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Jul 25, 2006 16:09:51 GMT
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Ideally I think you shuld have three cars. 1 - tidy, reasonably entertaining/characterful daily driver. 2 - finished car, weekend toy - restored vintage or full on racer, what ever floats your boat. 3 - the project car - something you can tinker with in a millions bits, weld/grind/sand/paint/wire away to your hearts content. Spot on. Like I've said elsewhere, I'm having a big re-think at present, and this is where I'd like to end up. Alistair's law simply states: the more cars you own the less chance there is of one actually working. ....and there's the reason for my re-think! I simply don't have the time, space, skills or money to do all of my cars justice and it's starting to get me down, to the point where I look at the cars and see the amount of work they need and the cash I need to lay out, rather than grinning and going out for a spin. Normal service will be resumed shortly
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My fleet: Suzuki GSX-R600Y SRAD with bald, melted tyres A borrowed Mondeo
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tigran
Club Retro Rides Member
In rust we trust. Amen.
Posts: 6,444
Club RR Member Number: 142
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Quality of Quantity?tigran
@tigran
Club Retro Rides Member 142
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Jul 25, 2006 16:29:07 GMT
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Highly tuned uber grot from this corner as well.
But yeah - one finished, running sweet (in your eyes) car over a field full of scabby rotters.
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1964 Rover P5 i6 1987 BMW 525e - The Rusty Streak 1992 Micra K10 2001 BMW E46 316i 2002 BMW E46 330Ci 2013 BMW F31 320d 2018 BMW G31 530d
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Quality of Quantity?bstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 25, 2006 17:44:18 GMT
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I curse and swear at jobs on them, I put off doing stuff and my wife asks me "why do you do it when it only makes you angry and miserable?" and the more to the point "why do you do it when you don't enjoy it?" It all seems extra pointless when it seems every shiny, finished car has to be sold on shortly after to pay for the debt I incurred doing it or to fund the much needed renovation on the next one in the queue. I don't know. I'm stuck on a production line of rust and broken parts. I'd love a shiny car, one which didn't make people laugh and point and generally take the p!ss out of me for owning. I'd like reliablility, performance, luxury... Hell, lets even hope for some fuel efficiency as well if we're asking for the moon. And occasionally I have it. I've had some sweet cars, some shiny ones. But they got sold and now I just own too much rotten old tat. I think its an addiction. I am driven to it. Ever car is a fresh adventure, a new goal, new targets, new ideas, new challenges... I'm feeling less drawn to it though. We used to be up and down the country most weekends buying tat but now I like gardening, drinking tea and relaxing. And then forcing muself into wrestling with broken tat I already own. I have two cars in lockups. I have to move one or both cars to new lockups. Just thinking about it half of me thnks just scrap 'em, whats the frikkin point in all that pain and effort and wasted time. At least my mates finally picked up the Bruiser to fit the new flex plate for me so I might be back on the road by the weekend. You do what you do I guess. That's bordering on depression!!!! but I know how you feel Work got in the way a couple of years ago and I'm never letting that happen again..... I had 3 very good examples of my favorite cars that I could easily keep on top of but working 16-18 hr days 6-7 days a week meant the maintenance regime slipped into fix if broken and oil change as often as you had time. The Monza and the Senny suffered worst (senny ended up being scrapped but it's engine I still have ;D......) I look forward to seeing updates on the Ventora so keep at it it will be worth it and when one is done and just needs maintaining you can move onto the next one - I'm not making that mistake again either - I've been in the "well the only car I have on the road is the misses one" and I'm not going there again
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Quality of Quantity?bstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 25, 2006 17:45:53 GMT
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Ideally I think you shuld have three cars. 1 - tidy, reasonably entertaining/characterful daily driver. 2 - finished car, weekend toy - restored vintage or full on racer, what ever floats your boat. 3 - the project car - something you can tinker with in a millions bits, weld/grind/sand/paint/wire away to your hearts content. That way you have something to go to work, parts chaser, winter hack, etc. You're on the road and no problems. You have something to take to the shows/strip/track whatever it is you want to do. You have a toy to imerse yourself in the project of. Something you can bench build and discuss with your mates and all the things you do when you have a project on. But you still have one on the road for daily use and one you can enjoy the use of the rest of the time. So theres no pressure on anything. As soon as you move away from the three car rule you are moving towards trouble. Alistair's law simply states: the more cars you own the less chance there is of one actually working. Superb
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Jul 25, 2006 18:32:19 GMT
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I suppose you just gotta be realistic, and that included hording away future treasures, the very reason i let that free Marina go. good job too. he says with sensible head glued on.
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Jul 25, 2006 18:39:40 GMT
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one shiny MOT'ted motor and a shed full of scabby tat its the only way to go - if I had 'em all shiny - i would be very bored Ah, now that's a better option
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Jul 25, 2006 18:42:25 GMT
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i would truly love to own an oooooooooo car, but i also have a pathological fear of debt(ive just got debt free after ten years of scraping) so i know i wont get one. however the sigma project will be kickstarted as soon as ive got the space, the carltons looking cool if a little high in the sky but thats free modding and i could do with a nice little retro daily because the wifes just sold her 106 I'm fairly prepared to be paitent with the sigma, but itll be done as time and finances allow(to some standard) one day. ;D
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"quote hairnet"
I'm not paying nine pound for a pi$$!
[/quote]
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Jul 25, 2006 19:15:45 GMT
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Currently the fleet is: Kadett Daily Driver and work in progress Golf GTI, Driver Taxed tested and for sale Fiat Spider, Project/work in progress/ not yet driver They are Mine, then we have Janeys... Golf 3 Convertible, all sound (Summer car) Golf 2 Syncro, all sound (Needs arches and maybe top end overhaul befor this coming winter season) Winter "Skiing car" that spends winter in the Alps on Snow tyres ;D always a work in progress Janeys 2 bikes.... on-Road and Trials bike ;D My ZX7R Project.... currently stripped as a donor for mates crashed one In a minute my new Sensible Daily arives, which is a new shape Renault Traffic DCi.... van come sometime camper.... work in progress to do the Camper fit out and general bike hauler/parts chaser/windsurf van......cheap and reliable long term daily in the mean time All of these bar the Fiat at present and the bikes live outside on the road Will soon consolidate..... sell the golf GTI, Fiat remains WIP in Barn for now, Convertible goes off road for winter, Syncro heads south at the same time. I`ve done the show car thing and I want to just drive stuff now rather than Polish it, all my cars have to work for a living, if they no longer serve a purpose its time to move them on ;D So Show car is nice but I cant justify it..... rather have a fast fun useable daily retro that I can fix if I spank it, other wise leave it alone....."hence the modern motors in old cars slant" Cheers Dom
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Last Edit: Jul 25, 2006 19:20:47 GMT by CR500Dom
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Snoozin
Posted a lot
Toyophile
Posts: 1,557
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Jul 25, 2006 20:48:27 GMT
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Man I'm an amateur compared to you guys.... I tend to just buy el cheapo's with a problem, fix em up myself, and onsell to fund further development on the Alfa (well... and now the Starlet).
I like to have rolling projects - the Alfa is probably what I'd term a shiny car, it's done shows, but it also gets a thrashing most weekends (it's not cost effective to drive it every day!) it's been in grasskhana's, autocrosses, track days, drag days.... it's shiny but it gets abused.
The KP is another rolling project... I'll carry on with it that way until it too is shiny, and it's going to get driven as hard (or harder even!) than the Alfa does.
I like to own minters, but I like to use them to their full potential. There's no point in engine/suspension/interior upgrades if they sit in a shed doing naff all.
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Last Edit: Jul 25, 2006 20:48:55 GMT by Snoozin
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Jul 25, 2006 21:11:16 GMT
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I don't know where I fit into all this!
Now that I have a barn I don't really feel any guilt about scooping up tat, not knowing when i'll get round to doing something with it. I know that the barn is well-ventilated, dry, secure and probably just about perfect for storing old cars, so even if its 10 years till I get a chance to work on my tat, so what? I don't think it'll degenerate very much, if at all, in there. Its a bit of a shame it all being in there where no-one can see it but if its being well preserved, someone will get to see it in the future instead.
I'd quite like to have a show car, but only for showing off my skillz0rz not my fuggin wallet, so that means something i'd built or restored myself which takes time. I am going to be 31 in two months time, which means I have had 16 years of owning cars, and I have NEVER had my own fuggin garage/workshop where I was free to tinker with old crud, and never stayed in the same place long enough for it to seem worthwhile sorting one out. Hence years of plans and ideas but little to speak of results-wise, except owning lots of different heaps, (which gave me great pleasure incidentally).
When i get back to UK this winter I hope to build a garage at Ms B's house and then I reckon I will be equipped to start a proper long term project, and for transport i certainly intend to carry on driving old clunkers cos I like it. There.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Jul 25, 2006 21:38:42 GMT
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2 questions for Mr Bo11ox: Are the fleet all insured - i hope so And curiously what would you make into a show car and what would it be? Euro'd Talbot Alpine? Truck of war Donk? I'd like to see CaRS show stopper 2008?
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,538
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Jul 25, 2006 21:39:45 GMT
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I aspire to shiny cars though I don't think I'll ever have a "show winner" as I would never want to have a car I was worried about driving, leaving parked anywhere. I also don't have the space to have more that one non-functioning car and even that is the drive outside. So whatever else we have HAS to be running and it can be a challenge even with only two to keep going as at the moment. Driving 35+ year old cars daily means there's enough to do to keep them as they are let alone improving/polishing Three runners is a good number for us as it means we've got a car each and one spare It is nice having the Sun-tor though that looks good (not perfect in any way though) and attracts interest where-ever we go
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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B-8-D
Posted a lot
down to one car!!
Posts: 4,038
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Jul 25, 2006 22:40:45 GMT
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quantity!!!! rust bucket and use it..! cars should be driven and as long as it is mechanically sound..... drive the ass of it.. or is it just me?? too many show cars (poor things!) that get only used for shows (maybe only trailored there he he.) but i hate modern cars.... and use my retro daily and nothing else! because i like the experience in DRIVING! old fashined to have a front mounted engine and realwheeldrive?? but i like it and so do bmw mercedes most sports carrs and racing cars.. not that i race i am too 'kin curse word!! lol but hey a bit or tail out action once (or twice... thets make that 5 times) a day is the stuff that makes my blood circulate! anyway just ranting now.... i like wisky lol si
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Bioshock
Posted a lot
It aint hip to be square.
Posts: 1,861
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Can't remember the last "shiny"car I had I remember a Fireman gashing his hand,on an old SD1s rear wheel arch I had,at a charity car wash, down our local Fire station Thing is Ilike shiny things
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Almera GTI = ugly bird who turns out to be great in the sack = Win
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Jul 26, 2006 12:11:55 GMT
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I've always hoarded cars and to be honest, if it wasn't for folks hoarding cars there would probably be fewer retros around now. I have bought cars and stored them for years only to let someone else take it on but the chances are if i hadn't have done so that car would be long gone. Hoarding does have it's place. I used to wrestle with the problem of quantity versus quality but now I'm happy to sit back and bide my time... do what I want... fix what I want. If i get fed up wioth working on a car, it goes back in the shed and I imerse myself in something else. At the end of the day I'm into this stuff because it makes me happy. having a stash of old tat in the shed makes me happy as does welding up some lost cause, as does making old tat go fast. Bottom line is, while trophys are nice, I know deep down that I'm just too lazy to be polishing that concours motah evertime I take it out. I want to fix and drive and not worry about dirt in my tyre treads and stone chips! There is a limit though. About three years ago I owned 50 cars...that was too much to cope with so I've downsized my fleet to around a dozen or so. Of those half are projects in waiting but like Mr.B they are stored indoors in a decent environment so it doesn't matter if it takes ten years for me to get to them, they'll still be ripe for resto. And if my circumstances should change and I can no longer finish them, then some lucky punter ten years down the line gets a really rare car to do up
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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bryn
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,913
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Jul 26, 2006 13:06:28 GMT
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I think you've got the ideal situation for me Ed, although due to constraints I'm aiming for three working vehicles... Instead of seven projects and I'm currently driving around in my Mk2 Transit.
I guess I've just got tired of not being able to use them and the space they take up is proving too valuable, my only concern is that I'll never be able to buy what I sell again due to money and value increase...
How long that will last I don't know, I can admire anybody who owns a show/feature worthy vehicle or has a lot of time/effort/cash tucked up in one project, but I don't think i have that level of commitment, and that's what it boils down to.
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Volvo, Buggy, Discovery and an old tractor.
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Jul 26, 2006 13:11:12 GMT
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I do personally like to have a few projects to bounce between, specially for when ones not working out, variety and all that but it is a double edged sword cos theres a stack of tasks! i applaud people who can store without cars decaying, they'd be in the scrappers years ago without these folks!
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Jul 26, 2006 13:36:24 GMT
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...my only concern is that I'll never be able to buy what I sell again due to money and value increase.... That's my difficulty. To thin out my collection I had the sell some cars that were very rare or unique, like my '67 Bluebird and '73 Datsun 1200 coupe. I know i'll never find another 1200 coupe as good ever again but if I really wanted to I could go to Finland and buy another 411 Bluebird. I'd never sell my 510 no matter what and my 710SSS is irreplaceable as is my '62 Bluebird and '77 Cedric hardtop so those will never go unless I am utterly incabable of looking after them. I think in the last couple of years i have gained new perspective on the hobby and realised my limits. I can restore half a dozen cars. I can't do 20 or 30. I think it's not a problem to have a small number of cars stashed away in the shed as they don't weigh on you mind and don't require time or money to keep them there. I do find that future projects in waiting can revitalise my enthusiasm when I'm at a low ...looking at them and dreaming about what will be can help me crack on with current projects. The one thing a promised myself three years ago is that I was in this for fun so I would only do what gave me some pleasure. That means if a project becomes a chore I stop doing it and change tack. I don't owe it to anyone to finish what I start and I feel no pressure to do so. If my enthusiasm for something is up then i'll get on with it and enjoy. I feel that working that way is more productive at times as so long as I am working on something, I am going in the right direction. It's the same with car related activities. Last January a started drifting. I practiced, competed and had some sucess but by the end of the year I was skint and it was all becomming more hassle than fun. I enjoyed the driving but not the scene and a lot of the people in it. I didn't like the ego's and the bullsh!t so I stepped back, assessed how I felt and after weighing things up decided to quit completely and turn my efforts toward other things. I had fun while it lasted but it was time to move on. I think the lesson in all of this is do whatever makes YOU happy. If that means building one car to perfect that great but having a shedfull of old rusty tat is just as good if it pleases you. Feeling you are under pressure to complete a project, work to a certain standard or perfection of crack on with some old heap you have stored is never going to be the road to happyness.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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