I R ALLEN SHUGAR. IDEAL CAR SPEC N.L.A. REQUEST YOUR OWN.

[outlaw118]

Was pondering last night whilst ignoring people, that most people have a compromise when purchasing cars.

 

I, for instance, am fond of an estate car, having previously owned a Renault 18, Astra mk2 and 3 and Volvo v40. 

I'm also fond of POWARRRR,  and am willing to forgo a number of luxuries.

The Mk 3 Cavalier had the right idea, you could spec one of those with a big(ger) engine, but in "L" trim levels.

I would have been perfectly happy in my V40 without half-cow seats, climate control, 4x leccy windows. 

 

So, why doesn't anyone do a fast estate, without having to buy all the unneccessary crap.

 

I want a Focus ST Popular!!

 

Anyone else?

[Parky]

I like small cars with "big" engines so something tiny like a Seat Mii with a 1.4 TSi engine would be fun. The sort of modern Fiesta 1300 Supersport equivalent.

 

Peugeot must have read my spec sheet when they made the early 106 Rallyes, probably the most recent production model which matched my requirements!

[messerschmitt owner]

You do get fast estates - often BMW or Merc. Citroen did a 3.0XM V6 estate in Europe.

 

But a petrol Range Rover is just a 4x4 Estate ...

[Junkman]

There isn't one car that fulfills all your needs.

You need at least one car for the tip runs, one for transcontinental travels, and one for the soul.

[155V6]

There isn't one car that fulfills all your needs.

You need at least one car for the tip runs, one for transcontinental travels, and one for the soul.

I reckon a supercharged MG ZT-T 260 would come close to doing all those.

[Junkman]

No, you would still need a Reliant Scimitar for the transcontinental trips and a P6 V8 for the soul.

[155V6]

No, you would still need a Reliant Scimitar for the transcontinental trips and a P6 V8 for the soul.

[bub2006]

I asked this in stupid question thread. I can only think of a Volvo 940 classic estate with the turbo lump. No leccy windows,sunroof etc

[theorganist]

A Renault 6 with a Renault 5 turbo engine would be great fun and be good for tip runs!

[Skizzer]

If Skoda did a Yeti with the 2 litre petrol engine out of the Octavia VRS instead of the rattly, DMF- and DPF-eating PD170 diesel then I wouldn't be selling mine, as otherwise it's truly excellent transport.  Alternatively, an Octavia VRS that doesn't look like a 13-year old's idea of cool.

 

Rover 75 2.5V6 with an easy to change cambelt (or chains), a waterproof ECU and properly sealed windows.  Oh, and cloth seats - can you get the 2.5 with cloth?

[Asimo]

If I list the things I want in my car, I exclude every car that has ever been built before I get to about four of those things.

Base unit like a P6 but hot-dip galvanised like a Matra-built Espace.

Plastic bolt-on panels

Two door

Mid engine

transverse straight-eight engine with no more than 1 camshaft

soft ride

quiet

 

 

More realistically, base model with big engine = win. American makers seemed to understand this at one time.

[155V6]

Mk 1 Granada 3.0 GL Estate-manual box,no electrics but did have a steel sunroof.Could of done with a 5 speed box though.

[Inspector Morose]

Base unit construction - like a P6

 

Bolt on panels - like a P6

 

Comfortable for up to four people - like a P6

 

Four doors - like a P6

 

Technically interesting - like a P6

 

Easy work on and to find most bits for but still old enough to not be packed to the rafters with useless consumer electronics - like a P6

 

Capable of covering distances- like a P6

 

 

I've got this feeling that I'm going to be buying something next year. I don't know what though.

[Hendry]

My ideal would probably be a 5 door mk3 Astra with an ability to withstand rust. Painted in VXR Arden Blue, the 2.0 16v Turbo engine and brakes from an Astra H VXR but without the chocolate 6 speed box they had. Vectra VXR full black leather heated electric seats. Decent handling, and other modern car touches like USB, DAB radio, Bluetooth, electric rear windows, folding mirrors and sunroof. Multi CD changer, remote central locking, cruise, climate etc. And safety stuff like ABS and side and curtain airbags.

 

So basically a good looking, robust, relatively reliable car with sensible windscreen pillars, not bloated in size but with the minor good bits of a more modern car.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

If you want a quick estate with no frills ,ex-Police maybe the way to go. There's lots of BMW 530d and V70 T5/D5/T6s around with cloth and sometimes manual gearboxes for very good prices. Often battered and smelly with gaffer tape covering holes, they're always well maintained usually with very comprehensive service printouts.

A Met driving school Octavia VRS my brother bought a couple of months ago had had 6 brake fluid changes in 4 years!

[Lord Sterling]

Mercedes seem to big-engined estates without all the frills. I've seen the E280, E320 and 300TE without leather/aircon etc...

 

I thonk the Rover 75 Estate 2.5 KV6 also came in Club-Spec which again is devoid of frills.

 

Whilst not an estate, the Rover 827 I/Si Fastback were low-spec big-engined cars.

[Matt]

I think it's because people who set out to buy the big engines when the cars are new can afford to tick lots of boxes too and people who want basic cars are looking for cheap cars. I wish Volvo did an estate version of the S80 V8, 15 years time people could have started putting them in V50's.

[eddyramrod]

 

If you want a quick estate with no frills ,ex-Police maybe the way to go.

That seems extremely sensible advice.

 

Mk 1 Granada 3.0 GL Estate-manual box,no electrics but did have a steel sunroof.Could of done with a 5 speed box though.

"Could have"... and no, they should never, ever have a manual.  Trust me, I've had both manual and auto saloons.  I doubt I'll ever have another Granada.  Mind, I've said that before, and it only took me 25 years to renege on it...

 

I can only think of a Volvo 940 classic estate with the turbo lump. No leccy windows,sunroof etc

You've almost described the ex-me Vanilla Breeze Block there!  It was even basic white.

In all honesty that car, or the blue 740 I had before leaving the country, came very close to fulfilling the brief.  I would and almost certainly will repeat the experience.  The very fact that I can say that must reinforce my words.

[bub2006]

Apparently they can be tuned to quiet silly standards. I like the idea of a fast car with no luxuries. Think i may need to look for one.

[HMC]

Merc used to be pretty barefaced about it, before they went all "ambiente" and "Avantgarde" in the late 90s with what amounted to option packs. You used to pretty much get an engine and a painted body and what else was down to the buyer (and their chequebook)

 

Hence it's possible to find odd combinations of options for w124s- I've had a 2.0 estate with manual windows, an electric sunroof and vinyl seats and another estate with a big engine and little else.

 

Despite all the possible combinations, each wood panel in the centre of the dash had been custom cut from a blank so whether you had 7 switches on it or just 2 there were no bits blanked off. Phenominal attention to detail in those cars.

[Felly Magic]

A nice large family saloon with a 2.0 pezzler, but no electric bullshittery, keep fit windows and mirrors, and a decent stereo, but nice comfy velour seats, and a six speed manual box, and unpainted bumpers, steel wheels without wheeltrims, no aircon or sunroof either. And a jack, decent wheel brace and full size spare wheel in the boot, which should be made compulsory, not this can of tyre weld bullshit. Oh and non metallic paint, so a minor scuff doesn't require a full bloody respray.

 

Mondeo Popular Plus

[Hendry]

I remember my cousin had a brand new 52 plate Fiat Pinto Active Sport with Sporting alloys and full Abarth kit from the factory, anyway he got strapped up to a high rate APR 5 year finance deal due to being a young boy, inevitably about 2 years later he binned in into another car which wrote it off, as he was absolutely rooked my uncles best mate who was a mechanic had a 1988 E reg Merc 300TE which he sold cousin for £150.

 

This was an oddly specced car, I don't remember what trim it was or what engine but it had teledial style alloys (genuine period Merc so I assume factory ones) and electric sunroof and it had a key plus 2 fobs, both genuine Merc ones, one controlled the remote central locking and the other the alarm, which I found odd as I'd have assumed both would've been controlled off the 1 fob, anyway despite being seemingly well equipped with the leccy roof, alloys, power steering and remote central locking and remote alarm it had all round keep fit manual windows. I couldn't believe that on a car which must have been very expensive new.

[outlaw118]

The Mercedes of old would have been ideal - as a few of you have suggested, it was possible to just choose the engine first, add body of choice, the untick all the extras.

 

I suppose in some cases it will still be possible to do this....i will do some research 

[theorganist]

Back in the 90's my friend had an A reg Passat estate with the 1.8 engine. It looked like a boring plain blue box but I remember it seemed pretty quick at the time, my friend did have a heavy left foot!

 

He often left cars standing at the lights and it was totally standard. It often surprised chavs in their Nova SR's!

[outlaw118]

Bro' Had a mk2 Pisshat 1.8 estate as a ba**er for a while, went like stink and took three meetings to kill it.

 

Eventually got run in at Mildenhall by a mk2 Granada with a built Pinto. 

[outlaw118]

Ford uk's car configurator won't let you "delete" stuff, may have to try a different tack.....ie, going into a dealer and seeing if they can source me a po-lice spec one.....

[Junkman]

I once had a German Granada MKII 2.8i five-speed GL, i.e. pov spec everything, no fake wood, simple instruments, steelies with plastic trims, etc.

Not sure whether this config was even available in the UK, and it was the only such one I have ever seen.

[Honey Badger]

420 SLi Tourer has to be a winner here.

 

Don't get a late one though, electric windows are so bourgeoisie.

 

This fits the bill well

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201412159661387/sort/default/radius/1500/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/1000/body-type/estate/usedcars/page/1/make/rover/postcode/nn84sa/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew?logcode=p

 

[Rusty Pelican]

Audi RS6 Avant has got to be the fastest , meanist wallet crushing estate ever , I have this which must be as far away from the Audi as its possible to get and cost a fair bit less . ( the blue thing )

 

[mouseflakes]

Renault 12 estate with R17 TS running gear.