CAR BREEDING
It began as a misprint in a cat news posting, but now it seems that car breeding is a serious hobby.
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Dear Sir, In your last post you indicated you have an additional hobby, which is pet cars and the breeding of same! My trade is diesel mechanic, so I perked right up when I saw this! Could you please give more info on this. In particular: * Was this hobby started before or after you moved from New York to San Francisco? Yours faithfully, etc |
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I don't know if you've had a reply yet, but I'd like to add a little additional info. I found out about car breeding after I responded to an advertisement saying 'Blue Peugeot Cat vandalised at Weekend'; for sale for breaking/spares". I tried breeding Daimlers, but the offspring never grew up beyond a Volkswagen Polo, probably something genetic since Polos are the cute little Munchkins of the car world (beautiful tight cornering, lovely roadholding, low center of gravity). Nowadays, of course, all my cars are neutered since it got embarrassing when my macho Ford Fiesta tried to mount every Vauxhall Nova it saw. However, a short-sighted Vauxhall Cavalier mistook my gentle, ten year old neutered Polo for a calling female and attempted to mount it at an intersection, causing large insurance bills for the Vauxhall owner and since I ended up with whiplash injuries, I recommend that car owners get their cars neutered as a safety precaution. Most breeds don't permit outcrossing - Fords don't like you to outcross with VWs, any car of uncertain origin in the UK ends up with a 'Q' licence plate meaning questionable origin which sort of marks you as an irresponsible owner allowing indiscriminate car breeding. Also the car overpopulation problem has led to gridlocks in major cities and there can be nasty scenes when a big momma Rolls Royce is separated from her 'calf' at a set of traffic lights. My cars receive annual vaccinations for Ministry of Transport roadworthiness (tested annually for MOT antibodies and then MOT is renewed for further 12 months), road tax (booster every 12 months) and insurance (booster annually). I sold my first baby car (a Polo whose pedigree papers said it was Riyadh yellow, but which had turned calico in latter years due to increasing amounts of black stone-chip protector paint and brown rust treatment) to a scrap merchant, of course by then it was no longer really a baby but had simply never grown up into a big car. I know many of you will think it callous to sell a car for vivisection at the junkyard (no Car Rights people out there?), but I humanely de-battery-ed it first so it didn't suffer. The next of my brood moved in with a family down the road when it was 10 years old. This was because it didn't get on with my newer baby and being mean and callous I decided to keep the newer one (another Polo, pedigree says White with black points - Colorpoint Car) and rehome the old, trustworthy Ford Fiesta (a sort of buff color, possibly a poorly defined cream). Car breeding is difficult because of the gestation period (over 6 years in the case of some uncommon breeds, but smaller cars breed faster) and the space needed (not everyone has a double garage these days) and expensive (nowadays I can only afford one car which is one reason it's neutered - it doesn't get frustrated). I don't have them declawed, catalytic converters are more humane I think. Any car I sell on has already been neutered, even if going as 'breaking for spares' quality. Feeding needs vary - mine takes unleaded, but some take premium, other prefer diesel depending on the digestive system (hereditary factor). Also, cars cannot be litter trained, they just go wherever they happen to be - either in motion or while standing in traffic. And they always suffer from gas, whatever you feed them on. Sometimes they catch prey (on the radiator grille), but I'm training mine not to as I don't like clearing up after them and find it a very distressing habit. I also hate it when they track mud into the garage. At least they don't usually fight back at bath time, though changing tires is more of a hassle than claw trimming. |
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Do you have any specific problems in introducing a new car into the family? Jealousy, garage training, spraying etc? Any tips welcome! NB: All my cars have been indoor (garage)/outdoor cars which probably shortens their lives, but they are bred to be working animals after all. They get very bored if not allowed out for regular exercise! After fifteen years they get retired :-) ! At what age should a stud Volkswagen be culled from my breeding program? Or should I wait for it to drop dead in its tracks? Has anyone got a color chart for car color genetics - especially the trendy metallic colors? And do white cars suffer from hereditary deafness at all - is it linked to headlamp color? |
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Wow, you must have some very hardy lines if they can go fifteen years before you re-tire! I am impressed! I sometimes think mine should be re-tired at fifteen *months*! |
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I have a really old metallic gray Nissan truck, missing many parts of its anatomy (having been allowed to flourish outside for longer than was good for it) that should have been retired years ago. As it is my oldest and dearest friend, I am just so hesitant to pull it from the ring. When the time comes, however, I am certain to have the strength to put it in neutral, and aim it down over the other side of the rainbow bridge. I hope that doesn't happen before we can get the new, young red upstart paid for that my husband drives. |
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Beware of the medical practice of "unauthorized organ transplants" between breeds that should not be interbred, like Ford and Chevy. One of our recent Chevy acquisitions became ill, and was found to be limping along on Dodge, Ford, and _even moggie generic_ parts. These were all supposedly new, rather than replacement. We assumed it must have come from a "mill" before it was sold to the owner we purchased from - who said they were a Chevy breeder. We will never go to that breeder again. Sometimes it's a case of live and learn. All the best, |
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BTW, Fords don't breed well with jersey walls either especially when pushed into the relationship by a metro bus. Well, maybe the jersey wall was the one that took offense, who knows ... all I know is that my poor Ford Explorer was caught in the middle and got more than it bargained for. BTW, my 'splorer is neutered - did early spay/neuter on it. The 'splorer did recover after huge vet [insurance] payment. Hope this helps, |
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Beware of Fords in general! They are wanton mechanical whores and will flash their lights at any handsome motor that goes by. The other day I passed a battered old Anglia in my Jag. I'd been sat behind it for ages on a winding stretch of road and it kept shaking its tail-lights flirtatiously as us. My Jag was purring appreciatively and closing on it even though a Jag is way above the Anglia in class. It had to be retrained. When we overtook the Anglia, the tarty Ford sped up to sidle alongside my Jag. We hit 90 on the dualled stretch and the Anglia finally blew a gasket and ground to a halt _still_ winking its lights at my car. All the way home my Jag kept looking in its rear view mirror and whining, hoping the Anglia would appear! I wanted to keep the Jag for breeding (maybe with a nice Daimler), but I'm now definitely getting it fixed as it likes a "bit of the rough" and I just can't trust it to behave. I don't want the hassle of mongrel offspring. The other day, when I returned from shopping it was sat there with its top down and letting a slutty modded Ford Fiesta nuzzle up to it with obvious intentions! |
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Dear all, The old truck does have its own spot it claims and the new truck does not DARE infringe, so territory is a real factor here. Neither truck seems to appreciate bathing, as they reside on a dirt road, and so the effort is moot anyway, so showing these guys is out of the question. Breeding isn't a problem here, though, we are responsible caregivers- the old truck was spayed years ago, and the new truck is scheduled for its first trim after the turn of the year. Oddly enough the old "blue" truck is more temperamental than the red - I wonder if the coloring does have something to do with it? I'll bet the new guy coughs out LONG before the old one, though. Best wishes |
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Dear all, Important: car breeding-congenital defect! Our carterry has bred a Mercury station wagon. a Ford station wagon and a Plymouth Voyager van, all with the same congenital defect. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON !! Grrrrrr. Do you think I should 'cull' these from my line? |
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Re: whether to cull congenital defect of AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON I guess you never bred Subarus. They have sound automatic transmissions, but in the lines with the other type, the Standard, the clutch wears out prematurely, requiring early euthanization or transplant surgery. Hope this helps, |
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Re: whether to cull congenital defect of AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON Well OUR cars don't have any congenital defects. Right now we have an 42-year-old GMC, a 31-year-old Ford and a 28-year-old Cadillac, so you see that it IS possible for many of these breeds to live to a ripe, old age. |
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Re: whether to cull congenital defect of AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON Well, I got a best in show for my Toyota Corolla. It met my standard perfectly except for being so "laid back" that it didn't have power windows or door locks, but the next breeding was going to take care of that. Well, the best laid plans.... A few weeks ago coming home from work a mixed breed going too fast on an icy off-ramp attacked her. She will recover, but never completely. Her show career is over. She is still missing parts and they can't be cloned. The mixed breed got the worst of the damage, but for a splendid, show-stopping purebred like my Corolla, even as small amount is too much ($3000 + isn't exactly small). She carried her litter safely and will carry them again. Seeya, |
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Re: Newish etc breeds Just wanted to add that I too have now been on this mailing list for a whole year! I can truly say that I have learnt a great deal more than I ever would have done elsewhere and it is wonderful to talk with others around the world and share our different views about pet cars, I hope to start breeding something in the super-mini class once I find a decent stud car to mate my Renault Clio with. |