Why do people buy and run classic cars

roy willson

roy willson

New Member
I was thinking why do people buy and run a classic car and tried to think about how that might make a difference when looking for one so I have tried to put down in order what I would look for in two scenarios

List one purely for an investment make and model not important

1/ Low mileage service history original colour and interior looking as it did the day it was made
2/ Low mileage some history all paint and chrome shiny interior good but not original
3/ mileage average to high good usable car all paint chrome and interior good but not original
4/ mileage average to high in need of restoration

List Two wanting to run and use a classic

1/ mileage average to high good usable car all paint chrome and interior good but not original
2/ mileage average to high in need of restoration
3/ Low mileage some history all paint and chrome shiny interior good but not original
4/ Low mileage service history original colour and interior looking as it did the day it was made

MY personal choice would be list two number one as I enjoy using my cars in all weathers sun rain even snow and like a nice clean car but I dont want to worry about mileage or making it dirty
my car is a list two number two
 
I agree with you on the Listing 2 choice. When my 2000Tc is finished I will be using it all weather's too. No point having it sit out on the road looking good if no one see's it and 'The Minstrel' will have to be parked on the road as I don't have a garage anyway. Lol
 
I'm a list 2 person too. Both of my P6s were/are list 2 number 1. My 3500S is now list 2 number 2 and I suspect a couple more years of useage will put my 2000SC into that bracket too. I got fed up with the complexity of modern cars and the complete lack of opportunity for the home mechanic to carry out even the most basic diagnosis and repair. I'd already chosen the make and model I wanted so was never going to fall within list one.

Dave
 
Could probably put another one in to list 2, Mileage unimportant mechanical A1, body, chrome and interior very good but not a museum spec.

I like to have my cars running and looking as they should but refuse to polish engine bays and the underside.

I got fed up paying garages to do jobs like brakes, especially seeing the unskilled idiots handling my car with the upmost respect.... Bought the P6 as a project, basically learned how cars work and how easy they are to repair at home and only farm out very complex , heavy or awkward stuff I can't be fussed or dont have the time to do. The garage mechanics tend not to like seeing me as they know they are getting a tough job.

I love classics and moderns but the modern cars need to have somthing interesting about them to get me interested and it isnt 8 cupholders and an ipod doc.
 
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mine is tidy and no welding needed etc as shiny with a paint job previous owner did. not perfect with scratches in chrome and some corrosion pits in places etc one bubble of corrosion on rear wing under trim. ( sigh) but car not been out in rain for 15 years so i don't us it in wet weather. not going to turn it into a concours showboat but want to drive it on nice days to enjoy it. been to a couple of shows ,last one at plough corner .Clacton with hundreds of others. nice to see other rovers there too. total 6 P6's though all good tidy cars were 2.2 or 2000's so only v8 there apart from a very nice P5. i don't wash car with water either as its been dry so long I don't want water getting anywhere it ought not to and starting the dreaded rust beetle off. the bubble on rear wing i have checked and isn't getting bigger! so may leave until it decides to grow as involves repaint etc and matching paint is not so easy. never mind any metal repairs!
car not bought as an investment but a fun thing to drive on dry ( sunny?) days when feeling free with time .( other cars are better at getting value increases) has had mum in law in back ( at 89 she loves sitting there) and only issues i would say is buy one with power steering!! they are very hard to do a three point turn in. you do get used to the roll on corners though but it does make you drive a bit slower lol
i do all car repairs so far for self. including stripping brakes .exchanging servo etc though having second thoughts about doing some engine work such as lifting it out to work on it. fairly sure with a manual its straight forward though with just the normal knuckle skinning and seized bolts issues . well at 40 years old i guess it has a right to be cantankerous. hope it still around in another 40 years time ..maybe others can enjoy its quirky driving and styling etc. both my sons think its stupid item and i ought swap it for a brain cell as clearly I have a lack of them. then again many classic car owners are arguably short of them .. unless a serious investor where prices can and do rise . get the right car..and you cant go wrong but then do you drive it? enjoy it? seems odd at first that fords seem so highly prized until you think back and realise it wa mainly fords we drove then. so getting a classic car is really a bit like reclaiming part of you past. so if you ran fords you would tend to want them and not others. other than having funds enough to but the type you could not afford when young ..say an E type? ferrari? etc
 
So far it looks like Rover P6 owners do it for the experience and fun of owning one and not for the investment which is a good thing I think
I use my car all weathers but must admit that if I was just popping out somewhere not car related and it was tipping down I would leave the Rover at home but if I was going to a show or event it wouldn't stop me going in it
 
I'm sure that some people have a classic without having an interest in classic cars per se. They tend to own the stereotypical classics such as MGBs, Minors & Mk 2 Jags. You can always tell because the drivers never acknowledge you in another classic (P6), although I appreciate you can't acknowledge each other on every occasion!

This is not to say that all MGB owners & the like are the same; I know of many true enthusiasts with these cars (indeed I've owned & enjoyed an MGB), but as a general observation I often find it the case when out on the road. The vast majority of classic drivers acknowledge, but when they don't they're usually in a stereotype classic... Probably they don't think my car's any good!
 
I buy classic cars because I have an addiction.

I bought my E-type, because I was looking for an Aston Marin DB7 and tripped over the E-type.
The P6s and Landie are all ex-factory or owned by prominent Rover personnel.. which means that I can't help myself.

I have way too much crap.
 
I run my cars because:

a) They were all relatively affordable to purchase.
b) They are all easy to work on, and I usually enjoy working on them (except welding)
c) You are more connected to the car when you drive them, you can actually feel what is going on compared to a modern.
d) Driving my hobbies around means that by default my commute to work is kind of hobby time.
e) They have character and soul which moderns don't have so much of, maybe that's just because most moderns don't have a story behind them yet...
 
Hmm why do I buy classics. I will compile a different list

1) The Rover P6 - me and a mate decided we wanted to have something with a V8 to take to Santa Pod in a few weeks. Everything was a spur of the moment. Built it not to put on the road at all, but in the end liked it so much (and it ended up as my sole project), rather than just being a bit of a toy, instead made it a bit more sensible and thousands (not that you'd think by looking at it) put in to making it road worthy. I have always liked the look of the P6 and the Rover V8. Obtained with no thoughts of condition, affordability or anything else.

2) The 1963 Land Rover Series 2A SWB Petrol - because we wanted to do a rally to the Sahara and back. Bought it without seeing it on ebay in 2009 to unearth all sorts of horrors to make it half decent. Since 2009 it has been a continual project - partly because it gets a bloody good battering on each rally - since buying it's been to the Sahara and back in Algeria, Morocco and back, Morocco and the Western Sahara and back and most recently to China. Hoping I can save up pennies and do another trip.

3) The Range Rover Classic V8 - got this from my Mum as a temporary replacement to the Celica GT4 (which I still have, but it's not a classic so will not list it). It didn't end up as temporary, it is now my daily driver and it is a fabulous, reliable car and a lot of fun. Mileage, reliability, condition, fuel economy etc was not considered. It stayed standard for a few weeks.

I see no car as an investment - I buy them because I want to drive them. I'll never get back what I put into them anyway, so what's the point.
 
I think RoverAlex has got it bob on, these vehicles were designed to be used, not stuffed and mounted. When its moving its alive, which makes it an extension of the person driving it, it responds to your input. Mine will never be a show winner, and to be honest I wouldn't want it to be, I just want to drive around in something with, as I've said before, character, the look , the feel, the sound the smells. Something with colour in an automotive world of beige (which is odd given mine is almond!!).

Mick
 
I like to see old vehicles preserved for the future......in 100 years from now I hope my 1972 P6 3500 auto and 1963 P5 3 litre saloon will still be doing the show circuit. At least, if I ever get the P5 back on the road........ the garage roof collapsed on it in 2010 thanks to having 2 feet of snow.
These vehicles were indeed designed to be used, trouble is they were also designed to fall apart after 10 years so it is amazing so many are still around!
 
This is for you Phil R.! 2400 mile run in May with my P6 per invite from club in Canada and Washington state. 30+ cars on the tour all but four of us driving MGBs! Owning a couple of MGBs myself I was prepared to drive one, but a quick poll of the group led to overwhelming response that I bring the Rover! Done and done! Keep watching the 'Driving Force' club mag for an article I've submitted about this run. Here a picMGBs and Rover.jpeg of the MGs and the Rover on a rainy day.
 
I have classic cars because I enjoy them, and that's about the size of it!

I bought my 2000 originally, because I'd always wanted a P6, and after looking at various other small classics, felt that I may as well get something bigger. I don't regret it one bit. The 2000 couldn't be much less original, but it's got such charm, and was used constantly, so I don't care! I'm hoping to get it back on the road once I've got some cash together.

I have a Scimitar because I think they're one of the undiscovered gems of the classic car world. Mine is a very high mileage SE6A, but I've done a serious number of miles in it, and it gets better the more it is used. It's a manual overdrive one, so it's great fun pressing on in it. Sounds quite exciting too! The Scimitar looks exactly as it did, no modifications that affect its appearance. It's never been painted, so it's a bit scruffy in places, but when I'm driving it, I can't see, nor do I care!

The 3500, quite simply because I've always wanted one, and in April Yellow it's my perfect P6. I can't stop using it, much to the detriment of my bank balance. It's a very scruffy looking car, which needs quite a lot done to it, but it's very useable after some tinkering, and I hope to eventually get it repainted, so it looks exactly as I've always wanted. Interior-wise, it's got gorgeous patina, and I don't want to spoil it by changing it!

I think classic cars are amongst the best interests going, and I very much enjoy driving and tinkering with my cars, as well as meeting the fantastic people that I've met at various events, and just travelling in general, over the years.
 
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