What is classic car ownership REALLY like? Standard 8 drive & chat 

Living in the USA, we don't see that car often. However, I was lucky enough to own a 1959 Standard 10, known here as the Triumph 10, for a year, back in the 1970s. It was one of my favorite little British cars. "Cute," everyone thought it was. A delight to drive in town, but less so on the highways here. I have great memories of the little car.

I have had both the Standard 8 and 10 back when they were common, great little cars. I was 8 years old when that 8 was made. My first car was a 1947 Austin 8.

Not wishing to offend anyone, and I know I will get we do not care how you do it over there. But that is a lovely car and we in the states do not take our classic cars out on anything short of a dry sunny day to prevent further corrosion.

What a wonderful old car! You are not only fortunate to have such a car in the family but also very fortunate to have such a close relationship with your father. That is gold - something I never had. Excellent work again, Harley. Thankyou

At least we can reach the lower part of the windscreen from the driving position of classic cars when they need cleaning, which is difficult if not impossible on modern cars! Older people like myself have often never changed our driving technique - we are light on the braking and know when to change the gear, even double de clutching if necessary! Lovely video - fully enjoyed it.

Nice video Harley. Planning and anticipation are good habits when driving, whether in an old or new car. The lack of safety features in older cars helps concentrate the mind very effectively. When I drive my 1947 Rover 16 I am very aware there is a 6' long steering column pointed at my chest.

Thanks for that Harley. Really enjoyed it. Well put together and very informative.

What a lovely classic British saloon. It runs quite well too. Thanks for teaching me about a vehicle I had never heard of before. Great video!

As your Dad said at 11:45 you learn to "understand what's going on" when owning and driving a classic car.. Great video Harley.. (Phil - Rover P6 - Lancashire)

Thank you Harley, I really enjoyed that. When my father traded up from a motor bike and sidecar in the late fifties, our first family car was a Standard 8 - PWD 964

Once again great to see the Standard out and about in the real world. I like that you aren't afraid to use it in those conditions. Some great drive by shots too. I love the engine note as well.

I'm in full agreement with the old fella about the environmental virtue of keeping existing cars on the road instead of making as many new ones. Why everyone can't see this eludes me. I also don't approve of how big and gadgetry filled modern cars are. I call them bulbousmobiles. With all that said, I don't think I'd daily drive a car like a Standard 8 any more - at least not amongst the many poorly trained drivers found in a city. My last major prang was unavoidable and the other person's fault, and wrote off the Rover P6 I was driving. That car looked after me and I was unscathed. But had it been my Phase III Vanguard, I might have had a chest full of steering column.

Small cars are ment for segment of buyers who particularly like them. Some people however prefer bigger cars, which is also ok. If I could chose, I would go for an american 1970`s land yacht because of the size and styling. Glad to see that you own and enjoy a beautiful classic piece.

My father had one of these in the mid '60s. One year he drove us from central Derbyshire to Cornwall for a holiday, it seemed to take for ever . After a couple of years he replaced it with a series Vl Minx, comparative luxury and 1725 cc ! . 😂

Excellent video, great review of the pro's and con's of owning and using a Classic car. well done very enjoyable. Bob

The reality of those early 6 volt Beatles also. A very similar car design

I had many 50's and 60's cars back in the day, including a couple of Standard 10's. Owning one today is a completely different matter. Many are chronically underpowered , very noisy and have poor brakes and uncomfortable seats. This is fine if you only do short journeys and live in a quiet area. The upside is that everyone will notice you and they are dead easy to work on - which is good because regular maintenance is essential. Don't forget your grease gun!🤓

Well done chaps great video it helps to cheer us up .All the best to both for the festive season

My first car in green ! 1957 Standard 8 , reg no VS 7831. :-) great video guys !! from a fellow petrol head and mechanic on these .

Great video Harley. I've just bought a 10 actually. I own several classics but fell for these the moment I saw your videos!.

Another great one Harley good to see the standard out and about and how they should be driven good advice my first car was a 54 vauxhall velox which was my father's he gave it to me when I got my licence I can see you driving the standard when you get your licence cheers

Well done Harley - another great and informative video.

Great video!

This is classic motoring ! Love it ! ❤❤❤

Hi, I've got a 1966 Hillman super minx, yes it's hard to drive but I just enjoy it for what it is. Enjoy is the word. Great video 😊

Enjoyed that, thank you

Yes, you get a irresistibly visceral experience in an old car like this. On the right road, their entertainment value is unmatched. The size of British cars from this era seems so right for what those roads would allow. And their bodies are lovingly detailed. Those modest sweeps and bulges on this Triumphs or an Austin A-30's flanks suggest the subtle modeling of a woman's anatomy. In the states, we didn't have the economic or geographical constraints to keep auto design honest. Within the flash of a 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser was a complete disregard for the laws of physics. 375 hp, 5,000 lbs., with drum brakes! That's why those cars are train wrecks to drive on anything but a highway.

Thanks for sharing 👍

Love the car and the whole experience! I remember driving in one of these cars with my grandmother wearing hats and gloves, naturally. 😍 You can buy anti-fog liquid to rub onto the inside of the windows to prevent the condensation build up.

My family always had Standards but by this time they were known as Sub Standards. Only rescued by the Triumph Herald and then Standards were no more.

That was a really interesting video.

I still run a Suzuki carry all like you followed in town still working (gardening) just right in some of the big garden’s, it reminds me of my 1st van a Austin A35, thanks great video

What an interesting and well produced video. The Standard 8 is a cute and practical little classic for town work by the look of it. My dad showed me an old school tip for helping clear steaming up. Open the drivers window a crack and also the passengers side quaterlight and it draws air across the windscreen without being too draughty.

A great idea HJ for a video and I have to admit I do like the Standard, it is cute. Comparing it to modern cars is interesting when I consider my Mercedes S Class LWB is huge and takes up 2 parking spaces in most car parks. I don't drive it actually, I get into it, start it, point it in the direction I want to travel and it does the rest. Manoeuvring it in any carpark is a nightmare even with all of its assisting gizmos, not a sensible purchase I guess in many ways but I do love driving it. Anything goes wrong with it even a simple belt costs and 5 arms and 6 legs to fix and needs a specialist as I found out to my cost when I snapped the auxiliary belt on the M1 earlier this year and had to be trailered to the specialist garage by the RAC. There is much to be said for using a classic as a daily driver. Thoroughly enjoyed this video Harley and great subject matter and I did watch yours first this week. "The Great Leveller" comment is both humorous and a great observation, I normally use unprintable descriptions of such behaviour. I am going to add it to my daily vocabulary and it will be in frequent use I know for sure. Tell your Dad to buy new wiper blades, that noise would drive me insane.

Again you have taken me back to the golden age of motoring. Yes! There were leaky, often cold, slower, prone to over heating on the hills and often a beggar to start in the frost. But they talked to the driver through steering wheel, the transmission, suspension and sounds. It thought that it will not be long before the new all-electric cars will even do away with the steering wheel to be replaced by a joy stick! No wonder there are more accidents as drivers are cocooned in a warm, dry and silent environment with no contact with the road or conditions. The days of car rugs, spares and handy small tool kit have gone, as well the real enjoyment and skill of proper driving. Boo Hoo! Thanks both for a great presentation. Rob

What a wonderful dad to son relationship I was passionate as a very young child in cars and my father was jealous I still can't understand his mentality probably jealous so my mother told me 😤 it's so inspiring to see a lovely dad son car relationship but I also think you are lucky in a being able to afford to do this money is the key to success too but great to see 👍👍👍👍

ITS a beauty tappets still making a twitter we attached a caravan 12V hair dryer under the dash to de mist in the winter it worked a treat loved the video thank you both now a cuppa and a scon butter jam cream.

My mother had one of these and Dad the Standard 10, both ultra reliable, may not be up to todays luxury but lovely cars all the same.

Had lessons and passed my driving test in a Standard 8 in 1960. The instructor kept the windows shut, puffed heavily on a pipe, coughed a lot and rarely spoke. He had a book on the rear parcel shelf which was carefully positioned so that the corner of it lined up with the kerb when reversing around a corner.

Going to look At one on Monday what would they be like on a 4hr drive to a boat

These were popular in India once

These were more a humble round town car back in the day..slow on highways and hills

I had one of these about 1964. My first car with a heater. No boot lid access through rear seats . Loved it.

Since this has a generator , does it have a regulator also ?

Very enjoyable video and very well presented. Well done to both of you. What a lovely little motor! Looks to be in great shape. I run a 1966 Moggie as a regular driver and just like your Dad says there is something much more real about driving a classic than a modern car. It feels like you have experienced something each time you go out, whereas in a modern the journey is generally unremarkable! The wet windows, draughts, odd whine or knock, drum brakes, all add to the experience of a classic and keep you focused on the road!

That's no Hilux it's a LandCruiser very common in Western Australia

Really interesting and professional video, Harley! The Standard sounds very healthy and still looks good. My word, it's many years since I heard anyone mention cadence braking! The car park sequence said it all with regard to the unnecessarily crazy size of modern cars cluttering up the roads and car parks. I could go on, but I'll spare you a rant...............

Any experts here? I had a 10 with two small round lights on each side at the front. I cant for the life of me see any other car with indicator and side lights. They all have just one small round white light on either side. Was this an option or a modification someone made to mine. Always looked factory to me. Anyone know???

Great video, very well put together. It would be nice if you could find more of the amateur collectors and video their collection for the channel.

Very good video young man. Excellent points about thinking ahead when driving an old car, I grew up using this type of vehicle and I'm sure it makes you a better driver of modern cars. I watch your Dad's stuff all the time but will be checking out Car Traction more often. Tell the old man to keep a look over his shoulder !

My Dad had a standered 10 when i was 6 years old and he was a huge fan of British cars.I still have most of the original owners manual for all the cars he owned and that includes Standered 10. Sadly Dad passed away in 2021. Looking at your car brings back lots of memories❤

Great video and what a difference as I was out, yesterday, in my 1954 Rover 90 but it was bright and sunny and 32c here in Australia.

You will be happy to know that in Australia some shopping centres thy are now making spaces for "Small Cars" to park to give them preference over the SUV "barges" that take up too much space in suburban shopping centres!

Well this brought back a few memories. My father bought a new 1955 Morris Oxford Cowley pickup. The heater in that was bare minimum by todays standard. Would being cab temperature up above freezing in winter. Rainy weather was the worst especially if your clothes were damp when you for into the truck. I was 8 yrs. old when he purchased it and drove it to work at the shipyard from 1966 till 1968. In cold or rainy weather I kept the heater in hot and high fan. High speed setting wasn't that high but it did the job 95% of the time. Enjoyed your video this morning. Will be looking at your dads also. Something nice to look at on Sunday morning given whats in the news these days. Looking forward to more videos from you borh.

I have said before I had a standard eight ,I fitted a 1300 spitfire engine and gearbox. I could only fit a single carbon due to space .change the 😊 .a herald one fitted straight in to the eights axle. Bit of a fight with the half shafts . Fitted new shocks but didn't get round to the brakes I had lot of fun with the car .

I'm guessing your rear quarter lights are the fixed type on your 8 I have opening ones that really clear the rear screen.

Isnt this model supposed to have the old oil bath air cleaner ?

What a treat on a Sunday. Modern drivers would cry their eyes out when driving such a motor, (if they even could).no sat nav. no in car entertainment, who needs all that rubbish? As far as breakdowns went, most people had a set of points and plugs on board, and bit of fag packet cardboard gave an approximate 15 thou clearance for points.

Is that a Triumph badge on the bonnet ?

My first car was a 1939austin Cambridge apm905 it would jump out of second gear all the time but never let me down good times.keep up the good videos. 6:36

That was a pretty accurate depiction of the life of a classic car owner, mate. Love that little Standard 8 - those gear whines and the Zenith cab growl are sounds I recall very much from the early cars I used to drive. Of course, when I owned them in the 1980s, they were just "old cars", not known a classics at all. I remember my Dad laughing his socks off in about 1987 when someone referred to the A35 we had as a 'beautiful example of a British classic car'. Yes she was pretty immaculate and had only travelled 43,000 miles at the time with one previous owner, but Dad never saw them as a classic......probably because he grew up in a time when they were sitting on forecourts and because his parents brought home their first A30 when he was 7 years old. The Toyota "Hilux" you saw was actually a Land Cruiser from the mid-70s. Great old beast in pretty good fettle for a 'Cruiser as they rotted out like mad over here. In regard to the size of the Standard vs a modern 'small' car, have you ever seen a classic Mini next to a new one? It's quite a hilarious sight! Parking even the likes of my Triumph 2500S or Stag next to a modern Mini or Suzuki Swift, it was quite surprising to note that they were the same length and both my cars were narrower than the modern car by comparison. The only reason I can think of for that plays into what your Dad mentioned about all the safety gear and mod cons of the current gen of vehicle - it must be those things that make the modern vehicles nigger in order to carry them. The modern Mini isn't what I'd call spacious inside and getting in and out of the back seat is a tricky thing for someone who is only 5'10" like myself. There's also no leg or head room in the back of one.......yet the original Mini - even with its diminutive stature - I have no issues sitting in the back of, but alas, still have fun climbing out of! One other thing that could be added to owning a classic car is that the grease gun is your best friend. Most things with a bit of play in them can be filled up with grease and pass the next MoT without issue.....rather than the modern cars where if you have a duff bush on the end of a front suspension joint, replacing the entire suspension arm is cheaper than the time taken for the mechanic to remove the old one and press a new one in. I kid you not (it was on my Mazda 3 and although the lower suspension arm was more expensive than the bushes, the cost of the bushes themselves were about two thirds the cost of the entire replacement suspension arm that came with them already fitted. Just daft....and wasteful). I definitely agree with the Must Have of AA or similar roadside rescue service membership. I have had to call on them several times for a flat bed truck to come pick me up - the worst was when the Stag's diff grenaded about 100 miles from home. Had I not been a member, it would have cost me over $750 to be recovered back to my home and then another $250 to get the car taken over to the other side of the city I live in to where my Triumph specialist mechanic is. My $150 per year membership fee has definitely been worth it and certainly paid for itself over these past 7 years, I can tell you! With a classic, you need 4 things - air, fuel, spark and compression - to make the engine go. With a modern car, it could be just a dirty connection on an earth wire and the car will stop dead intermittently or stop and not go again. To err is human, but to really foul things up, you need a computer. Add that to a car and it ruins the experience in my opinion......and reliability is so tedious, isn't it? All the best

Good point! That is proper driving. I like low spec cars. Got personell two Soviet ones and a very standard Dacia myself. My personell first car was a 1954 Moggy Minor II back in 1990. The next a W115 Merc Diesel. Oh, I loved both of 'em... 😍

My mother's first car was a brand new 1954 Hillman Minx. Being here in Canada, a heater was an absolute must have. Surprisingly, the one thing she never complained about was the heater. It was quite effective. What she did not like was that it did not have the optional windscreen washer. Oddly, that Minx was used to commute to work about 50 miles each way, regardless of weather. It did that for 4 years! It was eeolaced by a 1958 Vauxhall Velox. I'm with you when it comes to old cars and repairability. I'm in the process of replacing my 1990 Volvo 240 Estate. After 400,000 miles the rot has become terminal. Surprisjngly, on the motorway the old boy would do a solid 35 mpg. It is being replaced by a 2004 Toyota Carolla with 100,000 miles on the clock. It is good for about 40 mpg on the highway. Keep in mind, both the Volvo (Ma's last car) and the Toyota (Ma's nextdoor neighbour's last car) have automatic gearboxes. Years ago a friend of my grandmother taught me how to preserve the body of a car. A good was with dish detergent followed by a good coat of high quality wax. Now, Krown Rustproofing is the way to go for the underside in inside the body. Do not wash the car until spring. Once winter is over, another good wash, wax, and polish, and then drive it. It works pretty well

A fellow dabber I see.

It does seem to be a fairly typical layout under the bonnet for a rear wheel drive car of that era. Something I have never figured out about a Standard 8 that belonged to a family member back in the '50s (before I was born). Apparently the engine had to be removed on a regular basis and they had to rig up an engine hoist in the garage. I've wondered if perhaps the clutch linings used to wear out quickly?

There's a lever which opens the flap in front of the windscreen. That's not just for summer - your heater and demist will work great if you let them breathe. The 1147 Herald engine is a good option and put the Herald diff in too. Perfectly able to keep up with modern traffic then. If the steering or brakes aren't good they are worn or maladjusted. Correctly set up they are excellent. Great to see it in use, especially by a youngster.

I’ve done classic bike and car restoration and I can tell you it’s frustrating and expensive.

I had a 1956 Standard 10 as my first car. For every 4 gallons of petrol it needed a pint of oil. One day the sill fell off and jammed in the rear wheel. I pulled it away, threw it by the side of the road and carried on. Good job it had a chassis.

If driving a classic car is too slow for you, you are in the wrong game - go buy a hot hatch instead.

Is the speedometer working?

My Dad had one in the late 50s to mid 60s. It was British racing green

I failed to mention that you probably worked very hard for the money to be successful 👌👍

Seen one of these around Chesterfield several times recently. Been to Nantwich for the Civil War Battle re-enactment this year.

The size of car park spaces haven't caught up with the size of modern cars. I parked my Aygo in-between two SUV's and quickly realised that I couldn't get out. The Standard 8 is a good looking car

It was a terrible car to own back then, just about every competitor gave better value but somehow they did sell!

My Father apparently had one of these. Now I know what it looks like.

Why disconnect the speedo? Lovely looking example, that top end tap sounds it needs attention ASAP though.

That tick is getting more noticeable. Interesting to investigate.

i must admit i dont take my Austin A30 out in the rain but otherwise its used right through the year, so many classics get put in storage over the winter which doesnt do them any good, yes they do steam up! in cold weather all part of the experience

Stirling Moss had one early in his career but had it modified by Barwell engineering to give it more pep.

Morris 1000 ' s used to tow large and heavy caravans. First gear , 10 mph at the slightest gradient.

The town I was born, Nantwich, if I am right I think that there was supposed to be a second world war fighter plane under that lake unless its been brought back up, I left the area in 81 and I have been in Pembrokeshire West Wales since then.

If your Standard 8 is WAY too slow, you could fit an engine from a later Triumph car. The Herald and Spitfires had an engine directly derived from the Standard SC fitted to the 8 and 10, so should go in without much difficulty. I could imagine a hot-rod with a Spitfire 1500 engine with 71bhp instead of the original 26, more if tuned up a bit....

I could quite easily drive a classic car but there is so many bad drivers on the road nowadays driving flying machines i wouldn't feel safe.

While they sold window demisting spray, women's hair spray worked fine and lasted the day.

I beg of you, don`t expose it to road salt. If I owned it, I would treat the old girl with respect.

Sounds like it has piston slap

You should have added that the bonus to running any classic car over 40 years old is free tax & no MOT needed, that is a saving of over £225 a year as well as cheap insurance. There is so little to go wrong with a well maintained classic compared with a modern car, I have never broken down in my 1960 Morris minor in 6 years of ownership, I will never go back to a modern car!

Not to slow they would hold. a steady 50mph enough on our roads with many 50mph limits i dontvdrive my Jag much faster!!