Our Car Memories

[lindosfan1]

The one aspect of metrication I've never come to grips with is the price of petrol per litre. Oh, and I miss MPG too - miles per litre means absolutely nothing to me!

I agree, and also I still use feet and inches, now we are out of Europe can we go back.

[Vital Spark]

My first car, which I bought in 1979, was a gorgeous black Triumph Spitfire (G reg). It cost me all my savings - £250 - but was worth every penny. It had a detachable hardtop, so as soon as I bought it I found a soft-top frame in the local scrap yard and the hardtop remained at the end of my parents' garden (much to their disgust).
After taking it for the dreaded pre-MoT check a couple of years later, and being told I'd have to spend quite a lot of money on it to get it through, I sold it for £200.
If I had the spare dosh I'd buy another one tomorrow.

[Dannie Boy]

My first car, which I bought in 1979, was a gorgeous black Triumph Spitfire (G reg). It cost me all my savings - £250 - but was worth every penny. It had a detachable hardtop, so as soon as I bought it I found a soft-top frame in the local scrap yard and the hardtop remained at the end of my parents' garden (much to their disgust).
After taking it for the dreaded pre-MoT check a couple of years later, and being told I'd have to spend quite a lot of money on it to get it through, I sold it for £200.
If I had the spare dosh I'd buy another one tomorrow.

But you’d have to pay a lot more money for one now - easily £10k or more for something decent!!


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[Riversider]

My first car was a 1954 Mk1 Consul in 1964 for £80 then a mini and next was a Mk1 Jag 2.4. This was my first automatic and also the first car with a fitted radio. Next up was a Wolsey Hornet which was a “de luxe” Mini. Then came, in no particular order Mk4 Cortina, Zephyr, Triumph 2000, Scorpio then a Mk4 Sierra. My last few cars have been Jags, an S type which I had for 9 years then a XF and now an XE. The XE has been the best of the lot due to cheap running costs and no charges for ULEZ in London.

[Jimbob]

First 1952 Ford pilot, a bush basher, great for learning to drive in. hand painted bright green
1956 Holden FC, not a chick magnet. My dad urged me to buy this rather than what I w)
64 Sunbeam Alpine
63 Sunbeam Alpine (meant to restore it)
71 Datsun 2000 Roadster
65 Holden HD
59 Beetle with roll back roof. ( Now desirable)
60 Kombi and 65 Kombi ( Now desirable) Going on a camping holiday after an oil change but I didn't tighten the oil plug properly, lost the oil but luckily no engine damage. I managed to instal a spark plug into the sump. And went 1000 kms before I could buy a replacement
65 Morris 1100 fitted with 1275 cooper S motor, it chewed out the universal joints quickly
71 Escort GT
60’s Cortina. buy cheap, wear them out then junk them
79 Mazda Pickup (for 12 years, living the country,good to carry hay etc. Always have friends who want help carrying things)
’99 Nissan Pulsar
98 Toyota Celica stylish but a slug.
The last 3 cars I bought new, sick of being on the garage floor doing repairs. I had done most car repairs such as replacing rings and gearboxes. No money No time and is the car ready dear?
2005 Mazda 3- 2l
2008 VW Golf
2012 VW Golf GTD As part of Diesel class action got AUD $2770 compensation. car fully optioned so hanging on to this

I am now thinking about buying a beetle again to restore as a project. I must be mad.

[migrant]

I bought my first car from my Father, a ford custom. I took it with me to college. I didn't know much about cars but made friends with someone who did. Somewhere along the line he asked me what I paid for it. I told him and he said "Man, you got ripped off, it's only worth about half of what you paid". My next trip home I confronted my Father and said " My friend said the car wasn't worth what I paid for it, I paid way too much". My Father said " I know, you should always check things out before you buy".

He never gave me any money back on it.

[handdrummer]

I bought my first car from my Father, a ford custom. I took it with me to college. I didn't know much about cars but made friends with someone who did. Somewhere along the line he asked me what I paid for it. I told him and he said "Man, you got ripped off, it's only worth about half of what you paid". My next trip home I confronted my Father and said " My friend said the car wasn't worth what I paid for it, I paid way too much". My Father said " I know, you should always check things out before you buy".

He never gave me any money back on it.

I bought my first 5 cars from my step-father, he was a used car salesman, for $200 each. I now realize he was probably subsidizing me. I would drive them until he had a buyer for them, then I'd buy the next one. I went through 3 cars in high school, from '54 through '57. All of them were '49's. Mercury, Oldsmobile convertible, all electric, nothing worked. Had to put the top down and up by hand. Same with the windows. Barely enough power to get over the hills. And the best one; Plymouth 2 seater, previously owned by a Lesbian, painted pink with a purple Naugahyde, padded dash. The best part, aside from having transportation, was that they all had working radios and I could listen to music while driving. The last two I bought from him were a 4 door Buick, the one with grill work that looked like giant teeth. I sold it to a friend for $160, when I left the US in '61.,and a Chevy Corvair that started blowing smoke from the engine. I left it on the street in East Los Angeles and never saw it again. There have been many more cars since then.

[Jimbob]

The 4 door Buick, the one with grill work that looked like giant teeth. They were called 'Waterfall grilles' . They turned up on Daiwoos' and many brands.
Interesting video on current fads for cars

[handdrummer]

The 4 door Buick, the one with grill work that looked like giant teeth. They were called 'Waterfall grilles' . They turned up on Daiwoos' and many brands.
Interesting video on current fads for cars

Funny and appalling.
If I were going to buy a car today, in the US, I'd find a pre 1968 and restore it. That was the last good year for American cars.

My favorite car was my father's 1939 LaSalle, that he drove until 2000 and sold it to a neighbor. I never forgave him for selling it.

If it weren't for lack of AC, I'd buy a 60's VW Beetle. My first one was a new 63. My ex drove it for over 20 yrs. and sold it.

[oakdale160]

The first car I remember was a Riley Kestrel, up on blocks in the garage. During WW the govt "requisitioned" in other words confiscated all tyres for the military. Joy when to the end of the war my father brought home tyres that he had "requisitioned" from the RAF also some petrol and we went to Skegness for a weekend,

[KhunLA]

First was VW van / hippie mode. Favorite was 1950 Buick Special, bought in 1975, so already a classic. Wish I had kept both of them, and owned today.

Others, nothing special. Some for play, Firebird, along with scooters, some simply comfy, Caddy Coup. Most were practical, station wagon or pick ups, since used for work.

[sateeb]

The one aspect of metrication I've never come to grips with is the price of petrol per litre. Oh, and I miss MPG too - miles per litre means absolutely nothing to me!

Yes, that stat has meant nothin to me for the past 20+ years so I did a quick Googun check and found out that my car averages 24.5 mpg and my Honda Click does 130mpg

[Gregjam]

Some interesting car memories in this thread. My own car ownership experience began in the late 70's with a Singer Chamois Sport, the one with the alloy head and twin carbs. An eclectic mix from then on and more boring as I got older which seems to be the trend.
Ford Corsair 200E, a lovely rust bucket in blue. Typical Ford, reliable engine, nice gearbox and had it until the rust got too bad.
Picked up a Triumph 1500 (similar to the Dolomite but not as fancy) and swopped in a 1300 engine after the 1500 broke. Learnt a lot about working on cars with that which was useful for the next one.
Reliant Scimitar GTE SE5A, no body rust issues here but a lot of non engine mechanical. Front suspension trunions off a TR5 and no grease nipple points so had to be replaced. Fuel pump on the Essex 3.0L failed but the Ford one was no good due to the heat in the engine bay and had to get one from a Scimitar specialist. Memories of using the car while waitng for the pump to arrive of a commute from Oxford to Southampton and having to park at the roadside in Newbury (before the bypass was built) to let the engine cool down so I could continue. Good excuse to give it some legs on the fast roads to keep airflow in the engine bay.
Citroen 2CV, lovely car and very reliable. Would have kept it but returned to work at sea and it would have spent too long standing doing nothing.
There followed a succession of hire cars of which special mention must go to Peugeot 205 GTi as the best and BMW 3 series the most boring but reliable. Usual selection of Sierra, Escort XR3i convertible, Vectra and other staples of hire fleets.
I also temporarily owned a Cortina Mk3 (old and on it's last legs), Saab 99 (tank), Volvo 343 (tank), Mercedes ML320 which drank fuel at an alarming rate, a couple of E class estates (fantastic family cars) and at one point a Renault estate which was not that memorable. As the kids got older a Peugeot 407 coupe diesel came into the stable which was fun but expensive common faults saw an auto gearbox repair (same gearbox on Range Rover sports) and air flow box repair. It was expensive on tax due to CO emissions despite having a fancy filter in the exhaust (also expensive to sort out).
My father had a funny taste in cars while he was alive and I got to drive his Wartburg Knight (freewheel which was frightening), Citroen DS (fantastic) and BX (okay with weird indicator control) and FSO Polonez (rubbish in every possible way).
Since then it has become very boring and here I only buy new cars due to the price of secondhand ones and the locals approach to maintaining vehicles in general. Now driving a Nissan Terra which follows on from a Navarra and before that a Vios which followed on from a Hilux.

[sateeb]

special mention must go to Peugeot 205 GTi as the best

Agreed, although I thought I was the bees knees in mine until a fookin Renault 5 turbo showed me a clean pair of heels on a motorway slip road

A special mention also to my Hyundai Scoupe. A little pocket rocket 1.5 turbocharged Mitsubishi engined that got nicked from my tennis club car park and never recovered

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[dtaai-maai]

A little pocket rocket 1.5 turbocharged Mitsubishi engined that got nicked from my tennis club car park ...

Your tennis club, eh? While you were inside knocking back G&Ts and playing gin rummy with the cheps and chepesses??

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