That right there, is a 1969 Dodge Charger. Back when petrol was cheap, flares were fashionable and Steve McQueen was cool personified it was the car to have. It would have probably been propelled by a 440cui V8 from the Mopar stable, maybe it was subjected to the spannerings of the guys at Road and Track. Even if it wasn't it would have still been the car that made high-school boys speechless as it burbled past. It was, for lack of a better phrase, one of the finest and fastest muscle cars to have. And thats not just relative to the 70's. People still go ga-ga for them now, paying anything up to $50,000 for a tidy one!

So, why oh why is this one here? Sitting neglected up to its chassis rails in dirt. Forgotten.

Well....actually, i don't know. But what i do know is that i've found lots of cars in this state myself, and becuase i'm addicited to cars i usually try and buy them. The reason i don't have a street full of rusty cars though, is down to the blindingly entertaining array of excuses i get. Here are a few....

"It was my late husbands, i can't possibly get rid of it"

"It's not for sale mate, i'm gonna restore it"

"No"

"Yeah mate, i was thinking of getting shot. It's £450,000.95"

Are these people not allowed to have moments of clairty? If i had a car like lingering on my drive but had no interest in anything automotive, i'm pretty sure i'd get sick of the sight of it soon enough. If i had such a car, but were unwilling to part with it for reasons of sentiment i would still be able to understand that the bloke who keeps leaving notes on it might possibly want to restore it.

Old cars now are the last of them. In 10 years time the cars of toady will be known as old cars by age only, not carachter. An old car now is a different breed to its modern counterpart. OUR old cars function through wires and valves and 13mm bolts, the have personalities and habits. They're not reliant on the same level of computer power that was used to place people on the moon just to open a window, unlike the new stuff.

You might be wondering what my point is here....well, bear with me, i'm getting there.

The point is this. Cars now are white goods, consumables that a person needs to get by in life. They are cheap to make, cheap to buy and as such, cheap to replace. Nothing from the last ten years will become a classic because in ten years time the decade old car will be as relaiable as its newer cousin and equally as bland.

This is why it pains me to see great old cars abandoned. We are the generation who are responsible for our motoring heritage. Now that might sound a bit deep, but do you honestly think the members of the "Playstation generation" are going to toil in the wind a rain fixing a car up, when they can just buy a brand new one on Gran Tourismo? No. They're not.

We're it now, and there are thousands of cars all over the country that need to be saved....

So, that old car that's clogging up your drive is important. It's not just a car. Its an expensive hobby for someone who is willing to invest their heart and their time into.

As such, when that 34 year old bloke knocks on your door with the same excitement in his eyes as a kid has on Christmas Day, let him buy it. You know it makes sense.

The people behind the cars....

Car clubs are a good idea. Its always nice to talk to someone about your car in a genuinely interested environment. As I’m sure some of you will know, if you burst into full conversation about the benefits of a direct port NOS system to your partner the response is usually lacking in enthusiasm. Well, that how it is in my house anyway! That’s why there is nothing I love more than talking to a bunch of like-minded mates about all the oily bits that mere mortals don’t understand. I love be able to do that without the underlying possibility of killing someone from verbally induced boredom.

In this spectrum of clubs though, there is, I think, a large divide between new cars and the motors of days gone by. My boss for example, has a Mazda RX-8. It’s a nice car by all means. Goes quickly, handles well, looks good etc etc. There is an online forum for the owners of the wankel powered beasties which is handy as a source of information. But somewhat lacking in any sort of personality. It consists of people airing their concerns about warranty claims and the worryingly frequent oil changes. I’m sure this is of benefit for those that own them, but it’s a bit dull.

This is just the problem though. Here we have a car that has broken away from the norm with its painfully unreliable engine, its odd suicide door design and its family car emphasis on a sports car platform. But despite all these brilliant features, the most exciting thing in the forum is “how do I remove a scratch from the dash” . Hmmmm. Dull.

If this is the level of excitement for such a bold car in comparison to the rest of the new car market, what must forums elsewhere be like? I went to an Audi day at Castle Combe race circuit yesterday. Some nice cars there too, tearing up the track like loons. One thing that struck me as utterly bizarre though, was the Audi A2 owners club. I kid you not, it was a line of identical cars. And I do mean identical. One chap had broken away from the norm though. His was black. How is this fun? I’m sure it is to them and I have no issue with their club. Everyone needs a hobby after all. But god damn, that must be dull. There can only be so much you can talk about when it come to a new car?

This is where old cars become supreme. With old cars and their associated clubs there is a real atmosphere. Some, I admit, are dull in comparison to others. But even still, the members all meet up and talk about how they fitted their front sub frame in the rain. In the dark. With a hernia. Because that’s what old cars make you do. These clubs have meets. But these meets are carried out with the emphasis firmly on showing each members hard work off. Not trying to be better than anyone, or to get a sticker in the window that gets them a 10% discount with SAGA insurance.

I’m part of an online forum as some of you may know. I’m an extremely active member. I’ve been a member for about 9-10 months now, and I don’t even own the model of car associated with the club. I did….briefly, but then I sold it. Because I’m a fool. But that’s another story. I’m still active in the forum though because I genuinely have made some great friends. I look forward to hearing from people and finding out what people have been up to. I try my best to help anyone with a problem because I love the site and want to be part of such a good thing. Obviously I’m passionate about the cars, and it’s because we hall have or have had old cars that the site was created. Everyone on that forum loves their old motor, but they love them even more because they can be safe in the knowledge that there is going to be someone on hand to help them out if they need it. And there always is someone on hand too, over 4500 people in fact. And that’s all because we are passionate about our old cars.


Bet you don’t get that with A2. But hey, it’s under warranty…..right?

Everything has to start somewhere. And that’s exactly what’s happening here…a new start.

I love to write. By no means am I the best in the world when it comes to all things literary, my spelling is shocking and my use of punctuation is sporadic to say the least. The important thing is that I love to write. Nothing keeps me more entertained than writing a few paragraphs on a cold winters evening, or some other cliche. I also have another love though, cars. Or to be picky, old cars. I’d be hard pushed to think of something more fun than tinkering with and driving an old motor. I can assure there is no greater feeling than the satisfaction after fixing your Mini in the snow!

This is why old cars are better. Old cars are almost human, they have their mood swings, the let you know if they are ill and they will sometimes….just sometimes reward you with a trouble free blast down a sunny Welsh B road.....maybe.....If you have your AA card with you.

The car, in my eyes at least, died a long time ago. In regards to cars that are mass produced nowadays we have nothing that is on par with the old stuff. Cars now are seen more as a status symbol than an expression of a person. In fact, it was just the opposite way back when. New cars now are designed to make you think driver is a high powered executive, when in fact he's probably nothing more than the office junior. Back in the day though, well, it was all very very different. Mr Johnson drove the MKII Zodiac High-Line because he was the boss. His bank manger drove the PA Cresta because he was just that…the Bank Manager. Back when old cars were new they meant something. They were made by people who longed to be the guy who drove them home every night.

Back then they were designed to make the driver feel special, not feel financially secure. That didn’t matter. Back then what mattered was the car. Cars now are as disposable as the dishwasher or the microwave. An old car, well that is something that YOU complete. It’ll sit there through 10 years of restoration work, just waiting for you to use it. An old car is an extension of the driver and back in the day the car NEEDED the driver. But now, thanks to marketing and an obsession to be better than the next guy, the person NEEDS the car. Wrong? You betcha.

That’s why I’m here though. Over the next, urm, well…….over time I’m going to write about why old skool cars are better. Because lets face it……they are.

So, this is my new blog.

My old blog ( www.chrispollitt.blogspot.com ) was a fun venture, but writing about the hum-drum events in my life became, well, hum-drum. That’s why this has come about. Fuelled by my passion for cars and my love of writing, this amalgamation of the two will be my little rant at all things automotive. I’ll be focusing my stuff on all things old, because lets face it….old skool is cool.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the ramblings of a keyboard happy petrolhead…..