% of cars which turn up at shows vs private collections

RobAMerc

I was talking to a lad the other day who reckons that 60% of classics in Ireland never see the light of day and that the shows don't really represent the proper state of the Irish classic scene as most owners keep the cars to themselves for themselves.

What do people here think ?

Could it be as high as 60% we never get to see ?

RobaMerc

Anan1

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I know I never brought a car to a show, nor did the whole going to meets thing really interest me. An online classic car forum is great, as it allows owners to exchange information & help without having to go down the whole meet-strangers-in-some-pub-carpark-on-Sunday route.:)

bijapos

I'd say its nearer 90% if not more. I know a few people who have original Irish cars from the 70's and early 80's, some of which have been in the family since new and they drive them the odd time but have no interest in parking it up for the day. I was at the Paddys day parade in the small town where my parents live last year and was shocked by the amount of classics that were there. You'd be very surprised what people have stored away.

There is a photo of a car posted on a thread here in the last couple of days, the car has the reg 36-LM-20. So where are the other 19? If Leitrim can reg at least 20 cars from 1936 how many classics does that leave in the county, or country as a whole. How many have we ever seen?

Its different strokes for different folks, some people shy away from shows, others go from show to show all summer as a hobby.

corktina

i imagine the nimbers started at 20...they would hope to sell the others at siome stage I think

I have owned about 60 fords since 1998 and almost all of them have vanished without trace. Its my belief that a lot of people salt them away and only bring them out for the odd club run or paddys day. Of course a few of them probably got run into the ground and are parked up awaiting body work..

quattro777

I would say 60% is a low estimate.

hometruths

bijapos wrote: »

I'd say its nearer 90% if not more.

Agree totally. See this footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vKbLD6_C8k

A trip to Lamborghini factory to pick up an Islero in 1968. From 3.30 onwards you see the test drive back home on local roads, at one stage passing a couple of nuns.

I suspect the guy driving has a number of fine Italian cars still tucked away in some farmyard.

moonlighting

road tax killed it for a lot of car owners, and expensive insurance.
between myself and my uncle we have a good few 80s cars in good nic. but cant afford to have 2 cars running on irish roads at the same time. road tax for my daily driver is 600 euro alone. god knows how much it would be on a 3.8 ltr.

carchaeologist

bijapos wrote: »

There is a photo of a car posted on a thread here in the last couple of days, the car has the reg 36-LM-20. So where are the other 19?

Those issues re-started at 20, there was a shuffle around with regs in the mid '90s, stuff like to take an example 66KY***, this originally started at 66KY1/2 etc with the '87 change but seems to have jumped to over 500 after that. No one seems to have an explanation at to why this is. There may be a 36LM1 or 36LM2 from the original issues, but it's definate that they jumped to 20 then. I'd say all older issues in each county did similar.

As for what out there and not seen, I reckon for every car you see there's at least three in hide. And all the best stuff is in hide...iv seen some lovely motors over the years that won't see the road anytime soon.

I myself have nearly 10 cars in various conditions but only 3 roadlegal at the moment. Theres six at a friends place but just 1 road worthy, and i bet most guys here can say similar things.

corktina

I re-registered a car in early 1987 and was sure Id get 82C1.... I got 82C53! I imagine this series atrated at 50


It was a a Talbot Horizon...when did you last see one?

alastair

schmittel wrote: »

Agree totally. See this footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vKbLD6_C8k

A trip to Lamborghini factory to pick up an Islero in 1968. From 3.30 onwards you see the test drive back home on local roads, at one stage passing a couple of nuns.

I suspect the guy driving has a number of fine Italian cars still tucked away in some farmyard.

I'm pretty sure some of that Irish footage is Ballybride road in Rathmichael, maybe Quarry road too.

edit - yep - it goes past the Graduate pub in Killiney too.

hometruths

alastair wrote: »

I'm pretty sure some of that Irish footage is Ballybride road in Rathmichael, maybe Quarry road too.

edit - yep - it goes past the Graduate pub in Killiney too.

spot on

alastair

schmittel wrote: »

spot on

I feel more than a bit stupid now - the car drives up my road - Ballycorus road at the end of the sequence. No wonder it looked familiar. Owner was in the Shankill area?

hometruths

alastair wrote: »

I feel more than a bit stupid now - the car drives up my road - Ballycorus road at the end of the sequence. No wonder it looked familiar. Owner was in the Shankill area?

Yep, nearby, Loughlinstown I think.

johnf2020

The other side of the coin about collecting that I dont like is guys collecting cars like no tomorrow thinking they are saving them, only to lock them up in a shed never to see daylight again...I was approached by a guy in Inistioge on Sunday when he saw my 18.He was looking for a Fuego. He proceded to tell me that he had a 12 ,16,17 all in a shed. When I enquired as to the condition, he said that they were now pretty poor and that the 17's engine was now locked up..Now come on. This type of guy will never restore those cars and will deprive the likes of me ever getting my hands on something that I really want so that I can restore it and put it back on the road instead of letting in rot.

carchaeologist

corktina wrote: »

I re-registered a car in early 1987 and was sure Id get 82C1.... I got 82C53! I imagine this series atrated at 50

How soon into the year Corky?

johnos1984

I don't blame people for not taking their cars to shows in Ireland.

They are generally in a poorly laid out and thought out venue. Difficult to access or leave (especially if it gets wet).

Feral kids (and parents) pulling and hitting off the cars, pushing prams against them and then telling you how your car was sh!t back in the day and you must be mad to be looking after it.

I prefer just driving them around and enjoying them rather than have the stress of going near a show. It's a car, if it gets damaged on the road so be it. That's what it was built for.

carchaeologist

johnos1984 wrote: »

Feral kids (and parents) pulling and hitting off the cars, pushing prams against them and then telling you how your car was sh!t back in the day and you must be mad to be looking after it.

Drive a Datsun, that's all you ever hear!! Makes things entertaining!

johnos1984

carchaeologist wrote: »

Drive a Datsun, that's all you ever hear!! Makes things entertaining!

My list of BL tin worm makes showing rather difficult.....

Austin Maxi - Jesus they were rubbish.
Morris Marina - Jesus they rusted like hell
Rover Sd1 - A Rover is it? A dogs for life you know. No sh!t I can see that by looking at your wife

Thanks for the compliments folks by tellling me my cars a pile but I think I'll just take them to the shops on Sunday in future.....well the next time I have one. I'm currently CLASSic Less

corktina

carchaeologist wrote: »

How soon into the year Corky?

not sure but it arrived in January and I was fairly law abiding then so it would have got changed quite soon after.

carchaeologist

corktina wrote: »

not sure but it arrived in January and I was fairly law abiding then so it would have got changed quite soon after.

Id say every issue would have started from #1 and worked upwards, there must have been a lot of 82 cars imported, they would have only been 5 years old.

corktina

all I know is I traded it in in 1989 against a new Kadett 4 door LX and got three times what I paid for it in 1986!

aujopimur

I know a guy with a €7 million collection, only 2 or 3 of the lower value ones are ever taken out, although these are used on a daily basis.

gn3dr

johnos1984 wrote: »

My list of BL tin worm makes showing rather difficult.....

Austin Maxi - Jesus they were rubbish.
Morris Marina - Jesus they rusted like hell
Rover Sd1 - A Rover is it? A dogs for life you know. No sh!t I can see that by looking at your wife

Thanks for the compliments folks by tellling me my cars a pile but I think I'll just take them to the shops on Sunday in future.....well the next time I have one. I'm currently CLASSic Less

Ha ha - would love to watch those conversations. In fairness though they have a point and I'm saying this from the perspective of owning a fair few BL products myself - their concepts and initial designs were great but their execution and reliability really was ****e and that's what killed them in the end I think.

johnos1984

gn3dr wrote: »

Ha ha - would love to watch those conversations. In fairness though they have a point and I'm saying this from the perspective of owning a fair few BL products myself - their concepts and initial designs were great but their execution and reliability really was ****e and that's what killed them in the end I think.

I know and accept they weren't great but when someone makes an effort to buy one, put lots of work in and take the car out to show everyone for the day it would be nice if the grunting mongs would keep their mouths shut

RobAMerc

johnos1984 wrote: »

I know and accept they weren't great but when someone makes an effort to buy one, put lots of work in and take the car out to show everyone for the day it would be nice if the grunting mongs would keep their mouths shut

In fairness the same sh1te goes on with current models. The amount of rubbish I am constantly having to put up with from friends who have a half arsed interest in cars is shocking. Alfas and Fiats are sh1t, Mercs are for auld fellas, convertibles are for birds - ffs it's sickening.

The fact someone managed to save an old Alfa or SD1 from the scrap heap or before it disintegrated is something to marvel at not scoff ( and I say this in the with the very fondest sentiment ) but tools will always be tools.

Type 17

johnos1984 wrote: »

... it would be nice if the grunting mongs would keep their mouths shut

Genuine lol

Kevin_Herron

schmittel wrote: »

Agree totally. See this footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vKbLD6_C8k

A trip to Lamborghini factory to pick up an Islero in 1968. From 3.30 onwards you see the test drive back home on local roads, at one stage passing a couple of nuns.

I suspect the guy driving has a number of fine Italian cars still tucked away in some farmyard.

Thats a great video. The guy driving had several Lamborghinis in Ireland and had told me of the brilliant parties in London back in the Seventies that Lamborghini used to throw for all his customers!

I would agree with the OP that a huge percentage of cars in this country never hit the streets.

cian1500ww

bijapos wrote: »

There is a photo of a car posted on a thread here in the last couple of days, the car has the reg 36-LM-20. So where are the other 19? If Leitrim can reg at least 20 cars from 1936 how many classics does that leave in the county, or country as a whole. How many have we ever seen?

Where was that photo posted because I think I know the car??