dc2100k Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I tried a Corolla T-Sport with the 190bhp engine in it and I was unimpressed. Nothing good under 6000rpm and when the lift kicks in it wasn't that fast. You couldn't really rev match smoothly on downshifts as the engine is so peaky. The Rover VVC mill is a better unit IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I can't understand anyone needs 190bhp to tackle B roads which have a speed limit of 60 mph? Most of them have shite, potholed surfaces. Wouldn't you be better off revving your Herald a bit more? It's rear wheel drive & I'll bet it'll manage 60 in third. Alusilber and Craig the Princess 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2100k Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 5 minutes ago, barefoot said: I can't understand anyone needs 190bhp to tackle B roads which have a speed limit of 60 mph? Most of them have shite, potholed surfaces. Wouldn't you be better off revving your Herald a bit more? It's rear wheel drive & I'll bet it'll manage 60 in third. Presented without comment: loserone, blakey79, face and 6 others 2 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dome Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, dc2100k said: I tried a Corolla T-Sport with the 190bhp engine in it and I was unimpressed. Nothing good under 6000rpm and when the lift kicks in it wasn't that fast. You couldn't really rev match smoothly on downshifts as the engine is so peaky. The Rover VVC mill is a better unit IMO. The T-sport engine is a peach but the corolla is a shite place to put it. Stick it in a mk3 MR2 to set it free! Although the shoeless one has a point, as I said they come on cam at 55mph in 2nd and will keep pulling as long as you keep throwing gears at it. Still, it's nice to be able to do that. In the right place at the right time it's phenomenal. Dick Longbridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, dc2100k said: Presented without comment: TBH I think that makes my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2100k Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, barefoot said: I can't understand anyone needs 190bhp to tackle B roads which have a speed limit of 60 mph? Most of them have shite, potholed surfaces. Wouldn't you be better off revving your Herald a bit more? It's rear wheel drive & I'll bet it'll manage 60 in third. But with this logic even the dual carriageways and motorways in this sceptred isle only have a maximum speed limit of 70mph which I'm sure the Herald will do in fourth. And if not the Herald then certainly a Vitesse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtriple Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I would definitely vote for the venerable MX5 in any incarnation to be honest, they are all fun. Scimitars are dreadful heaps of shit but at least the SE5 is fun to drive, the 6 is a step too far in the direction of comfort. Actually, they aren't all that bad but they are so flimsy in places (interior) and so archaic in others (front suspension) they need more time spent fettling than driving. Sorry for the Scimitar lovers out there, I do ave 'form' for them (had loads from a mint and brilliant SE5 manual with overdrive to awful SE6 autos) so am possibly, biased. Same goes for the MG B, piles of utter crap and an MX5 will knock one into a cocked hat in every way exept unreliability! Again, sorry but I have had a couple and they are tosh and so over-rated/priced. That's just put me on a few more peoples 'ignore' list! barefoot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 42 minutes ago, dome said: The T-sport engine is a peach but the corolla is a shite place to put it. Stick it in a mk3 MR2 to set it free! Although the shoeless one has a point, as I said they come on cam at 55mph in 2nd and will keep pulling as long as you keep throwing gears at it. Still, it's nice to be able to do that. In the right place at the right time it's phenomenal. Baffaling that Toyota made far more 190 Corollas than Celicas and didn't do any MR2s at all. And don't get me started on the fact their most sporty engine was a peaky n/a 1.8 (that, i read, rarely ever made the 190 claimed) after years of 2.0 litre turbos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scdan4 Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 How about a kei? A Suzuki cappuccino, daihatsu Copen. Type thing. 600ccs of raw power but very rewarding to keep on song. Lots and lots of cool tuning bolt ons available (albeit internationally) as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, dc2100k said: Edited February 4, 2020 by barefoot Edited cause can't be arsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liggle Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 MK3 MR2 - I've had 2x MK1s but they are suffering now and £2k could get a snotter. Ford Puma 1.7 - mine was great fun and you'd get a tidy one in budget. E36 323i/328i - I've had modified E36's and they are easy to work on and drive great. Or were in 2012 but thats 8 more years of rust lol. Dick Longbridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 7 hours ago, xtriple said: Same goes for the MG B, piles of utter crap and an MX5 will knock one into a cocked hat in every way exept unreliability! Again, sorry but I have had a couple and they are tosh and so over-rated/priced. Having owned a MX5 MK1 and a MK3 I whole heartedly agree they are great cars. However I wouldn't sell my MGB GT for another one... My Boxster is a much better car than the MX5 in everyway (apart from cheapness of running/maintenance) and I prefer it over an MX5 however I love my MGB GT more... Make that as you will. Or make that as you judge me! The MGB on paper is a loaf of cack compared to anything more modern. But I still get the most enjoyment out of it. I find it absolutely at best bombing down a B road, at legal speeds (probably well under...) and having an absolute ball. Probably the only car that I had nearly as much fun in was my SMART Roadster. That was an absolute blast as a fun toy. Extremely tempted to get another. MX5 is a better car than one and I'd choose an MX5 over one as an everyday car. But the SMART Roadster was a great toy. chadders and Kringle 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfella2 Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Another two for you consideration, 1st a favourite of mine, and I would probably have one if I hadn't got a Clio 182, is the MG ZS180 shares it's DNA with a 90's civic but tweaked to perfection by mg to create possibly one of the finest fwd chassis if it's day. Seem to be getting rarer by the day, most of the sheds have been scrapped and anything half decent seems to be appreciating price wise. 2nd Ignis sport, bullet proof cam chain engine mated to a car that again has a great chassis, but often not taken too seriously due the marmite looks of one. Probably not that quick in a straight line but great fun in the twisties nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtriple Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 52 minutes ago, SiC said: Having owned a MX5 MK1 and a MK3 I whole heartedly agree they are great cars. However I wouldn't sell my MGB GT for another one... My Boxster is a much better car than the MX5 in everyway (apart from cheapness of running/maintenance) and I prefer it over an MX5 however I love my MGB GT more... Make that as you will. Or make that as you judge me! The MGB on paper is a loaf of cack compared to anything more modern. But I still get the most enjoyment out of it. I find it absolutely at best bombing down a B road, at legal speeds (probably well under...) and having an absolute ball. Probably the only car that I had nearly as much fun in was my SMART Roadster. That was an absolute blast as a fun toy. Extremely tempted to get another. MX5 is a better car than one and I'd choose an MX5 over one as an everyday car. But the SMART Roadster was a great toy. As you say, everyone has an opinion, it's just that yours is wrong! Okay, I had a Heritage shelled, mint in every way MG B roadster and it was terrible. Was not nice to drive, worse to own (though I did make a tasty profit when I sold it) and though it cost me a fortune to buy, I hated it. Conversely, a friend had a beaten to death chrome bumper B GT MOD and it was a riot to drive, just great fun. Granted, it was rusty, unreliable and leaked like a sieve but it was good to drive. I have so far had all of the first three series of MX5 and I loved them all even though two of them were autos. I just think for the money, an MX5 at a grand is a far better car than an MG B at twice/three times the amount. An awful lot of the fun factor with MGs is who had them before, how well they were looked after and why it's up for sale. MX5s seem to suffer fools and idiots with more aplomb and therefore they get the nod. I have never driven a Boxster or a Smart roadster though I have always wanted to try/own both. I love the Smart with the sloping back window, not so keen on the notchback version but have always been put off by dubious build quality and water leaks SAM units dying and the dodgy gearchange. The Boxster... well the worse thing about them is it's a Porsche! I mean if we are using bias (which we are now, obviously) then the correct choice is an SLK as they are far superior in every way to any other car on the planet. The only reason I didn't immediately offer up the Baby Benz was so that I could, at a later date. win the argument outright and retire victorious! I like my SLK enormously: it feels like a more grown-up and more refined MX5 but with toys and comforts the Mazda can only dream about. Oh yes, it's a quick little bugger with great brakes and seems to handle fine. But, I get the feeling that when you really push it (not that I have) the handling would feel dead, lifeless and all the safety aids that you cannot turn off would take some of the fun out of it. Also, it's one of those cars (like the Boxster I presume) that is so competant, that by the time yu are having fun with the handling, you are going rather faster than is safe or sensible and one mistake will result in a big BIG accident rather than a jolly jape to tell all your friends about on a dark night over a pint. Stevebrookman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2100k Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 26 minutes ago, bigfella2 said: Another two for you consideration, 1st a favourite of mine, and I would probably have one if I hadn't got a Clio 182, is the MG ZS180 shares it's DNA with a 90's civic but tweaked to perfection by mg to create possibly one of the finest fwd chassis if it's day. Seem to be getting rarer by the day, most of the sheds have been scrapped and anything half decent seems to be appreciating price wise. 2nd Ignis sport, bullet proof cam chain engine mated to a car that again has a great chassis, but often not taken too seriously due the marmite looks of one. Probably not that quick in a straight line but great fun in the twisties nonetheless. Two excellent suggestions. However, if the ZS180 is on the menu then what about the Accord Type-R? 210bhp and an excellent chassis by all accounts. The other thing I have noticed whilst idly wasting my life weeding through classified is how many of them for sale are on 200k+ miles which shurley points towards a longevity that Longbridge's 'Project Drive' last hurrah could only dream of. bigfella2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Another vote for Mk3 MR2 Roadster here. Previously owned a number of mk1 MX5s and whilst they're actually excellent little cars, the MR2 is much easier to live with day to day. It feels much more solid, planted and also has bags of character. I still kick myself for leaving ours on the drive after almost five years of ownership (which is a record in almost thirty years of owning cars) purely because I've discovered E85 Z4s are better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovorsche Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 The ZS180 is a hooligan of a drive and no I'm keeping mine for a while longer, just need a dry weekend to sort out the original clutch, no mention of a change in the history file. Its not very water tight but when it works it gives me the Fizz! and I forget completely about the damp carpet and just hang-on, it feels like it will headbutt you into a hedge if you cross its limits but dares you to try and find them. More fun than a Z3. I had a brief thrash in an X plate Ignis 1.3, it was a scrabbly thing but very eager, I can only assume the 1.5 sport is much more fun. The much newer Swift 1.6 sport has a few cars falling under the 2k budget and 10% more power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_bunter Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 talking about rusty and unreliable... Late 90's Fiat uno sport. Hoot too drive always going 20MPH slower than the fun you were having. Would love to try the same era Cinq. Apparently that is an absolute blast. All other thoughts already covered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpi_matrix Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Some great suggestions on this thread and a few options I hadnt considered, a lot of options ive already owned: MX5 - already owned, brillant to drive but was too reliable, noting really to tinker with and no room for the dog. Maybe a turbo one, one day. Mk3 Golf - Not feeling it, they seem a bit meh Corsa with engine swap - Just a car ive never wanted to own, not matter how tarted up 206 GTi - Not feeling it, and quite modern Primera - Too long 216 GTi - Too long ZX - Already owned (wouldnt exactly decribe it as a b-road blaster, more like boring commuter) Hyundai Accent MVi - Really? Toyota Celica - Too long MGB GT - Already owned ZS180 - Too long Accord Type R - Too long MGF & MR2 - Yes one day, but for a bit of summer fun rather then keep for a while, plenty to choose from Short list: 306 GTi-6/Rallye Suzuki Cappuccino - So nearly bid on the one just sold on ebay MG ZR Proton Satria Gti - Maybe, but also come across as slow? And rare as nowadays However I may have found something that no one has mentioned, will make a collection thread if anything happens.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraz Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 On 2/3/2020 at 6:51 PM, dome said: P.S. one of the worst cars I've ever driven was a MK3 Golf GTi owned by @Fraz on here. I had to drive it back from a collection mission to proxima centauri, or so it felt at the time. Having came from MK2 Gtis and 205 GTis which I road rallied back in the day it came as massive disappointment. Gutless, lardy and not fit to carry the GTi badge Still enough to scare greg when it randomly spun out on a roundabout ? dome 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraz Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 What about a xsara vts? Same engine as a 306 Gti 6 but with 5 gears. I enjoyed mine and it was awfully cheap, both times I bought it! dome 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chancer Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 No mention of a mini cooper S yet?? Utterly fantastic when they work....not sure if these qualify as too new for you though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2100k Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 7 hours ago, hpi_matrix said: However I may have found something that no one has mentioned, will make a collection thread if anything happens.... Oh go on then... Daihatsu Sirion Rally 2? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910103176228?postcode=eh166jd&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=relevance&radius=1501&make=DAIHATSU&model=SIRION&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&page=1&modal=photos (Unfortunately an auto and not a Rally but still a 1.3 and is that a 7500rpm redline I spy grandad?) garethj 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan_dyane Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Primera GT is hard to beat, I often wish I still had mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Good shout on the Puma, had forgotten that. Horrible car to be a passenger in but an absolute blast to drive. Gearchange was a thing of joy as I recall too, especially with the milled alloy gearknob they had. In a same vein: Original Ford Ka. Unassuming little thing, but they handle like a go kart and on a twisty road it's possible to maintain seemingly unfeasible amounts of momentum despite the low power figure on tap. Speaking of maintaining momentum though...Xantia Activa. So far that car has utterly destroyed any cross country journey time record I've previously set... despite my having far more of a sense of self preservation than in years gone by! LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 You should get an mgf because I have one. Sir Snipes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoptix Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 20 hours ago, Fraz said: What about a xsara vts? Same engine as a 306 Gti 6 but with 5 gears. I enjoyed mine and it was awfully cheap, both times I bought it! Bargain Xsara VTS on ebay at the moment. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F202827271534 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 14 minutes ago, djoptix said: You should get an mgf because I have one. My wife keeps going on about me chopping the Laguna in for the MG TF that is for sale in a garage around the corner. Usually it's her telling me off for changing cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyk Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 106 rallye/gti, saxo vtr/s, 205, polo gt/g40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garythesnail Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Not sexy but could it fit the bill? (or in the garage) http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202001246537106?atmobcid=soc3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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