Asimo

Not me, I'm looking for cheap LeBarons.

Really? That's my home town and I had no idea. Do you have a name? PS Just been "face-timing" my wife who is on a road trip in Australia. She has a rented Quashkai. Which is disapointing.

I briefly worked at Chrysler in Coventry in 1976 and the bigwigs all had Chrysler Valiants in their managerial parking slots. I got the impression they were only imported so that these guys didn't have to drive (Simca) Chrysler 180s. I've never seen a "UK" Valiant since.

My L plates were up in 1974, and everything this learner drove had unservo'd drums all round. And they were up to the job, except for the Transit. That van took some stopping, even empty. Back then I was a rugby forward and a cyclist, ie I had some leg muscle, and I had to get both feet on that brake pedal and pull like fcuk against the steering wheel to stop that thing "quickly". Brakes were not a Ford thing back in the sixties.

Presumably because Vauxhall began selling the Monaro and VXR8?

Plenty of Limos on eBay todayhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Ford-Fairlane-Dorchester-AU-Coleman-Milne-Funeral-Limousine-in-black/143475804135?hash=item2167d307e7:g:j8EAAOSwHIBd-l37 £1800 BIN But I would rather like one of these. Auto of course!

Respect due for doing anything outside today. Weather is grim. Not extreme in any way, just energy and enthusiasm removing.

My red Maestro used to fail to restart in just the same way. An R series engine automatic, it had an SU carb with (Oh F.F.S. BL, why?) a "microprocessor-controlled stepper-motor positioned enrichment device" I think this bit of techno-optimism was fitted to the A series engine also. I replaced this nonsense with a shitty Halfords manual "choke" conversion but eventually found the problem had been the pathetic assembly quality of the circuit board with the microprocessor. Re-working all of the soldered joints fixed it.

Late model 924, the 944-engined one, with extra points for v. low miles, automatic and (scruffy) cloth. £3.5k seems reasonable these days. 9 months MOT. If I wanted one of these, I'd be trying this one. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202001055820667

The clutch in Beetles made my knee hurt when I was young and healthy but I could never find one of these "Automatics" Not an auto at all but a 3 speed manual gearbox plus a torque converter with a suction operated clutch. That is the suction valve next to the coil. I think the oil filler on the right is for the torque converter fluid. Would, for old times sake, if it was cheap enough to throw away when all of the wob falls out of the door pillar. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-1969-VW-Beetle-1300cc-Automatic/153806729823?hash=item23cf98725f:g:gP0AAOSwGPFeKfkx

Orange orange peel! I had no idea that new paint had to be flatted and polished like this. Do car makers do this as well or is it just necessary for restoration perfection?

I love rear engine cars. I have had a a few, various Volkswagens, an Autobianchi and this Alpine, which was my only car for five years and about 50,000 miles. I loved it despite it's occasional Renault-ness and perverse bits of French nonsense like the door locks and wipers. Utterly dependable handling, wet or dry, massively better than my MR2 Roadster (which had very similar performance), which I could never trust in the same way as I trusted the Alpine. Highly recommended.

Pretty much.

Renault Avantime. A bold idea that just doesn't deliver. It is huge for a four seat coupe but the space inside is nothing special. The floor is high for no obvious benefit (nothing underneath it but space) and the much trumpeted door hinges still don't allow the doors to open far enough. And this is the killer - it drives like an Espace, and even worse, it rides like a BMW. A car that looked this special needed a magic carpet ride. (And a Tesla powertrain.)

FWD cars in reverse are really good for pulling hedge stumps out.........