24-07-2018, 04:58 AM
If driving with a nervous passenger I think a 7 will always be a little scary for them.They aren't exactly cars that make you feel cocooned in safety.
My 'modern' is an MGB so I can recommend them. My preference being a B (convertible) over a GT (with the roof). If you're going for the sports car experience you don't want a roof. Leg room in both is the same. Cheap cars, easy to get parts, easy to work on, simple and fun. Definitely get an overdrive gear box although I find I only ever use OD on 4th and never on 3rd. A B is a bit bigger and more useful than a Midget without being a huge car. A little more practical for weekends away say. Also being newer than a vintage car there is less maintenance and it is easier to fix things when they go wrong.
If tinkering is your thing though a 7 is great, there is always something that can be tweaked or played with and I think a really well set up 7 shouldn't need a huge amount of maintenance either really.
Also agree that whatever 'old' car you get make sure it can stop. I've found people pulling out in front of me is more of an issue than people tailgating. You can always pull over for them and usually they will just then go tailgate the person in front.I don't think they do it because you're in an old car, they do it because they are dickheads. People are more likely to pull out in front of an old car thinking 'I don't want to be stuck behind that' because people are lousy at judging speed/distance.
I find driving defensively but aggressively works (if that makes sense). Look like you know where you're going and drive smoothly and quickly to get there. Know what you'll do or direction you'll head if things go wrong. I think it's meandering, wandering and indecisive driving that will wind people up and perpetuate the old slow car == old slow driver view.
The good thing is in an older car you get a great feel of actually driving without having to be silly or illegally fast. My brother in law has an Audi RS6. Nice car, smooth, solid, bloody fast (0 to illegal in less than 5 seconds) but aside from the fantastic acceleration it was oddly boring, to me anyway.
Simon
My 'modern' is an MGB so I can recommend them. My preference being a B (convertible) over a GT (with the roof). If you're going for the sports car experience you don't want a roof. Leg room in both is the same. Cheap cars, easy to get parts, easy to work on, simple and fun. Definitely get an overdrive gear box although I find I only ever use OD on 4th and never on 3rd. A B is a bit bigger and more useful than a Midget without being a huge car. A little more practical for weekends away say. Also being newer than a vintage car there is less maintenance and it is easier to fix things when they go wrong.
If tinkering is your thing though a 7 is great, there is always something that can be tweaked or played with and I think a really well set up 7 shouldn't need a huge amount of maintenance either really.
Also agree that whatever 'old' car you get make sure it can stop. I've found people pulling out in front of me is more of an issue than people tailgating. You can always pull over for them and usually they will just then go tailgate the person in front.I don't think they do it because you're in an old car, they do it because they are dickheads. People are more likely to pull out in front of an old car thinking 'I don't want to be stuck behind that' because people are lousy at judging speed/distance.
I find driving defensively but aggressively works (if that makes sense). Look like you know where you're going and drive smoothly and quickly to get there. Know what you'll do or direction you'll head if things go wrong. I think it's meandering, wandering and indecisive driving that will wind people up and perpetuate the old slow car == old slow driver view.
The good thing is in an older car you get a great feel of actually driving without having to be silly or illegally fast. My brother in law has an Audi RS6. Nice car, smooth, solid, bloody fast (0 to illegal in less than 5 seconds) but aside from the fantastic acceleration it was oddly boring, to me anyway.
Simon