In 1986 I started my first proper job after college and my supervisor had an old LR with no heating and a canvas top - it was the coldest winter for about 15 years and spent most of it in that vehicle freezing with water dripping down my neck and don't get me started on the snow blowing through the gaps - you don't need to go back 50 years  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Most modern motorists wouldn't have been motorists in the 50s! They'd have been on motorbikes (if they could afford one), push bikes or the bus.

One thing that has become massively cheaper over the years is car ownership. I guess that's why 'premium brand' cars are so aspirational - our fathers aspired to a car back when an Austin 7 was considered a family car! I remember my father telling me that the first E-type cost as much as his first house. That's an aspirational vehicle for you. He always wanted one but obviously never could afford one. So he drove an Austin (and then a whole series of Fords).

Now people want Audi, BMW, Range Rover badges on their vehicles. Same game, different players.

Today's young drivers are experiencing the high cost of motoring just as their grandfathers (perhaps even great grandfathers in some cases) did. Back then the high cost was the purchase price of the car; today the high cost is the price of insurance. Yet again, the baby boomers (and perhaps their children) have had the best of life. Before and after that generation life was, and will be, financially much tougher. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

My dad drove bangers and after work had no interest in ferrying me anywhere so I did pushbikes then moped/motorbike when old enough until eventually saved enough to get 1976 Avenger in 1984 - no radio so ghetto blaster on back seat, rust everywhere and constantly being repaired in workshop at college but loved the freedom of no layers/leathers and a heated blower. I also had to pay my way from 16 and left home at 17

By contrast my son bought a 4 year old grande punto this year as his first car at 19 with a/c, bluetooth, elec everything, £650 insurance and prior to that was ferried around in an assortment of LR/RR's - He is now 20 still lives at home and buys the latest phone, etc - I think his generation have had the best of it and will get no sympathy from me  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

My first was a Datsun Bluebird 1.8 GL Automatic. Bought for £450 and insured fully comp for the same amount (needed fully comp for work). Got an auto so my mum could drive it (she only has an automatic license) to keep the insurance down (her named on my policy). It was rusty but it did have a radio (that sort of worked but only after having had a soldering iron taken to it). Used to repair it on my parent's drive (usually in the rain). Before that I used a pushbike to get around.

Mmm, I seem to have used a month's worth of parentheses in that...

Your son living at home is another sign that the next generation are going to struggle financially. Many young people can't afford to get on the housing ladder (not suggesting your son can't, but many others can't). 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Most modern motorists wouldn't have been motorists in the 50s! They'd have been on motorbikes (if they could afford one), push bikes or the bus.

One thing that has become massively cheaper over the years is car ownership. I guess that's why 'premium brand' cars are so aspirational - our fathers aspired to a car back when an Austin 7 was considered a family car! I remember my father telling me that the first E-type cost as much as his first house. That's an aspirational vehicle for you. He always wanted one but obviously never could afford one. So he drove an Austin (and then a whole series of Fords).

Now people want Audi, BMW, Range Rover badges on their vehicles. Same game, different players.

Today's young drivers are experiencing the high cost of motoring just as their grandfathers (perhaps even great grandfathers in some cases) did. Back then the high cost was the purchase price of the car; today the high cost is the price of insurance. Yet again, the baby boomers (and perhaps their children) have had the best of life. Before and after that generation life was, and will be, financially much tougher.

We seem to be going way off topic - My son living at home is a sign he is too comfortable and can't be a***d to move out

I couldn't afford to get on the housing ladder either in the 1980's so moved from Northumberland to Sussex at 19 to get a proper job, lived in a caravan for a year until I could afford a shared ownership mortgage, studied 5 days a week to get qualifications while working weekends to pay bills, then worked 4 days a week with 1 day 9am to 9pm at college for 4 years doing homework at weekends. After finally gaining the required qualifications spent 10 years doing a job I realised I hated so evenings and weekends were then taken up doing up property and starting a business for my wife who could not get a job but not getting to spend time with my kids

My son saw some of this so does 2 days a week at Uni for a "full time" degree, lies in bed until lunchtime whenever possible and only works enough hours in his part time job to cover going out and luxuries such as xbox, beer, phones, etc while enjoying the fruits of my labours over his head - why would he want to burden himself with a mortgage when life is this good without - his friends are just the same

My Grandparents fought and lived through WW2, my parents were working class but tried to better themselves and I flogged myself to do better still but now everyone expects things to come to them and complains its unfair but what are they prepared to sacrifice or do to make things better - I have worked with people who do 9-5 and watch tv all night/relax at weekend while I was working myself into the ground and then resented me having a nicer car or house than them  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

I did my BSc and my MSc on a day release basis (actually the MSc was a week every couple of months but there was still all of the evening stuff to do between weeks at college). I was lucky because my employer paid for the courses as they were professional courses. Still spent many evenings at the books until the early hours and then the "9 to 5" the next day.

It annoys me to see youngsters coming in to the workplace and having all clue about anything. They need their hands holding for everything. Even some of those with loads of A* at A-level seem incapable of thinking for themselves.

I lived at home until I was 25 and then rented a flat with another chap (who I only met the week before and who was a friend of a colleague). He left to get married after a year and I struggled to pay the rent and bills etc. for a couple of years after that. The landlord eventually decided to sell the place and I was given first refusal. Still needed a hand from dad to get the deposit together. Never had to resort to a caravan but I did fall in to the rabbit hole of big credit card debts. That took some work to get out of...

But, ya tell that kids these days and they don't believe ya!
http://youtu.be/Xe1a1wHxTyo 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Those were the days..... You lot could make a good sitcom.

You are correct RRSTDV8 - my cousin is an Engineer who started on the shop floor and was made redundant many times but worked his way up to an hallowed office in Airbus France - his pet hate is new staff with degrees in Engineering coming out of their ears who don't know what a lathe is

In contrast to my son my daughter came out of schools with A and A* results through shear bloody minded determination because she was sick of being told she was an average pupil and went on to do 3 years at Oxford to get a BA in Architecture - they never even taught her how to draw plans - YR1 3 days a week, YR2 2 days a week and YR3 1 lecture a week - found out in her last semester she was dyslexic and could have had extra support too

Having my work ethic she worked for Tesco part time to get through uni without additional debt despite being criticised by her lecturers that if she was serious about architecture she should give her job up. Half the time her lectures were cancelled due to no lecturer

After all that she spent 12 months working for tesco while trying to get a placement - even offered to work voluntary so she could go on to do her MA but nobody would have her - perhaps because she was female

MA in Architecture now blocked without placement so she tried to enrol for teaching but needs experience again - now working has a receptionist at hospital in Oxford while she works out what to do next as she needs the money

Personally I feel the uni system is failing and is just another commercial money making scheme - £9k a year fees and coming out with a piece of paper but no skills is a crime. Far better to learn a trade/profession while studying the relevant qualifications IMHO  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Yes, this whole New Labour idea of 50% of kids going to university is ridiculous. They end up in debt before they start and often go to do courses for which there is no demand once they graduate. Fair enough, university can be a great place to learn about life and have some fun too, but not if you then can't get a decent job and have debts hanging over you waiting for when you do start earning.

There should be a move to get youngsters to look at doing vocational courses e.g. plumbing, electrics etc. Sure, it's not glamorous but at the end of it they have a skill that can go anywhere to find work and which, quite often, results in a higher income than many "professionals" earn. I remember visiting building sites where brickies were earning much more than twice what I was earning as a chartered surveyor! Sure, that's during a boom period but it's bloody good money if you're sensible with it. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Quote:

I remember visiting building sites where brickies were earning much more than twice what I was earning as a chartered surveyor! Sure, that's during a boom period but it's bloody good money if you're sensible with it

I have similar memories but in my case it was about 4 times my earnings

I was a BCO on sites when this was happening - most of them were always broke though after spending their bonuses in the bar every night/weekend. The same thing happened after the wall came down and plasterers went to Germany for big bucks and came back broke

I've 2 sons and tried to get them to consider Electrical or Gas apprenticeships but they're not interested - I have to pay £35-£50 an hour +vat for these trades despite doing an apprenticeship and working with my Dad many moons ago but without bits of paper I can't touch it. Neither can he 70+ left school at 14, did apprenticeship with city and guilds worked his whole life in building trade but has no registration - I can't repeat his words when he found out kids doing 2 days in a classroom and could then fit an unvented hot water system

Don't know what this thread was about but nothing like a good rant  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

James @ Hadley Green LR wrote:

I noticed that it dropped to 3 degrees this morning, therefore I thought that I'd point out to new owners, and remind some existing owners, about possible smoke.

Obviously, when in doubt use your own common sense, however it is likely that you Aux Heater will automatically activate soon due to the ambient temperature. Because it may be activating for the first time in 6+ months then the fuel in the fuel lines and the heater itself will be old, hence a bit of smoke the first activation of winter.

If it is genuinely on fire then ignore the above and call 999!

James

I'll give you a clue Muddy.

Cheers Ady

Going to get remote fitted and smoke recall dealt with in 2 weeks time - can't wait

You may want to move the posts that veered off thread into another topic - I'm turning into my Grandad  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Sounds like your kids related to one of mine. Bank of Dad is about to recall loans
I got booted out at 18, sent off to Uni with food parcel and £30 a week to pay my £10 rent, eat and fuel car for return trip from Guildford to Somerset every weekend. Ok fuel was 40p a litre I think.
Sorry, have I gone off topic again?  2x TDV6. SE and HSE. Both returned to sender with issues👀
TDV8 Sport HSE...... Gone. Loved it but it didn't love me!!
Now rolling in MY10 Fullfat TDV8 Vogue. Slammed it to go round corners🙈
Cruising daily #56 mph in a Volvo V8. 😱
Lots of other toys in the cupboard...😜

 Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!