Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Richard H]

A recent thread where people were talking about their fancy moderns had me wondering. Personally I've never owned a modern car, and my 1953 Somerset is currently clocking up the miles on the 150 mile round motorway trip between home and university. In three weeks of ownership I've done nearly 1000 miles in it, and apart from a few teething troubles with dirt in the fuel, a failing starter solenoid and rumbling wheel bearing (which I will tackle today), it's been a very good mile muncher. Uses no oil or water either!

So, who else uses their classic (s) daily, and if not, why and do you think you could make the change?
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Richard Hughes

[peppiB]

I only have classic cars so have to use them!

[baconsdozen]

I clock up a load of miles in my runabout,an ex london taxi cab. This year the P5b hasn't done much at all and my Mk1 transit motorhome has hardly turned a wheel.
Hopefully with the house moves etc behind me the mileage can be shared a bit more equally.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Rick]

For years I only ever ran old cars (A40, Spitfire, Volvo 121 etc) but I got to a point where it was useful to have a modern about the place, say for distance trips, towing something, or times when I really had to get somewhere (eg work). A fallback if you like

I do prefer driving oldies, and am suffering withdrawal symptoms not having driven something old since New Year's Day, bar up and down the drive.

While we'll always need a modern for 'erindoors (school runs etc), I could happily go back to running something old again as my main motor, although it'd probably need to be a large-engined estate capable of towing occasionally - of which there aren't too many to choose from - maybe a long wheelbase Landy?

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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[Richard H]

[Rick]

[ukdave2002]

If I were retired or worked very locally, covering < 12,000 miles a year I may consider just running a classic ...but I'm not! and need to be able to jump in the car, do a 500 mile round business trip without having to think about reliability and yes I like all the modern gadgets

The modern is about functionality and practicality

My classics are for pleasure and leisure time

Dave

[emmerson]

We've finally decided to run just one car, so the "modern" Volvo has now been sold. This means that my classic Range Rover LSE will be our sole transport.
This has been the first week, and so far OK, except that when I drove the Volvo daily, driving the RR was a novelty. Now it's commonplace.
How do others cope with that?

[gresham flyer]

I use a Morris Minor Van as what they call a shop truck...fetching and carrying all sorts of items from suppliers or the odd gearbox and engine etc.

It gets me noticed and is a good talking point when I arrive somewhere.

Although my wife cycles to work and everywhere else she can, when it comes to shopping etc she takes the Morris Minor traveller.
She tells me she meets some nice elderly men at Aldi or Sainsbury`s in the car park.


They love to tell her how nice the car is....but I secretly think they are chatting her up.

For longer trips I like to take something more long legged, the Humber Sceptre or the Rover P5 for instance.

G.F

G.f
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Austin A30 / A35 Van.
Austin Devon.
Morris Minors.
Jaguars.
Rootes Cars.
MG.
Etc.



Viking Fibreline Caravan.
Cheltenham Sable
Shorts Built Vintage Caravan 1936.

[kevin2306]

i do over 50k buisness milage per year so unfortunately i need a modern, i really wish i didnt drive that many miles in which case id be happy to use a classic.

kev

[Ironhead]

not safe or secure to leave my Herald at work,so i use my 'modern' 15 y.o. Citreon.

[Get Smart]

I run a Rover p6 v8 as a everyday car, don't do thousands of miles a year though, just been to northwich cheshire & back to bristol performs just as well as a modern car, did use a 1600e cortina as a every day car, that was fine, did make a bit of row at motorway speeds though.

[Phil - Nottingham]

We only have classics (7) and use them daily as required. I do the 24 mile work commute and these days 800 odd miles business use in addition
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[roverdriver]

Retired, so not 'daily' needed, however as all we own are classics, they are what gets used.

I ponder over comments about needing a modern for reliability. So frequently we breeze past modern cars that have broken down, that I don't think 'modern' means 'reliable'. What could be more reliable than enjoying a trip to the centre of Australia in a very worn 50 plus year old car, and covering more than 3,000 miles there and back again, with the only problem, a failed rotor button, which we replaced quickly at the roadside.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[badhuis]

Late yesterday evening, raining, I came back from the airport in my Jaguar 420. Not the best type of time and weather to be up and about in a classic but still I love every drive.
I use the Jag almost daily but because it has its little know-hows, my wife and son are not keen to use it.
They used to drive the 1984 2 door Range Rover automatic but I had to replace that with a modern car (13 years old) because of a change of the law here. The law now makes it too expensive to drive a car of 25-40 years old if it is on LPG - which the RR was. If I still would drive it I would pay around 2K UKP road tax per year, before the law change it was free.
In a classic every drive is a little adventure. In a modern car a drive is just boring.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment