What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
- Thread starter dave
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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
Aye Vex, so many to tempt you but for me there's one I've always really lusted after:
Not the slightest chance I could ever afford one, probably couldn't even afford to replace tyres, but you've got to have a dream haven't you?
Yes but then you get into the definition between old and classic, all classic cars are old but not all old cars are classic.
Absolutely agree would love anyone of those... however not for my wife to commute in in the snow.
Absolutely. Can't even begin to imagine how undriveable that Pantera would be in the snow with that much torque and wide tyres! Bet it's even a handful on wet road surfaces?
If I had a bag of cash, enough to buy the De Tomaso, I'd probably go shopping for a Panda 4x4. (Is there something wrong with me?)
Scampered to Swindon and back this morning. Something odd, mostly tracking as true as ever, but over a series of ripples, felt like hit by a crosswind.
Home on the drive, 'kicked the tyres', pushed hard at the back of each front wheel, left one moved alarmingly. So no need to grovel under in the cold and damp, ordered two new front arms from Shop4Parts. Hopefully Friday weather condusive to grovelling underneath.
Home on the drive, 'kicked the tyres', pushed hard at the back of each front wheel, left one moved alarmingly. So no need to grovel under in the cold and damp, ordered two new front arms from Shop4Parts. Hopefully Friday weather condusive to grovelling underneath.
It would be one of those that on paper would get absolutely left by a modern hot hatch...but unlike a modern superhatch 100 miles an hour would feel like at least 100 miles an hour.
If I ever had a complaint about modern cars in general it would be modern tyres, brakes and sound proofing make silly speeds both possible and surprisingly dull.
Absolutely great for a daily beater, but for a fun item I'd like to be able to feel like I was having fun below speeds that come with a free court appearance.
I’m not sure a 2010 or even a 2004 Astra, constitutes a “classic” Yes an 89 F40 is a classic, or a 964-911 is a classic. A 2004 997 is not a “classic” though will be at some point.
By modern super car standards the F40 is hideously outdated and if someone released that car today as it is, people would laugh at it. It is held in such high esteem because of what it was in its time.
A 2004 Porsche wouldn’t hold a candle to its 2022 equivalent by todays standards it is hideously outdated, doesn’t mean people don’t want that older car.
You are comparing a Ferrari F40 and Lamborghinis to an old Vauxhall Astra. Never in my lifetime will anyone be displaying a 2004 Vauxhall Astra 1.4sx or what ever, at any concours type event this is not a “classic” by any stretch
No, just a point taken to the extreme as a bit of fun.
Though not sure I'd write off any old supercar as being no match for modern, top gear has shown that not to be the case a few times, mainy due to the old cars being for pure performance with no thought to the environment.
Didn't say "no match" I said hideously outdated. One of the big reasons it is hideously outdated is the terrible emissions standards of an 1980s Ferrari combined with the low safety standards.
Something like the Ferrari SF90 would walk all over an F40, but that doesn't mean people don't still lust after the F40.
But we're not talking about Ferraris, we are talking about a 12 year old Vauxhall astra. which even when it came out performance wise was trounced by pretty much anything No one is lusting after the old astra, and no one is calling it a classic. The proof of this is in the resale prices.
Oh yes PB, but for me it would have to be a Mk1 Panda like Felicity (the one in my avatar picture) I had a very strong bond with that car. I find myself strangely attracted to small underpowered and unusual cars. Citroen Dyane (had one of those) or it's van derivative the Acadiane. Just because it's more unusual a Marbella might catch my fancy or how about a Renault 4 - but I've not seen one in a long time that wasn't dark brown and crumbly. Reliant Kitten anyone? I'd better stop before I get too carried away.
I think it's fair to say with the reliant Kitten you already got too carried away.
One of these days I shall get myself to the festival of the unexceptional..
So many cars that blur the line between old and classic...note the Astra 5 cars down.
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I'm hoping to go to FOTU next year. I know I'll get snorts of derision from certain individuals here, but I find old, rare mainstream cars far, far more interesting than rollers, and guff like that.
Last year, a chap who lives near where I work was able to show his 1986 Polo in the concours area. 
Here is what this line up of cars means to me.
1. in the late 80s my best friend at school’s mum bought a black Seat just like that. It spent all it’s time in the garage with near constant electrical faults, ultimately got rid and bought a new Mk3 fiesta.
2. The white vauxhall cavalier similar styling to the Vauxhall Carlton my dad had in the 80s, horrible blocky things inside, so boring that it was used to make a statement in the first Harry Potter movie driven by Vernon Dursley in a street of Cavalier owners. (Later replaced with Vectras) for future scenes. Was the rep mobile of the 80s.
3. Kia Pride, a work colleague used to have one of these, asked me to help them with the brakes. Never again brakes of a similar design to a Land Rover, have to take the hub off before you can get to the disc. Should be scrapped just for being difficult.
4. Datsun Cherry. My mum had one in the 80s I still have the burn scars from the “leather” (plastic) seats which would hit 6000°C on any remotely sunny day. Common as hell back then still have fond memories of sitting in it outside the shop and watching my mum try to get in a near identical car parked a few cars down.
5. The mk1 Astra, the sort of car that most of my primary school teachers owned dull then and still dull just now old, rare and dull. I remember them showing visible rust before 5 years old.
6. The Clio, my ex mother in law had a non turbo diesel version. 0 -60 in just 8 weeks and the cam belt snapped one morning and I had to tow her home then find her another car, as punishment i inflicted her with a rover 214
7. what appears to be a Toyota Tercel? I did in fact own one at one point. Boot floor rotted through and had a blow out at 70. “single owner, a little old lady from new car” Turned out it had been clocked and probably in an accident.
the only car in the line up, the second one ?lancia beta? I have no story about this for one very well known reason, it was the car that ruined lancia in the UK and by the time I have any memory of cars, most Lancia Betas had been bought back by Lancia and scrapped.
Now as you can see I have both fond and not so fond memories of these cars, but these are the cars that every normal person I knew, owned when I was growing up, they are not special at all to me and I know first hand just how terrible they were.
I prefer to not look at the past through rose coloured specs, non of them are particularly interesting as they are all loosely based on exactly the same technology for that era. i’d call all of these Old and certainly not classics.
I think this part is what the point is...I'd happily wander round and look at them there would be many memories associated with most of the cars on display on the basis daily life happened in and around them for many years. Although really having lived within driving distance of Scotswood in the 90s for full nostalgia value they may need to be burnt out.
Edit: in my minds eye I remembered this being a maestro..but of course it's an Astra..
I'd not necessarily want to actually borrow, own or drive most of them though.
To me that would be difference between old and classic..if someone offered you one for the day would you be happy to have it or think "ooh perfect I need to do a tip run".
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I don’t really need to wander around them to have those memories, so something like that I’d not really be bothered about. I’d definitely rather go and see some weird rare super car, that might not ever normally be displayed.
But I totally agree on the point of not wanting to drive them there are probably some old cars that are always good for a laugh, but for the most part they can stay where they are, and his punctuates my point brilliantly, some cars are just old and don’t ever attain “classic” status. Old cars become rare and valuable because they outlive all the other cars of the same model, but rare doesn’t mean good, or desirable.
Probably a good thing too - Ones worth having seem to go for silly money
Marketing email from Amazon, presenting "Last Minute Christmas Deals". On Dec 5th.
with the post strikes coming up then that may be true
