Dreaming with reality: At Wentink Hobby, the scale models and large male toy specialist from Arnhem, I asked a salesman for advice. I was looking for a scale model of the classic I had. The seller was genuinely surprised. After all, people bought scale models of the classics of their dreams? Not like what they did have.
Buy from connoisseurs
The advantage of visiting and buying from a real specialist store is that it is thought along. My scale model, the result of clear dreams, finally came.
But dreams don't have to be unreachable
Sometimes they don't even have to be dreams to win your heart. It turns out that there are more people who do not necessarily connect classic driving with dreaming about dream cars. But if it can't be done as it should, then it should be done as it can ... And then you get the funniest things. Ultimately a scale model of an Austin Champ, or a Suzuki Alto. And that is actually no more than a scale model. You just need to be flex.
AMK reader René van der Ven is such a person. And he gave a tip:
Dear Dolf,
If, for once, you have no inspiration? Then write about the Suzuki Alto. I'm not so proud of it, but I didn't have to make a penny and was looking for the cheapest means of transport on 4 wheels that was on the market. And if that were a classic? Fine!
It had to be a car - transport - that had to be dirt cheap, economical, solid and also cheap in insurance and tax.
And what do you come home with?
Then you end up at a Suzuki Alto, there secretly enough are still scurrying around. Japanese 3 cylinder under the bonnet, very solid, with a consumption of 1 in 18. With a featherweight of 630 kg, it is also nice and cheap in the tax if it is not completely holder-free. Also the ideal purchase for motorcyclists who do not dare to let their classics play outside in the brine in the autumn and winter.
Parts for almost nothing
What about the parts? They are dirt cheap, because the Alto was produced in India for years under the name Maruti. A distribution belt only costs € 11-. a support arm also costs nothing: € 12-
I bought my 1985 Suzuki Alto for only € 250, I have been driving it for a while. It is an automatic and has only 2 gears !!
With that, he was very popular in his time among seniors who should have had their driving license in the willows. The 'status' of Altootjes can be seen in the fact that most had such a senior-friendly transmission. The Alto was for the boy at heart and the most dynamic types also with a - perfect - manual four-speed gearbox.
Can you drive even more classic?
I do not think so. Not even if you steal one. The Alto is really lonely alone at the bottom of the ladder, from cheap classics. So go crazy. Buy an Altootje this afternoon. Maybe that was never the car of your dreams. But they are endearing. And you may find one with a completely correct maintenance history. Because seniors are always frugal region.
And those Altoots? We will come back to that!
Carla and Frank van Putten's car ...
Once I received a request from a friend to drop him off in Brabant with his mother's Alto and drive that Alto back again. Driving 400 kilometers one day was enough experience for me with such an Alto automatic transmission. Claustrophobic little with two grown guys in it. Slow and sensitive to wind and quite noisy because the motor is always very busy at work. With not extremely long legs, the tendency to bump into the steering column when getting in and out. During the ride my right knee was constantly against the automatic gear lever. Admittedly, fuel consumption was very low.
er… Anyone interested in 199 cylinder heads?
whether you drive a Mercedes or an Alto, traffic jam is traffic jam. the rider of the Alto in the photo apparently bit his steering wheel when it was in the car polonaise.