What's your motoring history?

[Evangelion]

gdaybruce said:

...what happened to the handling when you swapped the all alloy climax engine for a Ford cast iron lump?

Nothing much, it did have wider wheels and tyres (175 on a 5.5, that was wide in those days!). There were other problems though. The clutch had a funny linkage 'cos the Ford was cable operated and the Imp was hydraulic, and sometimes it would slip out of adjustment. Sometimes in traffic I'd have to leap out, open the bonnet and give the adjusting nut a turn or two. Then someone came up with the idea of an additional nut to lock the first one in place and all was well. Also it had a front radiator from (I believe) a Fiat 124. This meant that the pipes (which ran through the passenger compartment - nica and warm in the winter!) were the highest part of the system, so you had to park facing uphill to bleed it.

Can I just add that:

THIS



THREAD



IS



USELESS



WITHOUT



PHOTOS!

[MX-5 Lazza]

I didn't really have photos of my old cars except...



and...



and (oh dear)...



I'm sure there is a picture of my old Chevette somewhere - it looked "good" in red with a black Starsky & Hutch style black stripe/tick

Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Wednesday 13th January 16:24

[phil_cardiff]

FELIX_5 said:

phil_cardiff said:

I tend to keep cars a long time. Hence since 1996 this is my list:

Austin Metro 1.0
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6 GL (free car)
Toyota Corolla 1.6 SR
Mazda MX-5 1.8iS

Dunno what I was thinking inbetween the metro and mx-5

The cavalier was free so that explains that one! Can't help with the other one I'm afraid, lol.

If I remember rightly I saw it advertised under the glass' guide value and I knew it'd be practical and reliable. Which it was. Gave it to my missus in the end.

[junglie]

Rover 214 Si
BMW E30 325i
Triumph TR6
CBR 600F
BMW E34 535i Sport
Honda Fireblade
TVR S2
Ford Mondeo 2.0i
Ford Mondeo ST24
Ford Cougar V6
BMW E36 325i
Honda Blackbird
BMW 328i SE
BMW 523i SE
BMW Z4 3.0i SE

[roverspeed]

I started my driving career off in (look at my username)

1994 Rover 214sli - Bought it of my grandad, it snapped its cambelt and engine was replaced with 1.6 K series from a 97 216 coupe. Surprised alot of cars loved it to bits really.

1987 Mk2 Golf 1.6 Driver - Bought for £450, lowered it, got a Weber carb, loved that wee car too!

1998 Honda CG125 - Had this whilst I the golf, fitted in with race rep tyres so wide that the back tyre rubbed the frame . removed the silencer and rode it with just a straight pipe haha. Some fooker nicked it!

Worked for Toyota for 15 months, had a huge amount of company cars in that time including (try to keep these in order)

Aygo 1.4d 5 door Silver
Aygo 1.0i 5 door Red
Yaris 1.3 3 door Red
Corolla 1.4D 3 Door Silver (surprisingly quick for a 1.4 tdi!!)
Avensis 2.0i Saloon - Maroon with TTE wheels and front lip
RAV4 2.0D Grey 5 Door
Celica 140 Silver
Celica 190 Silver - TTE wheels and spoiler, black heated leather
Aygo 1.0i Black Edition (had very tiny SLR type wheels haha)
Landcruiser 3.0d 5 Door - Black
Hi-Lux 3.0d with Crew Cab - Silver (quad roof spots and 22" wheels)
Avensis 2.2 T180 - Tunning box fitted I think about 210bhp
Corolla T Sport Compressor - Only had this a week and a half, apparently the front tyres lasted 4000 miles

Left Toyota and became self employed - got a runabout

1994 Mondeo 2.0 Lx - Used nearly as much oil as petrol but hugely reliable - 18,000 miles just tyres and brakes replaced (brakes done by me, so very cheap)

1991 Eunos Roadster in Crystal White - Still got it and always will I think

Back to working for someone else

2008 VW Transporter 2.5d 130bhp in Silver - Not bad for a big van

[gd49]

Not very exciting I'm afraid

1997 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 - Parents car, unremarkable
1998 Renault Megane 1.6 - The "Sport" pack was vastly misleading. Suprisingly sympathetic to incidents with kerbs and hedges however

2003 Mazda MX-5 1.8 Nevada - Easily the best car I've driven, but not difficult given my past!

Edited by gd49 on Wednesday 13th January 20:35

[gdaybruce]

OK some pics to go with the words:

Autotesting the Minor van:


Rallying the Midget




1293cc Cooper S




Using a Disco as Land Rover intended


Cheap and Cheerful Eunos


An appreciative passenger

[maser_spyder]

'68 Mini Cooper (still have this in storage)
'80 Mini Pickup (still have this in storage)
Rover 414 (when at Uni)
Granada
Toyota Corolla GL Exec
Toyota Celica GT-4
Mk1 MX-5 (still have this now)
Toyota Supra TT
Peugeot Expert (current)
Mercedes 320 AMG SLK
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey
Maserati Spyder (current)
Toyota Landcruiser (current)

I really should get rid of some metal at some point.

[gdaybruce]

maser_spyder said:

'68 Mini Cooper (still have this in storage)
'80 Mini Pickup (still have this in storage)
Rover 414 (when at Uni)
Granada
Toyota Corolla GL Exec
Toyota Celica GT-4
Mk1 MX-5 (still have this now)
Toyota Supra TT
Peugeot Expert (current)
Mercedes 320 AMG SLK
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey
Maserati Spyder (current)
Toyota Landcruiser (current)

I really should get rid of some metal at some point.

Had to Google the Jeanneau to check how many wheels it had and its 0-60 time!

[FELIX_5]

Lazza, were those OZ's on your MK1 and were they 15"?

[maser_spyder]

gdaybruce said:

maser_spyder said:

'68 Mini Cooper (still have this in storage)
'80 Mini Pickup (still have this in storage)
Rover 414 (when at Uni)
Granada
Toyota Corolla GL Exec
Toyota Celica GT-4
Mk1 MX-5 (still have this now)
Toyota Supra TT
Peugeot Expert (current)
Mercedes 320 AMG SLK
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey
Maserati Spyder (current)
Toyota Landcruiser (current)

I really should get rid of some metal at some point.

Had to Google the Jeanneau to check how many wheels it had and its 0-60 time!

Umm, one wheel (steering), and a 0-6 time of about 25 seconds.

Top speed 7.5mph.

The thread title did say motoring history, and it's got a motor!

[MX-5 Lazza]

FELIX_5 said:

Lazza, were those OZ's on your MK1 and were they 15"?

Yep. The standard Berkeley wheels weigh a ton!

I actually didn't plan to change them but I hit an enormous pot-hole which bent 2 wheels. I did get them straightened (Berkeley wheels are like hens-teeth) but I just didn't trust them any more so bought a set of OZ SuperL in 15".
They looked great and were very lightweight but contrary to what everyone says, the ride became more crashy and it uffered from a lot more tram-lining with the OZs. I think it might be due to the heavy Berkeley wheels making the tyres absorb some of the bumps whereas the light OZs reacted to every slight imperfection. It wasn't the tyres that caused it either - I had Bridgestone SO2 which were transfered from the Berkeley wheels to the OZs so no change.

OC members might recognise this picture:

A virtual pint goes to anyone who can say where they might have seen it (other than on various forums)

[Evangelion]

gdaybruce - love those wheels on your Eunos.

And the spoiler ... and the Lotus badge!

[MX-5 Lazza]

Evangelion said:

... and the Lotus badge!

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&a...

[FELIX_5]

Good info there Lazza, cheers! Thinking about getting these wheels but possibly in 16" (If I can find a second hand set!) Either these or a set of 15" Rota RB's, bit of a contrast I know...........!

[gdaybruce]

Evangelion said:

gdaybruce - love those wheels on your Eunos.

And the spoiler ... and the Lotus badge!

Thank you. Wheels, badge and spoiler all came with the car. The wheels are Wattanabe magnesium 14" items and are really light. I suspect they're the most valuable thing on my 5!

As a former Lotus owner I wasn't sure I should approve of the badge but I'm certainly not going to risk damage by removing it and anyway, I've got used to it now! Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman should, I guess, feel posthumously flattered by the tribute!

[MX-5 Lazza]

gdaybruce said:

Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman should, I guess, feel posthumously flattered by the tribute!

Not sure about him but Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman might well feel posthumously flattered

[FELIX_5]

Has that pic been used in an OC Calender???

[gdaybruce]

MX-5 Lazza said:

gdaybruce said:

Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman should, I guess, feel posthumously flattered by the tribute!

Not sure about him but Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman might well feel posthumously flattered

Damn! Outdone by a bigger pedant than me!

[MX-5 Lazza]

FELIX_5 said:

Has that pic been used in an OC Calender???

Nope.

gdaybruce said:

MX-5 Lazza said:

gdaybruce said:

Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman should, I guess, feel posthumously flattered by the tribute!

Not sure about him but Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman might well feel posthumously flattered

Damn! Outdone by a bigger pedant than me!

My father worked for Lotus for 40 years, my brother for 10 years and me for 1 year - I actually met Colin a couple of times though that was before I worked there (he was dead by then). He was a proper big-head but likeable and everybody respected him for his undoubted talents.