When im 64 Be Dooby Doo

[Joloke]

Yawn

[320touring]

tbh if it has wheels and someone will let me drive it, I will.

 

Driving style is still approx a 50/50 mix of sensible pootling and GLF

[Vantman]

You would like my Saab then--http://autoshite.com/topic/23421-a-collection-thread-with-a-scruffy-saab-content/

[Guest Breadvan72]

Until a year or two ago

 

(1)  I would not have a car that had more than three doors.

 

(2)  I would not have a Rover or a Jag.

 

Now I have three cars that have four doors and one that has five.  I have two Jags and one Rover.

 

Also, I now have three autoboxes, another anathema until recently.

[dollywobbler]

I'm also developing a love of the self-shifter and put this down to the fact I must now be old.

[320touring]

I'm also developing a love of the self-shifter and put this down to the fact I must now be old.

See, this is an odd one..

 

the Auto box can be a blessing or a curse.

 

I've had 3 7 series, 2 auto, 1 spanish waiter.

 

the Autos were big lazy milemuchers or much repute.

 

the Manual was a total weapon down the back lanes.

 

I think what I'm getting at is you need to own both auto and manual versions of the same car at the same time-cover all the bases..

 

now to find an auto Clio 172..

[barefoot]

I yearn for a car with a slushbox and matching slushpension.

[HMC]

I used to love top spec luxobarges, the sort of thing that had a big sticker price and turned heads when I was growing up; think merc w124/w126/w140, large engined jags and bmws. By the 2000s these were cheap and plentiful, and it would have been rude not to.....

 

I suspect largely due to this forum over the last 8 years my tastes have changed a lot. So it's thanks to you lot that my signature is what it is!

[John F]

I understand the point about an auto being ideal for stop-start commuting, but that's where their appeal ends IMO... the noise of an automatic hunting for the right ratio is one of the most lame sounds in motoring

[auldford]

As a teenager going into my early twenties it was mostly small hatchbacks. Mainly as that's all I could get insured for. My first cars were a 205 and a mk4 Fiesta.

 

As i've got older, I tend to lean towards bigger cars, generally as they are great for lugging crap about in. Last few cars have been mk2/3 Mondeos.

 

I'm much of the opinion now if it's runs and doesn't have any serious issues, it's good enough for me.....

[Pete-M]

I started my driving days with the cheapest RWD cars I could find. Mk1 and 2 Escorts. Spent weeks and fortunes modifying them to make them as fast as I could afford. 1.1 Escorts would be bought for £75, then the 12" wheels, drum brakes, 1.1 engine etc all junked. Normally for a 1.6 which would be thrashed mercilessly, normally until the engine died. Which would be an excuse to rip the engine and box from a 2.0 Cortina or Capri and shove that in instead. That lasted a couple of years, building quick Escorts during the week and rebuilding them after the weekend. Wasn't just Escorts, there were a couple of Talbot Sunbeams that received the same treatment, a couple of Mini 1275 GTs had their engines tweaked as well.

 

I'd often have a Capri or Cortina as my daily commuting wheels. Often a 1.6 GL but fitted with a 2.0 engine and Ghia interior. One Cortina Mk4 ended up with a 2.8 injection engine and box with the Bilstein suspension from a 2.3S. That went well. I'd bought a 2.0 GL auto Cortina Mk5 as a runabout and that sent me off trying various big engined autos. First was a Granada 3.0 Ghia coupé (£100 in 1989), followed by a Rover 2600SE (£400 in 1990). The Rover shat it's camshaft so I bought a scruffy Mk2 RS2000 custom for £800.

 

Early 90s I was changing cars on a weekly basis. I had lots of stuff around then. An E21 BMW 323i helped me to appreciate a good straight six, which in turn led me to an E28 528i which was rather good. Not good enough to keep me from wanting a bit more fun so a couple of Lancia Delta HF Turbos followed, then an RS1600i fitted with an RS Turbo engine. I quite liked the RS so I went and bought a Granada Mk2 2.8i Ghia X and fitted a 302 Mustang V8.

 

A couple of years of hotter stuff followed. 205 GTIs, 309 GTi, Golf GTi 16v, Strada Abarth 130TC, RS200O Mk5, Sapphire Cosworth, Integrale 8v and 16v. All ace.

 

So I bought a Range Rover. I've had at least ten of those since.

 

It's gone on like that ever since. I still love the small fast cars but I'm old enough and daft enough to know that in 90% of my driving there's no real point in suffering a small fast car when a large comfy and huge engined car is more comfy most of the time and the big stuff is normally automatic with all the luxury toys. Which makes it ideal for mooching to work etc.

 

Nowadays for me the most important things about a car are aircon, plenty of power, cruise control, leather trim and an armrest. I can't abide underpowered cars and don't see the point in spending a couple of hours a day in a car with a miserable interior.

[gordonbennet]

TBH my tastes haven't changed much in 40 odd years of car ownership, still prefer simple 6+ cyl engines, still prefer nay demand slush boxes, but do definately prefer full time 4WD as well, which wasn't an option for a 17/20 year old when the only real offerings were nearly new Jenson FF's and the first Range Rovers.

 

I went, through necessity to some degree, by choice as well as simplicity, decades of Diesel ownership, but those are no longer the noisy sluggish at one time simple durable robust things they once were, so my alternative way of paying as little in fuel tax to dick turpin to piss up the wall is via LPG conversions, which is my preferred fuel for now and the forseeable.

 

I've never liked stupid gearboxes and that won't change, having been stuck with automated manuals since around 2005 (first one driven on L prefix plate, 92ish?) in lorries for hundreds of thousands of miles,  can honestly say i will never own such a pile of crap in a car (or owt else) and they can stick the new twin clutch ticking time bombs where the sun don't shine too, oh and stick electric parking brakes and other such rubbish up there as well whether there's room or not, oh and keyless go and stop start as well.

 

Doubt i'll change in me dotage, my jury is out on electric cars, i have no doubt at all that when enough of them are on the road to effect tax revenues that the cost to fill them up will escalate dramatically, or they'll come up with satellite linked monitoring so you pay for your road use, one thiung is sure, the motorist will pay whatever happens.

 

Lots of people jumped on the bandwagon with low VED Diesels, doing as they were encouraged to save money and the planet, now the new thinking is reversing that, i suspect the same will be the case with electric, even if you can find a charging point and they haven't switched you off at home for some ulterior motive via a compulsory smart meter.

[reanimation-films]

I still like what I like, that's all quite rooted but I'm wanting something a bit more grown up these days.

 

I got in to bigger cars due to not fitting in some small cars, also condition and value is often better. I still like Nippy small cars but not sure i can go back again, I fancy something powerful and comfortable and 'modern' (late 80's on) not and a I'm thinking more gutsy torquey Saloon or Estate rather than outright sports car, doesn't need to be RWD either...

Having a a bike road accident and making a young family while getting older I have changed my wants and outlook a lot, hard to imagine thrashing my fast car when it's finished, but I do like to finish things so It will happen I'm just not in a rush right now.

 

Some cars still look better in 3 door, but some look great and right in 4/5 door too. 

Storage is is always a pain but a small limited minimal fleet will carry on for many years I hope, I still fancy something 'really old' too...

[bub2006]

I've always preferred larger cars but insurance etc puts paid to that. I like comfort and prefer an auto box. I've struck gold with the Volvo. It's not brilliant on fuel but better than the vec b auto and focus auto and a lot more responsive. I think I'd like to aim for a larger Volvo next.

[DVee8]

Growing up late teens early 20's i liked things a little different.Mates had XR2,XR3,MG Metro's.I bought a A reg Toyata Camry,it was great compy and just did.

I then bought a Serria 2.0iS,saw the error of my ways as it was a complete bag of shit,and bought a Nissan Blubird Turbo.

 

All through my 20's a had Nissans generally Primera GT's,all new.

 

At 30 i bought a Renault clio 172 and hated every mile of the 2 1/2 years i had to have it. Went from I to we and went back to Nissan's in 4x4 guise,and Jaguars,i loved the wofftyness of the Jags,the power the auto smoothness,but so fragile.

I still have my Daimler V8 now back on the road thanks to Scaryoldcortina.I have had it 9 years now,Mrs V8 is pushing to sell,I know she would like to spend the sale price on some shit audi or bmw.

[seth]

When I was 17 I wanted to drive something that was old and low. 

 

Nothing's changed.

[skattrd]

My tastes are changing, from sporty things to lazy automatics.I still like sporty things, but day to day lazy auto's ftw.

 

My tastes also adapt as some of the cars I lusted after as a youth I don't like to drive, or didn't live up to expectations, see: Saab 900 T16s, Citroen XM, Subaru XT and others. Then there are cars I liked but wasn't overboard on but really enjoy driving, see Honda Aerodeck, Daihatsu (all), Lancia Beta Spyder (less so HPE).

 

I have now decided I need to live with cars for a bit before deciding whether I like them or not.

[fatharris]

Whatever I can afford.

 

Nothing's changed.

[AlabamaShrimp]

I'm not bothered and never really have, a cars a car at the end of the day they're all different sizes, some fast, some slow but still just a car.

[xtriple]

When I was but a sprog I hassled my Mum to buy a Jaguar 420 with wire wheels and auto instead of the Scimitar manual (coupe!) she bought the Jaguar and the die was set!

 

I've always loved big waffly cars. I love silly big engines with automatic gearboxes and had a Toyota Crown 2600 auto before I was 20. I had my MK10 Jaguar by 23 (and kept it for 9 years!) I had a Nissan Cedric 2600 (might have been a 2800 not sure) and apart from that buggers propensity to rot away as I watched I loved it.

 

But I also love small(ish) sporty cars... usually with silly big engines and auto boxes! I had a Datsun 260Z at 21 and thrashed the living shit out of it ,,. eventually killing it stone dead but not until after a couple of decent accidents.... I had a Honda S800 and loved that even though it was everything I didn't usually have: small, small engine, revvy as fuck... my step Dad wrote that off! I had a Spitfire - hateful thing but fun.

 

When I was skint I always bought barges as they were generally unloved and cheap,,.,. which was great for me as that's what I like anyway.

 

Now, I have the uber barge and while it does its absolute best to bankrupt me daily,, I love it and even at the height of its desire for money, I have never thought about selling it. All I want to do is make it better and keep it lovely so I can sit in the garage (soon, so soon...) and admire it while I bemoan the fact I can't afford to start it!

 

Oh, and I love my little Mazda - auto, but 'only' a 1.8 so hardly worth getting excited about!

 

So no, over the 40 years of my driving career, my tastes have not changed really, I've just got older and more stupid...

[stripped fred]

I like a lot of variety but for normal daily driving I prefer a bigger car with comfy suspension. Not too bothered about it being fast anymore either. I often find the lower powered versions suit me better. I find in a faster car i tend to feel the need to always be pressing on which isn't relaxing after a while. I also quite like diesels but try and avoid newer complicated ones. I have never owned an automatic but I will give one a try, one day.

[castros_bro]

When I was younger my Standard 8 broke down, on the way to Spain, near a French nudist beach so we camped there for a week whilst I got working,  42 years later my XZ diesel's water pump sprang a leak so we camped in a derelict house in Portugal whilst it was fixed so not sure if there's any serious progress there.  A car is a car and with a bit of mechanical skilz you can use almost any of them as transport. On the otherhand motorcycles are brilliantly efficient machines worthy of veneration and lavishing time and money on and keeping in centrally heated and carpeted garages and never parting with.

[Supernaut]

I still have a small* hankering for an XUD running silly boost on veg oil...

[purplebargeken]

To be honest Jodie, I have always bought what tickled my fancy and what was in my usually meagre budget. Size, cc, gearbox, make, colour was never really an issue. 

 

I have only had two 'spankers' new cars in my life. An '84 Fiesta Pop Plus in special order black and the Hyundai i10. I have the Amazon - manual, the Mitsu MPV - auto, the i10 - auto. The Sierra - auto will be going soon and replaced by a ......

 

I'm now 99.9% away from fulfilling my bucket list until the delivery date arrives very soon

 

After that? No idea. As per usual. The chod path we follow is usually an interesting one and long may it continue in that manner

 

The Merc looks cool by the way

[Pete-M]

I like a lot of variety but for normal daily driving I prefer a bigger car with comfy suspension. Not too bothered about it being fast anymore either. I often find the lower powered versions suit me better. I find in a faster car i tend to feel the need to always be pressing on which isn't relaxing after a while.

I find the opposite to be the case. If I'm driving a low powered car I tend to go quickly so I can get out of it. Something with plenty of power and I drive smoothly and calmly.

 

The thing that really kills cars for me is a lack of poke. I find low powered cars dangerous. If I'm driving something that has 300 bhp there's a good chance I'll be mimbling about taking it easy (and using about 40 bhp), but something with 75 bhp will be thrashed mercilessly.

 

Not much is more dangerous than a slow car.

[fordperv]

My tastes have not deviated really I've always loved older fords, my standards have got higher, my bodyshop owning friend says I have an ocd

 

My car when I just turned 17 was a shiney black sierra

 

15 years later I drive a shiney black sierra

 

I still have the mk1 sierra my dad bought me when I was 16

[SamR380]

Automatics! Why aren't all cars this side of a Lotus 7 automatic? Never thought I'd say that 3 or 4 years ago.

[Guest Hooli]

Always preferred RWD with an adult size engine.

 

Best car I've ever had was a XJ40, the only way to improve it would be aircon &  a bigger engine (it was only a 3.2). I shall have another.

[Tickman]

First car was a Mini 25 years ago. Then after that a succession of sensible and affordable cars.

Now I just want to try one of everything!

[DSdriver]

erm... my taste hasn't changed, I still love my DS.  I have had at least one on the drive since the early seventies. Perhaps my brain is stuck in a software loop and needs a restart.