Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

What, when it comes to driving and using an old car, is or are the trickiest aspect(s) of ownership?

One that comes to mind with some cars, that of filling the tank with fuel. The pump rate of a modern forecourt pump is often too much for an older filler neck to deal with, requiring a very deft action or continued on/offs of the trigger.

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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[Riley Blue]

Finding the wiper switch in the dark, figuring out how much farther I can drive with a u/s fuel gauge and mis-reading odometer, finding a filling station with 99RON petrol, making allowances for drivers of modern cars who expect my 50 year old drum brakes to be as good as their ABS equipped disc brakes, trying to find the optimum tyre pressure for the wider than standard radials on my non-standard alloys - I'll finish the list later...

[peppiB]

Coping with the idiots driving modern cars (usually 4 x 4's) insistent on cutting you up and passing at all costs even if you are maintaining the legal speed limit whether it is 30, 40, 50 and even 60 mph these morons just have to have you in their rear view mirror

[peter scott]

I find the opposite problem to PeppiB, namely persuading some (incompetent) modern drivers to overtake you rather than sitting on your back bumper.

Do they not understand that they can accelerate quickly past if only they would think ahead and change down a gear or two especially when you slow down for them on clear straights.

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[colwyn500]

For me the trickiest aspect, especially being an open car, is reconciling the fact that whilst I don't drive the car to say "look at me!" and nor do I want people to; what else can I expect them to do when they see a scruffy idiot chugging to the post-office in an eighty year old car!

[Rdover]

Other drivers.

To be fair it is hardly their fault, imagine coming across a 100 year old car without lights or indicators which slows down from its heady 30mph because the wind has got up a little it amazes me just how nice people are.

Last weekend saw me driving along the Southern Orbital road, a dual carriageway but motorway in all but name, and managing 40mph (according to one person) down hill but only 15 up the other side yet no one gave me any hassle! In fact, at one point some kind person stopped traffic from hitting me by blocking the roundabout as I struggled to find 2nd gear.

I've had a few people, usually younger drivers, assuming they can pull out and I'll slow for them not realising I can't. Its not their fault, they have no concept of just what is involved in driving a veteran. I've had people stop on main roads to let me out, pull over or even reverse up on hills to let me have a clear run.

The toughest part is the weather, and the sense of sheer panic of planning braking, changing gear, timing, hand throttle and mixture and actually driving all at the same time. Oh yes, the massive recalibration your mind needs as you switch from modern to veteran!
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Richard

[colwyn500]

Summed up perfectly Richard.
People's attitudes have certainly improved over the last thirty years of ownership and it is good to make them smile.

[petelang]

When driving the wifes modern I soon get tired. It's so quiet and easy. But I never get time to be tired driving my two vintage cars. There's no time for dozing off when you have so much to do!

[Rootes75]

I find its other drivers!

Just last week we were travelling on in our 47 Minx doing the limit of 40mph down a short stretch of dual carriage way in town. All of a sudden a car sped up behind us then overtook us and the occupants slowed down to shout and gesture at us
It didn't matter that we were doing the limit or we had 2 young children in the car, there are some idiots about.

[Richard H]

Other drivers, and fuel starvation problems caused by modern unleaded petrol! Give me 4 star any day
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Richard Hughes

[V8 Nutter]

Very much like rootes 75, other drivers. When I am out in the Caddy it seems to antangonise drivers of modern Audis and Mercedes, they have to get in front, no matter how dangerous it is. When I am in my daily driver they ignore me

[Ironhead]

other drivers for me as well.patience seems to be a forgotten art..they just have to get by me to get to the next red traffic light first
that and the door on my Herald occasionaly flying open!

[Jason]

other drivers for me too. they don't seem to have a minute to live, when they're waiting to pull out out of a side street into the main road I find the worst......they see the Alvis coming down the main road and they have to get out in front of it, they probably think its an old slow car, but it has no problem doing 60mph.
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"people with money buy a Rolls Royce, people with taste buy an Alvis".

[baconsdozen]

One of my vehicles is a Mk1 transit motorhome,not the fastest vehicle in the world true.
Motorists in modern cars especially 'sporty' saloons seem obseseed with overtaking it. One of the other cars is an ex london taxi,despite at the moment being half covered in red oxide primer people still put their hand out and try and hail it.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Rick]

Sometimes I find other drivers impatient, but by and large I don't find too many problems when driving around in an old car.

I do get problems though when bringing the truck into the drive. Obviously I slow down some way before making the (usually) right turn in, and by then there are inevitably one or two cars behind. I signal to turn, all at pretty much walking speed, and begin to move over.

From time to time I misjudge it, pause, and need to move backwards again slightly to get the correct line (the steering lock isn't brilliant!). Nearly every time I do this, the cars that were behind me dive behind the truck just as I'm about to reverse. Surely they can see I've stopped for a reason, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see why I've paused, and work out what I'm likely to do next. This does wind me up, every time

RJ
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