June 2008

You've just masterfully clipped the apex with perfect grace, you've managed to carry enough speed through to the next corner which, to your joy, turns in an opposite direction to the last. You look in the mirrors to check for any other vehicles before quickly yanking the wheel over, more pressure is gently applied to the throttle, the noise from the carbs grows louder and then you feel it; the loss of traction from the rear wheels. It's not a problem though, you were anticipating, no, you were craving that reaction from the car. As you get further into the corner you let the back end continue to slide while giving nothing more than a slight dab on the throttle or perhaps a minor correction in the steering. You round the corner at an unhealthy but controlled angle, still feathering the throttle and still enjoying the carb chatter. As the corner turns back into a straight you correct the steering gently, straighten the car up, drop down a gear then hammer the go-pedal, wait for the chirp from the rear wheels and then carry out the very same moves on the next corner.

Ahhh, is there really anything better than driving a well sorted old Ford? Probably not, as they truly are top-notch when they're properly sorted. Hell, they're even a hoot to drive when they're standard as long as you've got the required skills. I don't know what it is about them, there's just some raw feeling here that you don't get from other cars. Maybe it's because we all knew someone who had an old Ford if we didn't have one ourselves.

Of course my little introduction above was based around driving on a track, RF wouldn't dream of suggestion you attempt such things on the open road. It's no problem though as driving an old Ford on the road is just as much fun as the track if only for the looks you get along the way. Old cars generally get a bit of attention on the road, but not like an old Ford does. People point, wave and smile when they see you roll by in chunk of vintage Dagenham metal, they love it!

The best bit about all this is that it's now the best time of year for it too. Let's face it, we're owed a good summer after the poor attempt that Mother Nature gave us last year. It's not going to be long before high streets and winding A-roads alike will be full of the sound of twin carbs on full chat, you'll be able to come home from work and go out for quick blast again and you'll be able to meet up with like minded mates at the weekends for some RWD fun. I know it's easy for me to say, what with working for RF and all, but God damn it's good to own an old Ford.

Chris

May 2008

The reaction that can be obtained from uttering a particular phrase really can be quite astounding. It's could be positive phrase such as "Your car is stunning mate" which in turn would generate a positive response. It could however, be a phrase which provokes a somewhat more negative response. One phrase that seems to be doing just that of late is this; "scene tax".

Mention this to anyone who owns an old Ford and you'll no doubt get an angry response because "scene tax" is something that comes along and does it's best to ruin everything by making what was once an 'everyman' thing into something which is only available to those people who have some spare cash. Now don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge people who are of a better financial standing than myself, they worked hard for their money so they can spend it as they please. No, the people I'm annoyed at are the one's who started it; the one's who could see that the desirability of what we think of as nothing more than a hobby would become so great that wouldn't mind paying a little bit more for the right parts or cars. Yeah, sure there is nothing wrong with making a bit of profit here and there but sadly it's now reached insane levels, and this is because the enthusiasts a dwindling in terms of the people who buy and sell parts while the number of hopefuls is growing.

I don't have to cast my mind back all that far to think about something that happened to me of late. I was contacted and told about a MK1 Escort which had been laid up for some time. The owner had come to me thinking that I might be able to make some use out it, but apart from that the description was vague. Needless to say I was quite excited, it could have been a car which had slipped through the "scene tax" net, thus allowing me to get my foot on the Escort ladder. Upon viewing the car it wasn't pretty, painted in a putrid shade of green and with more rust that I would have liked it was just about managing to reside on the 'saveable' side of the fence. Sadly though, it wasn't going to be saved by me, not with an only then disclosed price tag of £1500. £1500 for a rusty, dented, mouldy Escort! It's bloody madness. It was another phrase that really made me angry though; when asking the owner how he had arrived at the price he simply said, "Well, I had a look on the internet and that's what they seemed to be going for." Arrrrrrgghhh!

It's a given that genuine desire and enthusiasm will push up prices by a small amount when it comes to any classic car, but people that latch onto this for no other reason than to exploit it for nothing more than financial gain deserve a slap. Let's face it, I'm saying it but we're all thinking it. For now it seems to be focused on the Escorts, but how long will it be before it moves on to the other models? We need to watch out and try and do our bit to keep things grounded or else the world of retro Fords will only be accessible to those who have accessed it. We need to keep it grounded though, that's why the following is so strong, these were cheap, accessible cars which were built for having fun in, everybody knew somebody who had one and everybody remembers them. They were never perceived to be cars which resided on an unobtainable pedestal. So let's do our bit to keep it that way, they're just old Ford's after all.

Chris

April 2008

The world of retro Fords is a vast a varied one with many diverse and interesting additions to it. For many people the owing of an old Ford brings with it a fantastic social aspect, which can come in many different forms. There are the local meets, held by likeminded enthusiasts at pubs and car-parks across the land. Even in the bitter cold of winter people still find the enthusiasm to go out and get numb feet, even if it means getting numb feet! It only gets better in the summer though, it's this time of year that people head out to the shows with boots full of beer and tents and spend many a weekend surrounded by Fords finest metal and more likeminded mates. Basically, owning an old Ford is as much a social thing as it is anything else. It's a proper social scene though, it's not other cars where the social aspect is simply a by-product of having a group of cars and owners in one place, with Ford's the social aspect is built into the scene. It expected, it's enjoyed and for some people it's one of the big attractions of owning such a car. Think about it, whenever you go to a show where there is camping you'd be hard pushed to find a quiet circle of tents that had Fords by them. It's simply what we do!

Sadly though, as is the case with anything good, there is a downside. Admittedly it's not always a downside but it does have its moments. So, what could I possibly be talking about? Well, I suspect that some of you may see this coming; I am of course referring to Internet forums.

Internet forums, in a time of technology and a 'has been done 10 minutes ago' society, have become a required evil. For people that are new to various scenes, or people who are not the most technically minded, they are a fantastic resource. They are also a great 'meeting point' to facilitate meets and events; without them, the scene would be a quieter, possibly more difficult to negotiate place. They are a good thing on the whole, but for all their positives they do have negatives. The main one being, sigh, politics.

Now firstly I should point one thing out; there are people out there who will think this is aimed at them. It's not, this is a generalisation and as such I won't be naming any sites. I won't be because it truly is something that happens on most forums. Personally I find the whole thing just as confusing as I do annoying. Just look at them on face value; they are an online hub for people with a shared interest to meet up. They are impersonal too with almost every member having a 'screen name' which has nothing to do with their real name. It should be fun, but in a great many instances it's not. As an Editor of another magazine brilliantly said on a forum recently; people don their Keyboard Warrior suit and go into battle mode. Why? Why do some people feel the need to try and get an uprising out of a person on a site that they may very well not meet? It seems pointless. Another theme is people belittling the work of others if it's not to their liking. Well, here's a newsflash; it's a forum, they are opinions and tastes, and as such are never wrong. Just because you don't like them does not mean you have to hurl textual abuse at them. Grow up, life is too short, especially if the bloke you're mocking turns out to be bigger than you.

It's getting to a critical point now; people are turning up to events in the flesh only to not talk to anyone in case it's someone they have offended. Am I the only one who thinks that's a bit, well, daft? As a whole we have a blinding and enviable scene which other people and marques aspire to have, but if the world of online muppetry gets any worse it's going to have a negative effect.

Remember, it's a forum, it's a bit of fun and it's only been put there (in good faith) to help share the passion. Let's keep it that way.

Chris

March 2008

Classic and retro cars are things to be cherished, after all they are getting rarer and rarer as time goes by. Anyone who owns a classic vehicle rally can hold their head high, safe in the knowledge that they are doing their bit towards saving our motoring heritage. That's not an emotion that you get from driving a generic new car.

The thing is, for a great deal of classic car owners the feeling of pride is usually as far as it goes. It's no bad thing, but the thought of subjecting some cars to anything more than a brisk drive down to the shops could be seen as sacrilege so other sensations such as that of excitement could well be off the agenda. Unless you own a Ford.

No before we get off on the wrong foot, allow me to explain a little. I'm sure that other cars across the spectrum of 'classic' have been given a kicking around the local A roads at some point, they are cars after all and that's what they are there for. The thing is, you would never expect to see the members of an MG owners club doing doughnuts and powerslides around an airfield if they were given the chance. You would with a Ford owner though.

If you own an old Ford it's almost expected that it will drive hard and fast whenever there is an event which facilitates it. Just look at the mag this month, we have witnessed a MK2 Escort crack 179mph, and then drive home. You just don't get that anywhere else. During that day the guys and girls who brought the metal along weren't scared to give the cars, no matter how rare, a really good kicking. Why? Because in the Ford circle it's the done thing.

We remember these cars from when the first hit the roads as the cars that we could aspire to. We wanted an RS2000 because they were noisy and raucous and prone to sideways action. I for example have a Capri because I remember my Dad giving his 2.0 Lazer a thrashing on various occasions. It reasons like this that make them all the more exciting today, that's how we remember them and that's how we're going to drive them now, whenever we get the chance.

So, if you have a 1300 crossflow in your 105e or a YB in your MK3 Capri, get it booked on a thrash or a track day and give it some stick. After all, for a lot of us it's the fun factor that we remember which made us fall in love the with Ford badge to begin with!

Chris

January 2008

To some people cars, specifically old ones, are just lumps of metal. Built to serve us in our mundane quest to get from A to B and nothing more. Not us though, we look at them like they are a member of the family, they are treated to gifts and special attention and they inevitably end up occupying a large space in our hearts. While they're in our ownership it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we find ourselves riding a rollercoaster of emotions; when it won't start, when it will start and even when it's just "there" we feel differently for it. The question is, through all of these moments that we share with our cars, what's the best and what is the worst?

After casting my mind back to the times in my life where I have owned an old car (that'll be every day since 1996 then) I think I've come to a conclusion for both the highest, most enjoyable moment of owning one and also the lowest, most depressing aspect too. So, what are they then?

It's simple really, think about it; what is the one thing about having an old car that gets you all excited? Is it the driving of it? Nope. How about the process of modifying and making it your own? Nope. Surely it has to taking in all the admiring glances of passers by while you're our cruising the streets in your big lump of retro-chic? Nope, it's not that either. Quite simply, the best part of having and old motor is buying it in the first place. Think about it, it starts as soon as you have saved up enough money to buy one. You invariably find yourself in the newsagent flicking to the back pages of every car mag, hoping that you spot the car of your dreams. It carries on at home too, the wife is shouting at you, the kids are making noise and the dog is humping your leg, but you just don't care. You're on eBay clicking the mouse like Bill Gates on speed, scouring the badly spelt adverts, and that's all that your attention is focused on.

Then, without warning, you see it, you see THE ONE! You message the seller, he gives you all the right answers, so you bid. You wait. You think about bidding again, clearly it's the best car in the world ever so other people must want it. You try and find ways and means of increasing your budget, you want this car and you'll stop at nothing to get it. Someone else bids, you shout at the monitor like it's to blame. The clock ticks by, 59 minutes, the font has gone red, this is it, you could be buying it. 30 minutes, still highest bidder. 2 minutes, still highest bidder. You're hoping the PC doesn't crash along with praying that no one else bids. No minutes left! Tentatively you click 'refresh'...gulp...YES! It's yours! Get in!

Is there any better sensation? You've got the car you wanted, all is well in the world. It only gets better when you pick it up; yes the ad might have been a little inaccurate but it's basically what you were expecting. It's just the best feeling, the long-term ownership of the car will be good, but nothing beats this, it's simply the highest point of owning an old motor.

So what about the flip side of that? What about when you need to part with it? Well, that is undeniably the worst part. It's like losing a relative, dependant on the amount of time you have owned the car, tears could well be shed. The money is a bonus, especially if it's selling for more than you bought it for, but that doesn't make it right. You find yourself not wanting to answer your phone because you don't want it to go, but needs must. People come to view and damn them all, they like it. They're not supposed to like it, they're supposed to umm and ahh and then walk away, you don't want them to like it even if you know they should, it's the best car ever after all. Then it happens, the one bloke who really likes it has a pocket full of cash. You do the deal and then, well, he drives your hard work away. Your stomach sinks watching it drive down the road, you wince at the though of him being flashed and waved on his way home due to people thinking he's you. For lack of a better phrase, you're gutted.

You swallow your emotions though and plod back into the house. You have a brew and feel a bit better, counting your stack of 20's as you sip your PG tips. This is when you turn a corner though, because it's about now that you turn on the PC and log straight onto eBay...

Chris

December 2007

As I declared a while back, the show season is over. At the moment we're still at the point where our emotions are firmly set on "thank God it's over" opposed to what we'll be thinking in a month or so; "remember Retro Rides etc". That's what makes the next four weeks relaxing for us, because once we get our energy back and start to miss the shows we'll find ourselves focusing that energy on building harder, better, faster, stronger cars for next years show season.

The cold winter months might be dull for Mallory Park and Santa Pod but it's most certainly not the case in amongst hundreds of garages and on hundreds of driveways across the land! Here you'll find people getting on with implementing the tasty little design ideas that have been picked up by keen eyes over the summer, job's that have been promised will finally be carried out and some of the testiest metal in the spectrum of classic cars will become even tastier. You see, that's why we love the old Ford scene. There never really is a good, solid excuse to hang the spanners up for any longer than a few hours. Even if the motor that sits in your garage is a mint Escort Mexico there is still plenty of nut and bolts maintenance that can be done without being fleeced by the local garage. Retro Fords are old cars built and maintained and also modified by people with a passion. I remember being given some odd looks while under my old Capri, on the drive, in the rain while attempting to fit a new exhaust. Yes I was wet and cold and pretty angry, but when it was done I was thrilled. We, as old Ford lovers don't see the point in simply bringing a car out in the sunshine and then putting it away for the winter. That's no fun! There are plenty of them out there that keep plodding on through the winter too, cars that earn their keep through the rough months only to be proudly displayed in the summer. There aren't many classics that can admit to that!

Next year is, as always something to really look forward too. Because of you lot and your determination to build top-notch cars and have damn good time while doing it, we can be sure that there will never be a dull weekend. There will be a sea of cars, the restoration of which have been spurred on by what's been seen this year. Not only that, there will also be a great many familiar cars too, some will be as stunning as they were last year whereas some will have evolved even more. The reason we love this scene is because it's alive, both in terms of the people and the cars that make it. So now that you've read this, go and make a brew and get back in the garage. Next year's season is going to be a blinder, so get those motors finished!

Chris

October 2007

At the time of writing this blog I can sit back, sigh a bit, relax a lot and enjoy the fact that the show season for 2007 has come to an end. We don't mind the shows here at Retro Towers, it's just that by the end of the summer (if you can call it that) it's nice to know that we're going to get our weekends back. This isn't to be taken out of context though as we really don't mind giving them up in the first place, it's legitimate excuse to go and do car things and because we get to class it as 'work' our girlfriends can't complain or stop us! Great success!

The problem that we have had this year though hasn't been the fact that we've been busy every day for what seems like forever, oh no, it's been something that we've all been annoyed at. The weather. You don't need to be Michael Fish or John Kettley to know that this year has been utterly appalling. People wearing coats in June, barbecues staying in sheds, unpacked from last year, convertible roofs staying firmly shut, winners of speedboats on Bullseye finally using them - it's been bloody awful. What hasn't been awful though has been the top-notch dedication and determination of all you retro Ford owners out there. You simply haven't been put off by the weather. And quite frankly, we salute you! We've been to numerous club meets lately, all of which have been plagued by rain, but despite his there has been a cracking turn up to each one of them and the atmosphere has been top notch. We went to Retro-Rides show and while the weather was better it still had people on tenterhooks, no bother though as worries were soon forgotten and people showed no fear of the prospect of rain and simply got on with having a good time. Recently the RS national day at Rockingham was subjected to almost biblical amounts of rain, you could honestly be forgiven for thinking that it was February. No bother though, the show went on! There was everything on display Cosworth powered MKI Escorts and mint RS2000's through to concourse MKII Escorts and even a line of mint Capri RS3100's. We were well impressed, you just can't beat the determination of us Brits!

So, Mother Nature, if you're reading this (not sure how, but you never know, you might be) then take note! We, the car enthusiasts of Blighty have paid our dues this year, we've been wet, cold and forced to keep our winter wardrobe in use. We've served our time. Next year, we want it to be bloody scorching.alright?

Chris

September 2007

One thing that my job here at RF has increased has been the amount I travel. Not because I live 150 miles away from the office (honestly, I do. I must be mad) but because we do our best to get everywhere in person. Having a magazine is all well and good, but unless the ugly mugs in the mag can be seen at the shows, having that mag doesn't stand for much. It takes very little effort to have people do all the work for you while you sit back in the office. Plus, that's not what the scene is about, and we love it. Before my time at RF I thought nothing of driving from Bristol to go to ACE Café for an hour or two, only to have to drive back. Much as Morley had no issue with driving from Devon occasionally on similar jaunts. Basically, the old Ford scene is about getting out there and having a good time. It's not something to be viewed from afar. So, where are my ramblings going with this one then? Scotland. That's where!

The trip to Scotland was another one of Morley's master plan ideas (see last months blog) but there was a point to it all. We wanted to go and see everything they had to offer for ourselves. The only problem was that we had to drive there and back, joy. It was worth every monotonous M6 mile though because we had a blinding time.

To put it simply, the Scottish division of all things retro Ford are utterly mad for it! In particular the guys on www.scottisholdskoolescorts.co.uk who made up a large percentage of the people we saw. The quality and variation of the cars alone well and truly justified the trip. We saw Escorts with 300bhp YBs, fully track prepped monsters thought to some of the cleanest examples about. And no matter what it was, they weren't afraid to give them some stick around the track on our last day there. That what we like to see, old motors of any condition or spec being driven just as the Rallye Sport and Ford bod's had intended. Top notch entertainment all round.

It just goes to show, no matter how far you have to travel, it will almost certainly be worth it. I might now cover more miles than a very, very busy sales rep but al least its to see the countries best old Fords, and not to sell double glazing (or perfume)!

Chris

August 2007

There are things that really should be mentioned within a job description. Things like, ooh, I don't know: Long hours, working at the weekend and maybe even a little warning about the boy Gambles (Staffer on another magazine) who constantly has you living in fear of his 'guns'. You know, that kind of thing. If, as a prospective employee, we had this information to hand it would make the whole process a lot easier. Sadly for me though I wasn't on the receiving end of any such information. I was told my salary and the hours and off I went. Now I should point out that I have no real issue with the hours, the weekends or even the thought of living in fear of the 'guns of Gambles'. No, what I really wish I had been warned about were Morley's big ideas. I think it's fairly safe to say that if I'd have been aware of Morley's inability to think things through to the end I might have been a little more hesitant while placing a bid on a certain Escort. A certain, urgh, GOLD Escort. You know the one right?

The initial idea was to see if it would be possible to build a four-door track car on a budget of four grand. No problem there right? Well we had four days to do it, because it was due to be hugging the tarmac of Brands Hatch on the night of the fourth day. The only good thing to come out the whole project is a fantastically alliterated feature (Four doors, Four days, Four Grand). Alliteration isn't enough though sadly.

So with big ideas (Morley) and contractual obligation (Me) driving us on we set about building it. By all accounts everything was going okay. I was getting into the whole build and really enjoying it and Morley was happy too. All was well at the beginning, but it should have been. It was after all, just nuts and bolts. What we ignored is that when building a car, specifically an old Ford, nothing goes to plan. The only part of the car that was applied without any real issue was the paint, but I did that so what do you expect? All in all it was a bloody great deal of hard work. Now I don't mind hard work, I just draw an issue to exerting a lifetimes worth of graft upon a car I didn't (and still haven't) get to drive.

That's right, after all our hard work, our blood, our tears and an unhealthy and frankly 'girlfriend upsetting' amount of sweat the car had its moment. I know full and well that cars are inanimate and therefore have no ability to think and plan events, most cars that is. Y'see Goldmember decided to execute its most evil of plans on the track. Just as it had lured Morley into a false sense of security as he flung the gold beast around the track, just as I followed in the Capri giddy with the anticipation of having a drive in the fruits of our labour, the bugger blew up! Dead. Game over. Back on the trailer. Arse.

There are two morals to this story. One, don't build a track car in four days. Yes, by definition it can be done. But it'll be about as much fun as having a rabid kitten eat your nadgers. And two...do NOT let Ben Morley have anymore ideas involving building cars. Ever.

Chris