Too many feckin cars and I can't keep up anymore.

[Des]

I remember leaving a comment here (probably fatuous) recently after someone posted of their indecision problem of which car to return to the road first. I have a similar but worse problem. For a couple of years I've been really struggling to keep everything together and stay sane, few years ago developed a digestive problem which needs strict managing, I've yet to really get the hang of it so I've suffered a lack of energy levels for a fair while, my ribs are visible again, (been hiding since the early '90s), and my pants keep falling down. I'm now a fat bastard trapped in a skinny gits body. And I sometimes shit myself.

To the point, have 10 or so cars but only one is road legal, I really need to trim down to a handful so that I can keep on top of everything. Storagewise I have a single garage and a drivewayspace for one, can squeeze another but it's awkward, (only a small terrace house garden), I rent 2 lockups locally and have secure outdoor space in a yard but it's miles away, so sensibly I should trim down to 4 cars max. Been pondering this for too long and I can't make a decision. In no particular order there's an '89 Vanette, moted and insured, needs taxing, horrible on motorways but quite agile in town and tiny turning circle, parked up since xmas when I filled it with a lot of really heavy stuff for which I have yet to find dry accommodation and the energy/inclination to unload it. I've had this a while, fitted a tail lift when first bought and it's been very useful on a few occasions, but I so seldom move heavy stuff now and my car with its back seats removed can shift most big stuff, I think my justification for keeping it thus far is that I'd get very little for it, cheap to tax/insure and has only covered 20K so never needs attention.

 

'65 Rover 6 cyl, this is the unloved one, not a coupe, not a V8, (I love a 6 cyl though) I've had this a few years, did an awful lot with it but the last few bits got missed out when I fell ill, 2K engine rebuild FFS, dripping with new ancillaries and loads of new bits like calipers, dampers, exhaust, blah blah blah etc. the overdrive didn't work, so replacement gearbox ready to go in with engine, then I had to get clever and poke around, found the fault, great! overdrive works! but has a noisy bearing. Feck. I really should have swapped the whole box while it was all apart. The thing drives superbly, barely run in and still improving with use, if I jump in it tomorrow I'll think 'oh yes lovely, this is more like it,' but then I'll think the same when I jump back into my regular car, I don't actually know if I like it? Jobwise needs O/D swapping, (looks a horrible ignorant job), both rear arches need a repair, then tax, mot and insurance. Was thinking about a respray / rechrome but saw sense and now appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of it's patina.

 

Saab turbo, had it 20 years, mechanically great but rusty in all the usual places and then some, headlining minging, beyond economical repair unless I find a donor car in same colour (3 door silver? fat chance) I need to accept it's a lost cause.

 

FL1, 4 door version of the old 3 door taxi, I used this regularly through the '90s and did like it, running gear looks like A30 only twice the size, paint flaking off to bare metal, In the '90s I was forever rubbing boot polish into it to keep the rust at bay, (I was doing ratlook a decade before the tossers), It's been sitting in a lockup for nearly a decade waiting for a bit of welding to the boot floor and a respray / chrome bling, shame on me.

 

'69 Austin 1300, 2 door auto with pas, bought for missus but decided I wanted it, fun little thing, like driving a Mini with just ever so slightly more comfort, been sitting in a lockup for about 5 years waiting for me to finish welding up a sill.

 

My regular car / work hack, with the magic 3, tax mot and insurance is an old grubby looking Rangy, GR9 for presenting a professional image to my clients. I rebuilt it big style about 3 years ago, did seem to take me forever, I was becoming ill, barely touched it since, ran the brake pads paper thin recently, shameful, noticed via brake fade rather than regularly checking them, never done that before. Last 2 mots I've been bad and thus submitted it to see what it fails on rather than pre-check, bloody thing keeps passing. This cars way overdue a good once over, fluids, adjustments, and I have a tasty engine I'd like to build up and fit.

 

Immediately I need to attend to an old camper, I bought this reluctantly a year ago but turns out I love it. I need this when I go abroad / long summer trips, because I can't eat normal food anymore, have to cook everything myself, and there's a toilet in the back if I get poisoned and suffer random squits attacks, trying to fill an empty crisp packet with a steering wheel in my groin while missing my exit aint fun. (well it tires after the first couple of times) Needs a light service, rear shoes / cylinders, have parts, will fit soon.

 

Bristol, this poor old bastard has endured stop - start attention for about 8 years. Runs, has brakes and steering and all the niceties, took a punch on the nose in the late '50s, and had to wait for me to get born and save up the money to buy him. Have obtained a complete nosecone / shroud which has sat in place years waiting for me to attach it, I keep putting it off until I feel I have time to do it properly, not happened yet, ('The best is the enemy of good'). I've welded up the rusty bits, there was suprisingly little. It now needs a pair of intricate-ish panels made for the spare wheel carrier, fuel tank welding, (aluminum, I'll be learning here), front nose fitting, brake pipes, cyls, shoes, paint stripping by hand and some quality etch primer fun. On the plus side, I've chromed the bumpers.

 

'69 Sprite, I rebuilt and resprayed about 10 years ago, it was pretty far gone and I must have been mad, loads of welding, gathered all manner of parts. In the days when ebay worked I could buy a joblot of parts from someone who had broken a car, sell my leftovers and show a profit. Currently dismantled in garage for 3 years, another victim from when I became ill, pulled engine to replace release bearing, (modern ones are made out of hard poo) started dismantling to prepare a blow over treat for the crazing and tatty paintwork. I love this little deathtrap, previous owner spent out on go faster bits but was never set up correctly, a bit of faffing to get it running right and decent tyres made it the most fun car I've ever known, ridiculous little Noddy car but always makes me smile, I loved the way people would seem to get really upset with me for keeping the hood up all summer, (Truthfully, this was actually because I'm a scruffy bugger and tend to go a ridiculous long time needing a haircut, so I'd get bloody great clumps of grey mane flapping in my eyes), It has a boot rack which has carried chest of drawers, washing machine, and a clients 28 Grands worth of equipment, if only he knew. Needs reassembly, could do with a mist of paint, and have a couple of suspension arms to go on.

 

Now that I've spent an hour writing this crap, it's actually become a bit clearer, I've never stopped to consider the total, I'll think about one at a time, so any individual will seem feasible, but I have to look at how much time I will have this summer, prioritise, and cull. I'm now thinking I know what to do but I'll sleep on it, maybe set a deadline, don't want to spend next winter watching neglected cars rot.

[Torsten2001]

That's a fantastic collection, at least 5 are highly desirable in my eyes. After your 3rd car it does begin to feel a little like fleet management and to be honest the only way I get around that is regular culls. I love the excitement of a new purchase so it negates any sense of loss when I sell a car!

[Barrett.in.the.USA]

Sell the 1300 to Torsten and the Bristol to SirTainlyBarking, sorted!

 

Seriously though, great collection, I know I'd be having a tough time deciding what to cull...

[Torsten2001]

great idea!

[dollywobbler]

The Rover 3-Litre is actually very well regarded. I'd rather have one than a V8 with it's shit, over-assisted steering!

 

Less cars has to be sensible. We have a strict four-car limit for a very good reason. Anything more and it's impossible to keep on top of anything. In fact, if the Mini ever sells, we might even be content with just three cars. Doubt it though...

[revolting peasant]

[Station]

Sell them all to Torsten

 

Great idea!

[Des]

Thanks all, was a bit of an essay I did there, that's insomnia and drinking for you, fewer cars is the only way to go, thinking of them as a whole rather than individually now, and it strikes me that what I have is a great big millstone of a liability rather than something to enjoy, need to turn this situation from a worry to a pleasure, must lose half. I think I better get shot of Saab, painful as I've had it for so long, but 20 years is excessive. I suppose the Vanette should go, gets little use and if I need to move something v. big or heavy then rent a Transit. The Rover, I doubt I'll use this enough to keep it good, (if and when the brizzle is a goer it wont get a look in) it's one of those cars that will deteriorate if left idle, frustratingly it's had lots spent and of course it's worth considerably less whole than the sum of its component parts, would fetch probably 3 times its value if broken, not something I could do but have to find a new keeper who wont then do exactly that, was in similar situation before and had banger boys crawling all over me. Taxi shall go, saddening but it's time for someone else to enjoy it, attracts a bit too much attention for my liking anyway. The 1300 can go, it's a loveable little thing but again it just wont get used, there's the issue of only being able to keep a couple of cars at home, and always a hassle to swap them around.

That's 5 on the disposal list, and 2 of them very easy to make road legal, 2 will take about a days work each to get there, now it's looking easy. I'm left with 2 keepers that only really need servicing, and 2 that need partial rebuilding. I can knock the Sprite out in a week-ish and then there's just 1 to concentrate on, the others will then be merely a minor and occasional distraction. Why didn't this occur to me 5 years / 5 grand in rent ago? Anyhows, onwards and upwards, sell 'em all, and plough the money into what's left, spend my time enjoying them rather than an endless cycle of despair and procrastination. Unless anyone out there wants to swap a rural house with a barn for a pokey not far away enough from London townhouse.

Just one thing, I've been a bit lax with the old sorn nonsense, years ago doovla didn't seem bothered about chasing free taxdisc stuff, If I now tax something for the first time in years will they kick off? i wonder should I launder them by changing owner to my missus or someone at my work address?

[scooters]

You have my sympathy Des. I too have digestion issues am in constant pain and have lost 5 stone in 4 months. You sound like you have it worse I wish you all the best with it.

The worse thing is the lack of energy and the weakness I find. It really effects everything but especially keeping a load of shite running. What were niggles come, with time, to be real hassles. Good luck trimming the fleet down.

[dollywobbler]

What sort of price tag are you thinking on the Rover? Do not get hopes up of an easy sale - I don't actually have car buying funds as long as I have the Scimmie! (which I'm determined to enjoy a bit more) just curious and I do have some Rover contacts...

[garethj]

FL1, 4 door version of the old 3 door taxi, I used this regularly through the '90s and did like it, running gear looks like A30 only twice the size, paint flaking off to bare metal, In the '90s I was forever rubbing boot polish into it to keep the rust at bay, (I was doing ratlook a decade before the tossers), It's been sitting in a lockup for nearly a decade waiting for a bit of welding to the boot floor and a respray / chrome bling, shame on me.

Love it!

[scooters]

FL1, 4 door version of the old 3 door taxi, I used this regularly through the '90s and did like it, running gear looks like A30 only twice the size, paint flaking off to bare metal, In the '90s I was forever rubbing boot polish into it to keep the rust at bay, (I was doing ratlook a decade before the tossers), It's been sitting in a lockup for nearly a decade waiting for a bit of welding to the boot floor and a respray / chrome bling, shame on me.

Love it!

 

 

I love those old Taxis - a bit more usable that a Beardmore as well! a man's car!

[binhoker668]

Wow - crazy list of cool vehicles!

I would very much like the Vanette, but still have my Mazda 323 - couldn't keep both. Maybe if someone on here ends up feeling a 323 sized gap on their drive, a 3 way deal could be struck! It's mot'ed for a year and taxed for 4 months at present...

Just a wee thought - I need a change!!!

[binhoker668]

How much would you be looking for for your Vanette? Getting more into this idea by the second!!

[Des]

Ta Scooters, although I'm not as bad these days and slowly getting better, as illnesses go it could be worse, no surgery or medication needed, all up to myself, I think a large part of my problem now is that I need to put a lot more effort into my diet, been reading up and it's really complicated. On the plus side I don't get colds or flu since dropping gluten.

I've not got any real idea of values of what I'll offload, and will possibly be a month or so before I get around to it, lots going on at the moment, but will keep updated here. The Rover would actually sell very easily, although it would involve a member of the haib and dulux fraternity, otherwise, yes, difficult. It's ideally suited to being used rather than annual trips to a field collecting drool, and petrol price getting harsh, wonder if it would be happy on lpg? maybe lpg is closer to what it was designed to run on than that funny smelling stuff we get now. The Vanette's a bit odd really, K reg but made in '89, so it has the round headlamps, it's the third one of them I've had and it differs from previous ones, feels a bit weird when I drive it because it doesn't have play in the steering, clutch pedal easier to push to floor than the brake and the gear lever feels unnatural being all firm and precise like, and the back arches are made of metal rather than the rusty jagged finger shredders normally fitted at the factory.

[Albert Ross]

I have a friend with an FX3 (restored) and an FL1 (in progress) Would the FL1 be available should he so be interested? He was asking me a year or so ago if I knew of one....

[Pete-M]

The Rover 3-Litre is actually very well regarded. I'd rather have one than a V8 with it's shit, over-assisted steering!

 

I quite liked the 3 litre I had, but didn't like the heavy steering or lack of poke.... so I'd be after a V8 if I bought another.

[Des]

Yes FL1 will be available, and a ridiculous load of parts that it will probably never need, I shall hopefully ease into my culling one at a time. As there's no great problem with getting them road legal I'll put the things back on the road and have a final couple of weeks use to say goodbye, makes it a lot less hassle for next keeper if cars can be driven to their new home without hassle from the apnr gestapo and I've made sure they'll be reliable.

[scooters]

Ta Scooters, although I'm not as bad these days and slowly getting better, as illnesses go it could be worse, no surgery or medication needed, all up to myself, I think a large part of my problem now is that I need to put a lot more effort into my diet, been reading up and it's really complicated. On the plus side I don't get colds or flu since dropping gluten.

 

Coeliac's? we got a call from the hospital 2 days ago, our youngest daughter who's 1 has tested positive for coeliacs disease - flipping nightmare - no wheat or grain gluten at all for the rest of her life, we've got to get new pots for her food and be very careful - she has it very bad poor wee mite and I will spare you a description of her nappies - almost as bad as that Maxi Torsten sold me 4 years ago!

[Des]

I'm sorry to hear that Scooters, that's a real hassle, although will get easier. The coeliac thing is fairly newish, and still commonly misdiagnosed so it's very good to know this early, my cousin has just been diagnosed at 18, she's had a miserable childhood spent trying allsorts, checked after hearing about myself and now sorted. There's a been a huge increase in gluten use in recent decades hence the increasing cases of intolerance, and our species has only been eating wheat etc. since we worked out how to process it with windmills and stuff, our ancestors who travelled by 'boat hollowed out of a tree trunk with a pointy rock shite' didn't eat it so it's not a natural food for us, your daughter should grow up healthier as a result, as diseases go it's not too gnarly, no drugs, treatments or operations.