The most overestimated shite of all time

[dugong]

No, but inside the door of a car costing more than a house, I'd expect at least Peugeot quality, not bicycle cables.

Apparently that's only me, though.

Engineering consummate with the price-tag, aye.

If manufacturers can save a few quid, they will, regardless of the badge on the front.

[John F]

Taff, on 30 Sept 2015 - 2:56 PM, said:

which I won...

 

If you like, I'm still in a transient mood.

 

I think we agreed to differ though tbh. And you were going to lend me your cowboy boots

[John F]

dodgytom, on 30 Sept 2015 - 12:28 PM, said:

Yes it does seem to be that if you don't agree with a comment then that gives you a right to insult that person personally......

 

 

Example?

[derskine]

There's more arguing about the possibility of offending people, than actually offending people on this thread...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Engineering consummate with the price-tag, aye.If manufacturers can save a few quid, they will, regardless of the badge on the front.

I once had to remove the side panel in the boot of my old Turbo R to replace the aerial mast, the side panel was a lovely solid piece of Wilton trimmed plywood, non of your nasty hardboard or plastic thank you very much.

The only thing that let the tone down a bit was a GM part no. stencilled on the back in blue paint- presumably part of a packing case that some air on or transmission parts had arrived at Crewe in.

[John F]

There's more arguing about the possibility of offending people, than actually offending people on this thread...

 

 

Dunno, he seems to be suggesting that 'I think I have a right to launch personal attacks on anyone I disagree with' - which implies that's what I do.

 

I can't remember doing that tbh, so I've asked for an example.

 

One like this will do:

 

 

dodgytom, on 25 Sept 2015 - 11:08 PM, said:dodgytom, on 25 Sept 2015 - 11:08 PM, said:

My own take on this is that Louise isnt getting any hence why she is so uptight and rude.

 

Sierraman wants to get on her so agrees with everything in the hope of some female attention

 

Whereas poor bren and dodgytom are sitting back and wondering wtf is going on

 

*edit forgot the all important smiley face* ☺

 

[Bren]

Toyata Avensis diesel.

 

Slow, poor brakes, handles like a waterbed.

 

There are'nt many cars that make a mondeo feel as sharp as tack - I drove a mondeo of the same year (08) immediately after the toyota - it put into context how utterly fucking miserable the avensis was.

[dugong]

There's more arguing about the possibility of offending people, than actually offending people on this thread...

Fuck you. I find this offensive*.

[xtriple]

MG B. I hated mine with a vengeance! It was mint (new Heritage shell) with all the good bits you could buy and drove like a lemon. It was low, slow (even with Oselli 2 litre engine) noisy, draughty, leaky unreliable and handled like a greased pig.

 

But, I drove an absolutely fucked BGT in white with copious rust stains and trim that was so far past its sell by date it had acquired various new and interesting life forms  and it was a pleasure to drive! Really good fun in an 'I don't give a fuck!' sort of way.

 

Had a new Jaguar XJ-S and it was return it and my money or it burns on your forecourt! I swore I would never have another after that so of course I've had another two... they weren't any better!

 

A SEAT 4 door thing with a 'System Porsche' engine and while the car was fine the engine was bloody horrible with flat spots and piss poor performance and economy.

 

A JensOn Interceptor s2 that I thought was epically shit (no 'e') and felt like an overgrown Capri 3 litre but without the charm.

 

An early Range Rover that was an honest car but so badly built it was beyond a joke: panel gaps you could slide the Ark Royal through and an engine that was both gutless and thirsty and couldn't hold its oil inside itself. It was good in the snow though and wonderful at towing horse boxes in muddy fields and getting cars out of impossible places when others misfortune had overtaken them... maybe it wasn't shit, just useless on the road? I hate having to start winding steering lock on two hundred yards before every corner.... and when the fuel gauge moves visibly at 90mph you know something is amiss!

 

I could go on and on and usually do

[Junkman]

... and when the fuel gauge moves visibly at 90mph you know something is amiss!

I fixed* that on mine by installing a 160 litre tank.

[Bear]

Oh, I just remembered another experience, though I am not sure overrated comes into it.

 

MG C GT. It's all been said before so I'll leave it at that. Wasn't tempted.

[Junkman]

Engineering consummate with the price-tag, aye.

If manufacturers can save a few quid, they will, regardless of the badge on the front.

 

That would be correct, sir.

However, I utilise my right of free speech to clad my underwhelmedness in appropriate lyrics, when this is taken too far.

[AlabamaShrimp]

No, but inside the door of a car costing more than a house, I'd expect at least Peugeot quality, not bicycle cables.

Apparently that's only me, though.

In all honesty I knew what you meant but I wouldn't be surprised to find any old shit stuck behind the door in a car like that. They trade off their overhyped name and supposed reputation not their actual quality.

 

Where as a normal* car company don't have that kind of stuff to fall back on so normally build a door that works

[Junkman]

The Tianjin Xiali "TJ7101AUL" Extended Sedan, I can't move for people who are raving about them and I really think people need to reign it in and get a grip, it's only a Charade with a slightly extended mid-section. Really does my head in hearing the motoring public going and enthusing about them for hours on end.

 

Yeah, exactly like they do about the stretched Chery Fengyun limousine. I don't get the hype.

[lincolndanny]

Is this thread just a thinly-veiled excuse to slag off other people's preferred shite?

 

If so, I'm not playing.

 

Exactly. Autoshite I thought was about having fun and showing love for the generally unloved.(anything BL, Old French etc) These days it seems to be about council house doll dossers who cant afford anything in life apart from a £200 Rover 200 and just spend their time on here saying all modern cars/common classic cars are shit... A proper petrol head likes to read about a good cross section of cars and can appreciate someone elses car even if they wouldn't pay their own money to have one.

 

I love reading about Foads crap collection, Bo11ox's tat thread(reminds me, Masser????) and I even get Vulgalour now(shocking I know) but doesn't mean that I want to go out and sell my modern Eco Boost Fiesta to get a bloody Austin Princess!!!

 

Can we go back to epic tat collections and weldathons please

[D Spares & Tyres]

I included some of my own cars in this, am not slagging off other people's cars,

[D Spares & Tyres]

Example?

I didn't say YOU had....

 

Bit tetchy aren't you?

[Junkman]

I included some of my own cars in this, am not slagging off other people's cars,

 

I only wrote about cars I owned/drove/considered owning. Except the Chery Fengyun limousine, which I hope to own somewhen.

[dugong]

I didn't say YOU had....

 

Bit tetchy aren't you?

No, he's transitional*.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Classic Mini

 

Hear me out on this. I've had one, and liked it. Im not here to drivel on that they have poor secondary safety/rot prone/whatever. Simply that over time the hype and deity- like status means that much of what is spoken/written is one sided. All too easily quirks and shortcomings are brushed aside as we are again reminded its an " institution"

 

 

BL Minis are rubbish. They were rubbish 10. 20, 30 years ago. Great for it's time (1965) and I'd buy a nice Mark 1 Mini when the numbers come up, but they're still crap.

 

Stags. They're pretty (with hardtop) but the car and it's engine are junk. Looks at the fucking state of the V8 that was designed by a set of clowns who had far too high an opinion of themselves, and argue otherwise.

 

 

W126 Mercs. They're horrible fucking things. 20 years ago I had to drive a 1990 300SE and it really was an utter heap of shit. Nice condition, and thus a nice example of an utterly hateful car. Driving it? Think of a cheap velour sofa crossed with a Transit Van with a steering linkage derived from the Queen Mary and you're about there. The E32 7 Series and XJ40 were so vastly superior it's untrue. The V8 loves a timing chain and they rot like a bastard. I had this sodding Merc for 3 days and was delighted to have it sold from me, replaced by a 1990 Mitsubishi Sigma that was so much better in every respect.

Mercs full stop have never lived up to the promise for me. The only one I'd countenance now would be a rust free* W203 Estate with the M111 engine. Not a bad old hack. The rest you can keep.

 

Jaguar E Type. Stunning to look at, but best kept as art.  They really aren't that nice to drive. A Series 1 XJ6 is immeasurably superior.

 

Alfa Spider and 105 Bertone. I've never driven one that didn't feel like an Alfasud would just run rings around it. They have a strange feeling as if the rear axle might fall out at any minute.

 

WORTH THE MONEY?

 

Mark 1 Escorts. I'll go against the grain here, but a good up together 1300 Escort with discs does drive well. They're compact, easy to steer and hold no surprises as long as they've not been modified/ruined. But they should still only be 2 grand. Not worth the comedy prices they attract.

 

Porsche 911's. These always, always drive nicely. Even a lowly 150 bhp 2.7 from the 1970's is a delightful thing to punt along. They sound lovely and fit you like a glove.

 

FWD Lotus Elan. Until you've driven a good one, you won't believe just how good these were. I sold these as new cars band they were just incredible. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Oh, I just remembered another experience, though I am not sure overrated comes into it.

 

MG C GT. It's all been said before so I'll leave it at that. Wasn't tempted.

 

 

Ahh, but according to the classic* car mags it's misunderstood* and not that bad* really.

 

We had a customer with a 1968 MGC roadster in Snowberry white. If you can imagine an MGB with REALLY bad suspension and the engine from a sixties Bedford coach and it's unwillingness to do much apart from growl in a Bedford coach like fashion, that sums the motor car up quite well.

[cort1977]

I was told about that Morris Marina with the different brakes in the early 90s.  

 

That doesn't make it untrue of course.  

[Bear]

No, he's transitional*.

 

Stop using cisgender terms. And don't draw attention. They're transitional, at least until they've decided on their own identity.

[dugong]

Stop using cisgender terms. And don't draw attention. They're transitional, at least until they've decided on their own identity.

Hence the asterisk. I cannot identify with any of this.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Pre op then?

[sierraman]

I like the focus but I'm not a if fan at all of the interior. Fortunately it spares itself with some decent seats and a decent heater. The 306 might have been nicer inside but it would have long since fell apart.

[catsinthewelder]

I would also nominate the vectra c. I got given a brand new one to drive on a 52 plate I think it was. Couldn't believe how shit it was, so underpowered. Crap interior, infuriating stereo system.Probably the worst car I ever drove. It was only a 1.8 but felt like a 1.1.

 

 

I'm not sure you could call Vectra C's overrated as everyone thinks they are crap.  I was handed a brand new 07 plated 1.8 for a couple of weeks when my 405 got clouted by a Freelander and if anything it was overpowered.  It just felt so wallowy after the 405 I couldn't trust it to corner at any speed.  For handling prowess it's about on par with a knackered VW campervan or an overloaded HiJet.  An LDV convoy with bald tyres would be a better steer.

[gordonbennet]

I'd like to defend the Marina/Ital, me and mate used to travel down to High Wycombe every weekday when these were current cos our skip motors were based there on a contract, the older Marina van wasn't great but it did the job.

However we were issued a brand new Ital van with the 1.3 A+ engine, and it was a bloody cracking motor, went well sounded good in a gruff way good on fuel and never let us down over about 2 years driven fast but with sympathy, what more could you ask?

 

Plus it was painted in BRG with the company name in proper pale gold hand applied signwriting just like the lorry fleet.

 

I'd have been happy plodding around in that van for the rest of me life as my one and only car.

 

We're different here, we like the things other people don't and not just in car choice, if it's unfashionable or the vast majority of the great unwashed don't like it we probably do, we're cantankerous and enjoy being so.

[stripped fred]

I never really rated my E30 325i touring. Not that fast, thirsty, didn't handle particularly well, cramped, uncomfortable, and unsupportive seats that you felt like you were sliding off at each corner. It was a good example too. It was very well put together and made a nice noise but i just didn't gel with it.

[Junkman]

I'd like to defend the Marina/Ital, me and mate used to travel down to High Wycombe every weekday when these were current cos our skip motors were based there on a contract, the older Marina van wasn't great but it did the job.

However we were issued a brand new Ital van with the 1.3 A+ engine, and it was a bloody cracking motor, went well sounded good in a gruff way good on fuel and never let us down over about 2 years driven fast but with sympathy, what more could you ask?

 

Plus it was painted in BRG with the company name in proper pale gold hand applied signwriting just like the lorry fleet.

 

I'd have been happy plodding around in that van for the rest of me life as my one and only car.

 

 

The last time I drove a Marina was in Austria in the mid-Eighties. It had a 1.7 litre engine, which makes it an O-Series, no? No matter how I look at it, I couldn't find anything to critisise. In fact, I found it a step above the Escort MKII/Opel C-Kadett/Datsun Violet, with which it competed price-wise. I was quite fond of the oomph the relatively big engine provided, it certainly wasn't slow. It responded well to steering input, i.e. even a mediocre driver like I am one can drift it. It was one of the last strongholds of the back then dying species of correct wheel drive cars in its class. And no matter how bad it is, a RWD car just feels more like a car than even the best girl wheel drive cars can muster.

I also remember, that it had wonderful velours seats and I love the design of the instrument panel. The swiveling clock in the centre console is exactly the kind of gimmick I can go on about for hours.

 

AFAIK the Marina was always meant to be a stopgap model to replace the ageing Farinas and the hopelessly obsolete Minor until a really modern car would be developed. It was thus admittedly a bit rushed into production, but what choice did its makers have? Given the circumstances of its birth, I think it was a reasonably good car.

 

So wearing the blindfold of Justicia, I'd say the needle index of the scale rather tips a bit on the underrated side.