becoming an increasingly time consuming pastime, what with disappearing supplies of spares, ever-tightening MOT regulations, and
increasing garage and machine-centre labour costs (coupled with declining skills!).
Some people, especially those with a bit of money, make the mistake of thinking you can just buy a nice classic, almost as a fashion
accessory, and just pay your local garage to keep it in shape, not realising that garages and suppliers can't be bothered to source
the spares anymore 'cos newer bits won't fit old cars as often as they did 20 years ago, and most motor factors aren't interested in
stocking parts for older cars anymore as hardly anybody drives anything over 10 years old due to the cheap glut of newer used cars.
Inevitably, at some point most of todays classic owners *will* have to spend their *own* time sourcing spares and getting their
hands dirty, and with increasingly busy lifestyles fewer people really want to spend half their weekends scouring autojumbles these
days, hence the silly prices the lazy or desperate people are paying for spares on Ebay.
Even the breakers yards are turning away (or just crushing) cars over 10 year old now. I nearly fell over when a breaker told me
"Blimey, you'll be lucky to find one of those nowadays!", when I asked if they had a Ford SIERRA in!!!
Up until just before the turn of the century I'd mostly run classics as my everyday transport, but nowadays I just don't find it
practical to rely solely on them, and I find myself in the depressing position of having to let my classic Magnum go, while keeping
a boring boring boring! Rover 420 in "preference" for basic transport just because the newer car will place less demands on my time
Sid
----- Original Message -----
From: "TommyDeVito" <graham_r_mills@yahoo.com>
> Well, fair enough and very true. But he is also a car nut and I'd be interested to see what he does with this Firenza. Just seems
> a shame to me to instantly *Bleep* all over it without being given a chance. I left the Imp Club and pretty much all of it's people
> and their poxy forum behind recently because they became too nasty to waste the time on.
>
> Although, I must admit I was peed off when Hammond went on and on about buyng a Dodge Charger, bought one and then flogged it for
> really lame reasons! That was irritating.
> _________________________________________________________
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