssangyong Owners Club... now I've seen it all.

3.8k · June 22, 2009

Super spots, lovin that Maestro.

2.5k · June 22, 2009

1- Its a Zypher2- 1600GT Cortina is for real

4,444 · June 22, 2009

That Alfa Montreal is deeply lovely. Would love a good Capri as well at some point though I suspect it'll never happen sadly.

4.8k · June 22, 2009

1- Its a Zypher

or even Zephyr

14,341 · June 22, 2009

Great variety on the OJC stand, excellent stuff.Some other appealing stuff too. Odd about the Mk2 Capris, usually there's less of them.

2.4k · June 22, 2009

Crikey. Mash's B10 was there too but I forgot to take a picture of it. Soz Mash! New to me were the B-reg Accord (absolutely MINT), MK1 Lancer (astounding) and the Ratdat/Mash 323 GT (new Autoshite school bike?).

Disgraceful! Here it is

I'll put a load up on OJC too.

Thanks to evryone who came it was a great day.

5.8k · June 22, 2009

Great variety on the OJC stand, excellent stuff.Some other appealing stuff too. Odd about the Mk2 Capris, usually there's less of them.

Could it be to do with the upcoming 40th? I think people are making the effort to get them on the road.

4.8k · June 22, 2009

Odd about the Mk2 Capris, usually there's less of them.

That was the case at Bromley

2.5k · June 22, 2009

1- Its a Zypher
or even Zephyr

you know I am shite at spelling

2.4k · June 22, 2009

Ssangyong Owners Club FTW

June 22, 2009

To be honest I would be quite happy to drive one of these up and down the seafront, clichÃƒÂ© or not.

Pog-ride.

Daddy or chips?

CHIPS. White leather interior! 10/10.

Presumably they forgot to "ratlook" it.

Pair of stackers, the Merc stand was roped off with this police-style tape which I thought was a nice touch.

Mainly because of this Cosa Nostra cruiser. If you saw this driving around Palermo with a load of mean-looking blokes in, you would do best not to flick a V at it and shout "smelly tossers, go eat some pizza, ha ha ha".

Brrrrrrrarrrrrrmm!

I like rubber-bumper MGBs best - sue me.

Almost spoiled by someone stepping in front of it, but not quite.

Smugly walked up to this expecting to see a load of Maestro switchgear and a Perkins diesel, but astoundingly it is a genuine RS200! I was amazed.

Yet more to come later.

1.3k · June 22, 2009

Nice plate on the RS200 too, OOF indeed. Quality pics Mr Dan, I wish I'd have gotten my arse in gear and come across myself, looks like a good show

5,256 · June 22, 2009

Suprised? Dissapointed more like

June 22, 2009

Here's your last update for tonight.

Come on BMW, can't you make stuff like this anymore? Put the effort in.

Super-smart 728i, I like these, loads of presence.

BMW's moment of madness. The doors aren't down, what's going on?!

Probably not to be trifled with.

These are nice and meaty, haven't seen one for yonks! Where have they all gone?

I choose not to specify alloy wheels!

Incredibly angry-looking, I think this was my favourite of the sporting BMWs there to be honest. The front bumper is ace with its weird egg-crate grilles.

Lovely 316! These need more street cred, I'd have one. Note another bored wife in the drivers seat, cheer up love!

Finally for tonight, let us hail the CAR OF THE SHOW!

Inexplicably hidden away behind a tree on its own - I bet loads of people missed it. What a beauty!

4.1k · June 22, 2009

Ooh, bella Beta indeed!

June 22, 2009

I was under the impression that it was an OJC show.

Bollocks. I could have come down \ up \ sideways in teH Amazon had I not been destroying the column shift on B & D's Wartburg. And been about 250 miles away.

Sorry Ed.

5,256 · June 23, 2009

Whoa! Thats the spit of one my old man had up to 2003, same colour and all. I used to clear the pipes every so often and one morning coming back from nights whilst in half asleep abs'd front wheel drive mode, pulled into a box junction in a gap that wasn't really there, so mashed the throttle and went for it.

However being a RWDOMGDRIFTNOTAE86SLUSHBOX monster and not a tidy front drive Fiat it went full on sweeny style sideways on opposite lock for about a 1000 yards

Had it 5 up wheels clear over a local humpback bridge too

2,352 · June 23, 2009

Great words & photos Hirst I am amused that the Ssang Yong OC seemed to be pitched next to the PT Cruisers. Will the Ssang Yongs soon be sporting unnecessary stick on chrome tat and Confederate flags I wonder?

2.4k · June 23, 2009

I choose not to specify alloy wheels!

Finally for tonight, let us hail the CAR OF THE SHOW!

Inexplicably hidden away behind a tree on its own - I bet loads of people missed it. What a beauty!

The 525e really was lovely but not sure if it was worth the Ã‚Â£2.5k they were asking. I reckon John's Accord EX-R is much better value.

The Beta turns up at a lot of shows in Yorkshire. It's owned by an elderly couple who've probably had it from new.

June 23, 2009

Great words & photos Hirst

Cheers! It's awkward trying to think up interesting/funny captions so I just blather on about rubbish instead.More stuff to follow this evening probably.

8.5k · June 23, 2009

Ace pics DH. Lovely BMW selection. I was going to make exciteable noises about the deliciously pointless 8-series, then I saw that B9 alpina and suffered a jaw/floor interface. I wants one of they so bad. But back to the 840 - dang they are cool. Ruinous, but cool. I noted one in Torsten's underground lair, very temptings.