Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

More from the land of abandoned classics, this week with a twist. A couple of the pictures show the usual 'classics in the undergrowth' as we are used to expecting of France, but I stumbled upon another and yet more fascinating aspect of that huge country...disused garages..still containing cars!
The ones here are more likely storage facilities but I have seen recent photo's (In PC magazine I think) of abandoned garages containing abandoned cars!

Greeney in France · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 1:17 pm Post subject:

The trouble is that the very reason the French tend to do this keeps anyone from obtaining the cars, its a bit of a catch 22
If they had any idea of what these collections are worth to others then they would never be there in the first place because they would be sold off
They are worth more to them than they are to sell them
It is a bit like their stacks of wood they have these long stacks of neatly stacked and displayed timber supposedly for burning on the log burner but they never go down or get used because they are showing their neighbours what they have.
Understanding their little nuances helps, they arent much better with their houses there is a derelict house just down the road from me where the couple just decided to move to limoges, they shut the shutters and walked away from it 40years ago now it has fallen down, I would like the little wood opposite my house to put some pigs in which used to be their garden but they wont sell it, it is theirs, that's it Rolling Eyes

I have seen wrecks in gardens and asked at the door if they want to sell, most of the time I get a straight NON but sometimes they will say deux mille euro for something thats been rotting away for 20years
Its very confusing,
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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I can image that Greeney, would the answer be the same to a fellow Frenchman do you think? Why are the French so difficult to deal with?
It makes me doubt the wisdom of my wanting to move there...I'd probably end up throttling one of them! Laughing

I have recently been speaking to a friend of my partners father who is a Frenchman living here, he advised us to buy a small ruin if possible - even a pile of rubble as that way it will have the utility services ready attached and the dwelling can be rebuilt. To buy an empty patch of land in order to build on may be something of a nightmare he says, when asked why he just did one of those gallic shrugs! Rolling Eyes

Something like this would be ideal, we don't want or need anything bigger...even that if it had fallen down would suit! Laughing

Dirty Habit · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 398 Location: West Midlands, UK

Is http://www.french-property.com/ one of your favorite sites O-N? It one of mine, I spend hours looking at any small property in a hamlet with a barn of course Laughing

Next time I am at my sisters I must get her to let me have some time away from renovations to go searching for these cars.
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1964 International Harvester

Greeney in France · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject:

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

Thanks for that link DH, I look forward to searching that site, if you have any more of a similar nature let me know.
I'm encouraged by your evaluation of the French Greeney, the ones that I've encountered have been quite brusque which wasn't very endearing. Given the way my own countrymen have taken to behaving lately however, I'm sure I can learn to adjust to it.
The 25,000 Euro mark is also encouraging, I hope I'm able to find something similar! Very Happy

Greeney in France · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

Yes sometimes they are brusque its very Gallic and the odd one is rude but no more so than anyone else
Obviously also things are different in the likes of Calais, Paris and any other city. Where I live in the centre it is very agricultural and the people behave that way.
I found even with as little French that I had when i first got here as long as you tried they were fine and often would speak the little english they knew but I have an acquaintance whom has lived here for 3yrs and doesnt try to be friendly he is always saying how rude they are.
When I moved here I had a big party, invited all the neighbours to our derelict house and they were talking about it for weeks, we heard after tat everyone was say how nice a family we were purely for that one reason, we tried!
Back to cars though Embarassed

Their vehicles mean everything to them, there is no keeping up with the neighbours they have what they choose and can afford, there is not even a second hand car market here really but lots of "main dealers" even little ones in villages, not big glossy showrooms in an industrial estate like the UK
This is why in this area the average age car is probably between 10 and 15years old
They don't sell them until they are finished and even then they will put them in a field like a worn out horse waiting for nature to do its thing
Rolling Eyes

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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I think that you did the right thing with the party, great ice-breaker. Also, speaking from a personal point of view I couldn't envisage living in a foreign land without having the courtesy to learn the language, no wonder your friend finds it hard!
We wouldn't entertain another large town either, as most of my work is done via the net so a quiet village or remote plot of land would be bliss...so long as I had broadband! Laughing

As for the old cars, I can see that I would be totally angst ridden at the sight of decent cars left to decompose, but overjoyed to be living amongst folk who have not lost sight of the important things in life - wonderful! Very Happy

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

I don't think it's only the French like to leave things to decompose in their gardens. I have a friend who is a compulsive buyer of Land Rovers he's had them gently festering in his garden for the last 25 years. Seems to buy them as runners, use them a couple of times, then leaves them to mature.
A garden down the road from here has a Frogeye Sprite in the undergrowth. I think in many cases the fear of selling it for two little overrides any need the might have for the money, and guilt at letting a rare old car decay to nothing.

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

In the UK the justification is usually that "I'm going to restore that one day", however unlikely that may be. If I see something completely knackered in a yard somewhere it raises my interest as a curiosity, as a painter I'm attracted to the weather beaten, rusted patina...ideal for painting! Very Happy

When (as in France) the cars look complete and solid, and therefore a good basis for restoration something in me just wants to rescue them! Laughing

Dirty Habit · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 398 Location: West Midlands, UK

You are so right Greeney about the party thing. My sister and her partner came back to the UK to get married and to be with family. But a week later, back home in France they threw another wedding party for all their ex pat friends and also invited the entire village. My sister thought it may turn out like a typical "wedding" with two families sitting on different sides of the room, but it being English and French.........Wow !! what a night we had. The locals really had a good time and everybody mixed so well. Many of the villagers said they had not had such a good party in years. It changed my impression of the French and I would love to live there.
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1964 International Harvester

Greeney in France · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject:

The funny thing was that was happening, the french and english were drifting into 2 groups so I got out a 9ft ladder and showed them my trick. I can stand it up in the middle of the garden leaning against nothing and climb up one side and down the other without it falling over Rolling Eyes

For the next 4 hours the fun everyone had trying to copy it was classic even now 4 years later I still bump into the odd French person who mentions it.
They take heart in the simplest of things, I wear a beret most of the time in the barn its great for keeping rust out of the hair
Rolling Eyes

The locals always mention it " he is english you know but wears a beret" He is english you know but loves french cars... Simple but honest integrity
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We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

Sounds like quite a trick! DH I have already asked for further details of one of the properties on the site you showed me, the Mrs is as keen as I am to learn more.
I could do with a climate map of the whole of France as I don't want to end up somewhere where it rains and is windy a lot, that's the weather i want to say au-revior to! Cool

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

If half the forum move to France I'll be sick with envy Mad

Got a couple of holidays booked there this year... have to make do with that. Or maybe squeeze another one in before xmas Cool

Dirty Habit · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 398 Location: West Midlands, UK