unwanted legislation etc.

itma · Post by **itma** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:29 pm

Quite right Crawsue, I am always bugged by this notion that anything over 5 years old that has so far escaped the scrapman becomes a "classic" vehicle.
The latest one, "future classic" make me larf, ie something thats reached rock bottom value, but has an MOT...
The worst advocates for the rolling tax exemption are the skinflint brigade trying to run once expensive cars on a shoestring to fuel their social status fantasies.
I am all for the tax exemption on older stuff,but I think it should have stopped about 1960,halfway through the 20th century. That would have cut out the Fords and Hillmans etc
Ocasionally I scrounge the odd copy of Practical Classics from the doctors waiting room where my missus works.
I recommend it to all, what a load of tosh, real pseuds corner stuff.Edited by - itma on 20 Mar 2008 12:30:38 PM

crawsue · Post by **crawsue** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:50 pm

I'm not a great Clarkson fan (at least,not as big a fan as he is!)but I always enjoy the exploits of pitting old rubbish against each other,always ends in tears,coolant dripping out,oil,smoke the full monty.A friends old man had always wanted a Roller..watched Quentin Watsisname do TV peice about running a Roller for Escort money or such like.Next thing he's got this 'orrible gold coloured thing...all lovely chrome and polished up a treat.....£8000! 2 years later the local motor electrician retired 10 years early!What an absolute dawg it was,did about 12 miles to the gallon ...and that was just the oil.Lovely leather seats though!Other side of the coin was a mate bought a DB 5....white,horrible looking thing,spent a right few quid on it,"Conolised" (?) seats,new clutch the full business,advertises it in the "Times" and he's fighting them off with a stick.....more than doubled his cash....Innes Ireland (for it was he!)bought it,said he would pay £1000 over the top bid!He'd raced one at Le Mans seemingly........he must have been drinking "Groilly's" plonk!

Janet · Post by **Janet** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:11 pm

quote:
(for any old ancient crap to be kept on the road just to avoid the tax!) harsh but true
But not in all cases. I had my old crap on the road when I was paying tax on it, and would be now if the rules hadn't changed. It's not my fault I'm not allowed to pay these days. Thank god for my modern* crap, so I can't be accused of trying to avoid paying for tax.

*That's as modern as 1985 vintage for the Guzzi.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:34 pm

Janet if you really feel that strongly about paying tax you could donate it to the club.

Groily · Post by **Groily** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:29 pm

No no, Crawsue, my plonk makes fish bigger, turns rainy days into great days for bikes and heightens one's eye for a bargain. All good things. Innes I must have been on some Grand Cru appropriate to his great station in the cosmos, which costs more a bottle than the excess he was prepared to pay! My 23 Euros for 10 litres direct from the vineyard leaves me enough pocket-money to put (some) petrol in my favourite rat-car heap of a mid-60s daily driver, yes . . .Jaguar - from one of those dread decades! Inverse snobbery only, as people think I keep it just to cock a wotsit at all the people who polish theirs - I just like it. Had it for years - large, lazy, lovely engines when put together right (which is a bit of a sweat), simple to maintain with most parts cheaper than any modern, and . . . . amazingly, reliable (or amazingly reliable). Course, tax is irrelevant in civilised countries but not going there again. Groily

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:51 pm

I hate to agree with anything from France but when I had money used to have Jaguars lovely gentleman's transport.

Groily · Post by **Groily** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:05 pm

I bought it when I had a little bit Merlin . . . those were the days! Good of you to agree with an alien life form. But this is . . . ahem, . . . not quite what a gentleman driver would look for, shall we say . . . goes darn well though, starts, stops, steers, has lights . . . not much more, and a lot of the underside is pure weld, but what more does a man need? Certainly not paint and polish, heaters and any other gizmos that can be got rid of to reduce the points of failure - all optional extras I prefer to live without! Groily

poplargreg · Post by **poplargreg** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:09 am

There is a rich vein of amusement in the anti-litigation warnings in instruction books. Up to now my favourites were the Fuji camera ones "DO NOT OPERATE IN THUNDERY WEATHER AS THE CAMERA MAY BE STRUCK BY LIGHTENING" and "DO NOT PLACE CAMERA ON A HIGH SHELF - IT MAY FALL AND INJURE YOU".

However, the cat was sat by the fire reading his Sportster Owners Instruction Manual yesterday and found.

"WARNING! - DO NOT POSITION FINGERS BETWEEN A HAND CONTROL LEVER AND HANDLEBAR GRIP. IMPROPER HAND POSITIONING CAN IMPAIR CONTROL LEVER OPERATION, CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RESULTING IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY"

How should the bars be held when riding? Fingertips? Maybe I should have sued Renault when I shut my nose in the car door last year.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:01 pm

Self inflicted pinocchio.

chris kelly · Post by **chris kelly** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:13 pm

Hi Greg,

" However ,the cat was sat by the fire reading his Sportster Owners Instruction Manual yesterday and found..."

Made me think of a question I stumbled across, bike wise, the other day, seemingly from a youngster, asking the question,to the effect...What should I do, say ,at 50 miles per hour, when the lights change, to bring the bike to a stop, correctly. Well, so amazingly varied where the replies, with some people cautioning that some advice was so bad that retraining was necessary. "Pull the clutch in and brake" , variables on "front brake, back brake", back brake, front brake, etc, "crashing down the gears" consequences of etc. Soon.I got to thinking that in the Club , back in England, close riding , in formation, high standard, slippy lanes, only rarely did someone fall off...

Will it last in England? Will Clubs require a level of competence for Club riders before they go on Club runs ?

I imagine that your cat dismissed all this Health and Safety nonsense..... the only time I ever saw my cat scared was when a Hot air balloon, having difficulties, over our garden in England, was struggling to gain height. I was a bit scared myself!

"How should the bars be held when riding? "..good question. Watching a video of the 1999 Superbike Championship yesterday.. Carl Foggarty... he definately knows the answer ! Amazing rider !

Best wishes, Chris.