7 replies to this topic

[cradley-heathen]

firstly, had a great night tonight, went over to the four ashes (just off the a449 somehwere, heading towards stafford direction) and was amazed at the turnout!

the field out the back of the pub was full of classic cars, all makes and ages. combined with burgers and beers from the pub, which were at reasonable prices it was an excellent night, and free too!

some lovely minis there, i think one group was the splinters mini club, but not sure? spotted a couple of others amongst the crowds too. this event gets the cradley-heathen seal of aproval, and comes recomended if your in the west mids.

now, the only bit that spoiled it for me occured as soon as we pulled up on the car park. i pulled up next to another car, and as i was just taking my belt off another mini pulled up next to me completing our line. as soon as my foot was out the car i turned to have a glance at the guy in it to say hello and before i could move my lips.....

"yes it is a genuine mk3, and yes it is a genuine cooper s" the guys says. "it used to be a rally car, but i restored it all myself"
(at this point i hadnt even got out the car properly)
i said "it looks very clean"
to which he replied "its mint isnt it"
i replied by saying that mine has race herritage too, which he quickly retorted with....
"yeah but mines been done properly!"

i could hardly believe my ears! i hadnt even considered if his car was genuine, nor had i wondered who prepared it, but he was such a big head he couldnt wait to tell me how great it was! then without even glancing at my car he imediately declares that his has been put together "properly"

now dont get me wrong it was a lovely looking paint job, but i see minis like this on a daily basis, i repair and restore them for a living! i just couldnt believe how arrogant he was about it and how patronising he was. i did question him about his engine, as its an area which interests me more than if it has the correct handbrake grip (a point which he went on to tell me about?) he explain "its bored out as far as possible, 1340 i think" what can you say to that? lol

i moved on as quickly as possible and spoke to an old guy who was stood with his classic car, and the contrast of personality was amazing! really nice mild manered old timer, who was very modest about the work he had done, and didnt make the assuption that i knew nothing about cars just because i wasnt familar with his particular model.

sorry for tha rant but its this kind of big head i cant stand!

[mk3 Cooper S]

What colour was the S ?

[cradley-heathen]

was it you lol

[mk3 Cooper S]

PMSL - No but I think I have been accosted bty the same guy.

[robsrallymini]

How often do these meets happen at the four ashes?
I'm only down the road and not heard about it.

[Boycie]

That is so annoying, he sounds like an arrogant fool!

There's an irritating bloke like that that goes to the shows down here in Kent, I've seen him a few times- but I don't think this chap even owns a Mini..

I encountered him at Darling Buds last year, while talking to the lady owner of a really nice, unrestored 1960 Mk1. This guy came along, interrupted me while I was talking to the car's owner, saying that the car was a "super deluxe, not a basic model" and that "the door catches were the wrong colour", "seat material was incorrect" etc etc etc.
The owner of the car just let him get on with it and when he'd gone off to annoy someone else, she showed me some photos of the car in the early 60s, with it's proud elderly owner, showing EXACTLY the details the car has now, and always has.

You get loads of morons at Classic car meets, I just try to avoid them and love meeting the genuine, like-minded people.

[mini1955]

do you know when the next meet is

[samperks]

i have to laugh at this, i know the kind of people you mean they always have to be one up on you kind of attitude and assume you know nothing, but you get idiots everywhere i'm just glad there seems to be more good'uns to bad'uns in the mini scene

still "yeah but mines been done properly!" is just bloody rude slap him next time n tell him that you restore minis for a living and say youve seen better lol

when i was first learning about cars and working on my mini my dad suggested i regrind the valves as its all good experience n give the head a clean and a lick of paint. anyway my dad showed me how it was done and i grinded it by hand n painted it white and blue with high temprature paint. anyway next couple of weeks this idiot i know see's ive done this on my facebook and decides he'll do his car aswell, anwyay i saw him a month or so after seeing his pictures on facebook. so brought it up in conversation with him asked how it went n if he had any other plans with the car but his attitude was so bad it was embarrasing, he said stuff and just assumed i had no idea what he was on about. anyway turns out he used a power drill to grind his valves rather than a grinding stick and didnt use high temprature paint, but i didnt say anything about either of them. anyway turns out he fudged it up somehow and didnt put the head back on correctly and consiquently his car started drinking oil and all the paint cracked n it looked worse than it did before.