Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Following on from something Jim Walker mentioned in a PM, it got me thinking about who has owned what and for how long (!) .. ie are your classic(s) long-term friends, or recent acquisitions?

Of my old ruins, the one I've owned longest and still have, is the 1960 A40. Mum inherited it in (I think) 1988 but as she wasn't a fan of it, it soon came my way. I've owned it ever since, so that one stands at 20 years in my ownership. It was bought new by my great uncle, so it's been in the family for 50 years. I've still got the original bill of sale, and letters from the supplying dealer keeping my great uncle up to date with his order. It's looking a little sad at the moment, but if I clear the decks a little I'd like to see about getting it sorted out.

Next is the Dodge, which has been with me now for 14 years (gulp). At least that one is getting done, and hopefully will be finished for it's 70th birthday year (2010).

Rick
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[Phil - Nottingham]

Do ruins count?

My wife has owned her 1968 Morris Mini Traveller Mk2 longer than she has owned me, having bought it in 1972 as her first car after passing her driving test

Still used every week and totally original having its 3rd set of everything at least apart from its roof
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Peter_L]

[Phil - Nottingham]

Quite - I am the ruin, our cars are perfect

At its 40th anniversary registration day Jan 2008



Ps although do not leave it on in winter its still has the unique Morris Mk2 chrome grill rather that the naff Austin alloy type fitted here and 3 of the doors are original too!

It now has a later 1100cc engine and rod change gerabox rather that its 1000cc old style remote gear change.

Its done over 110k miles now
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Jim.Walker]

As Rick mentioned my name in connection with longest ownership I had better tell the whole story. I hope you are sitting down!
On my seventeenth birthday on the 22nd of February 1956 I was asked which of the Family Firm's cars I would most like to learn to drive on. At the time we operated 8 Austin FL1 Metropolitan Hire Cars (which were the SMALLEST in our fleet). Having shunted cars around on our premises from being about 15 years old, I had a fair idea of the "pigs" so I opted for a 1951 model registered BTS 652.
On the 21st of March I succesfully took my driving test. There were no Private Hire Car regulations in those days and I soon found myself doing Private Hire and Contract Work between spells in the garage - always with BTS 652. I also managed to drive some wonderful cars (and hearses) on the limousine hire side, not least of these being a 1927 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Hearse (of which Rick has a picture).
Between 1956 and 1966 when I left the firm for a few years I covered over 100,000 miles in "my" car.
I returned to the firm on my father's death in 1972 to find a very sorry looking BTS (as the car was always known) sitting abandoned and unwanted in the back yard. Shortly after that a chap turned up saying that that car was exactly what he wanted to build a replica Mercedes. Handing over £25 sealed the deal and one of our mechanics delivered the car on trade plates to Worksop about 15 miles away.
Move on to 1980. Sat in my office. The Taxi Receptionist transferred a call to me saying "This chap wants to sell a taxi". Always ready to buy a suitable vehicle at the right price I asked what he had to offer. He said " An Austin Hire Car". I said one of those was no use to me. Much to old and I think I said "out of the Ark!" He gave me a sob story about his enthusiasm for old taxis and his recent fall on hard times and needing money desperately. He also said he was ringing from Retford about 25 miles away. Trying to help I suggested that if he gave me the registration number and if the car had served time within a 30 mile radius of Chesterfield I might be able to point him to a previous owner who might be interested for old times sake. When he replied "BTS 652", I dropped the phone. Well, with £200 in my pocket I high-tailed it to Retford. Surprisingly the car was generally in the same condition I last saw it.
The car drove surprisingly well back to Chesterfield, but it was obvious much work needed to be done.
I handed it over to our Chief Mechanic with instructions to check it over for mechanical and MOT defects. Some time later he came to my office with a long face. "King pins, brake shoes, shock absorbers, new wings all round, new driver's side window glass were at the start of his list with many lesser items. "We'll never get the parts for this" he said, knowing full well that only a few hundred were ever made. "Come with me" said I and took him into a store room he had never been in. He was amazed to find that I had everything on his list and even reamers for the king-pin bushes that he had never thought about. The very rarity of these cars meant that when we ran a fleet of them we carried a huge stock of spares and those spares had never been disposed of (I still have quite a lot).
Well, the car is still with me. Was used for my Son's Wedding and has been used in filming. Unfortunately it was forced to spend a long time outside during which the bodywork suffered somewhat and is not currently on the road. But someday............
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[stuchamp]

My current toys are only short time.
1957 Chevy Wagon since Sept of 2005. Its been a fast 4 years.
TQ Midget racer since Sept of 2003. 6 years of slow progress.

[Keith D]

I've owned my 1950 Austin A40 tourer since 1972. I bought it from the original owner's deceased estate.
My 1926 Chrysler I've owned since 1977, although it was a heap of spare parts for many years until I finally got around to restoring it!
My 1928 Morris Cowley I bought in a rush of blood to the brain in 1984.
My 1932 Austin Seven I've had since 1996, although that was in pieces as well!
My 1971 Kombi Camper I've owned for about seven years, although it belonged to my father since new in 1971.
I don't often change vehicles! Even our daily drivers we bought new in 1999 and 2003!

Keith

[roverdriver]

When living in N.Z., I bought a dilapidated 1928 Ford A Tudor sedan in 1966. Tidied it up and put it back on the road later that year. Left it with a friend while I returned to Australia. Married and back in N.Z. we restored the car in 1971 for the 1972 International Rally (as pictured).

Brought the car to Oz later 1972 and used it extensively for local and interstate return trips including Melbourne to Perth in 1975 and Melbourne to Cairns in 1976.

Change of house, change of lifestyle in 1990 so decided to part with the A after 200,000 miles. I decided that I was not going to have anything more to do with early cars. That decision didn't last, now into Rovers, but we really loved the Model A.

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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[bob2]

Technically I have known my mini from the day I was born so that would make it 32 years since my father bought it new a year before I was born, but it has been in my hands from 1996 although it does not carry my name in the logbook but my mum's.
I left it like that so that its still listed as a one owner car.
The hunter is a samish story but owned by my father in law so I only got to know the car when I met my wife around 2001.
It wasnt bad at that time cause it was still garaged but about a year or 2 after it was left outside and rarely used and the weather took its toll on it making it look quite miserable!!!
But now its got a brighter future ahead!!
The other mini I have has been with me from around 2000.
My daily driver was bought in 2002.
I am not one to sell anythng if I can help it!!!
Only car which belonged to me that I ever sold was a 1992 Rover Mini Cooper and regretted it ever after and still do!!!!
It was a peach of a car in immaculate condition. Mine from 1998-2002