Thread: Great Cars that you've owned

Derek I thought pron was banned from here )

Originally Posted by fred.n

Ford Zephyr Mk 2, ....

What year?

That was the 6 cylinder version of my Ford Consul Mk II, mine was a '58.

I started out with an Austin Healey 300 MkI, or at least an object of that rough shape crafted from iron oxide and oil leaks. Neat car, and one that I imagined lent an air of dash. It certainly taught me a lot about repair, and rust and penetrating oil and leaks and wire wheels with knock-off hubs.
$400.00 in 1972

Next was a 1964 Pontiac LeMans 4 dr, the prototype for the Abrams main battle tank. I'm pretty sure that the bumpers were 1.5" thick. I bought a new battery right after I bought the car and instantly doubled its value. $200 in 1973

Mini Cooper S. Whoo Hah! Lots of grins. A piston left the building, or the engine room at any rate, at a speed of 80 mph. I can still recall the lovely glint of metal and oil spray reaching out, then wrapping back around the windscreen.

Datsun B210, otherwise known as the 120Y. What a true POS. Except that it did 200,000 miles until it too rusted away. Much of its mileage was performed without measurable engine oil, or coolant. I paid $2400 new in 1975, the equivalent of $9477.00 today. I was robbed!

Mazda RX-7. less said the better

Porsche 911. Nine of them. In many ways the ideal car. Buy low, sell high. I started getting these a few years old in the 80's. Since they were such great poser cars, there was always some wanker having a fire sale. Buy the car and immediately re-list it for sale for 5K more. Drive it anywhere from 3 weeks to 15 months until sold, repeat. In total those nine cars cost me less than a grand for almost 10 years of driving. Compare that to the 120Y.

My best all-time was a '73 911 RS. Pure pleasure.

Porsche 356, a 1959, just like Derek's. Silver, with the ski rack on the back. Neat car, surrendered as bounty in a divorce.

Lexus. Reliable, boring Japanese version of a Cadillac. It is smooth and quiet and very nice. But a 3 litre Healey it ain't.

the cars i loved the most (ive had over 50 now )

were my VW baja bugs loved them so much i had 6 of them over 10 years then there was the baja'ed kombi hehe that was fun

i also had a mighty reno 10 .....i also went for a ride in"the fastest" reno 8 in aus....the bloke who owned it said it was not as theres always some nutter some where with some thing faster

BIKES now thats fun!!!

Originally Posted by derekcohen

My father used to complain that soon after he bought a new car, the company either went bankrupt or the model changed! My early memories were of a series of Studerbakers, the last one in 1958 - big V8 and a "digital" speedometer. But the one I loved the most was his '65 MkII Jag. Oh, that was a pretty car, and very quick (I know - I would steal it and take it as fast as the roads would permit). I have had a soft spot for the Mk II ever since. Never owned one tho'.

I did inherit my father's tendency to hold onto cars. My current driver is now 14 years old, a '93 SAAB aero coupe. It drives like new and I really haven't been tempted enough to change it.... did consider a Audi TT a while ago, and still like them..

But the two cars that stand out were the "first" and the "last".

The first car I owned was a fifth-hand, clapped out 1966 or 7 Lancia Fulvia Coupe. I think I was about 19 years old. Paid a pittance for the car (everything was shot). The importer was a friend of the family and took pity on me, helped me fix it up and get it going. Man, that car was a blast! Very nippy and great road holding. Left hand drive and black. Eventually it started to fall apart and I traded it in on a sensible car, a '67 sunroof VW bug, as I was a poor fulltime student at uni.

Here is a Lancia FC similar to mine:

Many years later I was looking for a car that I might restore with my son. He was only 4 years old at the time but that fact did not get in the way of the Great Search. I did eventually find The Car, one that I had fallen in love with a few decades before.... a 1957 Porsche 356 coupe. Here is one like mine (I don't have a decent picture, but this one is almost identical).

I call it a Driving Restoration - I drive it a bit, then I work on it, then I drive it again, then I work on it some more ... about 9 years on and I have panel beaten and painted the car, rebuilt the motor, but now I need to get the gearbox done and the interior redone. My wife calls it the Menoporsche.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Ahh Saab, sweet little cars aren't they? I don't care much for the GM Saabs though, they feel different, lost a lot of their charm and quality it seems.


One of my many babies.

You mean the Swedish Holden with an engine made in Port Melbourne, at a luxury car price?

Ahh Saab, sweet little cars aren't they? I don't care much for the GM Saabs though, they feel different, lost a lot of their charm and quality it seems.

My previous car was an '87 900 Turbo Aero. This was very, very fast, although I did not like the turbo lag. In '94 I had the chance of the new model SAAB or a low mileage non-turbo '93. I chose the "93. It was the last of the line. It has been a sweet, reliable, sporty saloon. I have always had something for the quircky looks of these SAABs. The replacement model did nothing for me. It looked like a million other cars. The latest generation are either getting better or I am getting jaded in my taste.

Here is one identical to mine:

Regards from Perth

Derek

I hear you, I can't tell the new ones apart from all the other cars on the road.

Nice looking car, does yours have minilites as well?

87 900 turbo, that would have had the Garret turbo, it would have kicked in right at around 3000, I have an 88 with that turbo. Kind of late but when it does kick in .

My vert, a 91, has the later Mitsubishi turbo, it kicks in considerably earlier, in the 2000-2500rpm range, its great for around town when you need quick pickup and yet still has pep on the highway. Much more refined, more smooth. They both have their qualities though.

N/A's are great too, I have a little 87 900S that is my daily runabout. (900S here in the states was the non-turbo 16 valve)

Have you ever been to http://www.saabcentral.com/index.htm ?

Drop in sometime, here is the Classic 900 forum. http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4

If you ever need any help with the car there is someone on there that can help, a great bunch of fellows, we're spread out all across the globe too, theres a few on there in your area I do believe.

This forum and saabcentral are my two favorite sites, both are very nice, well run, kept clean, people are friendly and polite and always ready to help, just a pleasure to visit and spend time on unlike some where its nothing but flaming wars and contests to see who can use the most fowl language per post.


Cheers!
Matthew

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

What year?

That was the 6 cylinder version of my Ford Consul Mk II, mine was a '58.

Sorry for the delay in replying Cliff, I've just gone back through and had a look at the thread. As far as I can remember it was a late 50's model??

It's amazing the number of Renault 8 & 10s in this thread.
I've had a few Renaults and Pugs (R10s, 12, 16TS, 20Ts, 505, 405D, 406Hdi) but my first love (autowise) was the '48 Humber Hawk I learned to drive on, back in the 50s. Huge bullet shaped headlights on those arching front guards, 2 WHOLE LITRES of 4 pot torque.
Strangely, when it was traded in, I felt no pangs of regret, now how I wish it was still around!
Cheers
Graeme

My first car was an XD Falcon with a 351 V8 and four speed manual (later 5 speed). Had decent suspension and straight through exhaust. Even with good suspension didn't go round corners particularly well but when the loud pedal hit the floor and those back barrels cracked open i didnt care about corners. Oh, the noise!!! The sound of that V8 was addictive. Reliable car too, sold it with nearly half a million kays on it.

It's my firm belief that everybody should own (or atleast drive) a V8 powered car. New fuel injected V8's may have more power than older generations but those 4 barrel carbs just gave them a bit more character. Not to mention a healthy thirst too!!

The XH XR8 ute i got next was a nice machine but now that the bub has arrived i had to go practical so a BF XR6 now sits in the garage.

Maybe one day i may be able to afford one of those XY GTHO Phase 3 thingy's for weekend cruises. Not Likely!!!

Steven.

My first car was a 63 XL Falcon that cost me 30 bucks when I was 16. About 30 cars later I have a Porsche 911 (993), I just don't get to drive it much being flat out building my house extension.
It sure gets some comments when I take it to pick up building materials and stuff.

Alan

A 1987 Buick Grand National. Got bit by the modification bug though and, when I was through, the whole front clip was plastic (including the front bumper) and I was pushing 22 pounds of boost through the motor. Would flat out get up and go though. First gear would make your eyeballs squirm.
Sold it to put a down on a more sensible automobile which I drive to this day. Wife drives an enormous four door 4X4 Dodge pickup truck with a diesel. You can hear her coming from 2 miles away.
Here is my sensible car.

Originally Posted by Matt88s

Ahh Saab, sweet little cars aren't they? I don't care much for the GM Saabs though, they feel different, lost a lot of their charm and quality it seems.


One of my many babies.

I wonder, many of those were made in Uusikaupunki, Finland. 900Cs and 900CDs, besides other models.

Nowadays they are making Porsche Boxters and Caymans in Uusikaupunki.

If you like, please visit this page of Wikipedia describing Valmet Automotive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet

Kippis

sumu