Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    Yep, caught those two - indeed still have the last one on video. The
    auto jumble looked great but one of my colleagues here says that you
    need to take your own chair or equivalent as standing time is extremely 
    protrated... Did you see the bidding at the auction (Uhh!), some people
    have too much money!
    
    I hope they mention a few scrap yards around the UK who specialise in
    collecting these kind of parts.
    
    Ian

    re -.1
    
    
    I know VERY little about these cars but at the Easthampstead AUTOSUNDAY
    2 years ago some had one of those very cars!. They wouldn't put the
    roof up too often " 'cos it might jam"!!
    
    Andy

Ford Skyliner, aka retractible hardtop. Made in 1957,58 and 59. Lots of
plumbing to make it all work.

Very collectible in the US. At a auto show last Sunday there were at least
10 of them all lined up.

    Last nights program was all about Italin cars, mainly Ferraris but with
    a few Lancias thrown in for good measure.
    
    Visited a museum/exhibtion in Florence with a number of unique/very
    rare Ferraris on display on the hillside. Each car in a large glass
    cube.
    
    Talked to a gut who owned an Iso/Eso ( ?? ) - Italian designed car but
    with American engine in it. His girlfriend also owned one. However the 
    car the guy owned didn't have the engine, a 7 litre jobby, in it. HE
    could only afford the car without the engine but since he bought it
    the value of his incvestment has gone up ten fold. Apparently these
    cars are extremely rare.
    
    Finally in discussion with a Lloyds broker. This guy had all manner of
    rare exotica ranging from a metallic blue 360 Ferrari TC ( ?? ) to a
    hand built something or other of which there are only a few in the
    world. Obviously money in insurance !
    
    Rich
    

    
    I almost went to work for Leslie & Godwins once (the company the
    insurer worked for). My wife said 'See. If you'd gone to work there
    you could've had 12 Ferraris!', oh yeah?
    
    This programme has every chance to be great, but I found it very dull
    in presentation and content. Also, at 30 minutes, it is too short. IMHO
    they'd be better of putting an hour on at a non-peak time (if they were
    worried about it not being a big audience catcher). Another criticism
    is that it seems to make all classic car owners look distinctly odd
    (the guy with the ISO with no engine! The insurer with 12 cars
    telling the programme how his Bizzarini was a racing car, because the
    engine was behind the front axle and the fuel tank in front of the
    rear). These people may not be strange, but the programme's format
    doesn't seem to give them a proper chance to explain why they wish
    to own such cars.
    
    Mark

    re .4
    
    Iso Grifo. Can't remember which engine it had.
    
    Strange that he thinks the engine would be expensive, because if it 
    was any American V8, they are quite cheap to get even as factory-new.
    
    - Jyri -

    >Talked to a gut who owned an Iso/Eso ( ?? ) - Italian designed car but
    >with American engine in it. His girlfriend also owned one. However the
    >car the guy owned didn't have the engine, a 7 litre jobby, in it. HE
    >could only afford the car without the engine but since he bought it
    >the value of his incvestment has gone up ten fold. Apparently these
    >cars are extremely rare.
    
    It was mentioned that there are only 2 of these cars in the country.
    Very rare and he obviously made a sound investment.
    
    What puzzled me though was that he said that his hobby (Referring to
    the car, I thought) was taking more time than his job (or words to that
    effect) but his girlfriend said that he had taken 3 years to pay her
    back for the money lent to buy the indicating that he had had the 
    car at least that long.
    
    As the car didn't have an engine and was in "original" condition, what
    did he spend all his time doing ? Rolling it in and out the garage and
    staring at it ?
    
    - Roy ( Good prog )
                                             

    
    The tax disc on the Iso without the engine was '82 which would indicate
    that it hadn't been on the road for 8 or 9 years!
    
    IMHO I can't see the point of having a car if: 
    a) you can't afford the engine 
    b) the car is so valuable you're scared to take it onto the road
    
    I think the whole 'fine art' end of the Classic car market stinks,
    if these people want 'fine art' why don't they stick to paintings,etc
    for their investments.
    
    Cars were made to be driven, not stored in a garage.
    
    Jeff K.
    

    Another thought..
    
    This ISo was stored in what looked to be a very ordinary lock-up
    garage. Just a garage in a row and it only seemed to be secured
    by an ordinary padlock.
    
    Now if the car is that rare lets' hope that no prospective car thief
    didn't recognise the location of the garage etc. etc.
    
    Rich
    

    .6�    Iso Grifo. Can't remember which engine it had.
    
    There were several versions. 
    
    First there were the ISO cars (originally designed by Giotto Bizzarini)
    powered by big US blocks : GM and CHRYSLER versions.
    
    Almost at the same time Bizzarini himself built a few cars under his
    name (which eventually put an end to his contract with ISO).
    
    All the above had the engine mounted in the front (although it was
    pushed back as much as possible for better weight distribution).
    
    Bizzarini did build a few racers that had the engine located behind the
    driver (still a US V8). One car was built in spider form with a
    Lamborghini Miura engine (mounted in transverse poistion). 
    
    Both the ISO and BIZZARINI cars are very rare. Beautiful collector's
    items.

    Pavarotti junior's car was an ISO Rivolta 7 litre ....
    
    Shame he has decided not to lay out a few hundred pounds for a used 454
    Chevy or similar - that's the whole idea of Italian style/American
    muscle isn't it ????? He could at least have the car mobile rather than
    a museum (!) piece.
    
    Then, maybe he couldn't afford the insurance !!
    
    My VT340 is a green screen (appropriate)
    
    Mark
    

    Re: .4
>>    Talked to a gut who owned an Iso/Eso ( ?? ) - Italian designed car but
                 *****
    
    
    	Well, yes, he did look a bit podgy.  :-) :-) :-)
    
    It's a shame that car values have risen to such a height that they can
    only be afforded by City types of advanced years.  Although, if you've
    got the cash (Rightsize package ?) now seems the best chance for years
    to buy a Classic to use, many people who bought one just as investment
    have had their appendages burnt quite badly and apparently many are
    either offloading through auctions or taking less than the asking price
    because they can't afford the interest on the loans taken out to buy
    them.  This months (Oct) Classic and Sportscars has a big article on
    this (just in case anyone has been amazed by my newfound knowledge !).
    
    Stevie.

    
    'ere. Who you calling a City type of advanced age! :^)
    
    An MG or a Triumph may not be quite a Ferrari, but they are and
    have always been in the affordable range of the average enthusiast.
    If you can live with running a classic as everyday transport a Lotus
    or TVR are also easily affordable, although possibly a bit dear if
    you just want a toy.
    
    If you fancy something a little different a Marcos (plug, plug) or 
    something like Chris Gale's Fairthorpe are excellent and affordable
    choices.
    
    Don't imagine that just because you could buy an Aston for the cost
    of a new Cortina a few years ago that you could have ever afforded to
    run or insure it (I know I seriously investigated a DB5 at one point.
    Yet another case for the 'the one that got away' file!).
    
    Mark

	I agree with the earlier comment about the program being all style
	and no content.  It is somewhat short and more than a little dull.
	However, the title is "Classic Cars" and last night's cars were
	certainly classics.  It's unfortunate that we didn't see any of
	last night's cars actually being driven (except off of a trailer!)...

	Dave

    
    re .13
    
    >> like Chris Gale's Fairthorpe
    
    Gulp, it's been sat in the garage awaiting it's engine. Was this a
    subtle hint for me to take some holiday and get on with it !!!
    
    On a more general point I too think the top end of Classic Car
    ownership stinks and I'm more than pleaesed to see "Investors" get
    their fingers burnt.
    
    There is a rumour going 'round that a consortium of banks have a store
    of classic cars which have been repossesed. They're storing them as
    they can't sell them and recover anything like the original loan.
    
    If the above is true maybe the banks will refrain from lending large
    sums to sustain this kind of "investment".
    
    Cars are for driving and enjoying NOT putting in class cubes !!!
    
    Soap box away, toolbox out .....
    
    Chris.