Are classic car people nuts ?

[charged]

Have been wondering why people build up classic,vintage cars as per spec they came out the factory,eg drum brakes ,carbies,leaf springs etc,I pose a question for debate .My wife and I like the look of old houses eg Californian Bungalow etc circa 1910-1940 but if we were going to build the house would we have gas lighting,no climate control,ducted vaccum,microwave,dishwasher I think you understand the concept,but for some reason when they(the nuts) build up classic cars they build them with old school technology,I cant figure those crazies out

[drakkie]

Well, my uncle restores cars for a living...I can fully understand why he does that, simply because is a great thing to do

[charged]

Well, my uncle restores cars for a living...I can fully understand why he does that, simply because is a great thing to do

he may love it but your signature virtually sums up what Im saying about creating yesteryear and losing tommorrow

[Matra et Alpine]

Where to start

If you think it is a test of a drivers skill to have ABS, TC, Auto-box et al then fine. Some of us LIKE the more enjoyable experience of controlling the MACHINE not controlling the computers controlling the machine

When something breaks do you liek repairing it yourself ? Do you liek improving performance through your OWN skills in engineering and building ? Canot do ANY of that with a car less than 10 years old. We're not talkign buying expensive bits off of a shelf from some guy in Japan !!!

Now is where I do agree.... If your idea of a car is for it to look original and look as it came off the factory and keep it polished and cosseted in an air-con building then THAT is "classic stupidity" AFAIC

I've been at shows where I drove the car and was parked beside a Lotus Cortina which had NO OIL in the engine in case it dripped or leaked. I've heard of guys aith rallied A110s being told their car wasn't good enough for a show because the TOOLS HAD BEEN USED !!

So just to check, what kind of classic car owner do you mean ??

CD playesr in ALL my cars

Also, own a 100+ year old stone built property. Do *I* want a wooden-framed, modern 'box' to live in - hell no !!!! Stone - gods air-conditioning

[McReis]

I like classic enjoyable cars. If the damned old brakes don't give me the confidence to exploite the cars potential and there's a most safe an recent alternative, I go for it!

I guess the looks in the car are the only ones to always leave untouched. But if safety and power can add fun, then we should do it. To hell with "councours condition".

I have a friend of mine who made an Escort RS MKI virtually from scrap.
He made it with high performance material for racing Escort, like suspension, brakes, etc.. And when it came to the engine, he thought that original engine wasn't good enough and a BDA engine would be too expensive and unreliable. So here's what he has done: he took an Escort Cosworth block, fitted some high performance pistons and cilinders and other moving pieces, and now owns this beautiful 210 bhp semi-classic Escort that gives loads of fun to him and to whoever has seen it since.

Would you classic freaks, mind having this classic? Or is it just to impure?

[Matra et Alpine]

NICE pics

To hell with "councours condition".

for sure !!
let the manufacturer keep ONE example off the production line for everyoen to come look at and leave it at that

Would you classic freaks, mind having this classic? Or is it just to impure?

Watch out Mustang will be round to nick it
Hmmm, R5 T2 sitting next to it ????
Does your freind compete with the Escort ?
Is classic/historic racing and rallying big in Portugal ??
--- and any action pics ?????

On performance, as we compete in classic rallying the only rules you have to adhere to when 'upgrading' is you can only use items available in the period.
But as racing had already experimented with most of the technologies around today then it's possible to do LOTS, jsut as your friend has with the Mexico.

[byronleehk]

Crazy car lovers come in all shapes and forms.

There are people crazy about classic cars, hand cleans each and every part of the vehicle and leaving nothing untouched...even parts under the chassis with a tooth pick and cotton balls (I saw it myself) where nobody's going to see

Then there are people who's crazy about modern technologies in cars. Had to have the latest gismo in their cars the first day they become available. Have a friend who drives a van so that he can install (and upgrade...whatever you want to call it) the latest sound system in it. He's got a good job with good pay but owns nothing, because aside from the daily necessities of life, all his money goes into this moving "sound theatre"

I think as long as they enjoy what they do, it's cool!

[Matra et Alpine]

Crazy car lovers come in all shapes and forms.
....
I think as long as they enjoy what they do, it's cool!

It's the pretentiousness of some of the 'concourse' guys nad the judges.

Like the original cars NEVER were anywhere near as good as a concourse-restored-to-factory-condition. So what IS being compared ??

The "tool used = bad" nonsense

Seen guys PAINTING SOOT in the inside of the exhaust pipe to make it "look real" - woudlnt' reunning the engien be even MORE real

But MOST OF ALL, it's that there are SUPERB cars NOT being used as they were intended. It's like going to watch a bear or tiger in a 6x6 cage. Just sitting there or slowly pacing up and down instead of out hunting prey. Just like a car !! Let Escort Mexicos loose on the loose stuff, let Ferrari 250GTOs dice on the race track

Nothing I enjoy better than 'baiting' the concourse guys at the classic shows. The Scottish one starts this weekend. We'll have the rally MGB on a stand AND about 6 kit cars ALL DRIVEN to the event. If I get punched I'll let you know

[McReis]

Hmmm, R5 T2 sitting next to it ????
Does your freind compete with the Escort ?
Is classic/historic racing and rallying big in Portugal ??
--- and any action pics ?????

That's a T2 with maxi bodykit and an engine factory kit upgrading it up to 250 bhp. It's for sale, by the way...

The Escort is road legal and only competed once at an hillclimb as "0" car. He was invited by the race director, and finished 8 overall!!!

Classic racing is still growing here, but has some excellent cars running, from Porsches RSR, Lola T70's, Chevron's B21, Lotus 26R, 300 bhp MKI BDA's, and a Daytona.

Classic rallying is a bit poor. Escort rules, a few Opel 1904SR's, lots of Minis, Dolomites and so on...

I´ll bring to you some action pics stored somewhere...!

[McReis]

That's a T2 with Maxi bodykit and factory engine kit upgrading it to 250bhp. It's for sale actually.

The escort doesn´t race. It was built for pure fun!

This thread reminds me of that real episode of the Japanese magnat that bought a 250 GTO and fitted it into his living room and rebuilt the wall after it. The car never went out until it was sold again. What's the point of it? Denying the use to someone else?

[Mustang]

ARRRRR the mk1



classics car great cars and no i dont think that people who like classics are nuts

[taz_rocks_miami]

The name says it all "classic" cars, if you install say 4 wheel disk breaks on a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, you'll have much better breaking power yes, but you've altered the original design so the classic is gone and modernized it a bit.

Besides, some classic car owners buy them as investments, not cars, so they keep them 100% original to boost it's resale value. I hate to see that myself, a car is not a car unless you drive it!! Sad maybe, but financially, not crazy.

[Matra et Alpine]

Besides, some classic car owners buy them as investments, not cars, so they keep them 100% original to boost it's resale value. I hate to see that myself, a car is not a car unless you drive it!! Sad maybe, but financially, not crazy.

Very few cars actually achieve this.
The days in the 90s when the "classic car investment" was thought to be a cert are long gonw. I know someone who paid 30K for an E-type and nother 40K on restoration in the hope of having a 120K car. Sadly they bubble burts and last I heard he still had it and couldnt' face the fact his best offer was for 35k !!!
Interestingly though, competition cars with competition history and RAC license are commanding HUGE prices in the UK as rich-folks (!) go classic rallying with them

[angusxplus]

What I don't get is why people like to take an old mustang or somthing and shove in a huge chevy engine or somthing like that.

[taz_rocks_miami]

What I don't get is why people like to take an old mustang or somthing and shove in a huge chevy engine or somthing like that.

To increase performance and to personalize it a little more. That's the whole idea behind "hot rods". Hot rodders are different from clasic car owner who buy them as investments, hot rodders build their cars to drive and enjoy them, not to store them as museum peices.

Welcome to UCP BTW!!