Driving classic cars not fun anymore?

[BorniteIdentity]

3 hours ago, Sham said:

Bikes are more dangerous than cars, statistically, that's true - but most of the accidents are down to idiot riders, not the car drivers. 

You can also spot a car that's going to do something stupid a mile off. A good bike rider is no more likely to crash than an observant car driver in my opinion.

In 7k miles last year, I didn't need a single emergency avoidance on the bike. And trust me, with nearly 400bhp/ton I don't hang about.

I had to do a lot (and @alf892 will attest) of soul searching and acceptance about driving a Mini about. How that steering column will pierce your chest, smash your ribs, puncture your lungs and leave you dying whilst the rest of the car is wrapped around you like the foil of a kit-kat. I decided, cautiously, that I’d rather live than die old and bored. It wasn’t easy, but you have to make peace with it. 

There are many advantages of a motorbike. Avoidance is, as far as I can work out, a bit easier when your profile is 30’’ wide. You’re also thrown free of impact - and whilst you could be travelling a way, I’d still rather be thrown 30m horizontally than 15m down (ask me how I know). As Sham says, if you push your vision along you give yourself a fighting chance, and it’s simple enough to see who’s on their phone and who’s simply not seen you. 

Ultimately, none of us are getting out alive. Yes, I’d rather my eldest son didn’t have the unenviable task of being asked to turn off my life support - but life is measured by the bit between birth and death. 

Summary: old cars are shit but bring certain rewards. Motorbikes are great when the sun is shining but come with different risks. I don’t want to be 108 years old, eating through a straw looking back on a life of boredom. 

[Six-cylinder]

On 27/04/2024 at 09:54, garellikatia said:

I took the mini out for a drive last night, and the last few times if driven it  its been a massive anticlimax.

Now you tell me when I have just bought my first Classic Mini!

[alf892]

11 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I had to do a lot (and @alf892 will attest) of soul searching and acceptance about driving a Mini about. How that steering column will pierce your chest, smash your ribs, puncture your lungs and leave you dying whilst the rest of the car is wrapped around you like the foil of a kit-kat. I decided, cautiously, that I’d rather live than die old and bored. It wasn’t easy, but you have to make peace with it. 

There are many advantages of a motorbike. Avoidance is, as far as I can work out, a bit easier when your profile is 30’’ wide. You’re also thrown free of impact - and whilst you could be travelling a way, I’d still rather be thrown 30m horizontally than 15m down (ask me how I know). As Sham says, if you push your vision along you give yourself a fighting chance, and it’s simple enough to see who’s on their phone and who’s simply not seen you. 

Ultimately, none of us are getting out alive. Yes, I’d rather my eldest son didn’t have the unenviable task of being asked to turn off my life support - but life is measured by the bit between birth and death. 

Summary: old cars are shit but bring certain rewards. Motorbikes are great when the sun is shining but come with different risks. I don’t want to be 108 years old, eating through a straw looking back on a life of boredom. 

Very true.

But the trouble with bikes is the addictive rush from acceleration……..and the fact the one you get goes from scary to meh quickly……so you get a quicker one.

[Sham]

Just now, alf892 said:

Very true.

But the trouble with bikes is the addictive rush from acceleration……..and the fact the one you get goes from scary to meh quickly……so you get a quicker one.

 

The throttle works in both directions - idiots going to idiot, and that's where the statistics come from.

If you can't control yourself, you don't deserve to be on the road - on a bike, or in a car.

[ETCHY]

One thing I would say about older cars is whilst they are shite in a crash, visibility out of the damned things is often better. Those thin pillars that help the car crumple like a wet cardboard box also let you see out easily & maybe avoid a 3 ton Audi wankwagen.

[2flags]

I think a lot of this is the type of road you drive. Three of my cars are early 2000's so keep up with modern traffic no problem. The Landrover however is 1985 so is no ball of fire. Yes, I know is a V8 and drinks fuel like Oliver Reed in a brewery, but when we go away, even with the modern car. [3.0 X Type keeps up with just about anything😁] We chose to take the slow road, minimizing the motorways as much as possible. As to Mini's, well, at my age we all had them. Great fun they handle really well. Yes, they have their faults. None of mine ever had a working fuel gauge and let me tell you, the tank in a mini is tiny. The smell from the petrol container carried in the boot could get a little overpowering. No, you never went without one, because you knew, at some time, you would run out of fuel! If you drive an older car, then my advice would be to take the slower road. Take the roads that these were designed for. You will only drive at giffer speed anyway. Drive down any single carriage way road and be honest, how often do you actually get over 50mph? Not very often I would guess. Mini too small? Get something like a Rover P6. Very smooth and comfortable. Go and try different cars, see what you like, see what you can afford, and see what suits you. 

[garellikatia]

Hi guys, thanks for all the wonderful responses, story's and opinions, I've been busy juggling two jobs and two kids to have a good sit down and read all your responses. 

I definitely feel as though your right in the change of car maybe what I'm needing. I always toy with selling the mini but always think by the time I list all the things that are not so perfect on it,  then will there be any money left in it for me. 

These are things that are not massive problems either, just small quirks that don't bother me too much (ironically) . Things like a bit of filler here and there, which would definitely knock the price down of a potential buyer. 

I also wonder whether I'd regret selling it due to the nostalgia and memories I have with it. This was my first car I bought through washing cars as a young 15 year old and I've had her ever since, with all the memories attached.

I'm also wondering whether generally it might be something more deep inside. Having a lot more daily stresses than I did back then! 

Coincidently since starting this thread I've seen at least 5 classic minis on my commute haha!! Fancy that!! Haha

I've been toying with the idea of if I did sell the mini I could get a VW T25 camper. The kids are obsessed with us getting a camper just recently and it would be great to have something we could all use. 

 

[Rod/b]

On 27/04/2024 at 13:06, andrew e said:

It’s not the classic butmaybe the size of the classic? 

I remember shitting myself surrounded by traffic in my old mans midget, when its mirrors are parking sensor level with everything else.

Didn’t stop you trying to selling it to me mind

[Rustybullethole]

10 hours ago, Sham said:

The throttle works in both directions - idiots going to idiot, and that's where the statistics come from.

If you can't control yourself, you don't deserve to be on the road - on a bike, or in a car.

Or if you can't control yourself. Leave the r6 in the garage and buy a Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

[Sham]

You can crash a Himalayan by being an uncontrolled moron as well, you just have to try harder 🤣 

Some bikers are just morons - like the one that sat ½ second from me this morning so I could see nothing behind him, you'd think a biker would have more respect for another biker - but he just needs to be out of my way, so I just waved him past and went about my day. I don't speed in a built up area, at all, and rarely on the open road - so there's always some nob that wants to go faster. Let them.

Not as bad as the car that does 45 in a NSL, so you overtake them, then the sit impatiently behind you in a 30 because they still want to do 45 - exactly the inattentive twat you have to really watch for.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, Rustybullethole said:

Or if you can't control yourself. Leave the r6 in the garage and buy a Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

Or do what I did. Sell a 78 550/4 cos it ain't quick enough and buy a zxr750 instead. Then spend the rest of your life pining for the Honda back 😭

[Bazfr69]

8 hours ago, garellikatia said:

 

I also wonder whether I'd regret selling it due to the nostalgia and memories I have with it. This was my first car I bought through washing cars as a young 15 year old and I've had her ever since, with all the memories attached.

I'm also wondering whether generally it might be something more deep inside. Having a lot more daily stresses than I did back then! 

I've been toying with the idea of if I did sell the mini I could get a VW T25 camper. The kids are obsessed with us getting a camper just recently and it would be great to have something we could all use. 

 

In order…
 

You likely won’t know how much you’d miss it until it was gone.

My car helps me unwind but it certainly doesn’t make me forget serious stuff that’s bothering me so I’d definitely agree with that. 

Will you drive a T25 just for the joy of driving it or will it only be wheeled out for trips with the family?

I love a T3 and given the choice and cash I’d have a Synchro in the drive for the odd run to the beach or countryside, I’m not sure it’s the kind of thing I’d drive for pleasure in the way my bug is though. 
 

Sorry, ramble over. 😊

[Bfg]

I fell out of love with my Triumph TR4 last year.. mostly I fell out of love with life until I finally pulled up my socks and found somewhere else to live that wasn't cold n' damp and dingy..  I then damaged the car's open roof in October and put the Triumph into storage.  At that time I wasn't sure I'd find my mojo again.  Aside from not being happy in myself, the other half of the problem was as you've discussed ..old car idiosyncrasies, rattles, ride, screen demist, and smallness.  As a big guy the latter was getting to me, as was the low ride in wet weather ..ie., road spray and headlamp glare drastically reducing visibility ..and safety.  

I wasn't sure if I wanted to get rid of it though, because I'd loose a lot of money over what I'd spent and because knowing me I'd want her back once I dumped her.    So, I parked it in the garage (which I now had since I'd moved) and left it.  It was safe and sound, dry and not deteriorating nor devaluing.  

Me being me - I looked for another classic .. a bigger one, a very different driving experience, and with a good deal more comfort..  My first choice was to buy an old jaguar saloon ..a Mk9 which nostalgically harked back to my father having a Mk7 when I was a kid.  But that was too big to go into a garage ..and hiring barn storage didn't seem such a good idea. 

As it happened a scruffy but generally solid, low-mileage Daimler 250 saloon (like the Mk2 Jaguar) then came up.  It's the rarer model with manual gearbox and overdrive.  I had the automatic version of this same car some 22 years previously, so I knew what I was getting into, and whether I could afford to run and maintain it, and that it was (aside from the automatic transmission) a car I very much liked. Aside from its icon look, I love its big steering wheel, the leather and walnut interior, and the V8 burble.

It is so very different to the Triumph that it's a different sort of delight, and again so very unlike my modern (a Peugeot 'sports wagon') that it's a privilege and a joyful diversion from what I see as a boring but very practical world.  I've kept the Triumph sports, which I'll use for summer fun driving around the countryside ..much as I would my motorcycle, and I've used the Daimler V8 through the winter.  In fact I've driven twice the mileage as I have the Pug.  The Pug is a practical tool, reliable, spacious, nippy, and easy.  But the Daimler is something special. The Triumph I've now fixed and am planning a cross country (from Suffolk) trip to the inter-club camping classic-car meet at Malvern in June.  I've a towing hitch for it, to use with my micro-camping-trailer. The Daimler owners club is too  1950's for me, and I don't relate to rich-git Jawaar owners ..but I do enjoy the two Triumph car club meetings I go to each month. 

I'd left my options open, with regard to owning two classic cars, but with low cost classic-car insurance and no road tax, even two are a cheap hobby. The main running cost is petrol and that of course is only one car at a time.  I might consider sell the Pug though, and use the Daimler saloon through the winter months.

Just a thought, but perhaps you might consider keeping the mini for when the mood takes you.  A VW camper would be a good compliment as it's so very different to driving a mini, and driving is a different experience with the family. And just keep the mini for when your mood, the one-on-one driving, the traffic and pace lends itself to being more fun.? 

Pete

   

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Today I ate a Pain au Chocolate while waiting for my Cheese Stuffed Crust Doner Meat Pizza to cook, drank two diet cokes and a coffee then ate a bag of Maoam Pinballs. Crashing a Mini might actually improve my chances

[Pauly.22]

The big I don’t enjoy is. With my mk2 escort, I worry if I want to leave it anywhere. It won’t be there when I get back or someone bumped it one. So all I ever do is just go for a drive and that’s it. Never just go the shops etc in it. 

[danthecapriman]

36 minutes ago, Pauly.22 said:

The big I don’t enjoy is. With my mk2 escort, I worry if I want to leave it anywhere. It won’t be there when I get back or someone bumped it one. So all I ever do is just go for a drive and that’s it. Never just go the shops etc in it. 

That’s exactly my worry with both the Mercury and Capri. I will not park them and leave point blank. It’s a bit of a sad state of affairs really that it’s got to that point but such is the shitty cuntry we live in now I suppose! You can’t even have a nice car and park it somewhere without the worry of it getting damaged, vandalised or stolen.

[Bfg]

16 hours ago, Pauly.22 said:

The big I don’t enjoy is. With my mk2 escort, I worry if I want to leave it anywhere. It won’t be there when I get back or someone bumped it one. So all I ever do is just go for a drive and that’s it. Never just go the shops etc in it. 

My cars are well insured. if they're nicked then I'll take the money and buy a better one !    if they're just damaged I'd take the money and get the repair done (and then some) by a good professional.  Neither car is so precious as to be irreplaceable, neither have sentimental value ..they're simply drivers - to be enjoyed. 

[alf892]

Whenever I drive my oldies I just feel chilled……mostly keep off the main roads and enjoy the ride. If I get a queue behind me on a longer drive I’ll pull over or go right round a roundabout but really just focus on driving my car and let them drive theirs.

Very few driving experiences better than driving down a country road on a sunny day in your cherished motor.

[Dobloseven]

1 hour ago, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

Today I ate a Pain au Chocolate while waiting for my Cheese Stuffed Crust Doner Meat Pizza to cook, drank two diet cokes and a coffee then ate a bag of Maoam Pinballs. Crashing a Mini might actually improve my chances

Diet Coke? What's that about?

[2flags]

If you are worried about your classic getting damaged when out the answer is simple. Get another car, one that you are not so precious about. If you like Fords, then how about a late Escort or early Focus or Mondeo? How about an Alfa or a Merc? If you are still able to fit in it and able to get out of it while retaining your dignity, then how about a MGF or a Mazda MX5? These can be acquired for not too much money and can just be driven, parked, used, and had fun with. If you fancy another car, just show this well thought out and reasonable argument to your wife/girlfriend/significant other. 

[AnthonyG]

1 hour ago, Bfg said:

My cars are well insured. if they're nicked then I grab the money and buy a better one !    if they're just damaged I'd grab the money and get the repair done (and then some) by a good professional.  Neither car is so precious as to be irreplaceable, they're drivers to be enjoyed. 

To be fair, I would say that classic Fords are very vulnerable to theft, so I totally get their concerns. I probably wouldn’t leave one where I couldn’t see it either. Something like your TR would actually be a rather risky proposition to steal, it’s pretty unique by the looks of it, and people who buy them are probably very clued up on spotting dodgy/ringed ones. 

I would love a Mk1 or Mk2 Cortina, and I am lucky enough to be able to afford one even now (a 4dr anyway!) but that is just not happening until I move house, to somewhere with a dry, well secured garage. 

[garellikatia]

13 hours ago, Bazfr69 said:

In order…
 

You likely won’t know how much you’d miss it until it was gone.

My car helps me unwind but it certainly doesn’t make me forget serious stuff that’s bothering me so I’d definitely agree with that. 

Will you drive a T25 just for the joy of driving it or will it only be wheeled out for trips with the family?

I love a T3 and given the choice and cash I’d have a Synchro in the drive for the odd run to the beach or countryside, I’m not sure it’s the kind of thing I’d drive for pleasure in the way my bug is though. 
 

Sorry, ramble over. 😊

Absolutely I'd love a camper to whisk the kids away, I've actually seen some really good examples of the T25 and LT28 vans for decent prices just recently. I ought to keep my eye out 

[garellikatia]

6 hours ago, Bfg said:

I fell out of love with my Triumph TR4 last year.. mostly I fell out of love with life until I finally pulled up my socks and found somewhere else to live that wasn't cold n' damp and dingy..  I then damaged the car's open roof in October and put the Triumph into storage.  At that time I wasn't sure I'd find my mojo again.  Aside from not being happy in myself, the other half of the problem was as you've discussed ..old car idiosyncrasies, rattles, ride, screen demist, and smallness.  As a big guy the latter was getting to me, as was the low ride in wet weather ..ie., road spray and headlamp glare drastically reducing visibility ..and safety.  

I wasn't sure if I wanted to get rid of it though, because I'd loose a lot of money over what I'd spent and because knowing me I'd want her back once I dumped her.    So, I parked it in the garage (which I now had since I'd moved) and left it.  It was safe and sound, dry and not deteriorating nor devaluing.  

Me being me - I looked for another classic .. a bigger one, a very different driving experience, and with a good deal more comfort..  My first choice was to buy an old jaguar saloon ..a Mk9 which nostalgically harked back to my father having a Mk7 when I was a kid.  But that was too big to go into a garage ..and hiring barn storage didn't seem such a good idea. 

As it happened a scruffy but generally solid, low-mileage Daimler 250 saloon (like the Mk2 Jaguar) then came up.  It's the rarer model with manual gearbox and overdrive.  I had the automatic version of this same car some 22 years previously, so I knew what I was getting into, and whether I could afford to run and maintain it, and that it was (aside from the automatic transmission) a car I very much liked. Aside from its icon look, I love its big steering wheel, the leather and walnut interior, and the V8 burble.

It is so very different to the Triumph that it's a different sort of delight, and again so very unlike my modern (a Peugeot 'sports wagon') that it's a privilege and a joyful diversion from what I see as a boring but very practical world.  I've kept the Triumph sports, which I'll use for summer fun driving around the countryside ..much as I would my motorcycle, and I've used the Daimler V8 through the winter.  In fact I've driven twice the mileage as I have the Pug.  The Pug is a practical tool, reliable, spacious, nippy, and easy.  But the Daimler is something special. The Triumph I've now fixed and am planning a cross country (from Suffolk) trip to the inter-club camping classic-car meet at Malvern in June.  I've a towing hitch for it, to use with my micro-camping-trailer. The Daimler owners club is too  1950's for me, and I don't relate to rich-git Jawaar owners ..but I do enjoy the two Triumph car club meetings I go to each month. 

I'd left my options open, with regard to owning two classic cars, but with low cost classic-car insurance and no road tax, even two are a cheap hobby. The main running cost is petrol and that of course is only one car at a time.  I might consider sell the Pug though, and use the Daimler saloon through the winter months.

Just a thought, but perhaps you might consider keeping the mini for when the mood takes you.  A VW camper would be a good compliment as it's so very different to driving a mini, and driving is a different experience with the family. And just keep the mini for when your mood, the one-on-one driving, the traffic and pace lends itself to being more fun.? 

Pete

   

Wow, what a beautiful pair of motors. When you initially mentioned Daimler , I expected the car style to be similar to the type of Jags you'd see John Prescot cutting around in, around my neck of the woods. Especially when you mentioned driving it through the winter. I'm Especially impressed when I read down further to see the age of it. Kudos to you Sir!!

[garellikatia]

Thanks again for the replies guys, I actually took my 1998 Merc SLK for a drive today, with the roof down. I was straight off a night shift and had 3 hrs sleep but didn't want to miss a beautiful day. With some good music on and the wind blowing in my ever thinning hair, I actually got quite emotional as it was the first time in a long time I actually felt excitement again. Its not a classic per se, but I really enjoyed just the driving experience, it handles well, has plenty of poke and for some reason nobody seemed to be up my ass all the time. Perhaps the answer all along has been under my nose (as recommended a few times on this thread about a second classic).

[danthecapriman]

22 minutes ago, garellikatia said:

Thanks again for the replies guys, I actually took my 1998 Merc SLK for a drive today, with the roof down. I was straight off a night shift and had 3 hrs sleep but didn't want to miss a beautiful day. With some good music on and the wind blowing in my ever thinning hair, I actually got quite emotional as it was the first time in a long time I actually felt excitement again. Its not a classic per se, but I really enjoyed just the driving experience, it handles well, has plenty of poke and for some reason nobody seemed to be up my ass all the time. Perhaps the answer all along has been under my nose (as recommended a few times on this thread about a second classic).

You picked a fine day for it! 
At the end of the day it makes bugger all difference if it’s a classic or not a classic. It’s a nice car, it’s a nice day, you enjoyed yourself. Good enough!👍

[Cavcraft]

On 29/04/2024 at 13:48, BorniteIdentity said:

To agree with what a few people have said here - old cars are rubbish. Whenever someone talks to me about the Sierra, I genuinely say (almost without taking breath) “Thanks - it’s shit”.

Because it is.

The endless cranking once the fuel has crept back into the tank, the fogging up, the rattles, the furious tickover when on choke, chasing rust, securing it blah blah - it’s endless. 

Also, I don’t find the car scene particularly enjoyable. Let’s face it, classic car meets are full of absolute bungle cunts and also kids being YouTubers. There are nice folk about but I find it a 50/50 mix these days. Once you’ve set aside the willy wavers, the autistics, the “can I make you famous” brigade and 5,428 Triumph Stags, there are about 6 people left who I’d like to talk to. 

Ultimately, I keep the old cars much for the same reason I maintain an old house - because it’s nice to preserve things and renovate them. Fixing stuff and making things better is therapy. It’s also my closest and most intimate connection to a time in life that is lost and gone forever. 

I’d echo the motorbike thing though. I rode for the first time a few weeks ago, and grinned from ear to ear like NO motor car has EVER made me do. Ever. I now hanker for a big tourer. 

Very much true.

When people say 'You don't see these anymore' when I'm on an old motorbike or scooter, I usually say 'Probably just as well' and actually mean it. 

[chadders]

6 hours ago, garellikatia said:

Absolutely I'd love a camper to whisk the kids away, I've actually seen some really good examples of the T25 and LT28 vans for decent prices just recently. I ought to keep my eye out 

The price of T2s seem to have dropped quite a bit.

[EyesWeldedShut]

34 minutes ago, chadders said:

The price of T2s seem to have dropped quite a bit.

The price of a lot of stuff seems to be dropping a bit (or is it demand dropping)?
A lot of the shite retro classic* stuff at auction is just not reaching what looks to be a fair reserve price and similar stuff on the likes of FleaBay is not shifting.

[chadders]

1 hour ago, chadders said:

The price of T2s seem to have dropped quite a bit.

Money is no longer 'cheap'.

[Bfg]

13 hours ago, garellikatia said:

Absolutely I'd love a camper to whisk the kids away, I've actually seen some really good examples of the T25 and LT28 vans for decent prices just recently. I ought to keep my eye out 

I had an LT28 many years ago when I was in business, it was a very good and usefully capacious vehicle.  I got used to driving it because I was using it most every day. Similarly my Chrysler Grand (LWB) Voyager. 

However, if I were looking for a camper I'd not go for something so big (despite the fact I'm 6'5" & like to spread out). The smaller VW vans are more popular for good reason ; 

• many car 'pay and display' parks have size limitations (height bars and signs saying 'no vans'). Even when not a large vehicle is sometimes impossible to manoeuvrer tightly around other parked cars into a parking spot.  Likewise very few town / street parking spaces are designed for large vans.  When you go on holiday you'll constantly find parking an annoying issue.  Even going to the seaside will prove frustrating as camper vans are being banned ..during the summer season.!
• Any vehicle needs to be frequently used. If it's not then you'll spend more time fixing things than driving it.  I'd recommend you choose the smaller T size and to use it frequently (at least once a week) for work &/or your family shop.  Again parking becomes an issue in anything but a modest size van because, even in a Tesco or Aldi open car parks, you'll find yourself parking in the perimeter spaces and then traipsing your family through the pinball of cars being randomly manoeuvred.    
• Parking the larger vehicle at home ?  We've all seen dream-sized camper vans dominating driveways or spread across front gardens. It of course all depends where you live now ..and in five years time.
• Will the missus drive such a large vehicle if you're taken ill ..or have had a little too much the night before ?
• My local garage couldn't do steering rack work on my Chrysler Voyager because it was too big for their two poster.

For many camper owners - a smaller vehicle with an awning is the better option, with numerous other benefits. 

Bottom line ; Larger sizes are great across America, with its broad roads and big-yank-car parking ..but over here in the British Isles and across Europe, the greater size really is a nuisance.  Truck and large van drivers manage well enough, but then they are driving the vehicle every day, so know their vehicle's size to the nearest inch. And although unloading for a few minutes, they are not parking in the high street.   

I'm not saying do or don't  .. I'm just suggesting some of the pitfalls

Pete