(22 Aug 2022, 9:39 am)Jimmi wrote Whenever I've seen pics/notice of these rallies/events with cars it's often just stuff from an older generation and I can't imagine most of these events held would want relatively modern kit with massive exhausts and the like that those unauthorised car meets tend to attract.

Much like with bus rallies there's somewhat of a generational gap, you hear some going around saying how stuff is too modern (or x company has brought their current fleet) and that it shouldn't be in preservation, sent to scrap etc whilst younger spotters tend to lean towards more like Dennis Dart's and are less interested in say half cabs.

The thing that puts me off the rallies (other than the sheer embarrassment of being seen there) is that I personally do not really like older buses at all, so there's nothing to see! Plus, it seems to be the same buses that turn up at everything, and once you've seen them, why would you go back?

Plus, even if I was into the older vehicles, I'd much rather see buses that have been modified for different uses than just see yet another bus that has been 'preserved'. Quite frankly, it's boring.
When StreetDecks become cheap and I inevitably buy one on Ebay in the middle of the night after one too many lemonades, it will be completely gutted and converted into a camper. 

Having said that, I absolutely cannot stand overly modified cars, but then again I'm not a big fan of restored classics either. Plus, I do have a very eclectic taste in cars that probably wouldn't be catered for at those type of events, the latest addition to my shopping list is a Kei truck (not really a car), there's one parked outside of the Weardale depot in Crook that's used for advertising, and I just want it, I probably wouldn't fit in it, but I want it! A few other cars from the list include the Renault Avantime, Peugeot 1007, G-Wiz, VW Touareg W12/V10 TDI


As a side note, when I was quite a bit younger, a family friend had a bus and we would tag along to the events (mostly for the free stuff, I have so much Arriva crap sitting in a cupboard), and I must say I had some pretty awful experiences that really put me off. In fact, that's probably why I have fairly negative views on the "stereotypical bus spotter"