The classic vehicles thread....

[boiss]

Bit Of a blast from the past, 1938. I've got one of these but the front cover is missing.
I used to have a Morris 8 tourer but when I came back from a trip abroad (2Yrs), I found that the owner of the garage had gotten rid of it, this was in the early 70s, I still have the log book JHX845. Here is the handbook;-
A bit different to owners handbooks of today!!!! In Italy it is forbidden to do more than plugs, bulbs, and tyre pressures, if they catch you for example changing the disk pads there is a fine up to 500 Euros. DIY no way !!! the mafia (Gov) says you must go and get ripped off by a registered mechanic. About 5 yrs ago while I was away my wife had the cars 1st service at the official Hyundai dealers and was met with a 499 Euro bill, They said that the front discs needed skimming !!!! Utter B#$% but I wasn't there to contest it unfortunately. C'est la vie.
mike

[Miguel López]

As you are talking here about classic vehicles, I want to show you my very classic Buick Special 1954.

Saddly, as you can see, it is in very bad condition. Restoration would be too expensive and I can not afford it. On the other hand, gasoline (petrol) is very expensive here and I can not afford it neither. I just use it as ambulance to carry my old man to the doctor when he gets sick.

[pwdrive]

Nice, very nice.

Lawrence.

[Refugee]

I ran a Saab 95 back in the 1980s.
Here is one from the web.

[Nebogipfel]

I always take the opportunity to show off my Elan (1969 S4) restored by me from a "basket case" eight or nine years ago and sadly one of my few achievments in life

As with so many men of a certain age I had one when I was nineteen ....a very long time ago and just had to have one again.

Lately I have been hankering after something more in keeping with my advancing years and love the idea of the pre war styled MG TC. Unfortunately the Elan would have to go to fund it and I fear I would really miss driving and owning what has to be one of the best sports cars ever built.

   

[boiss]

Hard decision John,
I always loved the PA, I owned a Singer 9 Le Mans for a bit, Did up the engine, can you believe a 2 bearing crank!! My biggest problem was the Magneto, It had to be put in the oven for an hour prior to use, and the phosphor bronze steering nut.
As for handling my RH 7 was impeccable.
Mike

[Nebogipfel]

Hard decision John,
I always loved the PA, I owned a Singer 9 Le Mans for a bit, Did up the engine, can you believe a 2 bearing crank!! My biggest problem was the Magneto, It had to be put in the oven for an hour prior to use, and the phosphor bronze steering nut.
As for handling my RH 7 was impeccable.
Mike

Hello Mike, Yes the TC although a prewar design (and appearance) has the later XPAG engine used up to the mid fifties and is in many ways a much more modern car than the P series Midgets and indeed the beautiful little Singer. I have briefly driven a Le Mans and done a few odd jobs on one but that must be 30 or so years ago!

I've never owned any of the flavours of "Seven" Lotus or any of the clones but have read good things about the Robin Hoods and Westfields.

The Elan is a very modern feeling car and was years ahead of it's time when introduced in 1962. Even by todays standards it's lively and the handling and ride are superb and it can comfortably be used in any traffic conditions. That's one of the things which concern me about replacing it with a TC, it's going to be a very different driving experience. I really need to find a friendly TC owner and have a drive in one

[pwdrive]

Whatto.. when I passed my test, didn't need to own a vehicle, I always had a R & TV firms van to take home and use, tellies and tool kit on the grass at the side of the road on club night if you were lucky, first purchase was the firms Mini Van for twenty quid (payable in lawful English money) followed by an old beat up Frogeye, from then on a succession of Lode Lanes finest, my all time favourites, my first was an old S1 86" with a V8 stuffed in it.
Had a few "2nd" vehicles, Marina Van (Marina beeing the operatve word!) a Ford Escort Diesel (a good old slogger), VW Golf (never did get VW's names) and lastly a Peugot hatch back, I hate the damn things, cars that is, can't move about in them as the seats seem to trap you in, can't get any change out of my pockets for parking/toll bridge etc without getting out of the car, give me a Landrover anyday, I might consider a Cobra or a Mustang al la Steve McQueen style. All these things are personal guess.

Lawrence.

[Nebogipfel]

"All these things are personal guess".


True enough


"give me a Landrover anyday,"

Having welded and worked on more than my fair share of the rusty old things I think they should all be covered in red lead and pushed in the nearest river

[pwdrive]

"All these things are personal guess".


True enough


"give me a Landrover anyday,"

Having welded and worked on more than my fair share of the rusty old things I think they should all be covered in red lead and pushed in the nearest river

Well I'm having non of it.
They go rusty because folks don't look after them, let alone know how to drive them to prevent damage, all the chassis parts and nearly all spares are still available going back to 1949, try getting a new light cluster or a new body shell for todays bean cans or other 4 X 4's in 30 years time.
The Landrover is a great vehicle and a great little workhorse which was launched at the 1948 Dutch motor show I think, it was an instant success and earned this country a lot of cash when we were desperate for export cash after the war, famed for many expeditions and for it's performance in many military conflicts.
Other companies were trying desperately to compete with the American look (which is what the public really wanted) most failed miserably apart from UK Ford and possibly another couple, for my money two great post war vehicles came out of this country that were UK owned, the Mini and the Landrover, both in there seperate ways aimed at the masses.
Landrovers were exported to all four points. of the globe The Landrover has always got me home after off roading including ice, snow, blizzards, floods etc there arn't too many vehicles of that age that could do that except maybe the old Toyota Landcruiser and a couple of others maybe. No "snow" button on the old Landrover, just a 4 wheel drive stick, transfer stick and make sure the hubs are engaged the rest is down to the capability of the driver.
I'm a bit biased... Whatever you do don't get me going on Prog Rock music, apart from Pink Floyd of course.

Lawrence.