HMC- XK8 Starts!

[Schaefft]

Great color combo. Still thinking about getting one but the 2.8 and 3.0s aren't that cheap anymore, especially in facelift flavor like this one.

[HMC]

I have to say I wonder if bmw and the Anglophile burnt fishtrousers guy who was at the helm in the 90s had an eye on the old bristicher roadster of the 50s/60s when they sanctioned the z3. Mine is 22 years old and probably older than lots of trad classics when people started hailing them as classics.

Its a pretty analogue driving experience. Utterly conventional/ old school in its layout and maybe that’s a key part of its appeal. It’s  e30 originated rear end and woofly, creamy but not rapid delivery of power are a relaxed way to amble about. Actually I was considering getting something older, British etc. but why pay x5 the cost for something that rusts badly and has grease points? 

Plus I don’t have a garage, so man logic dictated it was very sensible and rational to but this z3 instead. A sort of user friendly budget version of an mgb, and if you like with its 6 cylinder lump that is as powerful as such, a big healey/ Tr6 on the cheap.  A cliche perhaps, but with the sun out I don’t mind.

 

[Zelandeth]

Do like the colour combo of that.  A friend of mine has a red one back up north which seems a fun toy.  Only thing I remember being a buzz kill for me in that was that the ride seemed incredibly harsh to me (like modern Audi levels).  To the extent I'd probably have wound up avoiding driving it because of that.

Did make a lovely noise though.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

I have to say I wonder if bmw and the Anglophile burnt fishtrousers guy who was at the helm in the 90s had an eye on the old bristicher roadster of the 50s/60s when they sanctioned the z3. Mine is 22 years old and probably older than lots of trad classics when people started hailing them as classics.

Its a pretty analogue driving experience. Utterly conventional/ old school in its layout and maybe that’s a key part of its appeal. It’s  e30 originated rear end and woofly, creamy but not rapid delivery of power are a relaxed way to amble about. Actually I was considering getting something older, British etc. but why pay x5 the cost for something that rusts badly and has grease points? 

Plus I don’t have a garage, so man logic dictated it was very sensible and rational to but this z3 instead. A sort of user friendly budget version of an mgb, and if you like with its 6 cylinder lump that is as powerful as such, a big healey/ Tr6 on the cheap.  A cliche perhaps, but with the sun out I don’t mind.

 

I really like my dad's. I feel a prat in a convertible, but everything else you said is true. Not a sports car but just a lovely thing to operate and be in. Nice noise, and I think personally that the looks have aged really well. You might have to keep this more than a month at this rate 😄

[HMC]

To quote Britney Spears, WOOPS I did it again. Due to be delivered at the end of the week. Eagle eyed shiteists will note the Belgian sticker. For this is a CKD kit made in 1976 in Belgium and re imported in 1981…. Late registration madness!

[HMC]

[HMC]

[tooSavvy]

OK...... W.H.Y r/h wheel knocked up in Poirot Land 🤔

Do tell.......

💞

[Marm Toastsmith]

It's like an old pair of jeans. I love it.

[SiC]

Where do you find these cars?!

[BeEP]

In 2013 myself and a few other Allegro apologists drove five Allegros from Longbridge to Seneffe (the Belgian BL plant) to mark 40 years of the Allegro launch.  Partly for something to do, partly because we wanted to see what, if anything, was left.  Apologies for the shite scans from the club magazine, but the first photo below shows @Craig the Princess's Applejack S3 in front of a faded but still visible BL roundel on the end of the building.  The second shows a friend's Equipe in front of one of the factory doors (albeit probably replaced since BL days)...

[gadgetgricey]

Now that's special..

[stuboy]

what avg mpg was the s type achieving?

[Matty]

Just dropped in to say you fuckin legend 👍

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, HMC said:

To quote Britney Spears, WOOPS I did it again. Due to be delivered at the end of the week. Eagle eyed shiteists will note the Belgian sticker. For this is a CKD kit made in 1976 in Belgium and re imported in 1981…. Late registration madness!

You might just have won this month. Well bought!

[brownnova]

I saw the for sale ad on this and it looked intriguing! Glad it’s come to the forum! 

[N Dentressangle]

12 hours ago, SiC said:

Where do you find these cars?!

It was advertised on here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/classiccarsforsaleuk

Looks fab. Especially the very, er, blue interior 😎

[HMC]

It’s here!

Patina level: 2.0 UNLOCKED

[HMC]

Couple of late afternoon snaps

 

[N Dentressangle]

What a magnificent car. Just as scabrous and down at heel as I remember them. It even looks smelly.

Marvellous.

[brownnova]

That looks most excellent!! 

[Noel Tidybeard]

hold the phone!

• front fog lights
• vinyl roof
• triple coachlines
• black boot ½ panel
• headrests

but no clock/rev-o-meter? 😲

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, JeeExEll said:

My older cousin was an apprentice electrician in the early 80s and had a maroon Allegro on something like a M or N or P-plate.  One day some other tradesmen where he was working quietly put gravel chips and harling stones in all the Allegro's hubcaps then refitted them.

From the noise as he was driving about town he thought the car was fucked, couldn't understand it.  (Summer either 1982 or 83 with window down and paranoid), so he drove it around for a couple of weeks like that then took it to the local backstreet garage where everything was revealed.  He'd thought the gearbox was fucked.

That was done with ADO16's too. Please don't ask me how I know.

[HMC]

1. I’m staying somewhere quite posh

2. I’ve brought my k11 micra and parked it in THE most prominent position 😆

[Eyersey1234]

23 hours ago, HMC said:

Couple of late afternoon snaps

 

Chodtastic 

[holbeck]

On 3/19/2022 at 7:50 AM, HMC said:

Here we go again.

Off to acquire another millstone, wish me luck!

I just had to look twice,  I thought the orange coat tosspot was me.  ( not this time).

[SiC]

I'll just leave this one here...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325146516126

 

[Marm Toastsmith]

Tow bar envy.

I drove mine 300 miles yesterday to park it somewhere posh.

[eddyramrod]

Oh yes, park somewhere posh, whenever you can!

Midland Hotel, Morecambe.  Huggy was only three shades of brown then, he's four now.

[HMC]

Collection caper…

Take one jag and head north…