Cars You Wish You'd Kept

[Parky]

My first Renault 5. EMT 113V was eleven when it became my first car. It was either a £500 Renault 18 in top condition, or the £400 Renault 5 in shite condition. Dad was convinced I couldnt handle 1647cc of tarmac ripping OHV engine so the immaculate 18 was passed over......It leaked everything. Oil, Water, brake fluid. Only owned it about 8 months but spent about twice the purchase price in repairs before flicking it on for a fraction of what I paid. That said, if I had stored it somewhere where the decay wouldnt have got any worst, I could now afford to fix it properly and have a very useful second motor.

[Guest Tony Hayers]

Mine would be a 91 405 1.9 GTX in white. A total heap of shite that broke down all the time for a 6 YO car, it was that bad I dont even have a picture of it. But it was GR8 4 UNLICENCED TAXI OUTSIDE KWIK SAVE 2 GET U SHOPPING HOME when people knocked on the window and asked how much for a fare to the Red Lion on a Friday night

[AXrescuer]

This just about sums up the ones I should have kept!

 

 

The last one, my 740 Turbo is the one I miss most.

[brammy777]

Wish we had kept this, was 8 years old and only had 22,000 miles on the clock when we got rid.

It was too thirsty to keep, and was a bit big for our requirments.

 

Scary, I saw it yesterday about 4 miles from my house, and after 6 years, it still looks the same.

[Negative Creep]

I don't regret selling any of my past cars. They all went at a point I was bored of them or realised they were going to cost big bucks to run. However, in the spirit of the thread here are my favourites:

 

My first rwd car. Slow, wobbly, rusty but a hoot to drive. Never, ever broke down in a year and led to lots of interesting roundabout moments. You could also get 10 people in (so I've been told)

 

 

AX GT500 with a Saxo VTR engine. Awesome little car, just so much fun to drive

 

 

As they just feel 'right' straight away. Not quick in a straight line, but handling is little short of astonishing. Everyone must own one at some point

 

 

Plus of course the Datsun, if only for the attention and grin factor

[seth]

 

Having given this a new lease of life after it had been stuck in a garage for umpteen years it proved super reliable and took us on several enjoyable weekends away etc. The impossibility of sensibly fitting three point rear seat belts for the child seat ultimately meant it had to go, though we made a good profit on it. Quite possibly the best condition vehicle I've owned.

[Burnside]

Got to be my first car. As ive already mentioned elsewhere on autoshite. My 1986 Talbot samba style reg. C347 KDA. Brought when i was 16 out the local paper. Haggled the price down to 130 quid from 200. Was a great car. Never let me down in 5 years of owning it and took me all the way to newquay for a 2 week holiday and let my mate learn to drive in it round the campsite and had some girls dressed in nurse outfits flash me when i gave them the horn in the town centre! Never complained when i thrashed it and all it ever needed was a oil change once a year and it was happy. Best money i ever spent. Although i have been missing my 89 fiat tipo 1.4 DGT i had 2 years ago. G536 BDP. Only had it 6 mths but was a little flyer! Would get a 115 mph on that excellent DGT dashboard without complant. Had quite a few scrapes down the sides as it was an ex london car so i proudly offend my snobby neighbours with it. And once the front indicator fell off down the A5! Only sold it because some dickhead garage i paid to change the cambelt timed it up wrong and knackered the engine. Had no job at the time and got depressed at it being stuck outside the house with no money to fix it so stupidly sold it for a £100. Lost £250 on money id spent on it but i did only pay £77 off ebay for it! Think i might be tempted to try and find another.

[Guest]

Usually I enjoy a car and am happy to see it go but I would have kept this if I had space.

 

 

Owned early 2005 until mid 2008.

Mk1 2.0i GLS. Cost me £330 on ebay, great condition, cost sod all to run, big enough to get all my crap in. Rare car too, came with factory fitted lowered suspension.

I did sell it for about £200 more than I paid for it which is some consolation.....

[Futuramic]

My Xantia. I miss the pleasant roar and pulling power of the 1.8 16v lump. It was nippy, good on petrol and quite quick. I miss the quirky folding plip key and the remote locking. I miss the freight train brakes that could stop the thing with eye popping force.I miss the wafty isolation from the elements afforded by the hydropneumatics. I also miss the flat handling. I miss the way the tyres would bite deep into a corner and the car would hunker down, transfer a bit of fluid and go round as if guided by lasers. I miss the little lever that transformed it from a 4x4 to an LA lowrider with no effort.I miss the crisp styling and futuristic looks. I miss the comfortable seats and top end radio. I miss the good driving position and rifle bolt gearchange.I do not miss the disintegrating interior trim, the shocking build quality or the myriad warning lights that foretold death of the fuel injectors. I also got pissed off by the fact the paint peeled off the bonnet.One day I shall have another, preferably a dark coloured Berline with a big diesel and a manual.

[Guest]

I never actually owned it.

 

 

Toyota Carina E 2.0 CDX automatic in white, 5-door hatchback with the mad 3-part rear spoiler. Had cracked 100K but was such a lovely motor to drive. I just borrowed it as part of a few car delivery missions, was later sold to someone. I should have bought it! It wasn't even that pricey. Luckily it went to a good home and they're looking after it.

[Guest Tony Hayers]

The last one, my 740 Turbo is the one I miss most.

Cough buy mine Cough @ georgezippybungle - I remember that Sierra from the FSOC forum.