100 year old car

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21st Century Man

Original Poster:

41,762 posts

255 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
As a daily driver.

Not crazy money.

Recommendations.

vixen1700

24,192 posts

277 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
An Austin 7 of some description?

Although I'm not sure about driving it about daily. hehe

Bobupndown

2,147 posts

50 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
I've driven my 61 year old 850 Mini about 120 miles today for a car show. Not sure I'd like to do it every day! Another40 years older? nono

gruffgriff

1,746 posts

250 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
The Model T was quite sophisticated by '24 and probably has the best parts supply of anything 100 years old.
Or wait 3 years for the Model A's centenary!

21st Century Man

Original Poster:

41,762 posts

255 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
Yes, a model A is close enough, and a bit more thump too.

Riley Blue

21,633 posts

233 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
Model A would be my choice. Whenever I've seen one being driven I've thought, "Yes, that'll do nicely."

williamp

19,562 posts

280 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
vixen1700 said:
An Austin 7 of some description?

Although I'm not sure about driving it about daily. hehe
still one of my favourite threads, with the 7 owner on here got a speeding ticket from a camera!!


Turbobanana

6,740 posts

208 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
I occasionally think about a Model T, albeit not as a daily but as a fun, occasional commuter. They seem to come up for £12-15,000 every now and then.

They're certainly robust enough. I guess you can't be too precious about originality. Be careful if using car parks with limited headroom: some Ts are very tall!

MartinFC

26 posts

115 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
The Model T has that quirky pedal arrangement though, whereas the A, with the conventional Clutch, Brake, Accelerator, wouldn't need so much brain rewiring.

GTRene

17,785 posts

231 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
21st Century Man said:
As a daily driver.

Not crazy money.

Recommendations.
well, its sort of cool and many thumbup I guess.

I guess it could be done if you can get still parts for such and you know some stuf?

Also, would be great if it had a sort restoration in driving parts and electrics, guess 12V would be handy? or hm... some such old cars are Restomod or Hot-rodded = more modern stuf on them and more reliable?

let us know what car you choose thumbup

ColdoRS

1,845 posts

134 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
A Model A/B/T would definitely the easiest to daily, I would imagine.
Aside from the above, most stuff of that age doesn't have a proper roof so I think daily driving one will take some effort. Fair play if you're committed!

aeropilot

36,580 posts

234 months

Saturday 15th June
quotequote all
21st Century Man said:
Yes, a model A is close enough, and a bit more thump too.
Model B/18 would be my choice, although still 8 years short of the magic hundred, but more expensive than a Model A of course.

Model A has huge parts supply advantages, but not great if you are of average modern build in terms of comfort.

If you are of typical pre-WW2 build then they are about perfect.


lowdrag

13,032 posts

220 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
When we used to meet for a pub meal, Tony Dron always came in the Austin 7 he had built for himself and it made me smile. He used to drive to London to the RAC Club too, and told stories of battling with an Astra and coming out of the roundabout in front of it!

witteringon

1,732 posts

48 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
The model A Ford is not yet 100 years old. If you move on to the date it was introduced a lot more useable and affordable vintage cars come into the equation.

mac96

4,434 posts

150 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
Bobupndown said:
I've driven my 61 year old 850 Mini about 120 miles today for a car show. Not sure I'd like to do it every day! Another40 years older? nono
The idea that an 850 Mini is much older now than an Austin 7 was when the Mini was new is quite alarming!

aeropilot

36,580 posts

234 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
21st Century Man said:
Yes, a model A is close enough, and a bit more thump too.
And there are options of period speed equipment for added thump as well smile


GTRene

17,785 posts

231 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
nice... thumbup

ferret50

1,591 posts

16 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
3 Litre Bentley!

biggrin

Was it 1924 or 1926 the fist Bentley entered at Le Mans?

2xChevrons

3,534 posts

87 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
Model T is, as always, a good shout - durable, quite 'chunky' performance an entirely known quantity and lots of parts and knowledge still out there. A steep learning curve to drive, though. But that might be part of the fun.

I drove a 1915 Dodge 30-35 which was remarkably easy to get along with. 3.5-litre engine, three-speed gearbox and conventional controls (apart from the gearshift pattern being 'backwards' like on an Austin Seven). Electric starter as standard, as well. The trickiest thing to master was the cork cone clutch which was very sharp and savage in operation.

If you allow a year's grace for the build date, I also felt that the 1925 Humber 12-24 Tourer that I drove was very 'livable'. Slightly eccentric control layout (centre throttle, right-foot brake and the gear lever on the right) but, unlike my encounters with Model Ts, I found it became second nature very quickly (I've never driven a Model T long or consistently enough for the controls to become second nature - always had to deliberately think my way through every step). Electric starter, although the battery was dead on the one I drove was dead so it was a case of juggling the ignition lever and swinging the handle) and, once the crash gearbox was sussed, felt remarkably like one of my old Series Land Rovers to drive.

crankedup5

10,775 posts

42 months

Sunday 16th June
quotequote all
Austin 12/4 is a well supported car in terms of spare parts back up and a thriving members club (VAR). I’ve enjoyed ownership of several over the past years and can attest to the reliability and slowness of the car biggrin they do thump on forever it seems.