Old people and immaculate cars

[*rayman*]

Up here in north qld there are a few noticable immaculate cars owned by older people... i'm talking 70-80's people...

i seen an xe this morning like it just rolled off the factory floor, theres a couple of xb 4 doors getting around that look amazing and an xp 4door i can think of off the top of my head.

You think these people all bought these cars brand new and have just looked after them from the day they recieved the keys to em? They are not exactly an ideal car for an older person, wouldn't they rather have a later model comfortable, injected, reliable, small car?

Is there the same thing is other cities that you notice?

[AdzT3-146]

yeh thats an interesting one, i guess a lot of older people do upgrade to something newer where as others may like the car they have and if there is nothing wrong with it then they don't feel the need to upgrade.
A mate of mine picked up an XE off some older people, thing was in immaculate condition when he bought it, complete with bull bar and all other grandpa spec accesiories.

[big_waity]

We had a classic here in the burra. There was an old guy, about 70, I would imagine. He was driving around in a Skyline. Don't really know my Skylines, but I believe it was an R33. It was white, was very modified. It was scraping on the ground, big chromies, very loud BOV, loud exhaust. I could tell it was manual with a hard clutch by the way he was chirpin when trying to do a very slow 5 point turn on a main rd in peak hour. The number plate was 00FEM. I can't really see him oofing anyone. Rather sad to see the car go to waste. Fortunately, he has upgraded to a mid 90s BMW. 318i or something. Oh, and he kept the numberplate.

[Xephon]

I've seen a gramps (75-80) in a grey WRX STi with rims, exhaust etc. in Adelaide. Shame he didn't drive it the way it was designed... (Although he wasn't slow).

[outback_ute]

Rayman those cars which have been pampered and maintained would be more reliable than a new car in most cases!

My great-grandmother had an EK Holden from new until she stopped driving when she was over 90 (more than 30 years). My grandmother said it was like a truck to drive when new (no power steer) yet my great-grandmother would drive it up the back lane to the garage which was a tight squeeze - I suppose a bit of practice would have helped!

[OzJavelin]

Yep .. older people appreciate the value of money. Buy something good, look after it and keep it for a long time. No sense in upgrading unless you REALLY need to. Not like now. Buy some disposable POS, beat the cr@p out of it for a few years then get rid of it .. maybe 'cos the new one is available in a new colour!!!! Thanks to a lot of old guys like these, we still have many 50s, 60s, 70s cars (never actually designed to last that long) in good, daily-driver condition ...

[NAK302]

Originally Posted by Xephon

I've seen a gramps (75-80) in a grey WRX STi with rims, exhaust etc. in Adelaide. Shame he didn't drive it the way it was designed... (Although he wasn't slow).

the grandson probably left it parked in front of his camry and he needed milk for nannas afternoon tea :

[EA2BA]

My parents moved to QLD about 5 years ago, and that is one thing my dad noticed, he said its amazing how many old cars are getting around and that they are absolutely immaculate for their age.

[geckoGT]

I take my hat off to em, they are keeping legends alive and true

[Kapn_Kiwi]

Down the road from me is an old couple with an AU XR6, and an old guy with a '65 (I think) Mustang. I don't think the muzzy is driven like a timid granny either.

[hrtrip]

i walked into my quiet little court the other day to wash my car and as unbelievable as it was i saw an XB or XC GT (not too good with the old cars), parked in the street. so i waited and washed very slowly to see who was driving it and sure enough the 80 year old germans who i live next two had a friend who was about their age jump in it and start it up. it was an auto and was absolutely immaculate. after seeing a car in that kind of condition it made me realise why so many people love them. but i still can't get over how old he was - this car was mint!

[GreenMachine]

There's an old couple not far from where I live that drive an IMMACULATE 60's-brown Bel-Aire... Had a chat to them both at the local Fruit & Veg not long ago. He proudly showed me how the power windows still worked (and he was right - they fairly flew up, something even an AU Falcon won't!), gave her a little rev through the stock exhaust to prove there was no smoke. Great people.

Apparantly, Gramps has had his licence taken off him, so now the missus drives the Chev everywhere. It's done about 16,000 miles from new, not a mark on it, and I wish I was cynical enough to keep in touch with them to pick it up when the inveitable happens.

[Heeno]

much respect to the oldies for keeping these car in such good nic

[rob_o]

Yeah my girlfriend bought a '75 LH Torana off an old couple who kept it stored for many years in a shed. Had less than 90,000km on it and the white velour interior was perfect. However its received a new coat of paint and a CD player to make it easier for day to day driving.

[Psycho Chicken]

My XD was an oldie's car, apparently. It's fairly clean for what it is, interior is perfect, panels are straight but have a few spots of surface rust. Engine isn't too healthy though. Over all it's pretty nice for an XD.

Anyone in Melbourne, pop into Shannons' office in Cheltenham. There's a MINT original XB GS Fairmont sedan. 302 (with 351 badges? I dunno, didn't see the comp plates). It's one of the cleanest XBs I've ever seen.

[bindi]

I think that it's awesome when I see some old fogie in the pride and joy he bought 30 years ago... and it's in such good nick that you would think it was almost new

It's a beautiful thing to witness.

[deesun]

I knew it was going to happen one day but I have a 17yr old who of course wants his own car but we just can't afford a third car. I work nights and he at school days so we share the car no probs usually. Last week I had the XR6 in for service and was looking around the nearby lots when I came upon a 93 Bluebird,first of the FWD imports. Now they aren't an overly common car but the price attracted me to sus it out. The car was in near showroom condish. Not a mark on the interior and I really mean that the seats look like thev'e never been sat in. I don't think anything but the spare 2 water hoses still in there dealer wrapped plastic and wiper blades have EVER been in the boot,there are about 5 small marks on the duco but not 1 dent of any description. The nudge bar has never been nudged. Ks are getting up but the service manual has been stamped EVERY 9k the most was 11k and the last 4 services 5k,I was able to contact the mechanic and he agreed he has never seen a car like it ever. After 2 more visits I took wifey out to see it, I got in the poo cos I hadn't already put a deposit on it out:. So I got a 93 Bluebird, 186,000,2.4ltr,immac,air,steer,4elec windows,immac,central lock,tape player : ,nudge bar,rear spoiler,alloys,sports weathershields both sides.cruise control,did I mention immaculate, for $5990. THe only inclusion I would have preferred is the BLUE OVAL badge,but I'm still :sm_headba happy.
And the other Fantastic thing was my wife got a promotion at work so now we can afford it :evil_laug
But wait theres more, forgot the electric mirrors a dashmat and just to confirm it was an old farts car a smoked plastic rear window sun visor. :1syellow1

[conordec]

my grandfather traded his tank chrysler (?) don't know what it was but chrysler for sure in on a crappy magna at the start of the 90's.
IT WAS MINT, too big an daggy for me at the time, but had 30,000 k's on it, i'm sure he got shafted for the trade in too.
ps... he gave me his fluffy dash mat to put on the monaro.... LOL thanks pops!!!!!

[GreenMachine]

Lol... I WOULD tell the story about how my grandfather traded a Vitamin C E49 Charger for a Nissan Pintara because my grandmother told him to, but it would put my blood pressure through the roof again...

[Dirtmatt]

Older folks ROCK!!!I just got an imacculate ZH Fairlane from a lovley 75 year old fellow who not only bought it brand new & kept his pride & joy in the garage,but i was under a cover "to keep the dust off it"in his words.
The guy hoped I would be happy with it as i bought it over the net,how could you not appreciate a car this well looked after.I felt kinda bad since his reason for selling it was that he didnt know how long he would be around..I hope I can keep it in as good nic for my boy ..he is only18 months at the moment but I'll give it a shot

[Paris Hilton]

My grandfather used to own a Mechanics/Car Dealership (specialising in Renault/Peugeot/Citroens), and had a 1977 Renault 17ts and a 1976 Renault 17 Gordini Imported especially for a customer, but they never went through with the deal...Anyways the '76 is in Victoria somewhere, (was stripped in '92 and never got round to respraying it...the internet is amazing!), and the '77 has been in my grandmothers garage since 1992. She stopped driving it after a fender bender and it cost a bit too much to fix, so she bought a Peugeot 205 (Has done 100,000km's, and only just replaced the rear tyres for the first time!) and the 17 (under cover) has been sitting there since then. 65432km's on it. The only one in Australia (17's were only imported here until 1975)....Immaculate condition, not a tear anywhere...fully optioned (Electric Windows, Black Leather and an Electric Sunroof!)...Other then the tyres and hoses, it won't need much to get it running again...

There is definately nothing finer than to see an older person cruising along in their pride and joy. Because times were tough (the depression) most had to hang onto and respect their belongings, especially with the wages they were getting.

My brother had to sell his 'Model T' last year due to financial problems. And it was in immaculate condition.

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Lol... I WOULD tell the story about how my grandfather traded a Vitamin C E49 Charger for a Nissan Pintara because my grandmother told him to, but it would put my blood pressure through the roof again...

Jesus Tapdancing Christ!!!!!!!!

[GreenMachine]

But it was a *really* nice Pintara, dude!!! :( :( :(

Yeah, the old lady said that the Charger was too big and too expensive and too much to maintain, plus it was manual and she couldn't drive it. Somewhere, there is a young Nissan salesman who's probably STILL got the smile on his face.

[Heeno]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

there is a young Nissan salesman who's probably STILL got the smile on his face.

yea i bet he does!

[big_pete]

Theres an old bloke in Cootamundra (small town near wagga)
who owns a beautiful convertable Mustang, and a shelby cobra replica

The worst thing is he doesnt go above 50km in them. so you see them putting around town.

they are beautiful cars tho! wouldnt mind being in his Will ;)

[Bearman]

I just love seeing some old fogies cruising in their old immaculate cars!! I hope I can be like that.

One day at my mechanics I saw a lady who looked to be in her late 50's get out of a '67 XR Fairmont 289 V8 and this thing was freaking immaculate!! I waited for her to leave and asked her about it. I love these cars and always admired the one my grandparents used to have. I didn't ask if she wanted to sell it, she probably gets it all the time and would be over it. She explained she's had it since new. I went inside and spoke to the main guy. He explained this car was a 21st birthday present given by her parents. This lady never married or anything. When she'd had the car 21 years she threw a 21st birthday party for it!! It was well on it's second motor, fourth transmission and was re-sprayed about 8 years ago. This mechanic has been looking after this car for over 20 years. It's done a heap of miles and the lady goes everywhere in it. One last thing the mechanic mentioned was that he reckoned the lady is as mad as a cut snake but god bless her for treating her Ford so well!!

[NRG 290]

My grandad had an immaculate red '76 Capri he imported from the states. It was an absolute bullet apparently. He died while I was young so I didn't have the opportunity to get my hands on it. My uncle sold it to some guy who wrapped it around a tree and killed himself 1 month later. I see pictures of that car and think it shoiuld've been mine. been looking for a GT Capri to build for a while.

[XA_GT351]

This was my grandfathers fb holden, aka The yellaterra. He died lastyear, He was 83. He kept this immaculate, everything was painted 15 years ago including underneath. It's still like the day it was done. its been all modified himself with upgraded red motor and 4 on the floor, and goes like a rocket! the convo pro's are just new.

I have done a few things to it since he left it to me, replaced lenses, rubber floormat, rechromed parts, and a few mechanical parts

[Smoke Pursuit]

I seen a VN the other day driven by an old bloke that looked like it was brand new....

Some of these old guys really do take good care of their cars.. I hope my BA looks like new in 4 - 5 years time..