29-05-1975   /   07-04-1991    MGB Roadster  (1970)   17-94-PA

When my father died in 1973, I was 24 years of age but still didn't have my driver's licence. At the time I was not interested in cars at all and I didn't need one either. Yet my mother persuaded me to take driving lessons, also because my father left a 1968 Audi Super 90. During those lessons, my interest in cars (which I very much had when I was a child) gradually came back and I fell in love with the lines of the MGB Roadster.
The Audi wasn't very much fun to drive and I hated the gearbox with its worn synchromeshes and selector at the steering wheel. After searching for half a year I found a blue royale 1970 MGB with 40,000 kms on the clock, a nice car in good condition. I bought it and never regretted it, used it daily for sixteen years and had tremendous fun with it. I became a member of the MG Car Club Holland, was inspired by the secretary to raise a regional centre in the north of Holland and in 1976 'MG Noord' was born. Local rally's as well as natters and noggins were organised to make it possible for MG-enthusiasts from the north of Holland to meet each other without the need of driving long distances.
In 1980 during a tour of Britain, which was organised by the British MGCC because of their 50th birthday, the car was stolen from a parking lot next to my hotel. Three months later it was found back again with an empty tank and stolen tools. Lucky me!
In December 1987 I bought a Rover SD1 V8-engine to replace the 1798 cc lump, but things went different and the actual transplant never took place, though many parts had been collected already. When this MG was sold in 1991 it had done 320.000 kms (not on the 1st engine!).

05-04-1977   /   01-11-1985    MGB Roadster  (1963)    MN-49-51

After I bought my first MGB, it didn't take long before my interest in older cars began to grow. While attending a large MG-meeting at the Zandvoort circuit in 1975, I fell in love with the MG T-types, but unfortunately they were too expensive for me at the time. In 1976 I had a look at a couple of MGA's that were offered for sale. They were not that expensive but I didn't dare to take the risk. To raise some money I got this stupid idea of buying a cheap and early MGB, which (I thought) could easily be sold with a substantial profit after some work.
The car I chose proved to be a disaster and I asked myself what to do with it. The decision was made to restore it completely to original specs. Lots of new parts were bought and a cousin did the welding, which had to be redone some years later by a professional. By the end of 1980 the MGB was back on the road again in its original black colour with 5.60-14 whitewall crossply tyres and a reconditioned 18G-engine. I used it next to the other MGB.
In 1983 my girlfriend and I bought a house and a few years later the '63 MGB was sold (after all 1 MGB was enough...).
Below a photo that was made after purchase in 1977. The black & white photo was made in 1963 in front of the MG & Morris dealer in Groningen when the car must have been brand new. A professional photographer had made it and sent it to me after he had read the restoration report in a magazine.

20-08-1985   /  23-12-1986   Mini 1000  (1983)   JK-21-JB

To be able to manage a household I thought I needed a car that was cheaper on the fuel than an MGB, so a Mini was bought. I modified the outside substantially because I didn't like it as it was (too modern actually, with ugly black bumpers). But after a few months I found out that I couldn't live without driving my MGB everyday, so the Mini had to go...

01-12-1985  /   15-12-1991   Skoda 1101 sedan  (1949)   UT-08-65

Also in 1985 I happened to be able to acquire a Skoda 1101 sedan, a very rare car, but for me also a very nostalgic car, as it was one of the most popular cars in the early fifties in Holland. The main reason for that being its cheapness and its availibility at a time when there used to be a waiting list for many new cars. I just love the lines of the Skoda 1101/1102, its small windows and the distinct smell of the all wool interior. It also was a reputedly reliable car that had a good name (this was before the rear engined Skoda's saw the light...).
This particular Skoda only required some mechanical work before it was ready for the road, after which I used it frequently (next to the MGB). The incredible sensitivity for cross winds of this car however was a large drawback. Even radial tyres didn't change that much. Also the lack of performance (maximum speed 100 kmh) was an annoying aspect, especially on the motorway, and finally an important consideration to sell this Skoda, as said a very common car in Holland during the fifties, but a very rare car already thirty years later. Despite its drawbacks, of all cars I have had, this is the only one I regret having sold.

09-07-1990  /  06-04-1993    Citroen Traction Avant 11BL  (1948)   DE-61-66

The Traction Avant is the great love of my youth. As a six year old little boy I declared to everyone who was willing to listen that once I would own such a car. It took until early 1990 before I was really ready for one however. One day a colleague of mine came to work with a Traction and the moment I saw it, a 35 year old desire was completely back again. I went searching for a sound TA and found a '48 11BL which was rustfree, but had dull paint. I bought it and this was the beginning of a real nightmare. Everything that could break down, broke down in the subsequent months and years. But I kept replacing parts and spending huge amounts of money. After all this was the dream of my youth, or wasn't it...?
I even managed to break the crankshaft of the (ID19) engine. Some measurements afterwards proved that the PO never should have mounted it because of too large and unacceptable tolerances. So I could buy a reconditioned engine as well... When the gearbox started to give trouble in 1993 I definitely decided to sell the car at last.

22-08-1991   /   28-04-1993   Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300  (1975)   25-BR-17

The reason for buying a (faster) Mini again was the need for a car that could do 120 kmh at the motorway (at the time I only had the Skoda 1101 and the Traction, both beautiful cars, but slow as well). No problem with this Cooper, though you had to be careful on wet roads with those 10" tyres. So I changed for 12" wheels and tyres, which improved things a bit. The uncomfortable ride was a reason to sell the car, especially after a Citroen ID 19B was acquired (see below).

13-06-1992   /   17-01-1993   Riley RMB  (1948)    VG-07-08

In 1992 the ongoing disasters with the Traction made me already look for a worthy replacement, which I thought should be a Riley RM. Preferably with the 2.5 engine of course. So I considered myself fortunate when I found a 1948 RMB for sale in Amsterdam, a so called abandoned restoration project. All the wood had been renewed already and I thought it should be possible for me to finish this project. But that was a mistake. Numerous boxes with all kinds of spares supplied me with an unsolvable puzzle and I was lucky to find someone who wanted to buy the car from me soon...

06-03-1993   /   03-03-1994   Citroen ID19B (1967)    DH-16-26

A very fine car, that had been completely restored by the PO. I bought it especially because of its comfortable ride. But it didn't take long before I realised this car was too modern for me with those large windows and I started looking again for a Riley RM. Late 1993 an RMA was advertised in the south of Holland and to my relief I could exchange the Citroen ID19B for the Riley RMA at zero cost.

19-05-1993   /  05-01-1996   Morris Minor MM  (1950)   VP-34-39

In the early nineties I noticed there were a lot of modification parts available for the Morris Minor. That was interesting, as it would enable me to drive a car of the early fifties which was to my liking without the penalty of lack of sufficient power in modern traffic. So I placed an adverisement in which I asked for a Minor series II. A guy phoned who said he had just completed a complete restoration of a 1950 lowlight Minor series MM. I went to have a look and was completely overwhelmed by a car in absolute concours condition. I just had to buy it, but regretted that already a few weeks later. Much too slow and too beautiful to modify in any way, also because it was fully original. It was difficult to find a buyer, but after a long time I succeeded and the Morris went to the "National Automobielmuseum" at Raamsdonksveer.

29-07-1993   /        ?              Morris Minor series II  (1954)   DH-66-50

The car I was looking for was advertised shortly after I acquired the Minor MM. This series II had been assembled by Molenaar in Holland in 1954 for export to Belgium. Since 1986 the car was back in Holland. It had the later 948 cc engine and 4.2 rear axle as well, so it was already less slow than I expected. Gradually I modified the car more and more during the next years and I don't think I will ever sell it. Without any doubt this car is the most reliable classic I've ever had. Modifications: 1275 A+ series Morris Ital engine, Ford Sierra fivespeed gearbox, Morris Marina disc brakes w. booster, Triumph Dolomite rear axle, negative camber kit, telescopic shocks, lowered suspension (adjustable at the front), uprated front springs, poly bushes all around, Citroen Visa seats. Power output 80 BHP (dyno tested).

03-03-1994   /  16-03-2005    Riley RMA  (1948)   30-JE-00

As stated above, this (RHD) Riley was acquired by exchanging the Citroen ID19B. It proved much more reliable than the Traction Avant, though the cylinder head had to come off a few times. Also the engine had to be reconditioned after some years, which was a costly operation. To make the RMA with its 1496 cc and 55 BHP more suitable for the motorway, I had the gearbox replaced by a fivespeed box from an Opel Manta 2.0 and also 600x16 radial ply van tyres were mounted.
Unfortunately the woodwork needed work after 10 years of frequent use (the A-posts could hardly hold the striker plates anymore...). Having the body rebuild however would have cost me another fortune (which I didn't have), so this was the reason for a reluctant sale of this truly magnificent car after eleven years.

24-12-1998   /  08-09-1999    MG TD Midget  (1950)   AE-59-40

Late 1998 I could afford buying an MG-TD at last. I chose a car that was imported from the USA, had a very sound body and was mechanically in a reasonable condition. I replaced the non original wire wheels by disc wheels and the rear axle was substituted by one from an MGA for better gearing. After a Dutch registration was procured she was ready for the road. Soon I found the car too small and too slow (repeating history, you may say). Then I visited the owner of a '74 Chevrolet Corvette who had offered his car for sale and after some tough negotiating we agreed to exchange, well..., sort of.

08-09-1999   /   21-05-2002   Chevrolet Corvette Stingray   (1974)   00-YA-48  (42-DD-PS)

The Corvette was everything the MG-TD was not. Large, fast and comfortable. And impressive, especially the mpg figure and the prices of spare parts, but also that V8 burble of course. I had the fuel tank replaced by an LPG system, but that was a mistake as it cost too many BHP. Despite the LPG, after two years it turned out that this car was just too expensive for me, so I sold it. What remained was a definite preferance for automatic gearboxes.

22-05-2002   /   30-06-2005    Volvo PV444 DS  (1952)    AL-23-88

I wanted to replace the Corvette with an older classic car again and what I had in mind was a Volvo PV444, since a similar mechanical update as had been carried out with the Morris would also be possible with this type of Volvo. I found a very good '52 PV444DS that had just been imported from Sweden, where it had been standing untouched for 23 years...
It was driveable, but the original engine smoked a lot, probably because of worn piston rings. No problem, for it was my intention to fit a B20 in the first place. I also intended to fit a fourspeed AW71 automatic transmission, but at first the local garage told me this would be impossible. So a secondhand manual gearbox (M40) was installed with a B20F engine. Further mods included 2 SU HIF6 carbs, 120 disc brakes w. booster, IPD anti roll bar, 544 rear axle, Bilstein shock absorbers all around, 165-15 tyres on original wheels (1" widened), 12V conversion, 544 wiper motor w. 444L links, Citroen Visa seats. Estimated power output 95 BHP When the modifications were finished, the car had enough power but I didn't like the roadholding. This car also appeared to be very sensitive for strong crosswinds, even after the steering assembly was completely reconditioned. Then there was not much doubt in my mind anymore: Sell it!

05-03-2003   /   05-04-2006   Saab 99 LCA4  (1973)    98-91-XR

When I was told that installing an automatic transmission in the Volvo PV444 would be impossible (incorrect, as turned out later) I decided to buy this Saab 99 automatic, that I once had seen at the local garage and was offered for sale now by another garage. It was an unrestored, original and well looked after 99 LCA4 with 1985 cc engine and BW35 automatic transmission. I hated the black bumpers and grille, so these were replaced by 1970 Saab 99 items. Power output should be 95 BHP (factory spec) but was only 72 BHP at the wheels on a dyno run in 2004 because of a worn engine... When the waterpump broke down, I fitted an electric one, which also meant that quite a few additional modifications had to be made, but the result was satisfying. The car was of no use for me anymore when I bought the Ford Scorpio (see below) which was better in everything. To be honest, I considered this Saab to be a modern car rather than a classic, especially its lines.

17-06-2005   /   ?     Ford Scorpio 2.9 GLX Automatic  (1993)   GD-XT-29

Not a classic car of course, I know... Maybe it was because I'm getting old, maybe it was because of the overcrowded roads in Holland, maybe it was both, but after 30 years of driving classic cars on a daily basis, I purchased a modern car for the first time in my life. Fast and comfortable, a joy to drive in the madness of modern traffic, but a disaster to look at... Some chrome accents that I added did not change that much. Oh, how I hate those modern lines and that lack of character!

19-05-2006   /   03-08-2008     Citroen Traction Avant 11B   (1954)   14-38-JE

After the sale of the Riley RMA and the Volvo PV there was only one real classic car left in my garage, the Morris Minor. This should be sufficient compensation for the modern Scorpio, but somehow it wasn't.... Then I read an article about a Traction which had been converted with a Renault 16TX engine and automatic gearbox. This seemed the ideal solution for me, so again I went on the lookout for a Traction! The pre 1952 type was prefered, but not found. So I bought this 1954 car after hesitating for months, because I neither like the colour nor the trunk. But it was mechanically OK and also rustfree, though the paintwork was awful. In an attempt to gave it the (better) looks of a pre 1952 Traction, I mounted a sparewheel lid on the trunk and replaced the bumpers by the earlier ones.
Because of financial reasons it would take a very long time before I'd be able to start converting the car. Fortunately the original engine and gearbox proved to be in a reasonable condition, so the car was driveable. It even seemed to be considerably more reliable than my first Traction and the roadholding was a definite joy when compared to a Volvo PV.
After two years of searching however I still had not find a suitable donor vehicle (Renault 16TX automatic) and I ran out of patience. I offered the Traction for sale on the internet and surprisingly it was sold within four days. Probably I should have asked a higher price...
Six years had passed now since I sold the Corvette in 2002, when the desire of owning a classic car with an autobox started, but I still had not succeeded in fulfulling this desire. I figured that maybe I should try the easy way now and buy one that had an autobox standard, for instance a Volvo 121 (Amazon).

23-08-2008   /        ?     Volvo 121 Automatic  (1966)   AM-17-31

As a matter of fact, there was a Volvo 121 Automatic advertised for more than a year now and not too far away. I decided to take a look and made a test drive, but the slow acceleration was not very encouraging. I needed another six weeks to make up my mind, but when the Traction was gone, I bought the car, though I certainly do not consider an Amazon to be the most beautiful car ever built. But the ride is definitely better and more stable when compared to a PV444. With the automatic transmssion this results in a pleasant car to drive in modern traffic, though it isn't very fast unfortunately...

Gert Vegter,
The Netherlands,
December 2006;
1st update August 2008;
2st update October 2008.