Wake up in the Morning wanting some breakfast

[Joloke]

Oooooooo The Isrealites

[MikeR]

Suzuki Whizz kid , it was great to drive , but trying to get hold of parts was a nightmare .......

[jbz2079]

We had a Leyland Marina 1700 HL estate in applejack green

I managed to grab it as a sold as seen trade in in the garage my Mum served fuel in.

COL159V.

 

The usual rusty wing tops just behind the headlights and a worn propshaft joint, both problems soon sorted.

 

The things that old car moved, towed and was generally involved in.

I true B/L fashion it needed repaired often, the stupid little things that annoy, door locks, fuel sender, broken switches and a couple of broken rear springs.

Though these might be excused from the weight we made it carry.

 

It liked gearboxes too, all the bigger engined Marinas did the extra torque killed them, that's assuming reverse didn't break first.

 

We kept that old car about six years, by then it was seriously rusty and needed quite a bit of tender welding for it's test.

 

It was cheap to buy and lasted quite well, but the standard of parts fitted was abysmal, but when you have had nothing but British Leyland stuff

you think everything else is the same.

 

My first French car was a Citroen Dyanne that was in need of a fair bit of welding for it's mot, are exhaust and the brakes sorted,

after which it was serviced and ran faultlessly for a whole year.

It was thrashed and had nothing but a couple of tyres and oil changes.

I sold that to a wagon driver who got two years out of it.

 

All my cars have been French and Diesel since, Renault 21. 2.12td, Bx. 1.9D, Xantia 1,9td. 405. 20.HDI. C5 2.2HDI and C3 1.4HDI.

Folk say French stuff is crap, all mine apart from the C5 which I didn't keep long as it was fuel cooled. 25MPG on a good day.

Have been quite reliable and made big miles without too much hassle.

[dave21478]

I would consider getting back into minis (if I were rich enough) if I could have a test drive in one fitted with the coil spring conversion.

I know some sweaty bobble-hat wearing nutter will greet on about originality and issigonis spinning in has grave etc etc blah blah, but Minis are fucking undriveable on an average bumpy road, especially now that the rubbers are all 20+ years old and have gone even harder than they should be....perhaps the spring conversion makes them more useable?

 

 

Otherwise, my Defender......

 

It was great, but it was also shit, in that a cheap Discovery could do every single thing the Defender could, more comfortably, faster, quieter and smelling less of wet sheep.

[catsinthewelder]

My first BX was less than free and shonky as fuck but got me about comfortably for a couple of years before a major FTP killed it while some of you were enjoying Shitefest 1.

 

The next one was in good nick which ruined all the fun and now parts are tricky to source.  I'm not planning on another but wouldn't 100% rule it out.

 

I enjoyed my time with a VW type 2 but can't realistically see myself with another as they are worth 10x too much.

[mercrocker]

 

I enjoyed my time with a VW type 2 but can't realistically see myself with another as they are worth 10x too much.

 

This.  

 

Comparing a previously-owned vehicle with what else you could buy for the money is nearly always going to be unfavourable.   At least in my case... 

 

8-10K for Issigonis brick?    No thanks, I'd rather have a £300 Fiesta and a Mk3 Zodiac.  

 

6-8K for an early Beetle in the same condition as mine?   See above. 

 

I might conceivably enjoy a Mini again but you can poke a Beetle with the shitty end of a shit stick. 

 

I do keep thinking about Mk3 Zodiacs lately, though.

[Captain Furious]

My first car was a Mk2 Fiesta, I loved it because it was my first car, but I wouldn’t have another one today. The reason why is that I did have another one a few years back trying to 'rekindle that old flame'...and it was shit.

[overrun]

Nova 1.4 SR

Volvo 360 2.3 turbo

RS1600i

 

Wouldn't have any again due to them disappointing for one reason or another.

[vaughant]

Audi coupé.

 

I often look back on cars as "wow that was great to drive" and I foolishly swapped my lovely red 2.3 coupe for a mk3 golf GTi which really was abysmal.

 

It was so bad in fact that I bought a cavvy gsi inbetween which was amazing, so nice to drive, really fast, handled well, did everything better than the golf.

 

I got offered a swap back for the Audi and nearly tore the guys arm out of his socket but driving the Audi home I was impressed with how solid it was but it missed the zing of the cavvy, seats weren't as nice, it felt a bit baggy compared to the cav and really only the look of it and bodywork made it even remotely interesting.

 

Sold a few weeks after for a good price and although I've looked a few times at getting another, I always talk myself out of it quite a lot.

 

There was a 4.2v8 one on the blue a few years back that did tempt me though, the engine looked so right under the bonnet!!!

 

Someone told me to look at the S2 but I raced one years ago in my Cossie and it was nowhere near the car the Cossie was. Plus they're rare and mental money now.

Not quite Cossie mental though!!!

[vaughant]

Nova 1.4 SR

Volvo 360 2.3 turbo

RS1600i

 

Wouldn't have any again due to them disappointing for one reason or another.

Plus one in the rs1600i, one of the most disappointing cars I ever drove, looked great and had lovely seats but no match at all for the rs turbo which was a really special car to drive, just did everything better despite what the internet bores will tell you.

[Tamworthbay]

I would consider getting back into minis (if I were rich enough) if I could have a test drive in one fitted with the coil spring conversion.

I know some sweaty bobble-hat wearing nutter will greet on about originality and issigonis spinning in has grave etc etc blah blah, but Minis are fucking undriveable on an average bumpy road, especially now that the rubbers are all 20+ years old and have gone even harder than they should be....perhaps the spring conversion makes them more useable?

 

 

Otherwise, my Defender......

98ec_1_b.jpg

 

It was great, but it was also shit, in that a cheap Discovery could do every single thing the Defender could, more comfortably, faster, quieter and smelling less of wet sheep.

Nope the springs are so short and so stiff you may as well just fit a piece of billet steel. What you need is new cones made to original spec rather than the thirty year old lumps of coal. They still arent exactly RR comfortable but are liveable with even with my arthritic spine.

 

I can’t think of a single car for this list, there are cars I used to like and still do and cars I used to think were shit and still do.

[lesapandre]

Austin A35. Had one when young. Very tiring to drive long distance. Why? Great car engine and body great design...poor seats, steering and.................brakes...hydro-mechanical....pretty poor stopping power. Others may disagree

[mercrocker]

I think a lot of 50s/60s stuff can get wearing over a long distance - modern cars have transformed our expectations.   Get them off the motorways though and they transform again.

 

I went from an A35 to Minis (several).   Not one of those stopped as well as my A35 when I finally got it back on the road.   They take some adjusting up, though and the master cylinder piston is usually corroded to its chamber.   Seats are shite, granted - I did see one with P6 front seats but God knows how they shut the front doors again.  Or used the handbrake.....

[HH-R]

Rovers. Owned 'em, enjoyed 'em, but it's in the past and probably best left there.

[ProgRocker]

Many moons ago I had a couple of BL/Rover Mini's and I adored those cars

I sold my last one 8 years ago and said that was it!

 

About 18 Months ago my friend bought one and when I visited her she asked if I would like a little drive of hers ?

 

It took just a mile or so to say I didnt want to drive any further

 

Yes I loved the little original Classic Mini once and I still agree that everybody should own or at least drive one once in their lifetime but I know now I would never want one again.

 

Same choice for me . I owned 2 classic Minis - a '79 1000 and a '90 Racing Green. Great fun but driving the Racing Green home from the seller's house it dawned on me how awkward it was to drive. I had to have my right foot at an odd angle to step on the accelerator and brake. Not comfortable at all.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The only Minis I liked were the early ones (Mark 1 and 2) with sliding windows etc. A Mark II Mini 1000 around 68/69 would be fine but they are insane money now. Sorry but I used to pay £500 for these and they haven't got any better in the intervening 30 years. Cooper and S stuff is okay but likely to disappoint as they just aren't fast now. No, 40 bhp is fine to plug along with. Weekends replacing bypass hoses and shimming balljoints. I'm pretty sure I've left that behind tbh.

 

Alfasuds; I had loads and loved them all. But there are none left and price wise, more drugs are being consumed.

 

Mark 1 Mexico/RS1600. These are bordering on house money. No.

 

I can't afford the cars I want, simple as that.

[MarvinsMom]

mark 2 polo bread van.....

 

an awsum little car from the time when vw really, really built a nice car.

 

good seats, working suspension and roomy inside, just a shame that the brakes were shit.

 

wouldn't have one now (or any other vw for that matter), none left pretty much to rust and appathy, and those that are left dublikkas have destroyed them with idiotic wheels, roof racks full of pineapples, tricycles and shit suitcases, and paint stripped off cos it looks gud* m8.... wankers.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Plus one in the rs1600i, one of the most disappointing cars I ever drove, looked great and had lovely seats but no match at all for the rs turbo which was a really special car to drive, just did everything better despite what the internet bores will tell you.

 

I had a black one in 1989. It was like an XR3i but harder work to drive fast, terrible brakes, great seats, poor ride. It was £2800 iirc. 

 

A mate had a C plate Alfa 33 1.5 Green Cloverleaf that was a much nicer car.

[outlaw118]

To be honest, I'd have any of my old cars again - probably rose tinted specs and all that, but they all had redeeming features.

 

If pushed, probably either my Mark 2 1300 Capri or my 2002 Seat Leon were the two most annoying/troublesome/expensive/marmite cars i've owned, so would rank those as the least likely to want again.

 

Would have another Volvo V40 T4 again tomorrow, in fact if my old one came back up for sale, I'd be there like a shot.... as long as it works now....

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Nope the springs are so short and so stiff you may as well just fit a piece of billet steel. What you need is new cones made to original spec rather than the thirty year old lumps of coal. They still arent exactly RR comfortable but are liveable with even with my arthritic spine.

 

I can’t think of a single car for this list, there are cars I used to like and still do and cars I used to think were shit and still do.

 

Even better - don't laugh - is Hydrolastic. Issigonis and Moulton designed all this for a reason and a good one with low mileage displacers is simply lovely to drive.

 

A few years back I drove a very low mileage 1971 Clubman 998. It had done about 20'000 miles and had been restored bodywise. I couldn't believe how well it drove, really comfy ride and 97% of the usual Mini point and squirt. It didn't handle quite as well as a dry one but the ride made it worth giving up the 3%. By contract, a restored 1971 Cooper S on hydro was abysmal- shagged old displacers despite being re-hosed and the correct ride height. 

All three of my Old Man's Minis (65 850, 67 Cooper and a 1970 GT) were 'wet' and he always said the dry Mini was nowhere near as nice to drive. They were all bought at about a year or two old and low mileage.

[Felly Magic]

Skoda Fabia mk1, bought new, biggest mistake ever. Became very unreliable, and the common PAS fault finished it off. 

[Shep Shepherd]

My first car was a 1989 mark 3 Fiesta 1.1LX in 1996. I loved it at the time, but I imagine that owning even one of the better surviving examples nowadays would be a slow, noisy, uncomfortable and rusty nightmare. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Pillock]

VW Beetle.

 

I loved mine, it was my ticket to being a young adult and able to go anywhere. I made many friends through the clubs, formed relationships, learned things, drank things. All as a result of the "scene".

 

I wouldn't have another ; they're shit. They're slow, they rust like fuck, half the "experts" are out to rip you off, and now the scene is full of tedious wankers.

 

(It's possible BTW that the scene has never changed, and I just grew up. Who knows)

[anonymous user]

All the ones I won't be able to get in and out of now, I'm just glad that I had them then and not now. (Minis, Lotus 7, Spitfires, MGs, Morgan's, etc.)

[GoGently]

Fiat Strada shocking electrics

[Tamworthbay]

Even better - don't laugh - is Hydrolastic. Issigonis and Moulton designed all this for a reason and a good one with low mileage displacers is simply lovely to drive.

 

A few years back I drove a very low mileage 1971 Clubman 998. It had done about 20'000 miles and had been restored bodywise. I couldn't believe how well it drove, really comfy ride and 97% of the usual Mini point and squirt. It didn't handle quite as well as a dry one but the ride made it worth giving up the 3%. By contract, a restored 1971 Cooper S on hydro was abysmal- shagged old displacers despite being re-hosed and the correct ride height. 

All three of my Old Man's Minis (65 850, 67 Cooper and a 1970 GT) were 'wet' and he always said the dry Mini was nowhere near as nice to drive. They were all bought at about a year or two old and low mileage.

Hydrolastic is fantastic in every way but one - parts availability, sadly keeping the system in good condition isn’t easy (or cheap) but it’s a great system when working and a perfect example of the innovation present in the much maligned British car industry. My understanding is that the only reason for the swap back to dry was cost, sad really.

[HMC]

We had a discovery mk1 a few years back. OBV we could have bought a better one but fighting the rust creeping through the inner structure largely unseen was utterly utterly depressing.

[DavieW]

My E36 BMW 318iS. Not a patch on my earlier E30 iS. Soft, slow and rusty. 

[M'coli]

Mk1 Metro - my first car, and my 4th car, but even when I bought my 3rd one 14 years ago I knew it would probably be my last: I did buy a mk2 MG Metro the next year as a stop-gap car, but the fact that the mk1 got fitted with interconnected Rover Metro hydragas cans a few months after buying it spoke volumes: a brief dalliance with a diesel mk3 proved just how much nicer to live with on shit roads the interconnected suspension was.

[M'coli]

 

"mk3 Escort RS1600i stuff"

 

I had a black one in 1989. It was like an XR3i but harder work to drive fast, terrible brakes, great seats, poor ride. It was £2800 iirc. 

 

A mate had a C plate Alfa 33 1.5 Green Cloverleaf that was a much nicer car.

I read only recently that the homologation schedules for Grp.A. 'helped' in this, because it was based on the original XR3 but far more expensive than the XR3 and the subsequent XR3i that came a few months later.

 

At the same time, I miss homologation specials - they were special. My uncle's Astra GTE had no sunroof and wind-up windows, because it was one of the first 5000 built - but the slower ones with sunroof and electric stuff retailed for more...