Anyone here into Classic, Vintage or Antique Cars?

[talesofthesevenseas]

I hope this isn't too off-topic for this forum, but we seem to have so many common interests in old/vintage/antique things, I thought I'd see if any of you were into old cars too. I've always admired them, but have only had one oldie myself.

This was my bug, up until a few months ago. It's a 1967 Beetle, with a 3-stage custom pearl yellow paint job, lowered, 1776 engine, and God only knows why the former owner did this, but tail lights from a '65 Chevy and a long list of stuff that it got in the three years or so that I owned and restored it.




I don't know that I would ever get back into owning an old car again. I have to say that I worried a lot about being unprottected in an accident and all the maintenance involved with a 40+ year old car becomes difficult over the long haul. But it was fun having people come up to me to check out my car, and tell me nostalgic stories about their bugs they used to have, or flash me peace signs on the road! I enjoyed being in a car club, that was fun doing cruises and parades. But I think the best part of having a bug was cruising along with the windows down and a Beach Boys CD playing... Yeah I know, I'm an antique too!

Although if I ever win the lottery and could own any antique car, my pick would be a 1930 Bentley 8 Litre:

[ayashe]

I absolutely love Antique cars. My grandfather restored them and had quite a collection. He had a car restoration business in Santa Monica CA called Hill & Vaughn and he and his partner were in it for many years together. It's still there, but with different owners. He loved Packards but for most of my life, family trips were taken in an old 1919 Pierce Arrow and '23 Pierce Arrow. There is an event called "The Modoc Tour" which takes place every year in Alturas, CA. Collectors come from all over the US with their antique cars (they must be antique, not classic!) and you take a week of day trips. WONDERFUL scenery! Actually, it used to take place in July (I think) so it's probably going on now!

Love your Beetle! I have always wanted one, that or a 65 Mustang.   Anyway, I still love antique cars and would love to get my hands on one someday, but I live in Australia and those things are harder to come by here, and waaay more expensive!

Here's my grandfather on the left, with a friend on the Modoc Tour. The car behind them is the 1919 Pierce Arrow. It was right-hand drive.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Ayashe, that Pierce Arrow is stunning!!! How fun that must have been to take trips in an antique car! I think the best part about having a classic car was how complete strangers would come right up and strike up wonderful conversations and people were always waving and smiling on the highway. The ol' bug definitely had the "good karma" thing going for it!

[luxetveritas]

Cool bug! Ayashe, I have a 65 Mustang... it was infested with rats and is a piece of junk... but I have one My dad found it in some field when I was in high school and we restored it. However, I didn't have any place to put it when I moved, so I put it in a huge shed we have out in the middle of nowhere. The mirrors and other parts of the car were stolen, and there were so many mice in it when we finally moved back here that it smalled like a giant rotten onion had diced itself up and placed a piece of its vile being in every part of the neighborhood Hee hee... Especially since it was hot out the week we brought it home. Disgusting, but a nice car.

My dad is a HUGE antique car lover. Every once and a while he'll get that itch to restore another car, and go buy one. Mostly he prefers trucks, don't know why, but I think he has one of the first convertibles ever made that he got from a friend of his in the Vietnam War. It's a beautiful car. Actually, many people where he lives (Napa, Ca) collect antique cars. A friend of his has a huge collection- including the first oldsmobile which is beautiful.

[KC]

My brother bought a 1940 Eo4A Ford Anglia when he was a sr in High School from a older couple who just wanted to get rid of it for a few thousand.  It was a beautiful old car but he wanted to get into hot rodding and they spiffed it up some...eventually sold it to a collector to buy the ring for his soon-to-be wife's finger!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Anglia  Looked like the 1946 shown here.

[regularjoe2]

I've only owned one oldie .
1931 Ariel Square 4 motorcycle .

I bought it on a whim at a car show in L.A. , late 60's .

I only owned it for a couple of hours (never got to ride it , dang it !) ... I was having 2nd thoughts about it when a fellow came up and paid me 1k more than I'd paid .

I still sorta regret not keeping it .

[luxetveritas]

That was some easy cash I love those deals

Lovely car, 1940 anglia? I bet that was a fun car, and like Tales, I think the stories you would here are the best part!

[ayashe]

LOL luxetveritas, your poor Mustang!  You were braver than I, restoring it. I wouldn't know where to begin. From memory, I think to buy a half-decent Mustang was about $12,000 USD... this is 10 years ago I'm talking. They're about $40,000 now in Australia, so ho-hum, I'll just hafta wait. Most people convert them to right-hand drive and you see one every once in a while, but not all the time like you do in the US.

And yes, you're right Tales, people love to come up for a chat, don't they? It's great when everyone shares an interest and a passion about keeping good quality history alive!

Awesome deal regularjoe2... have you ever wished you'd kept it instead of selling?

[regularjoe2]

You betcha , ayashe !

[luxetveritas]

Yeah, I wish that I could it ship it to ya'... I don't restore cars myself, but a friend of mine does. It's been sitting in my garage for a long time now without any work, just sitting there like a rotten onion... About the only thing that's valuable in that car is the silver dime I found in the glove box Jk, I treasure it for its sentimental value, that car was loved... by the mice that make their homes in it Wow, I've had too much coffee this morning and not enough sleep. Stupid eBay and their infinite supply of really cheap antique books!

--Lux