Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

This has been touched upon before over the years.

What reaction(s) do you get to you and your old crock, from drivers and owners of modern vehicles?

I tend to get a 50/50 split when on the road.

When driving, I often get drivers of moderns holding back as if to give me space, which I find quite surprising, and refreshing compared to the others. Perhaps they are old-car owners, but are in their moderns and only use their oldies on "high days and holidays" (see other thread) This even when I'm only pootling at 30 or so on a decent A-road. So my thanks to this group.

Drivers of Audis (it used to be BMWs) seem to be the pushiest, along with "white van man", both groups seem to be in a permanent rush and itch to get past at any given opportunity, irrespective of road markings or upcoming bends in the road. I prefer them to be ahead of me so try and make room for them when I can.

Maniacal motorcyclists, either approaching from the opposite direction in the centre of the road at high speed (TT wannabees), or sat 1" from my rear corner, are perhaps the most unnerving and distracting to have nearby.

Whenever we park up in the Moggy or little Dodge, there's usually at least one person straight over and genuinely interested to have a chat. I've yet to have anyone bend my ear about not driving an electric car or a hybrid!!

RJ
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[Ronniej]

My Morris 8 is a bit slow so I try to use it on quiet country roads. Inevitably, however there comes a time when you have to use a busy road. Some drivers exhibit patience and bide their time until they can pass safely. Others, if they can't pass, drive very close behind. I will pull into a lay by if one is available but sometimes they are so close it would be risky to do this.
Patience and courtesy should be extended to all road users including cyclists and horses.

[Riley Blue]

As I've mentioned before, the worst reaction of drivers of modern cars is a tendency to pull out in front of my Riley, under estimating its approach speed and then dawdling along in front as I slam on its drum brakes - it's the reason I fitted a servo!

Apart from that, most drivers of modern cars seem OK, I can't remember any incidents of impatience or frustration - maybe that says more about my memory than it does about other drivers...
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Rootes75]

When we take the 47 Minx out we get some lovely reactions from the public, normally when we park up we will get people looking and taking pics.

The worst reactions we get are on the road though, usually down to impatience and not understanding the speed and lack of braking!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[alastairq]

My family {!} noted that other drivers have a 'perception' that an 'old' car must be travelling slower than they want to go, regardless.

Some years back, when we needed to buy a 'family' daily driver, I spotted a BMW 2002 for sale in a nearby village. My then-wife quite liked it..even if I thought it was a bit spartan [Germanic, like a VW beetle?}..inside.

It drove very well....often better than moderns....and both my wife, and I, tended not to drive it slowly if possible.

Yet, both she & I noticed how, despite the fact we were moving at the prevailing speed limit [even allowing for any perceived speedo error]...that wasn't fast enough for them......!

{60 mph, the speed limit, in the BMW 02 is exactly the same as 60 mph in the latest Porsche....but try telling modern drivers that?}

Yet, they won't overtake another 'modern' that's driving at 60 mph!!

What really, really gets up my nose, when driving any of my present oldies, is the modern driver who feels the urge to overtake, well in excess of the speed limit....which I will be driving at.....only to pull in front, then slow down to their idea of the speed limit...thus very much, getting in my way!!

Are they trying to make some sort of point??

If I am driving something of limited speed capability [which could be a lorry??] I don't 'pull over'' if there is a line of cars behind. I have found that, by trying to be so-called 'considerate', I, in fact, make life far worse for myself......as the line of cars will trundle past, only to, very quickly, then get in my way, as they shuffle along at speeds that were less than what I was originally achieving.

We all, get in each others' way, at some point .....that's a fact-of-life on the Public Highway......and one person's idea of 'progress' may not coincide with another's...or, indeed, the Laws of the Land, either.

Over the decades of being out 'on the road, constantly'..I have noted that many car drivers are happier to 'follow'..ie, they like being 'led' along....saves them having to make too many decisions, which will spoil their journey, or interrupt their make-up application.

IMHO, the best bit of modern technology to assist coping with the antics of modern drivers is the dash camera. Video recording of evidence can rarely be argued with...should the need arise.

[lowdrag]

Yes, you're right, they do overtake and then slow down, often quite abruptly and make no concession that your brakes aren't up to the standards of today. So I slow down to leave a gap to give me time to brake, and immediately that small gap is filled with another "modern" anxious to gain fifteen yards to get home quicker. Last track day I did I was overtaken by a GT3 who then braked sharply leaving me nowhere to go but the gravel trap if I didn't want to shorten my car by a yard or so. I no longer do track days it must be said.

[V8 Nutter]

When I am driving the Cadillac most modern drivers are fine. On motorways they often drive along side to have a look, but the drivers of big Mercedes and Audis see it as a challenge and they have to be in front.

[alastairq]

I used to have fun on motorways with military LHD Land-Rovers.....Sitting well back out of sight, I would amuse myself watching the expressions of folk in overtaking cars....when no-one appears to be behind the wheel!

[Ashley]

I've just been out in my tiny 356 and mostly it's fine, but two 4x 4s in the middle of the road and dog slow to get out of the way is terrifying, especially in a left hand drive car. You're never sure that you far enough away from them. One was a colossal Porsche too.

[alastairq]

I get that middle-of-the-road-hogging from drivers of 4x4's too, especially Merc 4x4s...

I got the impression they were just bullying others out of their way..then , I realised, it was simply a matter of the drivers not having a clue about the real width of their cars, and were over-compensating.
They even try it on with me when I'm out in my daily-user DAihatsu Fourtrak...which has a lot of iron mongery of the Forth Bridge style on the front..[large diameter, rusty tubes and stuff].....I simply come to a halt, in exactly the same road position [making sure I'm on 'my' side of the centre line]...and let them deal with me.....I await the 'contact' with interest....as does my dash camera.

So one has to show a little sympathy to these drivers, who don't really know what they are doing, bless them!

[Riley Blue]

I went for a drive in the Riley this afternoon. Just around the corner from me is a new housing estate with a single exit road on he left of the road I was on. As I approached, with continuous traffic coming the other way, a 'gentleman' driving a Mercedes pulled up to the junction, wanting to turn right across my path - only he stopped with half his car over the give way line so that either I'd have to stop to allow him to complete his turn when there was a gap in the traffic on the other side of the road or I'd have to slow considerably to drive round the front of his car when there was sufficient space to squeeze past.

I did the latter, shaking my head at him as I went and receiving a glare in return. I wonder if he'd would have done to same if I'd been in my A8?
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[peppiB]

Leaving Newcastle on a dual carriageway at lunchtime today. A '78 Passion Wagon in front wanted to turn right at the upcoming roundabout, signalled and started to move to the other lane. Enter a BMW 4x4, straight up the outside and almost colliding with the Passion Wagon, forcing him back into the nearside lane in front of me. I HATE 4x4 drivers. We have a name for them, but much too rude to include on here

[ukdave2002]

I suspect the majority of folk on the forum have both moderns and classics, I wonder if we morph in to some sort of demon when behind the wheel of the modern

[alastairq]

Not likely!

Wouldn't be allowed!

[Miken]

The usual question (often when filing up with fuel or when ive popped out to the local shops) is;
"Do you go to rallies with it?"
To which I reply (because rallies bore me rigid) "No, i use it to get to work" ('27 Morris Cowley).
Which is what im using it for tomorrow.