Nice cars you've been in/driven

[SkylineObsession]

Nana-spec Corollas etc not eligable.

Just got the idea after having a ride in a 1970's Porsche Carerra today.
Anyway, here's my slightly embarrassing list. Always looking to add to it of course.

DRIVEN
1986 Mazda RX-7 Turbo coupe (Series 4) [red] - My youngest brothers' one
199x Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R (manual) [gunmetal] - Used as our wedding car
199x Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R (manual) [maroon]
199x Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R (manual) [white] - Fastest car i've ever driven/been in? Got taken up to 280km/h before i drove it!
1996 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IV GSR (manual) [red]
200x Ferrari 360 Modena (f1 paddle shift) [black]
200x Lamborghini Gallardo (manual) [black]

PASSENGER ONLY
199x Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R (manual) [350Z blue]
198x Chevrolet Corvette (auto) [black]
197x Porsche 911 Carerra (RS lookalike - road legal now, but used to race in the Bridgestone Porsche championship)
2010? Ferrari 599 GTO (automanualbothneither?) [red] - Only one in NZ apparently.
2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (auto) [red]

SAT IN
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (he also owns three Ferraris and a Ford Model T or Model A)

Hoping to add a couple of Lotus Esprits to the list at some stage.

Right, now its time for you all to put my list to shame.

Edited by SkylineObsession on Saturday 9th March 20:43

Edited by SkylineObsession on Thursday 14th November 05:50

[CR6ZZ]

Driven
1969 Ford Escort Twin cam (brother's)
1970 Lancia Beta HPE (owned - first decently fast car)
1974 Mazda RX3 (brother's)
1980 Chev Corvette (auto)
1984 Rover SD1 Vitesse (owned)
1984 Nissan Silvia 200SX turbo (owned)
1986 BMW 635 CSI
1987 Fiat Ritmo Arbath 130TC (race prepped)
1990 Sierra Cosworth Sapphire (owned)
2003 Audi S4 (owned)

Passenger
1975 Porsche 911
1965 Ford GT40 Replica (twice round the Le Mans circuit)
1966 Ford GT40 Replica

The Fiat, the Cosworth and two GT40s were all spectacular, the Rover lovely, the rest memorable. Unfortunately, the Corvette was memorable because it was so disappointing...

[RCK974X]

(mostly in UK before I got here)

Driven
BMW 535i Alpina Turbo (300 bhp)
Opel Vectra SRi with 'red top' twin cam engine (160bhp)
Rover Vitesse 3500 V8
Jensen Healey 2200 L4
TVR Vixen
TVR Tasmin

Passenger
Triumph Stag (yeah I know, but beautiful classic looks, and nice ride)
Toyota Supra L6 (early squarish model)
Sierra Cosworth.

and the dark side - Home modified engine swops...

Passenger
Home modded Ford Fiesta with Ford/Lotus twin cam (scary)
Dutton Pheaton (kit) with 3.0 Essex (very scary)
2500 L6 powered Spitfire (quite nice, surprisingly)
Cortina Mk1 with Ford Essex 3.0 (good in straight lines)

Most fun

Marlin kit car (Triumph GT6 mechanics but with Tuned 2500 L6) Basic, quick, and nimble.

Edited by RCK974X on Thursday 1st November 08:14

[hurricane_82]

(Same for me - mostly in the UK before arriving here 5 1/2 years ago)

Driven
1998 Citroen Saxo VTR (owned - first car)
2000 Honda S2000 (owned)
2001 Lotus Exige S1 TT260 supercharger (owned)
2001 Citroen Saxo VTS (owned)
2002 Lamborghini Murcielago (Freeman X supercar drive experience)
2003 VW Bora V5 (owned)
2006 TVR T350C (currently own)
2006 Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo (Friends company car)


Passenger
1999 Nissan Skyline GTR R33 [480bhp] (seller took me for a spin)
2000 TVR Cerbera 4.5 (seller took me for a spin)
2005 VM Golf R32 (friends car)
2005 Lotus Elise 111r (friends car)
2007 Mitsubishi EvolutionX (Freeman X supercar drive experience)
???? Mercedes CL500 (Taxi from Munich airport to Sofitel via Autobahn @ 220KMH)


Sat In
1966 Ford GT40 in Gulf Racing colours
1967 Ford Mustang Fast Back
TVR Typhon, Chimaera, Cerbera, Tuscan, Tamora
Noble M12
Lamborghini Countache, Diablo, Gallardo
Ferrari 328, 255, 360
Porsche 911 (993) Turbo

The Skyline R33 GTR and Cerbera 4.5 put a big grin on my face, the Lamborghini Murcielago felt way too heavy but once you got it moving the acceleration was hefty (was quite worried it wouldn't stop though and I hated the interior), The supercharged Lotus Exige is still the best handling car I have EVER driven.

Probably because it's still got that new - wow factor for me but the TVR T350C feels well screwed together and the acceleration is way quicker off the mark than anything I’ve driven.

[alex.tvr]

Again, mostly in the UK...

Driven
1977 Triumph Spitfire (owned)
1998 Peugeot 306 GTi6 (owned)
2002 TVR Chimaera 450 (owned)
2004 TVR Tuscan (TVR Power courtesy car)
2003 Porsche Cayenne S (current car)
2007 Merc ML63 AMG (Test drive - made me giggle)
2012 Ford Mustang (Hire Car)
Formula Ford & XR3i at Brands Hatch
Following at Thruxton circuit on an experience day;
Porsche Cayman
Porsche 911 Turbo (Me "not as fast as I was expecting" Instructor " hold on to 3rd on the next straight".......Me " Oh yeah"
Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV

Passenger
1980s Porsche 911 when I was a youngster
Noble M12
Caterham R300
Various TVRs
Merc AMGs
BMW Ms
Jags

Sat in
Too much to mention - the benefit of UK Motor shows etc..


A lotto win, I think I'd go for a TVR Sagaris

[Fulvisti]

Driven
Lancia Montecarlo (Friends)
Lancia Volumex Coupe (Owned-gone)
Lancia Delta integrale 8v (Owned-gone)
Lancia Fulvia Coupe (Owned-gone)
Seeing a pattern yet?
Lamborghini Espada (Friends)
Fiat 124 Spider
BMW M5

Passengered in
Citroen DS
Fiat Abarth X1/9 replica
Ferrari 308 GTB
both around Ruapuna, the Fiat left the Ferrari for dead.
Ferrari 360 Spider
69 Fiat 500
Ginetta G15

Sat in
Lancia Stratos, an original, and a replica( will add the replica to the driven list when I finish building it)
Ferrari 166 inter
Alfa SZ
Lotus 7 replica
Lamborghini Countach
Dino 246 GT
Iso Grifo
Ferrari 330 GTC
Dino 308 GT4
Fiat 500 Abarth 2011
Lancia Flavia 200 Coupe
Lancia Fulvia Zagato Sport
Fiat Dino Coupe

Edited by Fulvisti on Friday 2nd November 19:22

Edited by Fulvisti on Friday 29th November 20:45

[hurricane_82]

Fulvisti said:

Lancia Delta integrale 8v (Owned-gone)

What was that like to drive? Never driven one personally but got my eye on that one currently on TradeMe... Thinking of buying it and turning it into an EVO spec... What do you think?

[Fulvisti]

To be honest you'd be better off buying an Evo, you can get them for good money out of Japan, two of my friends have just bought one each (Evo 1's), one for under 15k with very minor frontal damage, the other for under 20k and a real minter.

To get an 8v to Evo spec you'd be spending a lot of money over the purchase price. The Evo's are 5cm wider for a start, and you'd need different bodywork suspension, diff, engine etc etc. I can put you in contact with one of my friends that regularly brings bits in from Japan and got the damaged Evo. He's got a few contacts.

As far as driving though-wow- I loved it, it was my daily for two years, it was fantastic in the wet, so sure footed. It handled well, but they're an old car now, it benefitted greatly from coilovers and a rear strut brace. The strut brace made the most difference, just stiffened it up nicely. It was great around town, as sedate as you want, and awesome on the open road, swallows corners and spits them out, just so very capable. Bugger why did I sell it again? Oh yeah, Stratos replica arriving in January!

[hurricane_82]

I spoke to the chaps at ForzaWorks on Great North road and it appears those Evo 1 and 2's are about as rare as hens teeth in NZ... Either one of them would be my ideal daily driver TBH.

Yes I agree with you upgrading the HF would be very expensive and not to mention time consuming.

I'm keen to learn more regarding potentially bringing one in from Japan but if I went down this route would I have to register it as a SIV? (not possible in my case now as the TVR T350C is getting SIV'd in January 2013)

Perhaps playing the waiting game for an EVO 1 or 2 to come up for sale might have to be my only option at this stage...

Cheers

Matt

[Fulvisti]

Yeah I know of 8 Evo's in the country, not many at all, and I've only ever seen two on the road that weren't out for Italian car rallies.

[Marksteamnz]

Owned
Lotus 7 S4 (ah GT633 where are you now?)
Lotus 7 S2
Isuzu Piazza Turbo (moderately tweeked great in a straight line and as a tow car. Not flash on corners)

Ridden in
GT40 replicas
Porshe replica
300HP off road buggy (seriously mad piece of kit)
Various TVR's
Ford Focus (the 2010 5 cylinder turbo nutter one)

OK Talking obsessions
All the following are steam cars
Driven
Doble E11
740 Stanley
Model R Stanley

Ridden in
Doble D2
Stanley Model K
Stanley Model E
Stanley Model 735
Locomobile 1901
Stanley 1899
Toledo 1902
White 1908
White 1910

Edited by Marksteamnz on Saturday 3rd November 20:04

Edited by Marksteamnz on Sunday 4th November 02:53

[Atom Johnny]

Driven
(my own)
2005 SS Commodore
2000 Ariel Atom 1
1987 Toyota Corona Amon GLi
(owned by others)
2004 Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe
1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1
1970 Chrysler Valiant VG Pacer

Passengered in
2008 Ariel Atom 3
200X Morgan Aero or Plus 8
1999 Lotus Espirt Sport 350
19XX Jaguar 3.8 S-Type (ex- UK Police spec)
1935 Ford Y (hotrod)
1925 Davis (rare as rockinghorse sh..)


Not cars but perhaps worth a mention as they were classed as superbikes of their era; I did own a Suzuki GS1000 and also got to ride, among many things, a GSX1100 and the infamous Kawasaki H1 Mach III.

[RCK974X]

What's the Commodore SS like ?

I tried a VP 5.0 Calais and was really disappointed - it was hardly any quicker than my VN 3.8....

[GravelBen]

Fulvisti said:

Oh yeah, Stratos replica arriving in January!

[Atom Johnny]

RCK974X said:

What's the Commodore SS like ?

I tried a VP 5.0 Calais and was really disappointed - it was hardly any quicker than my VN 3.8....

Handles extremely well for a large car. Not sure what others are like for speed as I beleive they are only 240kw. I picked this one up with only 28000km and the previous owner had already helped the LS1 back to breathing normally by fitting a full extractor/exhuast system and K&N filter.

[SkylineObsession]

I suppose i should update this.

Got a ride (a small one albeit, due to time constraints) in NZ's only Ferrari 599 GTO yesterday.



He half booted it in first gear a couple of times and it got rather squirmy.

1970's Porsche last week, 2010? Ferrari this week, wonder what next week will be - an F15 Eagle fighter jet? Can't wait!

Both cars were getting photos taken for seperate newspapers for my charity cruise event i'm not allowed to mention on PistonHeads incase i get 'told off'.

Edited by SkylineObsession on Wednesday 7th November 01:30

[Fulvisti]

SkylineObsession said:

1970's Porsche last week, 2010? Ferrari this week, wonder what next week will be - an F15 Eagle fighter jet? Can't wait!

Does it count that I was ground running a 737-300 last week? One of the benefits of working on them all day!

[SkylineObsession]

Maybe.

Well the wife surprised me with a two week holiday on the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) and on my 30th birthday (1st March) i got to do a 'supercar' drive, about 20-30 mins in each car on rural and city Aussie roads.

Cars involved were a blue TVR Tuscan, black F1 Ferrari 360 Modena and black manual Lamborghini Gallardo.

Unfortunately it was raining quite a bit, including torrential rain sometimes - so bad at one point that we had to pull over as couldn't see the road! And the guy running the drive, (who was in the TVR Tuscan which i didn't get to drive as woulda cost more money) had to keep wiping the condensation off his windows so he could see where he was going (no air con in the TVR), and on the way back he had to fix the drivers side wiper on the Ferrari since it stopped working. But, it was an awesome day otherwise and i won't forget it anytime soon.

Do have photos and videos which i'll try get online in the next decade or so.

Want a Gallardo even more now, thanks wifey.

[SkylineObsession]

Just added a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster to my ridden in list. Got driven around Dunedin for a photoshoot for a car cruise/show that i've organised for this Sunday.

Ooooooohhhh that thing sounded good.

[mark387mw]

SkylineObsession said:

Just added a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster to my ridden in list. Got driven around Dunedin for a photoshoot for a car cruise/show that i've organised for this Sunday.

Ooooooohhhh that thing sounded good.

One of those has just parked over the road from me