Sub 1000cc Beater Club

[Matt]

This:

 

daihcuore_750_500_70.jpg

 

Which is a UK press car and rated 11/6.7 in the Stanky scale of gr8 cars. It was a 989cc triple and revved like a bastard. It was also flipping awesome in the SNO KAOS of Jan 2010 when it humbled many a larger, more expensive and more powerful car on the backroads of hampshire with its light weight and bicycle-like tyres.

 

We part ex'd it in the end as it was rotten as a rotten thing and developed a misfire after i ran it without the air filter on. I may have forgotten to reconnect the MAF/MAP sensor, I can't recall. We swapped it for a Suzuki Swift 1.3 which was less rusty but had fewer doors.

 

MOT history shows it covered 2000 miles between december 2009 and april 2011 then the fail sheet got the better of it. wasn't my problem by that point.

 

***EDIT*** for the avoidance of doubt that is a press launch photo of the car and it is not Stanky_Towers in the background.

 

Stanky towers is more prestigious*

 

After watching many episodes of Mighty Car Mods where they played with several of these I wanted one. I looked for ages but came to the conclusion that every single one left in the UK are awful heaps. I swear they are all silly rusty now and all have horrid patches on the sills and bubbly arches. I gave up looking.

 

Edit: I can find a whopping 6 for sale over Auto Trader, Ebay and Gumtree combined. Far less than when I was looking for one.

[MarvinsMom]

 

just sneaking under the limit, i offer this bouncing little bundle of joy Marvin, powered by the once so common 998 A+ engine.

.

actually we think that this smaller version of the A is nicer to drive frankly than the 1275 in the Mini.

 

Marvin has so much of the mini is its DNA, its road manners are very similar, there is the whine from the transfer gears in 1st and 2nd and it has the same keen steering and pleasant gearchange, plus the metro has a more compliant ride and a grown up driving position.

 

with only 45bhp its no road rocket, but it does clip along nicely, plus it is a real 50mpg car when out on a longer run.

 

i've owned it just short of 6 years, and while i say i'm going to sell it on, secretly i hope that i don't.

 

this year it needs some body work, daft i know spending on a car that is essentially worthless, but it is a sweet little thing, even if at the moment it is sat on the drive under a cover looking sorry for itself!

 

poor old Marvin......

[Asimo]

In the past these would qualify:

499cc

 

903cc

 

995cc*

 

**Some say that would be cheating as each volume is swept twice. As it were. But no one would exclude the Trabant for the same reason.

[Stanky]

After watching many episodes of Mighty Car Mods where they played with several of these I wanted one. I looked for ages but came to the conclusion that every single one left in the UK are awful heaps. I swear they are all silly rusty now and all have horrid patches on the sills and bubbly arches. I gave up looking.

 

Edit: I can find a whopping 6 for sale over Auto Trader, Ebay and Gumtree combined. Far less than when I was looking for one.

 

The sills on our one were mostly plates and black stonechip and I've never seen someone look quite so worried as the mechanic was when he needed to put it on the lift with the arms under the sills. it went up and stayed up though. The arches were alright though.

 

They are a right hoot to drive and almost certainly have the same 989cc triple as DW's more grown-up Sirion but yeah, they were mightily cheap when new and rust like crazy so little wonder so few survive. Its a shame because ours really was lovely to drive about in. Brand new they must have been great with a warranty. Redline in every gear, everywhere.

[Matt]

They are a right hoot to drive and almost certainly have the same 989cc triple as DW's more grown-up Sirion but yeah, they were mightily cheap when new and rust like crazy so little wonder so few survive. Its a shame because ours really was lovely to drive about in. Brand new they must have been great with a warranty. Redline in every gear, everywhere.

 

Yes same engine as the 1.0 Sirion, Toyota had something to do with it as a very similar (or same?) engine was available in the Yaris. Makes the 3 cylinder in the Suzuki Swift seem archaic as the Daihatsu has twin cams and four valves per cylinder but the 'Zuki is single cam and 2 per cylinder.

[Matt]

Here are my sub 1000cc

 

And another I had...

 

[Cleon-Fonte]

They are a right hoot to drive and almost certainly have the same 989cc triple as DW's more grown-up Sirion

 

Indeed they do, the mighty little Daihatsu E-series they dumped in loads of stuff from the mid-80s onwards.

 

Which brings me neatly on to my own Sirion, which proved how much the breed like to rust by having very little floorpan when I bought it. A lot of welding and its kerb weight in waxoyl later it's provided me with nearly two years of utterly faithful, trouble free motoring.

 

Seen here in its natural habitat:

 

[chaseracer]

...smaller version of the A is nicer to drive frankly than the 1275...

 

Agreed.  The 850 is sweet too, but lacks the raw power* of the 998.

 

Though apparently the rare-as-rocking-horse-shit short-stroke 970 Cooper is the one to have...

[320touring]

Could I respectfully ask that the group name is changed to "the Under a litre beater club"

 

Or some such? The missed opportunity for a rhyme is making me sad:(

[dollywobbler]

Yes same engine as the 1.0 Sirion, Toyota had something to do with it as a very similar (or same?) engine was available in the Yaris. 

 

Nay lad. Yaris always had a four-pot. I thought there was some commonality in the 1.3-litre four-pot, but could be wrong.

[Guest Hooli]

744cc

 

Don't say it's a real bike. It's a 70s Triumph so falls apart like a renault...

 

[Matt]

Nay lad. Yaris always had a four-pot. I thought there was some commonality in the 1.3-litre four-pot, but could be wrong.

 

Oh right, I've certainly seen Yaris''s (Yaris'? Yarai?) with a very similar looking engine but that could be coincidental then. A quick Wikipedia raid suggests that one of the Yaris 1.3 4 pots is in the Sirion but I don't see any connection with 1.0 3 cylinders. I'm not digging into it further as Wikipedia is a minefield with these cars due to the different names they were sold under in the US, Europe and Asia.

[Hertz]

Never thought I would see the day when a large Hatchback had under a litre. I have one of these currently while the Avensis gets repaired. It's actually quite nice to drive.

 

[Matt]

Never thought I would see the day when a large Hatchback had under a litre. I have one of these currently while the Avensis gets repaired. It's actually quite nice to drive.

 

 

This car is the reason why most moderns have enormous wheels rimz.

[UltraWomble]

89cc

 

49cc

 

Current entries into the sub 1000cc club

 

Previous (recent) entries include:

469cc

 

124cc

 

124cc

 

49cc

 

49cc

 

497cc

 

998cc

 

There were more but these are the recent ones

[Six-cylinder]

DSCN4952.JPG

 

just sneaking under the limit, i offer this bouncing little bundle of joy Marvin, powered by the once so common 998 A+ engine.

.

actually we think that this smaller version of the A is nicer to drive frankly than the 1275 in the Mini.

 

Marvin has so much of the mini is its DNA, its road manners are very similar, there is the whine from the transfer gears in 1st and 2nd and it has the same keen steering and pleasant gearchange, plus the metro has a more compliant ride and a grown up driving position.

 

with only 45bhp its no road rocket, but it does clip along nicely, plus it is a real 50mpg car when out on a longer run.

 

i've owned it just short of 6 years, and while i say i'm going to sell it on, secretly i hope that i don't.

 

this year it needs some body work, daft i know spending on a car that is essentially worthless, but it is a sweet little thing, even if at the moment it is sat on the drive under a cover looking sorry for itself!

 

poor old Marvin......

Ours is 1275 so does not count, I should have set the rules to let it in!

[Six-cylinder]

Indeed they do, the mighty little Daihatsu E-series they dumped in loads of stuff from the mid-80s onwards.

 

Which brings me neatly on to my own Sirion, which proved how much the breed like to rust by having very little floorpan when I bought it. A lot of welding and its kerb weight in waxoyl later it's provided me with nearly two years of utterly faithful, trouble free motoring.

 

Seen here in its natural habitat:

 

DSCN1017.JPG

I do like the Sirion very much.

[Six-cylinder]

Never thought I would see the day when a large Hatchback had under a litre. I have one of these currently while the Avensis gets repaired. It's actually quite nice to drive.

 

It will qualify when it costs threepence!

[Six-cylinder]

89cc

 

49cc

 

Current entries into the sub 1000cc club

 

Previous (recent) entries include:

469cc

 

124cc

 

124cc

 

49cc

 

49cc

 

497cc

 

998cc

 

There were more but these are the recent ones

What a great selection although I am not keen when you go beyond 50cc!

[Six-cylinder]

125 of your finest Italian ccs: The Aprilia Habana Retro.

 

I am sorry I have now been to the pub and Indian and feel very mellow so please join the club.

 

Now is moment before I sober up to sneak in with you most ridiculous suggestions!

[hairnet]

daimler - just pull 4 ht leads off

[Vin]

I'll bring my offerings to the table...

 

903cc

 

 

769cc

 

 

last but not least...

 

652cc

 

 

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

daimler - just pull 4 ht leads off

It will have to be 5 off one on 706 cc!

[Six-cylinder]

I'll bring my offerings to the table...

 

903cc

 

199568_5688134710_3323_n.jpg

 

769cc

 

561472_10151127374454711_290072535_n.jpg

 

last but not least...

 

652cc

 

198128_5688219710_8528_n.jpg

Automatic pass.

[wuvvum]

I have only two sub-1000cc machines in the fleet at the moment (apart from the Spacy and Mobylette obvs)

 

 

[Alusilber]

I've had two of these.  Can't remember the engine size but it's the same as the Suzuki Carry and SJ10, about 970cc?

 

It's gratifying to see that Suzuki's latest Ignis has been designed as an homage to the SC100. Or at least that's what it looks like to me.

[oldcars]

This (when not in bits) is my 850 engined Reliant Rialto. I need to take more photos of it really.

[cros]

A sub 1 litre diesel. This is 900cc and 17bhp. I've had it since the summer and it chops wood and mows grass. It's a 1979 model and is fitted with drybollocks.

[panhard65]

Nothing under 1 litre at the moment, but the 204 is only 1200cc and a diesel so should count as most mopeds can beat it off the line. I have had a couple of nice little twins though.

850cc and great fun due to the light weight and slippery shape. I kind of regret getting shot of it now, but I am sure there was a good reason.

Based on a Fiat 126. It went like stink off road and was sold to a bloke from Scotland who wanted it for trials

[EssDeeWon]

Hands Down!  The 957cc Fiesta