Another new arrival!

[londonm]

Well, I've been visiting this site for months whilst being essentially locked out. I've been reading it all every night, and I am so chuffed that I can now seemingly post here! I've read fascinated about how people renovate what were everyday vehicles thirty years ago, or drive around in chod that even when new was largely unloved. Some of the accounts have been fascinating, and I will be uploading various pics I've taken over the years of cars in various states of health. For the record, this is my list of cars dating back to when I passed my driving test in the mid eighties.

 

1. 1968 Vauxhall Victor, classic coke bottle shape. A rust bucket, sadly went to the scrapper. Now, of course, I'd want it restored.

2. 1971 Mini Clubman. Hydrolastic suspension, hated it. RAC bloke asked me if I was Fred Flintstone because of hole in drivers floor.

3. 1984 VW Polo C. Well built, terrible brakes. 

4. 1987 VW Golf CL. 'Comfort Luxe' I believe, had dreaded Golf syndrome, ie a drivers seat that looked like a horse had eaten it.

5. 1996 Peugeot 306 XL. A really boring car, but so comfy and a engine that just kept on trucking.

6.  2003 Mini Cooper. This was a world of difference to previous chod, fast and well built. Boot was the size of a shoebox though.

7.  2008 Fiat 500. Bored by ridiculous insurance quotes, opted for underpowered city car. Insurers wanted same money, tw@ts!

 

And that's my list so far, I am tempted by something older next time as you don't lose so much money. That's why I come here, to read what people say about certain cars and get informed. I'm no mechanic, but I will be giving my tuppence ha'penny on this site I hope! Anyway, that's it......for now!

 

[trigger]

Hello and welcome to the site! I agree about the brakes on the Polo, those breadvan were dreadful at stopping!

[dollywobbler]

Howdy. Old and cheap is definitely the way to go.

[Bren]

For some of us old and cheap is the only way to go.

[Cavcraft]

Welcome in.

[Pete-M]

Greetings.

 

Polo Breadvan brakes were bloody awful. Mk1 Golf GTi brakes were even worse...

[eddyramrod]

welcome from me too.

 

Pete, that can't be right, can it?  Surely VAG is perfect and infallible, and anything they build can't possibly be faulty or inadequate.....

[Pillock]

Polo brakes were awful almost by design. Long linkage connected RHD pedal to LHD servo position so it used to twist and distort. LHD cars have pretty good brakes.

 

Take the same setup, apply 140bhp and you see why I sold my G40. Too many heart-stopping moments.

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[Junkman]

Brakes are for wimps.

[londonm]

The brakes were actually terrifying. I borrowed a works BMW 318 at the time to drive up to Manchester in. I was impressed by how solid and decent that car was on a long drive north and back. When I got back to London and climbed back in the polo, it was as though it didn't have any brakes in comparison. It was so well made, but any other breadvan drivers out there I'm sure will agree. And Pillock, if the G40 had the same setup, I'd have been leaving skid marks in places other than the road driving that. Thats's insane.

[Twiggy]

Welcome - I hope you enjoy your time here.

[Spiny Norman]

Welcome aboard.
Crap brakes were a problem on all RHD VWs during the 70s. Trying to stop a fully laden Passat estate must have needed quite a bit of forward planning.

[vulgalour]

Yup, Mk2 Polo brakes are rubbish.  Mine had brand new brakes all round and it still required thighs of oak to pull the thing to a stop in an adequate distance.  Great as a learning experience though, you really appreciate stopping distances driving a Polo in the centre of Sheffield as a new driver.

[Junkman]

Compared with the brakes of my 51 Studebaker, those VW brakes were Formula 1.