If this is not fitted to your shite, it drives you insane

[xtriple]

Got to have an automatic gearbox, tachometer, all the lights working (inside and out!) and a nice clean interior. Obviously the interior doesn't stay that way in the rear thanks to the mutts, but it's nice to start out clean!  

 

Don't mind steel wheels, but if so equipped, then must have nice, original and high quality trims.

 

I like leather and big engines (neither of which my car has) and a nice burble goes a long way also....

[Lord Sterling]

Electric windows, leather seats, power steering, OEM floor mats, every piece of trim still fitted in place.

[pshome]

 engine that runs...

[Noel Tidybeard]

 engine that runs...

failing that low rolling restistance (easy to push)!

[stuboy]

a fm radio... ill drive anything but must  have music

[Taff]

engine behind where I sit and a leaky roof for me, Chef.

 

Actually, I once rejected a car because I couldn't get 5 live on the radio. These days, the radio needs to have some means of hooking my phone up to it, as all my music is on the phone. Sign of the times, I suppose.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Main stuff works lik engine, breaks and the speedo, rest I'm not that bothered about.

 

Do prefer manual over auto but I'd have one if I had to and I never look at a rev counter...

[Guest Breadvan72]

The car not being (1) German, (2) Japanese, or (3) an MG is a must for me.

 

(1) and (2) nothing to do with WW2, BTW.  Just think they are dullsville. (3) is because MGs are shit.

 

NB: for this purpose, a mid 1970s BMW 3.0 CSi would not be classified as German.

[dollywobbler]

Powerful brakes, good steering. Those are the two key ones and why I love 2CVs, but can't get on with Austin Sevens. I'm a huge fan of long travel suspension too. Wipers must have a 'mist function of flick wipe. Even the 2CVs wiper button has this function. I hated not having that option in BXs.

[jonny69]

I don't actually have 99% of the things mentioned in this thread.

 

I'll go with temperature gauge though, a couple of my cars didn't have them and you just never knew if the engine was overheating or not.

[Lukas]

An interieur in good condition. There is nothing I hate more than a smelly interieur full of junk with ripped seats, holes from mobile-devices and a cracked dashboard. 

 

As long as the interieur is almost like new, I don´t bother if there is rust on the outside of the car. 

[fordperv]

An engine that points the correct way so it drives the rear wheels

[Guest Breadvan72]

I amazed at what modernist comfort creatures so many of us lot are.  I have almost fugg nuthin of the stuff mentioned above.  I find 50s and 60s cars a tad too austere for my taste, but from 70s to 90s they have just enough fancy-ass kit in them.   I do have one car with aircon, but the aircon has been broken for the last two years and I have made no effort to get it fixed.

 

I am increasingly distrustful of central locking and electric windows, because the fuggers break and lock you out or leave you with the windows open.

 

Another requirement is lovely lights on the instruments (need not be bright or effective, just lovely), but few or no lights anywhere else on panel or console.  Modern cars have panels that look like airbus cockpits, with too many lights. 

[Junkman]

Yeah, lots of stuff mentioned that shite either shouldn't have, or that should be broken if it had it.

[SambaS]

Only the XR3 and I miss it on everything else !

 

 

Adjustable intermittent wiper speed. Dealbreaker.

[barefoot]

I find the lack of central locking a bit of a pain, but 67% of my fleet doesn't have it.

[bub2006]

After driving an auto I won't go back to manual. Must also have semi decent stereo and power steering. Joys of disability I suppose!

[Taff]

I amazed at what modernist comfort creatures so many of us lot are.  I have almost fugg nuthin of the stuff mentioned above.  I find 50s and 60s cars a tad too austere for my taste, but from 70s to 90s they have just enough fancy-ass kit in them.   I do have one car with aircon, but the aircon has been broken for the last two years and I have made no effort to get it fixed.

 

I am increasingly distrustful of central locking and electric windows, because the fuggers break and lock you out or leave you with the windows open.

 

Another requirement is lovely lights on the instruments (need not be bright or effective, just lovely), but few or no lights anywhere else on panel or console.  Modern cars have panels that look like airbus cockpits, with too many lights. 

 

funny, isn't it? The F has central looking (for both doors, whoopee) but the boot is an old-fashioned use the key type. Which is fine, just took a bit of getting used to after having a fob that opened the boot remotely on my Beamer.

The X doesn't have central locking, and to cap it all, neither the boot & eng compartments have exterior opening mechanisms, and both are opened via cable release which is in the passenger door jamb. 

And I always remember this when I get there, and discover that

a/ the pass door is still locked &

b/ they keys are in the ignition

 

Old school. Love it

[seth]

Less ride height.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Another essential:  tyres that match and are not from Ho Flung Dung Industries.    You see some tasty motors, and then see that they are equipped with HedgeBatterer UltraCrash Mark IIs bought at Poundland (in the sale).

[Lacquer Peel]

Three pointed star. Leather seats.

Velour, cloth or death. Leather seats aren't comfortable in the winter or summer without heated seats or air conditioning.

[Junkman]

Another essential:  tyres that match and are not from Ho Flung Dung Industries.    You see some tasty motors, and then see that they are equipped with HedgeBatterer UltraCrash Mark IIs bought at Poundland (in the sale).

 

Although my brain agrees, my heart doesn't. When I got the RoD, it wore some honourably embrittled Pirelli Cinturatos.

Every directional change felt, looked and sounded like something from the Sweeney and even a drive to the shops was like a re-enaction of a 70s telly getaway scene.

They were surprisingly good in the wet, though, which I found a bit disappointing.

In a past life, I immensely enjoyed thrashing around my yanks with hilariously grotesque body lean on crossplies with the cords already exposed.

Or if OMGMUSSELCAR, on ye goode olde Goodyear Polyglas GTs, which were designed to transform torque into smoke, but as little in terms of adhesion as technically possible.

Best of EVAH was a C-Rekord Caravan 1900S with radials up front and crossply Winters on the back (in Summer). Highly recommended in every aspect.

 

So yeah, apart from a functional interior light, I think I must have rubbish tyres.

[holbeck]

Velour, cloth or death. Leather seats aren't comfortable in the winter or summer without heated seats or air conditioning.

 

In another life, my line manager confessed that he didn't like the leather seats in his new Rover 620 as he couldn't pick his nose and wipe it on the upholstery.

 

Sigh, I probably did thousands of miles in his previous Mitsubishi Galant, all with snot on my backside!

[Bobthebeard]

An Autoshite sticker in the rear window. Placed carefully and exactly in the mid top of the rear screen. Without air bubbles.....

[pshome]

 engine that runs...

correction

 

engine that runs on (

 

if no of cylinders < 6 then

    no of cylinders - 1

elseif no of cylinders >= 10 then

  no of cylinders / 2

else

  no of cylinders - 2

endif

)

cylinders.

[xtriple]

Thought of some more..

 

Heated seats. They sort of slipped my mind due to the fact that the LAST thing I want right now is my bum warming but in the winter when the dog has got both back windows open, heated seats and steering wheel are most welcome! Blame my old V70 for that as I had never had them before (or if I had, never used them).

 

Parking sensors. Specifically ones that are accurate! Had them before and they always seemed a bit 'rubbish' as they left big gaps once they had started screaming at me, but the Hondas are remarkably accurate, when the tone goes solid, you have about a mm left and you'd better use the handbrake!

[anonymous user]

Given some of my car history, I can't think of anything that is a must have, I've done without most things in the past including any roof or windscreen, just dressed as if on a bike and I didn't have to worry about wipers/washers. No heater, no problem, no seat adjustment, well I can scrunch up a bit to fit. no indicators, I can use hand signals, no servo I can push the pedal a bit harder, you get used to that after cable brakes. No synchromesh, I can double declutch. Gauges, well it's nice to have some and even nicer if they work. Sound systems are nice if you can hear them over the engine/gearbox/diff.

 

I do realise that I'm a bit older now than when I put up with all that and might not be prepared to suffer for style these days.

[New POD]

WORKING and accurate Coolant temperature gauge.

 

 

I had an AX1.4D for 5 years. With coolant warning light. Does not help your paranoia.

 

 

I love the working oil pressure gauge in the MX5.

[DVee8]

Left foot rest

[stripped fred]

The main thing that bugs me about my 156 is awful mw reception so 5 live is often out of the question. Also, I would like a cup holder as there are risks with wedging a hot coffee near your man region as I have found out under heavy braking...