h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know you know a lot about cars. Well they've clamped my boring golf..and unclamping will be as much as its worth..quite apart from road tax and MOT. Eventually they'll take it away.

I'm sick of it anyway for its boringness. You mentioned in the past that some older stylish cars can actually be better value. But would the garage be able to repair it? Surely spare parts would be hard to come by?

Can you give me some references or even to modern cars. I want it small, a little bit practical, but pretty looking...but with a certain verve.

Of course I may change my mind..but its really growing on me to just let them take it away and crush it..

fiat are normaly pretty easy tp get spares for had an 850 for years, the 55o is cheap to run not so good for very long journeys though..

Morris minor or traveller are good classic cars fairly easy for parts and spares still

I can't see me in a Morris minor somehow..too many memories from childhood of the sort of people who drove them.

But thanks for taking the trouble to post.

I do quite like the idea of Italian though.

Hello m`dear!

I`ve been touring round Prince Edward Island all week
in my TR6 and just now got online to see your query.

Indeed, any pre-mid-1970s British cars (before the bean
counters at British Leyland de-contented them and US
regulations made them too safe to be fun) can be a very
affordable, even economical and a lot of fun to drive.

And spares are readily available at a fraction of the cost
of new cars. No fuel injectors, no computers, no pollution
or emissions control units. Most use the same round 7 inch
headlamps (about $10 Cdn) rather than expensive and complex
body-fitted units that cost hundreds to replace. Same applies to
tail-lamps and bulbs, batteries, hoses, heater valves, brake
pads, bumpers, body panels. window glass etc. etc. So many
had standard and common parts and there are dozens of suppliers
in the UK who stock these as OEM (original equipment manufacture).

An online search by marque (Austin, MG, Triumph, Rover) will show
you who these are and you can compare the prices to modern cars.
These suppliers can also direct you to mechanics who specialize
in older cars and car clubs where you`ll meet many interesting
and very friendly people.

Hey, I`m serious! I have never been much of a people person
when it comes to organised social groups (like golfers or card
players, Morris dancing or bird watching, etc.) but old car
people are by definition fun, friendly, helpful and adventurous!

There were a couple of dozen of us this week traveling by ferry
to PEI in MGBs, Triumphs, old Rovers, Jags and Spitfires and so
far only one had a mechanical issue that was quickly resolved.
Everyone stopped to help. actually competing to be the one who
figured out the problem! And someone else actually had a spare
in the boot!

Here in North Am, cars over 25 years old have special antique
plates (registration) at about one tenth the cost and can be
insured for about one quarter the cost. And as I said, parts
are readily available and always half, if not one 2oth, the cost
of modern bits, not to mention all the modern bits they don`t
have and don`t need!

But you`ll have to `join` a group to learn all these well-kept secrets
or you could be taken advantage of by unscrupulous service people
who (like many) wrongly believe that if you own an antique auto you
must have money to burn. NOT TRUE! They also know little or nothing
about old cars.

Driving should be fun and it can still be!
And it`s not only affordable but quite economical if you avoid the obvious
rich man`s toys like old Jags, Jensen Healeys, Aston Martins, Rolls, etc
and get a fun little car like a Spitfire, MG, Austin Cambridge, Mini or Sprite.
(Some like the Traveller are so pretty and precious with their hard-to-maintain
woody bits that they can be over-valued compared to a plain old Morris Minor.)

The old Triumph Herald convertibles (on which the 2 seater Spitfires
were based) is still the most popular `wedding car`in India!


-jwf-

Hey thanks for taking the trouble to post all this jwf. I'll have a really good read and maybe do some research on the web based on your post.

This is great stuff.

Get back later

Okay started on the research. I reckon it'll be a Triumph spitfire for me. I once saw one years ago in Sussex and loved it..and I like the name . You said pre mid 1970s. Does this even apply to these cars?

I already joined the British club. That'll take about 3 weeks though to get the card..but they have adverts as well.

I'm not going to rush though..Whenever I bought a car in the past or motorbike it was always second hand..and I would take my time over it.

I noticed some are soft top and some hard top in the few adverts I looked at. Are the hard tops added later? And I'm not sure which to go for.

And if it went wrong..what on earth would the AA make of it? I mean eg if the battery needed replacing, like happened with that boring Golf..would they have something for it? or would I need to travel to somewhere in London? but then I wouldn't know how to fit it..

This won't put me off..I'm just trying to think of practicalities now and questions for you.

Sorry to bombard you, but its nice to share it with you.

No rush to answer everything though. And partly it is for me get over the scared feeling of doing this..Even if it takes a few months to get the right thing I will. And half the fun is doing this stuff.

I think its good I joined the British club to get advice as well...but as I say that will take about 3 weeks to get the membership details they said..but I can do research in the meantime.

Oh and never in a million years will I buy a Morris minor

jwf I thought you might find it a bit of fun to see the way I made my kitchen table out of tyres and a thick piece of block board on top. I know you can only intermittently access my images..but hopefully you can in this case.

The stuff in the background are part of an old sculpture to do with tyre prints made out of flints dug up in the garden.

I'm giving you this as a bit of a thank you for your help..and more to come

http://bit.ly/p1pokp

I hope to goodness you can access it. Sorry the photos aren't as high quality as I'd like but I did them on the spur of the moment.

Thanks! I saw the table. Looks good.
But how do you keep it stable?
Tires is wobbly things.

Nobody wants to eat off an unstable table.

Did you consider painting them different colours?
A good latex should adhere.


Just got home from hols on PEI and will come back
to discuss Spitfires and GT6s with you. Meanwhile,
don't buy anything until you find an expert who is
familiar with these cars as they exist in the UK.
There are a wide range of things to look for - they
may all be in a close price range but some are not
worth the price and general ignorance keeps the price
down on the more desirable and truly valuable examples.

If the hardtop (which is called a Triumph GT6 and not
a Spitfire even though it really 'is') appeals to you
then also consider the MGB-GT.

Talk to you again soonly.

~jwf~

In your own time jwf

Actually they are wheels with tyres from another crappy old golf I used to have. I don't quite remember how I ended up with the wheels though

oh hang on it was when I had alloys fitted to the last one. I suddenly got all obsessed with having alloys. Those must be the originals

Alloys are not cheap!
Go take them off the Golf before it gets towed away.

And be sure to clear out the glovebox - there may be
coins and drugs in there.

~jwf~

Too late..they already took it away. They were vw alloys bought second hand, and scraped by me quite often against the kerb when parking..its often very often awkward parking in London streets..though I am pretty excellent at it.

I took out the zebra cushions from the back seat and the black furry dice from the rear view mirror.

Hey all the Club Triumph stuff has come today..so quick and no fussy bureacracy and numbers needed to join.

I feel a bit overwhelmed. The magazine is full of pictures of all various types. Some going round mountains and people meeting up in all sorts of places.

It'll take me a while to read the magazine and come to grips with the 'culture'. There were only 2 pictures of women in the magazine. One selling insurance..and one hazy one of a woman passenger If I go to a meet I don't think I'll meet many women aside from passengers but maybe the actual women who do drive will be more interesting types?

I do like the idea of a hard topped one..I'm not really into the hood thing. That's a little bit prissy to me. i want a proper car....and it doesn't defo have to be a spitfire..but something very stylish obviously. I need to study up a bit on the models.

And also take in your advice about being a bit street savvy as to what to look for.

This is a *big thing* for me to do. But heck I used to ride a Moto Guzzi..and they were a bit different. But I'm older now..but really still adolescent I think.

And you don't need to rush to reply. Its a lot to take in psychologically as well as info.

Just a quick thought about real and perceived values.

Old cars are a bit like art. (Some are true works of art
and there are some rare and ridiculously priced examples.)

But in the whirled of the more common antique autos
it takes a keen eye to see the difference between a
genuinely valuable piece and a quick-fix take-off.

As a result, but unlike art, the really good stuff just
can't get the price when so many fakes are available.

From 20 feet away they may all look good. And of course
to the average viewer, even close-up, the differences
may be hard to spot. You have to know what to look for
to know when you're buying a properly restored classic
and not getting ripped off by a shiny paint job.

A lot of old cars are like hotel room art landscapes.
They may cheer up a room for a day but you wouldn't
want to live with them.


~jwf~

So nice you used that metaphor jwf You knew that would speak to me. Thing is I have total confidence in my ability to judge art..but old cars are a different kettle of fish.

But a factor I'm very good at mostly knowing if someone is a bllshter or a genuine good guy. So who I buy from will be a factor. And if its a company I can check with Club Triumph about their credentials.

But yes I reckon even with my limited expertise in old cars..zero..I'll be able to tell if its just a shiny paint job fake.

I like our little chats here like this to get me used to the idea of the reality..which I've done before with modern second hand stuff.

I'll try to get into the magazine tomorrow, plus now I've my membership card I'll be able to look at ads on the site.

But I really don't want to rush this very exciting thing..but enjoy the adventure..though it could be a rush if necessary..

(I thank my lucky stars for people like you on this site jwf. And you've given me this lovely thing to have fun with, with you. )

Sometimes I just can hardly cope with people deliberately trying to with me. I just don't have the 'defences' and then I end up taking it out on someone else.

Offline now.

jwf I'm so upset..Ed totally ed me tonight with his wind up stuff about something really important to me. It was a horrible game..and calculated. I'm so sick of people here taking advantage of my open heartedness. I know you understand.

I going to get the very fastest of the Triumphs of the type I want and to hell with it.

please ignore that last post jwf. I have to deal with anything like that myself.

This thread is about Triumph motor cars..and that alone. That's why I love it.