The Joy of Tinkering

There hasn’t been a lot of driving for me over the last year. Well, that’s not entirely true, as I have done a lot of driving to shoot all manner of cars for Car & Classic Auctions. But that was in my modern eurobox, not my old car. Constant lockdowns of varying severity have of course put paid to a year of shows, events and even just idle weekend blasts. As such, my other cars have just been sat sitting. But they’ve not been doing nothing. They have still, as all good old cars should, been a much needed source of joy. 

This is because I love to tinker with them. I’m no mechanic, not by a long shot. However, I have a set of spanners, a few big hammers and other workshop kit. And with it, I have taken a great deal of joy in sorting out the little jobs. Finishing off bits. Addressing the niggles, bumps and rattles that I had previously put off because the cars were being driven. And it has been nothing short of joyous. Tinkering is a wonderful means of escape. No big rebuilds, no mammoth sessions with the welder. Just little job after little job. It’s been most satisfying. 

And it was in the midst of my last tinkering session (I had to fit new rear shocks to my Rover) that it dawned on me. For some, the tinkering is more important with the driving. It was something I pondered for some time, and in doing so, it made me appreciate how important classic cars are to us. How they can be used as more than cars, in effect. And now you’re wondering what I’m on about. So please, let me explain. 

When I first started out in automotive journalism, it was for Retro Ford magazine. As part of my job I would travel about to go and see owners of, ahem, retro Fords. Some were owners of cherished examples that had been preserved or lovingly restored. Others were cars that had been built and modified to impressive levels. And it was while speaking to these owners that I noticed a familiar thing. For some, when the build was done, that was it. Sell it, buy something else, start again. To my then twenty-something brain, this seemed bonkers. Why build such an incredible car only to then never drive it? Why not enjoy the fruits of many a labour? It seemed odd to me. But as I got older, it started to make a bit more sense. For some, the build or restoration is where the joy lies. It the creation, the artistic expression, the ability to bring something back from a state of disrepair. That’s the fun. It makes sense to me now. When the car is built, there is no more tinkering to be done. 

And over the years I have noticed that this bleeds through to more owners than I had perhaps first thought. It was only over the last twelve months that I realised it applies to me, too. Just owning the car, just having it there to sit in, to clean, to fiddle and tinker with. That’s enough for some. That’s the joy, that’s why they (and indeed, I) own them. And that’s okay. We’re predisposed to think owning a classic car is all about the driving, but it’s not. In many ways, classic cars are no different to other creative pastimes like painting, or drawing. They’re also more closely linked to people who like to collect things. How many people do you know with more than just one classic? A few, I’m willing to bet. 

So if, like me, you every look at your classic and wonder what the point is, don’t be disheartened. To simply own and enjoy owning it is enough. There is no expectation from the car, nor from anyone else. And even if there was, it doesn’t matter. It’s not about covering thousands of miles. A classic car doesn’t need to do that to make you happy or to bring you joy. It just needs to be. It’s something you can play with, you can tinker with, and that you can use as a means of stress release. A classic car transcend being a car. I’m never going to go outside and spend hours tinkering with my Ford C Max. But my old Rover? You bet I will. Because it makes me happy. It doesn’t need to go anywhere. Nor, if you choose, does your old car. Whether you like cleaning it, tinkering with it, driving it or just sitting in it, that’s absolutely fine. There are no rules. It just need to make you smile.