Classic car as a daily runner?

No rain.

I needed to see if I’d cut my cheek, so used mirror. The Visor isn’t in front of you, sunny days would be adventurous if so.
It was 7.30am, Saturday morning. The South of England hadn’t woken up yet, the road was mine.

So let me get this straight. Whilst driving along you put your drivers visor down in front of you, so you could look at your vanity mirror, in drizzling rain :eek:? Strewth, just glad i wasn’t in the car in front of you!

Don’t forget that isn’t a direct comparison.

Calorific values on lpg are lower so your fuel cost per mile is greater than it would be if you had been able to buy petrol at 70p.

You effectively get 15 – 20% less mpg (Or I suppose we should say mpl) so the effective cost is about 85 – 87p / litre

Moggy

I had forgot. Well pointed out. It’s even worse on Hydrogen fuels, they are hitting about 11 miles per GALLON last time I looked.

Back on running old cars…..I had Comedy Car last week.
I put my visor down to check an itch on my mug. Slid the mirror cover and 2 small vanity lights should come on. They didn’t. But the interior lights did…….and the cruise control knocked off. When such things happen, if one stops, immobilises/mobilise/start it clears the problem…which it did. 1 mile later, drizzling rain so I hit the 1 swipe mode on the wipers. Nope…..Radio went off. The Wipers started, along with glovebox light and interior lights.
The Horn didn’t work but pressing it did bring on the Airbag warning light and the radio.
Anyway, AA roadside checked all things electrical and found poer to all, nothing he could do. I got Lorried back to Southampton :mad:.
I went on my forum, within 15 minutes I was told the exact fault and the part number and a set of photographs on how to replace it.
The part was in stock at the main dealers on the Monday and I fitted it Tuesday. All car back to normal. Ignition Switch.
This week I will be replacing the diaphragm in my PCV Valve and the small regulator vacuum pipe next to it. To get at the PCV I need to lie on the engine with my knick-knacks on the radiator. Or, hange from a Tressle “It’s a knockout” style.

Cortina Mk2 1600E is a great car to own and would cope with present day traffic speeds.

The trouble is that people understand this and they are far from cheap to buy now.

Moggy

Got to agree on the Mk 2 1600E Moggy, we had them as patrol cars, and with the GT also. Only fault was the top of the turret struts rusted out pretty quick, so we then got rid. Typical fault on many Ford models.

Lincoln. 7

….Snipped….. And even the Ford owners clubs are snobby, I remember going to a club meet years ago in my road going, battered MK2 escort rally car, only to get some snobby nosed pillock telling me that my car wasnt as ‘ The designers’ had enviseged it. I then asked him where his car was to which he replied ” Oh I dont drive it as it would get dirty!”
My reply was ” atleast mine gets used mate!”

That’s awful.
My car club, there are some abominations of the originals (I don’t like Blacked off chrome, or lowering for example) but we are all in the same boat and all help each other on keeping the old gals on the roads. Nobody, to a man, would say such a thing.
Some owners have the glossed engine look, that looks OK actually, but what I didn’t like at all was the totally glossed interior dash. However, that particular car is a great example and has a rather disturbingly good 386HP! And it isn’t an M series!

I had a new Renault Clio 172 sports. Whilst under guarantee, the front bulb went on the offside, for/spot light.
I took it back to the main dealer and they had to strip ALL the front of the car off, and remove god knows what to get the bulb out.
I asked the mechanic what it would have cost me if it hadn’t been under warranty, and he went and asked admin, came back and said, ” about £600.00″ needless to say the car went when the warrantee had nearly expired.
Lincoln. 7

😮

Yes, I’ve seen this happen in my works car park. 3 lads stripped it as you describe, took them 45 minutes and a lot of head-scratching. Pathetic design. I think it was an ordinary Clio too.

Had a Triumph Spitfire for a while..it was always breaking down,so I swapped for a Renault Clio,which didn`t have the style or the power…and was always breaking down.

I had a new Renault Clio 172 sports. Whilst under guarantee, the front bulb went on the offside, for/spot light.
I took it back to the main dealer and they had to strip ALL the front of the car off, and remove god knows what to get the bulb out.
I asked the mechanic what it would have cost me if it hadn’t been under warranty, and he went and asked admin, came back and said, ” about £600.00″ needless to say the car went when the warrantee had nearly expired.
Lincoln. 7

😮

I used to run classic cars all the time, mainly because it was all I could afford to buy more than anything.

What with the rising costs of car tax, fuel, and maintenance which isn’t owner friendly anymore I got to considering whether it is worth reverting to a pre 1973 classic car again as a daily runner.
Tax is free, they are comparatively easy to maintain at home, and I never found them that much more expensive in fuel consumption to a comparable capacity modern engine.
The missus has a modern small diesel as a car that we can rely on for long trips etc.

It is only hypothetical really (though an old Landy Srs2A with 200 tdi would be nice), but what’s the thoughts here about this, on practicality, types of cars etc?

Hi James. I run a 2007 Landy, and believe me, although it is only a 2.0 ltr turbo diesel, you need a fuel tanker behind you. Also, the repair costs at a main dealer, or even a back street repairer is expensive.
I go along with your idea 100%, ie, no Tax to pay, and even anyone with limited knowledge would be able to carry out running repairs, Oh, how I miss my old 1960 Mini, you could take the head off, re grinde the valves and put it all back together the same day, without special tools or having it hooked up to a computor, Dya know what?, now you have me thinking exactly the same way as you.

Lincoln.7

😉

I always ran ‘ classic ‘ cars, in laymans terms old crap/ cheap Fords/Triumphs, right up until about 4 years ago.
I now have a mint, tax exempt MK1 Escort stashed away in my lock up, fitted with a later 90’s fuel injected sierra engine and gear box. Its reasonably economic to run, but I only have it locked away as the car is so clean, it would be criminal to subject it to everyday use and the hazards of uncaring other road users ( my Impreza gets frequent batterings when its parked in car parks etc etc.)

A classic with a modern engine fitted is just as practical as any modern car, but with the style/kudos of years gone by.

And even the Ford owners clubs are snobby, I remember going to a club meet years ago in my road going, battered MK2 escort rally car, only to get some snobby nosed pillock telling me that my car wasnt as ‘ The designers’ had enviseged it. I then asked him where his car was to which he replied ” Oh I dont drive it as it would get dirty!”
My reply was ” atleast mine gets used mate!”

A B only drinks fuel if you keep your foot to the floorpan everywhere, trust me it’s far less fun but they can be made to return a half decent mpg 😉

couldn’t agree more !! yes you can do it , but it has blown the doors off the reason of choosing an mgb

i certainly couldn’t stop using it as intended with a smile on my face

if MPG is your bag perhaps a b isn’t the best first choice

…probably the best way to go would be a fully heritage shelled MGB but that will cost a lot and they drink fuel like an alchy on special brew…

A B only drinks fuel if you keep your foot to the floorpan everywhere, trust me it’s far less fun but they can be made to return a half decent mpg 😉

How so? It’s still 70p a litre

Don’t forget that isn’t a direct comparison.

Calorific values on lpg are lower so your fuel cost per mile is greater than it would be if you had been able to buy petrol at 70p.

You effectively get 15 – 20% less mpg (Or I suppose we should say mpl) so the effective cost is about 85 – 87p / litre

Moggy

Classic car

Look at Rolss-Royces which are too old to attract road tax and too young to attract high prices.

The downside is that arriving in a R-R is not a good idea when asking for a pay rise.

40 years ago I was a rep with a Jaguar, the competition had Citroen vans and a number of new customers came our way because we were seen as a bit up market !!

unfortunately the fact everyone was getting LPG conversions atracted the government so now it is negligible and not realy worth the conversion price

How so? It’s still 70p a litre………..but you are right, 2 things happen: –
(i) As people need it, the greedy companies will put the price up. The very opposite of the “Traditional” supply/demand curve…..because this is rip-off Britain.
(ii) The Government will force people into needing a product, and then tax the hell out of it. What was the film….You dive into the safety of the grass verge because a Mine went off in the road……but in the grass there are bigger Mines.
Simple prime example: –
Buses. Privatise them in 1988. The whole bus service in the UK turns to ratship within a year. People are forced into cars. And petrol Duty rockets. Coincidence? My ar5e!

Had a Triumph Spitfire for a while..it was always breaking down,so I swapped for a Renault Clio,which didn`t have the style or the power…and was always breaking down.

Round the corner from me, a mate had his XJ6 converted to LPG. It paid for itself (£2,000) in a year. He has a long wheelbase version, generally totters around in it – but he drives to South France once pa for his jollydays.

unfortunately the fact everyone was getting LPG conversions atracted the government so now it is negligible and not realy worth the conversion price

Not many survived the following decade – those that did are, as Moggy rightly said, too expensive. Just have a look at any classic car magazine (not that all 60s Fords were classics!) – fancy a Lotus Cortina at £48,000, for example?

Nice idea, though.

Those Fords had street cred. So, in the days when all young lads would pick up a motor and play with it, dismantle it etc…..it was a 60’s Ford. So, they had their 2nd life a long time back.
Projects ongoing down my very local area. Somebody is doing up a Zephyr 4 (But using it daily in the meantime) and there is a mint condition moggy…..but all its oily guts are from a Metro (Or poss Maestro).
VW fans are always seen getting done up, but the camper clan are now moving on to the much better and more practical Talbots. Or even Comma’s.

Not many survived the following decade – those that did are, as Moggy rightly said, too expensive. Just have a look at any classic car magazine (not that all 60s Fords were classics!) – fancy a Lotus Cortina at £48,000, for example?

Nice idea, though.

mk1 escorts sell for large bucks if you want anything good even tatty projects cost a small fortune for purchasing rust nowadays

there are lots of factors to be taken into considderation and it is far from the ideal first thaught

i ran 3 bog basic triumph heralds as daily drivers ( and there is the important thing ) always have a reserve car if you depend on being anywhere

or at least a shedfull of spares and a spare engine

this rings particularly true in winter

if you don’t like solving problems at the side of the road it probably isn’t for you either

what was good fun and adventure at 18-20 yrs old soon pi**es you off at at 40 yrs old and at seven in the morning when you have to be at work

it can help enormously having garage space with a welder and compressor body repairs in the form of rot and spraying after will happen eventualy

paying garages will defeat any money saved in tax

the second vehicle is handy again whilst repairs are being sorted

probably the best way to go would be a fully heritage shelled MGB but that will cost a lot and they drink fuel like an alchy on special brew

so that defeats the fuel saving

it is also worth making sure the head has been converted to unleaded

and if the electrical system is still on a dynamo ( throw it and fit an alternator )

morris minors are nice but body rot is a major concern they can hide a lot and usualy rot from the inside out ( so what looks a small repair can be huge )

they can be a superb car but if not into your own welding etc a sound body in all areas is essential

it is better to buy a tatty morris minor that needs engine work but has a sound body

than to buy a mint one that only apparently needs a little body work on rust

in a nutshell the savings can be made but you have to be multi versed on all repair skills and be prepared to get more than just hands dirty

( and often at the worst possible times )

and if work time keeping is a must a second vehicle is a must

and even with the repair skills i have lost count of how many times i have broken down miles from anywhere and even carrying spare parts and tools

the part i realy wanted was at home in the garage !!

Surpised there hasn’t been any suggestion of late 60s Fords, ie Cortina and MK1 Escorts perhaps, they seem generally capable of modern motoring?

Not many survived the following decade – those that did are, as Moggy rightly said, too expensive. Just have a look at any classic car magazine (not that all 60s Fords were classics!) – fancy a Lotus Cortina at £48,000, for example?

Nice idea, though.