Okay. There's been a build up of momentum as people like you taking your time to look at this blog and I appreciate it. Let's keep this up. If I could get more exposure, it would be brilliant so if you want, help spread this topic around because if more people look at it, hopefully we'll make progress.
On the car preservation front, there have been some cars built in the 1980s that are becoming collector's items as they become valuable worth from $3,000 to $10,000. Rest assured they'll be safe from hoons and better still, the crusher.
If you think about it, hoons buy cheap powerful cars and thrash them to the max. They target big Fords (Falcons, Fairlanes, Fairmonts and Falcon utes) and Holdens (Commodores, Calais, Statesmans/Caprices and utes) or anything that's rear wheel drive. Thrashing as a no brainer puts strain on a lot of working components and gradually destroy a car. It's absurd for anyone who loves their cars but thrashes them but there are those kind of people who would be willing enough to nurture them. Cars are expensive pieces of machinery to get to places but if looked after, they would serve you well with less repair bills to worry about.
Now, about the crusher bit. I used the pun 'safe from the crusher' to say that any valuable car in good condition is too great to die. When cars are driven to the ground, they're recycled (parts stripped, body crushed, shredded and recycled into new steel) but that creates this problem. One car crushed would be gone forever but even when the defunct car may be in a sound restorable condition, that would be so sad. I am determined to have more cars saved and restored rather than just rust away and not be repairable.
Inspiration
Any person interested in car restoration may develop interests from car shows, TV shows and magazines. Take the Motorclassica for example. It's run by the RACV in the Old Exhbition Building in Melbourne every October and when I went there one time with my dad, I found it quite interesting with all the old cars on display in showroom condition. Their owners have dedicated their livelihood to their old classics. TV shows have been interesting in which in my point of view, I got so inspired. Take shows such as Classic Car Rescue and For The Love Of Cars as tow examples. They collect old barn finds and fix them up and I like the ideas. However, just a note to consider that car restorations take skills and know how and if done properly, it would be rewarding. Community TV channel C31 have their own show Classic Restos showing well, classics.
Finding the right car for your project
With the way I see it, there aren't many old cars around on the roads especially 80s cars. And because they don't have much resale value, they mightn't be worth selling and they retire into the wreckers yards. But with my confidence, I feel they don't always have to retire but be rejuvenated to keep them running. I'm talking about 80s cars. They've been engineered to be reliable so why are we ignoring them? I don't know. If you're seriously committed, look around for any cars that are in sound repairable condition and also, they're dirt cheap as opposed to older barn find cars. And they're getting harder to find. You can also buy old cars still in okay condition for under $1,000 and any problems can be fixed if someone has the know how.
Finding the right parts
So, if you have found an old banger, you would need to find the right parts. That's when you need to look around in various car wreckers, websites and automotive parts supply stores such as Supercheap Auto, Repco, Bursons and Autobarn. The most important thing and it's a good idea is to do research. What I also find really useful is Rare Spares. They provide parts for anyone restoring their old classics and it would be easier to find the right special parts so you may be interested.
Keeping an 80s car
There's one problem with keeping old cars. They cost money. Depending on the age and collective status, parts would be more expensive to keep it going. And insurance can be costly as well. But with 80s cars, my theory is they wouldn't be as expensive and when I did a comprehensive car insurance quote on an old 80s car, it would cost around $24 a month. But still, it would be interesting. It is best and for any car to be kept in garages in our homes. That way, they protect any car from the extremes of weather and also protect them from possible vandals.
So guys. What are you waiting for?
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