Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

Octane magazine. Fueling the passion of any car lover.

This was the first  issue that captured my attention.

I was just getting involved on the Jaguar forum when I came across a reference to this issue. I did an Internet search and ordered this particular back issue. After reading it I realized that I needed to subscribe to this fantastic periodical.

One of the things that I really enjoy is reading articles about these epic touring rallies. They take place in such exotic locations. There are advertisements for driving adventures that are scheduled in Asia, Europe, and that savage colonized land known as America.

I have a lot of respect for the enthusiast that owns a rare and valuable Classic and will put it to the test. Dirt roads with no amenities available, many times the cars suffer mechanical failures and occasional collision damage. They will be quickly repaired on the side of the road and will continue on, as before.

Current rallies and trials taking place in the UK are covered in the regular columns. Car shows and Concours Event schedules are listed. There are profiles of outstanding drivers, designers, and other significant automotive personalities.

This story was broken  by Octane.

Every Motorhead dreams of the epic barn find. This is the most exciting one ever.

Looking like the sad back row of a forgotten used car lot.

The cost to properly restore these old beaters would be astronomical. Still, most will find sympathetic owners with very deep pockets.

Octane skews towards the British marques.
Aston Martin coverage is not slighted.

If you like Porsches, Ferraris, Jaguars and others you will be rewarded with interesting stories about these classic marques. The photography is just exquisite, the locations and the detail are quite dramatic. In many ways it is like a magazine made from Petrolicious videos.

This pre War Aston Martin is typical of the historic vehicle coverage.

Not every article concerns high end, venerated automobile marques. There are frequent forays into the world of the popular sporting models, such as Triumph, MG and others.

These are still great little sports cars
but the pool of affordable examples are drying up.

If you are going to dream, why not go all the way?

In some ways I feel a bit conflicted about enjoying this magazine so much. It's content and presentation marks it as a real "Rich Guy's" rag.  I know that I am on the outside looking in. It's not a world that I can participate fully in. Still, there is a lot to see. So why do I find it appealing?

I remember when I was younger and I wondered why so many older guys were interested in those fancy foreign jobs instead of good old American Iron. Were they too good for the cars, or were the cars not good enough for them?

Probably a lot of factors were at play.

My own Automotive awareness has been expanded over the years. I'm learning a lot about various European models that are quite appealing and interesting. Sometimes many are even pretty affordable. I have owned several Japanese cars, and there are still quite a few that I still want to acquire.

Older guys have already had a lot of different cars and are still looking for something different and new to them. Even in my own limited experience I have worked my way through quite a list of old iron. Cadillacs, Rivieras, Mustangs, and Datsun Z cars. Even a couple of Honda Civics.

Now that the price of old Muscle and Pony cars has gone through the roof, I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a car of that type, even if I could afford it. There are just so many available cars that can deliver a better driving experience at a more reasonable price. My Son even bought himself his first Porsche, a Boxster. These cars are affordable, readily available, and they deliver the full range of the Porsche driving experience. There are some areas of the car's service history that have to be checked out carefully. There was a recall for complete engine replacement, (thankfully under warranty!), porous crankcase castings and that vulnerable engine/transmission drive shaft bearing. So you have to do your homework. Still, the low prices on these mid engine Boxsters makes buying an earlier front engine model like a 944 seem kind of pointless. Almost.

I would imagine that many of those older guys were looking to check something off of their personal bucket list. I can't hold that against them. Like I have stated so many times before, there are no rules to being a car guy. We can each do it our own way, at our own pace, and at our own expense level. The only requirement is to enjoy the journey.

Fuel Your Passion.