rustywagon
Part of things
Just joined; long time lurker!
Posts: 31
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Epic. I posted on here about a nice old guy that offered me use of his workshop. I was working in the garden today, and a different older bloke popped his head over the gate, and mentioned that the other guy said I was on the lookout for a lathe. Turns out he lives next door to him, and they were chatting. So, Next saturday, I'm going to pick up a lathe from him! Always pays to be nice
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Drive Way Do - GoodersMercdan68
@forddan68
Club Retro Rides Member 68
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We've lived in our crescent for 12 years and everyone knows me as that fella that's always working on different cars,personally I love the chats and general banter with anyone that walks by,I've got to know so many local people and been given tools and a set of car ramps recently,,,,oh and just last week a lady around the next road passed by and asked if I could open her bonnet as my wife said around the school I could fix anything! Thanks I'm thinking,she was told by the ford dealer the cable had snapped and a large price followed.....a quick push down on the bonnet whilst she pulled the release and yes it opened,four beers I'm happy!
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Fraud owners club member 2003 W211 Mercedes E class 1998 ex bt fiesta van
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Drive Way Do - Goodersqwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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My next door neighbour has a newish (11 reg) Focus RS which he keeps locked away and we sometimes have a chat.
There's a couple of people on the estate with modified cars. One with an especially lovely 100e in Ford Performance Blue on Mexico dartboards. Never spoken to him but always enjoy seeing it drive past, sounds fruity.
One of the lads with a modified 306 dturbo stopped for a chat this afternoon which was a welcome distraction from the pig of a day I was having!
Tom
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Only been in my current street for 12 months. There is a bloke up the road with a late 60s Mustang and occasionally a model T Speedster out the front, which is very unusual given our draconian rego laws... I think I am more known as the weird bloke who rides children's bikes more than the car guy. But I am able to hide most of my shenanigans behind closed doors.
At our old place I used to work on the driveway, my next door neighbour always used to love a chat, and was always ready with a spanner or extra set of hands as required. Only issue I had was that after helping me tinker for a few months here and there he went and bought a VW Beetle. I don't think his wife will ever forgive me!
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No-one really talks to me about my current car, probably because it's a Golf and they aren't rare enough even if mine is mint compared to every other one I see driven on the roads round here (usual faded red/white driver models) Because my garage is 2 miles away from where I actually live and is only surrounded by other garages, I don't really get passers by complimenting it or regaling me with stories of their own, though I wish I did because I quite like a chat about cars because none of my friends are car people.
I just get the occasional chavvy lads in a scrap van asking if I have anything that needs to go - including the car. I get a little worried when they come by, maybe I should fit a tracker.
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the only one that sticks in my mind is when i was about 25 working on my astra out in the road, a lady walked past with her toddler son and he said "whats that man doing to his car mummy"
up till that point my mind age was still as a teenager, you know cars, cruising, clubbing, (not) getting girls.
i felt a bit disappointed tbh
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I live in a flkat so work on my cars either in the parking space or on the road, so a lot of passers-by on the estate but virtually zero chat... One neighbour occassionally says a few words, a polish chap had a friendly conversation with me when I was changing the mondeos rad and I chatted to a guy briefly working on a rather rat-look mazda xeros. thats it, and personaaly I like the community (a word somewhat ruined by politicians there...) that comes with cars, I get that sometimes people can be annoying, but really chat is good! it is fantastic to meet friendly/helpful/interesting people who want to share in something we enjoy! we go to meets to chat to people, so having the meet come to us would be great!
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Frequently I get people walking past who strike up conversation. Usually when I'm working on the Cortina, it seems to have a bit of nostalgic value to a lot of people.
There's a nice old guy that has a Triumph Spitfire and is always really keen to see what I'm doing and explains what he's doing. I had never met him until he walked past and spoke to me, this is great, but there are other people I really can't be doing with.
There's a guy that comes past and just talks rubbish and boasts about his son's Mini project. I just nod and laugh occasionally.
Next door neighbour is sound enough and always keen to give me a hand, though there's a guy that lives across the road that really riles me up making snide comments from his car as he drives past etc.
I tend not to work on my cars at home anymore and instead take them all to the unit where I get total peace.
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1966 MK1 Cortina 1971 Hillman Super Imp 1985 Volvo 360 GLEi 1986 Volvo 340 1.7 1990 Mercedes 190e 2.0 1993 Peugeot 205 STDT
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May 13, 2016 14:42:29 GMT
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My old neighbours near Alfreton - sort of wannabe middle class cul-de-sac folk.. Interbred busybodies essentially ( I was lodging) Please bear in mind, I'm a pleasant chap, always polite etc. *Reported me to the police for no tax the day it ran out... *Keyed my immaculate 340, right through the chrome and the limited edition badge. *Bent the ariel on my mk2 golf *Left various notes on the cars, no with house number / name though - unsightly, blah blah. Wish I knew who it was, cause I'd burn them... and their children
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May 13, 2016 15:24:00 GMT
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When I was about 15 I got talking to this old guy about a S1 XJ6 4.2L that he had in his driveway which hadn't moved in a long time, (this chap was known for being rather dour & mean). I only found out years later that this guy tracked me down & asked my Dad if he could give me his old Jag. Obviously by the fact that I only found out years later my Dad said No.
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Last Edit: May 13, 2016 15:25:28 GMT by MkX
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mikeymk
Part of things
'85 Polo Coupe S 1.6 16v
Posts: 931
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May 13, 2016 16:21:30 GMT
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I've lived in cul-de-sacs most of the 24 years i've been driving, so it's usually been a peaceful past-time working on them. Then i moved here, where i have both cul-de-sac parking and bays off the main street.
I chose to park in the latter because it makes life easier, especially with having a toddler. When it came to working on the cars, i can get an extension lead there. No brainer, you'd think.
The only issues i had before was nosey kids. Now i don't mind chatting to kids, i used to chat to adults working on cars when i was a kid, but that was before the paedo-paranoia, and sorry to all those who object to this subject, i'm not a leftie, but as a guy i cannot be seen chatting to random kids in the street.
That's not much an issue here though, the issue is being seen by everyone driving through the estate, who need work done on their car. And there's plenty of work to be had! "Here mate, how much to do a clutch in this?" And i'm thinking.. Erm, i dunno, why don't you go to a garage and ask them? WTF are you asking me for?
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May 13, 2016 16:26:08 GMT
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I just bought my first house in a cul de sac, its quite a community round here everyone's always got something going on, had a few of the neighbours pop over to have a chat about things were all pretty much the same which is nice, theres a early e36 across the road on a set of rare genuine bbs wheels blokes done a 2.8 conversion and the rest is just horse lorrys or bits and bobs still all talking points though.
I've got a garage that I rent and where i keep my offroader the bloke next to it is a complete bell thinks his quashqui is a 4x4
And at the old house we used to rent I used to keep my car on the road outside done everything from lowering, engine swaps, bodywork, etc there had a few funny looks and other people used to stop and chat and assume I was a mechanic. Nice though even when someone is chatting about rubbish for a hour
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May 19, 2016 21:29:04 GMT
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The only ones that annoy me are the "you can do mine next" dog walkers who feel they have to comment about me bothering to clean my own car. Got pretty lucky with neighbours- my immediate neighbour who I share a drive with so the one that matters is sound- always comes out and pulls his car up the drive to give me more room if I'm I'm working on a car, and his son in law is a mechanic and occasionally does cash in hand stuff on our drive, which is cool with me, he has leant me tools and given advice if I'm stuck.
The guy opposite rebuilds gearboxes for a living and has a wicked little yellow nova he tools around in. On the little estate we live on we have a great Facebook group and a fair few guys on there are into cars, a few classics and 4x4 types. Great if you're stuck for a funny sized socket on a Sunday afternoon and every where's shut- quick message on the Facebook group, put the kettle on and 10 mins later some bloke from round the corner will turn up with a T60 Torx socket :-)
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May 19, 2016 22:28:17 GMT
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Never really had a problem, I've earnt a few quid by people seeing me cleaning/fixing my cars and asking me to look at/clean theirs, and 99% of people who talk to me about my Astra assume it's a real GSI and reminds them of their nineties heydays. It's the 1% who gob off straight away askin if it's got a red top, top speed, and they've always had a mate who's had 160 from one or something along them lines.
People that have taken the mick out of me having a 22 year old Astra and doing the work myself 99.9% of the time either don't drive, or are saddled with debt to the eyeballs for some bland new eurobox - my best mate springs to mind here. One months payment on his 08 Focus bought my Astra.
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