Topic: Favourite Old Cars (Read 5405 times)

tonyH · « **Reply #25 on:** December 14, 2022, 11:37:02 am »

Quote from: Circlip on December 14, 2022, 11:06:29 am

Had a Ford 'Special' back in the mid sixties, E93A side valve engine, Ford Pop chassis BUT the fibre glass body was AKS. Think they must have lifted the shell from an Alfa sprint. Use to get flashes and waves from genuine Alfa drivers.

Regards Ian.

With the 3 speed box where 2nd could take you from zero to about 40?

derekwarner · « **Reply #26 on:** December 14, 2022, 11:57:13 am »

E93A..........Henrys 4 banger ..

........with *edit.....'the 3 speed gearbox', jumped out of 2nd gear & 'up to neutral' due to wear in the gear linkages?...so needed to hold the gear stick when in 2nd gear
Learn't to drive in my Dads Green hand painted Prefect

Did it have electric, or vacuum-driven wipers?

Derek

Circlip · « **Reply #27 on:** December 14, 2022, 12:17:49 pm »

Yes, 0-40 very quick but then, B***r all

Mine had a nelectric Lucas wiper Derek but it was a special, early kit car, NOT like the Lotus Seven (now Caterham 7) It also had a water pump and a retro Stainless header tank for the thermo syphon cooling(?) system. A decent radiator and twin 'Kenlowe' cooling fans sorted that but the rod brakes were abysmal. Enjoyed it at the time but the Healey BN6 that me Mum wouldn't let me buy (£100) would have been preferable. Another offered at that time, an MGA (£250) and a mate bought a TF for £150.

Regards Ian.

Jonty · « **Reply #28 on:** December 14, 2022, 12:35:04 pm »

To be fair about Alfa engines, they were fine if assembled by a racing engine mechanic. The same was true of the Lotus twin-cam and, for that matter, the MGA twin-cam. Throw them together on a production line, and you had endless trouble. I had an Abarth 750 twin-cam, another lash-up on a pushrod block, and you were lucky to get 1000 miles before the head gasket blew.

tonyH · « **Reply #29 on:** December 14, 2022, 12:46:27 pm »

I was lucky in that respect with a pal who worked on Lotus twinks and then onto Brabham etc. and we rebuilt the engine completely.
Thinking back, many of the cars, of all nationalities, could be suspect. I once worked on a Goggomibil with a 2stroke/2cylinder lump.It was a horizontal motor with a split down the centreline. When we separated the 2 halves, they were like a pair of bananas but when we tightened them up after working on the crank they came together like good-uns!

ChrisF · « **Reply #30 on:** December 14, 2022, 09:05:09 pm »

Three of my favourite cars I owned when younger were a 1969 MGB GT, bright red with wire wheels, 1984 Fiat Strada 105 TC - lovely 1600cc twin-cam motor and a Peugeot 309 GTI. That was replaced by a lovely Audi 80 Sport but we are getting more modern now.

Chris

Barney Magrew · « **Reply #31 on:** December 16, 2022, 10:16:10 am »

Ford Capri 1600GT XLR & MGB GT. Both of which I was lucky enough to own. I still have a garage full of tools in order to work on them, but these days I am hard pressed to identify where the oil and water goes.Does anyone remember Gunson's Colourtune and dwell angle meters ?

Circlip · « **Reply #32 on:** December 16, 2022, 11:01:14 am »

Still got a colourtune - - - - somewhere.

Regards Ian

Baldrick · « **Reply #33 on:** December 16, 2022, 11:34:39 am »

Still got the grease gun. First Vauxhall Victor had 16 grease nipples on the suspension and prop shaft to do. Did me for 16 years.

Shipmate60 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 16, 2022, 12:28:42 pm »

I needed a dwell meter for setting up the points on my rover V8, there was a small amount of wear in the distributor and without this could take ages to get running decently.

Bob

Dean's Marine · « **Reply #35 on:** December 16, 2022, 12:57:49 pm »

HiMy other hobby ( religion she says ) that empty my wallet and I do not have enough time to enjoy Ron

swiftdoc · « **Reply #36 on:** December 16, 2022, 04:57:49 pm »

I agree with you Ron, but in those (rare) moments you drive the car, it all pays off

I visited a club meeting at the Zandvoort F1 track this year and still have a smile on my face thinking back. We have to keep those engines running!

Regards

Arno

madwelshman · « **Reply #37 on:** December 16, 2022, 10:43:03 pm »

Quote from: KitS on December 13, 2022, 05:51:34 pm

Quote from: Martin [Admin] on December 12, 2022, 03:28:04 pm

Favourite cars ...

Gone are the days when you could tell the make and model of a car at a distance..... sigh.

That's a very interesting Rover 3500 in the pic. The bonnet looks just like the ones that Rover used on the development cars that had US built V8s with Rochester (I think....) carbs rather than the SUs that were used in production. As it looks as if the pic was taken in the US I wonder how the car got there.

My fave car is one most of you have probably never heard of, the mid 1970s Vauxhall Sports Hatch, of which mine was no. 18 of only 197 built. A 2.3 litre engined Magnum Estate with the fiberglass snoot from the HPF Firenza added, and in only that one colour scheme, Extra Dark Wine with two red stripes going all the way round the car. And it had TARTAN upholstery too, subtle it wasn't!

Sadly mine was crushed under a falling tree in the 90s.

KitS, the Sportshatch, HPf Firenza and Magnum too, we're all great looking cars in my opinion.
A mate of mine had an S plate 1300 GLS Hc Viva and that had been converted to tuned Magnum spec, 2.3, 5 speed zf dogleg gearbox, 150bhp at the back wheels. A really torquey car, but a great performer and made a great noise too.

It's a good choice in my opinion.

Will

madwelshman · « **Reply #38 on:** December 16, 2022, 10:50:57 pm »

Having grown up around Saabs, they've always remained a favourite of mine.
I currently own a few:
1964 Saab 96 2 stroke
1976 Saab 99 EMS
1983 Saab 900 GLi
1986 Saab 900i

I also own a tuned 1971 Hillman Avenger, it's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, revving to 8000rpm and capable of over 125mph. It's a fun car to drive.

Will

BrianB6 · « **Reply #39 on:** December 17, 2022, 01:42:46 am »

The first car I learnt to drive (officially) was my fathers prewar Rover 10. It had REAL bumpers 3" x 3/8" solid steel, non of your pressed metal imitations, and a free wheel instead of an automatic gearbox. Take your foot off the accelerator, change gear and away again. So easy. I went to a motor show and asked the Rover bloke if the new model came with free wheel, didn't know what I was talking about.

tigertiger · « **Reply #40 on:** December 17, 2022, 05:51:48 am »

Favorite British steel.

tigertiger · « **Reply #41 on:** December 17, 2022, 06:13:14 am »

My favorite American steel. If money was no object, I would love a resto-mod of either (or both) of these. But I would need to live in N America to have roads wide enough to enjoy the Impala.

tigertiger · « **Reply #42 on:** December 17, 2022, 06:21:29 am »

My favorite classic. In part because it was the first car my dad owned that wasn't an old banger.
Escort Mk 1.
They are making these new in Wales and I would love one.
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/you-can-now-buy-a-brand-new-mk1-ford-escort-for-85k/

tonyH · « **Reply #43 on:** December 17, 2022, 11:06:32 am »

Brian's comment about "real steel bumpers" reminded me of my dad who wanted a car "with a railway sleeper at the front and one at the back". When a 1948, Hooper bodied, Mk6 Bentley came up for £65 he really had no choice!

KitS · « **Reply #44 on:** December 17, 2022, 12:44:51 pm »

Quote from: madwelshman on December 16, 2022, 10:43:03 pm

KitS, the Sportshatch, HPf Firenza and Magnum too, we're all great looking cars in my opinion.
A mate of mine had an S plate 1300 GLS Hc Viva and that had been converted to tuned Magnum spec, 2.3, 5 speed zf dogleg gearbox, 150bhp at the back wheels. A really torquey car, but a great performer and made a great noise too.

It's a good choice in my opinion.

Nice you think so, thanks.

I am just a bit biased as I'm the founder and the President of the owners club for Droop Snoots, Sports Hatches and HS Chevettes.

tonyH · « **Reply #45 on:** December 17, 2022, 03:31:04 pm »

One to remember when it comes to Vauxhalls

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/winning-aint-easy-unless-your-names-gerry-marshall

Baldrick · « **Reply #46 on:** December 17, 2022, 04:48:40 pm »

Quote from: madwelshman on December 16, 2022, 10:50:57 pm

Having grown up around Saabs, they've always remained a favourite of mine.
I currently own a few:
1964 Saab 96 2 stroke
1976 Saab 99 EMS
1983 Saab 900 GLi
1986 Saab 900i

I also own a tuned 1971 Hillman Avenger, it's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, revving to 8000rpm and capable of over 125mph. It's a fun car to drive.

Will

I had several SAAB's along the way . The one I remember most was the 99 EMS. A bit quirky but a hoot to drive. I well remember it had a re-worked Triumph Dolomite engine which they turned through 180 degrees so that the flywheel was sat the front. I did not realise until spending a lot of time trying to adjust the timing with a strobe light that No 1 cylinder was at the back and at the front where I was trying was No 4.

KitS · « **Reply #47 on:** December 17, 2022, 05:59:44 pm »

Quote from: tonyH on December 17, 2022, 03:31:04 pm

One to remember when it comes to Vauxhalls https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/winning-aint-easy-unless-your-names-gerry-marshall

I bought my Sports Hatch from Gerry.

He said 'We've been using it as a garage hack for a while, the driver's seat may a bit knackered.'

A bit?

It was a wreck, hardly surprising with his massive frame sitting on it! I negotiated a discount and had it re-built locally.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #48 on:** December 26, 2022, 01:13:39 pm »

I passed my test in one of these vans, 1980's!

I remember once, we had to put the spare wheel on ( remember those?! ) my Dad & I were fighting to get a wheel off for half-an-hour,
then we realised that the studs on one side of the van had left-hand threads!

Jonty · « **Reply #49 on:** December 26, 2022, 03:02:10 pm »

Like wire wheels, Martin. Left-hand thread on the right of the car and vice-versa!

News:

Author Topic: Favourite Old Cars (Read 5405 times)