| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Charlie Cartwright
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
 Posted - 14/04/2018 : 09:51:33
|
RANDOM THOUGHTS :
How do we secure the long term future for our triple M cars?
When I bought my first MG they used to be known as the " poor man's sports car". In the 1950s that wolseley ohc engine had a bad reputation at the local garage that was when we had local garages. Some of the problem was foiled by the invention of the Toulmin oil seal that helped to stop the oil flying everywhere.
But the real problem was that to keep costs down most of the running gear in the performance MG was taken from normal family motor cars. Often solved to day by specialist suppliers making upgraded components. Without their initiatives most of our cars would already be on the scrap heap.
To day our cars are collectors items and even my little J2 is now really an expensive toy. There will come a time soon when I won't feel happy taking it out because it's too valuable.
Will the next generation want to spend a fortune investing in a 1930's motor car when they could get an mx5 or equivalent for a quarter of the price?
So what can "The Register" do to help keep our cars on the road when the current restorations start to fail?
We have funds . One idea is to have professional detailed drawings made of every component so that future generations can carry out the next round of restoration with remade parts.
One day the cars are all going to need new chassis made and there'll be a shortage of engine blocks.
Let's get some ideas flowing now before we're all too old to care.
Charlie Cartwright |
|
|
PeterL
United Kingdom
1711 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2018 : 13:39:43
|
The knowledge is there. I have been compiling words of wisdom from this forum for several years.
Engineering drawings need collating and I think that is happening here too slowly. Do we need an engineer on the committee with responsibility for this? There will be someone somewhere with a passion for engineering drawings...
The history of the cars themselves seems fairly well covered and leads you on to the social history of the time. The various websites encourage this, Ian Ross' F Magna site lists the Fs and tells you a bit about them and the new register here allows owners to deposit the results of their researches. The problem, I suspect, is that these submissions ought to be checked before becoming "public" and that is a big job.
What might be missing is a system for recreating the lost cars. Some will have gone completely, of course; but bonnets, engines and chassis plates all have ties to an original car. An original F Farnham has turned up recently, sadly without its bodywork, and I would like to see more encouragement for the restoration of original cars to their original specs.
Cheers
P
|
 |
|
|
MaGic_GV
United Kingdom
868 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2018 : 18:35:50
|
I don't want to seem negative but I have long held the view that as cars cease to be practical as daily vehicles, and at the same time more 'collectable', prices go up and later, more 'modern traffic friendly' vehicles take their place with the younger enthusiast - partly for the cost/value reasons that Charlie mentions.
Today I saw a young lad in an elderly Ford Fiesta clearly had been restored, it looked immaculate, and I am sure he saw it as many of us saw our cars in days gone by. A nephew did the same with VW Golf, but got married and had kids...sound familiar? I think the enthusiasm for old cars will continue, the objects of affection will change!
I guess I should add that as cars become museum pieces so spares become less of a problem!
Regards,
Graham
|
Edited by - MaGic_GV on 14/04/2018 18:36:59 |
|
|
|
MarkH
United Kingdom
149 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2018 : 18:40:36
|
Could it not be that the long term future of our cars - and all internal combustion engine powered cars for that matter - simply cannot be secured due to the inevitability of the banning of new petrol and diesel cars that are being mooted as taking effect in 2040.
That is only 22 years away. Whilst existing combustion engined cars will not be banned (we hope), it seems inevitable that electric powered vehicles which are the future now, will render every single combustion engined car a relic of the past, as well as being legislated out of existence. I wonder how easy it will be to find a forecourt, say in 2050, where petrol will still be available? Or will fossil fuels have been banned completely by then - for cars at least.
Isn't it likely that our cars are doomed to be polished, but not driven in the not too distant? And, if that is the case, why would a younger generation take on the expense and hassle of restoring cars that, in the fullness of time, they simply will not be able to drive on the road. I note the comment above about the increasing reluctance to take a valuable MMM out on the road, but, given the very real potential of a collapse of demand for classic cars - due to the inevitable elimination of petrol - we may well see a corresponding and catastrophic plunge in value of our cars and the very sizeable classic car market as a whole.
?
MSH |
|
|
|
Ian Bowers
United Kingdom
937 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2018 : 19:01:20
|
The cost of acquiring a road legal and 'reliable' MMM car is now at least equal to the new cost of a good and lively family car.
It would be a very strange person who placed his investment in such a car as his daily transport. On that basis these cars are going to be hobby cars or investment options in the future.
I would suggest that the future purchasers will already have the funding for their long-term accommodation and family decisions under control, and now have some 'risk' money in hand.
All this is pointing to new owners being well into their 40's and probably are 'active retired', not 20's and 30's. They are probably of an engineering/scientific bias.
I therefore suggest the way to keep a vibrant and continuing pool of owners is to maintain what we have already, a welcoming group of knowledgeable and 'handy' owners backed by a treasure trove of readily available 'how to' information.
With this maintained, prospective owners can see that the financial and operational risks of taking on stewardship of an MMM car are manageable.
Ian Bowers
OD 6791
J3 3772 |
Edited by - Ian Bowers on 14/04/2018 19:02:11 |
|
|
|
CrashBox
United Kingdom
40 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2018 : 23:49:21
|
Funny how the MX5 and VW Golf (mk1/Mk2 GTI) is mentioned as more modern classics. Have you seen the values of early mk1 MX5s in good condition? They're going up. Another car from my younger days that has seen a big increase in value is the Peugeot 205GTI from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s. This was the hot-hatch that I and all my friends loved when we were teenagers in the 80s and I quite fancy having a decent one sat in my garage today (made difficult by having both a Citroen 2CV and 1932 Morris Minor taking up the space meant for a single modern car). Just take a look at this one.....https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C917525 for an asking price of £43k!!!! Most are selling for around £10-12k. That's still a healthy market for a 30-yr-old car.
I would absolutely love to own a MMM MG of some sort, but just a tad too expensive for me at the moment, sadly. |
|
|
|
Charlie Cartwright
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2018 : 14:04:10
|
I too recently acquired a 1932 morris minor ohc to play with partly because it's a fraction of the cost of my J2 but virtually the same running gear and engine. And good info and contacts via Ian Grace's vinntage minor network.
Charlie Cartwright |
|
|
|
George Eagle
United Kingdom
3229 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2018 : 20:22:47
|
I do wonder if the market for classic cars might have reached a plateau, for example look how many Triple-M cars are currently advertised on this web site. This must be due in part to affordability?
There is the so called 40 year phenomenon where a 10 year old sees a car he really admires and can subsequently afford to buy when in his fifties.
As already noted some cars such as the Mark 1 Golf and the Peugeot 205 Gti are beginning to appreciate, in fact my Son-in-!aw has a very nice 1.9 205 Gti. They are great fun and in their day were among the best performing cars on the road, I had a new 205 1.9 Gti followed by a 309 Gti and covered 100,000 miles in each all without any problems.
Back to Charlie’s theme - it would be great to have detailed drawings etc - there is also a vast amount of information on this Forum, it would be fantastic is this could be collated and put into some type of publication.
Barry Walker produced a catalogue with very detailed drawings but as he recently noted he cannot replicate the catalogue as all the plates were destroyed. It was certainly a source of very useful information.
George
L2023 |
Edited by - George Eagle on 15/04/2018 20:24:40 |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Forum Locked
Topic Locked
