This Toyota from the early 70s has been on the road here in Kenya for a l-o-n-g time. I admire the owners (undoubtedly a long succession) who were resourceful enough to keep it going. My only complaint is that it probably is an environmental disaster - belching clouds of blue smoke everywhere it goes. But I can't complain too hard; it fits the owner's budget. Anything cleaner would not.Many cars of this vintage on the road here have not a single panel that has not been re-beaten into shape. (This one's in good condition, though!) But again, shops that do the "ripply" work fit the budget. And to be fair to the drivers of the "ripply" cars, it's impossible for ANYONE to drive in Nairobi for very long without getting beat up by another vehicle.
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We had a succession of very old cars whilst in East Africa. I remember that mum and dad decided to 'improve' the appearance of a VW they owned, and they repainted it by hand...with a paintbrush.
I also remember dad spent an extraordinary amount of time repairing a truck he used for safaris - before leaving, and on return.
I love 70's cars. Especially muscle cars.
My car is old. A 1987 Buick LeSabre 2-door coupe. I just had all the rust repaired, and it got a whole new paint job top-to-bottom. Now, it looks like it just rolled out of the showroom.:)
I love old cars (and caRs in general). But the amount of bad stuff that comes out of the tailpipe is hard for me to deal with. Having said that, it costs a lot more to buy a newer cleaner vehicle. Dilemma.
And Jenny, your dad's resourcefulness during your childhood must be a fond memory! My dad's resourcefulness brings back many fond memorys for me; he was always fixing our old VWs.
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