When you read through the postings in these forums, you see large numbers of contributors seeking advice and help. You see others offering help and considerable experience. Others are modifying very old cars to make them more modern, reliable and clearly more suited to their needs. Others spend absolute fortunes restoring vehicles to as good a standard as possible. Some of us suffer more from the tin worm than others and exhibit phenomenal skills in combating it. In my opinion, many of us older ones hanker after something from the past which we never had at that time. Some of the more youthful are drawn to a past era of individuality that seems to be lost with the modern vehicles. I wonder what your take on this is? This applies not only to Jaguar/Daimler, but to all long standing marques from around the world.

 

we love them because they are pure, simple, elegant, generally prettier and some even have a/c that works

 

I've tons of old stuff. Includes my Three Dell desktops and one laptop. Each at least ten years old. In that world, prehistoric. But, they work!!!!


One of my personal descriptions is "old guy, old dog, old house and old cars"!!! With some limitations, we function....


Carl

 

When I see a "Classic" with an open hood/bonnet, I can name everything I can see and I can touch almost everything; and I know in fair detail what all those things do and why they're necessary for the operation of the car. Sometimes there's even enough room for me to climb in beside the engine for easy access to Everything upstairs. And unless it's Really olde I don't have to see the badges to it to know what the car is.

Except for the most serious breakdown, I'm confident I can fix such a car with a bare minimum of tools (which I carry with me). And there's simply Nothing like the smell of a hot carbed engine sitting in the garage after a good run. That to me is Contentment.

When I see an open hood/bonnet on a "modern" car, I only see acres of plastic covering the interesting stuff that does all the work. If I'm that close I can tell what the car is as I can probably read the badge, but if I can't read it, it could be almost Any brand sold in the past 10 years; cookie cutter cars and tuna cans.

No one has to guess what Nix is, they know instantly and instinctively she's a Jaguar, they only ask what year; and then they're astonished to know her age.

Every year there are fewer Xj6s on my local roads and none of them look as good as Nix. As long as husband is willing to bankroll her upkeep and repairs I'll keep fixing her. He likes her so well though, that barring some system wide banking disaster there's nothing to worry about.
(';')

 

Nostalgia is a very complex thing. What triggers a deep emotional response in some, but none in others, has been the subject of much debate & endless research. Car companies have even mined their own back catalogues, putting out modern interpretations of their old classic models. Like Ford did with the Thunderbird & the S-Type Jag. But the appeal of the original never wavers, & despite the obvious technical deficiencies that many old vehicles have, with some of them being just about unusable in modern traffic. Their values continue to rise, & there are legions of fans who continue to flock to shows, & dream of the day that they'll be able to buy a classic of their own.
For my part, I like both modern & classic vehicles, & think both will always find a place in my fleet. I don't want to subject my much cherished classics to the daily grind my modern Jag gets put through. & as for the work the Mule is called on to perform. No Jaguar, new or old, should be subjected to such rigours. Well, maybe that new SUV thingy could do the job, with a trailer. But I'm not paying $250K for a Dump Runner!

 

Because they are beautiful, affordable and unique in a way that almost no modern car is.

 

They tend to be the cars we desperately wanted more than anything when we were young, but were too poor to buy and run. Also, of course, we married and had families so that lovely little 2-seater sports had to go and a sensible car purchased instead.

 

Yep, they are the once out of reach machines that we only aspired to own, and now we can. Most of us seem to agree that the style, character and individuality of classic cars sets them apart from modern day offerings which all look monotonously the same as each other. IMHO that includes current day Jags, I'm never quite sure whether I'm looking at an XF or Lexus until the badges come into focus. Also, we're comfortable to get hands-on with the mechanicals of the era, unlike today's cars where the tool box has been replaced by a laptop. No wonder so many of us cosset the models we were once only able to drool over.

 

Only the F-Type has the looks that will age well, & I think that's just the way Jaguar wants it. The Luxo-barges they build aren't meant to be timeless classics. They're meant to appeal to the kind of businessman who'd normally be driven around in a BMW, Mercedes or Lexus. & they care more about creature comforts & connectivity to the internet than the way the car drives, which is usually left for someone else to do anyway.

 

Just a few piccies .....while new is nice, you can't beat the classic version.

 

The older the car or the bigger the bike works for me. They are something I can work on in my spare time and not get too far out of my mechanical depth.
I wanted a series 1 since I was 5 years old(that was 1973) when my Dads mate was a mechanic at a Jag dealership and bought the demos home and took us for drives in them.
If it wasn't a series 1 it would be a bog stock 66" HR ute, I had one for over 6 years and 350,000 miles. (it was 26 years old when I got it)

It let me down twice in that time, first time was a loose earth wire from the stromburg carby for the LPG, the second time was when the water pump let go the day after I put a temp gauge in it.(after 6 years of driving it without one)....ahhh, timing was perfect that time.
Sold it when our youngest was due because we couldn't afford to register two cars and a bike on single income (and it didn't fit two child restraints). Now the youngest has a Series 1 to cruise in when he wants to.

This part you won't believe, in all those years I only got one photo of it!

 

I have personally accounted for more HR & EH Holden's meeting their makers than the Dukes of Hazard producers are responsible for the death of so many Dodge Chargers!

 

I could account for a few HQ's and XA's, but that was when they could be had for a few hundred bucks a piece (if they weren't free). Now you can buy 3 same era Jags for the price of any of the 1965-1975 Holden's or Ford's.

 

The reason we love old cars... it's complicated. For me it's social, priorities, nostalgia, Independence, value, freedom, self actualization from their care.

I've not had much luck with new cars, and since I work with many main line auto dealerships I've observed many others have the same poor experience.

I've seen a well dressed man climb out of dirty tow truck while his new high end BMW was on the bed. The operator dropped the car. As the truck drove off the owner clutching his things, was running down the street after him shouting stop... he forgot something in the cab. For $1200 / month on lease... you can keep that experience, I'm good

Early in our relationship my wife and I both got new cars in the same week, me an Audi S8 and her a VW golf. They were just days old. Friday night, my Audi wouldn't start, immobilizer problem. I called my GF to come pick me up. Her battery was dead and had to wait for a jump. Battery was also dead when we picked up the new car and I asked the dealer to replace the battery. They didnt. In for service that Saturday, after I railed out the salesman on the phone...They finally put in a new battery.
At the time... 20 years ago that was $1100 in combined payments. Never again. Lemon Law'd the Audi and bough a Lexus SUV. It was fine but numb. With in a year, my wife's Golf got hit by someone towing a cement mixer. So, in for paint work, but the dark green metallic respray'd rear 1/4 wasn't a perfect match. Still many many payments to go. Now same payment for an old looking car. Then there was the recall for the window motor. So in for service, a week after the recall the window came off the track. It worked fine for 2 years prior to the "recall"

I own all my cars, they are old, the are safe, they are paid for and so is my house thanks to not paying leasing fees for 15 years. I guess that the value part.

We have a backup car. It's a older Black on Black v12 BMW with a few dings here and there. Sits for days at a time, always starts. The nanny drives it too after work. When my wife's car is laid up for repairs or maintenance she takes the the BMW to work, If it takes me a week to do the work on my schedule, waiting for parts, tools etc...it's OK. My wife doesn't mind. I'm into the car for $1500. No reason to over pay a mechanic to get out of a rental, I already own the rental. I guess that's the independence and added value part. And when my mother's brother died suddenly, she few back to NY and I had a car for her to use. Just one less thing for her to worry about during her trip.

The renter is the slave to the owner. A new car can enslave you. I've seen many people park far away or make other behavioral changes to "preserve" the car or to fit the image of their new car. Who owns who? When one of mine get's a scratch it's ok, I live in the city, its gonna happen. I can deal with it better. When my sister's lease'd car gets a scratch she wonders out loud if the leasing company is going to make her pay for that when she returns it. I guess this is the Freedom part.

I just like fixing things. I make my living this way and it extends to my cars. I get great satisfaction from fixing a car that wont start or run properly, or solving an ABS light or a clunk. Take's awhile but keeps me out of the topless bars at night. I dont have much fancy diagnostic equipment so old cars are just cheaper and easier to fix and most cars from just after the mid 90's are very safe, cheap to buy, to fix and maintain.

As for the Nostalgia...There's the BMW and the Jaguars. I had that model black on black BMW, albeit much newer then, when my wife and I we were dating, oh the memories. The fast driving, the police knocking on the window...those youthful feelings. I bought it as a 600$ goof to fix and resell but it became a keeper... I just cant let it go. The smell and the feel of it brings me right back to my youth. As for the Jaguars, when I was coming up that was the car to have, the lawyers, doctors and others I respected had them so I wanted one and now I have many. They are beautiful to look at and mechanically interesting.

Socially speaking, I buy basket cases and fix or sell them or if too far gone, I sell parts. For me buying, trading and selling parts helps me meet many interesting people from all over the world. Recently I sold a Mercedes Coupe to Benjamin in Israel and I sold an XJ coupe to a chap in Estonia. Didnt even know where Estonia was on the maps until then. I've met many interesting people who need parts, every story is different. I've learned a lot about people this way and that's important for me since I'm an introvert. Jaguar owners are emotional and the experience usually involves a significant other. For the most part Porsche owners are self aggrandizing delusional douche bags just looking to bend you over. But I digress... I'm done with ANYTHING Porsche. When I sell someone a part they need for a price that's right for them I feel good helping them out even if the price was too low. Sometimes people are looking for small parts like clips and they just need 1. Take it.

Finally... There are MANY MANY people driving around in much newer cars with lower miles than me with Takata air bags that can kill them even in a minor collision. No thanks. You can keep that experience too I'm not your corporate statistic or a crash test dummy.

 

Daffew11E;


Thanks for the wonderful classic vs modern pictorial. Taut and clean vs ".......".


Elinor;


Got it. it's been a while since I messed with my daughter's Passat. Her gal pal called it a "space ship" because of the dash display. All kinds of stuff.


The critter has an "engine cover". About three pieces of plastic to hide the "works" !!
Well, a quarter turns the fasteners to allow the removal. Gee, under that is a slick looking OHC V6!!! I just don't get it. Were it mine, "fat chance", I'd dump the cover and enjoy the look of function....


How far back should I go? Aha, the 65/66 Mustang fast back. Great little 289 V8. Add the missing AC and "perfect". Even the sans OD C4 trans was acceptable.


And, later a much abused 71 Mustang. I fixed most of it's ills. A very worn 269. Smoked like a train. But, the exhaust was "oh yeah". Smooth on the road.
Sold? Why, I've forgotten...


Carl

 

i am on other car sites,net.

but majority is they dont have the money to buy new cars!

so they end up with something there money can afford, and slowly build it up to there own financial level!

but the OP said something i completely do not understand, is a restored to as close to original condition as possible car(what for, modded is much better for driving).

and the only reason for well restored car, astronomical resale prices, is completely controlled by rich people who cant even put a sparkplug in the engine!!

well i stop them cold ,when i ask do you have 1952 gasoline in it, or 1952 air in the tires, SO that makes the car ABSOLUTLY NOT original, thats a fact!

personally i have owned some new cars , always did something to modify them , wifes car has a K&N air filter!

OK for many its the meditation of hands on work and thought that keeps many of us SANE, that i can attest to !

 

I enjoy the process of restoring or in some cases modifying old cars, but I don't particularly enjoy "fixing" them. Repairs are invariably always needed at the most inopportune moments, like last month when I was on my way to a meeting where I was the featured speaker and the Jaguars alternator started wailing. I made it but barely.

When I was young, of course all I could afford were older cars. My first car was even a wrecked car that the insurance had totaled. My father trailered it home and said quote "Son, if you can fix it, you can drive it." That started a lifelong passion for restoring and modifying old cars. I enjoy the process of taking something that's been damaged or neglected and making it new again or even better. Then there's an incredible sense of satisfaction when I'm done and the requisite stroking of my ego when I take it to a car show or when I was younger, compete in a drag race or autocross. And yes, most of the project cars I've done (and will do in the future) have been cars from my teenage and college years.

The last couple of years I've been working on my most ambitious project to date, restoring a vintage Corvette to factory condition with the goal of achieving a "Top Flight" certification from the NCRS. I've learned how to do six different kinds of metal plating at home in order to replicate all the factory finishes. I just love all that kind of detailed stuff. Just as long as I'm not stressed for time and having to put my car back together by Monday morning, I love it.

So ever since graduating college, I have until recently always had a late model daily driver, usually under extended warranty and always a pickup truck. But right now my newest car is a 2007 model truck. Its only been this old Jaguar that, because I injured my back and needed its ultra-smooth ride (temporarily or so I thought at first, but now permanent), has delayed my next new or late model vehicle purchase.

New cars, even new Jags don't ride like the old ones either. But at 17 years old and my pickup (backup transportation) now 10, I realize that I'm pushing my luck and before long I will be calling my boss from the side of the road miles away to cancel some important meeting. And admittedly, I'm also kind of jonesing for some of the new technology. Modern styling (sedans at least) is not nearly as creative, but while many new sedans do look alot alike (virtually identical in overall shape), many of them do look quite nice. I drove an XF Portfolio on Monday. Love the interior. Love the power. Just wish it were even half as smooth as my old x308. Was staring at the wheels wondering if I could fit some 17s over the brake calipers and put some meat on the rims.

 

new cars all look like oversize JELLY BEANS, just different colors,LOL.

 

Ronbros:


Is it color or the lack thereof in most modern offerings? The latter seems prominent to me.


I just go back in time to the ones I've had. Light blue 59 Ford Galaxie. Deep green 63 Ford. Thunderbird red 61 Ford tudor. White over red 55 Olds Holiday 98 coupe. Yellow
71 AMC Hornet, aka "Rambler". Red 71 Mustang. Golden brown 79 Chrysler Cordoba.


Carl

 

2005 I was at a Lexus dealership. One of the salesmen came out from the showroom, greeted me and asked if he could answer any questions. I waved my hand to direct his gaze around the lot and said, "Yes, do they come in any color besides silver?" Every last car outside on the Lexus lot that day, probably 150 cars, was some variation of silver. After looking around, he said "Uhhhh...., we've got a black one inside the showroom."

What's the most popular car color? | Bankrate.com

Actual "colors" like red, blue, yellow, green are in the low single digits. I remember reading an article on this subject some years ago that said that white would be a much lower percentage if not for fleet sales.

My favorite tends to be blue. I've had a 68 Mustang, a 69 Corvette. an 80 Mercury Capri and two Toyota Supras in blue. But mostly buying classic and used cars rather than ordering a new car, I've rarely gotten my first choice. If I ever get an XK or XK8, I hope its blue.