to beleive that driving a series of clapped out old wrecks inculcates a worthwhile sense of independence and capability

[OrmRenewed]

and that you can tell people whose first car wasn't old with a decent amount of rust, by how ridiculously distressed they get by a small problem, and who don't know how to change the oil or even open the bonnet.

Isn't it a rite of passage to have a car whose door's don't always shut properly, and who heating never works and whose windscreen wipers only work when they feel like it? Not to mention the place where the upholstery got torn when you tried to put someone's bike in the back seat.

I am always mildly horrified by teenagers who get given a new car by mum or dad. Just seems wrong somehow...

And everyone has got to experience driving a car where the window mechanism is broken, and the window is hel up by a screwdriver jammed down the gap.

Thing is am pretty handy with oil changes, tightening fan belts etc, however on olf cars only. DP has got a new merc and I don't even recognise that as an engine!

Christ how many times did I use the word crappy in my first post?!

I've just remembered that my Mk II Escort had mushrooms growing in the passenger footwell [wistful]

I agree!

New fancy-pants cars are sooooo expensive to fix too! There is so much that can go wrong with them!

Best car I've had was my vauxhall nova. Nearly as old as me! Started every time. Super cheap to fix, coz it was like a toy car. The windows kept falling into the door, which was hillarious We had to keep blankets in the back for the children to hide under when that happened in the rain.

I never, ever locked it. (The window was always open anyway.)

I used to run out of petrol all the time 'cos I was always too poor to buy any but I had to go out.

Orm, I peeked at your profile before Christmas and I think I recognise you as one of our few loyal customers? I have the shop next to the cheese shop. Please don't run away and name change, if you do I will too 'cos I cringe when I think of some of my previous posts and I've never "known" anyone on here before. it just seems polite to out myself.

Is there an etiquette?

Anyway, back to the thread; fond memories of a 2CV with holes in the floor.

I decline your point on better driving, Orm - I quote DH, undertaking a particularly Lets Play Chicken supermarket parking maneouvre :

"Face it, who's going to buckle first? The one in the BM or the one in the skip on wheels? Paintwork is not an issue here".

I still think bangers would actually make teens drive more safely though.

My first car was called Angus because he never made it out of that county, and despite my inner speed demon, I nursed him along like the geriatric he was, and drove all the more safely as a result. A newish, safe car would have made me complacent. As it was, I got a ground level knowledge of laybys in which one could pump up tyres.

On a similar note, when I moved into my first non-hall student accomodation, my room-mates parents were horrified at the state of it. My mum on the other hand was thrilled. It was exactly how she thought students should live - in squalor and penury. She even sent me some fingerless gloves so I could keep warm while studying

My best friend had a Mini van. The rust was so bad that when sitting in the back you could see the road through the holes in the floor. One of the windows was jammed open too but she knew no one would try to steal it.

She loved it and was actually a bit gutted when her Grandparents bought her a brand new Cleo for her 21st.

Last year our car passed its MOT. That's the first time a car of mine has passed, I was shocked.

I'm too embarrassed to admit how old I am, I really should have owned an MOT-passing-type car before now.

OMG cadelaide! Is it you with the lovely christmas dec and the nice cushions? Or are you the 99p shop

My first car had an excellent anti theft mechanism - you had to pour petrol directly into the carburettor to get it to start. Also the windows did not open, the key would only turn in the lock with a special flick of the wrist, and you could see the road through the driver footwell (rust). I loved my little car though.

I am not a mechanically minded person but due to series of cars that needed a lot of...persuasion...I do at least know what is what under the bonnet and how to change a fanbelt. Plus I do think it makes you a better driver.

Only problem is that now we don't have a car, so when we need one we hire one, which obviously means it's a real grown up car that goes fast - and I find it really hard not to put my foot to the floor, having driven a series of motors with a top speed of 70mph (downhill with a following wind).

Britneys, I learnt to drive in a mini pick-up. God, I loved that thing.It was mustard-coloured.

I've gone off in a huff.

99p indeed.

And while we are on the subject of fond memories.... I remember when I was first going out with DH. Driving down Shute Shelve hill on the A38 when the lining of the car ceiling collapsed on us!

I remember the holiday in Devon in DH's car when there were no brakes and water washed around the floor well (good old days of British Leyland) and having to hit the starter motor with a small hammer in precisely the right spot to start a Fiat Uno (a problem that went on intermittently for years).
I too could change oil, check/change sparking plugs, change wheels back then.

at cad I didn't mean it. I love your shop! Will be visiting you soon for my mum's birthday present.

Totally agree re independence etc. BUT when it comes to it, I would rather get DC a car with a really good safety rating or force them to take the bus otherwise.

I reckon if kids have the nouse to do a job to buy a crap car then they would probably be trusted to drive it in a reasonable manner. Sort of Swallows and Amazons philosophy.

I cannot believe some people buy their kids sports cars that are almost guaranteed to have an accident in.

These days it's more expensive to buy a 17 yo insurance than a car anyway.

that's the one, and didn't we make our li'l old town look nice in that picture?

I'm the other way round to a lot of these posts!! My DH buys a new car every two years and I am the main driver of that car ( He has an older camper style one for his runaround) BUT my nice new car has the seats dropped down at the moment to fit in my bike for a ride out this afternoon. It has two bags of rubbish for the tip and two bags for the charity shop. It has my work files in and my caving helmet and walking boots. Also two open bags of spagehtti and marshmellows for a game I was playing with a group last night. It really needs hoovering. I eat my lunch in itmost day if I'm out. I should get an old van!

It's an odd feeling being "known".

So when we next meet in RL do we have a special handshake and mutter words like "fanjo" and stuff, or do we just separate the whole thing and pretend we don't know one another?

Our first car as newlyweds was a Peugeot, and the gears failed, one by one.

We were utterly broke with our first mortgage and for three months couldn't afford to consider replacing the car.

Reverse gear failed first, and do you know, that bastard never failed to drive into parking spots which were bonnet-to-wall? And somehow, despite a feminist core, sometimes because of a feminist core, I ended up being the one pushing.

I love crap car stories, I think they're a vital part of youth.

Well when I attended a very small meet-up in Wells one Christmas we just muttered 'Mumsnet?' at each other But we don't need to do that. There is another MNer from Bridgy but she doesn't live there now. Not met her in the flesh since I came to MN though.

Peachy or similar?