Madness

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:52 pm

I've just been and done it - again . I went today to Jeremy Wade in Shropshire , and bought on the spot a first series Rover 2000 TC . I hadn't driven one for 43 years since I traded mine in for a 2.5PI in 1971 . I had forgotten just what a revelation these cars were in the 1960s, with unrivalled ride and handling, and the very curious long legged feel of a relatively high geared 4 cylinder car

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:47 pm

Chris,

Now where is that going to go in the garage?

Tony

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:53 pm

Ah, Tony, that's precisely the problem . With, now, 8 cars I have reached the limit ! I think the MGB will have to live outside for the moment - I shall probably use it during the summer quite a lot. I have in fact been looking for premises for many months but so far without any success!

Durango2k · Post by **Durango2k** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 5:37 am

I am at 7, and stopped.

I even sold something last year so it is possible !

Now, i have to stop typing, that guy with the funny jacket is here - don't know why the Arms are on the rear....

Carsten

P.s. - my 5-yr old once said it's in my Name - Cars- Ten.....

MarkE · Post by **MarkE** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:09 am

I do remember the early TCs very well, and with the original exhaust made a very distinctive and attractive resonating sound, noticeable from a long way away.

Nothing wrong with scratching the occasional itch, and I've had a lot of fun over the past 15 or so years doing just that.

But I've been downsizing for the past couple of years, although that seems to be taking the course of four steps forward and one back....or four cars sold, and one bought. I'm still spending far too long replacing batteries, cleaning carburettors, sorting brakes, replacing tyres, organising MOTs, but at least now I get to drive a car periodically.

I really do dislike selling off the fleet, but there comes a point where it is more of a liability than a pleasure. I'm now down to 16 cars from a ridiculous 34 (including many 'projects') at one stage, and I fear that I still have a way to go!!

8 or 9 sounds very manageable to me, but the next few sales I make to get to that number are going to be a little painful. No doubt the pain will be softened by another itch surfacing, and the hunt will be on again!!

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:34 am

Mark : 34!!! Go on, list them for us, please

ALAN COCHRANE · Post by **ALAN COCHRANE** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:58 am

This thread makes me smile. It's good to know I'm not the only one with this afflication. I only have four cars in my collection and a very understanding wife.
She's also urging me to look for other premises. I'm assuming it's to house our expanding fleet and not for me to move into. She is also making encouraging noises about buying further cars for her to drive. The afflication seems to be contagious!
I started out with a single garage twenty years ago and now have a three car garage a single garage and a Council lock-up two minutes walk from the house. You'll never have enough space.
I've heard of at least one local property company renting out a brand new industrial unit at a very reasonable rate to a car enthusiast. Even the economic crisis seems to have a silver lining.

Alan

MarkE · Post by **MarkE** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 2:27 pm

Alan, the last thing you need is space...that was my big mistake. We moved to a small farm 14 years ago, and the fleet of 4 classics spiralled in number because we had the barns and outhouses to put everything. When I came to my senses a few years ago I realised that I had at least 50 years worth of projects to do, and the good cars had deteriorated sufficiently that some of those also needed a fair bit of work.

To answer your question Christopher, the fleet consisted mainly of Jags, Lotii and Fords, with a few odd lots thrown in for good measure.

Included in the fleet were:
5 x Pre-HE XJS, including a very early pair, a manual and a late P-Digital car

5 x XJR-s 6 litre, one of each colour made (which indicates the extent of the illness!)

1 x XJS 3.6 manual (my everday car in the 90s in which I covered 170,000 miles without breakdown...an XJS record!)

2 x XJ6 Coupes, including a prototype car made in 1973, 2 years before launch

3 x E types, one of which I sold as a project which has appeared on this forum beautifully restored

4 x Lotus Elan 2 seaters

6 x Lotus Elan Plus 2

1 x Lotus Elite Climax

1 x Mini Moke

1 x Peugeot 202 Camionnette (a very small lorry, about the size of a Morris 8 !!)

1 x Lotus Cortina

1 x 2 door 1600E Cortina (rare!!)

1 x Escort Mexico.

3 x everyday cars.

I think that at the peek of 'collecting' I also had 6 x Bubble cars, but not sure they count as cars.

Most of the XJS and Plus 2 cars have now gone, as have the Coupe Jags, the Lotus Elite, the little French lorry and the bubble cars. But I couldn't resist a one owner 2CV, a perfect Escort Twincam to keep the Mexico company and a hoard of Honda homologation special motorbikes to fill some of the empty space. 1 project car in bits takes up the same room as 2 complete cars, or 6 motorbikes!!

Maybe I still have a problem.....but a chap is coming tomorrow to have a look at an Elan....I'm sure I can put him off though.

tinworm · Post by **tinworm** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:44 pm

Just added a Renault Clio and a Series 2 Etype roadster (wreck) to my already too extensive list .

regards Barrie

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:11 am

Crikey, Mark and Barrie. What an eclectic collection of machines . Wonderful!

malky1965 · Post by **malky1965** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:32 pm

WOW !!!!!

I'm looking forward to my visit to see your V12 Mark and obviously all your other stock now :D

Malcolm

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:07 pm

The Rover is illustrated here . The interior needs a bit of cleaning and smartening as does the underbonnet area, but the car drives nicely

MarkE · Post by **MarkE** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:49 pm

The red interior gets my vote, and the car looks very clean.

Love it!

SteveG · Post by **SteveG** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 7:39 pm

That's lovely Christopher, my father had one of these in the same colour and owned it for about 12-13 years when I was a kid, those pictures brought all the childhood memories back... wonderful!

Post by **Heuer** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:40 pm

+1! My Dad had one (that mustard colour) and those reclining seats were a revelation in my courting days 8) Great car.

malcolm · Post by **malcolm** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:19 am

I like the red interior with the white exterior. Love the car in fact! My 2+2 is white exterior, and I've thought about a red interior conversion from the current black, but the black is original so guess it needs to stay.

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