Rustival Thread

[UltraWomble]

James Ruppert (former editor of the Autoshite bible Jalopy magazine) wants to organise a banger fest get together...

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Imagine car an event where you just turned up to somewhere local. Didn’t have to pay a penny, just had a chat with like minded owners and got the chance to look at everyday, working motors without some ironic agenda. There wouldn’t even be any intrusive corporate sponsorship. Simply a car show by the people for the people.

Well imagine no more, because f you want to see Bangerfest actually happen then all you have to do is get slightly involved.

The Rules: Well, there are hardly any. Every vehicle is welcome. Mostly they will be PLGs of course, but why not bring a double decker, a great big van or your JCB? The theme is working vehicles, the one you use for work, or just every day to do the chores. So no age limit, just exceptional vehicles that you actually own.

Want to take part? Please do, you don’t have to register your car anywhere, or fill in any forms, give a blood sample and any nonsense, just turn up at an event in your area.

Where are the events? I don’t know, hopefully everywhere or at least all around the country and if anyone wants to do one overseas then great,

This is all going to be terribly informal, so there is no insurance, security or other administrative nonsense. We want this to be just a few mates plus anyone else who wants to join in.

Volunteers. Simply need one person to be the contact for the meeting and find somewhere free where a few cars and people can meet up without any hassle. If it is your own garage, pub or whatever, great.

There is no set date for the meeting, but ideally we want all this done and dusted by the end of the summer if not earlier.

The way I see this working is for everyone at the meeting to vote for their favourite vehicle.

That vehicle is photographed and sent to me. All the regional winners are then voted on by every single person who attended all of the meeting. I’ll count the votes.

I’ll also make the trophy. Can’t promise it will be impressive as the Crap Car Cup one from 1995, but I’ll have a go. If you win, I’ll Fed Ex it to you and yours to keep forever etc.

If there is anything you see that is wrong with this grand plan then please let me know. If you want to take the whole thing over then great.

If you believe that Bangerfest as a title sets the wrong tone and you have a better idea, get in touch, also the logo, should you be an actual graphic designer then again, suggest away.

I would quite like to have this all nailed down by the end of January and then we can start having little Bangerfests around the country. Incidentally, not bothered if there are more than in a fairly local area.

Contact me at james@bangernomics.com and find me on Twitter while it still exists @Bangernomics

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[Split_Pin]

I think James hasn't done his research and will find that Retroshite has been doing this for years. Thankfully he doesn't have any interest in trophies or awards, which would ruin things in my opinion. 

[Mr Pastry]

  On 05/01/2024 at 09:17, Split_Pin said:

Thankfully he doesn't have any interest in trophies or awards, which would ruin things in my opinion. 

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Absolutely this.  But it seems to happen in all hobbies and interests.  As soon as somebody sets up a simple, laid- back meeting where everyone can chat and compare notes and have a nice day out, someone else wants to turn it into a competition.  Why, oh why, does everything  have to be a competition?

 

[sierraman]

I don’t understand to be honest, I’d get it if there was going to be something like Festival of The unexceptional, but no offence to people why would I want to go and have a chat in a field to meet some bloke that’s just bought an Insignia in limp cock mode for £1500

[Split_Pin]

The Retroshite meets work very well and there is a cut off of I think 1998 as nobody wants to hear about a remapped BMW e90 318i.

A few folk have tried turning up in little cliques or with polished classic cars but were told to fuck off.

[loserone]

It's better if everyone just wins a twix.

[sierraman]

  On 05/01/2024 at 10:15, Split_Pin said:

The Retroshite meets work very well and there is a cut off of I think 1998 as nobody wants to hear about a remapped BMW e90 318i.

A few folk have tried turning up in little cliques or with polished classic cars but were told to fuck off.

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Completely agree. Last car show I went to in the summer there was people turning up to show in Audi A3’s, Mondeo Mk3’s and a Zafira for fuck sake. It’s just old rubbish and drowns out the interesting cars. Flip side of same coin you don’t want a cavalcade of the MG owners club turning up with 14 identical MGB Roadsters all over restored in that red they always come in. 

[Stinkwheel]

I think the real issue is how do you stop the people who want to turn up en-mass with mk3 golfs/jettas etc or the cult of fwd/rwd fords  or 2002  or even 2010 registered registered anything similarly adored (for some reason)  and bore the world with their preffered style of chod? I never thought id say it, but im old and i cant really get my head around stuff later than about 95 being anything but modern and slightly boring in most cases.

it is very hard to have any sort of car meeting these days without a faction turning up or an agends forming surely?

[Blunderguts]

I think the easy way would be to set a date limit on the age of the car/bike.  Made and/or registered before 31/12/1990 should keep it to more unusual vehicles. Banning MGBs entirely and Morris Moaners (except split screen/lowlight versions) for being boringly numerous would be good too.

[sierraman]

There’s interesting cars from after 1990 for sure but I think it’s the people at these car shows

Ford Enthusiast - Has the Ford Motorsport jacket, always goes ‘shame it’s not a 2.8’ or whatever when someone has brought a lovely old 2.0 GL out.

MGB Man - always farting about with something and never washes his hands properly, constantly ingrained with EP90. Knows exactly how many rivets a 1967 Roadster should have on the top hat something or other

Family Bullshitter - Cannot help himself with quoting an absolute horseshit fact like ‘The police actually still have over a 100 unregistered Rover SD1 as part of a strategic reserve for when electric cars come along’

My A3 would piss all over that - We know that a 1983 Capri wouldn’t win a raffle, it doesn’t renew it completely pointless against your A3.

The liar - Furtively looks at something then interrupts mid conversation with some shite about how his dad had a Mondeo Cosworth, Ford only made one of them and what with his dad stacking shelves in Fine Fair, he was chosen to test drive it. It had 426 horsepower and he did 185mph on the Dymchurch bypass with it. It’s in his dads lock up and he takes it out at night when nobody can see it. And it would piss all over your fucking Tesla on a race! 

[bunglebus]

I'd turn up. It'd be in a 90s Volkswagen though.

[JakeT]

  On 05/01/2024 at 11:37, sierraman said:

There’s interesting cars from after 1990 for sure but I think it’s the people at these car shows

Ford Enthusiast - Has the Ford Motorsport jacket, always goes ‘shame it’s not a 2.8’ or whatever when someone has brought a lovely old 2.0 GL out.

MGB Man - always farting about with something and never washes his hands properly, constantly ingrained with EP90. Knows exactly how many rivets a 1967 Roadster should have on the top hat something or other

Family Bullshitter - Cannot help himself with quoting an absolute horseshit fact like ‘The police actually still have over a 100 unregistered Rover SD1 as part of a strategic reserve for when electric cars come along’

My A3 would piss all over that - We know that a 1983 Capri wouldn’t win a raffle, it doesn’t renew it completely pointless against your A3.

The liar - Furtively looks at something then interrupts mid conversation with some shite about how his dad had a Mondeo Cosworth, Ford only made one of them and what with his dad stacking shelves in Fine Fair, he was chosen to test drive it. It had 426 horsepower and he did 185mph on the Dymchurch bypass with it. It’s in his dads lock up and he takes it out at night when nobody can see it. And it would piss all over your fucking Tesla on a race! 

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One more. The Manumasturbator.

 

Oh it’s an auto? SHAME. I bet it would be really nice as a manual, the manual would be way faster, the manual would be better to drive, the manual would solve my piles etc, etc…

 

On topic though, awards are kind of poo. How would you award for a bangerfest? Shittest car? Least shit car? Most bodges implemented to barely scrape an MOT? The Piers Corbyn award for best in show Cavalier?

[HillmanImp]

  On 05/01/2024 at 10:04, sierraman said:

why would I want to go and have a chat in a field to meet some bloke that’s just bought an Insignia in limp cock mode for £1500

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Yeah, you do that on here from the comfort of your own home.

[sierraman]

  On 05/01/2024 at 11:44, JakeT said:

One more. The Manumasturbator.

 

Oh it’s an auto? SHAME. I bet it would be really nice as a manual, the manual would be way faster, the manual would be better to drive, the manual would solve my piles etc, etc…

 

On topic though, awards are kind of poo. How would you award for a bangerfest? Shittest car? Least shit car? Most bodges implemented to barely scrape an MOT? The Piers Corbyn award for best in show Cavalier?

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It’s a bit like then they call Fred West Britain’s worst serial killer, real contradiction in terms, probably be Britain’s Best Serial Killer. So if you turned up with something really gopping like an Astra G automatic in dark blue, piss stains all over the front seat, a Carcraft dealer plate, missing trims and a semi skimmed milk container doing service in the boot to top the East River flowing out of the head gasket, you’d win some sort of prize? 

[egg]

I think it's a nice idea.

Although I've decided seeing one car actually on the road 'that shouldn't really exist anymore' is more fun then grouping a load of them in one place.

[grogee]

I'll be honest, I think this is Ruppert's two-fingers to the FoE. So in trying to keep things cheap, local and (fairly) uncompetitive, I hope he succeeds. 

Our local cricket club does a car event once a month, all welcome, no fee. All sorts of shite including my own. Free but the idea is they sell drinks from the bar to raise money for the cricket club. 

There is the odd smattering of VW stance crap but also some great old heaps that are just nice to look at. From memory a R5 turbo mid-engined widebody, brown Scimitar, Allegro, gigantic New Yorker... All sorts. 

And I can't imagine the VW pineapples are particularly impressed with my MG Maestro anyway. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 05/01/2024 at 15:00, grogee said:

I'll be honest, I think this is Ruppert's two-fingers to the FoE. So in trying to keep things cheap, local and (fairly) uncompetitive, I hope he succeeds. 

Our local cricket club does a car event once a month, all welcome, no fee. All sorts of shite including my own. Free but the idea is they sell drinks from the bar to raise money for the cricket club. 

There is the odd smattering of VW stance crap but also some great old heaps that are just nice to look at. From memory a R5 turbo mid-engined widebody, brown Scimitar, Allegro, gigantic New Yorker... All sorts. 

And I can't imagine the VW pineapples are particularly impressed with my MG Maestro anyway. 

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I had to Google pineapple 

 

[Dobloseven]

If you set the age limit at ,say 1990,as has been suggested, that's a very narrow window before getting into OMG no MOT,TAX,ULEZ territory with increasing values.Got to agree with sierraman too.Is worse better?Is something that limps between Mots covered in dents and lacquer peel more or less worthy than an immaculate cosseted example?If something has lived way beyond it's planned life,I think personally,that should be celebrated regardless of what it is. Often the story behind why something has survived,is as interesting as the car itself.Us lot ,I believe are doing a good job,often in difficult circumstances ,of keeping stuff alive.The logistics of regular get togethers is challenging,though ,with folk spread all over the country.

[loserone]

  On 05/01/2024 at 11:44, JakeT said:

How would you award for a bangerfest?

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I think I once won WORST 305 and SECOND BEST 205.  Possibly also ONLY 405.

[vulgalour]

Events like this are great in principle.  Unfortunately you need to tread that fine line between keeping it small enough that it is literally a bunch of likeminded nutters, and big enough that there's enough rotation of content that people still want to turn up.  Go too small it becomes a clique or fizzles out.  Go too big and you get the FoE situation.  It's basically impossible for more than a few months and the moment someone has an accident, and someone will, things get complicated or shut down.

Personally I think FoE has been in general a force for good.  It's raised awareness of the fact that you can own a boring classic car, or just an old car, and that's actually fine.  It's what's been said on here for ages already.  That the event has become so successful is remarkable really because it is a bit unexpected considering the usual content.  It's expensive now but I don't know that it's down to some sort of ulterior motive, more that it's just how these things go.  Events cost money to put on, people need to be paid, it's no more complicated than that really.

I wish Ruppert every success in his endeavour, and hope that he's a less angry and frustrated individual in person than he often comes across in print.

[beko1987]

How large would the visitors parking be though? My 2002 xsara fits no categories of old, interesting, unexceptional, a banger, classic or retro so I'd be parking and walking in. Then you end up with more visitors cars than actual cars, and from what I've read of the fotu/nec in previous years sometimes rhe best cars are in the visitors parking areas... 

I'm going to the fotu this year too, but with my dad in a 2021 (or newer by then) thing for his blue badge and less chance of overheating on the way in. Again visitors only due to circumstance 

Anyway it all sounds like an average weekend at the FoD in the summer/trigs east coat stuff/the Scottish ones/shitefest so I don't see why more people don't just go to those 🤷

[UltraWomble]

https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/rustival

 

And as if by some magic some people on Twitter had already had a think about this type of event... 

RUSTIVAL

[grogee]

Well spotted @UltraWomble. I had a look but was immediately put off by the 'meet your YouTube people'. No disrespect to any Toobers or what they do, but if I'm going it's for the cars, not 'personalities'. 

One thought I had: how about a critical mass of shiters invades an otherwise snooty event? Fill up the car park with the bASe Sierra, Rovers galore and some Cavaliers with iffy paint. Then all the MGB beards get their nose out of joint. 

I was thinking that would be fun at Caffeine and Machine which is nearish to me. It's a very 'Pistonheads' type venue especially at weekends so it would be good to sabotage it with shite. 

 

[chaseracer]

I think I'll take my terminally patinated Dyane.

[barefoot]

  On 05/01/2024 at 09:07, UltraWomble said:

James Ruppert (former editor of the Autoshite bible Jalopy magazine) 

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Wasn’t that Rod Ker?

[UltraWomble]

  On 12/01/2024 at 18:41, barefoot said:

Wasn’t that Rod Ker?

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I think you may be right.

[Dobloseven]

  On 12/01/2024 at 18:41, barefoot said:

Wasn’t that Rod Ker?

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Remember Jalopy magazine.They did a McLaren F1 buyers guide.Apparently if you couldn't afford the proper tyres,the twin rear wheels from a Transit could made to fit!

[Dobloseven]

  On 12/01/2024 at 16:53, grogee said:

Well spotted @UltraWomble. I had a look but was immediately put off by the 'meet your YouTube people'. No disrespect to any Toobers or what they do, but if I'm going it's for the cars, not 'personalities'. 

One thought I had: how about a critical mass of shiters invades an otherwise snooty event? Fill up the car park with the bASe Sierra, Rovers galore and some Cavaliers with iffy paint. Then all the MGB beards get their nose out of joint. 

I was thinking that would be fun at Caffeine and Machine which is nearish to me. It's a very 'Pistonheads' type venue especially at weekends so it would be good to sabotage it with shite. 

 

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Would it not be a good place for a get together being pretty well as close to the centre of the country as possible?

[Hogie]

Is there any Retroshite type Sunday morning meet in the south east ?  Let’s say within 1 hours drive  of Slough/Windsor, with a good selection of old tat present …..where a beat up old Frontera might not look too out of place…..I find most of the “classic meets” local to me are a bit too posh…..

 

 

 

[Soundwave]

  On 12/01/2024 at 16:53, grogee said:

Well spotted @UltraWomble. I had a look but was immediately put off by the 'meet your YouTube people'. No disrespect to any Toobers or what they do, but if I'm going it's for the cars, not 'personalities'.

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In fairness, I don't think meeting youtube people is mandatory (I bloody hope not anyway, I'm shit at small-talk), and I imagine there'll be some cars there too.

I'm thinking of giving it a go, as it's reasonably cheap and local, and I'm not doing FoTU this year (partly cost, and partly because of how up itself it's become, which is ironic given its roots!).