HMC- Mr Chowdhury’s Mercedes

[HMC]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Didn't realise that was a 1500.  That'll probably go pretty well if in decent tune then.  Mine was a 1.3 and it didn't hang about, even smothered as it was by all the emission control nonsense with it being a later one.  

Does the ridiculously huge "stop" warning light on the dash work?

@2110 reconned it was swift for what it was. Ive just shunted up into parking area before it gets the attention of my local tame welder. ‘STOP’ is working -😂

[HMC]

Do you know on very strongly priced ads for eg BMW E30 2 doors, amongst the superlatives they sometimes refer to them as the “coupe” . By the same token this must be a Lada coupe 💩

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'm really fond of those Samaras, and also have the dubious honour of having taken one to a track day (circa 2002, when I was young and foolish).

They are far, far better than something engineered in the Soviet Union in the 1980s deserves to be !

[High Jetter]

8 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Biological washing powder

is hygroscopic though, could attract more moisture than desired (ooh Missus)

[AnthonyG]

G reg, an early one. I don’t know when the Continent got these but I think UK sales started late 88 or even early 89.

The Skoda Favorit was another ‘new age’ Eastern Bloc motor from the very fag end of the Warsaw Pact era. And it must have been launched over here around the same time. I seem to remember the Favorit being the road tester’s favourite (sorry). 

[tooSavvy]

Favorit factoid...

We had a Skoda service place along the road from my house, here in Wallsend.

The manager/top spanner guy bemoaned VW arrival as, once, a bagful of brake/clutch rubbers for Estelle was a couple of quid... VW sent them out in a pack of 2 = ££.

The Favorit had a massive recall/rework for the totally $hite 'electronic dash binnacle' - VW inherited the production line - and it took some sorting out...

My C reg Estelle 'ate' a few *warranty starters....

🚙💨

[D.E]

25 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

 I don’t know when the Continent got these

'86 in most countries.

 

[jim89]

22 hours ago, High Jetter said:

is hygroscopic though, could attract more moisture than desired (ooh Missus)

I'll stick with the detergent action...

Good for killing mosses etc on patios too, not so liberal with the application & just let the rain do the rest 👍🏻

[andy18s]

10 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

G reg, an early one. I don’t know when the Continent got these but I think UK sales started late 88 or even early 89.

The Skoda Favorit was another ‘new age’ Eastern Bloc motor from the very fag end of the Warsaw Pact era. And it must have been launched over here around the same time. I seem to remember the Favorit being the road tester’s favourite (sorry). 

 

[dave j]

There is a K reg Samara Flyte I regularly see in Plympton so thats 2 in Devon that I know of now! 

[DSdriver]

On 26/08/2024 at 18:24, HMC said:

Factoid:

Both the GS and samara were factory fitted with rotary engines. 

Felix, earlier.

IIRC the samara rotarys were loaned to the police and were fast  (125mph (!) allegedly) but fragile 

Ive just noticed the upcurve of the rear tailgate glass into the roof. Also when the taligate lifts up, the centre section of the bumper is brought with it. 

I hired one just like that many moons ago and had to phone someone up to find out how to get into the back because I couldn't see how the tailgate opened 😆

[Rustybullethole]

Our Clio has that curve in the hatch window. Make's everything in the rear view look like its had a roof chop. 

[HMC]

Fleet news

1. vw caravelle being collected by its new shiter owner this week

2. Diagnosed a split hydraulic pump gaiter for the cause of the GS oil spill- new rubber bit on order. Once again thanks to the technical support behind the scenes from  @jonathan_dyane who is a great source of intel and puts up with silly questions from myself 😂

3. been having a look around at more of the little details on the Samara

3. following sale of the vw i need a slightly more modern “main” car- one is incoming- 

clue- its a 20v, but not @bramz7 ‘s marea

 

[IronStar]

A3? A4? Golf? Leon? Ibiza? Passat? Whatever else had 1.8 20v?

I remember those Samara steelies from back when it was common car on the streets here, I always thought how let the car down visually. They look so terribly cheap.

Much better.

[HMC]

2 minutes ago, IronStar said:

A3? A4? Golf? Leon? Ibiza? Passat? Whatever else had 1.8 20v?

I remember those Samara steelies from back when it was common car on the street here, I always thought how let the car down visually. They look so terribly cheap.

Much better.

We are on the same page. Ive got a slightly more shite solution in the pipeline (for the wheels, not the 20v- although in fairness the car its attached to can only be considered a commercial failure.) *further clue*

[IronStar]

Alfa Twin Sparks should bolt right up to that gearbox btw. Just saying. 😄

[wesacosa]

13 minutes ago, HMC said:

Fleet news

1. vw caravelle being collected by its new shiter owner this week

2. Diagnosed a split hydraulic pump gaiter for the cause of the GS oil spill- new rubber bit on order. Once again thanks to the technical support behind the scenes from  @jonathan_dyane who is a great source of intel and puts up with silly questions from myself 😂

3. been having a look around at more of the little details on the Samara

3. following sale of the vw i need a slightly more modern “main” car- one is incoming- 

clue- its a 20v, but not @bramz7 ‘s marea

 

I love those little touches on the Samara.  One of my favourite bits of the Estelle too

 

[Schaefft]

17 minutes ago, HMC said:

We are on the same page. Ive got a slightly more shite solution in the pipeline (for the wheels, not the 20v- although in fairness the car its attached to can only be considered a commercial failure.) *further clue*

V5 powered Golf IV? That would be quite the choice.

[LightBulbFun]

17 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

V5 powered Golf IV? That would be quite the choice.

*has a mental picture of a Volkswagen Golf with one of those WW2 wood Gasifier trailers hitched on the back while someone shovels in all those Blue logbook blanks that got stolen a while back*

[busmansholiday]

57 minutes ago, HMC said:

Fleet news

1. vw caravelle being collected by its new shiter owner this week

2. Diagnosed a split hydraulic pump gaiter for the cause of the GS oil spill- new rubber bit on order. Once again thanks to the technical support behind the scenes from  @jonathan_dyane who is a great source of intel and puts up with silly questions from myself 😂

3. been having a look around at more of the little details on the Samara

3. following sale of the vw i need a slightly more modern “main” car- one is incoming- 

clue- its a 20v, but not @bramz7 ‘s marea

 

My late farther was a big fan of Ladas (he'd stupidly part exd his MkI cavalier for an Ital) and on one occasion went for a week's holiday to Southsea in a red Samara and came back in a white one (in the days before internet banking).

 

[bramz7]

I'd love it if you have a V5 powered Toledo. Dibs if so! 

[mintwth]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

clue- its a 20v, but not a marea

The sensible choice? 

[grogee]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

clue- its a 20v, but not @bramz7 ‘s marea

Wolwo V70? 

[bramz7]

Lancia Thesis 2.4? 

[jonathan_dyane]

51 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

*has a mental picture of a Volkswagen Golf with one of those WW2 wood Gasifier trailers hitched on the back while someone shovels in all those Blue logbook blanks that got stolen a while back*

@LightBulbFun only you 😄

[HMC]

So whats the mystery 20 valver? Not @bramz7 a lancia thesis, nor anything VAG.

Its a Renault Safrane 2.5 20v ; fitted with a 5 cylinder 2.4 volvo lump. Keywords: WAFT and FRENCHNESS. As its the range topper it also talks. In English (alas)

 

[bramz7]

Wow! Okay as per tradition on your threads, dibs 😂

[IronStar]

Holy molly! Yes! So much yes! 

[wuvvum]

That is fucking fantastic.

[HMC]

It appears (perhaps due to underwhelming customer interest) the dealer registered it and held onto it for about 6 months…

then a chap bought it…

Held onto most things…

And then in july this year was purchased by the guy i got if off.

It was then fitted with 18 inch jag wheels and low profile tyres.

NON!

That its at odds to the waft and comfort raison d’etre (see what I did there) of a safrane and so as part of the sales process I insisted the vendor keep the jag wheels and chuck back on the chunky sidewall 90s original wheels and tyres for MAX WAFT