Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Hi all,

Did anyone here buy new what is now considered a classic, in the 1960s? It'd be interesting to hear how it went, was the car any good, and does current-day enthusiasm for the make/model at all compare with the ownership experience when it was new???

RJ
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[47Jag]

My flatmate was a salesman at a Jaguar dealership in Toronto and I bought a 2 year old E-type coupe from him. I gave it back after one week It was such a disappointing car especially in the wet. The back end would step out at the slightest provocation and into the bargain I found it very cramped. While the steering wheel adjusted for reach the indicator switch was fixed so that when I made a downshift for a left turn my knee would cancel the signal I then went and bought the Alfa Romeo Bertone GTV that I wish I still had.

Art

[Old Wrench]

MK I Cortina GT, facelift (with the airflow dash air vents, brand new in 1966.

I was working for Ford Europe at the time; and no, I hadn't been there long enough for an employee's discount!

Worst car I have ever ever owned! Burnt oil like fun, three clutches in 3,000 miles: front end shimmy; dreadful paintwork which started rusting after two months! (Cause was Dagenham foundry, which spewed out particles of steel, which settled on new soft paintwork in the dispersal area. Ford's treatment? Covering with newspapers and soaking in Oxalic Acid and buffing!): panels which didn't fit properly.............

The list was endless and I, in utter abject despair, sold it after 3,500 miles.

And retreated to my trade roots and bought a 1966 Mini Cooper s 1275, stolen recovery from a salvage dealer chum.

Dent in driver's door and needed to strip and rebuild the lump as bank robbers were not kind to cars they nicked for a job and had probably slightly over-revved it!

Not a problem (The Phosphor Bronze valve guides were. err, sacrificial as we say! and needed changing every 6,000 miles).

Took the opportunity to gasflow the head, a young Steve Burton kindly balanced the rotating bits and the rods/pistons, etc.

A Ford colleague was a great childhood friend of Alf Geeson (Brown and Geeson) and most kindly obtained an RAC Group II fullflow"Bunch of Bananas" racing exhaust manifold for 30 bob!!

After that it flew! Ate even Lotus Cortinas for breakfast........

Coppers were not amused by the noise, however; when they could catch me; which wasn't often.


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Well, apart from that, did you enjoy the play, Mrs Lincoln?

[peppiB]

My first brand new car was in 1969 - a bronze yellow Mini Clubman. 6 weeks later a woman hit it full head on. Although professionally repaired it was never the same so after a year I bought another brand new car - an NSU 1000C. That lasted just over a year when a different woman drove into it, wrote it off and put me in hospital for 2 weeks. I haven't bought a brand new car since!

[Ray White]

My Dad bought a brand new Vauxhall Victor F. At first we thought it was fantastic and compared with all the other cars in the road which were either black or grey, the American styling with pale blue paint and acres of chrome had everyone talking but soon the problems with rust began to show. Mechanically, it wasn't too bad and the sealed beam headlamps were a big improvement over our previous Morris 8 series E and although not a large car, it felt bigger than it really was.

After a minor collision (when my brother and I distracted Dad) with the rear of an Austin A60, the extent of the rot became evident. Whilst the Cambridge sustained a small dent to it's rear bumper and boot lid, the Vauxhall looked like a total wreck with the headlamps hanging out and enormous piles of rust on the ground! Shortly after the car had been patched up it was finally written off by a Skoda which went away with hardly a scratch!

[JohnDale]

My '65 Mkl Cortina GT had perfect shut lines, paintwork,etc. I kept it for a long time & wish I still had it. It was one of the quickest cars around at that time(slightly breathed on) & road holding was as good or better than what was available(at sensible money.
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn207/JohnDale_2008/2014-05-28_0_zpsd7819103.jpg


Maybe old wrench's car, being the face lift version,had some manufacturing problems, or a Friday build,cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[JohnDale]

My '65 Cortina GT had perfect shut lines,paint etc. I kept it for a long time & wish I still had it. It was one of the quickest (slightly breathed on)cars about at that time (being on only country roads) with road holding that was as good as anything available at that time(at a sensible price).






Perhaps,old wrench's car,being a facelift version,had some production problems or maybe a Friday car,cheers,JD
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[V8 Nutter]

I have never owned a new car,but back in 1967 I was between old cars and I had to hire a car for a week. It was a new Morris Minor, it was so awful to drive, from that day to this I have never been able to understand what people find so attractive about them.

[Keith D]

I was never in a financial position to own a new car back in the sixties. I was a poorly paid apprentice.
However, my wife and I married in 1965 and we rented a brand new Austin Mini for our honeymoon. It was a great little car. Very economical after the old bombs we owned!
I had driven friends Minis, so was very familiar with this type of car.
However, on collection I could not work out how to start it. I had to get one of the staff to assist.
It was one of the first Minis that was NOT fitted with the starter button on the floor. It had key start.

I had a red face!

Keith

[Old Wrench]