What's In The Garage/Street

[Airhead]

Having read the tale of EERO's Golf, I thought why not submit posts on what you have tucked away in the garage, the length of time of ownership, any good bad experiences, the number of miles/kilometres traveled and whether you would recommend the vehicle to others.

Over to you...

[TimD]

Okay then...

Current everyday car is a 1998 Vauxhall Corsa (Holden Barina to you, Mr Moffat!)

Ongoing rebuild project in the garage is a 1970 Mercedes Benz 220. This is the old Beirut taxi-style Merc, with the stacked headlamps and the separate radiator grille. She's called Isolde, and she's been in my possession for ten years. As Bluebottle will attest, this is more a "laid up until I can get around to working on it" project than an active restoration. But it will be done.

The Corsa has been okay, although the handling dynamics are a bit iffy, and it is terminally gutless. It's also not as economical as you'd expect from such a small car. Apart from the ECU packing up last winter, it has been no trouble. Passed 30,000 miles in it this week.

Also in the family stable is a 1994 Rover 216GSi. Say what you will about Rovers, it's blooming fast for a 1.6 hatch, it has a rorty exhaust note when it's on cam, and is thoroughly chuckable. Heartily recommended as a family car with a little bit of a capacity for fun.

[Airhead]

My transport is a BMW 1100RS of 1995 vintage. Extremely practicle with panniers, heated grips and ABS. Goes well with a stainless after market exhaust and is riden everyday.

The four wheeled member is a Ford Fairmont 1996, 6 cylider 4 litre sedan. Good family motoring with the emphasis on comfort not dynamics.

The current project is a 1980 model, rear wheel drive Mazda 626 manual, that my son and I are bringing back to life. The engine swap is complete and so is the rust removal. Now for the interior. This is a supprisingly good car. At least it has supprised me!

[Maisie]

Thanks, AMoffat - another perfect excuse to bore people about Maestros

Outside my house currently are 2 Maestros. I've had Hexie, a 1985 1.6 metallic Silver Leaf Vanden Plas for approaching 2 years now. I love him to bits, and I've spent a lot of money getting the bodywork in pretty damn good condition, and getting the mechanics into shape. Currently the steering rack is a little suspect, so that's due a change, and may have been the cause of the crash I had in it a couple of months ago. Still, I would rather sell a relative than part with him.

My more recent aquistion, nearly 2 weeks ago, was a very rare Austin Maestro camper van. It's a 1989 vintage, with a 2.0 Perkins diesel engine. It was a real bargain, and is something I've been after for ages, so the fact that it needs a little bodywork and sprucing up doing to it isn't a problem - besides, I bought him as a project car anyway.

Pics to follow as separate posts - for some reason I can only post 1 at a time.

[Maisie]

Vanden Plas:

[Maisie]

Camper

[elephino]

Yes, well timed Mr Moffat.

My ride is a 6 month old (tomorrow actually) Nissan Pulsar SSS. Nice little car, very good value for money.

The good timing is my mum just bought, today, a new Lexus IS200. Great car, better than the Volvo S40 she had before. And for those that know me well enough you can now recover from the shock that someone in my family has bought a non-Volvo.

[MichaelC]

If you've read TimD's thread about Frights, you'll know my everyday car is a 1997 (R) Peugeot 306 DTurbo S. Surprisingly quick for a 1.9 Diesel, and 45mpg without having to try. Perfect for what I want.
And yes it is painted that gold colour - it's official name is Blaze Yellow. Although the car is actully a rather attractive shade of muddy brown at the mo!! I know everyone hates the colour, but I wouldn't have had any other colour.

I'm currently looking for an old Porsche to use as a project/weekend car - an old 911 or 944 will do nicely, but at 22 I haven't figured out yet how to insure it. Are those kind of cars old enough for Classic Insurance anyone??

[Marshal]

In the street is a the company supplied 1.6 Astra estate, which is utterly awful. On the drive is our wonderful Ford Puma, which is an absolute delight to drive and has been trouble free during my 20 months of ownership, and in the garage is my occasionally used Hillman Imp.

MichealC, perhaps you should consider an Imp instead, the handling is similar to an old 911, just at much lower speed. Slightly cheaper to insure too. Oops, I'm getting carried away again, you can't tell I've got a thing about Imps can you?

[Neil C]

I have a 91 Ford Explorer w/ 140,000 miles (and Goodyear tires, having wore out the much maligned Firestones years ago). It has a bit of skin cancer, but has been a nearly perfect car mechanically.

However, I have on order, a new Ford Escape, a smaller SUV. I hunt, camp, fish, etc so I need something that can carry cargo, a canoe and has 4wd.

My wifes car is a 99 Mercury Sable (Ford Taurus). It is bland and uninspiring. It is a round, soft blob. We call it a Teletubby car. It is not even worth mentioning in this thread, so I wont.

[Slowcoach]

Day-to-day I generally swipe the wife's Ford Ka for the run to the station , great little car with bags of headroom - never missed a beat but seem to have more than it's fair share of punctures. My generally used car is a '93 Range Rover , all the toys-although the electrics have always been temperemental(a not uncommon problem with the make) , lovely to cruise around in but bloody thirsty , I recently saved myself £90 quid by doing a round trip to Yorkshire in the Ka , this has made me seriously think about replacing it but I need it to tow the wife's Horsebox and......my Thunderbabe 1980 Rover SD1 fitted with a 4.5L Tuscan engine - which broke a propshaft and Rocker shaft after one race Then in the garage is my sprint car (now surplus to requirements-anyone interested?)- a Nissan GTIR(pulsar) heavily modified-what a weapon!-Electric in the rain at Goodwood and the snow at Mallory this year! And then tucked right away and sadly not used as much as I would have hoped this year is (one of) my dream car , a 1972 DBSV8 - when my ex-wife divorced me about 5 yrs ago I thought what the heck (or words to that effect ) , went out and got a loan and bought exactly what I wanted regardless of the consequences - best swap I ever did !! (and for the price of a new Mondeo)

[MichaelC]

Originally posted by Marshal

MichaelC, perhaps you should consider an Imp instead, the handling is similar to an old 911, just at much lower speed. Slightly cheaper to insure too.

This is (probably) true. To be honest, I wouldn't know as I'm too young to remember them. Come to think of it, I don't think I even know what a Hillman Imp is. I do know that Jarvis Cocker has a Hillman Minx though...

Either way, I can't see it having the same affect as when I cruise up to the pub one sunny summer evening in my open-top Porsche. Though having said I have no idea what one is, perhaps it might.

[Slowcoach]

Don't be too sure about that , I know a chap (vaguely) with a Hillman Imp in his garage , he also has a Tuscan 4 1/2 litre under the bonnet - WOW would be an understatement of some magnitude- he wins a great deal of sprints and admiring looks with it !!

[Airhead]

Back in about 1980 I had a good friend that back traded a Golf on a Hillman Imp. He then spent $$$ making it go fast. He did manage to do this though, it was a great hill climb car. At the time this was a subject of laughter to the rest of us who mostlt like me has Cooper S Minis. Anu one got one of those stashed away?

[Ralf's Girl]

Well, I myself don't have a car (obvious really, as I'm not old enough to drive) but I can contribute something to this thread. My dad has a BMW 528i and my mum has a Mercedes C180.

[bella]

i drive a 316i (old, ownded by my aprents). she's in beautiful nick, and is a bit dirty. her engine is too small, and she's french.
i call her 'stelluccia', meaning 'little stella', the 'uccia' thing on the end means you are very fond of them. aah.
she's also been called 'skylark' (all aboard the skylark), and delilah (her showname). and she's cute. and french.
my olds have a m3 evo convertible (get a coupe - the convertibles handle ****. i should know, i took it up to yorkshire the other week), a suzuki sj413 (with the family as a run about. being in this car means you come out with shaken baby syndrome. conversation is very difficult. but it makes you smile when you see it in the morning), and my dad's old f reg porsche 928 (v.v.v.v. fast. v.v.v. old. not worth anything money terms. unless you drive it). we have an old retired escort with the numberplate ace 151 t - ace is it. by accident. and a lived in alpina. she's got a story or two to tell. i remember when my parents bought it - i was 3 and a half. my brother was nearly born in it (while being driven to addenbrokes at 100mph through cambridge..oops). i took my first tentative steps into the driving world in it, age 13. 179,000 on the clock and still going. well done beano (reference to the numberplate). oh yes. it has 'nostrills' written on the bottom of the numberplate

but i like my little stelluccia best. she's the slowest, but she's the nicest to be in. she likes to go to manchester. and she wins me admiration from plenty of young gentlemen. she hates mornings (misses a cylinder. or two. or three. or sometimes, the lot, and she stalls. bless.), especially cold english ones. and she likes it when i play girl racer and undertake people when they're sat in the middle lane for no reason (mondeo, i have your card marked). she likes her petrol unleaded, but if necessary during the next fuel crisis, she will drink leaded.

i don't need a fast modified racing car. me and my car get along juuuust nicely.

[Sparky]

AMoffat, sold my Cooper (not an 'S', but all 'S' running gear) just over 18 months ago.

V. sad day...



Never driven an Imp, though...

[Sparky]

And this is my current beastie...



RS2000 running gear, 2.1 OHC, 45 DHLA's, Group 1 cam and head, ultra-light steel flywheel, 5 spd 'box, adjustable platforms, HUGE brakes... It's a Gem. But...

It's rusting away.

My other lil' baby has been discreetly inspected by members of this here forum. It's a 1972 Minivan, tastefully modified and dragged into the next century with Mk3 doors, AP 4-pots, Tilton master cylinders, fully adjustable rose jointed suspension, 'shell mounted 6 point cage, 6x13 Revolutions, BRG with a white roof, central locking, MOMO wheel, Honda Integra seats...

I haven't scared it with a camera yet. But when I do, I'll show you first!

[Airhead]

Sparky,

The Cooper I had was a 1971 Clubman GT with 1310, Twin choke 45mm Webber carb, straight cut gears, 2" exhaust and "cosmic" mags (these looked better than they sound.

Great car. Love the photos. The Mini looks very nice indead, what did it sell for.

My same mate who had the Imp sold it for an original Lotus Escort Mark 1. Nice car in white with green flashes on the side.

[Sparky]

I had a Clubman with Cosmics on once! freaky!!

My van is my 33rd Mini. I've just built a '71 saloon for the missus. When she drove it for the first time (after totally destroying the previous one in a bizarre strawberry jam incident) she said it handles a lot better than the last one. I hadn't told her about the Spax shocks, negative camber arms and brackets, solid mounted subframes, nylon bushes...

At least she noticed!

The Mini sold for £3500, which considering I bought it for £50 isn't too bad. (Heck of a lot of work to put it right, though!) In fact, I've never paid more than £100 for a car, just £1000's putting 'em right!!!

Interesting. We never had a 'Lotus Escort' over here. We had the Escort Twin Cam instead, fitted with the Lotus 1598cc Twink.

And the Ermine white/green flash paintjob was reserved for the Cortinas.

I love reading about the differences between Aussy and British cars. Essentially the same, but waaaaay different.

[TimD]

I can vouch for Sparky's Mini Van. An absolute credit to a conscientious engineer - with a real hooligan streak.

You know you're looking at a good job when you look at the car closer and closer, and the detailing just gets neater and neater.


Bella, if your family Porsche 928 is "not worth anything money terms", please be sure and remember me when he gets bored with it...!

[Sparky]

Thankyou Tim. I'm touched.

'Hooligan streak' - I am, and I have, but I always keep my boots on!

[EERO]

If you could find a Mini over here (oh, there are a few), I'd be in one sooooofast...

Instead its the 1999 Passat wagon and the afore mentioned new Golf.

By the way Sparky, I've always loved those 70's Escorts which you never see here....


John Buffum ran one in IMSA in the early '70's and it flew.

[TimD]

Ah! That's who it was!

EERO, you just answered something that's been bugging me for about a week. I turned up a picture of an early wide-arch Escort, at what looks like Sears Point, and I was wondering what it was doing there.

Armed with that, I'll see if I can't pin down the event. Thanks for that!

[EERO]

Tim, it was in the IMSA (International Motorsports Association) under 2.5 Liter championship in '72-73 I think if my memory isn't failing me. It was pretty narly-looking. I think he may have also run it in the revamped championship with a BDA in 74 or 75. I'm a little hazy on all of this.

I think he had much more success rallying .