Favourite older cars of younger days.

I wouldn't know, I'm pretending that I haven't seen them.

There was an earlier mention of an Alfasud - a friend of mine had one. Excellent car (I had a brief time with a Sprint Veloce but the dreaded rust reared it's head) and his was, and you will not believe it, rust free. Superb vehicle to drive, quick and fabulous handling. A beautiful car until it was totalled by another friend of mine in a bizarre accident in the middle of the night and involving a field. But that's another story.

Mike

On the Crap Cars book cover.....

Is that a 262 Coupe? I saw one last week and nearly drove into a kerb with shock! I hate to say it, but it looked quite good.

Tony

OK maybe not that old but BMW ZM Coupe. Monsterous performance and incredible handling.

quote:

Heavy, dead steering, piss-poor handling, bugger all brakes and insufficient ooomph to pull the skin off a rice pudding!

Marina and Ital; Heavy, dead steering, piss-poor handling, bugger all brakes and a 1.7 litre OHC engine, truly an accident waiting to happen.

57 Vokswagen with the oval window.
At that time the veedub was all the rage as they had featured very strongly in the Redex trials that were annual car rallys around Australia. The event was for the average family car of those days and captured the imagination of the entire population.
There was a dodgy British car put out by Leyland in the early Seventies. I think it was called a P76. At its lauch it was noted that the steering wheel was upside down.

The only vehicle I've actually seen burn out completely was a VM minibus. It was parked on a bridge near the town center with the rubber decorative strip dripping fire onto the road at the back before it took a real hold. Odd really, considering they usually die of rust.
Locally, an epileptic had a fit at the wheel and rammed an old oak tree. The car caught fire and was destroyed. The occupants escaped to drive another day.
They've just reduced the speed limit along this perfectly straight hill with a couple of bends in the mddle. The elderly avenue of oaks has hardly a single surviving example that hasn't severe damage near the base from vehicle impact. Surprising considering the avenue must be a mile long with regularly spaced mature trees on both sides of the road. Even more oddly, the damge has occured both going uphill and down. At least three trees show major burn damage.

Nime

I had a Mini just like Steven Bennett's. Much the most fun to drive of any car I've owned although you required intensive physiotherapy after any journey longer than 100 miles. I'd still be tempted to get another except I discovered that when you collide head-on with a lorry the crumple zone encompasses the entire vehicle.

I recall a very tall friend of my sister's around 1983-4 owned a Mini. He was so tall that people would comment about his choice of the Mini but he claimed with the seat right back it had more leg room than almost every other car on the market.

I've never been sure whether that was true or not.

Deane

Deane,

I'm 6'2" and I passed my driving test (first time) in a Mini Mayfair.

I also had a Mini and I'm a svelt 6ft 2ins.
I wouldn't say it had much legroom, but the seat could be unbolted and then repositioned further back, which, combined with the splayed legs position, was comfortable enough for 1000km trips across euroland.

Seeing a crashed example is indeed a sobering experience......

BOR

The veedub could be used as a minivan. You slid out the passenger seat , removed the entire rear seat and could stack 30 cartons of frozen chickens. Thats 180 very cold chooks. Not done these days, chaps.

The Mini-Marcos was worse than the mini. I eventually lowered the floor pan under my bucket seat by two inches after hitting an invisible ripple at high speed going south through Wales. I hit my head so hard on the roof that I had to stop, get out and stagger about in the freezing rain to recover. Blood everywhere! Ouch!

Nime

That happened to me in the VW. I drove into a wayside stop at night and went down into a huge pothole , the seatbelt snapped and my head hit the roof. The belt had only been fitted as cars in those days were not sold with them. I know they save lives but the freedom when driving without them was marvellous.

quote:

Originally posted by Basil:
Deane,

I'm 6'2" and I passed my driving test (first time) in a Mini Mayfair.

I'm sure you looked lovely, but what kind of car was it dear ?

Fritz Van Vanden Plas Singer

A mini playboy perhaps???

Hy there!
optical wise my vote goes to the Followings:
corvette c3 cabrio with sidepipes year 1969 or 1970.(the chromebumperversions)
corvette c3 1981 targa.
c3 is the legendary zoran duntov "cola bottle
design"and has imo never been topped by any sportscar design until today.

citroen ds 21 or ds 23.a benchmark in functional
and optical
car design.

buick riviera year 1971 "boattail".
a design based on the tail of corvette 1963
until 67 (C2) optical perfect connected with the design of 1970s big us limousines.

Dino 246 (im daytona yellow colour)
another design highlight.

tucker torpedo:
three front lights,(steered with the wheels)
safety belts( in 1948)
crash save cabine
self suicide easy entry doors.
Imo the most innovative car in whole car history.
also the most expensive car all over the world.
only 49pieces built.
think the price for a tucker torpedo is today
nearby 10 millions euro.(all 49 pieces are in excellent condition,no wrecks)
O.J.

Hmm, favourites...

Series one, 4.2 E-type Jaguar FHC.

Aston Martin DB4 Vantage.

STILL some of the best vehicles I've ever driven.

As for looks, not a lot else compares really.

Cheers

John..

Mk II Mini and then a standard Chevette, always lusted after the HSR or Twin Cam Lotus that Brookes and McRae drove before they switched to the Manta.

Andy

I had 2 Austin Healey Sprites 1.3 (same as MG Midgets but with a different badge) which were both excellent and a Lotus Elan +2 which was alternately the best and worst car ever.

Your first car is always your fav isn't it!

A army green Leyland Mini 850 was my prize possession for 2 years.

The engine blew within 6 months and it was replaced with a bored out Austin 1100 block, topped with a Cooper head, webber carb (28/36?), inlet manifold, extractors and a mean straight through central exhaust system.

It went like stink but didn't stop that quick with it's pretty much worn through, all round, drum brakes.

My father called it the "Death Trap".

The Mini was handed to my brother and I took the reigns of a 76 Valiant Regal with the 256 Hemi straight six. Butter/mustard yellow with a black vinyl roof it looked the business. Power brakes, steering and full size armchair front seats that had the coolest fold down armrests! With power everything it had this nasty habit of cutting out when it was cold and you'd lose all steering and braking capability. Not so good for early hill starts.

My father called it the "Aircraft Carrier", certainly as big as and used as much fuel as....

Best
Jay

my TE cortina with 4.1 litre 6 cylinder and 4 speed manual, evil handler but plenty fast in a straight line. After that an XD falcon 5.8 litre V8 4 speed manual, lumpier cam, head and exhaust work, fast car too