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Thread: Are classic car people nuts ?

  1. #46
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    OK, classic car people are not nuts, they have certain reasons for driving classics. I am a classic car guy myself and after some introspection I can tell you what the motivation to drive them is: Design: classic cars possess a certain character not to be found in contemporary cars, since old cars were designed more freely, i.e. not constrained by regulations (safety, interior/exterior/engine/...) Most classics have features which unmistakingly belong to this or that car. You drive a car which stands out in the grey mass of traffic.
    Classic cars have better looking engines (yes, the looks of an engine is also important). Nowadays engines abound with electronics and are ensconced underneath plastic covers.
    Classic cars are often straightforward to maintain (I am not talking about Ferrari V12's or Pegaso!). You can do a lot of maintenance yourself. Parts of an old Ford say, are cheaper than their modern day counterparts.
    Driving a classic without ABS, traction control etc. is more challenging, and a lot more fun too (how I love performing a humble powerslide with my old banger once in a while).
    Old sports cars in particular are most rewarding to drive, they wonderfully convey the thrill of driving (a quality I often miss in modern cars). They require some physical strength from the driver, they get hot, they are loud and there is no power steering. The aircraft feeling cannot be denied.
    Many old sports cars are revolutionary when it comes to design, they therefore belong to automotive history and can still thrash modern cars. E.g. 1954 Elva 1100cc 0-60mph in 9.5sec. An excellent performance for rudimentary engines, which in saloon cars would need five years to achieve that speed. So far for an Elva, and I haven't started to mention the Lotus and Coopers yet!
    It is a shame though -and this is my personal opinion- that old racing cars have benefitted from tuning that wasn't available yet back in the old days. Now, they can squeeze even more power out of those engines, in that they are verging on modern car figures. Old cars should keep the modifications from before. if those cars hadn't received modern treatment, one would be even more impressed with old school tuning. Engineers were also capable of wizardry back then. But, as is always the case in racing: he who has most bobs wins. I have heard engine prices which are truly astronomical, whereas in the 50s or 60s they would have cost a fraction of their current value. If old cars keep coming closer to modern ones, what is the point in having a classic?
    In addition, sports car driving (and racing in general) was a true feast for the car enthusiast. It's a pity I wans't born yet to experience it. I know older people who say classic cars are totally outdated and retarded; some of those people despise old cars, others race them. The latter are hypocrits who modify their vehicles to modern standards. What a way to share what once was the height of car design with young people. Car should be driven like they used to: period mods and original livery, and most desirable genuine drivers at heart.
    Classic car people are not nuts, some are just not righteous.

  2. #47
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    (Most) Classic car enthusiasts are not nuts. A number of you seem to be wondering why the owners of classic cars don't put some of the contemporary electronics in their cars eg. air conditioning, cd player. The reason they do this is because once one of these things are fitted, it loses some of the cars nostalgia. By modifying these parts you are straying too far into the realms of car modification, not car restoration. Note that word: Restoration. A guy that lives near me owns a classic Iso Rivolta. It is a gorgeous car and he has restored it from a complete wreck to what is now almost perfect original condintion. To add a bunch of modern computerised items would ruin the effect of the car and would probably also decrease the value cos if he tried to sell it, who would buy it? Another classic car enthusiast, most likely, and it is unlikely that he would want to own a modernised older car. If you want modifications you are better off looking at a crappy little Jap buzz box. I rest my case. Long live the classic!!!

  3. #48
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    So the Japanese havent made aclassic car? Thats a whole new thread
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  4. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cedric
    ...In addition, sports car driving (and racing in general) was a true feast for the car enthusiast. It's a pity I wans't born yet to experience it.
    Good post.

    Dont' despair on the missing experience of classic sports car racing and rallying. If you check your local tracks I'm sure you'll find historic classes and hsitoric rallies are regular on their own and as classes in larger events.

    you can't beat the mixed sounds of 60s and 70s French, Italian, British and American engines still pushing hard

    You shoudl track soem events down and get to them before the bureaucrats decide it's anti-social !! ( There are now a few tracks in the UK have noise limits which means the A110 GrpIVs can't compete in 'standard' form )
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  5. #50
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    Classic racing events are becoming scarce. Even more, one would need a serious amount of cash to compete. As far as I know starting off on a cicruit with a standard car with no more than a helmet (like in the 50s and 60s) is not being done anymore on the continent. Even modest club races require a seriously modified car (fuel, rollcage, cut-off switches, ...). I think the days of cheap racing are over (maybe not in Britain...yet). I also pity the banning of old-style road racing, like the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio (these events have been revived, but they are nothing like the real thing, not by a long shot).

  6. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by charged
    So the Japanese havent made aclassic car? Thats a whole new thread
    I consider the Datsun 240Z and 260Z classic cars.
    "NEVER ALLOW SOMEONE TO BE YOUR PRIORITY, WHILE ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE THEIR OPTION"

  7. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by taz_rocks_miami
    I consider the Datsun 240Z and 260Z classic cars.
    not sure of the 260, but also the Toyota 2000GT.
    "A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by taz_rocks_miami
    I consider the Datsun 240Z and 260Z classic cars.
    I agree with that.

    About electronics and stuff, I am okay with it in moderation. Putting fuel injection on to me is revolting, but I can see maybe a cd player, cruise control, or A/C. My car, for instance, came pretty far from stock, I am putting a CD player in, and in the future there will be cruise control as well. I also plan on a/c, but since that's something that was originally offered on Mustangs anyway, that's not really a massive modernization. I'm also putting in a 5-speed stick in the future, but that's a practical consideration; I'm not quite sure why cars didn't have overdrive sooner.

    What you won't find on my car is a massive sound system, fuel injection, car computers, navigation, or any other electronics. It's a mid-way course that makes a classic car a very good daily driver, even though I am also perfectly happy without air, cd, or cruise right now.

    Of course, that's only something you'd want to do on a car that already came modified in many ways such as mine did.
    An it harm none, do as ye will

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  9. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    not sure of the 260, but also the Toyota 2000GT.
    I think the original Fairlady can also be considered as a classic, probably slightly better than the MGB. Of course the Honda S800 was one of the first marvels available in Europe.
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  10. #55
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    i think ne1 who doesnt apreciate a classic car is insane think of it this wayn without the old cars u wuldnt have the new!! its also somthing that will never be made again its like an endangered species so it makes it even more special!

  11. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    I think the original Fairlady can also be considered as a classic, probably slightly better than the MGB. Of course the Honda S800 was one of the first marvels available in Europe.
    There is a 260Z whithout the plexiglass over the headlamps, just like the 240. They are real classics, no doubt about it. Great sound, hard to drive. A friend of mine had two 240z. Had a great time ridding in them.

    Also the first generation Celica's can be taken in account.

    The S800 is a dream "bike-car" as it's powered by the CB750 engine.

    I think this days the Corolla Twin Cam (AE86) can start to be seen as a classic, although a recent one.
    Money can't buy you friends, but you do get a better class of enemy.

  12. #57
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    Whats awrong with adding fuel injection? its called Retrotech and if you want a dayly driver and good fuel ecconmy it can be a good idea....ive seen a XY (like mine)falcon like mine with a late model 302 from a 94 falcon xr8 in it....good ecconmy and with minor mods it went like stink!

    But still there is nothing wrong at all with old cars...my father owns three cars that are pre 1970 (a Genuine XW GT and 2 65 studebaker cruisers) and they are all great cars....i have driven both the studebakers and i loved driveing the bothof them (of course the red one had a 304 studebaker engine in it with 8 motorbike carbies on a home built manifold,avanti cam,mildhead work and a home made exaust system....its loud to say the least ) the red one doesnt even have a radio...and when it has a nice sound who really cares? he also owned a datsun 1000 with a 1200cc engine with dual webbers,bit of a cam,homade exaust again (why buy one when you can make them....look at diagrams offerd by some aftermakrket mobs and model the exaust off that )head work and its a top little car....its gos like stink and gets 42mpg can you ague with that? also so much fortechnology in a previous form this tiny 1.2 technology maybe nice but its not the end all and be all...its nice to be able to turn a few screws or rejet the carbies to make more hp rather then spending countless hours on a laptop to makemore hp....

    Not everything new is great "sometimes the old methods work just as well"....look at the showdown they had at Willowbank earlyier this year....all these blokes in their hotted up jap cars makeing huge amounts of hp and a veriable shopping catalouge used all over the car got beaten by back yard mechanics who used their seasoned appendix J race cars.....and the unltimate winner of the day a ultima kit car running no less then a (DUN DUN DUNN) chev v8....and the drift catigory was funny...they got their asses whooped by a country lad in a mostly stock VN SS lol

    While it wasnt a white wash it was more then enough to prove a point....they where sitting there all high and mighty thinking their cars had it all and when more victroys that day went to guys in muscle cars (as well as other hitorics...as well as the porsche club that showed up who didnt like the high tech boys attitudes) and the ultimate victorywent to thelad in the ultimakit car (who associted with the historics because "apprently" his car was "low tech") i think this just proves the point nicely...also notice imnot being nasty about

  13. #58
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    of course classic car enthusiasts arent nuts. you could have this debate about any area of cars, be it classic, modern or anything. everyone has an area of motoring history that they can appreciate. i sure as hell wish i had been around in the days of works escorts and group b.... motorsport is far to controlled for me nowdays. i prefer to go to a local historic race meeting than to go to the formula one. for sure i would go to the F1, but it wouldn't have the same effect on me watching a race where the pole sitter leads for the whole race. I am all for the modern variety of cars (within reason) but i have decided after getting my new motor in my escort that it is better to listen to the motor, than my stereo, which sounds good as well.

    i think that the thing that does it for me with classic cars is the unrefinedness of them. looking at all the different years that ford produced the escort, no two parts are the same, just about every production run varied in some way, so just about every part varies slightly. this could be considered annoying, (especially when looking for parts) but it it interesting as well.
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  14. #59
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    About the injection - i dont wanna have to maintain it. it's a huge complication to a car that really does just fine with a carb.
    An it harm none, do as ye will

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  15. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Falcon500
    Whats awrong with adding fuel injection?
    I have a friend who has a first generation 323i and turned it into a 323. What does it mean? It means that he took of the injection and bolted three double carbs.

    Performance went up, and the noise....ooooh the noise is beautiful!!!
    MPG were down the sink of course. But it is now a proper classic!
    Money can't buy you friends, but you do get a better class of enemy.

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