Shite that surprised you?

[Pete-M]

Mercedes W210 E320 CDi Avantguard.

 

It's a diesel that feels like a petrol other than at idle. Does the appropriate 20 mpg around town as well.

 

Handles better than expected too.

[dugong]

i would love a go in a reliant 3 wheeler, I've never even sat in one. Not from any kind of prejudice, I just never knew anybody that owned one.

They have a really tight British sportscar gearchange where you click through the gate barely moving your left hand. Wasn't expecting that.

[oldcars]

They have a really tight British sportscar gearchange where you click through the gate barely moving your left hand. Wasn't expecting that.

I love the gear change on mine, like it clicks in each gear and no sprung gate.

[bub2006]

Mine had tendency to need the gear lever relocating if you engaged reverse in anger

[bub2006]

Got a dab hand at it,always had a small screwdriver to pop c clip off the cup and relocate. Hand anti theft device too. Park up,remove gear lever. Great job

[andy18s]

I was quite surprised by a Vectra reversing out of a car park in front of me without looking earlier. Oh crap, have I misunderstood this thread?

Not as surprised as the blonde tart who did the same to me in the Disco yesterday!

The look on her face as she turned to look at me once I'd leant on the horn,to be confronted by the grill approx 2" from her door was quite a sight to behold

Morrisons car parks do seem to bring out the mong in people.....

[burraston2006]

Mercedes W210 E320 CDi Avantguard.

 

It's a diesel that feels like a petrol other than at idle. Does the appropriate 20 mpg around town as well.

 

Handles better than expected too.

I have one of these but in petrol flavour!

[trigger]

One of the biggest laughs I've ever had behind the wheel was in a Reliant Robin, one of the old shape ones on a 1976 P plate, it was brown as well, a regular customer at the motor factors where i worked turned up in it as he was serving it for a customer of his, he let me take it around the block and it was brilliant fun, nice bouncy suspension, slick gearbox and go kart handling, nipped along well too (though that was probably an illusion due to it's diddly size).

 

I'd recommend giving one a try.

[oldcars]

Mine had tendency to need the gear lever relocating if you engaged reverse in anger

Was reverse up and back near 4th on yours? Can be a bugger to select.

[bub2006]

To the right and back next to fourth? If so yes it was. Lorry on my side of road caused me to brake and reverse on a bend. After 5 mins of fannying around I finally found reverse,located cup and clip and he was off terrorising some other poor sod

[dugong]

Have an incredibly poor picture of said Rialto.

 

[oldcars]

Rialto saloon, like mine very nice.

[captain_70s]

It also went to show that those who slag the car off online all the time really didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

THATS NOT A REAL TRIUMPH YOU IDIOT WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING THE JAPS? DONT YOU REMEMBER WHO WE FOUGHT IN THE WAR? TO STICK A TRIUMPH BADGE ON A HONDA IS THE WORSE THING ANYBODY COULD POSSIBLY EVER DO EVER. UGH FRONT WHEEL DRIVE? WHO WANTED THAT IN THE 1980S? NO CHARACTER. STUPID TIN CAN BUILT BY THE SLANTY EYED NIPS.

 

Oh, sorry. Thought this was the Triumph Dolomite Club Facebook page for a moment...

[Aston Martin]

Even though I've just posted this as the worstest car i've owned. What surprised me and random idiots, is how quick it was to about 30MPH.

 

 

 

The 1.1 and the CVT gearbox were a joy. The place we're I used to work, I got alot of shit about the Pandas, small dragraces in the industrial carpark after work, shut them up.

 

Basically seamless gearboxes are the best.

 

 

 

[HH-R]

The FIRE is bloody quick up to about 45, even in the (comparatively) lard arsed newer ones.

[RayMK]

A few colleagues at work in the 1990s owned cheap Eastern block stuf, Ladas and Skodas being the most popular.  The rest of us, me included, scoffed at their cheap and nasty cars whilst we rattled around in Triumph Heralds, Vauxhall Vivas and other assorted British tinware.  My boss had a Renault 16.  I drove it once and was most impressed.  Many years later, my son and I saw an advert for a low mileage Skoda Rapid which had been festering, unwanted and unsellable, in a local dealers.  We took pity on it, bought it and had to unscoff all our 2nd hand criticisms of rear engined Skodas.  The handling and roadholding was a revelation compared to most stodgy front wheel drive understeering saloons.  Here was a car that required sensitive driving and rewarded with beautifully balanced characterisitics which we grew to love.  My son went on to own two more Rapids and two Estelles over the years, and I bought one of his Rapids off him, then later a superb condition Estelle 120 before going it alone and owning a Rapid 135Ric, then an Estelle 105.  We now both miss having a rear engined Skoda in the family.

[hairnet]

Having hit potholes,evasive manoeuvres and relatively quick cornering I can say first hand that it surprised me at first. Only thing I found is reversing quickly made the steering very twitchy. Had mine just under 110 on speedo but mine had ported inlet and exhaust, electric ignition and fuel pump,rejetted carb and trumpet intake. Previous owner had it on rolling road. Think it was somewhere around 60bhp. Would love another.

having done 160mph on various motorcycles over 20 years and having driven a rialto briefly

 

small plastic car much more scary

[xtriple]

Back in the days of first marriage and garage dealership I bought and sold LOADS of cheap shite (Yugos, Skodas etc) as an alternative to the dear stuff that I was always getting stuck with, had a separate site for them though...

 

I could buy sub one year old stuff for a few hundred a time (really!) and it used to sell well  and make lovely fat profits. But, I used to steer clear of actually having much to do with the actual cars (I'd done the deal and paid for them, what more involvement did I need?) so never drove them.

 

My wife pissed me off in a VAST way as she had a new Granada (hatch) and in a year she had absolutely wrecked the fucking thing buy using it to ferry all and sundry about and all their horsey shit.

 

So I gave her a black, current plate Skoda Rapid 130/5 to run around in while hers was sorted out (in truth it was getting sorted out alright, but flogged on as soon as it was!) and the fuss she kicked up about a 'Bloody Skoda!' you'd think I'd made her pay for the thing herself!

 

Then, all the whinging stopped and all was quiet on the car front.

 

When I tried to take that back to sell, she wanted to keep it! She loved that car and the Yugo Sana that replaced it. I did drive them both and I thought the Skoda was a cracking little thing, it was lively and sporty and if I could ignore all the cheap plastic stalks ( I couldn't) I could have driven it as a daily. For the money it was brilliant and even looked good in black with alloy wheels.

 

The Sana was okay but the 45 and 55 that proceeded it were better. I quite liked driving them but a nervous passenger could put the brakes on just by pressing on the front of the floor!

[hairnet]

uno 903cc

 

cant remember if it was an 85 or 88 but better built better to drive quieter and more comfy than mk1 metro id had

 

shame didnt keep it longer

[hairnet]

 

 

The Sana was okay but the 45 and 55 that proceeded it were better. I quite liked driving them but a nervous passenger could put the brakes on just by pressing on the front of the floor!

 

always thought that was a myth

[Junkman]

Wartburg 353 Tourist.

It was an orange two-stroke with all the chrome trim and column change, like so:

 

 

Shortly after my divorce, I fell on hard times and I ended up in Leipzig (don't ask) trying to make a living doing gigs.

Daytime I worked at a US-car garage that had one of those as a shop hauler.

One day, they sent me to Berlin to pick up some urgently required yank spares and gave me the keys to the Warty.

I was surprised how smooth and capable the car really is.

Upon return, I made them an offer and worked off the amount restoring a '62 Dodge.

But I was motorized!

The Warty took me to numerous gigs all over the Wild, Wild East in total dignity. It was more than appropriate transport.

Or did you ever hear a festival promoter say "would the banjo player please move his Porsche"?

[Mr Lobster]

Suzuki Alto

 

 

Bought for Mrs Lobster once she passed her test mainly on the basis that it was small and green (she likes green cars y'see) and it was ace. In the couple of years we owned it it needed only a rear exhaust and a coil. Was surprisingly good to drive and fling about everywhere other than motorways and amazingly cheap to own and run. Not bad for £500 in 2006 when it was only seven years old!

[barefoot]

My little Scirocco which I originally bought just to use over the winter.
 
I'd forgotten all about this...
 

 

Mine is much, much faster than the one in the ad!

[phil_lihp]

The infamous Rover 220SLi.  I had no real want for a 200 and knew nothing about them.  I bought it because it was £100, had a few weeks' MOT left and no-one else wanted it at the time.  The long drive home showed it to be superbly comfortable and with plenty of extra power.  The week after, it towed a full kayak trailer with 4 large passengers and a boot full of equipment up some very steep hills and didn't complain.  After that, any thoughts of scrapping it when the inevitable MOT failure occurred were forgotten.  I used to leave the Kia at home for long drives and take the Rover - it was more comfortable, more economical, went better and I didn't have to worry where I parked it.

 

[Adrian_pt]

Dacia 1310.

 

Great fun. 

[xtriple]

Re the Yugo question; no myth! I was the nervous passenger and pressing on the imaginary left hand brake pedal worked!

 

Come on, we've all had that panicky moment where we've tried to push the carpet through the floor when some tool is driving like a bent spanner and aiming for gaps that just aren't there.  

[stripped fred]

A few colleagues at work in the 1990s owned cheap Eastern block stuf, Ladas and Skodas being the most popular. The rest of us, me included, scoffed at their cheap and nasty cars whilst we rattled around in Triumph Heralds, Vauxhall Vivas and other assorted British tinware. My boss had a Renault 16. I drove it once and was most impressed. Many years later, my son and I saw an advert for a low mileage Skoda Rapid which had been festering, unwanted and unsellable, in a local dealers. We took pity on it, bought it and had to unscoff all our 2nd hand criticisms of rear engined Skodas. The handling and roadholding was a revelation compared to most stodgy front wheel drive understeering saloons. Here was a car that required sensitive driving and rewarded with beautifully balanced characterisitics which we grew to love. My son went on to own two more Rapids and two Estelles over the years, and I bought one of his Rapids off him, then later a superb condition Estelle 120 before going it alone and owning a Rapid 135Ric, then an Estelle 105. We now both miss having a rear engined Skoda in the family.

I loved the Estelle 105 I bought for £60 about 20 years ago. Loads of character and fun to drive with solid build quality. Would love another but prices have gone up quite a bit!

[stripped fred]

I remember buying a red 1.3 Maestro from Measham car auctions in the mid 90's. It was old and cheap as no-one else wanted it. I cleaned it up, serviced it and drove it for a while before selling it to my sister (for a few quid more). I remember that it went much better than I thought it would, handled well, plenty of interior space and generally a nice place to be. Of course, like most the cars I've owned I wish I'd have kept it!

[scruff]

Chevette 1256.... fun little car!

[oldcars]

K11 micra, i bought it as a run about when my car needed work. Ran if for 7 months was great fun to run about in.