For those interested in old cars.

[PM47079]

To be fair though the topic is old cars rather than classic which does widen things somewhat. I have a 26 year old car and a 29 year old car both to me are old just not as old as some but old enough to be interesting 

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

 

To be honest I thought we had a ‘currently driving’ thread but I can’t find it. 

 

We do, hence my comment:

 

 

[APOLLO]

43 minutes ago, Hobby said:

It doesn't say "classic" cars, just "old" cars and TBH I don't think a 14 year old car is "old" by any means! It's not even come of age and they still make them!

 

Most old cars are classic cars and vice versa, hence all are allowed a mention (as far as I am concerned) in this thread.  Again old means different things to different people - there are no set rules (thank God !! ).

 

Look closely at my Rover picture, there are a few rivets too many (note - NOT missing !!!!!!!!!!!!!).

 

Ah well we all get it wrong at times

 

 

Brit15

 

 

[Jol Wilkinson]

3 hours ago, big jim said:

"Similar to the Rover above My first car was a 1979 Vauxhall chevette, bought in 1991, 12 years old and already a classic (well ok rusting away if nothing else!)"

 

The old car I know own is a 73 MGB, which underwent a major rebuild by a previous owner to counteract the effect of tin worm in late 1990.  Such problems were pretty common for cars of that period. It was on;y really in the 1980's that body protection processes such as zinc phosphate coatings started to be used in production.

2 hours ago, APOLLO said:

"What is a classic car ? - an often discussed subject with no real answer - everybody has their own ideas and opinions.

 

Jim's minis, looked after, will at least retain their value as they are perceived to be a modern classic.

A brief discussion with some members of the Suffolk Vehicle Enthusiast Club at the Helmingham Hall (near Ipswich) Festival of Classic and Sports Cars in August 2017, left me with the distinct impression that to be a modern classic it had to be a Lamborghini, Porsche, or similar expensive automobile. However, as you say, it seems that anything can be a modern classic. Any car that seems to the owner to convey special status upon them probably fits the bill, especially the most rare and expensive.

 

[big jim]

my wife’s car could be considered by some to be a ‘modern classic’ 

 

she has a Nissan Murano 3.5 V6 (same engine as a Nissan 350Z), only 1400 were sold in the uk and there are only 850ish left so a pretty rare car really 

 

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/nissan_murano_cvt

 

its a 2005, so again 14 years old, 215000 miles on the clock, running well with no signs of giving up the ghost quite yet, we have owned it for 3 years (this week as it happens) after I bought it cheap and said ‘if I get a year out of it I’ll be happy’, it keep going and going, even getting rear ended by a fiat 500 wasn’t going to stop it!

 

 

that wrote the 500 off and all we needed was a new bumper! 

 

[Rugd1022]

These are definitely in the 'old' camp... the Mrs and I have just been watching 'A Shot In The Dark' with Peter Sellers and co pootling about in the Radford modified Mini Cooper which happily is still doing the rounds...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Rugd1022

[boxbrownie]

17 hours ago, big jim said:

Bonnet stripes on the Cooper S, that’s good for another 10bhp right?

 

 

They may not be accepted as “classics” just yet but obviously somebody has wet themselves over the excitement of waiting 

[big jim]

I wish I had pictures of my old ‘proper’ mini’s I had back in the early 90’s 

 

first one I had was a £150 beige 1000 (GED707V) that ended up BRG with a bored out 1340 mg metro turbo engine, gas flowed cooper head and LCB exhaust, twin 28/36 Webber’s off a cortina and pipercross filter, went like a rocket to 60mph then that was yer lot, that one snapped it’s camshaft iirc 

 

2nd one I had was a £275 fully deseamed clubman in maroon with 4 huge cibie super oscars up front on a rally bracket, 2 on top pointing forward and 2 below pointing out, certainly lit the road up when you put full beam on 

 

that was traded for what now again would be considered a classic, a 1986 lada Niva Cossack 4x4, built like a tank that was! 

 

[Two_sugars]

 pootling about in the Radford modified Mini Cooper which happily is still doing the rounds...

 

It can't be . . . .I've just watched it and the car was blown up! ! !     

 

 

I ever heard the explosion, So There!

 

 

John

[big jim]

4 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

They may not be accepted as “classics” just yet but obviously somebody has wet themselves over the excitement of waiting 

 

That was me, just wait til it’s MOTd and I can finally take it out and about, there will be some wet patches and skid marks if it still produces 170bhp! 

[boxbrownie]

3 minutes ago, Two_sugars said:

 pootling about in the Radford modified Mini Cooper which happily is still doing the rounds...

 

It can't be . . . .I've just watched it and the car was blown up! ! !     

 

 

I ever heard the explosion, So There!

 

 

John

Must have been all those duplicate licence plates they had laying around at the studio 

Edited February 17, 2019 by boxbrownie

[Nick C]

One of our local classic car shows has a very rigid definition - 1990. So if, for example, a group of Mk1 MX5s turn up, those built pre-31/12/1989 are allowed in, the others aren't.

 

I personally don't consider 14 year old cars old, but then my daily driver will be 14 this year - and my wife's runabout is 20...

[Rugd1022]

My first Mini, my first car too - a 1977 1000, looks red in this rubbish photo but it was much more 'baked bean orange' in hue. The peeling vinyl roof was all that was holding it together, I hated the plastic BL wheel trims and black grille and had big plans to turn it into a Beatle-esque Radford on a budget of fourteen quid but a few months after the photo was taken the engine threw the towel in big time on a dark, wet January night in Leicestershire, so that was that. Note the bonus broken down R reg'd example being pushed onto my neighbour's drive...

 

 

[big jim]

2 hours ago, Nick C said:

One of our local classic car shows has a very rigid definition - 1990. So if, for example, a group of Mk1 MX5s turn up, those built pre-31/12/1989 are allowed in, the others aren't.

 

 

Stayed near the excel last night where the london classic car show was held last week, this morning there were a few cars being loaded onto transporters including this one, post 1990 escort cosworth

 

 

by your local clubs definition that wouldn’t be allowed in! 

 

Typically I asked the little un if he wanted to go and see the cars yesterday afternoon and he said he just wanted to relax in the room, (ie Nick my iPad to play games) then this morning he says ‘we should have gone and seen the cars yesterday they look cool

 

I liked the look of this too

[RANGERS]

On 17/02/2019 at 15:18, big jim said:

my wife’s car could be considered by some to be a ‘modern classic’ 

 

she has a Nissan Murano 3.5 V6 (same engine as a Nissan 350Z), only 1400 were sold in the uk and there are only 850ish left so a pretty rare car really 

 

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/nissan_murano_cvt

 

its a 2005, so again 14 years old, 215000 miles on the clock, running well with no signs of giving up the ghost quite yet, we have owned it for 3 years (this week as it happens) after I bought it cheap and said ‘if I get a year out of it I’ll be happy’, it keep going and going, even getting rear ended by a fiat 500 wasn’t going to stop it!

 

 

that wrote the 500 off and all we needed was a new bumper! 

 

I always liked the Murano, perhaps the car which kicked off the trend towards "Crossover" SUVs. I always fancied one but they were priced outside of our company car criteria at the time, even though you could buy one for an awful lot less such were the level of discounts available. The other matter of fuel consumption was a bit of a show stopper as well, I had one as a hire car for a couple of days when my BMW was in dock for one of its many misdemeanours and it it consumed around twice the fuel the Beemer would have done. From memory it was good for around 22-25. In an era when diesel was in the ascendency, the petrol only Murano was always on the back foot, the V6, lovely though it was, proved to be its achilles heel as far as the all important fleet market was concerned.

 

My neighbour at the time had a keen eye for a bargain and bought one when they were on the run out, he loved it but traded it before it reached the end of its PCP, the replacement diesel X Trail lasted a lot longer with him.

[big jim]

Ours is an ex Vodafone fleet car!

 

similarly I bought mine ‘on the run out’, only paid £2000 for it at a time they were going for around £3500-4000 as the seller claimed it needed work for the MOT, I bit the bullet and come MOT time it needed nothing more than a set of rear pads at £18, the next year was a major spend at £500 for brakes all round and a new exhaust, and last year was a new cat at £180, oh and new rear brakes this week at £70, other than that it soldiers on, uses a bit of oil but as long as I keep on top of it it’s not an issue 

 

my wife can easily get 30-35 mpg out of it but I can guarantee that when we head to Tenby in it tomorrow via the heart of wales I won’t get anywhere near that! 

[russ p]

I consider my MG Zs as modern or future classics neither has any rust whatsoever the ZR stays indoors over winter when salt is about as its virtually mint condition.

I'm having the ZTs wheels refurbished very soon and getting it flat and polished so if they are both looked after their values will go up the metro has already increased massively in 12 years of owning it

Practical classics list them all in their guides

[w124bob]

Spotted today in North Hykeham, a jet black Rover P5B saloon, with a puzzling couple of edtions. A pair of blue tinted spot lights on the front and a single on the off side rear, as it was black I did wonder if it a government past sadly I wasn't awake enough to remember the reg .

Edited February 18, 2019 by w124bob

[big jim]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

I consider my MG Zs as modern or future classics neither has any rust whatsoever the ZR stays indoors over winter when salt is about as its virtually mint condition.

I'm having the ZTs wheels refurbished very soon and getting it flat and polished so if they are both looked after their values will go up the metro has already increased massively in 12 years of owning it

Practical classics list them all in their guides

 

I do like a good MG Z series, I’ve had a ZR and ZS, Both 1.8 with the usual oil leak from the head gasket but ran well and both sold for a profit (the ZS was LPG converted too) 

 

The guy I bought the mini convertible off deals with cheap cars (sub £500), when I bought the mini i was very tempted by a rover 45 he had sat on his drive, 1999 model, 2 owners, metallic gold (but if an old mans colour) but absolutely immaculate, not a spot of rust, iirc only about 80k miles on it (4000 a year average), could have got it for £350 but decided on the mini 

[russ p]

Both mine are diesels, and both have had remaps the ZT is excellent 160 bhp and 45-48 mpg which is what you would expect from a 2.0 16v diesel but from the factory they are either 115 or 131 and around 40 mpg but allegedly BMW didn't want the engine to shine in another manufacturers car 

The ZR is around 170 bhp and awesomely fast but smokes like a 47 and does around 40 mpg.

It was only done before I got it with 41k on the clock.

I've got someone to look at a another remap with 150 bhp and 50+ mpg so should get that sorted this year

[boxbrownie]

17 hours ago, big jim said:

 

Stayed near the excel last night where the london classic car show was held last week, this morning there were a few cars being loaded onto transporters including this one, post 1990 escort cosworth

 

 

by your local clubs definition that wouldn’t be allowed in! 

 

 

Part of the Ford Heritage collection based at Dagenham, my mate Ivan runs it now........he came from the workshop at Dunton, a very talented mechanic, and now in his dream job........I always thought they should have had a blue Cossie but hey, purple/maroon/brown will do!

Edited February 19, 2019 by boxbrownie

[PhilJ W]

On 11/02/2019 at 23:16, BernardTPM said:

"British tractor motor" - it's a Fergie!

Still made in India until recently, they were going to put it in the SD1!

[Rugd1022]

More pointless Mini trivia... the only Mini variant to leave the factory fitted with bucket seats was the South African built 1000E, you could have any colour you like so long as it was green...!

 

 

 

 

[johnlambert]

8 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Part of the Ford Heritage collection based at Dagenham, my mate Ivan runs it now........he came from the workshop at Dunton, a very talented mechanic, and now in his dream job........I always thought they should have had a blue Cossie but hey, purple/maroon/brown will do!

You beat me to it with the Ford Heritage comment, I recognised the Model T.

 

I drove that Model T some years ago and must have met your mate; I remember getting a run through of the controls from someone called Ivan.  You need a lot of instruction the first time you drive a Ford Model T as it's control layout is completely baffling to the uninitiated. 

[big jim]

On 18/02/2019 at 18:48, big jim said:

 

 

my wife can easily get 30-35 mpg out of the Murano but I can guarantee that when we head to Tenby in it tomorrow via the heart of wales I won’t get anywhere near that! 

 

I put 75L in it on Saturday, and my wife went crewe to Middlesbrough and back then I got as far as Llandrindod wells today before refilling it with 65L of fuel which at 415 miles averaged out at 29.5 MPG which is not too bad!