pogweasel Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'm too bloody grumpy to even contemplating putting this in the grumpy old man thread. it's all just too shit for me to bear. Bloody cars, bloody life, it's all BOLLOCKS. 1. I was hoping to collect a new project this weekend, a disgusting early Hillman Imp. Today I get a fricking letter off the bastard housing association that they want me to vacate my garage, presumably so they can flatten it and build some palacial manors for mouth-breathing scrubbers to life in at the taxpayers expense. Shits. 2. I am starting to get the demoralising comments off 'Er_Indoors about my BMW, you know the little snippets like 'well you never use it' which in woman-speak means sell it. I don't want to. I don't need to. But I suppose she's got a point, which bring me onto (3)... 3. ... well if that's a 'waste of money', I guess anything else with 4 wheels that's not a necessity is too. I'd hoped that maybe in a few months I could buy myself something really special, but then that will really upset the applecart. I can see the reasoning I guess, why would anyone spend more on something inappropriate than you would on a 'ticks all boxes' euro-box. Even if that all-encompassing vehicle is so bland it makes you want to scream. It;s that 'if everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other' sort of thing. So what's best - Stop 'wasting' money on old grot, just drive around in underpowered, uninspiring white goods for the rest of time or what? I don't know. Keeping the peace must be more important than your own wants, aspirations, etc?? Maybe I need a new HHHobby, one that doesn't cost much. What to other people do? As Seth once said "Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable", well looks like I am going to have to choose life as a plate of boiled spuds. Thankyou for your time, sorry if that was too boring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlo Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Crack open a bottle of red, that'll cheer you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I say we should fight the demolition of the pog garage...an impenetrable wall of shite parked out front, with various AS-ers taking up residence on the roof - prison riot stylee :lol:No bastard bulldozers gonna take us alive!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Move house, bin missus. Job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr H Sceptre Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Will you still be around to pick up the Seat Ibiza Pog, or is that now no-go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimateJames Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Give your head a shake and prepare for battle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Move house, bin missus. Job done.Poglets rather confuse matters there I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnde Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Ah Pog, I think I know how you must be feeling. And that's a bugger about the garage There's all kind of grot I'd like to get my grubby mitts on and drive around in. But... case in point: I showed my other half a picture of an orange Talbot Horizon and she said something like "why would anyone want one of those, it's so cheap and horrid." Similar reaction to a pic of a Mk1 Polo. Or basically anything 80s and boxy. Ergo, she doesn't particularly like the BX.I look in the ebay tat thread and I find myself wanting all these Avengers, terrible Volvo 343s, '78 Mitsubishi Colts, Alpines buta) I'm skintb) There's no space for more than three carsc) I ought to be saving "for our future"So apart from periodic "why not get rid of the BX and save some money", I'm getting on okay with the two old cars that I have. But I do get the sort of "why don't you buy something newer?" or practical.I have a friend who used to buy and sell all sorts of grot off eBay etc, squandered his money on GSs, Allegros, Simca, Renault 18, Peugeot 504, Super Minx blah blah... but now he's saving up for a long trip to Vietnam and is trying to pare down his "fleet". So those happy days of turning up to his house to look at and drive all kinds of EXOTICA off ebay seem to be over, and therefore my method of getting to drive all this grot through his addiction. I read these "got new shite" threads by Mr Bol and things like that deliciously grotty Renner 12 and I'm green with envy!There are some classics my girlfriend likes: eg. MGB, Sunbeam Alpine, Spitfire, Dauphine, VW camper, Commer PB, DS, and she'd be quite happy for me to own - but not now....That's my musings for now! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Got to work out what's most important, young Pog. I've taken a break from buying any more shite for 12 months now, due to being a new dad, and I'm quite happy just to limit my motoring involvement to DIY servicing, browsing eBay and coming on here regularly to spout bollocks. I'd love to have the levels of kit that say Wuvvum or Torsten have (to say nothing of Mr Bickle), but at the moment there are more pressing priorities for me like saving for a bigger house*. None of this has been imposed by my wife, mind, but there's no reason to have to drive round in "uninsipring white goods" if you don't want to. I'm sure that 318is isn't depreciating much, which has got to be a good rejoiner?* Which, if I have my way, will have a double garage so I can buy another Opel Rekord (oh what! I like 'em). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 PS I'm flogging some golf clubs if you want a new hobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 There are some classics my girlfriend likes: eg. MGB, Sunbeam Alpine, Spitfire, Dauphine, VW camper, Commer PB, DS, and she'd be quite happy for me to own - but not now....In other words traditional, cutesy, proper, presentable, acceptable things that appeal to women because they're 'cliché' classics (and cost a bit more lolly than our usual temptations!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Ted Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Similar thing happened to e with the garage in Bamber Bridge, after they just replaced the knackered door they kicked everyone out and built some flats. Still it saves me £50 a month.I quite enjoy train spotting as a hobby, nothing beats getting up early on a Saturday and catching the train to Crewe and spending a whole day jotting down numbers in my little book. Once I saw the really wacky liveried class 87 "Novelty". May be worth trying Pog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelvin2008 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 It is a battle to keep a collection of old cars thats for sure, I myself wonder if its really worth the rent I pay on my lockups( all three of em) but I dont smoke tabs or herbal or even drink much so I look at it that its my hobby and it has to be spent on. It is nice to do a bit of tinkering of an evening, sit down with a cuppa at the back of my best lock up with the electricity and get away from it all, its a bit like fishing I guess but without the rain!I think the biggest problems you get are actually at home so im glad ive got somewhere to go away from the place. Also bear in mind servicing moderns isnt possible so you end up paying the near £100 an hour labour charges which more than cover the cost of a bit of rent etcChin up hey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Pog, the quote was a line spouted by Anthony Hopkins in "The Worlds Fastest Indian" Whether or not Burt Monro said it I have no idea but it struck a cord with me especially as it was about visiting Bonneville. Aaaanyway... Bummer on the garage If the BMW is rarely getting used and she doesn't much like it then maybe it should go? You do like all kinds of old crud though and I reckon that a good Rootes car (Avenger etc) that looks really tidy could be picked up pretty cheap and she might see that as more interesting. I emphasise good. I don't think it would be sensible to get the first old snotter you see that with fall to pieces around you or need huge amounts of dough getting welded but something that will hold its own at a show and that you could hang on to for a while. Better to find a good car in the first place that might fit 'er indoors and the Poglets for occasional drives in the country. And you could use it for work occasionally if need be to show its getting some regular use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500tops Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 where are you gonna store this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 My collection of grot disappeared one by one mostly at the behest of Mrs P and her pressing need for a clear drive, infant consumables and more handbags, frocks and shoes.I then did what I said I wouldn't do and bought a modern-ish Lexus that wouldn't let me down. Well things are going to change, partly fuelled by a MASSIVE pay cut. It is about to be handed back to the finance company to be replaced by something older, cheaper and more characterful (x2 or 3 - obviously I will need a spare car for when the regular won't work) She will raise the roof but to paraphrase Seth you've got to do what is right for you at the time. I think we're all being bitten with the recession stick - and goes beyond money and job worries. There's a pervading sense of gloom everywhere, either directly in your face or bubbling just beneath the surface. This translates into a smothering depression where we're being asked to examine everything we think and do and woe betide us if we stray out of sensible shoes territory. If you have a passion for old cars then, assuming you're not taking the bread from the childrens' mouths, I say embrace it. It's good for your spirit and soul. I'm afraid that if we get too caught up in the "do we really need it?" mindset then something inside gets stifled and withers.Bugger about the garage though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukestar25 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I feel your pain Pog.I have just parted company with my Pug 106 'project', mainly because...a) I'm a bit hard up at the moment and it needed more spending on it than I first anticipated. SWMBO is not a driver so I end up gallivanting around with her every weekend when it's sunny, andc) I don't know how I would fit it into my collection, I have a big and a small car already and apart from that, my enthusiasm isn't what it used to be either.TBH, she doesn't mind me collecting tat but I don't have my own garage either (or even a driveway at that) so I too am looking for a more practical and cost efficient hobby... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Feeling less grumpy now. You're probably all right to a lesser or greater extent. Seth's probably closest to the money. I DO love all kinds of old rammle, but I SHOULD so it properly, the old 'buy the best you can afford' thing, isn't it. Trouble is the market is still moving away from me, despite the recession. I think I'll just have to do some hardcore saving for a bit. And find more justification for using my BMW. Which is where one of Welf's comments comes in: too late, I've just bought some bloody golf clubs. I have always had a bit of a 'thing' about golf, being pointless and twattish, but I've given in on the basis of it being a bloody good way of brown-nosing / networking etc. Which really sounds pointless and twattish.... leading neatly onto OMG WORK. I know alot of folk are really struggling at the mo, so don't want to trumpet too much, but I've gone from ZERO work & some very bleak prospects at the start of the year to being so manically busy that I'm struggling to keep on top of everything. It's kind of got to the stage now where I have to make some tough decisions, I've too much to deal with on my own, but not enough to pay someone else, plus with lending restrictions still quite harsh investing moar is tricky. And working from home in a slightly-too-small house that's generally full of variously noisey little people is mind-blowing. have to sort it out, as the phone keeps bloody ringing, and turning down work at the mo would be daft - been to quote on one today where the guy's basically written a blank cheque for my services..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 How did your work fortunes change so dramatically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M'coli Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 been to quote on one today where the guy's basically written a blank cheque for my services..... Add a grand onto the price and buy me Avenger off me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Just intrude on her hobbies/buying habits, she'll soon cut it out - "Look at these shoes, you haven't worn them for ages, you should get rid of them", "No more cushions, they're a waste of money", "No you can't have a tumbledryer, you've already got a mangle", etc.Whilst you're at it, tell her that if she doesn't buck her ideas up, she's in for the chop, before retiring to the lounge to watch Grandstand and have a nice pipe-smoking session.D HIRST MARRIAGE COUNSELLING 01924 347477 - "A swift conclusion" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Just intrude on her hobbies/buying habits, she'll soon cut it out - "Look at these shoes, you haven't worn them for ages, you should get rid of them", "No more cushions, they're a waste of money", "No you can't have a tumbledryer, you've already got a mangle", etc.Whilst you're at it, tell her that if she doesn't buck her ideas up, she's in for the chop, before retiring to the lounge to watch Grandstand and have a nice pipe-smoking session.D HIRST MARRIAGE COUNSELLING 01924 347477 - "A swift conclusion" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Ted Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Garden office? £11k Or you could always do it the Fr Ted way....Shed £300DPM - £40Jabrock - £40Plasterboard, scrim & screws £50Old bit of carpet - freeextension lead from house, telly, chair, laptop,cordless phone - jobbed Form yourelf into a limited comany, then take on a "modern apprentice" frm down the job centre, the Govt will pay you to have a spotty herbert make the tea and answer the phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lobster Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I think Seths very right really - buy the best thing thing you can afford and that way you won't get (many) complaints from SWMBO if it's a tidy, fully working car rather than seldom used, tatty POS. I think anything that I buy in future will have to be a good 'un, its easier that way and I really don't have the time to spend doing miriad jobs that take forever.Work - to an extent I am in the same situation. Mrs L is self employed and doing pretty well to the extent that we need more space. Renting a unit etc is prohibitively expensive at the moment so we'd like to move but thats a lot easier said than done. Theres also a bit too much work for one person so I am seriously thinking of giving up my (reasonably secure but fucking dull) job and joining her... Lifes never really straightforward is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Which is where one of Welf's comments comes in: too late, I've just bought some bloody golf clubs. I have always had a bit of a 'thing' about golf, being pointless and twattish, but I've given in on the basis of it being a bloody good way of brown-nosing / networking etc. Which really sounds pointless and twattish....People will only want to do business with you on the golf course if you can actually play quite well. Which takes time and patience, so if you turn up and play like Norman Wisdom it will probably be counterproductive.Far better to make sure the quality of your work remains A1 under pressure than prancing around in Pringles and Rupert Bear Plus Fours trying to drum up more. I now work for a company where golf is not a "requirement", that said I am lucky that I have a strictly 9-5 working existence.I digress. Seth has it spot-on, buy the best example of the car you want and can afford, unless you want to spend every weekend under it/in the engine bay (this is not to take anything away from those who do this, by the way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I think Seths very right really - buy the best thing thing you can afford and that way you won't get (many) complaints from SWMBO if it's a tidy, fully working car rather than seldom used, tatty POS. I think anything that I buy in future will have to be a good 'un, its easier that way and I really don't have the time to spend doing miriad jobs that take forever. This is really good advice. Stop buying old crap like that Daihatsu simply because it's £74 or whatever. Its £74 because its a load of old rubbish that nobody wants. Don't accept a free Seat or whatever (sorry HSceptre) why do you want a headache even if its free? Just let it go to scrap. Accept that you don't have a barn/field to store tons of old shite (most of which invariably gets scrapped after sitting for 2/3 years anyway) and move on. Save all that money, time and space for something that you really want - if you have wait a year for a good example, then so be it. If the guy who owns my old Avenger (which is very sound in bodywork and mechanicals, just a shit interior) I will tip you the nod. I am going to wait until I can afford to spend £2500 or so on a good Mk1 Cortina because in the long run that's much cheaper than a dodgy one fill of filler for a grand. I also know it will probably take some time to find a good 'un.I have come to the realisation that cars that aren't used much or at all are invariably a PITA anyway. P.S. Is the market really moving against you? How much can half decent non sporting Escorts really be (actual sold cars, not overpriced barried up rubbish on Ebay or mint RS1600s)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Case Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Good to see things looking up for you pog, you may even find another garage at this rate A good compromise could be a piece of Futureshite; Proton Wira, Mitsubishi Carisma etc. Old enough to be bland in a distinctive way but generally with few miles and just a few owners who have looked after the things. As for a hobby, any of the above would be the ideal means of scouring the country, tracing down the remaining POG buses (see the bus thread), and building up an album of numberplate photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 How did your work fortunes change so dramatically?Just by keeping the ear to the ground really about what's going on, getting in on some big jobs as a sub-contractor, plus set up my own little internets site & did some basic local promotion & after a couple of months the work started coming, Or you could always do it the Fr Ted way....Yes, that's what I'm trying to do. I started digging out a hole for a base about six weeks ago, but haven't finished it yet, cos I'm always bloody working!As for the Welf_Golf_Advice, no Norman Wisdom here, just practise at the minute!!!! Maybe next year will be OK to actually start 'spoiling a good walk'.As for the rest of it, you're all absolutely right. £100 snotters aren't where it's at. I know this to be fact.The problem is still getting it past the management though:£2500 on a 4 year old Ford Focus is good value, because you can put 50,000 miles on it without it costing alot and in comfort / safety. £2500 on a 30-40 year old Escort / Avenger / Dolomite etc is always going to appear poor value because you don't get the same value out of it. No emotional attachement can be put on vehicles. To her they are the same as a fridge or washing maching really, take you from one place to another, that's it. Car shows are 'boring', meets are for 'geeks' and internet forums are pointless. So you finish up back having to look at the shit end of the market, where you're just buying heaps of rubbish / trouble, but at least you haven't "wasted" thousands in doing so.... Incredibly frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Pog, you won't need to splash out 2.5k for a decent motor. I'd say 1K tops especially if its something a bit undesirable. I've only paid more than a grand for two of my past cars, the T bucket and the Oxford. There is a huge difference between barely/not MOT'd £200 snotters and a nicely run in £900 car. I'd recommend Classic Car Weekly for finding stuff. I don't get it that often (Sorry DW!) but when I do there is always a load of tempting, strange vehicles on offer.Surely if you're now working all hours there's a little income that can be sidelined into a small car fund? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mash Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Yep, my future tat-buying will also be limited to excellent examples that I shall be happy to pay a slight premium for the peace of mind of not having to decide which car will work today!Whilst I'm lucky that I haven't got issues with space or earache from female quarters, mediocre vehicles have been a real source of grumpiness lately. I collect model cars which is fun but that can be costly if you let it and you still get space issues! In the meantime I'm on the lookout for a hot babe that likes beige and lives in an aircraft hangar..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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