No cure for addiction to vintage automobile owners

No cure for addiction to vintage automobile owners

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Antiques will always hold a special appeal for
some people. This includes not only china and furniture, but
items ranging from coins to vintage cars.

And once you fall in love with a certain type of antique, it
gets in your blood.

Like other hobbyists, many vintage car lovers spend most of
their time on their hobby. They vie for better quality cars, go
on rallies with other vintage car enthusiasts and share
information on where to obtain replacement parts, which generally
are no longer produced, meaning those existing spare parts are
costly and sometimes have to be ordered from abroad.

"It's a hobby that is difficult to let go. There's no such
thing as a crisis. We go on, and it's not only me," Sastra
Minata, the owner of two 1961 Coupe Records and a 1964 Honda S600
Cabriolet, told The Jakarta Post.

Apart from these three vintage cars, he also owns a 1969
Holden Premier, a 1975 Mercy and two new vehicles, including a
BMW sedan.

"Although I have new cars, I still drive my old car around,
even to the office," said the 53-year-old man who bought his
first vintage car 20 years ago and once had up to 15 vintage cars
in his collection.

For Sastra, these cars are a way to fulfill teenage dreams.
But a vintage car is an expensive choice. Ready-to-drive cars can
go from Rp 10 million (US$1,250) up to Rp 500 million.

"We usually buy an abandoned car and then fix it up. Sometimes
we have to get two cars to develop one. For instance, we use the
body of one car and the engine from another," Sastra said.

He said he once bought a car in Madura, East Java, for Rp 5
million, but spent much more than this amount fixing it up.

Fixing an old car can cost dearly, especially if one prefers
to have all original parts. According to Sastra, you should be
prepared to part with at least Rp 20 million to fix up an
abandoned car.

"But it makes me really proud when I can fix an old car and it
works. Imagine a 40-year-old car that is supposed to be scrap
iron, but can still run smoothly. Besides, I also feel proud when
people look at my car with clear appreciation," said Sastra, who
is also treasurer of the Indonesian Vintage Car Association
(PPMKI).

Established in 1979, the association has about 502 members
throughout the country, including 150 active members in the
capital, but excluding Irian Jaya, East Nusa Tenggara and East
Timor.

Among the association's precious collection are 23 cars which
formerly belonged to the country's founding president Sukarno. Of
these 23 cars, 18 are still roadworthy.

PPMKI considers a car vintage if it was produced before 1965.
For a rally, cars are again classified, with cars manufactured
between 1960 and 1965 and those cars which do not have original
spare parts classified as replicas. Cars older than 1960 and
those cars manufactured between 1960 and 1965 which have all
original parts are classified as vintage.

This weekend the association is organizing a special event to
celebrate the third anniversary of PT Pacific Metrorealty which
runs, among other things, Jalan Jalan cafe in the Menara Imperium
building in Kuningan, South Jakarta. A vintage car exhibition
will be held at Menara Imperium on Oct. 16 and the association
will hold The Old Timer rally on Sunday. Members of the
association who do not have vintage cars of their own can
participate in the rally as navigators.

Around 80 cars manufactured from 1917 to 1965, including cars
from the Sukarno collection, a 1937 Bentley and a Mini Cooper &
Moke, the highlight of the event, will take part.

Prestige

The more experienced a person gets in dealing with vintage
cars, the more likely they are to focus on acquiring outstanding
and prestigious cars.

"Now I am starting to focus my collection. I keep (cars) which
are quite expensive and exchanging the rest with friends to
obtain better quality cars," Hartawan Setjodiningrat told the
Post.

The proud owner of 40 vintage cars, Hartawan, better known as
Hauwke, has six employees to take care of his cars. He spends
around Rp 30 million a month on his cars.

The 44-year-old man, who runs a company that manufactures
automotive spare parts in Bekasi, West Java, started collecting
vintage cars in 1979 after he returned from Australia, where he
worked for an automotive company. At one point he owned more than
100 vintage cars.

However, Hauwke, who owns a 1937 Austin and a 1908 Lorrain,
despises being called a car collector.

"I am a vintage car lover, not a collector. Collectors tend to
emphasize the commercial aspect. My friends used to say that my
blood was made of lubricant," laughed the father of three.
"That's because I studied automotives, worked for an automotive
company and now run an automotive company .... "

Listing a 1955 Thunderbird, a 1959 Corvette and a 1952 Jaguar
XK140 as favorites among his vintage cars, from 1979 to 1985
Hauwke spent a large part of his time hunting down the cars he
desired, a search which took him to most parts of the country.
Since 1985, he has used the service of brokers to locate cars.

"Sometimes I was disappointed at being cheated. The broker got
the car I wanted but sold it to another person, not me," he said.

Driving a vintage car is certainly different from driving a
new car. For one thing, old cars have different technology,
requiring the driver to master a few tricks.

"While driving a vintage car, we have to concentrate on the
car. It's not automatic and has different technology from new
cars. For instance, a 1928 car does not have wipers, so when it's
raining you have to open the window," Hauwke said.

Having vintage cars is also considered prestigious, causing
some people to masquerade as vintage car lovers just for the
reputation. But according to Hauwke, it is easy to learn whether
one really loves vintage cars.

"If one does not really love old cars, he will give up
immediately after giving them a try. The driver of an old car
should be ready to be challenged. He should be patient and
willing to stand heat or to get dirty, since he might have to do
some repair on the car. If we're driving a new car, the car
follows us, spoiling us. But in an old car, we have to follow the
car. That's the challenge, the art," Hauwke said.

Citing an example of the challenge and unpredictability of
vintage cars, he told of an experience when his car engine blew
out in Surabaya at 7 p.m. as he was driving to Lombok in a rally.

"So I had to switch the engine with a friend's right there and
the next day, in the morning, we started again ... ," Hauwke
said.

For most vintage car lovers, their vehicles are everything.
They may spend so much time with their cars that their spouses
will get jealous.

"My wife asks me why I carefully cover my old cars but not my
new cars," laughed Sastra. "She also does not like seeing me
looking at my old cars every morning the minute I wake up."

But for Hauwke, who spends at least an hour a day with his
vintage automobiles, the cars also serve to bring his family
closer together.

"If my family wants to get together, it's in a car. I will
usually drive out of town, such as to Bali. There, in the car, we
are all together, right. We can talk, eat, everything. And I
don't take ordinary routes. Instead, we pass through small
villages to see the beautiful views. It's really refreshing."