How much for your car mate? (3 times in one day??)

[nomad]

Have you ever wondered what makes people tick?

I've been spending a few days recently at a nearby market town (known localy as "The Land That Time Forgot" )
3 times today I've had passing pedestrians go through the "Phoar - like your car mate - that must be worth a fortune" (it's a '70s Rat - so No it's not!). Even more odd is that there are some nice (ie expensive) moderns parked just a few yards away.
They then ask "What is it?"
All 3 then wanted to buy it and got very upset when I tell them it's not for sale and refuse to tell them how much I'll sell it for
The best offer I got was £200...

Sooo, any advice on how to get rid of unwanted attention when you're working outside?

 As payment I offer...







ps. we also had an old boy who came into the garden for no real reason, I think he just wanted to chat to somebody

[The Jackeria]

I'm sure this is something everyone who has a proper classic gets. The only way around it is to hide the car unfortunately. I even get petrol station attendants asking after mine...

[ckerr]

I normally get, what year is it, why is it so low (its a beetle) What would you sell it for... I normally just answer with I wouldn't.
Last time I got questioned it was by a petrol station attendant behind the counter...

[fr€$h&m1nt¥]

This reminds me of a rusting away pile of car that used to be parked on a drive in Walsall (opposite the arboretum by the Park Tavern if you know it) for pretty much the whole of the 80s - painted on the windscreen was "NOT FOR SALE".

I always assumed it was a joke as it was in such bad condition but maybe it started out half decent and the owner was fed up of people knocking their door with offers.

[penski]

Jul 10, 2014 1:43:27 GMT nomad said:

a nearby market town (known localy as "The Land That Time Forgot" )

Ashghanistan?

Blyth?

Cambois?!?!

*n

[georgeb]

Ahh, good old Alnwick!

On the other side it can be good fun. Three times now we've been having a beer down our local and someone has come up to ask about the RR and is it for sale. Madam gets really peeved that no-one has made her an offer for her brand new Fortuner. "But your car very old!"

[Dez]

i now drive this daily-



its got to point where its now weird if i come out of a shop/supermarket/cafe/petrol station and there isnt someone looking at it, asking questions or asking if its ok to take pics. i get asked what its worth, but no one has actually asked to buy it yet.

[stealthstylz]

Why do you want to stop the attention? Spend a bit of time talking to them, say thankyou etc. They might end up wanting to buy/build a cool car of their own and that's a good thing right?

[composimmonite]

Jul 10, 2014 8:26:37 GMT fr€$h&m1nt¥ said:

This reminds me of a rusting away pile of car that used to be parked on a drive in Walsall (opposite the arboretum by the Park Tavern if you know it) for pretty much the whole of the 80s - painted on the windscreen was "NOT FOR SALE".

I always assumed it was a joke as it was in such bad condition but maybe it started out half decent and the owner was fed up of people knocking their door with offers.

I replaced my H reg Beetle (with a S reg Skoda Estelle) in early 80's and the Beetle sat in the drive as I'd given it to my brother but he couldn't drive (had Leukaemia and subsequently died). One day I had a chap turned up and ask if it was for sale so I thought "why not" and gave him chapter and verse about never welded, low mileage, no problems, etc only to be told the chap actually was only interested in paying a few quid and intention was to "weigh in" !
So whilst you might get genuine enthusiasts enquiring if for sale there are also the chancers on the look for a "quick buck" and regard any old car, no matter what condition or rarity, as simply lumps of metal they can sell as scrap. Sometimes they even present it as dong you a favour to remove the car !

Paul H

[Nathan]

The Capri seems to attract these people in mass, usually when filling up.
I like the "like your car mate", but the "sell it to me" etc gets on my nerves. I did once say "Make me an offer" to which I got £500 response....I just laughed and drove away.

Trouble is it's got bad, really bad that I don't take the car out that much....Honestly it just a 2.8 Special! People seem to take offence because you wont sell.

Odd folk

[Dez]

Jul 10, 2014 9:43:53 GMT stealthstylz said:

Why do you want to stop the attention? Spend a bit of time talking to them, say thankyou etc. They might end up wanting to buy/build a cool car of their own and that's a good thing right?

and the other massive benefit for people in our line of work, is that as soon as you become known as the 'bloke with the old cars' pretty much anything of any age that turns up locally gets offered to you first

[v8lee]

Funny how no-one asks you if your car's for sale when it actually is for sale :/

[THE_Liam]

I was under the bonnet of my 306 servicing it and a truck full of travellers pulled up...

"Is that for scrap mate?"
"Yeah mate, just servicing it ready for the scrapyard"

Give me strength.

[baggabones]

I used get it all the time when I ran VWs especially my old split screen panel van. Here's my number, let me know if you ever want to sell it....funny how the phone calls all fell on deaf ears

[1900sr]

If they persist after being told it's not for sale, just give them a ridiculously high price. If they're willing to pay that snap their hand off and build/buy another!

[slammage]

Get it all the time, I have my escort on the drive now and corsair parked adjacent to it, I get the usual ' you must like your old/retro cars boy' pretty much every time I'm out there, my response 'What old/retro cars?'

Take it on the chin, I had a lovely old chap emigrating to Texas knock on my door with a garage full of nos corsair bits! it was like a dream come true!! The convo started of with the usual ' I used to have one of these...' and me taking the time to listen to the usual ill timed 'I used to have one of these' discussions led to him telling me I can have all the bits!! Now if I had my rude/miffed of hat on my head I would never of had that opportunity..

just as the penguins from Madagascar say... 'Smile and wave boys' .

[MrSpeedy]

Literally every time I get out of our little 400E Thames Pick up, I get someone say "Ooohhh, you don't see many of them now", "Love that!", My Dad used to drive one of them" and at least once a month someone will ask "How much mate?" (half the time by travellers for the last question!)

In the Vitesse, it's usually "What is it? A Herald?" or " I learnt to drive in one of them" and "That doesn't sound standard, what engine you got in it?"


It's part and parcel of running old motors. You spark off peoples memories and a bit of nostalga for them. They usually walk off with a smile on their faces, and for that I'm a little bit happier.

It can be a bit annoying if you're in a rush, but you just live with it. What's another 5 minutes anyway?!?!

[Deleted]

The anonymity of the Xantia is nice, but I do miss the occasional misty-eyed pedestrian/pensioner wombling over to talk to me about the Princess or the over-excited kid asking me what it is. It's actually feels pretty good to have someone younger ask me what my car is and get interested in it, especially if they're asking all the right questions about the hobby, the costs, the practicalities. I remember being that age and told to buggeroff every time I showed an interest so I try not to do the same and make sure to share my own enthusiasm because really that's how you keep the hobby going.

Funnily enough, I've never owned a car someone has wanted to buy off me.

[Clement]

Once I was putting gas in the Tina when a woman doing the same with her Megane started chatting, "what year is it?" etc. I've never attracted the wrong kind of attention with it so I don't mind talking about cars for a bit, then she casually mentions she used to have a '57 De Soto. My jaw dropped.

[rsmithy626]

The occasional "what engine you got in that Bug?". Kids shouting "wow look at that car!" puts a smile on my face. Does get a lot of attention and I'm more than happy to have a quick chat