Are High street accessory and car stereo shop a thing of the past

[lozcb]

I do miss the ability to have a rummage and a looksee to see whats new and available on the market , yes Im well aware of Ebay and the likes , but some of us are touch it feel it kind of guys and seems to me there is limited opportunity to actually pop down the high street and experiment to see whether something actually fits and or looks good on or in the car , coming from an era where Carlos fandango wheels and sidewinder exhausts were all the rage, just seems that it was easier than ordering something online and then having to send it back ,
Seems to me a whole industry has disappeared away from the high street in the name of cost cutting and progress .........is it progress

 

[Bebs]

Yes, fondly remember going to Tottenham Court Road in central London to buy Pioneer single din CD player, 4 way amp and speakers.. always looking to upgrade..

 

[c4sman]

Yes, fondly remember going to Tottenham Court Road in central London to buy Pioneer single din CD player, 4 way amp and speakers.. always looking to upgrade..

Used to love haggling on TCR shop to shop for home and car hifi. I work next to TCR now and that’s all long gone…

 

[Doctor Houx]

Still the odd accessory and spares shop knocking about. There’s a great one in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead near where my son lives, and I came across another just last week in Royston when my Alfa was in for some work in Jamie Porters superb Alfa Workshop.

You know when you are in good hands when a Montreal, 8C and several 4C’s are in there for work!

 

[Felonious Crud]

Used to love haggling on TCR shop to shop for home and car hifi. I work next to TCR now and that’s all long gone…

My old office was just by TCR and it's far nicer / less fun than it used to be. All a bit furniture and health-food vs dodgy hi-fi and electronics imports.

 

[Scaf]

Still the odd accessory and spares shop knocking about. There’s a great one in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead near where my son lives, and I came across another just last week in Royston when my Alfa was in for some work in Jamie Porters superb Alfa Workshop.

You know when you are in good hands when a Montreal, 8C and several 4C’s are in there for work!

That’s only 10mins from me and my first port of call for anything motor related, they have a shop in Watford as well and been around for years. They had a new old stock brake cylinder ont he shelf for my old Fiat 500 - awsome.

There is also another gem of a motor spare shop in adeyfield (10 mins away for Apsley) they are equally as good.

Neither do the latest stereo type stuff though.

 

[allandwf]

I used to like those too, rummage see what looked and sounded good, and if it would fit. They have gone the way of most shops, nobody goes as they have gone online, or the powers at be have pedestrianised the high Street! So again nobody goes.

 

[philw696]

Yeah every town had more than one aimed at the home mechanics back in the days when people could maintain their own cars and the owners handbook had the technical information you needed.
Were good for us professionals too when the Motor Factors were closed and you needed a set of points and a condenser on a Sunday morning.
It's the same with Motorsport gear for Race and Rally Cars the Country had 100's of companies to use and most of them supporting the Sport through sponsorship now only a handful have survived.

 

[conaero]

We have Halfords I suppose who are actually really good but I get your sentiment.

When Tandy went a little piece of me died, I loved that shop.

 

[Andyk]

I used to use a stereo place in Newport when I was a young one called moving sounds. Not sure if they are still about. They even fitted electric windows to my Capri. Great shop and guys and used to love a visit to see what I could upgrade. I’m with you Loz.

 

[philw696]

Yeah the car stereo specialist shops that did Alarm systems and other electrical upgrades too.
Never had electric windows on my 3 Capris but did have Janspeed exhausts
My Jaguar XJ6 still with it's radio cassette player and electric aerial working beautifully

 

[Felonious Crud]

Yeah the car stereo specialist shops that did Alarm systems and other electrical upgrades too.
Never had electric windows on my 3 Capris but did have Janspeed exhausts
My Jaguar XJ6 still with it's radio cassette player and electric aerial working beautifully

'leccy aerial? Aren't they supposed to seize, snap and be replaced with a wire coat hanger bent into the shape of a heart?

 

[lozcb]

'leccy aerial? Aren't they supposed to seize, snap and be replaced with a wire coat hanger bent into the shape of a heart?

You trying to convince us your an old romantic at heart lol, that ol chesnut will never work

 

[Zep]

The two shops I used to use in Numpton are still there and there is another in Rushden, but they don’t do as many stereos et al these days.

When I was a lad I think it was already moving to mail order, with those big double page ads in Max Power for the likes of Elite, where you could order TSW wheels and a base box for the boot.

As I was tooling around in my rusty Alfasud, you had to order everything for that anyway, except rust converter I suppose.

 

[Phil H]

IIRC, back in the 70's Duckhams sponsored slot car championships that were run by/in/around car accessory shops, and very popular they were too. Weekend fettling was anything from oil changes to the dreaded wheelarch repairs, and I even fitted hazard warning lights to my HB Viva. Our Scimitar gained a Pioneer unit to replace the 8 track which I still have. Happy days, and all without 'tinternet.

 

[Nibby]

In the late 70s there was a Partco in Newmarket and the bloke who worked behind the counter was called Roger, forever going in there for the jalopy me and my mates owned, points, condenser, distributor cap etc. Fast forward to 2005/6 ish and who should be working in Ridgeon’s builders merchants, Roger. So I had to ask him “Have you got a starter motor for a Mk3 Cortina?”

 

[philw696]

Partcos Trade Nights were Legendary before everything became Politically Correct they were more like a Working Man's Club Do
Everyone had Fun and with the promotional offers on the night we all spent some cash.
Even today the Factors still employ attractive ladies to deliver the parts as they know a little glamour keeps you loyal.

 

[lozcb]

Seems obvious that me and Phil H are in the geriatric section followed closely by Philw696 , Phil with his talk of his HA viva and me with my MGB GT and my 1600E , days spent oggling the extra gauges , carpets, chrome plastic chrome rocker covers and the like , the girlfriend pulling on the arm to go and have look at the nearest jewellers whilst you havent quite finished looking at the sidewinder exhausts contemplating where you will find the £30 to buy it lol happydays

 

[Phil H]

The Viva was the first car I bought; passed my driving test one week, bought the car the next, got married the week after that and drove it down to Cornwall; we called it Squeak do to its suspension foibles. That was followed by a Ventora with the big old 3.3 lump and vinyl roof, then the Scim with a vinyl roof, glass sunroof, and the 8 Track - dead posh.

 

[lozcb]

Watch a few youtube video's of Geoff buys cars every now and again , he summed it up precisely in our day passing your driving test meant " freedom" and opened up a whole new world for a few generations , most youngsters today dont see cars in the same light , hence the lack of importance of what they look or feel like