This is like being in the writer's room of a Les Dawson sketch show.
Aston print. Is it Aston print?
I just call it the princess because they also did a waltzy version.
Oh, God.
You don't want to get that go there.
Just to see if, when crushed, it'll look any better.
Right.
This is the Tire Kickers, classic car chat with Max and Matt.
Hello again. We're back with a brand new episode of our almost award-winning podcast.
We are the Tire Kickers and we talk about classic cars until we run out of breath.
Coming up this time, deal or no deal.
We've spotted some dealers flipping classics overnight for double the money.
So we'll ask, is that smart business or just flipping cheeky?
This is the Tire Kickers.
Also, Automabilia, are you a sucker for a rusty tin sign
old oil can or a retro petrol pump?
Or is it all just money for old tat?
We'll recap our SL versus Stag road test special
and see if we've learned anything.
Spoiler alert, I now want to V8 again.
And we'll get your thoughts on everything from ugly rollers
to what warm-up acts do you do in front of the neighbors.
So let's stop idling about and get the wheels turning on episode 39 of the Tire Kickers.
So Matthew, I was watching the Iconics auction at Silverstone a couple of weeks ago
and spotted a few cars I liked.
Two of them, one an old Toyota Hilux and the other a Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL.
OK, so for a man who spends most of his spare time looking at car auction prices...
All of his spare time actually, sorry.
This isn't much of a surprise to be honest.
But why are we bothered by a Hilux?
So sheep farmers run around and get another boring Merck.
You're obsessed with these 80s Mercks.
What's the issue with these two?
Well, first of all, they sold.
The Toyota sold for £4,725 and the Mercedes for £7,313.
Right, OK.
So for nearly £5,000 for the Toyota to pick up Bieber junk.
Yeah, that's about right.
Mercedes for £7,000.
Yeah, as I say, it's a boring 80s SEL.
That's about right.
So what's the problem with those prices?
Well, I saw them the next day, less than 24 hours in fact,
pop up for sale on a dealer's social media.
The Toyota for £7,995 and the Mercedes for £11,995.
So on the Toyota, an increase of £3,270 and on the Merck,
4,682 markup.
Now the dealer even used the pictures from the auction catalogue
to advertise them.
OK, so a bit of a chunky overnight flip.
I mean, that's what dealers do, isn't it?
I mean, they spot a good car, they buy low, they sort it,
they prep it and they sell it on, hopefully for profit.
I mean, that is their business.
What's your issue with that?
Well, yeah, but how much is too much?
And is that an acceptable markup?
I mean, how much work can you do to a car in 24 hours?
Plus, if I spotted that, how many other people have?
And is that a good look for a dealer or even a classic car trade?
Now, usually a dealer might argue they did some work,
a service, some body work, etc.
But if it's up for sale the next day with auction house pictures,
I mean, come on, even Mike Brewer takes a hubcap to be re-chromed.
So I think that is taking the Michael.
Yeah, so I guess what your beef is, as the teenagers would say,
is that they've literally just flipped it overnight
and they've not done anything.
I mean, one a dealer is running a business, they've got overheads.
If this was a private buyer, then fair enough,
if somebody bought it at auction and flipped it overnight 24 hours later
for an inflated thingy, they're going to get most of that cash
because they've got the overheads.
Dealer's got overheads, they've got to pay tax on a margin,
they've got to pay operating costs, all that sort of stuff.
Isn't it just smart that they've spotted something
that you haven't or we haven't
and they've done the legwork on a Tuesday afternoon
to go and look at it or spot it or follow the auction, whatever.
And they've just got lucky on this one.
I mean, the market will decide, won't it?
It's just business, good business, isn't it?
I mean, yeah, I'm not going to say that I don't want people to make a profit.
You know, I'm perfectly happy with a profit
but it's about the kind of idea of being a dealer
because for me, dealers need to have the skill.
Most dealers don't go to auctions from just flipped cars
because that's a kind of Arthur Daly model from the 1980s.
You might do that on a Vauxhall Nova for 500 quid
but I don't think you tend to do that so much on classic cars
because the dealer's skill is to find the right cars,
make sure they're okay, get their history together,
do some work and then put them out and that's your margin.
They are doing some value added in order to justify their profit.
They're actually using their skills and their expertise
and lots of dealers have been in business for 30, 40 years
in order to present the best cars.
I think this is just taking the mech a bit
and where's the skill in that?
I don't think for us who regard classic cars as a passion,
that's really what it's about.
I went and looked at a Mercedes, a 70s Mercedes
about 18 months ago
and I knew it had come from an auction
because you just do a quick reverse search on the number plate
and I saw it itself for 5,000 in the auction
and the dealer had it up for like 12, 13
and I went and looked at it
and I wasn't impressed with the car in the end
but I went back and said,
look, would you consider an offer?
And they were quite abrupt with me and said no.
If you want to find one in this condition going
you carry on searching.
But I know it's come from the auction
and I said to them, I understand where it's come from
and understand you've got to make a profit on it
but can we talk about somewhere in the middle
and perhaps just to test the water
and they were no, they were no.
While I'm defending the dealers
and we do have dealers who listen to this
it'd be interesting to hear what they say
but while I defend that
and I do understand you've got to make a living
but the transparency there now
the Pandora's box is slightly open
on the values and things
so is it fair to ask double and a bit for stuff?
No, not if you're not going to do anything to it
because the best deal is
you see the adverts in the back
of owners' clubs and magazines
dealers want your car
to search out the best cars.
They are looking and digging
and phoning and calling and their contacts
mean that they get cars before they hit the market
before they hit the auctions
so there is the dealer skill isn't it?
Because there is so much transparency around
they don't want people to see what they paid for a car
they only want people to see what they're asking for a car
I think with a good deal is
those are the ones who are searching out the right cars
I think this kind of flipping
just feels a bit 1980s
and just a bit wrong to be honest
I'm not really making a profit on a car
but come on just make a little bit more effort
to search out the right cars
find Eastern customers
and also make sure the cars are really good
To be fair to the dealers though
I mean trading at the moment
is probably harder than it has been
for a long long time
getting hold of the cars
and stock is difficult at the moment
business overheads are through the roof at the moment
so perhaps
and maybe in this particular case
yes they flip them online
in 24 hours
but maybe they've taken those cars
and they are sort of going through them
and servicing them
and they are valenting them
all those are costs by the way
and then maybe they might have stuck with them
for like two, three weeks, four weeks, a month
so if they've got the neck to kind of ask for it
and they can get the money
then good on them I think
but it's not, you know
I'm not ranting against dealers
because it's the dealers skill I'm after
you know if you're going to pay a premium
for a car
a dealer premium for a car
I think you want them to do something for you
you want them to have checked out the car
you want them to have chosen the best car
and actually make sure that it's ok to sell on
and I think that's where
the dealers are good
when they actually earn their money if you like
this is just a cheap flip
so you wouldn't have a problem if
suddenly this Hilux they'd found
was the best Hilux in Britain
but just was underpriced
and they'd use their knowledge to kind of find it
and then they were just going to turn it around
so by the time you got to see it
your jaw would drop
you haven't got a problem with that necessarily
your problem is just
somebody lazily just added five grand on
and flipped it out
if you find out that your car is
24 hours fresh out of the auction
but four grand more expensive
I'd be surprised if you went back to that dealer again
so I'm just saying that the dealers
the best dealers have to earn their money
by being right
by sourcing the right cars
by making sure they're good cars
and making sure it's the right customer
so if a dealer's earning money that way
fine but if a dealer's just earning money
with a very quick flip
it just feels a bit odd
it doesn't really belong, I think
in the kind of modern classic car world
where we're all driven by passion
and not just a quick buck
I've had this, you know, you have this dream
that you're driving to work every sort of thing
I want to give this up and actually I could sell classic cars
but actually, how soft anybody does it
because it must be a really stressful thing
because one the cars are
you know you could sort of car out
and then somebody comes to test driving
and two you know
it's a fashionable seasonal thing
classic cars we've talked about
the winter it goes dead
you might be sitting on stock for a long long time
and then fashions in and out
you could have suddenly, you know
gone and bought loads of 60 stuff
and then suddenly this year comes around
and everybody wants modern classics
you're lumped with a load of stock
so I think it's quite a hard
a hard graft being a classic car dealer
I'm not that bothered
nobody wants to buy that Hilux or that Mercedes
they won't
I think you can vote with your feet
if you don't like the markups then just job on
I do quite like the Mercedes
they've got it for sale though
it's a 1986 560
SEL W126
in black
so what you'll do
what you normally do
sit like a vulture on a tree
and wait for the price to drop
it's not going to drop as low as you paid for it
yeah you'll wait until the van will swoop in
Christmas Eve, that's always the best time to buy cars
isn't it
poor dealer
so we're clearly at odds about this but where do you sit
fair enough or flipping cheeky
please let us know
we are the Thai Cookers, it's episode 39
and shortly we're talking
Retro Kartat or Automabilia
as I believe it's known
who buys it and why
in the last bonus episode
we went all car journalistic
Geely-lee and did a road test
between Max's 1986
Mercedes 300 SL
and my newly acquired 1978
Brown Triumph Stag
we asked the serious questions
tested the cars to their limits
and came up with various serious consumer journalism
style conclusions
looking at the cars so we've got Max's red
1980s obviously one of the last
of the productions of the 107s
and my stag which is the late 70s
which is one of the last of the productions of the stags
and there is a very British bolt on show here
which is just a fantastic
bit of BL work isn't it
in the T-top there's a big bolt on show
in a German car that just doesn't really happen
they've kind of engineered it all out
but that's a very British
solution
if we get into quality the door chunk
we should do the test up shouldn't we
have a listen to this
let's have a listen to yours
I've got the SL
not much in it
I think that's quite a lot
go on do it again stag
SL
that is quite a thunk
I'm going to walk around and crouch down
at the back of the stag
it's got two massive exhausts
it looks like two 10lb guns to be honest
so I'm just going to point the microphone
at the back of the exhaust and get it fired up
SL
bollocks
right Max is in position
in his German cruiser here we go
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
SL
actually that sounds surprisingly sporty
that's 3000 revs
and 60 miles an hour that's quite nice
I mean it is a nice engine
I know these engines have a reputation
for being troublesome but it is a
beautifully smooth VA
now Max is heading over
to have a drive of my SL
knowing Matt he'll be moaning about not being able
to get into this car properly
stand by for some huffing and puffing
I can't get my legs in
right does the seat go back
ok
so when you kick down it doesn't exactly
lurch forward but it then puts the power on
really slowly increase
it's not particularly fast is it
right engines off
I think the stag is a great concept car
but just the concept wasn't finished
which is a shame because like so many BL cars
the actual design
behind it the idea behind it
was brilliant I mean nothing short of brilliant
yeah I love the stag design I think it's ugly
and beautifully in same measure but I do think the 107
is probably one of the prettiest
convertibles built and I probably go with the 107
that's interesting because
after driving the stag I think the stag
is a much better sports car
it's more nimble it's more alive it's got better
steering it accelerates better
and the engine is more interesting
but I've got about an hour and a half to drive home
along the M4 so I wouldn't take it home
yeah it's very true
it's different
and I think fun is relative
I think I could own your car
and have a lot of enjoyment with it
but I think the stag there's something about the stag
that when you put the foot down and you hear that note
you smile
that episode is available now on your podcast
platform just listen to the episode before
this one and thanks to those of you
who shot us a note to say how much you enjoyed it
yes thank you very much an honourable mentions
to Darren Pendleton, Elliot Atkins
Tony Richards, Benjamin Maltby
Ian Lake, Chicks and his stag scarlet
Alan McCaskill, Mr M Ford
on Insta as well as my classic wheels
and Corb 2000 just some of you got in touch
thank you very much you said you liked it
that we should do some more perhaps
we also enjoyed doing it but what did we learn
anyone, anyone
did we learn anything
yeah we did actually
we mentioned Chicks there and his stag
he could have got in touch and accused me
of being a little bit mealy mailed on this
on that particular podcast
he said the stag is such a great car
I should have just gone for it
and he kind of felt I held back
but we were trying to be balanced weren't we
I'm not sure we were sitting on the fence
I think we were quite honest about
both of our car shortcomings and you know
I really fell in love with your stag on that
on that drive that V8
is tremendous and the noise was amazing
because I drove home in mind and it was a little bit
of an anticlimax to be honest because
well okay it got home without any mechanical
problems which is something that you don't always
have the luxury of but it was very
quiet and after
just every time I prodded the throttle
on that stag is just
after that it was like oh I kind of missed
that so I don't think we sat on the fence
yeah they're both very different cars though
and I think you know while yours doesn't have
the sort of
thrill ride of the stag
perhaps you know it is much more of a long
distance cruiser so the stag
I wouldn't want to go hundreds of miles
in because you do have to keep your foot in
you know there is a noise but just driving
that round for short periods of time
is fab it's funny when I was driving home
after that when I was driving my car I was thinking
what is the difference about this
and it really is and a couple of people made this point
on the kind of comments about the program
is that you know you're comparing chalk
and cheese really because the stag
is almost like a British Leyland prototype
because it didn't have the development
that the SL did because by the time
your car came out what 78
the SL had been in production for what
20 odd 24 years
so really it had been through several
gestations it had been improved
it was a mark 3 SL
by the time the stag came out
because actually if you imagine
that would have been a stag mark 3
or a stag mark 4
that would have been a really interesting car
you said that on the podcast didn't you
quite rightly that the stag was
kind of a 90% car it was sort of
done and then left to finish off
and you can see that in the quality
but just in the thought
whereas the SL is something that has been
developed it's as you say a second
sort of third generation of her cells
it had been thought about and refined
and it was refined through the years
to leave it although it kind of
ostensibly looked like the same car
they did refine it and they did fine tune it
to make it ride better and you've got
the sort of later one so if you wound
that back to the 70s maybe it would be
a little bit more raw a car
I've driven a 70s SL and it is a bit
more boaty floaty lurchy
however it still it looks great
and I think if you just come
back to the thing if you want
a trouble free classic car
an SL is a really good bet for your
the stag is a different thing though
and I think it's an interesting one because
I was sort of thinking after how long
am I going to keep this car because it is fun
it's a really fun car to drive
I've just been out in it today
for a couple of times I literally just took out
the garage like an hour ago just because
the sun came out and I thought do you know what
I just want to go and have that thrill of driving it
and it is an interesting car to drive
I really really enjoy driving it
really really enjoy it much more than I thought I would
actually I wanted the engine
I'm actually enjoying the car because it's so usable
but it's so you know as we talked
about in the podcast you put your foot down the bonnet goes up
take your foot off the bonnet goes down
but every time I put my foot down
I smile because it's just really enjoyable
it's got that noise as well isn't it
you know like kind of modern cars have that
noise coming through the car speakers
you know a modern car would kill
for the noise of a Triumph Stag V8
it's a much more usable car than I've had
in the past so I'm already thinking
actually I can run it out for an hour or two
when the weather's good enough
to enjoy it I just need a petrol tanker following me
but it's a different type of thing
a reliable car following you
or the AA following you
what did you do after that podcast we recorded that
what did you drive like an hour and a bit
an hour and a half
I went flat out down the M4
so I reckon it was about 90 minutes
hood down on the M4 I had a really good time
but I did think oh god that V8
it's funny it made me lust after a V8
to be honest
I didn't notice at length
but once again here is the feature
entitled Max wants a V8 part 7
now like the police academy sequels
this one is going to run and run
but is slightly less funny
does this mean that you've been back in a classified
looking at V8 yet again
I've never left the classifieds
I've got a left field suggestion for myself now
because nobody else is interested in this
that I came across
do you remember the MGZT260
this was the
Rover 75 saloon with a Ford Mustang
4.6L V8
really
the original MGZT
was the front wheel drive V6 do you remember that
yeah I've tried to sort of rub it out of my head
they tossed all of that out
and they made it a rear wheel drive V8
now here is one for sale on your screen
talk about a wolf
in a Rover 75's clothing
that looks like a
it doesn't even look pimped up
just looks like a grandad car
but it's a Rover 75 Q-car
with a 4.6L Mustang V8
in it so it's in black
this is a 2000
let me just read the details
2005 so this is one of the last ones made
a black MGZT260 V8
so it's the four door saloon
it's a Rover 75 with an MG grill
braided onto the front
if that again if that had an Audi badge
people would be wetting themselves
right where are we on
shot 34 of 86 now I'm trying to
oh god it looks like a Rover 2 on 6
right keep going I want to find the engine
engine engine engine where is it
oh that looks horrible that engine what is that
slow down I'll tell you what that cheap 2000
stereo looks rough isn't it
yeah okay the engine is a bit dirty
but it's a 4.6L V8 Mustang engine
surprisingly it didn't have enough power
they were talking about making one of these with a 500 brake horsepower engine
but it is a really good fun car
because it's rear wheel drive it's manual
and it's got a V8 and you can make these sound
really good I think if you're finding this sort of stuff
on the internet you need to get out a bit more
because this looks really dull
and then you flip the bonnet and it just looks really ugly
I mean okay so that's a no
I'm going to throw this up
on your screen as the medicine for my
V8 rash right oh not
another bloody SL129
thing this is a Mercedes SLR129
now I believe I've mentioned these
slightly in the past but these are
V8s and with the aftermarket
exhaust you can make them sound
really really good and this one's
18000 for a really nice
1996 SL500
yeah I mean I don't
dislike the SLs we've talked about these in the past
they're not a lot
classicky enough for me but
that's a really good
block in there I mean they've used that block
in a lot of different things it's an M119
isn't it the 5.0L V8
if you're going to buy one of these cars
you are catching on with your engine codes
well I have one of them didn't I have the 118 or the 119
in another Mercedes so
they're good and they're reliable and I think these
a good V8 in these
kind of 90s 2000 era Mercedes
are other ones to get
because they do just sound really really good
do they sound good out of stock
or do you have to set them up with exhaust
stock are a bit quiet but there's a company called
Eisenman I think they do aftermarket exhaust
and I've driven a couple of those with those on
and they sound American just as I could
an American muscle car it's great not interestingly
as good as your stag still the stag
won the sound contest hands down
but it does still sound good yeah if you if
you're going on this tip with a Mercedes I would say
look at the also look at the R
230 SL's the 2000 era
Mercedes SL's the
500's and the 55's because they're going for
super cheap money at the moment they're going for
cheap money for a reason if you
happen to listen back to an SL special
on this very podcast platform
that I did it a while back
Bruce Grytham from Bruce Grytham's
classic Mercs those are 230's
they are a little bit unreliable it's
from that low point of Merc
unreliability
and they do go wrong a fair bit so I've always
tried to avoid the RT 30's do you
understand the air suspension is the
worst thing but you just check they're not
not too sort of lumpy in the
corners and they leak on the electrics the boot
leaks on the right on the electrics yeah
that's true that that is true yeah you've
done a special on it you know what you're talking about
I would say also the CLK's
I bang on about CLK's they are a sleeper here
and I think 10 years people go chasing for those but
the engine makes them interesting but there's
some good the point being of all of this
there's some good V8's out there aren't they just
sitting in cars quite cheaply the point being
about your CLK that you had is it was so
good you sold it well it was just so good
it was a use case thing again
that it was so good that what do I do that
because I then got a daily car which was a convertible
and to be honest apart from the engine
it wasn't there wasn't much you know I
can't be in two cars at once going in the same
place so I kind of shuffled the cars
around but I had one of these a CLK
155 which is the hand-built AMG engine
and I think if you can get
one of those they are going for cheap money at the moment
it's a full-seater convertible you can
pick them up like seven or eight grand a good one
get one with service history they're very
low maintenance if they've been looked after
and they're one to get they're not as exciting
as probably a 129 in terms of
classicky car because you know they're
still 10 years younger but I think they're one
to watch so I think the V8's
I think are interesting I think
why don't you just buy a stack for the fun of it
because I would have to admit that you
might be right and that will never happen
I would rather gouge out my eyes
than go and buy a Triumph stack and suggest
that you might be right even though it's got
it would pander to my BL fixation
Yeah and go back and listen if you've not
listened to that podcast you know
do check it out it's our
Stag vs SR road test it's the podcast
before this one and we do come away with a couple of conclusions
yours wins on quality hands down
the stack isn't
very well screwed together
and the interior quality is not that great
and the roof's not as
you know the engineering's not as good
however it is an interesting car to own
and it's very much a classic car
so there is still that enjoyment it's a classic car
and it will keep me busy
whereas yours is not really
you know if you left yours for a few weeks
it's not going to make any difference it's not much to do in yours
it would still start
there's not much to do it
potentially a bit too boring
I just walk into the garage and it sit down in it
it's the first time all the time
yeah but because of that
you're now looking at blue and MGRV8
or whatever they are
now what's that MGZT
whatever you just shown me
but clearly you weren't paying attention at the point I showed it
well now it's just my eyes were just horrified
if you had it
maybe you do need a classic car
that's a bit more you need something in between
your Porsche and this to keep you amused
oh I just need to listen to you moaning about the
stag when it goes wrong or the 20 things you need to fix
in it because the thing about the stag is
as much as I love them inevitably that will go wrong
I think
there's going to be plenty of material
if you want to hear more about V8s we've talked about V8s there
check out episode 25 I should mention that
because we do ask the question should we buy a V8
before it's too late
I think we only came up with that because it vaguely rhymed
V8 and late
TVRs we talked about didn't we
yeah V8 MGBs
and the RV8s and stuff because they're still
you know particularly the MGBGT
V8 is still a great car
because it's a small classic car
and it's got the great V8 engine
yeah so episode 25 if you want to get lost
in V8s go check it out
have a listen let us know what you think
and here's how you can let us know what you think
you can get in touch with Max and Matt
via our socials
we're at the Tire Kickers UK on Instagram
and the Tire Kickers
on Facebook
you've been in touch in record numbers since the last show
and two people so thank you for your letters
and all those drawings in crayon
yeah first of all on cars we called ugly
like the Rolls Royce Camargue
the Ford Anglia Daimler Dunn Ford Scorpio
that was in the last episode Sam who goes by the handle
old car lady on Insta
she says the Camargue is one of her favourite cars
she says much better than that
Panther Deville she had
which she said always let her down
Panther Deville
that's a kind of Liberace type car
kick car isn't it that really is ugly
she also put some photos up showing how
she used the Camargue on the school run
and also as a recovery truck
Rolls recovery now that could be a thing
yeah it could be
that car was how much back in the day
and it was doing the school run
I think it's the world's most expensive car
for a time in the 70s
have a look on social media
Sam's social media and our social media
because she does make a good case for the Camargue
meanwhile there are Rover all on Instagram
says that I used to have a Scorpio
a one to dart
and Max's favourite car
Anglia
we called these ugly in the last podcast
but he prefers the word characterful
and you know what beauties in the eye
the beholder fair enough
Corb 2000 says back in the day I used to have a
Scorpio as a company car
when colleagues had voxel amigas
they thought I was mad but the Scorpio was comfortable
spacious and very well equipped
Benjamin M says on the subject
of fugly cars
I give you the triumph Mayflower
but actually how he sums it up
is pretty much bang on actually
it looks like the love child he says
of a London taxi and Noddy's car
is this in your radar
the triumph Mayflower
funnily enough I saw that in a car museum
about six months ago and it really is ugly
it's one of those classic cars that it's too big
for its chassis so it's kind of falling over itself
Google a Mayflower and you'll see what we mean
now after one of you told us
you were listening by a poolside in Bali
we also asked you
where do you listen to this show
and we got some interesting locations
check some of these out
yes, Clint Randall says he's been listening to us
in Peru Max while he's doing
a round the world trip on his motorbike
he says he's having a really great time doing it
he's missing his family and his dog but
what he really misses is his
MGVGT it's his daily driver
as a photographer back here in the UK
it's funny actually
you miss cars while you're away
I've just got back from France on a family holiday
and I didn't
necessarily miss my bed or the house
I actually missed the stag
I think the key word there is family
in family holiday that's why you miss the car
no but you do miss driving your car
I mean I got in at 2.30 this morning
it was a bit of a bit of a schlep getting back
and it was a bit of a grug getting through the ports
and that sort of stuff so I got in at 2.30 this morning
but at 7.30 I woke up
and I looked out the window and I thought
it's alright I'll drive it to a meet
so I sort of propped my eyelids open
matchsticks and I got out
just to get driving it again
so I got there and it was really good
and then it chucked it down to get the roof up
luckily we practiced that in the road test
and I think you actually managed to get
the roof up did you?
we just gave up halfway through and put it back
but I don't like taking my car out in the rain
I'm a bit precious about it I've got dirty stag now
I agree and also you can't put it away in the garage
I actually texted you
after I saw that photograph
so do not put that away in the garage wet
I had a plan though it was just a shower this morning
so I took it and I air dried it down a dual carriage
70 miles an hour
air fried it down a dual carriage
I could see the rain coming off it
and then I just left it in the sun just to dry out
before I put it in the garage
I mean you don't want to be putting a British laden car back in a garage wet
I'll flip the garage door up
just be rust, isn't it?
now back to where you are
and where you listen
350 Monroe lessons on a night shift
around mine in the Adelaide Hills
fixing broken machines beat that
also he's just bought an XJ-12
this week that hasn't been driven
for 24 years so he
fixes broken machines at work
and then has a busman's holiday with a Jag
by the way he was telling me he's got nine Jags
and three Rovers
in a collection of 29 cars
good mile
well yeah in a very unique location
I think I can do slightly better than that
I mean Corp 2000 has been listening
in Tahiti and Bora Bora
French Polynesia
I mean it's more glam
it's not quite as
kind of wow as being an underground mine
but French Polynesia
is definitely definitely on my bucket list that
but he too
told us that he's been missing his cars
and was looking forward to getting home to drive them
so he sat there in Tahiti
thinking about
maybe I'll get back and drive my old banger
so there's something like these cars aren't they are addictive
absolutely
let's bring it back to Earth though
DT McMurty also let us know
about where he's listening to the show
not the Maldives
but the car park at Morrison's
we also asked what your car
warm-up routine was
we talked about this in the last episode
do you let your car tick over for 10 minutes
or do you drive off
or custom skills says
it might take up to 20 miles
to properly warm up
don't thrash it he says
but don't apply a lot of load
in too high a gear
KCDMGBGT says
and this is the routine
full choke
start
pull out of garage
choke in halfway
close garage door
choke fully in
set off
gentle throttle
till up to temperature
sounds perfect
okay I've taken notes on that
another one
Vaudry SCCS says
drive away
he says sitting with the choke on
can clog the plugs
well that's what you were saying wasn't it
yeah absolutely
Rockstar Cars says
any cars air-cooled
or pre-1990
are warmed through
modern stuff
just crack on
MogOnline72 says
don't warm up an idle
you need to get moving to warm the oil
so it gets to the top of the engine
exactly big bike mic 77
says I do let my MG
warm up
that name sounds like
one of those cargies to see in the phone box
this is Alan 74
what phone boxes were you in
this is Alan 74
says modern classic
anything 80s or older
will just turn it on and go
however I'd wait until 90 degrees
before putting my foot down
older stuff I'd consider idling
yeah it's a good point
Lee Hussain says
he lets his 70s alpha warm up
for a few minutes to limber her up
and then half way down the road
she breaks down
he's had a couple of breakdowns with that alpha
including recently
an ignition coil that went kaput
while he was cruising down the M3
back from an alpha meet
yeah he shot us a note to say
he was in a sort of zen moment
coming back from an alpha meet
the weather was really nice
he was driving back
along the motorway
sort of warm air
had the tunes on
had his new alpha
he's not had this alpha very long
he said
then he sent us a picture of it
on the hard shoulder
of the M3
or in one of those refuge bits
and then back on a low loader
so stick with it Lee
that's what old cars are like
I think he was saying
that particular car
just hasn't been used for a while
so it needs a few things sorted
but that's classic cars for you isn't it
yeah alpha karma
it's going to get you back
yes and finally on this one
Mark Palmer on Facebook says
he always warms up for a minute or two
it may not make a massive difference
he says but I feel like it helps
now all that's good advice
I tell you what I've got
kind of slightly confused with it all
now thanks to be honest with you
lost in all the advice
I'm slightly overthinking it
I was starting to stag this morning
I haven't quite worked out the routine of that
but I had it sort of sussed in my head
that would warm up for a little bit
then I would drive
and this like that
but now I'm kind of overthinking it
I think it's your fault
it's not my fault
it's just mechanical principles
it's just basically you've got to drive it
but at low revs
and just remember this phrase
the devil makes work for idle engines
do not let it tick over at low pressure
because it's not getting the oil pressure around
okay it's episode 39
we're talking retro car stuff surely
but first
cars owned by celebs don't normally
see much of a hike in value
to be honest
who cares if Roy Cropper
from Coronation Street
once owned your Vauxhall Viva
but how about this one
Range Rover 2006 L322
we talked about these on the show
120,000 miles possible
what 10 or 15 grand
and most yeah
but because of the backseat passenger
this one went for a regal sum
175,500 pounds
including fees
for a 2006 L322
now it was a Vogue SE
but that should only be
really an extra 500 quid on the sale price
but that is an astonishing amount of money
all because the late queen
sat in the back
yeah so it just looks like a Bogo
you know L322
how many of these did she have
because didn't one of these sell before
I think she had a couple
this was one she had for two years
and I think she used this for kind of
private events
it wasn't used for state events
because she had various cars for this
but this is to go and turn up
and look at some horses and stuff
and some racing horses
ah so she didn't drive this one
yeah there's a shot of her getting out the back of it
so it was yeah it was more of a chauffeur
do you remember the
because the one before this
that made the headlines
was somebody bought it didn't they
but it didn't have any provenance
and then eventually managed to find a photo
of her at the wheel
and the car sort of double the triple
did value didn't it overnight
yeah and I think that only went for the kind of 50 or 60
I mean this was 175,000
apparently there was two bidders after it
one from the Caribbean who won it
and the other one from Japan
so maybe they wanted it for a museum
but it wasn't a special car
it wasn't like bulletproof
or covered with lights
or what American heads of state have
it was just a Range Rover
the only extras it had were grab handles
in the back
Tonga Green
no privacy glass
which is the best to pack for L322
small wheels
an Oxford sand leather
I mean a beautifully specced car but
175,000
it's that old auction thing there
if you've got two people who once here
that just pushes the value up
I mean compared to
in terms of royal cars though
her stuff hasn't been the stuff
that's got the big big money
I mean Diana's stuff's got big money
there was that
Escort RS Turbo
an 85 I think it was
driven by
they sold for 722,000
amazing amount of money
back in auction in 2022
but remember the other famous one
they didn't get quite so big money though
was that Metro
that she had one of the first cars
the first pictures
that actually went for 6 grand
it's actually in Coventry
Transport Museum that one
back in the 90s that went for 6 grand
I mean that would be worth
a hell of a lot of money now
if that was on the open market
there's a picture of it now on your screen
driving it
can you see it's got a
classic BL wing mirror
that's just kind of collapsed
under its own weight
it's just given up
yeah it's just it's got this
sort of wonky wing mirror
hanging off
as they always did
because they got whacked
didn't they
it's just people didn't know
how to fix them
but yeah so that's 6 grand
but yeah any royal connection
I guess any provenance
if you can prove it with cars
especially if it's celebrity
or royal whatever
it just pushes that value up doesn't it
that's an incredible amount of money
I think it was a world record
for an L322
but just goes to show those L322s
great cars
just so stylish at the moment
this is the tyre kickers
Max last week I was in your garage
when we did the SL versus stag thing
and I noticed something
did you now
what were you noticing
the old sunbeam oil stain
still there on the floor
need to get round to get rid of those
or oh I know it was was it
I hadn't painted my floor
with that grey stuff
like I said I was going to
no what I noticed was nothing
I noticed absolutely nothing
there was nothing on the walls about triumphs
or sunbeams
or the alphas you used to have
there's no automobilia
on your garage wall
and I think that's missing a bit
oh you mean the tin posters
and stuff like that
I've got a couple of bits
I mean I don't know if you've spotted
what kids got me one about
Mercedes when I had that Mercedes
and there's a couple of rally plates
but now I haven't got that sort of
automobilia tack
you're talking like you know
Jay Leno's
man cave garage thing
where it's all old petrol pumps
and you know rusty signs
and retro thing and those oil cans
I've never massively gone into that
do you think I should get some of that then
well it's just
there's a kind of character to it
now obviously Jay Leno
has got a bit more money than you and I
put together
and he has got his walls
covered in everything
I mean his car garage is like a museum
and it's fantastic isn't it
but I have to say
I've got a few things around
that kind of relate to me
so I've got a couple of
number plates from cars I used to have
I've got the old Porsche 912 number plate
I've got some hubcaps
I've got a camshaft from an engine that blew
I've just got little bits that remind me of this stuff
it's not particularly the stuff that
you want to buy to give yourself
a kind of character
a bit like when you bought posters at university
just of bands because he thought it looked cool
these are things that I've kind of had
and gotten that fallen off the car
and have broken
just to remind me about the various cars
and I was kind of thinking about that really
just the story of the cars you've had in the past
haven't you also got a grill off a Woolsey Hornet
I do have a grill off a Woolsey Hornet
yeah absolutely
you know that's in the attic
I haven't actually put that up yet
but yeah a grill off a Woolsey Hornet
that I had as well
this is the sort of thing you think
I should be cluttering my garage with
absolutely it's not cluttering your garage
it's kind of mementos
it's past history
it's the things that make you laugh
I think I had a great time with that Woolsey Hornet
so I kept a grill
yeah okay well I get it
you know with old number plates
that are sentimental and mean something
but just filling your garage with tat
I quite like less in my garage
I don't want minimalism
it's just characterless
it's like a prison cell to be honest
there was more in
if you've been doing ten years for fraud
you'd have more inside in your prison cell walls
than you had in your garage
I should have shut the door and left you in there
it's the way I just don't want
I've just cleared it out
I've said to you
I've just cleared it out
after four years of like junk in there
you know there was memorabilia
from a sunbeam alpine
yeah but that's lovely
that's not junk
that's history
that's your past
yeah well okay
so what should I get then
what should I put in there
I have some B
what about like an old BL sign
let's have a look on the e-basic
they've got something there
retro
let's try British Leyland Retro
sign or something like that
this is live research
that's being live research
which Josie is doing some research
it's like when you forgot to do your essay
oh your school homework
British Leyland Retro Garage
Manco sign
it's like five
could ten
oh look it's got
this is a reproduction
oh this is quite good though
because it's got a bit of authenticity
because it's actually rusted around the edges
yeah that's really good
it should have rusted in the middle
and the back in the front as well
but yeah a British Leyland sign
because interestingly
you haven't got those BL roundels
on your stag
whoever did the paint job
was try to DBL it
and taking them off
you sent me this
this is like a sort of
a whole automobilius site
so it's got like the
oil cans
and the
signs
and that sort of stuff
let's have a look
click on the box that says
signs and let's see
what they've got
here we are so
I mean there's all kind of
you see an AA signs
from the kind of fifties
and forties
and champion sparkplug signs
it's just about a bit of character
to the garage walls
because you've got a breeze block garage
so it's got zero character on it
I'm just thinking of something
that kind of relates
vaguely to you
and your past cars
with a stag
there's an AA sign
and you may be getting
used to seeing the AA for example
do you need to recognise the sign
you'd be rude about my garage
my garage has got feelings too
right let's see what else
we've got here
I mean this is
Michelin signs
like Morris signs
AA as you say
a 750 quid
yeah that's the thing
I wasn't going to mention
they are quite expensive
these signs these days
it's a lot isn't it
I think stuff that's
a bit sentimental
and they've got some road signs too
if you could actually have
some road signs of places
you've lived
or things like that
then that's got sentimental value
you could do that
but you could also have
a bit of this
because you know
it's quite nice
it gives a bit of character
doesn't it
when you're in the garage
and you're polishing
and you're taking things
apart and they're falling
apart in your hands
started with
I think it's one of those things
that just makes it feel a bit warm
it's got some kind of feeling to it
the garage have got
a kind of spirit of old cars
do you know what
this is all saying to me
one word
clutter
oh no
it's not clutter
I don't want to go
into some sort of
eyesore of signs
I can see you going
I can see you going to
Stonehenge
and knocking it down
and building a nice road
through it
because it's just clutter
it's just getting in the way
I want to put
I want my garage
walls to paint the floor
and put some nice lights in there
and then just have it all
quite minimal
minimal
well it's also
we live in Britain as well
let's get to the thing
my garage is big enough
for my car and just about
big enough to get around it
you parked your car in there
and you were just able to get out
we haven't got the room
for all this stuff
you know it's nice
if you've got
like an American style
or a millionaire style
you know
sort of
garage where you can sit in
with a sofa
Chris Evans garage
where you've got this
stuff in
you can have a mini Chris Evans
garage
you can just have a couple of things
in there
you could squeeze a chair in there
and look at your car
do you know what
what happened
this is the British reality
of it
is you'd hang one of these
signs on the wall
and then you'd be shuffling past
to get past your car
you'd knock it off
and dent the car wouldn't you
that's what it did
full of boing
and car
say
this sort of stuff
do I want to spend
like 500 quid on a tin sign
to put my garage
I'd rather spend
500 quid on
the car
or fuel in your case
well yeah
that's a tank
I drove it today
I actually saw the cage go down
I think the good
the good thing about the stack
is you're going to have
so many bits fall off
in the next six months
that you'll be able to cover
those garage walls
yeah maybe
I should have
something immemorial
for the sunbeam
maybe you should have
like a sunbeam type thing
maybe I could get
you know
but then it's just a bit
like a root servicing here
I don't really care
I could feel
I'm flogging a dead horse
here isn't it
I'm just trying to give you
a bit of character
because you threw away loads
of sunbeam stuff
you know
I used to have a wing
that came off my Porsche 912
in fact I gave it away
because it reminded me
of how painful it was
to pay the bill
to get the new wing on
and then get it sprayed
but yeah
I think you need
some character in that garage
it needs some
some stag feel
it needs some
kind of 70s
retro
British Leyland glory
Christmas is coming up
what you could get
something for me
for Christmas
actually I found something
why you've been talking
I've just found
look at this
it's
a BL
light up sign
oh wow yeah
it's an illuminated
LED light box
now if that's
if that's true to fashion
that's going to start
flickering
with a bit of earth problems
at least soon isn't it
it's 69.99
which is interestingly
69.98
more than I'm going to
spend on you at Christmas
enough
I hear you shout
okay we've reached
the end of this episode
happy now
next time
some of the best
car adverts
what made you remember cars
and did a car advert
ever make you buy that car
plus I'm no fan of kits
but is the fake AC cobra
the one acceptable
kit car
there's lots of them for sale
they look great
and sound great
but is it just a Sierra
in a fancy frock
and will people say
is it real mate
plus the return of
crush or caress
although I'm going to
let you know
it'll just be crush
because I'm going to crush
a princess
just to see
when it's crushed
it'll look any better
how dare you
but until then remember
to get in touch
and see you next time
for the big episode 40
goodbye
bye
hang on let me
let me just deliver this show
oh god here we go
oh god
hold on
I'll back it up
right okay
let's give them a runway
here we go
About this episode
Max and Matt dive into the world of classic car flipping, discussing the ethics and business behind overnight markups seen at auctions. They debate whether quick flips without any added value are acceptable in the classic car market. The episode also touches on the allure of automobilia, recounts their recent SL versus Stag road test, and shares listener feedback on car warm-up routines. With humor and passion, they explore the intricacies of classic car ownership and the dealer's role in the market.
The boys are back and Max is flippin' furious at dealers who try and flip classics for a big profit. We do a serious piece of consumer journalism by trying to spot the differences between a Stag and an SL. We ask if automobilia is cool or just retro clutter? And we get your thoughts on everything from car warm ups to ugly classics. It’s a high octane show full of opinions and humour. So hit play and enjoy!