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Pilgrim65

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Posts posted by Pilgrim65

    Period images to relieve some of the stress

    in Period Photos - Pre WWII

    Posted · Edited by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

    9 hours ago, Dave Gelinas (XP-300) said:

    43700560030_d92204039e_b.jpg

    Great busy photo , showing change in transport , horse carts to cars , devils number on side 666 😊also like the face  posters they remind me of wanted reward posters and what’s swamp root ? 

    Funny thing when I see many period photos of cars this era , most are dirty , probably work vehicles and cleaning not a priority I suppose.

    • Like 3

    Can I drive it every day?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    In Cyprus most of year and after selling my Juke , my daily driver all last year was my 72 stag only let me down 4 times !! One time my fault put big case in trunk squeezed gas line 😀other times carbs flooding and faulty coil , sorted now .

    Can I drive it every day?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 1/12/2021 at 7:59 PM, Matt Harwood said:

    Look, you guys know I'm a big proponent of driving your cars and using them as intended. I do drive my old cars daily whenever possible. However, I don't think I'm being a hypocrite here. This latest example of adults without brains is exactly why my patience is shot and my energy is gone and my interest in cars is plummeting. Yes, I frequently get the question, "Can I drive it daily?" on cars we're selling, which I typically take to mean, "Is it reliable?" I usually say yes with the caveat that it's an old car and will require commensurately more maintenance and tinkering than a modern car. That's why there were full-service gas stations and why tune-ups, valve jobs, ring jobs, and other labor-intensive processes were part of a regular car's life cycle. Go in with your eyes open, but yes, old cars can be made to be daily-driver reliable.

     

    So we recently sold this car:

     

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    A relatively normal transaction, although the guy used some kind of farm equipment bank to lend him the money to buy it. Whatever. He did ask about daily driver reliability, and I told him it was probably as good as such cars could be, but there's certainly a reason why MGs (and other British cars) have the reputation they do.

     

    Today he calls and says he likes the car but he can't get insurance for it. What?!? How about Hagerty? JC Taylor? Grundy? State Farm? Literally any insurance company that insures old cars should have no problem with an MG TD.

     

    Ah, here's the rub: this guy really does intend to drive this car every day. In Rhode Island. In January. And no, he doesn't have any other cars. This will be his only car. Seriously? If someone asked me to name the worst possible cars that you could still technically drive every day, I'd probably get to an MG before I was out of fingers on my first hand. No windows, no heater, no defroster, marginal wipers, marginal lighting, tiny taillights, and 60 horsepower with tepid performance, never mind the total lack of safety equipment and the Impale-O-Matic steering column. Oh, and it's small enough to become little more than bug splatter on the front of a modern Dodge Ram, which will plow through an MG without even scratching the bumper. Are you INSANE? Hell, three days of driving that thing in high-speed commuter traffic on sunny days would make me give it up, but trying to make it work in a New England winter?!? WTF dude? Like, the BIGGEST of WTF?s for you.

     

    I have to take the car back and refund his money, right? That's what he's asking me to do. I can't leave him out there like that. Even a light fender bender in this car could be fatal. No mainline insurance company in the world would insure that. It's like trying to get them to issue life insurance when you tell them your full-time hobby is sticking your head in the oven and inhaling the fumes.

     

    This is only the latest edition of how we have to constantly protect grown adults from their own stupidity and it's friggin' exhausting. This waterhead just cost me a bunch of money and hurt the marketability of the car, all because he was so stupid as to think this would be a good way to get around town in today's world.

     

    Am I being unreasonable? Is this even remotely a sane choice for winter transportation? I hear all kinds of stories about MGs in awful weather, but it's usually connected to "The worst driving experience I ever had," and remembered with fondness only because it's over, the way I tell amusing anecdotes about remembering getting my wisdom teeth yanked out of my head with pliers because it was 35 years ago.


    Feh.

    I think bad experience of MGs extends to Mga also 

    sold my Mga to a french dealer who came to collect but couldn’t find my daughters house where I garaged the car , so he went to my house 8 miles away , insisted I meet him so not wishing to lose sale agreed , but this was late January in Uk , no roof, or side screens , freezing cold driving sleet , useless wipers  a long 8 miles , arrived he put car on trailer never inspected it , transferred money and drove off , cest tout.

    • Like 1

    Classic car named Jibuti?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

    One of the Jowett models misspelled? They produced a very interesting series of cars including the Jupiter which was a really neat sports model and the Javelin during the late 40s and 50s

    My family had Jowett javelin, it was fathers favourite car , was it a flat 4 engine 

    Ouch. London Sticks It To Classic Car Owners

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

    Interesting good banter , as I split my year between Uk and Cyprus I have 2 daily drivers and when I bought them, both at a very good price , I thought they both had chance of becoming modern ‘classic’ collectables in a few years time . I  would welcome opinions, I love the jag and will keep . Bought merc because you need ac out here and my classic stag has none , but may trade for a 80s SL if one comes up 

    Cyprus car 1991 merc 190e 2.6 with Cosworth  body kit 

    uk 2007 jag xkr convertible 

    6D861C53-5C9A-4064-9411-7EA2CAA7BF4B.jpeg

    Triumph TR7

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Makes me feel old when you mention cars that I bought nearly new cortina traded up from Capri 3.0s great car , apple green striped deck chair seats ( expensive now) sold my Mga last year to fund restoration of another but more thorough finish hope to finish this year , but as you know costs spiral and careful now selecting remaining  parts and a interior trim specialist . I bought leather and carpet wholesale cheap so looking for craftsman at right price , had quotes ranging from 1000 to 2500 . Been in lockdown so only starting now to plan final stages . Going to sandblast and paint wire wheels to match car and do spinners gloss black to see if ok otherwise will buy new .

    The only experience I’ve had of racing is when I had a cobra replica about 20 years ago , they were affordable then , another car I shouldn’t have sold😁

    I took it to a nascar track here called Rockingham , they let the cobra club race first , I accelerated to about 100mph down the straight but they raced past me and scared me the torque pull on the banking so admit I slowed and lapped at 80/90 still hairy though with at least 20 other cars flying past . I was a novice and think many other club members were experienced, my excuse 😊

    cheers

    Triumph TR7

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Your cars are specialist real racing enthusiasts cars , you say e type expensive , but your Lola is an expensive appreciating asset and good TVR 2500 m sell here for over 40 k stg, but I realise to you price is immaterial and I agree owning and driving such cars is the pleasure not the price. I really enjoy driving my stag , but would love to drive a Lola at full pelt on a banked track 😁

    Triumph TR7

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

    1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

    I have to admit I have never Auto- X 'd a 7. Mainly reasonably quick road tests on customer cars. In that sort of use the TR7 felt fine to me. And a friend gave me use of his for 3 months when he went on a extended vacation. But nothing quite as extreme as Auto - X runs.  I expect some experimentation with tires and chassis set up would be required to get decent Auto - X handling . 

     I agree about Fiat 124's , very predictable handling . A great , willing twin cam.  Around here they lived up to their reputation for poor electrics , and rust. Not quite Alfa rust but a all too close second. In Southern climates , or for Summer use only , 124's would be a great option compared to most of the British sports cars.

     E- Types are great cars. But way beyond my reach. They have become so expensive I don't even really think about them any more. 

     If I thought I could use performance in the general " E-Type " range , I would do the Ford 5 Liter conversion on my TVR 2500 M.

     But it is quick enough with the 6. The V8 would just increase the chances of a very expensive law enforcement encounter.

    Read your post with interest , Being British love our late 50s /early 60s sports cars , as you commented you like e types but I prefer the earlier XK s .personally dont like TR 7 much prefer the TR4 to TR6 real back to basics thrilling drive . I owned 1600 MGA , quite sporty feel , but prefer the one you didn’t mention Austin Healey 3000 which can be quite the authentic British sportscar  drive , pretty gutsy . I also have V8 stag  pretty hairy when driven by a pro , but more of a tourer when I drive .

    Tvr s I love , but just becoming classic chimera very tasty , but the one for me is the Tuscan , affordable now in Uk , less than Griffin which is also very nice .

    cheers 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ouch. London Sticks It To Classic Car Owners

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Although I live 70 miles from London and my classic is too new , my friend is a Marshall and from discussions most of the participants can afford 650 but think it scandalous normal classic  car hobbyists should be burdened with more expense 

    someone said time for another revolution, think last was Charles the first, so due , but I think historians say that was civil war , think french hold the revolution honour 1793 .

    British folks are discontented with many things , lockdown , big brother and government controls , pc correctness gone mad , but I think post covid is going to be harsh , we owe more now than we did after WW2 

    paying for stuff your grandad made and helped us .  So think this just the start of ways to recoup some the debt  and if there going to charge londerers won’t long before all cities here charge us classic car owners this levy and others they are dreaming up. Beam me up Scottie !

    Period images to relieve some of the stress

    in Period Photos - Pre WWII

    Posted

    3 hours ago, 8E45E said:

    And it kept a lot of Germans employed at a very turbulent time in its history.  It was only supposed to be a 'make work' project started by the British in the former 'U.K. Zone' that was established in Germany immediately after the war.

     

    Craig

    That’s interesting , I was told originally beetles were made pre war, something about Adolf wanting a cheap people’s car 

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