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Oct 10, 2007 10:02:14 GMT
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Seems that these days even fairly basic low rent cars are chock-full-o-stuff: electric windowes, power steering, tilt and slide 6 position memory ashtray...
I know I am always an advocate of keeping it simple, Murphy's law and all that does really apply to vehicle accessories and the like.
But having driven through winter a couple of times in cars with no heaters or no rear demist (and the Mk3 has no rear demister) I wondered what the basics are - the stuff you really can't live without in a car (or rather the stuff that you can live without but really pish you off if you don't have them)
My options list would be ticked as:
power steering (unless its really light anyway - FD Victors for example don't need PAS but Mk3 Cortinas do, IMO)
automatic trans (assuming you have enough power/torque to drive an auto and if not - what am I doing driving it?)
heater (for safety and comfort reasons)
HRW / rear demister (I like to be able to see out in winter)
I think thats it. I can pretty much live with non-power brakes but not sure if brake servos count as "options" if you know what I mean.
Over to you guys... I know some of you are so hardcore you don't even need a roof or windscreen....
And I mean for a regularly driven road car not a track day special.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Oct 10, 2007 10:05:53 GMT
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I agree so far but i definately will not do without a radio/cd player.
Seatbelts for the kids is also a must have!
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Oct 10, 2007 10:10:15 GMT
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kiddie belts or chairs are a legal requirement here. Amazingly I can't get the baby seat into the Cortina. I *like* a stereo or at least a radio but for the most part I can live without one, and TBH in the Cortina once you are above like 40 MPH you can't here the stock radio at all. If you turn it up loud so you can hear it all you get is distortion. So when it dies a few weeks ago it was not really mourned. I have decent audio to fit in there but I have had other things calling on my time.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Oct 10, 2007 10:12:12 GMT
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Depends what the car is, my little VW doesn't need power steering or servo brakes but a heavier car would be unpleasant without them. For everyday driving it really must have a good heater with heated rear screen, or you've got to be prepared to drive with windows open to get the humid air out. Where old cars really suffer is a short journey where you and a few others get in and out with wet coats. Aircon is so useful here it's untrue. You don't really need much else, can we take it for granted the car will always start in cold weather, door locks won't freeze too much and the wipers will do a fair job on the windscreen? Almost forgot, the car musn't let in water. If it does you're always going to be misting up inside, the carpets will freeze solid in winter and grow funny looking mould in the springtime Normal 'old car' stuff like iffy headlights and thin tyres just means you drive a bit slower
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All mod cons...arthurbrown
@GUEST
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Oct 10, 2007 10:13:57 GMT
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As long as it goes, stops and has some method of un-fogging the windscreen I am fairly happy. Not fussed about heaters for my benefit so much. I have a hat. And a coat. No leaks is a boon though.
My first land rover was a vile place to be in december.... the roof leaked and the water gathered in the internal gutter / panel joint, meaning that if you accelerated too hard, half a pint of freezing water would jump onto your lap. And the method of de-misting was an old wiper blade on the dashboard to clear the fog with. Nice.
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Oct 10, 2007 10:18:25 GMT
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I have had cars like that. Not nice and not safe really. A lass on another forum was run down by a driver who hadn't properly demisted his screen and reading that makes me feel really bad about all the days I've been driving about looking through a little slot in an opaque screen.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Oct 10, 2007 10:19:24 GMT
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I ran my VW Camper without heaters, demister, power steering,.. and at one point rear brakes..... I can live without the first three,.. but the last one was kind of a show stopper.
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dugong
Posted a lot
One Of Us Will Live To Rue The Day We Met Each Other (Wire : 2008)
Posts: 3,292
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Oct 10, 2007 10:21:38 GMT
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Volvo doesn't have: Power steering Servoed brakes Heated windscreen Cold ventilation (heater is jammed on melt your balderdash hot ALL the time, I was sweating like a paedo in a nursery driving round Mallory). Radio (broken) Interior light (broken but still draws current) Electric windows (wind up, broken, duck tape). Alternator (gauges flicker, windscreen wipers get faster the faster you go, whole car has a spazz if you have the wipers, map light, indicators and headlights on. God help you if you then want to reverse, cos that's ANOTHER light! I've also the gen light come on when braking, cos them brake lights are thirsty buggers yo.) What it does have: 12V leccy Headlights (cibie H4s FTW) HORN! Brakes Radial tyres Synchromesh Leaks in very heavy rain Pish wipers (bent wiper arm) Leccy windows don't bother me. Neither does power steering in that car. I think in terms of absolute basic requirements you need to see where you're going (rag is handy although I know there's wiring for a heated window in the headlining), be belted in and be able to stop. I would like the radio to work but that's why mobiles have speakers A \C (or at least some way of turning the sodding heater off) is a boon in hot weather. I'm a bit of a mard, I'm sure Jonny 69 will extol the virtues of cable brakes, 6V leccy, vacuum wipers and no synchro.
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Last Edit: Oct 10, 2007 10:22:36 GMT by dugong
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Oct 10, 2007 10:23:01 GMT
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Yeah so long as its working well, no leaks, and a heater is a bonus, for the sake of the screen, then my feet and hands! at present i'm coping without any mod cons. Nessesary is a comfy position, fixed with nice chairs in the old van Off AK's list, is a rear demister screen, like to have one but have not fixed mine yet, never had a wiper so not bothered on that one. One thing controversially I don't like to do without is a radio, CD player is a bonus, working upto that.. Carpet is going back in too, mainly to go with new tidyier interior.
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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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Oct 10, 2007 10:24:07 GMT
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My first land rover was a vile place to be in december.... the roof leaked and the water gathered in the internal gutter / panel joint, meaning that if you accelerated too hard, half a pint of freezing water would jump onto your lap. And the method of de-misting was an old wiper blade on the dashboard to clear the fog with. Nice. ;D Happy Days I remember that well! First day I got my 2a, We went out on the Ridgeway and the rain was near Horizontal - just the thing for 30-odd year old Land Rover rubber seals... My Discovery was just as entertaining... the sunroof leaked, and in the winter, it froze... so when the cab warmed up, you got wet!
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ThePollitt
Posted a lot
Fix up, look... at that car on eBay!
Posts: 4,696
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Oct 10, 2007 10:25:38 GMT
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The only think i need is and effective windscreen wash/wipe system. It's like automotive OCD to me, i HAVE to have a crear screen.
Other than that, i can live without anything. As long as it goes!
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All mod cons...arthurbrown
@GUEST
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Oct 10, 2007 10:26:31 GMT
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Tell you what though.... those heated windscreens you get in new Fords are magical. I dislike overheated interiors so they are pretty damn cool - see where you are going without having to heat the inside of the car to 1000 degrees. Great. So I shake my fist vehemently at whichever d1ckwad decided NOT to spec one on our Focus. Meh.
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sav
Part of things
Posts: 842
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Oct 10, 2007 10:26:48 GMT
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More or less as already mentioned.
Windscreen demist of some description, if it heats the rest of the car that's a bonus. I also hate leaks etc.
I also need the driver's window to open as I always drive with it open to some degree when I'm in the car alone regardless of weather.
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klunk
Part of things
1949 Rover P3 V8
Posts: 371
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Oct 10, 2007 10:31:14 GMT
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When I built my car I fitted a very nice stereo with decent speakers an amp and a CD autochanger. In five years of driving it, I can honestly say I have used the radio about ten times (honestly) on the (very) rare occasions that my wife drives it, she has the stereo on all the time.
Who needs a stereo when you have a V8 to listen to!!!
Regards basics in mine.
Heater to 1) Demist the screen, 2) help the radiator on hot days....LOL
Cigarette lighter ( I smoke, plus use my phone charger, sat nav etc)
Hazard lights ( It does occasionally break down)
Fog light (It gets real foggy round here in Kent)
High Level Brake light (There are some real numpties round here when it come to tailgating, especially what looks like a slow car)
And as said above opening drivers window. I always drive the rod with the window down, whether snow sun or rain. Always have, always will.
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Last Edit: Oct 10, 2007 10:32:34 GMT by klunk
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Oct 10, 2007 10:44:14 GMT
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Oddly enough I feel "wrong" with the drivers window up. I can drive ith it up in a modern, but in an old car about the first thing I do is crank the window down.
High level brake light is a good point. Especially with some of our old cars and their weedy brake lights...
"I have a V8 to listen to" - works for me except: stuck in traffic driving to work and long tedious motorway journeys.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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All mod cons...arthurbrown
@GUEST
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Oct 10, 2007 10:47:44 GMT
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Ha! I'm the same with the window thing. Unless it's motorway 'blat-speed', then there's gotta be an open window. Shpookeh.
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Oct 10, 2007 10:53:09 GMT
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Ok i'll join in with the window open club! must be a retro thing. Its nice to have just a bit more contact with the outside world, which retros deliver already. Doors get locked and windows closed upto a small air gap in some areas on my travels though, this is where I miss central locking slightly! ;D
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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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v8lee
Posted a lot
FoMoCoMoFo
Posts: 1,045
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Oct 10, 2007 11:02:06 GMT
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Its funny how you get spoiled. Choosing my new company car recently there was no way I was gonna even consider anything that didn't have a 6 speed gearbox.
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No more old cars
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filmidget
East Midlands
Mostly Lurking
Posts: 1,652
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Oct 10, 2007 11:14:30 GMT
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Ok i'll join in with the window open club! must be a retro thing. Its nice to have just a bit more contact with the outside world, which retros deliver already. Ditto to all those who have said similar. Ever since driving the Midget I have felt too insulated from the outside would without a window being down at least partially. The more modern the car, the more I find it necessary... Thought I was the only one
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'79 MG Midget 1500 - Still patiently awaiting attention '02 Vauxhall Astra 1.8 Elegance(!) - Better than you might think '03 Mazda MX5 - All new and shiny looking (thanks to Antony at Rust Republic) '09 Renault Clio - Needs to go.
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Oct 10, 2007 11:25:59 GMT
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Its funny how you get spoiled. Choosing my new company car recently there was no way I was gonna even consider anything that didn't have a 6 speed gearbox. If I beg / borrow or steal, I mean rent a modern if it doesn't have AC, electric memory seats (keyed to mirrors), etc then I get a bit miffed like I was short changed or something.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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