What's the best car you've owned?

[Raspberry]

Liking them there apples, Mr. VIVA GT...fair makes me go all misty-eyed for the days when men were men and 'spanners' were implements of fun for the weekend, rather than the everyday annoyances driving on our roads!

I gave up self-fettling when I bought my 205GTi in '86...one look under the bonnet at all the gubbins within had me phoning the RAC in a flash.

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by wheelsportaddict

For sheer fun to drive - the Lancia Fulvia S3 Coupe


For comfort and drive-ability - the Sierra Sapphire 2000e

I once owned the estate version of that Sierra, and a previous owner had done some subtle mods that made it fly (Chipped, balanced and a high flow air filter IIRC), but left everything else as stock. Have struggled to find a better balance of quick, comfortable and practical until my Current Saab 9-5 2.3t Vector Estate.

The Mk1 MX-5 I had deserves an honorable mention, if only because I you have easy access to miles of country back roads, the combination of a sweetly angry little 4pot coming on cam, razor sharp steering and stupidly wonderful gearbox, is as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. It does ruin your back on the motorway, and gives you a nervous twitch when you hear the word hairdresser. But still, great to drive.

[nicanary]

I've posted earlier about my most reliable car, but I can't say that in 40+ years of motoring I've ever had a favourite. They all have drawbacks of some sort, or else we'd all buy the same car.

But two cars bring a smile to my face :-

My first MG Midget VCL260K, 1275 RWA, Flame Red.There's just something about them that makes the whole driving experience plain fun. No guts,of course, but a lovely snappy gearchange, and handling like a kart.I tried Bs, and a Spitfire, but they were almost "grown-up" cars and the Midget had that real basic simplicity. The choke was operated by two clothes pegs - two for the first half-mile, and then down to one until the temp. gauge moved a tad.

And then there was a Moggie 1000 traveller - the wife wanted a cheap runabout that had character. It cost all of £500 with full MOT from two really dubious characters on a farm on the N.York moors, but the wood was mostly rot-free and it was very tidy.I had to top up the brake fluid on a daily basis, but "What Larks". I was working from Darlington covering a territory which included Thirsk,Northallerton, Richmond and Barnard Castle- lovely drives in the summer (I let the wife drive my Sierra company car).I kept a half-housebrick in the car to knock the fuel pump when if stopped - always on restart after a hot run.There was a specialist in a village called Stokesley who rebuilt the brakes for me, using second-hand parts.He tested the car and said "it pulls well, in fact very well, in fact it's probably the best engine I've come across" . God I was proud.I loved tanking it on the A1M, putting one over the grockles in their modern boxes, you just knew those old A-series would take any amount of stick.Sadly, the wife said it had to go.

Happy memories. I bought an MGB GT a couple of years ago, well restored.Couldn't believe how cars had changed since then - no feel in the brakes, heavy steering. Talk about rose-tinted specs.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by nicanary

Happy memories. I bought an MGB GT a couple of years ago, well restored.Couldn't believe how cars had changed since then - no feel in the brakes, heavy steering. Talk about rose-tinted specs.

I have a fair few "oldies" on my books including an Austin 7, to drive that in today's traffic is a whole new experience as you have to anticipate when people in front of you are likely to brake because when their brake lights come on it's almost too late

[NICK ALLISON]

Ford Anglia with 1500 Cortina GT engine all the dials and "hot steering wheel .5.5J steel wheels in Aubergine .So much fun got two Black Marks on my licence .Had to go before I sped to the hereafter .

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by NICK ALLISON

Ford Anglia with 1500 Cortina GT engine all the dials and "hot steering wheel .5.5J steel wheels

A man after my own heart !
I had several like that that I made up for mates and me in the 60s.
I always made sure mine was the fastest though by fitting Twincam engines, I even had one in my Anglia van that I used to to tow my Hotrod around the different circuits of the day.
It also helped me to collect some of my 16 speeding offences !

[nicanary]

These are posts by men of "a certain age". Takes you back.

When I look at "modified cars " today I just smile - where do they get the money from? Like you say, wider wheels, bucket seats, go-faster stripes and a Peco exhaust. Bob's your uncle.Spacers to make the track wider, or reversed rims.The mags used to test speed-shop offerings, like revised heads with twin-carbs. It all seemed so exotic then.

Happy days.

[GORDON STREETER]

The thing is that today's cars in standard form are easily better than whatever we made up back in those days.
I don't think that the younger drivers today realise just how much cars have evolved, even the new Polo 3 cyl that I have been using in Spain would hold 160kph and still return 50mpg with (in comparison with 60s cars) good safe road holding and brakes.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

The thing is that today's cars in standard form are easily better than whatever we made up back in those days.
I don't think that the younger drivers today realise just how much cars have evolved, even the new Polo 3 cyl that I have been using in Spain would hold 160kph and still return 50mpg with (in comparison with 60s cars) good safe road holding and brakes.

When you see how good cars are today, it does make you wonder why the manufacturers didn't do it before. Could they have made things that much better back when we were young? There are very very few poor cars now on sale, and no really bad ones (I don't count the G-Wizz as a car).It seems that the Eco-movement has made them all wake up.

I'd still get more pleasure pushing my old Moggie hard on a Yorkshire Dales B-road, than in a modern hot hatch. My daughter drove the BGT once, for all of half a mile - she could barely turn the wheel and terrified herself when she pressed the brake pedal and seemingly nothing happened. The brakes were fine, but no servo. The rack had been greased, but the wheels were slightly oversize - just needed higher tyre pressure to ease the weight.

They don't know they're born. Kids,eh?

[dtype38]

I reckon that in 50 years time kids, who won't be born for more than 30 years yet, will look at the cars of today and marvel at how or who would be brave enough to drive one. I think by then folks will just enter the destination by voice command and the car and the integrated traffic systems will do the rest. Oh, perhaps there'll be a manual over-ride system controlled by a joy-pad for the really retro user!

[nicanary]

This thread is getting like one of those mags from the 50s, with pictures of the year 2012 comprising citizens with personal jetpacks, and smiling Rockwell families eating meals in pill-form.

Mind you, at the present rate of progress in design, you're probably right.

[GORDON STREETER]

After all said and done there is no substitute for "seat of the pants" driving.
When the chips are down learning to drive in a modern abs/traction control\whistles n bells vehicle does give a false indication as to how fast is safe on the road when conditions change (as witnessed by me on my icy corner in the UK every year)

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by dtype38

I reckon that in 50 years time kids, who won't be born for more than 30 years yet, will look at the cars of today and marvel at how or who would be brave enough to drive one. I think by then folks will just enter the destination by voice command and the car and the integrated traffic systems will do the rest. Oh, perhaps there'll be a manual over-ride system controlled by a joy-pad for the really retro user!

I would hope not, as I find with more of this technology and things like facebook and texting, people are more out of touch with the real world and other people than ever before. But people are getting so lazy it would not surprise me.

Take note of the idiots in this commercial:

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

[dtype38]

Oh, Merc and a few others have some really nice kit all ready to go when the world is ready for it. It was all part of a joint safety initiative launched a few years ago and includes such stuff as auto lane centring, auto distance (to vehicle ahead) keeping, auto emergency breaking (already available), UV headlights with HUD night vision, IR source detection to spot unlit people/vehicles, etc, etc. And don't they have a big competition in the US for a car to navigate itself 100 miles without having an accident?

I think the powers that be are just waiting until they can get away with removing all old cars from the road (on environmental grounds) then it will all become the norm!

[olliewakey]

VW Golf 2.3 V5

[SAMD]

Has to be a 1982 528i Beemer I bought about 1983 Dark green. It came with a LSD and I fitted a BBS front spoiler and 7in rims and I swear it could feel your mood, at times it was docile and just pluttered along, but when your blood was up... dont ever race one, 'cos if the driver knows what he is doing you will be embarrased. I think a 911 was the only car that ever got passed me (that I didn't want past) and it was driven by Ronnie or Dessie McCartney (911 specialists) Some cars were quicker, but being quicker and getting past are not the same thing. Ah memories..

[BajaTom]

The best car I've owned so far is my 1974 baja beelte

Its very loud, not very powerful and drinks fuel like Father Jack Hackett .. but it turns head and starts conversations (sometimes not very smart ones) ..

[johnh875]

Do you have anywhere you can use it as intended?

[Tim Falce]

Does it really matter if he's not? It's excellent, what a toy

[nicanary]

How does it pass the MOT? The ends of the front "bars" look pretty sharp, and the front mudguards don't fully cover the wheels.

Nit-picking? Me?

[BajaTom]

I use it at Shows and general field fun at my friends grandparents farm

It scrapes by MOT .. I've done a lot to fix it, the bars are filed down, not sharp at all, and the wheels are covered to regulation. Its the noise thatis risky haha

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by BajaTom

I use it at Shows and general field fun at my friends grandparents farm

It scrapes by MOT .. I've done a lot to fix it, the bars are filed down, not sharp at all, and the wheels are covered to regulation. Its the noise thatis risky haha

Sorry mate, didn't mean to sound like a curmudgeon. Have fun.

[johnh875]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Does it really matter if he's not? It's excellent, what a toy

Not at all, its just that inquiring minds need to know you know? I suspected that was the answer but I'm sure its a lot of fun anyway, certainly should be on the farm.

[jimothy84]

Easy, my old 1987 Mazda 323 4WD 1.6 turbo Rallye. Miss that car so much, cost me loads to run in the 18 months I had it, but was awesome fun, only kicked out about 130bhp but the handling was out of this world (compared to my previous Nova and Astra!)

I was so sad the day it went to the scrappy, even worse that it's replacement was a '92 Nissan Sunny 1.2 that I got for free (as the 323 just cleared my bank account!) I was so bored of that that I bought a Focus ST170, good little car but just not powerful enough. Should've bought my mates 8v mk2 Golf GTi he was flogging though!

[Riley Blue]

This - I'd have it back in an instant if it was available