Yellow.

[nigel bickle]

My wife, bless her, will only 'own' a yellow car. her whole life revolves around yellow (and, to date its done her no harm).

 

To accommodate this, I've supplied a trio of yellow Fiat Coupe's for her daily commute ,some 200 miles. Yes 1000 miles a week, Arundel to Dorchester.

 

Sadly, these are all now somewhat tired, the 20vt now showing an intergalactic mileage (& a tired exhaust valve), the 16na just a very high mileage, the 20na moderate mileage.  The 20 valver has lived in France for several years, retained predominantly for long distance motorway use, but I've been forced to swop it out with the Seat Ronda (that looks like it cant stay here) . Sadly, she cant bond with it -needing the urge of 'More Powa!'

 

So today I bought this.

 

It seems to meet her criteria:- Yellow!!!!, fast, sporty etc etc

 

It seems to meet mine:- cheap (you can see  why!), depreciation free, simple/cheap to repair, good provenance. etc etc.

 

 

80k, 2 owner, fsh(Honda). Owned by an air hosty for 4 years before she acquaplaned into Armco on New Years Day.

Her insurance refused claim because she was living at her boyfriends house in London, without telling them. Short MOT. Comes with original  stereo, hardtop & stand etc etc

 

Seems honest, damage appears minimal (past the plastic) with the rear wing pushed in about 2 inches. Chassis undamaged.

 

So, have I dropped a bollock? What have I missed? What do I need to know about these?

 

Are these the new future for SWMBO?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[srad34]

Fun cars to drive and fast (God Bless VTEC), bulletproof I would imagine if the Type R Civics are anything to go by....

 

Good choice, fast banana

[beko1987]

Looks like ti wouldnt take a weekend to fix with some scrappie parts. Have you checked that all the mounting holes/bolts/whatever can be hammered straight again?

[nigel bickle]

Nope. But gut feeling, and a damn good stare.....

[beko1987]

Fair enough! Hopefully most people bin them at the front so there's a good source of cheap rear panels in the offering!

 

Interior looks cushty too. Being a woman though won't the black dash go white with various makeups? The meriva has a silver control panel for this reason, the black corsa one looked fucking minging after a few weeks of Amy driving it (not me...)

[dollywobbler]

These don't really seem to be on anyone's radar really. 9000rpm must be a bit buzzy! I'm sure Mr Honda would have approved.

[nigel bickle]

Nice point on the makeup, thankfully my wife barely ever wears any -preferring the natural look.

I'll have another look at the dash though, more carefully, when we collect, seeing as the current owner is a hostie!

 

Agreed DW, and damn good value (hopefully). She likes cars ''that go'', but doesn't like revving (noisy, harsh, nasty etc) so I'm not sure how this will go.

The low down grunt of the Fiat has been favourite for years.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Fair enough! Hopefully most people bin them at the front so there's a good source of cheap rear panels in the offering!

 

Interior looks cushty too. Being a woman though won't the black dash go white with various makeups? The meriva has a silver control panel for this reason, the black corsa one looked fucking minging after a few weeks of Amy driving it (not me...)

To be honest I would have thought most of them end up damaged exactly where this one has been, in a 'My First Rear Wheel Drive' type way.

I spoke to a very senior guy at Honda UK recently,and whilst bemoaning all he gets as company cars these days are CRV's the conversation turned to S2000's. The best car Honda have ever made he reckons,better than the NSX and one of the most profitable- no advertising and lowest warranty claims.

[mat_the_cat]

makeup, thankfully my wife barely ever wears any -preferring the natural look.

 

She likes cars ''that go''

 

Sounds like an ideal woman!

[nigel bickle]

I think so. Puts up with a lot.

[fordperv]

Omgdriftfail I have to admit I like these

[tooSavvy]

^^^^^ ?? Non makeup wearers, loving & accommodating wives, Hondas or just 'yellow'...

 

 

TS

[cort16]

No torque, terrible fuel consumption and serious tail happyness but still nice cars. I think they need to have been well looked after with regular oil changes as as all that "no v-tec motor has every failed" bollocks is disproved by the number neglected Accord Type-Rs with knocking bottom ends on ebay. Saying that I've never seen one of these with a failed motor.

 

I don't know what these will be like but I could never get on with the sporty type-r v-tecs in the Civic as they're hard work to get going and never seem to have the performance when you want it.

I smoked my mate in his Civic Type-R in my 159 diesel as by the time his got wound up I was long gone. If your Mrs is used a nice torquey 5 pot with a turbo on it it might take a bit of getting used to.

It'll be fantastic come summer though.

[Volksy]

From what I remember you do need to rev the knackers off them to extract the kind of umph that you'd get from a 'normal' turbo motor. It's a different driving style, They are great smooth revvers, and you can drop them into third at motorway speeds for more go, but I think if your good lady has been used to a grunty turbo 5 pot, which the 20vT fiats are, it may take some getting used to.

[Junkman]

Was there nothing older available?

[nigel bickle]

Nothing older?

 

That raised my first belly laugh of the day -thank you. 

 

Tis the eternal struggle here, needing the reliability, convenience, style & yellowness that SWMBO will love, whilst still trying to keep it user friendly, maintainable. 

 

This is as close as I could get to old, that fitted her invoicel. 

 

Me -like you, I baulk at anything post 80's.   

[DSdriver]

Suggestion for her next car:

I seem to recall Triumph Stags came in a fetching shade of Yellow - probably so that they looked inconspicuous on AA relay wagons. But with a Rover V8 lump in should provide the sort of reliability and performance that SWMBO likes whilst suiting your preference for older vehicles.

[Asimo]

200 miles a day just to get to work! No job is worth that.

 

I think the "no Vtec failiures" claim, was when made only referring to the Vtec bits themselves, not the engine as a whole. The very low top gear will drive her nuts.

 

Yellow is the best colour, five cylinders are good & that sort of mileage requires a Volvo: T5R, yellow ones are available.

[Spiny Norman]

Like a convertible Mazda RX8 with a more reliable engine. She'll wonder where all the OMGTORQUES went after the Fiats.

[Junkman]

If I had a 200 mile commute each day, I'd buy me either this
 
http://www.globalplanesearch.com/listing/aircraft-for-sale/Hughes-369HS/105672

 
this
 

 
or this
 

 
The more I think about it, the more I tend towards the latter.

[cort16]

Was there nothing older available?

 

According to wikipedia variable valve timing was first implemented on a road car in 1980 so this must be nearly in your threshhold?

It also says it was a mechanical set up on a 1980 Alfa Spider! I bet that never went wrong.

[Junkman]

Who needs this variable valve timing tosh as long as there are V8s?

[Rusty Pelican]

Nice cars , thats a hell of a commute , i only live 20 miles from Dorchester and even that can be a bastard sometimes .

[Bobthebeard]

I used to do a 100 mile (round trip) daily commute.

Oddly enough I didn't mind it as the drive was on a pleasant route and the drive back served to rid myself of the stresses of the job.

Worked 10 am until 6 pm so no real rush hour hassles admittedly. I had a yellow car back then, so maybe that is the secret?

[Junkman]

OK, so I get me one of these

 

 

and I'll get a job requiring hundreds of miles of commute each day?

 

Kewl.

[Bobthebeard]

OK, so I get me one of these

 

 

and I'll get a job requiring hundreds of miles of commute each day?

 

Kewl.

Not sure if that counts....

Wouldn't cleaning the sick from the back seats become tiresome?

[Junkman]

Not sure if that counts....

 

Why? Isn't it shite?

[Bobthebeard]

Why? Isn't it shite?

Yes.... Errr... No...

Arrgh!

(Crumples like a cheap suit when challenged)

[Ghosty]

I expected it to be a Beat for some reason... That'll be interesting* to fix.

[Junkman]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1976-AMC-PACER-RARE-AND-QUIRKY-CAR-FROM-THE-PAST-/171209826984