For The Love Of Cars

[colcol]

There is a new program on the ABC at the moment called 'For The Love Of Cars', it is on Wednesday nights??? and repeated on Thursdays.
I have been recording it and have only started to watch it, and it seems quite good.
They look at 5 British cars, 1 De Lorean, 2 Mini Cooper, 3 Land Rover, 1st series, 4 Triumph Stag, 5???
They decide what car to get and go out and find one in a barn somewhere and restore it and the trials and horrors encountered along the way.
The one i watched was the Triumph Stag and it was styled, [Not Designed] by Italian Giavanni Michelotti, who was a stylist for  a lot of Triumphs, including the Herald, GT6, TR 7 and the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder Sedans.
They tackled the overheating problem with the Stag, but it didn't surface, except when the viscious fan clutch exploded, a mate who has one tells me it was due to British Leyland not cleaning the blocks out properly.
Worth a look, but it will most likely be on 73 Mate in a few years, Colin.

[alfagtv58]

The 5th is a MkI Escort 'Mexico'.  They aired this episode first.  Pretty sure this one is still available on abc iview.

[colcol]

Whats an abc iview?, the Escort Mexico has been on, i have recorded it, but haven't watched it yet, today i saw the series 1 Land Rover, very interesting episode, Colin.

[aggie57]

Here you go Colin:

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/

But you'll need one of those i-thingies.

[Evan Bottcher]

I notice that they are also (possibly illegally) uploaded to the Youtube also:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=For+The+Love+of+Cars

(downloading for my flight to Sydney and back tomorrow)

[colcol]

Watched the show on them restoring the Ford Escort Mexico, quite funny, they got some help off some boys from Liverpool, who are the oldest street machine racers i have ever seen, they spoke of them when it came out 45 years ago, and how it handled well because it had......rack and pinion steering, that was 10 years after the Mini had it.
They talked of racing around the streets and how easy they were to steal, to do a bit of illegal trade and how important it was to have a fast car to avoid the rozzers, [police], catching up to you and feeling your collar, [apprehending you], and avoid some porridge, [jail time].
The Police at that stage had pursuit cars that were Morrose Marina's and Austin Eggrolls, [Allegro's], the street racer boys would slow down to let hapless police in their British Leyland supplied Horrors catch up, so they could outrun them again and have a good laugh as the police would be trying to drive one handed while talking on their police car phone.
I wish that there were more shows like this on TV, not everyone cooks, Colin.

[f1fascination]

I'm sitting down shortly to watch the first episode, but can't see it comparing to my favourite, "Wheeler Dealers", of which the second half of the current season is due to start shortly.
Some great classics are covered in the show, Fiat Dino, Urraco, 2CV, DS, Mk 2 Jag, Volvo P1800S, Bond Bug (!), Renault-Alpine, a nice little Kamm-tail Alfa Spider,Sierra Cossie, and also most of those covered in For The Love of Cars, Mk 1 Escort, Delorean, and alleged classics like the Stag!
Do your self a favour and catch some of the episodes, it's not a exact representation of restoring old cars, with a few gaps and omissions, but it's light-hearted and honest enough, and they're not looking to make a million bucks from the sales.

[colcol]

So, i am thinking to myself that i am getting old and loosing it, as i can't find the last 3 episodes of 'For The Love Of Cars' on my Electronic Program Guide, so maybe its been put on their digital station.
Then i read in the Age Television Liftout, The Green Guide, of someone complaining that the last 3 episodes have been postponed, due to something else thats more important.
Then the Television Stations moan about their shrinking viewers down loading, Colin.

[As the day goes]

And this episode was almost like watching an old Alfa being restored:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcRzSPhyWSA

It is a Saab 96 from '73

Almost cried