Too Many Cars...

[Steven]

I totally agree with your previous comment RetroDon.
My own grandmother is not at all badly off due to being the wife of the UKs first Opel dealer from 1966 to 1982. Up until 1982 when Opel discontinued the franchise and told them they can continue selling Vauxhalls instead as GM had decided Opels were no longer for UK market, she had been used to driving new Rekords, Asconas, Mantas, Kadetts etc.
My Grandad did not take up the offer of switiching to Vauxhalls as he felt the British built Vauxhalls were of inferior quality compared to the Opels he had been briging accross from Germany, however he carried on to supply Vauxhall spares to service his past customers as the parts were all interchangeable.

Anyway back to the point. For a decade after they retired, she was happy driving Mk1 Fiesta, Nova, mk1 Astra and various other "older" motors until some time during the 90s when this new mentality came in that seems to say its not alright to have anything less than 5 years old.
Suddenly out went the Sierra and the Astra and in came a pair of 6 month old Fords. A Mondeo and a Fiesta. They have subsequently proceeded to change these for the next latest model every year or so and have great relations with the Ford dealer. Now she is on the latest shape Fiesta and when asked how she finds it her answer is "its ok, but the one I had before it was a lot nicer and this one has never felt as good". To which I say "well why did you get rid of that one and buy this?"

To which the answer comes back that make my brain bleed inside and feel like shouting THATS JUST PLAIN STUPIDITY:

"There was nothing wrong with it, but it was the old shape, and this one's a 04 reg"
Aaaaarghhhh. The attitide is all wrong!
Have what you like, not what society tells you to like!!!!
I wonder how many people actually choose a car they like or just allow themselves to be told "this is what you want" by the salesman.

Another point I fully agree with is that some time ago, you were someone if you had a car regardless of age. You felt proud to own a car. Now people try to make out you are the laughing stock if your car is not the new shape. Don't fall for it people. Cars can go on and on as is being proved by Egypt with its Peugeot 305 and 505s, Pakistan with its Datsun 120Ys, India with its Hindustan Morris Oxfords, and Africa with its Toyota Corollas.
New cars are oversupplied hence prices are rock bottom for second hand cars which is seeing them wasted.

[nachovx]

I buy a car and keep it however long it lasts. I never service them and only repair what breaks or is required for an mot. I might change the oil once or twice if I can be bothered. Modern cars don't really need regular servicing, it's a con put around by the dealers. Current car 5 years and all I've bought are a few tyres, exhaust, brake pads and a radiator.

[Steven]

Like your point about limits on supermarket car parking times.
In my local town, some residents who live close by seem to think they can use the Tesco car park as their pwn private parking place for their second car, and there are quite a few untaxed cars in there, where people are abusing the car park to keep their cars off road so not to get fined.

About the limits on engine capacity, I don't think that could work so well. I think some youths in a small engined, small car for example a well souped up mini 850, or a Hillman Imp would be a lot more nippy and more likely to crash than something bigger and slower like a Sierra 1600.

[RetroDon]

Hi Steven
I love 60's & 70's Opels. Where was your grandparents dealership?

[Steven]

Hi,
The dealership was in Sunderland right next to Roker Park football ground.

[RetroDon]

Aha, so you must be Steven H!
I bought a couple of cars off your dad... It's a small world!

[Steven]

Well well well, quite possible.
I have quite a different tase in cars from him though. He usually buys stuff he likes, drives it for a while and sells it on when something else comes up. He tends to buy ones he know will not lose money one.
I buy cars that I like because they remind me of past years during my lifetime, so he doesnt really consider them old enough to be classics. I've never owned an Opel but I do like them.

[RetroDon]

Still into your Dolomites??
I'm on a one-man mission to preserve the cars of the 60s/70s/80s, which is why I have so many... I just love driving them, and they are easy to maintain. I've managed to get a few of the actual cars I admired from when I was a kid, some are mint, some are to (eventually) restore. Just don't ask me to choose which is my favourite!

[Steven]

All the Dolomites kind of rotted away leaving behing thousands of useful parts but no bodies. I stuffed all the parts into the 1 remaining sound body, but then lost the use of the land where I was keeping it so had to let it go.
I'm well into Jap cars at the moment, I've got 2 Toyota Carinas, a '72 and a '79 and a Datsun Violet from '81.

[RetroDon]

Rear-drive Jap cars are very cool indeed. I have a 74 120Y and an 81 Sunny awaiting their eventual resto's, and last year picked up a 50K black 77 120Y, fully restored with photographic record for a mere ?700!
Groovy styling coupled with bomb-proof mechanics, they're ace. Not so impressed with the cart-springs suspension (bouncy as hell compared to a mk2 Escort), and they are a bit tinny, but what the hell....