What do your 'other halves' think of shite?

[nigel bickle]

T'was yes Wuvvum -good spot. And whilst I'm up there collecting; I've the £1.04 Renault 5 (190194452269) to collect as well -so its either 2 trips, coerce a mate or involve the Mrs! Judging by his notes on RR, a spare mechanical set might well be needed- sharpish=!

[wuvvum]

Well that's gotta be worth £1.04 hasn't it, even with the problems. Are you going to attempt to drive it back or will you be A-framing it?

[Timewaster]

Current GF has no appreciation of cars, shite or otherwise. Bless her, she differentiates my cars by their colour, and refuses to drive either of them.One is "scarey" and the other smells like a wet dog in a minicab.She drives (when she has to) a 1.4 Hdi 206 which she bought brand new on her dads advice without really knowing what she was buying.She DID choose the colour though! So long as all the shite I buy is white, (and the last 2 were) they all go in the same catagory!

[carlo]

Until a few years ago mrs carlo used to drive a Peugeot 305 GTX I cunningly bought and pretended was for her. Despite having no interest in cars she was very fond of it, especially as it was fast and comfortable. Blokes at her office seemed quite impressed that a girlie was driving a fairly rare old 'sports' Peugeot.Unfortunately after one breakdown too many I decided on a new one for her and we got a Clio. Loves it of course, but only because its got PAS and a CD player.

[outlaw118]

Beloved doesn't "get" it. I'm not allowed to have any more "heaps of crap" until something goes. I offered to sell hers so I could buy a Scimitar Gte the other day......the doctors said they will drop back down soon A car to her is "for getting from a to b"(yawn).Thats why she's got a 55 reg 206 "verve" and I've got my battered and shitey astra(y).I did manage to convince her that the 1100cc version was a bad idea though..........

[reallyloud]

When I first met my missus, I impressed her with a succession of battered cars, but tended to use the most presentable - a 12 year old Volvo, as it seemed like the gallant thing to do. She got the message early on, and hasn't chosen to run off yet. She likes old cars - she once owned a Alfa 33 and Lancia Delta, but strangely not expired piss stained japanese cars.

[Guest]

If I use the Galant, will that make me gallant by association?

[reallyloud]

If I use the Galant, will that make me gallant by association?

Absolutely. Best plan would be to stick a Hackney carriage licence at the back (you're pretty sharp with photoshop so that shouldn't be a problem), park in front of a sweat infested nightclub and off you go. Serenade (or would that be sedate) your boozy passengers with tales of the UK Lonsdale story or the frankly amusing Chrysler-Mitsubishi link (Chrysler Sigma!!!! Bonkers!) and trust me you'll need a very shitey stick to beat them off. I think.

[Raffles]

Wife loved the Mk5 Cortina and it wasn't unusual for her to suggest taking it out for a blip around some country roads now and again. Sadly, the Mk2 Granada has not won her over - I think it's lack of progress is holding it back (coming up on two years in the garage and no nearer road legal).I think she draws the line at photos of other peoples cars. On both of our trips to Malta, more than once she walked off leaving me jibbering at an FSO or some cruddy piece of j-tat... bless her.

[pogweasel]

If I use the Galant, will that make me gallant by association?

Absolutely. Best plan would be to stick a Hackney carriage licence at the back (you're pretty sharp with photoshop so that shouldn't be a problem), park in front of a sweat infested nightclub and off you go. Serenade (or would that be sedate) your boozy passengers with tales of the UK Lonsdale story or the frankly amusing Chrysler-Mitsubishi link (Chrysler Sigma!!!! Bonkers!) and trust me you'll need a very shitey stick to beat them off. I think.

a u t o m o t i v e r o h y p n o lYou cannot lose!

[Guest]

Funnily enough, I have been trying to take a picture of one of those special taxi plates for sometime now so I can make my own for "show use". But I'm terrified the driver will get out and beat me to death.I would also love to pull up at the taxi rank near the bus station and have a picture of my Galant with all its brothers (Carina Es, etc.), but again, I will probably be beaten to death.Bugger.

[binhoker668]

Hmm, I have no partner, and no Shite either..I must be doing something wrong!

Yeah I hear ya mate! I only just managed to build a pushbike out of skipped parts the other day. Bottom of the heap!Got rid of that Ovlov 740 (for a pint! Was depressing - lovely bodywork/interior/engine etc) and the Rover 414 (again, mint condition and full spec - just needed new clutch) for a pint a coupla weeks later.Shame shame.Maybe this is the year!

[nigel bickle]

Wuvvum -dunno. Cant tow 2cars -so kinda depends who I take with me ,and how mechanically sympathetic they are.....

[Volksy]

Funnily enough, I have been trying to take a picture of one of those special taxi plates for sometime now so I can make my own for "show use". But I'm terrified the driver will get out and beat me to death.

Try googling imaging 'taxi plate' there is loads on there i'm sure you could 'modify'

[Mike D]

My other half is generally pretty scathing about my shite related antics, she was especially unimpressed when i sold my nice Mazda 323F V6 for a 1275 Mini. She still whines everytime she has to get in it.Strangely enough, her favourite of all my fleet at the mo is my '87 metallic gold Mitsubishi lancer auto. She is very fond of it, so much so, i have used it to lure her into some driving lessons so she can get off my case and i can drive what i like!

[Baz]

I have to say that Mrs.Baz is pretty good Shite wise....She genuinely seems to like my R9 and R11. She has used the R9 on several occasions, and has always been very complimentary towards it, and would probably even use it daily if I asked her to....I just feel happier with her in the modern, safe, and (hopefully) reliable Megane.Her dream car? A Datsun 120Y Coupe, in turquoise!

[outlaw118]

I'm guessing she's not allowed to drive your 20?

[Spottedlaurel]

I'll let Baz answer that one /\...

 

Lucky Mrs SL, this was the first car I acquired for her:

 

 

Got it for free in 1994/95 but had to pay a £100 or so to Datman to get it MoTed. She regularly used it for work after it'd done second car duties for me. The comedy of how the door would open on roundabouts is still fondly recalled

[outlaw118]

And you're still together??You is a lucky boy!!!!

[Spottedlaurel]

Ah yes, but I did replace it with this Acclaim:

 

 

Only 13k on the clock when we got it through the family. Did well for us for a good few years until rust and smokiness started getting to be a problem. Saw its last days on the banger track

 

We did get hit by an artic once in it, which rearranged the back end slightly but that got repaired. It also went to France a couple of times.

 

Mrs SL certainly noticed an improvement after the Datsun! Then again, when she went up to the 323F GT she noticed that being a lot better too.

[outlaw118]

I notice in the photo that you obviously couldn't bear to be parted with the datty though!!!

[Baz]

I'm guessing she's not allowed to drive your 20?

I'll let Baz answer that one

 

The R20 (as most on here will know, and are no doubt sick of hearing) is conspicuous by its absence here at Baz Towers....The vendor is allegedly "doing some work" on it for me, but is taking a very long time and has gone very quiet of late....It's kinda feeling as though I've been shafted at the moment!

 

I'm still hoping that it'll turn up someday soon....Or at the very least my funds will be returned....If not, it's looking like a trip "Oop North" to break some fingers is in order, but I'm sincerely hoping it doesn't come to that!

 

In answer to Your question Outlaw: I'd have no problems with the missus driving the Twenty....She's a fine driver (a little TOO assertive at times maybe ) and I'm certain that I'd have at least a fifty-fifty chance of getting it back in one piece!....She's already entrusted with my lovely Megane, and is fully aware of the consequences of even a scuffed alloy!

[Spottedlaurel]

I notice in the photo that you obviously couldn't bear to be parted with the datty though!!!

It lived on with me for a while as a second car

[Baz]

Know anything about the Land Rover with the biege door S.L?It looks familiar....I think it belonged to Mrs.Steed, the wife of one of the farmers in Great Waldingfield?

[Spottedlaurel]

That pic was taken in Elmswell, about 1996. The Skoda person across the road had it AFAIK, so could feasibly have been sold on within Suffolk? IIRC he bought it during our time there, so no earlier than 1995.

[wuvvum]

If not, it's looking like a trip "Oop North" to break some fingers is in order, but I'm sincerely hoping it doesn't come to that!

The 4CV is located in Bolton, and you're more than welcome to hitch a ride when I go up after that and we can stop off at Mr. R20's place to find out what's going on - probably won't be till end of Feb/beginning of March though.

[MrRegieRitmo]

She has everything she allegedly needs from the Lakeland Plastics catalogue

My other half is a Lakeland service assistant at your service if you please! Well, my girlfriend & I both live at home so isn't really forced to have much to do with my old junkers! She is fond of all things new, shiny & German & also has a penchant for red & Italian (unfortunately of the prancing horse variety, not the red cross & serpent variety like I drive! which rooted itself following her 3 laps round Thruxton in an F430 last year). I haven't acquired any shite since I've been with her, although I'm not sure what she'd make of it if I tried but I suspect it would be entirely up to me as long as I continue to drive something respectable everyday for times when I do the driving for both of us.I met her at the wrong time really because a year before I met her I sold my MkIII Fiesta Si which was an acceptably nice car & had for the past year been driving the Renault 14 as my everyday car. She just thought of it as an old banger & would always do the driving if we went anywhere long distance as she couldn't stick being in a car with no music, no air con & no headrest for snoozing. She was happy enough to be driven around locally in it though. She would just moan at me to get a new car if I ever mentioned having any problems with it so after a few times I decided to try & keep problems to myself, unless the car wasn't driving in which case it would be obvious as I'd have to get her to pick me up! I already had the Ritmo, I've had it since June 01 so it was with me long before she was, in fact she's never even met the Ritmo, I've just mentioned it to her now & then so she knows of it's existence, it feels like a distant old friend, almost fabled, but it's very much still in my heart even if it never sees the light of day. It's almost like Baz's R20, except I hold a key for the lockup where my Ritmo sleeps so it's definitely a part of my life.She knows I like old cars & she doesn't really have a problem with it, I guess she feels it's a case of 'each to their own' and all that. Although she was very supportive of me acquiring something modern.....that was until she realised I'd now got a better car than her - ya can't win! At least now either one of us can drive & the other is content to be driven.

[marinast]

The wife hates my 214.In fact the more she hates it the more compelled I feel to keep it going.....

[outlaw118]

Mine feels the same about my Astray Estate - she hates the clutch, the gearbox (which I admit is occasionally obstructive), the seats (She doesn't have a Recaro shaped arse) and the accumulation of dents (one of which SHE did) and the fact that it smells of a combination of damp (leaky sunroof) and old oil (spillage in boot). I love it though, it goes well (1800 16V) and carries lots of shite.She does like the Escort, despite being 2 years older, but its done half the miles and its a ragtop.She's never been in the Crapi,it's been in bits for about 10 years now and came free when she got me.............

[j-j]

When they break down she hates them (and so do I ) but the CX is reliable so it gets compliments from her.But for some unknown reason, if there really HAS to be a leak from a door seal or a sunroof or if there's gonna be a stuck window or iffy door lock it's ALWAYS on her side....