Peak 1980s uber wedge barge anyone?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I’ve seen a couple up close ( waitrose Sunningdale carpark, and Surrey paint craft across the road from work). It doesn’t sit well on the wheelbase, I can’t explain it better, but it’s not quite right.

 

Maybe the Camargue is trying to be a Fiat 130 coupe?

[Junkman]

The Camargue looks shit from any angle. What other reason to buy one do you need?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The Camargue was designed by Gentlemen, for Gentlemen. Sadly I'll never own one.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The last one I saw this year was black with black leather and £50k!

 

 

Some (several) fools paid more for an RS2000. A Mark 1 Escort with a fucking Transit engine.

[sutty2006]

How have I missed this thread before? That bitter is stunning. Any more wedgelike and you’ll have a lagonda parked along side. (Lagonda is the only Aston I like). You need a cape, sir. A beige cape. Well done.

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, Strela said:

Meantime the venerable Merc strides imperiously into its 37th year and clicked over 125k miles, taking in the Spring Scramble at Bicester, an exploratory trip to try some Bristols (very fine) and a 365 GT4 (truly epic), a highly recommended driving day at Tuckett Bros Model T Ford specialist (father and nephew pictured striking out to the future in a 100 year old car - love this photo), the Silverstone Classic, and an annual trip to Scotland. Not the most interesting car out there, but properly looked after these 107s just keep going. 

 

Always a favourite of mine & my partner, they're lovely cars.

That colour is soooo cool.

[ETCHY]

36 minutes ago, Strela said:

Do you have one? I first drove a 280SL because I wanted to try the engine with a view to buying a W123 saloon, but found the SL fitted the bill well enough, my mind was made up. I wasn't bothered about which engine, so I ended up with this nice little V8. I do about 4k miles a year in it and it bombs along so nicely I'm not even interested in trying the 500. Got caught speeding in it this year for the first time in 25 years of driving. Drove it from Galway to Oxford in eighteen hours last year, and did 1700 miles from Chipping Norton to Orkney and back the year before. It's taken big heap welding, an engine rebuild, new exhaust, brakes and shocks, period correct Michelin tyres (well worth it), most windows, a big bucket of orange paint and a lot else besides to future proof it. I'm not interested in having a trailer queen, but it's still not quite as good as I want it. I have thought about selling it to indulge other follies, but it's just such a delightful car I can't justify getting rid. It's about to go in for a service and MOT. It's passed the last six MOTs with no advisories, so we must be doing something right. 

The Bitter is a totally different animal. Anyone who has driven a Monza or Senator would find it a scream. It's a wonderful curio. Pulls like a train, drinks like a fish, donuts everywhere, looks like a four seater De Lorean, sounds bloody brilliant - an anonymous handbuilt piece of exotica and completely thankless nightmare to own, on the brink of extinction ever since it was produced. There's ploughing your own furrow. And there's owning a Bitter.

Hi

No, alas we don't an SL. It was one of those cars we always lusted after as they're just so cool, usually auto's & just look right in a solid '70's Germanic way.  Prices have really started to shift now so I doubt we'll ever get one.

I always rather liked the "panzerwagen" nickname too, as solid, they certainly are. I'd not seen one in that colour before, I like it a lot.

Nice motor, I hope you continue to enjoy it for sometime

Must admit whilst I'd seen Bitters at shows I really don't know much about them.

[inconsistant]

Funny, I was just thinking of this thread and your car at the weekend when I came across the Bitter stand at the NEC show.  They are lovely cars.

[Youngsod]

Joy! And what a lovely thing to behold. If you ever find yourself in Cambridge again, do let me know so I can pay homage to you and the Bitter.

[Youngsod]

Thank you! I promise not to drool...too much.

[Skizzer]

Fabulous to see the Bitter back under power again. Both it and the R107 are magnificent cars and definitely on my shortlist of lust.

[ChinaTom]

On 11/15/2019 at 6:15 PM, inconsistant said:

Funny, I was just thinking of this thread and your car at the weekend when I came across the Bitter stand at the NEC show.  They are lovely cars.

I think that belongs to my pal Rob. I’m due a ride in it when I eventually get into a position where he can stop storing my Jag for me. He has quite a collection.

[vulgalour]

Hooray!

[mk2_craig]

Brill! The one thing that - to me - jars slightly about the way it looks is the curvature of the front plate, it's not missing some sort of mount panel that provides a flatter surface (e.g. E46 or F30 3 series) is it? Might a pressed steel plate sit more tightly than a plastic one?

[Rocket88]

On 8/22/2020 at 10:18 PM, Strela said:

Finally back on the road!

I still wake up in a cold sweat about the blue one I had.............which was an absolute nightmare. Picked up from outskirts of Brum about 8 years ago,.........on the drive to my sister's place in Bristol, the oil cooler exploded.......after getting that fixed, it broke down repeatedly with sundry electrical faults, and the exhaust back box falling off. Fitted an aftermarket rear box, which had the hilarious consequence of heating up the exhaust manifold so much in glowed orange in the dark. Then the fuel pump went south.....fixed that, and despatched it to SWVA with crossed fingers, preparing to lose a fortune. To my amazement, some poor sod in Norway bought it for a good price, and I escaped relatively unscathed in the wallet.

[Rocket88]

19 minutes ago, Strela said:

Not wishing to retraumatise you, but here's a photo of yours (I think, on the right) in the only English language book on Bitters, published a few years before you had it. Car 333, I think. Mine is 334.

Car 666 would have been more accurate.....that bloody thing was haunted................! Have you heard any other reports of glowing exhaust manifolds ?

[NigeT]

Not sure if I'd count it as a barge but it's got a splendid V8, is very mildly wedgey, can fit 2 suitcases on the rear seats and is 1982-vintage.  Owned it for many years and is a crackingly good drivers car. I'm yet to meet a Mondial-hater who's ever driven one.  

 

[Rocket88]

Always liked the look of these...............

[Tadhg Tiogar]

31 minutes ago, Strela said:

.....The only one I've seen with an alternative is one with an oval plate (not sure which country) attached at a single point in the centre of the bumper....

That oval plate might have been the oul West German export plates

[Rocket88]

Presume they can be welded up..............or is that a no-no ?

[NigeT]

Been a while since I've seen an update here - if I'm hijacking the thread I'll start a new one but being a wedge-lover I reckon it's worth resurrecting. After far too long sitting idle with only the occasional local run, the normally very reliable Mondial wasn't firing as it normally does. Today I replaced the plugs (access to one bank is tighter than a gnat's arse but doable with patience and the right combination of sockets, the other is easier but needs the big pipe to the throttle body removed which is surprisingly tricky to replace afterwards) and it's running great again. Old plugs were sooty so time for some more investigation, wondering if it's worth investing in the relevant Bosch fuel pressure tester before I start delving deeper.