Team-BHP - Classic Cars & Aeroplanes

Last weekend was fathers day here in the Netherlands. That means there are even more than usual events for me to go and see. There were at least 5 car related events all within less than an hours drive from where we live.

I picked two events. I already put up a thread of the Trekker Trek event I went to see in the afternoon:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/commer...mpetition.html

But it the morning I went to see the Classic Cars & Aeroplane show in Seppe, near Breda. About a 35 minute drive from our home.

https://cca-seppe.nl/english/

This was the fourth year and I have been at least twice before. I like the formula on this event. Essentially you get a little airfield and invite owners of classic cars, trucks and classic plane to come. Throw in a few market stalls, some entertainment and you have a great event.

These days classic car events are often about showing off the very, very expensive, classic cars. I still enjoy that of course. But to be very honest. I like the more regular Joe type of classic car events better. You get a very different kind of owners and a very different kind of public. I might be biassed, but this is just my experience talking to classic car owners. And I know a lot of them. A guy with say a Classic Ferrari will only talk about the other classics he has in his garage. He is there to show off and couldn’t care less about anybody else or anybody else his/her car.

On this event, you get classic car owners, who like to show off their classic beauties, of course. And they will talk about their cars endlessly, passionately. And they will always look at everybody’s elses car as well. To check certain details, talk to the owners, learn a few things. Visit the market stalls to buy another part or a tool.

I had enrolled in this event a few months ago. Enrolment is free. It’s just if more than 600 classic cars show up, they won’t allow you on the venue and you end up parking your classic car with the rest of the punters. Somewhere in a nearby field, wedged in between a Ford Fiesta and a Peugeot 208.

Also, when you enroll the driver and one passenger get free entry to the venue. Everybody else needs to pay a small fee to get in

I had enrolled my 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider. However, the Spider is currently out of commission. Still waiting for some parts so I can finish a job (regular service) I started a few weeks ago.

See

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...ml#post4410212

So I rocked up in my Mercedes W123. Here you see it, parked for display, with a nice plane in the background! Notice the piece of paper underneath the car? Each owner got one of these to prevent oil leaking onto the grass. It’s actually paper with a plastic backing to keep the oil.

Next to my W123.

As usual there are quite a few market stalls selling all sorts of stuff. This guy is selling all kinds of signage. I bought a few more for my garage, obviously. These days I buy more sign than parts and tools at these events!

Back to some more planes. I am and always have been a keen aviation enthusiast. These days I can even call myself a pilot. When we lived in Kansas City I got my pilot’s license and I used to fly every week 3-5 hours.

This little airfield is also home base for the “Vliegend Museum Seppe” (Flying museum Seppe). They have a very nice collection of planes, and they fly them as much as they can!

https://vliegendmuseumseppe.nl/collectie/

Lots of (older and military) pilots might have learned to fly on one of these:

This here is a bit of a special one. A ME (Messerschmidt) 109. During the early days of World War 2, this was the main fighter of the German Luftwaffe and in those early days it gave them air superiority.

This one isn’t airworthy anymore. It gets hauled from exhibition to event, to the next exhibition on a flat bed truck. The wings come of. But it makes an interesting display and you are allowed to sit in the cockpit!

A much smaller Messerschmidt was parked next to it. These so called Bubble cars are quite the collector items these days!

If you have read some of my other “classic car” thread you know I like the Triumph Stag a lot. Here two of them and in the background a classic Cessna sky hawk 172.

These Stags come with a glorious huge V8 engine. Actually, originally these engines weren’t all that glorious. In fact they were pretty pathetic. They had all sort of cooling problems. But nowadays that is all sorted with better head gaskets, better cooling pumps and better cooling liquids.

Some very nice MGs and another look at the Cessna 172. This one is from 1956. Put a brand new one to it (they are still manufactured) and it will look very similar. Not much has changed over the years, other than the interior and the avionics. For the last 3-4 decades most pilots will have flown this plane for their very first flights and are likely to have done their first check ride in it too. That would have gotten them their first part of a pilot licence, as so called PPL. (Private Pilot License). I am actually one of the few pilots who has very few hours on a 172. I learned to fly on a Cessna 152, took my check ride in it too. Once I had my PPL I did my IFR on Cessna 185, Diamonds and Cirrus.

Both the 172 and 150/152 are very easy to handle planes, very forgiven, easy ground handling as they have a proper nose wheel that you can steer through the rudder pedals. (As opposed to castoring nose wheels on most single engine planes.

Everybody knows Volvo’s and Saabs are Swedish. But the Swedes have made some very good aeroplanes over the years, including some fighters. This is a Saab 91, Safir. It was mostly used as a trainer.

Some more cars entering the venue. Little Fiat 500. Everybody loves these little cars. Put it next to the current generation Fiat 500 and you will begin to appreciate how small this car really was. Still, I was reasonably comfortable behind the wheel in it! Mind you in those days, car comfort was very different from what it is today.

In the back you can see the largest plane at the venue. A huge, single engine, Antonov. About Euro 70 gets you a seat and a twenty minute flight!

A drop dead gorgeous Triumph. All drivers/owners that had enrolled would get one of these little Classic Car & Aeroplane Signs. The organizer had also arranged for a 65 km tour. Which I thought was a good idea. You could start anytime between 11.30 and 14.00 hours. It meant that it was constant coming and going of cars all day. Cars arriving, parking, setting off after a few hours and returning again. Makes is all a little bit more dynamic than just a static display.

Although worth probably next to nothing a very rare car. Fiat 850 Coupe. Very few have survived. They all rusted away. My sister decided that after secondary school, she would not go to university, but start working right away. She joined as a trainee journalist one of the Dutch magazines in those days. She needed a car and this was her very first car. A white one, but this red looks really good on it too!

This is a Boeing Stearman. Quite a famous plane and there are quite a few around still. Any airshow in Europe or the USA and you are very likely to come across a Stearman. The guy is the owner. He is a former military and commercial pilot. He is retired and this is what he does; shows of his plane and he gives very good talks too.

Another favourite of mine, the Opel GT. Some used to call it the mini or European Corvette and you can see why. Same sort of shape and lovely curves. This one was in very good shape. Tucked behind it, an equally well kept little Triumph Spitfire. Nice little rag top car. Very easy to work on and to restore.

In the background you can see a glider plane and a glider trailer. I actually started my flying career as a glider pilot. I was 18-19 years old or so. I wasn’t particularly lucky with it. On one of my very first solo flights (2nd or 3rd) the towing cable broke just as I rotated to take off. With very little airspeed, very little experience at the yoke I make a very rough landing. Remarkably the plane was fine, but I had some very serious damage to my back and my medical certificate was revoked for more than a year!

Although I have lived in the USA and travelled extensively all over the USA I never really got into American Classic cars. I do like looking at them, because I think they are a class of their own.

This one has a sign that says it is for rent (people use these sort of cars for weddings) but it is also for sale

And some more planes, kitted out in the colour scheme of the Dutch Royal Air force. These are both Piper Super Cubs. Originally aimed for training, but quickly taken up by private owners. Very simple, versatile plane. Does well on rough ground as well, so in those days good for farmers and so

Some more American sleds! These cars are magnificent. Opulent, but magnificent too.

No classic car event without some Porsches, obviously. These 316s made a nice pair. I am not a huge fan of Porsche, but I have always liked these sort of original Porsches very much. Even the original 911 is quite a nice car, bit of a pain to drive, but nothing else looks like a Porsche.

Some might mistake this for an early Porsche too. But it is an an actual VW, the so called Karmann Ghia. Designed by the Italian Ghia and produced by the German Karmann coach builder. Almost 500.000 of these cars were produced. Nice little tourer.

How is this for some of the best the French Automotive industry has produced. They don’t make them like this anymore. The Citroen DS was a real marvel of engineering when it came to market. Even today a properly maintained one, will glide over the most bumpy of roads, without even so much as the passengers noticing. The Traction Avant still has a very large group dedicated group of followers and enthusiast.

Something from across the channel, a Lotus Europe. If this car was known for one thing it was how low it was. Check the kid, his hips are just below the roof line of the Europe!

Most of you know that I like to fiddle with my cars and there are very few DIY jobs I wouldn’t tackle in or around the house either. I have been contemplating this several times over, but never got into actually doing it: Built your own plane. It is perfectly legal, providing you stick to all the rules and regulations and their are several clubs to help you get going. One of them presented themselves at this event.

Some other market stalls and the boot of of Jaguar XK8. Similarities with the Jaguar E-type at one’s own peril!

Look at this remarkable line up of classic cars. This is why I like this event so much. Where would you see a line up like this: Ford Taunus Coupe, Rubber bumper MG, Mustang, Morgan (barely visible), Citroen DS, Eldorado.

The European automotive design versus American automotive design. Curves and grace, versus angles and functionality.

This is your typical American cockpit from that era. Functional, but crap. These days we call it nostalgic, of course.

This event has some nice trucks as well. American trucks, because European trucks are a dime a dozen. But the American trucks are, lets call it, theatrical. They are totally and utterly useless. The smallest European truck will outdrive, out accelerate, our fuel economy and out pull the biggest American truck. But the American trucks are so much nicer to look at:

Looks familiar? I am pretty sure this trailer, or a trailer like this, featured in one of the famous goof ball truckers movies with Burt Reynolds; Smokey and the bandit. Watched it the other day. Even after all those years, still brings a smile to my face. Good, clean fun!

In case you wonder, no the Fiat 500 did not feature in that movie!

Anybody remember one of these? A more non discript family saloon has yet to be made. A Honda Accord. Actually a very reliable, decent family car. But here in Europe it was bought typically by elderly folk who needed a transportation pod. This colour was very popular too.

Here two pretty rare cars, Fiat Dino. You can go to multiple classic car events and not see one. Here were two. One was in pretty decent nick, the other definitely needed some TLC. This car was only famous because of it’s Ferrari engine. A V6. As Ferrari’s go, apparently this is the most robust, hassle free engine ever made.

The Fiats rusted very, very, very badly. That’s why there are so few arounds. The Ferrari engines used to be taken out and used in uh, Ferrari’s, and the Fiat body was just left to rot away.

Another American car, this time a Ford, but it’s looker and some vintage military trucks

And of course, another plane, a biggie too!!

A few more comparisons between different design. Not entirely fair as they are not from the same era at all of course. An American T-Ford and a Triumph 4A

This comes a bit closer together, A Swedish Volvo and an Italian Alfa Romeo. The Volvo is a pretty rare 262 I believe. Descendent from the 240.Very few of these cars are left. It’s just not a car that attracts are very large following for some reason.

This here is a Logan. Essentially a kit car, made on the chassis and engine of a Citroen CV. It doesn’t get more simple than that!! Over the years I have met a lot of Logan owners. They are nearly always a lot older than I am. And I am not that young anymore. They take their Logans all over Europe and these are typical hard core rag top drivers. That means they drive top down no matter what the weather is, rain, snow, hail, fog, nothing stops these folks! Respect!

Some more cars seen from the rear.

There were about a dozen or so military trucks. Couple of Willy Jeeps too, there are always Willy Jeeps about. Common as much on these event. The Dutch military sells off their old hardware through public auction. So a lot of old Dutch military trucks end up in the hands of private owners. It doesn’t get more Dutch military then this. A Dutch Daf of the Dutch Army.

Some more images of the American Trucks. Very impressive.

The cabins of the American trucks are pretty tight actually, their dashboards very impressive!

I love the American style of cars with the wings. Remember Batman, his original car (not the piece of Starwar Junk he drove in the modern movies) had wings like this one!

In this thread
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intern...23-parade.html I showed the little dogs with the nodding head that sits of parcel shelves of cars of the late 70s. Well, there we a few doggies here as well. I really need to get one for my Mercedes, so cool. My daughter would love it

The age difference between these two Lotus’s is about 40 years give or take. I still think they each have a lot going for them. I don’t think I would ever be able to fit into the Europe, but I did have a go a few times in more modern Lotus. Hoot to drive!

Here again some very ordinary old vintage cars. My very first company car was a Ford Sierra. Actually, they were quite nice cars, most Fords handle and drive well. The interior was always a bit plasticky , but that has improved a lot these days as well. These cars belonged to a club that catered specifically for these sort of “almost forgotten cars”.

Not that many people will go for these sort of ordinary cars. But it does have it’s charm of course. And like with the W123, lots of people will have driven in something like these. Or their dad owned one! Lots of memories!

And another car I once owned. Alfa Romeo. Gorgeous one, but they put horrible wheels underneath it. Otherwise it was pretty much an immaculate car. These Alfa’s like the Fiats rust and they rust very badly. People used to joke Alfa’s rust on the brochure. It was probably true.

At the back another Opel GT makes his way in.

There were a couple of dozen vintage motorbikes as well. Nothing special, but then I don’t know much about bikes. But I did like the details on this one

Just as I was about to leave the venue, this plane was getting ready to go as well. It’s a special version used for parachute jumping. It has a very large door opening. There is actually no door in it. They just leave it open. There are no seats either. The jumpers just sit on the floor and they have seatbelt directly attached to the floor. This airfield has several active parachute jumping clubs and of course on a day like this they gave several demonstrations.

So a very nice, well organised, event. Lots to see, ordinary cars made extraordinary due to their age and their owners TLC. I like the combination of cars and planes obviously. There is so much to see and do. They also raced some cars on the runway. And all the time cars keep arriving, driving of for the tour, planes are taxing around, taking off, landing.

All in all, a very enjoyable Fathers day!.

Hope you enjoy the story and the pictures

Jeroen

Quote:

Originally Posted by roamer012 (Post 4417071)

Probably a dumb question but why is there a white sheet under the hoods of almost all the cars.

Take a look below. It to prevent oil from cars (or any other leaking fluids) spilling on the grass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen (Post 4416663)

So I rocked up in my Mercedes W123. Here you see it, parked for display, with a nice plane in the background! Notice the piece of paper underneath the car? Each owner got one of these to prevent oil leaking onto the grass. It’s actually paper with a plastic backing to keep the oil.

Wow, thats is very thoughtful! This is the first time I'm seeing such a way to keep he ground clean. Is is common across the other vintage shows as well?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen (Post 4416784)

The Fiats rusted very, very, very badly. That’s why there are so few arounds. The Ferrari engines used to be taken out and used in uh, Ferrari’s, and the Fiat body was just left to rot away.

Haha, tell me about it. Fiat + Mumbai's coastal weather = disaster waiting to happen. Have come across lots go Lineas and Puntos with bad cases of rust here. Thankfully the Abarth is doing well as I got her a nice anti rust treatment done. Will update this in my ownership thread soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen (Post 4416890)

Always a fan of trucks, especially military trucks. How easy is it to drive a truck there? I mean can one get a truck driver's license easily or are these older fellows given some exemption?

Quote:

Hope you enjoy the story and the pictures

Rated 5 stars. Top class as usual. Always something new to learn from your threads!

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwasp (Post 4417076)

Wow, thats is very thoughtful! This is the first time I'm seeing such a way to keep he ground clean. Is is common across the other vintage shows as well?

No, not really. I am trying to think of other venues/events that do the same. I must have seen it somewhere else, but it isn’t necessarily common. Mind you, this is one of the few classic car events that takes place on grass! So that might have something to do with it. It’s probably a local environmental regulation, or just the organisers being cautious. My W123 doesn’t leak any oil, however my spider makes up for that and always leaks. The minute it doesn’t leak, most likely it has run out of oil!

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwasp (Post 4417076)

Sea air and cars, especially vintage cars are not a happy combination at all. My wife is from Barbados. A tiny island in the Caribbean. There is this tiny vintage car museum, the Mallalieu Motor Collection. We know the owner Bill Mallalieu. In fact, the Morris Minor that belonged to wife’s grandma is on display. Whenever we visit the island to see my wife’s family and friends I go and see Bill. Rust is his biggest problem. Even sitting inside his museum these cars still rust, due to the salty air.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwasp (Post 4417076)

Always a fan of trucks, especially military trucks. How easy is it to drive a truck there? I mean can one get a truck driver's license easily or are these older fellows given some exemption?

Anybody can get him/herself a truck license. No exemptions required or given. These days it is a little harder. Guys from my age might have gotten their truck license when they did their military service. In those days we still had compulsory service and I have a few mates who got their truck licence whilst in the military and it is still valid. In those days driver licenses were easy. There were just three different types; Motorbikes (three wheels or less), regulars cars and trucks.

With you truck license you could drive anything over a certain weight (I think it was 3.5 tonnes or so). A lorry, a bus, a trailer, anything.

Over the years the truck license has been made more specific, So different rating for different kind of trucks, purpose, weight etc. If you want to drive a tanker, you need a special endorsement etc. But anybody can still get these licenses. It only takes time and money.

These trucks come under the normal rulings for Vintage cars when it comes to insurance and road tax. Which means cheap insurance and no road tax if the truck is over 40 years.

Jeroen