Thread: Classic Cars - My Pick

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Thanks Paul.

Some cars will eventually appreciate in value. The 356A certainly did. ... Now I could not afford one as it would run 6 figures! Rats.

Derek

The going price for even a VW Karmann Ghia these days seems to be north of $50k.

I too sold my genuine Gtr Torana to get married. It had an alloy aftermarket head and programmable fuel injection.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

The going price for even a VW Karmann Ghia these days seems to be north of $50k.

I paid £100 for my 1960 Karmann Ghia (1200) in 1967. It was a heap, but my first vehicle so I did not notice all the glaring faults such as oval brake drums and a driver's door that was so bad I only ever used the passenger door!



Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

I paid £100 for my 1960 Karmann Ghia (1200) in 1967. It was a heap, but my first vehicle so I did not notice all the glaring faults such as oval brake drums and a driver's door that was so bad I only ever used the passenger door!



Regards
Paul

Ha! I already mentioned about me and lemons!

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Derek,

I remember those SAABs they use to cause a bit of stir in Body shops no one wanted too work on them, they just seemed to be overly complicated for some reason, always a pain.
Your 356 Porsche looks fantastic, I resist the comments about it being a VW[emoji6].
But I do love them.

An a Lancia at 20 that’s a bit early for a midlife crisis.

Cheers Matt.

SAABs were so over-engineered, that they lost money on every car they sold. I recall taking one to a roof rack seller to have a set attached to the roof. Well, the installer struggled to drill through the steel. I recall his eyes standing out on stalks. Eventually SAAB went bust. They sold to GM, and the rest was a Vauxhall with the SAAB logo. It was not the same. My last one was in 1993, which was the last year of true SAAB.

The Porsche 356 was a Beetle. Many parts were used - that was the rationale behind the design of the 356. It was also the reason why no one (in Perth) could work on the gearbox - it required VW tools from the 50’s. But what a sweet car to drive! And everyone loved it, unlike the 911. People would come up to me to ask about it. Bikers would drive by and give me the thumbs up.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by AJ.

I would love to have my old LX Torana SS hatchback again. I sold it for 5 grand 30 years ago to pay for my wedding. It would be worth close on 100k nowadays in the condition I sold it, ….

Cheers Andrew

I never “got” the Torana, that is, why it became so revered in Oz. But then I never really got American aesthetics in cars either. The Torana to me was a small wannabe American muscle car.

However, I would not say no to a 1953 Corvette. It is in the same league as a 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I never “got” the Torana, that is, why it became so revered in Oz. But then I never really got American aesthetics in cars either. The Torana to me was a small wannabe American muscle car.

Derek

That’s easy to answer, Bathurst 1979, Peter Brock and Jim Richards won by six laps with Brocky breaking the lap record on the last lap of the race coming down through the dipper with his elbow hanging out the window.

Cheers Andrew

I think the original Holden Toranas were based on the extremely humble Vauxhall Viva. Holden and Australian Ford derived their following from being home grown. The love affair probably was more to do with the more powerful versions and the lesser models offered a lot of car for an attractive price.

I had a discussion/ argument with my immediate boss over the Bathurst race and the Ford/Holden dominance around 1983. I maintained that the likes of Jaguar would potentially trounce the home grown offering. He was derisive of my opinion to put it mildly. Two years later Jaguar came 1-2 with the XJ-S. Later the Ford Sierra blitzed the field and then the Nissan GTR did much the same. This was all too much for the local populace and the rules were changed so only Ford and Holden could enter and guaranteed the result they wished for. It also marked the time I no longer watched or took any interest in the race whatsoever.

Actually, on a separate tack, around the same time I suggested to the same supervisor that Australia should devalue the dollar and that comment was met with similar derision. Keating devalued the dollar not too long after, but I don't recall now what year that was.

Regards
Paul

my god folks…i must chip in.


Mk1 Ford Escort…


My first car was/is (its waiting to be restored and on a rotisserie…ive purchased and fabricated a bunch of unique solutions for it)…a 1972 mk1 2 door.

Even in 2015 when it was my main car and i temporarily wired the indicator with a toggle switch instead of a flash can (it was a carpark fix) i recall flicking the indicators with one hand whilst struggling to turn the non power steered car through heavy traffic…but i got to my local Bursons safely and fixed that issue.

Harrison (after Harrison Ford) will once again putt-putt through Melbourne in a couple of years…funds and time permitting.


I originally bought it thinking it would be a chick magnet….but it honestly caught the attention of nearly every male blue collar worker, Brit, South African and Zimbabwean over the age of 60 who either learnt to drive in one or remembers their parents having one.
One random older lady actually came over and told me an old ex flame in Wales had one in metallic purple…and that they had some wild times in it back in the 70s [emoji23] - whatever floats your boat!


cheers,
Siggy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Siggykc

my god folks…i must chip in.

Mk1 Ford Escort…

My first car was/is (its waiting to be restored and on a rotisserie…ive purchased and fabricated a bunch of unique solutions for it)…a 1972 mk1 2 door.

cheers,
Siggy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Siggy

I had one for about three months. First introduced around 1967 they came with a vast aray of engines. I think mine (actually, it was not mine as I only had the use of it ) was a 1300, but they could be had with 1100s throught to 1600, Lotus twin cam versions and the 1600BDA. Later on the enines were enlarged up to 2Litres, I think or that might have been the MK2 versions.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Siggykc

my god folks…i must chip in.


Mk1 Ford Escort…


My first car was/is (its waiting to be restored and on a rotisserie…ive purchased and fabricated a bunch of unique solutions for it)…a 1972 mk1 2 door.

Gordon Murray's Escort restomod

I've got a bit of history with these. My first car was a 1972 Escort 1300XL. I bought it new off the showroom floor for $2450. Some years later I bought a second hand panel van, that was a bakers delivery van, which I used for a work van. Aaaand, my wifes first car was a '72 1300XL, second hand.

Originally Posted by Picko

I've got a bit of history with these. My first car was a 1972 Escort 1300XL. I bought it new off the showroom floor for $2450. Some years later I bought a second hand panel van, that was a bakers delivery van, which I used for a work van. Aaaand, my wifes first car was a '72 1300XL, second hand.

Picko

i can see some common ground there. Oooh. Her first car wasn't your first car?

Regards
Paul

No, I had just bought my third when we first met.