Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[MiniMinorMk3]

VW Beetles ran on 3*.

If I remember correctly 2* was 87 Ron, 3* was 91 Ron, 4* was 95 Ron and 5* was 100 Ron. 5 star was phased out sometime in the '70s. 

It is surprising how sensitive and old carburated and points ignition car can be to the wrong grade of fuel, especially when you go for a lower grade.

[High Jetter]

It was* the inspiration for The Crystals hit.

[Remspoor]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

It was* the inspiration for The Crystals hit.

Or

 

[Richard_FM]

5 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

VW Beetles ran on 3*.

If I remember correctly 2* was 87 Ron, 3* was 91 Ron, 4* was 95 Ron and 5* was 100 Ron. 5 star was phased out sometime in the '70s. 

It is surprising how sensitive and old carburated and points ignition car can be to the wrong grade of fuel, especially when you go for a lower grade.

Triumph Acclaims used 3*, my Gran used to fill hers up with half a tank of 2* & top up with 4* as her local garage didn't have a 3* pump.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

Triumph Acclaims used 3*, my Gran used to fill hers up with half a tank of 2* & top up with 4* as her local garage didn't have a 3* pump.

Maybe the 3* pump just metered out half and half anyway.

[MiniMinorMk3]

BMW Frau 2800 GTS. Has shades of Audi 100 Coupe and Fiat Dino Coupe.

 

 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

17 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

VW Beetles ran on 3*.

If I remember correctly 2* was 87 Ron, 3* was 91 Ron, 4* was 95 Ron and 5* was 100 Ron. 5 star was phased out sometime in the '70s. 

It is surprising how sensitive and old carburated and points ignition car can be to the wrong grade of fuel, especially when you go for a lower grade.

I remember my Dad only put 5star in the family Vauxhall Viscount when we’re going on holiday with the caravan. It was already getting difficult to find in rural areas in the early 70’s.

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 4/17/2023 at 2:37 PM, EyesWeldedShut said:

Awsome - didn't somebody do a Jag estate conversion in the late 70s/early 80s with a renault 5 tailgate

Found it - Avon https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/jaguar/xj6-xj12/avon-jaguar-estate/

Here's one in the wild, Kensington 1987.

[martc]

11 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Maybe the 3* pump just metered out half and half anyway.

That's exactly what they did. there was no such thing as 3 star petrol.

[Schaefft]

Genuinely new to me, the Nissan Pintara Superhatch for the Australian market. Based on the U12 Bluebird.

[artdjones]

The Chrysler Sigma, made after Mitsubishi took over Chrysler Australia. Nice hubcaps.

[martc]

I know about the larger 6 wheel Citroens, but not a C15. According to the French blurb that accompanied this pic it's 6x6, but I'm not sure myself, isn't a C15 FWD? Which would make conversion even more difficult than usual.

[Alusilber]

Last time I went past my local dealer of "interesting" second-hand cars (Edward Labinjoh), there was a strange Ford with a nose reminiscent of a Volvo 480 on the forecourt. Turns out it's a 1990 Australian Ford Capri, which was based on a Mazda 323 platform, and was nothing like a European Ford Capri.

1990 Ford Capri Turbo

[somewhatfoolish]

2 hours ago, martc said:

I know about the larger 6 wheel Citroens, but not a C15. According to the French blurb that accompanied this pic it's 6x6, but I'm not sure myself, isn't a C15 FWD? Which would make conversion even more difficult than usual.

Dangel probably converted them, they converted every other french thing including FWD vans.

[D.E]

26 minutes ago, Alusilber said:

Last time I went past my local dealer of "interesting" second-hand cars (Edward Labinjoh), there was a strange Ford with a nose reminiscent of a Volvo 480 on the forecourt. Turns out it's a 1990 Australian Ford Capri, which was based on a Mazda 323 platform, and was nothing like a European Ford Capri.

1990 Ford Capri Turbo

Sold in America (and some parts of Europe) as the Mercury Capri:

[artdjones]

55 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Dangel probably converted them, they converted every other french thing including FWD vans.

It was a company called Chausson de Leotard. Apparently they could be obtained as a special order through Citroen dealers in France.

[Spottedlaurel]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:42 AM, Schaefft said:

Genuinely new to me, the Nissan Pintara Superhatch for the Australian market. Based on the U12 Bluebird.

The Pintara is such an odd thing. First gen was a 2-litre R31 Skyline, then it was a rebadged/hatchbacked Bluebird also sold by Ford under the revered Corsair name.

One from me, seen at a local Japanese car show yesterday:

Blit, a new one to me.

Apparently a 2002-07 wagon variant of the long-running Mark II.

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, Alusilber said:

Last time I went past my local dealer of "interesting" second-hand cars (Edward Labinjoh), there was a strange Ford with a nose reminiscent of a Volvo 480 on the forecourt. Turns out it's a 1990 Australian Ford Capri, which was based on a Mazda 323 platform, and was nothing like a European Ford Capri.

1990 Ford Capri Turbo

That looks like a Volvo 480 Cabrio.

 

[quicksilver]

Honda Spike. Weird JDM thing I'd never heard of.

[bunglebus]

Just seen a transporter loaded with Build Your Dreams BYD ATTO 3s

https://www.lshauto.co.uk/byd/

[bunglebus]

Also saw a Tevva HGV

[bunglebus]

OK this is not so much a specific vehicle, but a type of vehicle I'd never seen until just now

Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is the front of a 4x4 pickup with the bed and rear of the chassis removed, locked in 4WD so the front wheels are powered, and welded to a frame to allow seaplanes to be taken in and out of the water

There are more

It's not just pickups, FWD cars can also be used

But I think the best one I've found is this Oldsmobile Toronado

[High Jetter]

Y tho? Must be interesting* to manoevure.

[bunglebus]

Like a forklift limo

[EyesWeldedShut]

2 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Y tho? Must be interesting* to manoevure.

I was wondering that too - why not just use an articulated trailer/low tractor combo?
I'm guessing low car fits under the tail of the plane, cut half the car off to make shunting around the yard easier. Solid weld to car (rather than a towball affair) so you can shove the trailer in under the floats?
Cheap to build though and once it rusts out - just get another scrap car and a big angle grinder

[Dyslexic Viking]

I didn't know that the first VW LTs came with a Perkins diesel until VW made their own diesel engine for them.

[Aston Martin]

The Mexican only Dodge Ramcharger, half Ram, half Voyager.

[martc]

1975 Elcar Electric 2000 is one of less than 500 manufactured for the US market by Carrozzeria Zagato in Milan, Italy.

[somewhatfoolish]

A Zagato that doesn't rust when exposed to a picture of a wet weekend; anti-stereotype.

[artdjones]

On 5/6/2023 at 7:56 PM, martc said:

1975 Elcar Electric 2000 is one of less than 500 manufactured for the US market by Carrozzeria Zagato in Milan, Italy.

Nice steering wheel