How we dress and what we drive

[PADDY]

And 'what' about this headgear for your car...

White linen, and the leather helmets are cowhide - nice eh!! plus you can get the vintage Italian racing goggles too (with changeable tinted lenses!).

 

[scottyrocks]

I have a leather one and have found that it amplifies road (and all) noise, including my own speech, so I stopped wearing it.

 

[Edward]

Pretty good value for money if you ask me! and 'yep'...they are Kit Cars = Amazing!!

Paddy, these all look great. The big difference I think - unless the kit market has changed significantly in the last five or six years - is that at the sub 10K end of the market what you are more likely to find is an original design that pastiches (in the best possible way - I don't mean this at all negatively) the general design traits of an era, as opposed to aping a specific car. Me, I kinda like that: gives it more of its own thing. And hey, many of them are genuinely great cars, so I like the idea of them being produ of what they are rather than trying to pass for something else. I'd love a Chesil Speester, but I'd badge mine as such, not as a Porsche as some do.

One of those red cars you post, the one with the square grille - by any chance is that a Bulldog? If I recall correctly, they were based on a Triumph Herald 13/60, which made them very nippy (especially with a fibreglass shell!), cheap to run, and simple enough mechanically that you can do your own maintenance. and at the relative value of the Herald, it's not as if you're 'ruining' a classic in its own right, as the sort of example you'd be looking at for a donor would be so far gone as to not be worth restoring to itself. Giving it a new life, then, is a great option. And all that for the price of a Fiesta.....

I love, love, LOVE the replica of the 'Little ba***rd' model racing 356.... for one of those, I'd suggest a pair of cuffed jeans and a red Harrington...

Your clothing suggestions look good, P - I think the Irvin is the one that most readily captures the spirit of immediate post-War open-top motoring.... I wonder if the guys who bought those jackets cheaply in surplus stores back then ever thought what they'd sell for today! A warm jacket is definitely a necessity for an open-top car - even if at this time of year it's the B-10 rather than sheepskin. It's amazing how quickly the temperature rops when you're on the move with the hood down - not a whole lot warmer than being on a bike! As to headwear in an open topped car, a fur-lined flying helmet might be nice, though it'd maybe look a bit 'Biggles wannabe' when worn with a sheepskin flying jacket.... I think something like the tweed 8 panel you show, or maybe the crusher cap.... maybe a B-2 as worn by USAAF bomber crews... In the country, a deerstalker might be appropriate, especially one with the earflaps so it could be tied in place with no risk of it blowing off behind you! And I'd be careful with the length of billowing silk scarf behind.... I can't recall which one, but there was a famous ballerina back in the day was killed when her silk scarf got caught in a wheel and throttled her....!

ETA: the sole giveaway on some kits that they're not from that era is the numberplating: prior to, if meory serves, about 1973, numberplates in the UK were silver-on-black. After that, they went over to black on white in front, and black on yellow in the rear (though in practice most manufacturers produced the new style plates for a coupel of years before they became a legal standard). On a car older than the legal cut-off, you can still use black and silver, but after that you must use yellow / white. Some folks try to get round this by buying an older numberplate originally issued to an older car, but even if you do this, the appropriate plate style is still dictated by the age of the vehicle, not the registration plate number. If I remember correctly, with a kit car, it comes down to the nature of the construction - if it is based on one donor substantially that it is in effect the same car, I think you can stick with the number from the original car (if it is substantially a new vehicle with donor parts from several sources, it has to be registered under a new plate, which will be in the new style) - not sure about the restrictions on the colour of the plating there. With an older style kit, I would prefer black and silver, but purely from an aesthetic pov, not an attempt to try and pass it off as an old car.

 

[Edward]

Oops, no - this is a Pilgrim Bulldog:

Seems they were/ are Cortina or Marina based. I must have been thinking of something else.... I seem to remember the Bulldog (obviously MG-T series influenced) being at an entry-levle pricing. Really cute car. I think they could be built to look more vintage than this particular model, but it's still nice.

 

[Edward_Lindey]

I am looking to pick up an 1951 MGTD Roadster kit car when I return from this deployment. They look like fun little cars, and as a mechanic I tend to like to fiddle with my cars.

Edward

 

[Grant Fan]

I drive a 2000 VW Yellow Bug. I want to get a bright blue Mazda 3 soon. the bug is getting expensive now that she is almost 10 but she does have great gas mileage. (And yes I call my car a girl, I hope that isn't offensive to the other ladies.)

 

[Lamplight]

The problem with that, Miss Laura, is that if any baggage needs to come along bikes become ridiculously impractical for anything bigger than a briefcase...:eusa_doh:

Ahem

Actually, my favorite vintage machine is this, which doesn't haul nearly as much luggage:

And this one's a little better if one is dressed up, though it's far from ideal:

 

[Edward]

I am looking to pick up an 1951 MGTD Roadster kit car when I return from this deployment. They look like fun little cars, and as a mechanic I tend to like to fiddle with my cars.

Edward

They're lovely, yes - a great choice of style and practicality for everyday driving... I'm surprised that to date, noone has done a kit for the mid-fifties MGA, IMO a much classier and prettier car than either the ubiquitous MGB, or the E-Type Jag. Increasingly fewer original As about.

 

[Edward]

Edward, do you mean this?

Okay, by chance today I happened across a picture of the car to which I referred above: it's a Nissan Figaro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Figaro


I've seen a fair few here in London - there's a dealership for them in Hackney. Were I to run a car, this is exactly what I'd be after for daily use: quirky vintage styling with Japanese reliability and efficiency. Big performance from a little engine is where it's at!

 

[PADDY]

Just back with Betsy...

...Where I stopped off at the old 30's grass strip airfield at Old Warden where the Shuttleworth Museum is now.

300 miles - Hood Down - marvellous...!

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I want a vintage car...well, maybe someday??

Because it would go sooo well with mine and the family's vintage style! Now that I've gotten more involved in the vintage 'scene' as it were, for lack of a better word- I'm starting to see much more wonderful vintage cars around me than ever before.

For the last leg of the drive to the SF Presidio Officer's Club big band dance Thursday night I and the children got a treat- a drive from our deco friend Tony in his 1936 Citroen (sp?)!

On the ride I was talking with him about the idea of getting a Golden Era car instead of a modern car when my 2001 Ford minivan ups and decides to die. He said I could maybe get a nice 1940 sedan for like $400.00. Shouldn't cost too much to restore to its former glory. Far less than the probable $26K+ it would cost to buy a new minivan.

FL member djeanavive's sweetie Johnny has a swell 1939 Buick that he said he bought originally for $800.00. The downside was that it had a huge manzanita tree growing out of the open hood when he got it (a long but interesting story).

A very fine automobile such as this could be great as the family car:

IF I ever hit the lottery/jackpot and win the big money; AFTER the house gets paid off and like 10 years ahead for house taxes gets paid too AND we pay for both children to attend expensive universities AND we all take the Grand Tour AND we add the second story addition on the house, THEN maybe I'll put down the over $100K required to purchase of one of the still roadworthy TUCKER automobiles... Hey, I can dream can't I??

 

[La Strada]

Excellent topic and discussion!
My contribution is a 68 Chevy Van, straight 6 with a tree on the tree.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL988/3409603/22242458/368584616.jpg

What Ho

if that's a kit i severely need one!


not that young lady

"Oh Bother if thats a kit Citroen "Kit Body" car i need one"

 

[analiebe]

although i'd like to imagine myself (accompanied by a dapper & witty driving companion no less) suitably goggled & touring winding country & coastal roads in this...

in reality i am negotiating melbournes bicycle lanes & tracks on this little red lady...

and (despite my soft spot for a 40's & early 50's vauxhall) i'm currently busy saving my pennies for a pretty australian motoring icon like this...

i've even made myself a pair of rosie-the-riveter overalls & am taking mechanics instruction so i will be able to work on my baby myself once i find her...

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Not a kit, but this is the real deal from France from the 1930s Binkie! He's got another from the 1930s too that is a cabriolet model, but its been being restored for the last year so I have not seen it. It was so fun to get a ride ion this wonderful, the interior and the dials and all at the dash are terrific. It makes a great sound when being driven too.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL988/3409603/22242458/368584616.jpg

What Ho

if that's a kit i severely need one!


not that young lady

"Oh Bother if thats a kit Citroen "Kit Body" car i need one"

 

[chanteuseCarey]

my vintage dream car??

After the drive with Tony in his vintage Citroen (sp) in SF and talking about vintage cars, he told another deco friend about that, and then she emails me saying Tony says (sounds like the telephone game already) that you said that a 1938 Packard is your dream car... Apparently she knows someone that has one... under a tarp in his garage and she emails saying we should ask him to let us see it sometime soon!

So I decide to look up on Google to see what a 1938 Packard looks like-

As our 13yo son would say at seeing this, "oh yeah..." with giving a thumbs up and a wink. I can definitely seeing myself driving a classic Packard, wearing my vintage finery. Much better than a 2001 Ford minivan!

Here's the info about the Packard on the Swopes Museum site that accompanies the picture.
"Model 1600 six-cylinder sedan with radio and heater. Engine: L-Head straight 6, 245 cubic inches. Synchromesh 3-speed transmission. Wheelbase was increased from 115 inches to 122 inches on the Packard Six for 1938.

During the depression of the 1930’s it was the “Junior Packards” that saved the company. The famous Packard 120 Series was introduced in 1935, which enabled Packard to enter the mid-price field. Then, as a model in the “Junior” Series, a powerful six was added in 1937, bringing the price down still further to under $1000. In 1938, the six-cylinder engine was increased to 245 cubic inches and 100 horsepower, with greater low speed torque. The car you see here is surprisingly nimble and responsive on the road.

Retaining the classic Packard look, the Junior Packards were popular cars. There was a lot of prestige that went along with owning a Packard, and in those days, the kind of car you drove, pretty much established you on the social ladder. If you drove a Packard, people did not have to ask or wonder how you were doing…they just knew!"

I told our good friend, deco and ragtime pianist and vocalist Frederick Hodges this all about the vintage car/Packard idea on the weekend. He thinks I should get the twelve cylinder model Packard...

 

[MCrider]

Here's my favorite ride and even though its a '97 Harley Sportster, it has the styling that dates back to 1957. Of course the clothes definitely aren't vintage, but sometimes style has to take a back seat to safety. Unfortunately the styling of the hat is a little less than vintage also LOL

This was taken just after I literally pulled into the driveway from taking a 1200 mile round trip down to North Carolina. My son was there to capture it all. The smile was faked... I was reeeally tired from riding a little over 600 miles that day to get back home.

 

[jwalls]

What do you drive?

http://www.xoopit.com/s/20um7cjq58eneeukqc83 Sorry folks I couldn't resist.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Okay, by chance today I happened across a picture of the car to which I referred above: it's a Nissan Figaro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Figaro


I've seen a fair few here in London - there's a dealership for them in Hackney. Were I to run a car, this is exactly what I'd be after for daily use: quirky vintage styling with Japanese reliability and efficiency. Big performance from a little engine is where it's at!

Oh dear, this has suddenly become my dream car! If only a. they were available in the US, and b. came with a stick rather than auto.

*sigh, swoon*

 

[Trebuchet64_Fal]

I drive a 2000 model Subaru liberty Heritage that has been modified some what (because i like going very fast on twisty roads), and always wear a fedora whilst driving , i am also building a mildly cutomised 1964 Falcon hardtop for a more sedate ride. However i would love a 1950's Buick coupe complete with nail head engine.