The Cars Time Forgot...
Discussion
It is often said American cars can't handle, but the 1980-81 Turbo Trans Am WS6 is an exception. Like other WS6 equipped Trans Ams, and Formulas, it had 15x8 in rims, 225/70 tyres and 4 wheel disc brakes (11.1 in rotors). The turbo 301 was lighter than the 6.6 litre mills, which helped handling. As can be seen in Smokey & The Bandit II, this car got around corners well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
Blackwedge said:
LanceRS said:
I can still remember the verdict in CAR magazine. For: Quad headlamps. Against : Everything behind them.
Brilliant 
The Polonez is still the worst thing I have driven in over 30 years. Although the Yugo 45 ran it a close second!
During the late 80's and early 90's they were all bought up and shipped back to Russia beacause they were of superior export quality and spec, and the parts value was greater in the USSR than the purchase cost over here.
So you would see them lined up on Immingham dock side waiting to be loaded aboard freighters, as personal imports by Russian sailors.
En route they would strip everything off the cars, and deep-six the shell.
The theory was, that with all the practise they had, it would take the exact same amount of time to strip every car, and it would be dumped at exactly the same point in the Baltic and therefore one day, one of these ships would run aground on a man-made island of Ladas..............
MarshPhantom said:
There's been 124 Coupe knocking around Lewisham/Blackheath for the last 20 years, still gets regular use.
Are the two blokes in the 356 and Pagoda still hanging around? Used to love taking my Saturday morning coffee in Jade and listen out for them coming into the village.Keep it stiff said:
A car that was ahead of its time, mindful that it was introduced in the mid-sixties and a very decent drive, as I remember it from the 70's. I'm not sure who lays claim to the first mainstream hatchback but the R16 must be up there as one of the earliest.
In modern terms, it was probably the first "big" hatchback but the Austin A40 Farina Countryman beat it for the general concept in 1959:
Innocenti, in Italy, went the whole hog with the 1960 Combinata:
The 16 came along in 1965 but followed the hatchback idea already pioneered on the Renault 4, introduced in 1961.
axlon said:
It is often said American cars can't handle, but the 1980-81 Turbo Trans Am WS6 is an exception. Like other WS6 equipped Trans Ams, and Formulas, it had 15x8 in rims, 225/70 tyres and 4 wheel disc brakes (11.1 in rotors). The turbo 301 was lighter than the 6.6 litre mills, which helped handling. As can be seen in Smokey & The Bandit II, this car got around corners well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
My brother and me have both owned one. They really don't handle. The WS6 is better than standard but the handling is still relatively woeful. We tended to steer them by throttle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
droopsnoot said:
LanceRS said:
I can still remember the verdict in CAR magazine. For: Quad headlamps. Against : Everything behind them.
That used to be one of the best bits of CAR, I don't know if they still do it. Reliant Kitten
For: At least it has four wheels. Against: But not much else. Sum Up: Frightful
Brilliant!
irocfan said:
These seem to have survived quite well considering - usually a few for sale for not much more than £5k. I like them.
However, the 304 Coupe is incredibly rare.
LuS1fer said:
Keep it stiff said:
A car that was ahead of its time, mindful that it was introduced in the mid-sixties and a very decent drive, as I remember it from the 70's. I'm not sure who lays claim to the first mainstream hatchback but the R16 must be up there as one of the earliest.
In modern terms, it was probably the first "big" hatchback but the Austin A40 Farina Countryman beat it for the general concept in 1959:Innocenti, in Italy, went the whole hog with the 1960 Combinata:
The 16 came along in 1965 but followed the hatchback idea already pioneered on the Renault 4, introduced in 1961.
axlon said:
It is often said American cars can't handle, but the 1980-81 Turbo Trans Am WS6 is an exception. Like other WS6 equipped Trans Ams, and Formulas, it had 15x8 in rims, 225/70 tyres and 4 wheel disc brakes (11.1 in rotors). The turbo 301 was lighter than the 6.6 litre mills, which helped handling. As can be seen in Smokey & The Bandit II, this car got around corners well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
The car featured in Smoked and the Bandit 11 had a Corvette engine fitted, because the standard car didn't have the minerals to perform any stunts, they had had their knackers well and truly removed at this point, even the car in the first film was a shadow of its former shelf.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9sXzXXQl0
http://er3.com/firebird/67firebirdT.htm
Keep it stiff said:
Mart-1 said:
A mainstream family car with no sporting pretensions, the Renault 16 still looks good to my eyes and makes me think about scouring the ads for one
A car that was ahead of its time, mindful that it was introduced in the mid-sixties and a very decent drive, as I remember it from the 70's. I'm not sure who lays claim to the first mainstream hatchback but the R16 must be up there as one of the earliest.StuntmanMike said:
The car featured in Smoked and the Bandit 11 had a Corvette engine fitted, because the standard car didn't have the minerals to perform any stunts, they had had their knackers well and truly removed at this point, even the car in the first film was a shadow of its former shelf.
According to pretty much all of the internet, the Bandit II Trans Am had the Chevy based 301 turbo motor fitted but they had to add nitrous oxide to get the performance required out of it.
LuS1fer said:
The 16 came along in 1965 but followed the hatchback idea already pioneered on the Renault 4, introduced in 1961.
Wikki says the Traction Avant was the first hatch (although it may be the Commerciale version - not sure if the standard was a hatch).
Interestingly you could get a Commerciale version with a Range Rover style split tailgate.
Panther Cars.
I felt they never really knew which direction they should go and ended up with a real mis-match
of models.
I really liked the retro cool of the Kallista, no way could I have afforded one at the time.
Bugatti Royale based. Panther De Ville
The Solo 2 Had no chance against the MR2
Last but not least, the mad as a box of frogs Panther 6 - only 2 were made.
I felt they never really knew which direction they should go and ended up with a real mis-match
of models.
I really liked the retro cool of the Kallista, no way could I have afforded one at the time.
Bugatti Royale based. Panther De Ville
The Solo 2 Had no chance against the MR2
Last but not least, the mad as a box of frogs Panther 6 - only 2 were made.
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