Car nostalgia

Guys,

Here's the love of my life...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SthbMswkef4

I've had a Nissan 200SX which was huuuuge fun, a Maxda RX-8 (which did 17mpg average over 76,000 miles) but was probably the best handling car I've ever driven (I'm a big fella so I don't fit in stuff like Elises or Caterhams) but I love grumbly V8's...

Phil

the lancia stratos,

for those who dont know, to see

and for those who do know, to drool over

I was in the very very fortunate position to drive one of those just before it was completely stripped down for a full nut and bolt level restoration ... I have never been so scared in my life! It was half a lifetime ago for me and I remember being terrified more than I remember the actual drive.

That's the beauty of a two stroke engine!

A list

'34ish  Rover12 learnt how to use first and reverse in the garage area we kept it, learnt how to use spanners, it had wood worm as it was ash framed a with ali panels.

Y type Ford of similar vintage on a mates farm, leant to use more gears, it failed MOT, it was never fixed so dumped. 

Morris 10 just about ran , short distances, other wise it blew out core plugs, first passion wagon.

'62 Mini van to carry the pram as a result of previous car.

"E" reg 1500 Cortina, rear end damage during a fast return from Croydon.

"H" reg 1600 Cortina not much to report, it finally rusted it's turrets.

"T" reg Fiesta 1300 S.

"X" Escort 1600 fwd boring

"G" Capri 1600 GT bought crash damaged jig straightened and fitted with GLX bonnet grill and wheels.

"T"  Capri 200 Ghia , with brown vinyl roof "wow" OK car.

"A" Cavalier 1800 SRI 4 door .

"E" Jetta GTI now we are talking, good car.

"J" Golf GTI MK2 at last a GTI, surprised at how much better the Golf was compared to the Jetta. 1998-2012.

Along side the Golf

"B" Polo 1000

"K" Polo 1300

"S" Polo 1400 son still runs this.

From 2012 Mazda MX5 1800, MK2.5.

Lots of 2 wheeled Italian 2 stoke machines of the Lambretta variety also.

Nice music Phil.

Big H,

   That's. Really entertaining post,thanks for sharing that.

Key question---- the Morris passion wagon blowing core plugs. Is that the result of the steam build up in the car ?

Phil, 

    I am so green with envy. Must be a life changing moment ( or trouser changing), happy memories I am sure

Paul

Maze,

   is resize of those wheels. Has to be a home built job ?

Any more details in the memory bank ?

Phil,

    What a nice video clip.

I luuuuuurv TVR's.

Do you still have it or has it melted ?

Is that themodel that is in swordfish?

The "Swordfish" car is a Tuscan (they used three and shot the crap out of two of them) only the third remains roadworthy - registration W998AFR (Yes, I am that sad) and it was for a while owned by a fellow "Pistonheader" whose PistonHeads profile name was "Swordfish" ... I believe it is now in Belgium owned by another Pistonheader who goes by the name of "Pascal".

Mine I still have and drive to work every day (I'm told that she's sideways every night within about 50 yards of being started up) ... she's a cantankerous old bugger but - unlike the ex-wife - I love her too much to ever get rid of her.  

I passed my test in one of these. 25hp I believe. Since then I've always had company cars which I won't bore you with. The mere mention of Sierra's, Vectra's and Skoda's will send you all to sleep

I was a lot slimmer than I am now and still remember almost needing to grease myself up to fit.

The driving position was definitely "offset" (although I don't remember it being as bad as the Countach I had a go in) but it was definitely noisy and at the time it felt incredibly rapid.

At the same sort of time I was tooling around occasionally in a Mk3 escort that had been fitted with Sierra 4x4 running gear and a Turbo Technics twin turbo V6 that was owned by an acquaintance or a Delta Integrale that was owned by a colleagues boyfriend so I was used to stuff that would shift a bit.

The Countach was probably the worst mistake - they say never to meet your hero's and I can only say that in this case it's never been truer ... I have memories of being on the A31 in it, heading out of Four Marks towards Alton, then across the roundabout and along the Alton bypass and then "giving it some beans" before braking for the roundabout at the bottom of the hill on the Farnham side of Alton from about *cough* mph and thinking "this thing just isn't going to stop!!!"

I don't know who papped themselves more - me or the owner (who was sat beside me) and who had been encouraging me to give it some legs!

What else have I had a play in ... hmm ... there was the ex-wifes uncles Maranello (on the same weekend that Beckham got done for 70mph in a 50 limit in his Maranello on the A34 we were on the A34 outside of Winchester having much more fun!) and the Beecham Jag that he had after it when he wrote off the fezza.

There was also a friends Ariel Atom too - just the 200hp version but that was still an incredible ride!

I've had some fun...

This is my sons Toyoya Tsport

200bhp and super quick, loves drifting and is a typical "boy racer"

1. Phil, a nice post, thanks for sharing those memories.

I recall that the stratos was a major development in its time because it was the firts and only car to offer a 100%  power to weight ratio, justr had a record of catching fire thats all.

In my youth i had many a year being involved in rally driving at National level. I used to drive an escort mk 1 RS1600 with a variety of engines ranging from the RS1600 engine, ford BDA engine and lotus twin cam engines.

Cost me a fortune/.i recall once having an engine completely rebuilt professionally and having a "racing clearance" put on the pistons, only to enter the next rally and seized the engine within 2 miles of the start.

Once has the car prepped for a tarmac race, with 12" racing slicks, took in onto the public road briefly and was stopped by the police. charged with driving with 4 bald tyres and got 4 endorsements in one go.

Those were the days

This is my current baby.

An audi quattro 4.2 V8 beast that loves burbling along.

350 BHP and all ali body,

great motor. costs a fortune to own though

Remires same here first car/van i owned was a HA.

Steve, hope that wasn't a post office van you used for the test

An exige is not a very practical car...

Thats true, the Elise is much more tesco friendly ??

Here's one of my little toys - a Westfield. A real hoot to drive, very impractical and almost impossible to get out of with the "roof" up.

It was a joke, but the Elise is a more practical car. For one, it's an open top car so getting in and out is much easier and this makes it possible to fit a baby seat. And the boot's big enough for a laptop bag and other bits.

But who has an Elise for convenience? It's a beauty, and drives very well, on dry roads at least. I don't take my kids to school in it, because I would have to shuttle them one at a time and the additional speed doesn't make up for the time loss.

Cheers,

EJ

Tony, good looking motor. I built a similar car around 20 years ago which was called a Moss roadster and was built on a triumph vitesse chassis and had the straight six engine.

One day I will get a caterham 7

That's how I took it EJ.

At my time of life I could not get close enough to the floor for other model.

Other car I would love to try is a weissman, seen them loads of times on the F1 circuits before the main races, and they look and sound immense

Paul, you may well get one, but if you want to drive it make sure you fit first.  I made that mistake once.  The Caterham guys tried ever so hard, including hastily fitting a quick-release steering wheel to their demonstrator. That got me in - just - but the pedals and my size 13s were the final nail in the coffin of my Super Seven plans...

My first wheels:

1250cc of beige-coloured trundlement, 1982.  (stock photo, not my actual car CRX 524J) I could change an Avenger starter motor in 15 mins.

steve