Post subject: Yesterday’s daily today
PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:56 pm
I’m aware that there are certain quarters within this messing about with older cars thing that we do, who are unsure about, or perhaps even frightened of, running something properly old (and by that I mean of fifties or sixties in design terms) as a daily driver. So I thought I’d compose some initial thoughts, based on having now been doing it for just about half of my lifetime. I might then turn this into a bit of a blog kind of thing, mentioning anything I dare put in the public domain about the fairly mundane experiences of doing this day in day out. I am now in a position where I don’t use an old car every day, for commuting or whatever, simply because I don’t have to drive to work. I have very much relied on them for this task in the past though and I still rely on them when I do need to drive which is generally several times a week I expect every “important” journey I have ever driven will have been in a 40 odd year old car.
So, firstly, why do I mention the ‘50s and ‘60s? A while ago I came to the conclusion that there is a distinct break in the road conditions in the UK in the late 1950’s. There were massive road building projects all over the country as car ownership increased and, most importantly, it’s when the Motorways were first built. This was the first time that ordinary cars could be subjected to maintained high speeds in very much the same way as they can now. Before the motorways a three bearing crank with white metal bearings was sufficient to get about but they couldn’t withstand much of this high speed abuse. In the ‘50s the car’s mechanics became more advanced, oil change mileages extended, less greasing points needed attention and the drivetrains became more robust, enabling much higher mileages to be attained. The UK industry then seemed to become fairly static in this respect for quite a while – indeed there are various cars that were for sale at the end of the 1970’s that had running gear directly derived from ‘50s units. Some obviously went on even longer like the BMC A series.
So why have I decided not to pull piece this further into the 1970s? Well, anything applicable to the earlier times will certainly be applicable to this decade and also I have made a definition as to cars designed in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Many of these dragged on through the following decade. It’s also because the earlier cars are those that interest me most and with which I have experience.
Driving
Yes, older cars will not blat along the outside lane at 90+ but modern roads tend to be so congested that even over a long distance, the time “lost” by driving something at a slightly lower speed is not that great. Even late at night I’ve been caught out by motorway roadworks that create a standstill thus lowering everyone’s average speed considerably. I drove tens of thousands of motorway miles in a mechanically standard ‘60s era saloon at an honest 70mph. The performance differential between new and old when on a journey that incorporates a section of town driving will be even smaller.
Town driving in heavy traffic slows everyone down
On the occasions I have driven more modern cars I have always found it more stressful and I can imagine the reverse might be found once use of an older car becomes second nature. For a start moderns have so many buttons and lights and switches to adjust everything that I find myself tweaking stuff because its there. That’s how marketing works for you. (Sit me in a car with heater controls that are On/Off and Screen/Car and I am rarely uncomfortable). Visibility is much worse in moderns so you are less aware of your surroundings. Just sitting in an older car is “interesting” and so even traffic is less of a stress.
Reliability
It is always worth remembering that all these cars were originally intended to be used on a daily basis by people with little or no mechanical knowledge. Age has not necessarily affected this fact and they will just keep on munching miles. If you are not particularly mechanically minded yourself then it will be a great advantage to hunt out a local garage-man who is capable but the regular service procedures are not difficult to learn and there is usually great access to anything that needs looking at on a semi regular basis. Service intervals as defined in the manuals do not even need to be rigidly adhered to to ensure reliability as long as you keep check on things.
I never worry overly about perfect running all the time, the engine being 100% oil tight or the radiator wanting a top up every so often. Use of a car makes you familiar with its foibles. Checking the fluids regularly when first in your ownership teaches you what is “right” for that car and then you will soon become aware if something is disappearing at a greater rate than it ought to be. Sometimes the car might run a bit off and it is most likely to be one of the simple servicing tasks that needs doing or checking out but it’ll likely keep going until you get around to it. Even something a bit more serious, like burning a valve and dropping on to three cylinders, wouldn’t prevent completing the journey. I had to do about 500 miles in this state once, ‘til I was in a position to fix it.
Rust etc.
If you start with a car that has already been repeatedly MOT welded for years it is not really going to last all that long before needing major works simply because the repairs will all undo themselves in no time at all and probably all at once. But if a car is basically solid or has had decent restoration work done on it, it is not suddenly going to turn into a pile of ferritic powder if left outside overnight.
Will it deteriorate if you drive it daily through the winter? Yes probably a bit. I don’t think you can daily drive something in concours condition and keep it that way but the various treatments and occasional remedial work can keep a car looking smart. I would find it impossible to treat a car as a museum piece or ever feel like the weather was a reason not to use it as the enjoyment and fulfilment gained by using it is greater than any minor loss of condition. Its only metal while the fun and life experience is immeasurable.
So that’s a bit of an overview. We currently have two old cars in “daily” use. One has had a modern engine fitted for performance (and reliability following a number of failures of a well known rubbish engine type) but this same car did over 50,000 miles over a number of years with lots of motorway commuting on its original, small, engine. I probably won’t mention that much more here as I’ll deal with the one that is basically all 1960s.
It, otherwise known as the Hillman, is due an MOT imminently. I’ve just checked the mileage since the last test and its done 5000 miles. About 1000 of those were done in two and a half weeks in August/September. It has its original engine with nearly 120,000 on the clock, 23k of those being added by us. Before my ownership it had received some plated and sealant filled repairs in a few places. Each year about a month before the MOT I’ve had a good look and found the areas that are unlikely to pass and got to it with a welder, cutting out the bodged areas and shaping new metal to resemble the original. This year it’s received much of the driver’s side inner sill and the end of the sill/sill closing panel on the rear of the passenger side. Last year a couple of the track rod ends were flagged up as advisories so I kept an eye out at autojumbles and fitted a complete new set a little while ago. Also the rear section of exhaust had finally fallen to pieces so a new one was fabricated from some second hand stainless pipes. (A standard one wouldn't fit due to the tow bar arrangement and ride height.) Other than checking all the lights work etc that is the limit of my MOT prep so we’ll see how we get on.
The one continuing niggly fault is the battery which seems past its best at about three years old – my fault for buying cheap. It scraped though last winter (when only two years old) with various jump starts and while it was OK through the summer, has already needed a couple of doses of charging or a jump start to get going after being parked for a couple of days in the colder nights. Of course if it was my only car or I needed it for work I’d just buy another battery and that’d be problem solved. As it is, the cheapskate in me is eeking this one out for as long as possible mostly ‘cos I’ve not got round to getting a new one. I’ve just fitted new points/condenser/rotor arm and dizzy cap I bought about 2 months ago in case they help a bit and because it makes sense to fit them to the engine rather than have them sat in a bag under the dash.
(Lib photo as I've bought a decent rotor arm)
So, this thread (if it works) will not be a repeat showing of my Readers Ride thread on RR but should be more blog like and deal with the day to day runnings to see just how much/little I actually do.
trigger
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:09 am
That's a fantastic write up Seth, It's informative and inspiring, I would really fancy something old to use as a daily but the worrier in me worries about them breaking down on the way to work and failing miserably at mot time and costing a fortune to repair, as well as the piss taking from friends and work colleagues who will see it as a "sad" thing for a 31 year old to do and how unsafe it is.
Which brings me to one issue you haven't raised above which is safety, do you ever worry about having a accident in one of your cars?, especially with your family in the car with you?, That is something I would also be concerned about If I'm honest, with the lack of crumple zones and air bags fitted, the things the modern day driver has become accustomed too.
I guess living in a city would make classic car owning slightly easier though due to the slow speed you travel everywhere, I remember when i last went to London there was old cars everywhere!.
Amazo
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:17 am
Great article Seth; its a sad thing to say that years ago a lot of this stuff would have been second nature to the majority of motorists, but alas the general dumbing down of the modern motorist has put paid to that. Keeping an old car on the road really is a noble cause, in my opinion.
trigger wrote:
I guess living in a city would make classic car owning slightly easier though due to the slow speed you travel everywhere, I remember when i last went to London there was old cars everywhere!
Tell me about it; now I consciously search for 'scat whenever I'm out, I'm actually quite surprised the amount of old stuff on the road in London.
Paul H
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:20 am
Excellent write-up. My daily heap (& also the only car I own that works...) is essentially a '50s design, but performs its duties very well, and has proven itself to be a better load lugger than any modern estate car. It has covered about 120K since '94 (the odo rolled over to zero again about 10 days ago - wish it was a six digit one) & the total mileage certainly not less than 300K.
Seth wrote:
Yes, older cars will not blat along the outside lane at 90+
There are a few non exotic / non-prestige cars from that era that will happily do highly naughty speeds, but they are very much the exception to the rule.
Trig - choose the right car, and it will be fine. Not just condition but also one with good parts backup. For mine, I can get anything I'm likely to need in a hurry through the post the following day.
garethj
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:12 am
Good write-up, Seth. I think you’re right with the earliest era of car to use daily without having to worry too much. The one thing I’d add is that as long as the car has a fan assisted heater which can be used to demist the screen, or at least keep it clear once you’ve wiped it with your sleeve, it’s useable enough. A heated rear window is lovely but winding the window down a bit can usually keep that clear. The other thing that’s really nice is a car that doesn’t let water in; not only does moss growing through the carpet distress some passengers, it means that the car mists up all the time, and that can make a journey tiring.
I’ve done a 200 mile journey quite regularly in most of my old snotters and it’s easy to compare them. For example the Land Rover was noisy and draughty, the Whizzkid was exhilarating but still tiring, the XJ-S was as relaxing as you can be and still be awake, the Renault 8 was just like any other low powered car and the Tatra was huge fun… The point is that old cars can make any journey, if you’re a sales rep doing that many miles a day then an old car isn’t for you, but for getting to work and weekend long trips an old car is fine.
Amazo’s point is a fair one about maintaining a car yourself, but my grandfather knew nothing about cars other than how to drive them and where to put the petrol in. He just took it to the garage to be serviced, no different to most people now. If you can’t service it yourself you really do need a friendly bloke who can help, with my old VW I looked for ages to find someone who knew how to get twin carbs set up properly.
Trig mentions safety, I’ve had no worries in my old cars, even carrying my kids around. I’ve put seatbelts in for children but I’ve also had cars with no belts at all, to be honest it’s your responsibility so whatever makes you comfortable. I’ve had some training for riding my motorbike which helps me to look for and interpret hazards, which has been very useful. I’m far from a peace loving hippy with this – I’ve been involved in a crash where I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for airbags and a very strong safety cell on a modern car. If I’d been in an old car I’d be dead, no question. However in an old car I might have been half a mile further down the road so that kind of argument gets you nowhere.
I don’t think driving a 1960s car would get too much laughter in the office carpark, it’s a car you drive by choice even though it costs as much as a 2004 hatchback. Driving a car made in the 1990s does get you laughed at because it’s not old enough to be interesting but not new enough to be, errrr, new.
Seth
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:13 am
Trig, I had been thinking about the safety issue but wasn't sure what to write. At the end of the day its a personal decision. It is true that with much of my driving being in the city its is done at a slower speed than ragging along B roads every day. But then traffic density is so much higher that perhaps accidents are more likely? Yet I've not had anything serious occur, except perhaps when my A35 was written off by being driven into from behind when I stopped at a zebra crossing. Driving style helps. There's no point getting dragged in to everyone else's race - just let them get on with it. Hang back, leave big gaps and don't much care if someone pops in front of you. Chill out and realise that how ever fast you dash between traffic lights/roundabout queues it is the time spent there that effects how quickly you get from A-B. Having said that it is still sometimes to your advantage to be assertive but that can be done without cutting others up.
Do I think about safety when out and about? Yes I do. I haven't done any extra training as Gareth has but so often I find myself spotting hazards ahead before the car in front of me has seen them. I do not enjoy driving in a line of cars up the third lane on the motorway because so often do you get chain braking and I know that I would not be able to stop as quickly as the others. So I rarely drive in the third lane. I would always fit seat belts to any car that I drove if it didn't have them. We have chosen car seats for Ickle_Seth carefully on the basis that a good one will help protect her. While walking her to/from school I will see almost every day either kids not strapped in to cars at all/properly or with parents driving while holding a phone. I think they are putting their children at a greater risk than I am in my car.
I have probably felt more cocooned when driving my in-laws Vectras but then I have felt totally remote from the road outside and found visibility so hindered that I considered having an accident, or running someone over because I haven't seen them, more likely to happen. Which I didn't like.
Would you have worried about that Escort getting you to and from work reliably every day? A '50's or '60s motor doesn't have much difference in terms of technology. Maybe its because I worked at engineering places when I had a job but there was generally interest from colleagues. Anyone younger than about 40 these days would have no idea what most '60s or older cars are.
Amazo, I know that there were a lot more tinkerers back then but I suspect that the actual number of regular blokes who knew what they were doing was actually quite small. Hence the questions posed in letters to Popular Motoring etc.
Paul is spot on when he mentions correct choice of car. There's no point trying to drive some weird German car of which only a handful remain every day if you can't get regular service parts and spares for it quickly, or have a decent stock of second hand bits in the shed. (A theory I may neglect to remember in future.) Also then as now, certain cars will be more suited to certain types of use. A company rep doing lots of miles wouldn't have driven a Minor and a District Nurse wouldn't have driven a Humber Sceptre etc.
Gareth, additional good points re: heater/demister and water ingress. By the '60s almost everything had heaters fitted as standard but water getting in can be a problem with old rubbers and one I have not dealt with very well. A rear demister element can be fitted if its something someone can't live without but I've not gone down that road as yet.
garethj
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 2:33 pm
True that most cars had heaters, but it's the fan assistance thing that really helps. Aircooled VWs are a prime example but my 1972 MG Midget didn't have a booster fan so perhaps other BMC stuff was the same?
Luckily there's so much room under the bonnet of most old chod that you can fit a booster fan or a heater unit from a Land Rover Defender (better than the old Series heaters) and your life will be transformed.
However there's no need to get too involved in improvements to an old car if you don't want, most will drive perfectly well as standard as long as you drive them within their limits.
Leonard Hatred
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:32 pm
I often consider buying something 'properly old'; the oldest car I've owned was 24, poor effort.
Think I would go for something by the Rootes crew, they seem to offer a good combination of hardiness, value and styling.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hillman-minx- ... 0674341287
This looks good, just needs a bit of decluttering.
Seth
PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:19 pm
In the last week then, the Hillman's been used for a couple of trips to the dungeon (10miles each way and rare use of 4th gear), a trip to Watford which is about 15miles away (to see Dave Gorman who was most amusing) and that trip down to Kempton Steam Pump, 35 mile round trip. Its not needed help to start at all - turns over a bit slow when cold but maybe the new ignition bits are helping it catch fire.
As I mentioned, the MOT was looming. Hard to forget when you get a reminder in good time. (Names have been changed to protect the guilty.)
Its another 40odd miles to get there. Here it is on the ramp. There were only four rear engine'd Skodas outside.
A pass was duly given which was a relief as things had conspired to mean that that the old ticket had already expired meaning if I'd needed to do any repairs they would have to be done at home rather than in the relative comfort of the dungeon. It was very satisfying driving away into this sunset.
You really can't beat driving an old car in this kind of light, as the dim but sufficient (and therefore not at all distracting) dash light has a similar brightness to the light outside and the coloured sky is reflected off shiny bits of dash and the windscreen wipers.
Number of journeys completed. Five-ish
Number of breakdowns. Zero
daverapid
PostPosted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 6:09 pm
That garage looks familiar!Bernard Fishtrousers
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:33 pm
Thanks Seth,
A cracking read & I'm 100% behind you on what you are saying.
The present Mrs. Fishtrousers & I both drive 1987 cars daily.
We also have cars from 1979 & 1972.
Seth
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:32 pm
Thankyou Bernard.
Time for another update, this being even more mundane than the last. Dungeon and back on Sunday and a couple of local journeys during the week so a total mileage of about 20. Zero breakdowns, though I opened the bonnet once to measure and record the length of the battery cables should I ever get around to replacing them. These short night time journeys, especially like this evenings with wiper and heater blower on ought to be taxing the suspect battery but it has not yet failed to start the car again. Not yet got super cold though. We'll see.
Seth
PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:19 pm
A slightly more involving week this week and some more miles under the wheels. A visit to the dungeon on Sat eve and then a family trip into a couple of places in town on Sunday. Here's a photo of our parking near the South Bank.
Then, following the bereavement of a friends father, there's been three trips up to their house in Borehamwood. And I drove about on Tuesday to get some MDF sheets from B&Q to make doors for the wardrobe in our bedroom (about seven years after we decorated the room...)
But excitement! I had noticed that the brake light switch was starting to get lazy a few weeks ago. It was fine enough at the MOT but then I have a suspicion that the brake (road) test may have killed it a bit more and the other night realised that the lights were only coming on with a really hard push on the pedal. I could have got one sent by Speedy Spares first class post but with the postal system such a lottery I decided it'd be best if I could grab one personally before the weekend when I have a longish trip planned. I rang up Collectors Car Parts and he had one on the shelf so I drove down there yesterday (in the Herald) to get it. Any excuse to visit that place really. Probably worth getting from him though as it was a very old NOS Lucas one rather than a modern reproduction so it might actually last a goodly amount of time. Back home, fitted it and lights are back to full function. Took the Hillman back to Heathrow then in the evening to pick up Mrs_Seth from her foreign sojourns.
So with one or two other local trips its probably done about 125 miles this week. It has still started without outside help every time even after some cold frosty nights so in a way I'm glad I didn't waste money on buying a battery over a year ago when it first got a bit sluggish.
Seth
PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:57 pm
Time for another thrilling installment chaps!
Saturday evening I headed off to Evesham to pick up a load of 1725 engine bits and ended up being donated 5 Weller rustspokes (with tyres) so it was pretty loaded for the journey home. Naturally I took the most direct route, via Bristol where I later discovered that the air shocks had gone flat so the journey home from there was a little bumpy but not bad considering the load I was carrying. From leaving home at about ten past five, I'd done 270 odd miles by the time I got home a little after 2am. Other than the shock issue the car didn't miss a beat, I cruised at 65ish mph and returned about 28/29mpg. Its actually not as good on petrol as the Oxford was on its 1622. The Oxford improved efficiency with the 1800 so I'm hoping the same might be true when putting a 1725 in the Hillman.
Best bit of the nights motoring was early on, driving along the M40 I could see something interesting ahead. A Princess wedge maybe? As I got closer I could see it was a Renault 14! Three blokes in it, LHD but on UK plates. Once I'd gone past him he sped up a bit and came back past me. We cruised together for a little while before I sped up again and we both waved as I went back past him. If I'd been driving a modern it would have been exciting to see a top piece of crud but there wouldn't have been the 10 minutes of "old car" fun shared by strangers.
Loaded up using the garage's "facilities" near the M5 somewhere.
I took all the loose engine bits out of the car that night but the block had to stay in. In fact other than taking some other parts off it while it was in there it had to stay until Wednesday when I could drive down to the dungeon. Amazingly I actually got into the dungeon without scraping. Anyhow, that was the only other journey this week, also with no issues. I topped up the clutch fluid while there as it slowly disappears over time. Might look into that at some point but probably not 'til I get left stranded somewhere. I also checked the oil and there was some so that's OK. Oh and the shocks had gone flat because a platic fitting had come off the drivers side one. Might have to order a new fitting kit from the states but the car's perfectly driveable in the mean time and they still work effectively as dampers.
I.K.Brunel
PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:03 pm
I share your hope for better economy from the 1725, though from my experience with the similarly engined Sceptre you may be disappointed... 14mpg around the doors rising to 18 on a run, though some of that horror is attributable to the idle borg-warner 'box....
Mr_Bu77ox
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 6:23 pm
^^^ I reckon you could blame a lot of that on the horrible old zenith carb on your sceptre, you defo ought to be able to get 25-30 in normal use from one of these old things I reckon. If I had one i would FORCE it to achieve at least 25mpg.
Seth
PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:59 pm
Yeah, don't think the MPG should suffer really. I've got a couple of period road tests here that are saying mid-high twenties for a Humber Sceptre Estate.
Perhaps not surprisingly I have discovered that the Renault 14 on the M40 was being driven by a member of a brown forum.
Seth
PostPosted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:51 am
The Hillman's just been used the once this week for a combined watch/clock fair and dungeon trip on Sunday. Sadly it also "failed to proceed" on that occasion, the battery not managing to start it for the first time in a couple of months. Several very cold nights obviously took their toll. There was no mad rush for me to leave so I brought the battery inside, put it on charge and drank some coffee for half an hour. Fired up no problem then. I've not used the car again since Sunday, so yesterday took the precaution of bringing the battery in and sticking it back on charge. Didn't take long to come up full and with the weather warmer again it'll probably survive a while again.
This weeks photo brought to you by a flickr member who hangs around at Trafalgar Square.
Bernard Fishtrousers
re. your flat battery, can I just say that after several starting failures following a period of infrequent use,
I have fitted '79 van with a £20 solar charging panel thing from Maplins.
I have no idea how efficient or otherwise it is, but there's a pretty little blue flashing LED &
it starts without issue.
Seth
PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:22 am
Thanks Bernard, I'd probably just be better getting a new battery one day.
Two weeks and no report? How have you managed without an update?
Christmas day morning I had to go to Heathrow (36 mile round trip) and pick up a friend from New York who was coming to stay. Fortunately he had also brought with him the parts I'd had delivered to him to get the air shocks working again so they were promptly fitted. It has been long held tradition to go for a drive around central London on the morning of the 25th when it is probably at its emptiest but this year the timing of the flight from "The Big Apple" but a kybosh on that. So we went out in the evening instead when it was still pretty quiet and all the pretty lights were on. Besides some local ferrying around I also took "Big Seth" on a ride down to Kent, partly to pick up some engine parts from Sheerness and then, perhaps more interesting for him, to have a mooch around Canterbury. All in all that day's motoring must have been around 180 miles. Total for that week would have been around 240miles then.
The return to New York was on the morning of New Years Day so with everyone and a car full of excess baggage it was back to Heathrow where one person and the luggage was deposited before heading into Hampshire and the New Years Day gathering at The Phoenix pub in Hartley Wintney. The following day was a shorter drive to Whitewebbs museum in Enfield and then a local run yesterday by Mrs_Seth so about 130 miles in that week.
I think I might have opened the bonnet once in the past couple of weeks, just to check fluids, but I'm not sure. The refitting of the air line to the drivers side shock was the only other work. Here, have a picture of a cylinder head.
Seth
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:20 pm
Infrequent updates but then I suppose I'm not using the car that much at the moment. Only done two notable journeys in the last couple of weeks, one down to Essex and then another to Stevenage for the RR Jumble. A couple of local trips in between but as I've been taking the Herald to the dungeon to do works on it the Hillman's not been used cross town either except once to load up with junk for the jumble.
There has been a mechanical malady though. The day after the jumble I needed to jump start a large diesel powered truck and on opening the bonnet was greeted by the sight of grubby water all down one inner wing. The thermostat housing cap that I knew wasn't great but was hoping would last until the engine swap had called it a day. I'd been carrying the NOS one I bought ages ago in the car in case the old one gave up on the road but it seems that it had retained enough water not to get particularly hot. Today I picked up the good second hand one I've since aquired (to save the new one for the 1725) and swapped the bits over. The copious amount of copper grease I'd smeared on the bolts when changing the thermostat soon after buying the car had done its job and all came apart no problem. Job done in about 10 minutes.
Mash
PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:18 pm
Hi folks - yes I am here too now OMG LOL etc.
When I first started driving which was back in the mid-90s I only ever had 60s and 70s cars, in fact I still have the Triumph 1300 that was my first purchase as many of you know. I remember at that time I always found it a little difficult driving a modern car for some reason, maybe inexperience as now I can swap fromone to the other with ease. The Triumph never let me down as a daily, was pretty economical and I never had any issues with speed or braking, still don't to be fair. Acceleration can be a bit of a factor if you're pulling out of a junction but that's mainly to do with other tossers than limitaions of the car.
I think I got a bit lazy though and chasing rust every winter plus no heated rear screen, and poor demisting used to piss me off. It os much easier to jump into a 90s Japmobile and whizz off without thinking about it but evry time I crank up the Triumph and go out in it I have a smile on my face and want to be back in all of the time. I live 6 miles from work and most long journeys I do in summer are to car events anyway! Why don't I use it all the time? I don't really know - as I said, laziness probably. Cars this age are still perfectly capable of daily use. I never really think of the accident factor, if I'm going to crash it seems irrelevant to me what I'm in but then I don't have kids and the Starlet isn't exactly high up the NCAP rating I imagine anyway!
Good on all of you that have an elderly daily
