When did the classic car bug bite?

Same here, all my classics have been at the slightly unloved end of the price range, and looked a bit tatty on the outside, but pretty solid underneath and mechanically spotless. Because they have been owned before by the same kind of owner.

If it looks a little tatty it won't get smashed up, the odd extra parking scar doesn't ruin it, and you don't feel the need to stick it in a bubble rather than get out and enjoy it. And yes some of mine have been the fastest or best specced options and I have made sure they still work in daily use.

Nice one, thanks for that!

Will have a peruse through properly when my connection isn't playing up. Always love to see how people have done their various T25 engine conversions.

I was boring, just put a bigger VW engine in, dead easy swap from 1.6D to

Thanks again.

I'm currently saving up for an Aidan Talbot rebuild since 5th gear dropped out and stayed out just after Christmas. Aidan can put special ratios in.

I've driven one of my Minis to work through the winter (as I did last year). The road salt takes its toll, but because the car has a few scabs anyway it's no problem. It gets me there every day come snow, ice or whatever, and while I'd be miffed if some idiot were to slide into it, I wouldn't be as bothered as if I were driving a concours car. (Though I was pretty peeved when my son broadsided a lamppost in his, which _was_ near-perfect :-( Repairable, but annoying.)

Sounds frighteningly expensive. Unless computers can now cut gears in a trice. But then that machine would be frighteningly expensive...

The date being 9 Feb 2010, Chris Bolus decided to write:

I gave up on steel cars when my Mk.III Cooper 'S' rusted away and I built a Mini Marcos with the mechanical bits. I now have that and a Mini Jem which I use all the time. I have a spare set of wheels with Colways on for the Jem. They're just the job in snow and slush.

Apparently they're imported from SA.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Chris Bolus saying something like:

Excellent stuff. Spent a while examining the resto of your A40 - first banger I had at age 17. Bit of a rusty heap, and that was back in the days when a panel could be pop-rivetted on for the MoT. Mine developed a nasty crack from the chassis stubs up to the front bulkhead. Eventually it was put off the road by the police; probably a good thing. It was when a copper pointed at the hole in the front sill that had been revealed when a lump of cataloy fell off and asked if that was for foot signals, that the penny dropped.

It seems today that all you see is violence in movies and sex on t.v.

But where are those good old fashion values On which we used to rely!

Lucky, there's a family guy! Lucky there's a man who, positivly can do, all the things that make us laugh and cry!

He's--A--Fam'ly--Guy!!!

It seems today that all you see is violence in movies and sex on t.v.

But where are those good old fashion values On which we used to rely!

Lucky, there's a family guy! Lucky there's a man who, positivly can do, all the things that make us laugh and cry!

He's--A--Fam'ly--Guy!!!