Forgotten Cars – I Have A Problem

When you look through the classifieds and auctions here on Car & Classic, I’m willing to bet that more often than not, you’re looking for something that is a car in the most complete sense. By which I mean something you can go and see, pay for, and then drive home. Usually with a near static smile on your face. That’s what buying a classic car is all about, surely? The tens of thousands of adverts we have on the site would certainly go some way to support my hypothesis. I, however, am not one of those people. I do search for shiny, pretty cars, but they tend to be the bedrock of a fantasy buying session. You know, if my numbers come up this weekend… that kind of thing. When it comes to my actual money, however, it’s the forgotten cars that, ironically, get my motor running. Is it in a bush? Has it been there for years? Here’s my wallet.

I wish I knew why I was wired this way. And before you lean back and think ‘yeah Chris, I like a project car, too’ I need to clarify by stating the cars I go for are usually way past even being considered a project. I am a 6ft 2 moth to a rusty, shrub-entombed flame. I get giddy when I see a project car for sale on the site, as many of you lot do. But when I’m out in the world and I see something thick with moss and slowly sinking into the ground on which it stands, I feel an uncontrollable urge to throw my wallet at it. My common sense goes in the opposite direction.

How it started…

…and how it’s going. 

This has of course burned me in the past. There was the Mk2 Astra GTE 16v I bought that had no lower half and an engine that no longer had moving parts thanks to rust. There’s the Mk2 Capri I bought that broke in half when I jacked it up. I had the same issue with a Beetle. The list goes on. But in amongst all the forgotten cars that I have bought, there have been some victories. And I think it’s those victories the fuel me. I’m an eternal, misty-eyed optimist when it comes to cars. Every old car should be given a chance, and it has to be seriously defunct for me to bail on. I like the challenge of bringing them back from the brink. More than that, I like being the white knight to these cars that would have otherwise been crushed had it not been for my intervention. You see, when I say forgotten cars, I don’t just mean in the chronological sense, I also mean the historical sense, too. I tend to fall in love with cars nobody else cares about.

Naughty…

…but then nice.

There was my 800 Vitesse, a car that was going to the scrapper if I didn’t step in. It’s now a show worthy car, and in its roughest state people mocked. Now they flock, because it’s nice. I got in there while they were unloved, took my time, and like the ugly duckling, they’re now more celebrated. There’s an addictive quality to that. I did it with a Citroën ZX Volcane. It had been used on a couple of banger rallies, then stuffed away in a dank lock-up garage. I got it, repainted it, brought it back to life, enjoyed it for a year and then sold it to an equally enthusiastic owner. Forgotten cars once, but now celebrated. And I’ve just done it again.

Yep, in my unending pursuit of the underdog, I have bought another Rover. This time a 1989 827Si. To anyone else, it’s a spider refuge and fit only for the shredder. For me, it’s an unruly old dog at the shelter. It just needs someone who understands it. I think that person is me. Plus, it’s got 19,000 miles on it. If this were a Porsche of the same vintage, I could get a mortgage and then immediately pay it off. But as it’s a Rover, I’m staying off Rightmove. It’s not about values though, saving forgotten cars is about affording the same care and attention to something unloved that a much ‘better’ car would be more suited to. I don’t see why these forgotten cars are any less deserving? They are, for better or worse, part of our history. They also mark an accessible point into the classic car world. They matter.

And then, finally, there is the giddy thrill that comes from discovering my gamble was worth it. The Vitesse was tired, but good in all the right places. The ZX passed its MOT without issue and this 827 promises similar success. I have yet to get it up on my two-poster, but initial inspection shows it to be incredibly solid, 100% original and while filthy, it’s incredibly straight and rust free. I think this is going to be another win. To find out if I’m right, keep an eye on our YouTube channel, as we’ll be documenting the restoration over there. A thirty-four year old car, rock solid, with 19k on the clock and all for £400. Because I took the gamble. That’s why I do it. That’s why I save these forgotten cars.

I know these cars aren’t for everyone, and that’s fine. The point is, we’re a team. If you have something more exotic and expensive, good on you. You’re doing your bit for that part of our incredible world. I’m down here doing my bit for this part. And I love it, every bit of it. It’ll be another fight, another challenge and it’ll drive me mad at points, I’m sure. But the thrill that comes from bringing back a car that nobody else wanted… it can’t be beaten. Not for me, anyway.