Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Friend of mine has a VW LT camper.
Nice 4x4 and big wheels. Quite high. It's tolerable.
Those huge zombie apocalypse trucks are just embarrassing.
I have this one saved, would buy if I had 26'000€ spare cash. But that's hundreds of nights of Airbnb, and doesn't even have a proper toilet.

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I just don’t think anyone should be spewing around in a 15 ton sub-10mpg 6-litre diesel truck for no real reason other than “it looks sick”.

I’ve got nothing against van/boat life, but most of these overland vehicles are just expensive, obnoxious toys for rich people to have image-conscious holidays in, a caravan with a Vibram sole and an egregious emissions/resource footprint.

That’s more like it. Sane panel van platform.

I had the same generation XLWB Iveco Daily back in 2010, bought it for £1600 as a motocross race van (already had a basic kitchen & bed inside), did it up with my then-partner for peanuts and drove it full of friends around France, Spain, Morocco and a week-long festival in Portugal. OK fuel economy, could park it on the street no problem, loads of room inside (slept 8x of us for a few days). At no point did I wish it was a monster army truck instead.

He drives that on a normal license as the fifth wheel is removed.

He used to get it stuck in Brighton quite often.

Old busses don't get that much more mpg ;) See your point and agree with you.

Of the few crosser people that I knew used to do the van and caravan as it was cheaper than the motorhome/camper van.

I managed to shout CUNT at him once when he was stationary on the seafront. He heard :)

Lots of young men have a very manly urge to get an HGV licence. Then they drive HGVs professionally and take up murdering https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jun/03/serial-killer-truckers-long-haul Something about sitting up high and everyone being scared of you? You are on your throne. Bring on the women! Sacrifice them!

That is in the US. The UK/EU is different.

Skim reading the article note the us truck driver was talking while driving which is a bit worrying. Ever tried to have a chat with someone while watching a TV show? You can't do both, so driving and chatting on the phone can be dangerous imo.

But it does take a certain mental nature/state to drive a hgv as you are alone for hours on end. The best paid were the night drivers and even now it is less than 40k

UK truckers have a hard-won reputation for murdering women!

Slow puncture today (lost 75% of the air over a 2-3 hour period on the driveway, so slow-ish)

Here are the 2 potential culprits, can this be plugged?

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My 'New' Car

I sold my 2CV, so this is a bit of a replacement, although it's a lot slower and less practical.

It's a 1930 Singer Junior.

More photos and info if anyone is interested

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@spunk_nautical

Slow puncture today (lost 75% of the air over a 2-3 hour period on the driveway, so slow-ish) Here are the 2 potential culprits, can this be plugged?

Yes, so long as there's no steel belt under the holes. It would cut the plug. Rema plug kits are recommended, as used by the RAC and some mfrs. Check your insurance, as the official liability clauses may say plugs are temporary, only for use at low speed. Not true. An RAC patrolman told me they'd been tested to destruction with stupid wheelspin on a rally car. They lasted as long as the tyres. I've used them just fine on motorcycles on a track day and heavily laden tours. Just fit them carefully and test and check before going mad.

top posts from @ectoplasmosis - bring back rep

I need a new set of tyres.

The car doesn't do a huge amount of miles. The current set perished before they'd worn at 17,000.

Are there any makes / types of tyre that can better tolerate a 'relaxed' mileage schedule?

Superb, is it fully restored? Looks in great condition

Not sure, is it a souped up Vauxhall viva ( i didn’t look on gov website to see what it was so that’s a guess).

Checks out https://www.flickr.com/photos/35138806@N08/40346139224

https://www.cavalierandchevetteclub.co.uk/chevette%20hs%20hsr.htm

Swap my 2CV, for a 1930 Singer Junior.

I would love to be in that position

Been there. How did they perish?

Bad rubber? Time always defeats miles.

Wear? Keeping them properly inflated will make the biggest difference on wear, especially for low mileage. Ask me how I know.

Not sure I've seen anything low mileage friendly TBH. My take is you want good tyres when driving and that tyres are consumables. Buy the best driving tyres you can afford, not the best sitting around tyres. You gotta buy them anyway.

@clubman
So beautiful, I’d love to drive that

I’m jumping in with the camper thing. I ride past 2 campsites on my way into work and there seem to be 2 types of vancampers. The big fuck off LWB Merc, VW or what have you that think they are panelling in Ranger Rovers and the smaller day van style Caddy, Courier ones that think they are hot hatches this normally have a pull out kitchen which you put in the stand alone tent that also serves for dressing, eating etc. the back of the van is for sleeping. Meaning you can still use it once you set up camp.

Bern there. How did they perish?

It's a '20 car, so it couldn't do that many miles initially. I think it sat around too much early on in its life.

Bad rubber? Time always defeats miles.

OE tyres so not going to be the best I guess.

Wear? Keeping them properly inflated will make the biggest difference on wear, especially for low mileage. Ask me how I know.

I was pretty good at keeping them at the recommended pressures tbh.

Viva!?! That’s a Vauxhall Chevette HSR 2.3 slant 4 and worth a good £60,000 (I haven’t check to see if it’s a fake or not) very under the radar, if you know you know flex.

I've never understood the 'swamper' look for campervans. Surely they're pants off road? 4WD means a trade off with size space in the back(often higher floors) & half of them are 2WD anyway. The huge tyres look inefficient & noisy for road driving too.

All about looks for the pub carpark.