For those interested in old cars.

[MrWolf]

8 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Like the curved glass wagon windows

 

It's almost a miniature Chevrolet Nomad in that respect.

[alastairq]

The rear views of the Vauxhall estates have, for me, shades of Saab's 96 about them.....

The 96, in any of its iterations, is an oldie [aka classic?] I'd have any day  to use.

 

It's a 'touchy feely' thing I have about certain cars....my Dellow being one, ever since I saw tiny B&W photos of one  as a kiddiewinkie in {probably} an ancient Dumpy book of cars?

The Saab 96 is another..probably ever since I saw the superbly printed glossy images in Road & Track magazine of the 1960s? I used to have [by request, wherenver one of my titewad relatives asked what I'd like for barfday/ Xmas...I'd reply with 'a subscription please, to Road & Track', or Railway Muddler....or even, Motor Sport?' I was an early teenager, after all.....and reading material of whatever sort was deemed infinitely better than some sort of 'toy!'

{I had quite a 'pillar-to-post' childhood....palmed off with rellies, old family friends, etc as well as 'boarding' schools, NCH's, foster carers of sorts, etc. Due to being in a single parent family with a snobbish grandmother, and the one parent disappearing in & out of hospitals on a regular basis. [Think 1950's health care, for example?}

Oddly, I also have an affection for [although lacking in reason]...Ford 100E Escorts.  Something curmudgeonly and dumpy about them when compared to the saloons?   I did have one, as a daily, back in the late 1960's, £20 with tax left, it took me on some quite long road trips around the west country! {On leave from ''the sea''}

Not much else of the era appealed to me at the time, aside from my AH Sprite.....examples of which I can no longer fit into, for some reason...50 years later!

 

In fact, I now view potential victims, IE old cars, from the viewpoint of how easy they are to get in & out of.

Plus, how small or lightweight they are [ for maintenance/repairs}...

Hence I have gravitated towards the odd 4x4 [by accident they are 4x4, I've not 'asked' for it]...finding them less undignified or painful to enter  or exit.

The Daihatsu 4trak being one, a bit of a lorry however.....

But most cars nowadays, I find I am having to manhandle my legs in & out of position....

As for LandRovers [of which I had much paid experience of using].....I can only 'fit' into the military versions, which lack the gucci trim panels inside, that modern owners seem so in love with. Series LR's, despite my admiring their simplicity and sense of purpose, I cannot even get behind the steering wheel of.

So my choices of old car have changed over the years...no longer can I reasonably think of using an MGBGT, no matter how practical I see them in their cheapest [rubber bumper] form.

I even struggle with the Mustang, despite it's interior spacial comfort for me...getting in & out is a struggle, especially as the steering wheel is a tad too large, and a struggle to get my right leg to pass under....Mind, it is a 50-odd year old car, in the basic form, yet still has enough ooomph to keep ahead of the plethora of moderns that make up today's traffic flows.   As standard {almost}!

I think it has to 'go' soon, however.....despite its ease of maintenance, cheapness of parts [and availability], and cache with the public at large [or, large public?} It was a 'good choice' for an old car. For many practical reasons...Unlike something like an E type Jag?

[Rugd1022]

For the Citroen fans amongst us, just spotted this 1982 CX on c&c....

 

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1234148

[doilum]

Oddly enough, the Dutton that was a bespoke fit thirty four years ago is now a tight fit and I can't find where it has shrunk. Fortunately the wide doors make the MX5 a reasonably elegant exit.

[boxbrownie]

4 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

For the Citroen fans amongst us, just spotted this 1982 CX on c&c....

 

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1234148

Same colour as our last CX which was an Athena.

[APOLLO]

5 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

For the Citroen fans amongst us, just spotted this 1982 CX on c&c....

 

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1234148

 

 Lovely car. One of the proprietors of our local car parts and accessory store had one - his pride and joy. A superb shop where we called in at weekends for bits and a chat. The two guys were fonts of knowledge, and genuinely tried to help everybody. People came in and asked for some obscure parts, off upstairs went one guy and he usually came down with something !!

 

Car accessory shops - not many left these days.

 

Brit15

[peanuts]

Does this belong in here or the modern classics thread 

MG Meastro 2.0 efi outside a delivery today 

[PatB]

On 09/05/2021 at 01:01, APOLLO said:

 

 Lovely car. One of the proprietors of our local car parts and accessory store had one - his pride and joy. A superb shop where we called in at weekends for bits and a chat. The two guys were fonts of knowledge, and genuinely tried to help everybody. People came in and asked for some obscure parts, off upstairs went one guy and he usually came down with something !!

 

Car accessory shops - not many left these days.

 

Brit15

Used to be one of those not far from where my dad lived. He could source all sorts of odd bits and pieces. I've still got a Haynes manual that was long out of print when he found it for me. Probably the best one was when we were looking for an ancillary switch for something on a Herald 13/60 (this was in the early 90s). The proprietor disappeared into the stockroom for a while and, after box shifting sorts of noises, returned with a lovely little chromed bracket, complete with switch and accessory plug and a price label that said 25p (applied over an earlier label that said 4/6). And he honoured the 20 year old price too.

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 08/05/2021 at 13:31, alastairq said:

.examples of which I can no longer fit into, for some reason...50 years later!

 

I reckon it's because old cars have had longer being left out in the rain and have shrunk more.

 

Mike.

[russ p]

3 hours ago, peanuts said:

Does this belong in here or the modern classics thread 

MG Meastro 2.0 efi outside a delivery today 

 

I do like that, looks like the rear door is starting to go.

I'm hoping to have mine finished this year,biggest challenge will be the drivers door as it needs work and can't find a decent one anywhere or even a montego one. 

I do wonder why this one has both an EFi and 2.0i decals on the door

[alastairq]

On 08/05/2021 at 18:01, APOLLO said:

 

 Lovely car. One of the proprietors of our local car parts and accessory store had one - his pride and joy. A superb shop where we called in at weekends for bits and a chat. The two guys were fonts of knowledge, and genuinely tried to help everybody. People came in and asked for some obscure parts, off upstairs went one guy and he usually came down with something !!

 

Car accessory shops - not many left these days.

 

Brit15

 I used to refer to these emporiums as ''Go-faster'' shops....and I still do...which confuses all the  moderns and wannabe moderns...[people that is.]

[alastairq]

22 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I reckon it's because old cars have had longer being left out in the rain and have shrunk more.

 

Mike.

 I've tried standing out in the rain for years. I haven't shrunk very much.  Mind, I'm and inch or so shorter now than I was at age 23 [according to some old military records].    Which might explain the bulging midriff?  [My excuse, the midriff doesn't shrink just because my spine is collapsing..]

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, alastairq said:

 I've tried standing out in the rain for years. I haven't shrunk very much.  Mind, I'm and inch or so shorter now than I was at age 23 [according to some old military records].    Which might explain the bulging midriff?  [My excuse, the midriff doesn't shrink just because my spine is collapsing..]

A well known furniture problem, the chest has dropped into the drawers.

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, alastairq said:

 I've tried standing out in the rain for years. I haven't shrunk very much.  Mind, I'm and inch or so shorter now than I was at age 23 [according to some old military records].    Which might explain the bulging midriff?  [My excuse, the midriff doesn't shrink just because my spine is collapsing..]

That’s because we absorb moisture, completely out of our control as I constantly tell Mrs BB.

[peanuts]

7 hours ago, russ p said:

 

I do like that, looks like the rear door is starting to go.

I'm hoping to have mine finished this year,biggest challenge will be the drivers door as it needs work and can't find a decent one anywhere or even a montego one. 

I do wonder why this one has both an EFi and 2.0i decals on the door

Re doors have you tried MG&Alfa spares at Chaderton Oldham?

[russ p]

1 hour ago, peanuts said:

Re doors have you tried MG&Alfa spares at Chaderton Oldham?

 

No, do they do spares for 80s stuff? A lot of MG places and the owners club barely acknowledge the existence of these cars unfortunately 

[alastairq]

7 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

That’s because we absorb moisture, completely out of our control as I constantly tell Mrs BB.

 So all those B#hitters who tell you your skin is waterproof, are lying toads?  I've always said that..The proof is, after ten minutes in the rain, I suddenly need a pee......Now, where's that come from, i ask you?

[boxbrownie]

Just now, alastairq said:

 So all those B#hitters who tell you your skin is waterproof, are lying toads?  I've always said that..The proof is, after ten minutes in the rain, I suddenly need a pee......Now, where's that come from, i ask you?

Of course they are.....just sit in the tub for an hour and watch your fingers fall off......we won’t mention other bits 

 

[peanuts]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

No, do they do spares for 80s stuff? A lot of MG places and the owners club barely acknowledge the existence of these cars unfortunately 

as far as i know they seem to cover the whole MG range from 50s to modern day lots of Zs and TFs  laying about the yard will ask next time i deliver there 

[russ p]

1 hour ago, peanuts said:

as far as i know they seem to cover the whole MG range from 50s to modern day lots of Zs and TFs  laying about the yard will ask next time i deliver there 

 

Nice one cheers 

[peanuts]

On 12/05/2021 at 20:20, russ p said:

 

Nice one cheers 

Seen him today he does have some bits for meastros but saddly no doors  he will have an ask about look on www.mg-alpha-spares.co.uk also says look up Tony Smith from Birmingham on Facebook he has a warehouse full of new old stock he may have some good luck 

[russ p]

1 hour ago, peanuts said:

Seen him today he does have some bits for meastros but saddly no doors  he will have an ask about look on www.mg-alpha-spares.co.uk also says look up Tony Smith from Birmingham on Facebook he has a warehouse full of new old stock he may have some good luck 

 

Nice one, much appreciated thank you 

[Hobby]

Have you tried the Maestro and Montego club, Russ? 

[russ p]

13 hours ago, Hobby said:

Have you tried the Maestro and Montego club, Russ? 

 

That club hardly functions now unfortunately,  about ten years ago it was fantastic then a member seemed to take it over using it for her self promotion rather than being a club for the preservation of those vehicles. 

Most people left when the forum was rejigged and became so horrible to use and this individual wanted everyone on Facebook. 

Quite a lot of us keep in touch but unfortunately none of us has a decent drivers door

[gr.king]

29 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

... it was fantastic then a member seemed to take it over using it for her self promotion rather than being a club for the preservation of those vehicles. 

Most people left when the forum was rejigged and became so horrible to use and this individual wanted everyone on Facebook. 

Quite a lot of us keep in touch but unfortunately none of us has a decent drivers door

 

I wouldn't want my comments here to lead to a prolonged digression from the old cars topic, but I suspect that a number of us will be sadly familiar with at least one person who has joined an organisation, demonstrated apparent gushing enthusiasm (including willingness to take on a committee post that is otherwise difficult to fill), has rapidly evolved a domineering attitude, with disregard of others' feelings as well as their views, and brought about forcible but incompetent re-organisation of things that were okay in their original form. Then when everything is thoroughly messed up the "wrecker" suddenly becomes much more interested in something else (that they can spoil) so they move on...

 

Please don't suggest any names.