Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

IanAl · Joined: 15 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

My love affair with classic cars stems from the cars my late father owned, more out of necessity than desire. He was on a low wage and with four children he needed something cheap. The cars I remember him having are, Mk2 Jaguar 240, Vauxhall HA Viva, Vauxhall Victor FD estate, Ford Granada Mk1 3.0 Ghia, Vauxhall chevette, Volvo 240, Rover SD1 3500 SE and a Mk1 VW Jetta.
They were always breaking down and helping Dad repair them taught me a lot. As the years went on his situation improved and he owned much better cars but the old ones always held a place in my heart. Memories like going to RAF Cosford air show in 1984 in the Victor and when we got home we had the worst thunder storm I ever saw and our house was struck by lightening but the trip home in the driving rain, I remember feeling safe in that car.
I remember staying up through the night one summer to respray the wheel arches on the Granada for a wedding the next day. Despite being crafted from filler, the car got loads of nice comments.
So I suppose it's my Dads fault that I am hooked on classics. So what started you off?

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7223 Location: Edinburgh

I got into it when my mother died and I got a small inheritance that made an expensive toy a possibility. I had also access to a lock-up by then which made off street storage and somewhere to work on it a possibility.

My choice was triggered by a £4 book I bought in a remainder bookshop. (Skilleter's "Jaguar Saloon Cars") This reminded me of the SS Jaguar saloons that I saw as everyday transport when I was growing up in the 1950s. I had forgotten all about them but then remembered my fascination from that time.

I had also considered a 1920s Morris Oxford. It had its attractions but the SS being a more practical option for longer journeys/holidays won the day

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

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

I went to Dalmeny house car show years ago and decided thats for me.
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The Clan Chieftain

V8 Nutter · Joined: 27 Aug 2012 Posts: 605

For some unknown reason I was attracted to American cars long before I was old enough to drive. As the cars have moved on and lost their Americanness (I made that word up) I have stayed with the older stuff

IanAl · Joined: 15 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

BSV205F · Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 17 Location: Dunfermline

My late Dad had an F registrered Series 1 Silver Fox Cortina 1600E in the early 70's when I was at school but sold it to put money into new house carpets Crying or Very sad

(true story but I would have kept the car and used old lino!) and I loved the dash in it and wanted one when I was 17. I passed my test at 17 and seen one for sale on our local paper and went to see it-it was my dads old one so I bought it back Razz

. Still have a 1600E now and am now age 50 so is in my system for good I think.

Keith D · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:33 am Post subject:

I know exactly what got me into old cars as a lifetime hobby. It's one word:- GENEVIEVE!

I was only about ten when that film was released but I can remember going to see it as if it were yesterday. Dad drove us to Southend in the family car (1937 Austin Ruby) and we all saw the film at the old Odeon.

I came out of that movie theatre and from then on only old cars really interested me. Ever since! Don't regret a minute!

Keith D

Riley Blue · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Derbyshire

A chance discussion with a friend who owned a 1954 Riley RME. He mentioned he was thinking of selling it and was I interested? A little voice in my head made me say 'Yes'. That was in 1999.
I know, I know, I was a later starter... Crying or Very sad

roverdriver · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:55 am Post subject:

I'm with Keith. I had some general interest in older-type transport, especially steam railways, but it was Genevieve seen at a picture show (travelling picture show man) in the local hall in about 1955.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

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

I used to use them as my everyday transport in the late 50s early 60s.
I was overcome by nostalgia when my wife started selling things at Country Fairs back in 85, and I saw dozens of them being exhibited.
A guy I knew down the pub had mentioned having a dismantled Austin 10/4 in a shed. A pile of sheckels changed hands and I never had clean hands again.
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Due to the onset of my mid eighties I'm no longer sprightly and rarely seen in my Austin special. I have written a book though. https://amzn.eu/d/7rwRRqL

Keith D · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:47 pm Post subject:

Just very slightly off topic, but I actually met up with Genevieve in the flesh, so to speak in 1992.

I was initially on the race team organising the 1992 Genevieve 500 Race from Perth to Albany. At the time a man called Paul Terry from Albany owned the vehicle (along with many other old cars) and it was taken to Kings Park in Perth to open the build-up for the race. It was a big ceremony with the State Premier doing the honours with the biggest magnum of champagne I have ever seen. The idea was for her to pour the champers all over the radiator and declare the Race Preliminaries Open. The silly b#tch dropped the magnum on the driving side front mudguard, putting an impressive dent in it and removing plenty of paint!

That left the car's mechanic a mere week to get it fixed as new. Which he did of course!

Keith D

JohnDale · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:19 pm Post subject:

I grew up with them when they were current so now I relive my youth.
My father bought a 1934 Wolseley 9 just before being called up in '39. After the war it was brought out of storage & that was our family car until '57. It was put off the road every winter & he & his friend lifted the body off & wirebrushed the chassis(by hand-no electric drill) then painted it with red lead
That's probably why it lasted so long & helping him to look after it as soon as I was old enough took me into the motor trade,cheers,JD
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

If I'm honest it was to go back in time and relive a patch of mis-spent youth.
One of my vehicles is a Mk1 transit with a V4 engine and I worked on a few of them when they were new,I've also a Rover P5b because many years ago I had an early (but badly corroded) P5 and promised myself I'd have one of the then new V8 versions one day.
I'm also stuck in a time warp,preferring inches,pints and all the rest of it to this metric nonsense so having old fashioned cars almost seems essential.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22851 Location: UK

Growing up I found very very few modern cars to be at all interesting (early years I was more interested in aircraft, bikes and motorcycle scrambles than cars).

With dad (MG1100, Volvo 121, then 144S) and uncle (GTM) always fixing their (non-classic) everyday cars in the drive, I was exposed to fiddling with cars from an early age. I then learnt to drive on a 1960s Mini, before passing my test in the A40 in 1987. The dismembered Mk3 Spitfire arrived at around the same time. By that point I had an interest in "classic" cars, but only really those that pre-dated me.

Over time that interest grew, as did my interest in older and older cars, fuelled by people I knew running cars of the 1930s-1950s.

I've never looked back, and while a few cars of "my" era appeal, most don't, and if anything my interests have got older and older as time goes by. Saying that I can't see me buying anything older than the 1920s to be honest, so a mix of 1920s-1960s cars is the perfect balance for me.

Quite how I got to like commercial vehicles I'm not sure! Smile

RJ
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welder · Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 265 Location: North Warwickshire

When I was a lad I used to "help" one of my uncles to service/repair his Austin A70 Hampshire. Some years later the car was no longer a viable proposition for safe use through corrosion and general wear and tear and said uncle gave me the car to mess with. I was then around 14 or 15.

One day I was duly messing with it on my parents' drive when a guy who lived nearby walked past with his dog. He noted the rag-tag collection of bicycle spanners I was using and told me to bring my Dad's wheelbarrow and follow him home. Intrigued, I did so. It transpired that he was a sales rep for William's Superslim and King Dick hand tools.

He virtually filled Dad's barrow with spanners, screwdrivers and other wonderfully shiny tools so I was properly equipped for "messing", bless him. Very Happy

I've been messing with old cars ever since and still have almost all of the kindly donated tools, all of which are Imperial so are of little use on modern vehicles, anyway.

Ian