Anyone drive a MK2 Cortina?

[Tomahawk]

Or a Morris 1100
Even a Rover 3500
Perhaps a Fiat 124

Or any car from the 70’s?

I ask because various members of the Parish are waxing lyrical about old "classic" yachts from that time. Would anyone really go back to the unreliability and rust of the 70’s for their motoring? Why then do people hark back to the olden days of sailing as a golden era of design?





......waiting for incoming...

 

[LONG_KEELER]

The only link that comes to mind with young or old yachts is the engine.

Humans seem to have stayed the same. Correction, we weigh more now.

 

[RichardS]

We drive a Series Landy .... or will be again, shortly. It's basically a car from the 1950's as not a lot changed in 30 years.

Richard

 

[vyv_cox]

Or a Morris 1100
Even a Rover 3500
Perhaps a Fiat 124

Or any car from the 70’s?

I ask because various members of the Parish are waxing lyrical about old "classic" yachts from that time. Would anyone really go back to the unreliability and rust of the 70’s for their motoring? Why then do people hark back to the olden days of sailing as a golden era of design?





......waiting for incoming...

Yes, this one. But only in good weather!


Not sure yachts are comparable with cars in this respect. There is no doubt that modern yachts are thoroughly thought out for comfort and easy sailing, but is that what we want? Similar to my car really, not very practical or well thought out, but loads more fun than my tin-top.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Yes, this one. But only in good weather!


Not sure yachts are comparable with cars in this respect. There is no doubt that modern yachts are thoroughly thought out for comfort and easy sailing, but is that what we want? Similar to my car really, not very practical or well thought out, but loads more fun than my tin-top.

That car seems to be missing a few bits.

Notably, RAF uniform, full handlebar tash, Brylcreem etc

 

[ProDave]

I have a 1972 Landy, not a daily driver though.

I still have fond memories of my first car, a MK1 Ford Escort. It went damned well for it's little 1300cc engine and only let me down once (A wire fell off the back of the ignition switch and everything just stopped)

I later had a 1970's original Range Rover. That would be my dream restored classic car now, lovely to drive, but oh the fuel consumption with that V8.

 

[Bobc]

Not 70's, but I have a late 80s Saab 900 Turbo which is my daily driver during the summer.

Perfectly reliable and pretty economical too (except when you boot it, and then it can give quite few modern cars a run for their money).

 

[Skylark]

......waiting for incoming...

A very cruel post for a Sunday morning (nice one). Sunday is usually the day for cleaning rose coloured glasses so you may have caught a few off guard.

In 1971, my first car was a 1963 Mk1 Cortina, rescued from the scrap yard. Great fun, fond memories but, in the cold light of day, a piece of junk.

An 8 year old car today is barely run in and will certainly not have any signs of corrosion. It will be 100% reliable. It will be comfortable. It will have ride, handling and performance, especially in braking, far better than the cars of my youth.

The only thing about motoring not to have changed is journey times. In the 1970s the car would guarantee to break down needing roadside repairs. Today, the car is reliable but congestion will ensure that snails pace motoring prevails.

In boating, I bought a new AWB but started with a few MABs. No going back here, either. I don’t wear rose coloured glasses.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Yachts are more comparable to Houses rather than Cars. Uplift and maintenance are more important than age......thinking about it , thats excactly what I need for myself!!!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Or any car from the 70’s?

Not mine. Mine's even nicer. Dark blue with a cream roof.

 

[JumbleDuck]

An 8 year old car today is barely run in and will certainly not have any signs of corrosion. It will be 100% reliable. It will be comfortable. It will have ride, handling and performance, especially in braking, far better than the cars of my youth.

And soooooooo booooooooooooring.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Yachts are more comparable to Houses rather than Cars. Uplift and maintenance are more important than age......thinking about it , thats excactly what I need for myself!!!

Good point. My house is 200 years old (at least) and I have absolutely no desire to swap it for some foul, pokey little box with a design life of forty years.

 

[doug748]

"Yachts are more comparable to Houses rather than Cars."


The car metaphor is one of the hardy annuals of forum life, i agree it's burning oil and due for the knacker's yard.



Considering houses, Seifert and his architect mates were all keen to get people to living in these






Whilst no doubt choosing for themselves one of these these:

View attachment 74070


Heart warming how many designers and racers actually keep an older boat for themselves

 

[johnalison]

Good point. My house is 200 years old (at least) and I have absolutely no desire to swap it for some foul, pokey little box with a design life of forty years.

I live in a poky little box, actually a 5-bedroom poky little box. I'll say one thing for it; it's the first house I have ever lived in that didn't have draughts and leave me shivering in the winter.

I'm sure that the time scale is the thing. A '70s boat is equivalent to a 8-yr old car. There are plenty of people driving around in these old beasts, which give good service at little cost for those willing to accept their restrictions. Many '70s boats were very poor, with features borrowed from the racers of the time and ending up with pinched sterns, poor accommodation and inadequate sail area, but the better ones are serviceable to those willing to accept shortcomings.

 

[Graham376]

Wish I still had some of my old cars, they would be worth a lot more now than I sold them for. Morgan Matchless engined 3 wheeler (sold for £35 in 1963), Lotus Elan, Lotus Cosworth Super 7, couple of Jags, etc. OTOH, storage would have cost a bundle.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Whilst no doubt choosing for themselves one of these these:

View attachment 74070

For his entire working life Richard Seifert lived in a modest semi-detached house in Mill Hill - though he did later buy and demolish the three neighbouring properties to get a huge garden.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm sure that the time scale is the thing. A '70s boat is equivalent to a 8-yr old car. There are plenty of people driving around in these old beasts, which give good service at little cost for those willing to accept their restrictions.

My daily driver is a 15 year old Citroën Berlingo which cost me a whopping £525. I shall use it till it falls apart, then scrap it without regret and look for something of similar age/price. Qyuentin Willson's Bangernomics has a lot to be said for it! It would be quite possible to do the same sailing - plenty of solid 70s/80s boats around for a few grand at most which could be passed onto some mug on eBay as soon as significant work was needed.

 

[Tranona]

Get the best of both worlds (car wise) and buy a Morgan. Maybe also get a Rustler 33 to complement it.

 

[jant]

Not mine. Mine's even nicer. Dark blue with a cream roof.

That's a REAL classic, i had the Safari version in 1978. even by today's standard of modern cars ( which all look the same - bit like modern yachts) the Citroen was miles ahead with technology. I do concede though that the French government of the day poured zillions of francs into Citroen! But i guess our lot did as well with British Leyland?

 

[JumbleDuck]

That's a REAL classic, i had the Safari version in 1978. even by today's standard of modern cars ( which all look the same - bit like modern yachts) the Citroen was miles ahead with technology. I do concede though that the French government of the day poured zillions of francs into Citroen! But i guess our lot did as well with British Leyland?

I don't think the French government subsidised Citroën while it was owned by Michelin, though they pushed through the merger with Peugeot and have handed across money ever since. The most remarkable thing about the DS, to me, is that despite its complexity they managed to make a profit selling them for prices in line with other, far less sophisticated, cars in the same sector. They cost about the same as a Rover P5, for example.