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My old Blue Bamboo
http://www.international2cvfriends.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=921
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Author:  Old-Nail [ March 14th, 2011, 11:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

The new owner has already been in touch. He will pick up the car tomorrow, and it's new home will be the upper lake district. I'm doing him a disk of photographs from the restoration onwards as requested, and that will be the Old blue gone. Kinda sad really, but she's obviously going to a better place than my damp garage.

I'll try and get a photo of the car with it's new owner to finish up this thread, and I'll also give him a couple of 2cvGb magazines to get him into the club. That way chances are that the car will still be popping up here and there at meetings. Not much left to say really?

It's been a blast. :D

Author:  Jonathan [ March 14th, 2011, 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

:( A sad day, really is the end of an era. All the best, O-N.

Author:  Devils Advocate [ March 14th, 2011, 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

Really pleased, O-N. :D

C'mon, the prog-rock false-ending was a fitting pièce de résistance delivered just before the coup de grâce. Ok then, it was the icing on the cake.


FWIW, that red Charlie, if it's as described - ie: completely original, excellent condition and very low mileage - doesn't strike me as being over priced at all. Excellent condition, unfettled cars will always command a premium - and I think that's fair enough. I've no comment to make on the seller, as I know nothing about him.

Mind you, it's a very ugly car! I don't know why - it just looks yucky to me.

Similarly, I believe O-N's car fetched pretty much the 'right' amount. Certainly shouldn't have been less. A 2CV in such beautiful and well-sorted condition should command £5k+ - no question in my mind. It is not just a car; if all you are after is transport, then buy something 'sensible' like a Citroen C1. Yes, that does mean that a rough but 'running' 2CV with an MOT - but which will need some further work to get it through the next one - is not usually going to be available for less than £1k. But that's fair enough too. Because it'll never lose it's value (unless you simply let it rot away - so deserve it), and will increase dramatically in value if restored. That makes it 'viable'. And people will look after them for that reason.

If you could pick up any number of rough but road-worthy 2CVs for £300, then there would be little incentive to nourish it. Instead, you'd simply keep it going until the first big bill came along - then you'd scrap it and buy another.

I have a Charlie that's run out of MOT & needs a fair bit of work to make good again - more, I believe, than O-N's required. This job is going to cost me at least as much as O-N's did too. I do plan to keep it long term, but if all it was going to be worth after the all the work is done is, say, £2k, then would I bother? I doubt it; I love the process of renovating, but I'm no martyr... I guess I'd, instead, break it for spares or flog it off for £300 - and buy an already good one for the £2k. Ergo, one less 2CV on the road.

We all recognise a silly 2CV price when it appears, but - in general - prices are pretty realistic imo.

Author:  Old-Nail [ March 14th, 2011, 3:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

I'm going to have to acknowledge that prices are what they are, it's as simple as that. That doesn't mean because it's worked in my favour one time I find those big sums realistic, but that's most likely because I try not to become involved in markets and profits and such.

When I see a 2cv I see - a 2cv. I don't see a dream road trip, a romantic summer idyll, or youth recaptured. Just a flimsy, old 2cv. Now don't get me wrong flimsy old 2cv's are just the way I like 'em, I've owned them for the last decade or more when most folks thought that's all they were too. Now when people see a 2cv they see a trendy bandwagon, they see investment potential, and they see themselves having fun in a car they once laughed at. But of course the cars were only for poor people back then.

So what have I got? Five grand compensation for no longer being able to own four or five 2cv's without thinking about the cost implication? Five grand in exchange for the thrill of pulling a nice ripple from a deserted French barn and paying the estate agent 50 Euro for shifting it? Or five grand in pieces of silver for selling a car I put my heart into? Suddenly five grand doesn't seem a lot does it?

On the other hand the new owner has paid a lot for this car, yet because I built it I know where the flaws are, and my eyes go straight to them. I look at my car and I think "Shoulda done this or that better" but I wasn't building it to sell, it was for me! It just didn't work out that way. Anyway, I hope the new owner has lots of happy times with the car, and if he looks after it then there's no reason why he shouldn't. I have no idea what I'm gonna do next, but I'm sure something will come along, it usually does.

There's a great saying that sums me up to a tee. "Possession is the end of desire" I've always found that. It means that now I can afford a Chrysler Crossfire I don't want one, and if Kelly Brook took me to bed like I keep asking her to do in those ransom note letters that I send her :P - then I'd dump her the morning after. So now I've got five grand for a 2cv, I should be doing cartwheels, funny but I just don't feel inclined.

Author:  Nelsthebass [ March 14th, 2011, 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

Hi O-N
Glad to hear you didnt get dicked about by this latest buyer - your car deserves to go to someone who will hopefully cherish it the same way that you clearly did.
I think that you have got a fair price for a cracking car - not overpriced like some of the rubish that comes out of West Yorkshire for instance - and gives a good indication of how much a well presented car can fetch.
I hope that you will continue to bless us with your wit and repartie.....

Author:  Old-Nail [ March 14th, 2011, 4:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

“Aye, I shall ne'er beware of mine own wit till I break my shins against it.” ...

Author:  Squeezebox [ March 14th, 2011, 8:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

Well....

I hope we still hear about the car one way or another and it appears hear again.

Old-Nail....hope you too dont dissapear from hear and I guess this thread is coming to a close, but enjoyed it all.

Hope you stay an "associate" member.....for just long enough that you realise you need another 2CV fix and buy another one.

Above all thank you for just a brillient and entertaining and truley great sharing of a journey on many, many levels. Not just the car, but in art and life.

Will raise a glass of JD to you !

Cheers old nail and thanks !

Author:  haryg [ March 15th, 2011, 11:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

'I second that emotion'

Funny feeling we may simply be starting another journey ?

Author:  Old-Nail [ March 15th, 2011, 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

Well, the time has come to wind up the old Bluebamboo story. Or at leastto close this chapter as another one has begun this morning for the new owner, a delightful chap by the name of Simon.

Simon hails from Cumbria, which will be the car's new home, so anyone spotting him up there give him a wave won't you. Asking in an 'Oh by the way' manner how to use the gears, (as he'd never driven a 2cv) just before before setting out on a 100 mile plus journey home shows Simon to have balls, I like that. I'm happy it's gone somewhere good.

Image

Above: New owner Simon just before setting off (Err..where was first gear again?)

Image
As Simon drove off down the road it wasn't long before the wife began to blub. :roll:

It's a shame he didn't come yesterday actually as the spring sun was shining and everything seemed just right for a leisurely trip to the lakes. I was giving the car a last polish, enjoying the sunlight, and faintly regretting all the things I'd planned that I'll no longer be able to do. I thought about the world meeting, I thought about the zig-zagging Italian mountain pass that I wanted to traverse, and only then did the full import of what I had sold hit home. My conclusion is that 2cv's are valuable not because of what they are, but because of what ownership of them allows you to experience.

To close this thread then I'll tell you of an almost spooky coincidence or two. The first one was that of the Australian bidder that I first thought to be a joker, he turned out to be a truly nice fella, and very genuine. Coincidence number one then, is connected with him. What chance this happening? He had the same name as me, surname the lot. And the same way of spelling it! We'd only have had to change the address in the logbook! :lol:

Coincidence number two. Anyone know these words and where they're from? Questi giorni quando vieni il belle sole. They are the opening words to one of my very favourite songs, which featured in one of my favourite films. There are certain times, when the sun is out and the breeze is gentle that I recall that song - It's called 'On days like these' by Mat Monro and was the opening credit song in the original film The Italian Job

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z8aLdIejPs&feature=related

How odd that just as the moment I was enjoying the sunshine while thinking of those alpine passes that very song should come on the radio. As you may have noticed I've changed my signature below to reflect the new situation, the car has gone and pretty soon it'll be time to get my skates on. But with over 21000 views we're not gonna finish this thread on a sad note, so get yer tin plates at the ready we're going to have a sing-song.

Ready? 8-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q92--7vX30g&feature=related

Fella's it's been a pleasure.....hang on a minute lad's, I've got a great idea...

Author:  knightley [ March 15th, 2011, 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My old Blue Bamboo

End of an era, but the start of a new chapter. :)

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