Favourite car your dad had
Discussion
Unfortunately lost my dad last year - but this thread has brought a wry smile to my face.
My dad wasn’t a petrolhead - earliest memory Austin Marina estate I believe, then several Cortina estates, Granada estate (salesman for Chubb cash registers (tills))
Then a few of em setup their own company - 1st new car was a gold coloured Montego Vandem Plas
Thankfully other chaps were petrolheads, Volvo 740, FordScorpio, followed by an 850 T5 :drool; day I passed my test was given keys to the T5 to go to school in .....
They also had an Range Rover for exhibitions to carry all the stand/exhibits loved that - cream coloured velour seats I can still picture.
Later on a few Jags (XJ) whichwere ovey/wafted everywhere.
But best car we had was a car held against debt owed to the business ... Bristol Beaulieu Beaufighter .... 6 months of it sat in the spare garage, with the occasional spirited drive out .....
Best memories - 1977/78 - Cortina Estate mk iv- parents up front, sister, cousin and I in the back - drove from Leeds via Dover/hovercraft and then to the South of France for 3 weeks ... holiday
My dad wasn’t a petrolhead - earliest memory Austin Marina estate I believe, then several Cortina estates, Granada estate (salesman for Chubb cash registers (tills))
Then a few of em setup their own company - 1st new car was a gold coloured Montego Vandem Plas
Thankfully other chaps were petrolheads, Volvo 740, FordScorpio, followed by an 850 T5 :drool; day I passed my test was given keys to the T5 to go to school in .....
They also had an Range Rover for exhibitions to carry all the stand/exhibits loved that - cream coloured velour seats I can still picture.
Later on a few Jags (XJ) whichwere ovey/wafted everywhere.
But best car we had was a car held against debt owed to the business ... Bristol Beaulieu Beaufighter .... 6 months of it sat in the spare garage, with the occasional spirited drive out .....
Best memories - 1977/78 - Cortina Estate mk iv- parents up front, sister, cousin and I in the back - drove from Leeds via Dover/hovercraft and then to the South of France for 3 weeks ... holiday
seiben said:
Jim-mbo4v said:
BenWRXSEi said:
Favourite of my Dad's cars has to be the Sierra XR4x4 2.8. He had it for several years in the early-mid 90s, and living in the countryside I got huge bragging rights with my mates at school every time it snowed. I was also sick in the back on at least two occasions... Sadly I believe E244 FRY is long gone now 
Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
I've just dragged E244 FRY out of a garage last month where it's been sat since 2004Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
Just got your PM also. Any pics etc you might have would be wonderful
Will reply to your PM also.
Cheers, Ben (previously known as BenWRXSEi)
Every ones Dads seemed to have cool cars, mine just bought as new and cheap as he could get which meant a stream of dreary too small cars. The worst was a bright Inca yellow mini where myself and my sister were crammed in it on family holidays, resplendent with knocking drive shafts which ironically he most likely made at the GKN factory he worked.
Croutons said:
seiben said:
Jim-mbo4v said:
BenWRXSEi said:
Favourite of my Dad's cars has to be the Sierra XR4x4 2.8. He had it for several years in the early-mid 90s, and living in the countryside I got huge bragging rights with my mates at school every time it snowed. I was also sick in the back on at least two occasions... Sadly I believe E244 FRY is long gone now
Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
I've just dragged E244 FRY out of a garage last month where it's been sat since 2004Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
Just got your PM also. Any pics etc you might have would be wonderful
Will reply to your PM also.
Cheers, Ben (previously known as BenWRXSEi)
It turns out the Sierra has been sat in a lock-up in Twickenham since 2004 - it sounds like it narrowly escaped the breakers before being largely forgotten about until last summer. Jim (the owner) sent me these pics from when they first went over to drag it out...
I gather it's still largely standard, with the usual crusty sills, arches and boot floor. they even got it running on the 15-year-old fuel still in the tank!
And a couple more pics after a quick wash:
I have to say it's exactly as I remember it, even down to the Grays of Guildford rear numberplate. Jim tells me he's planning to weld it back together and generally recommission the old girl to get it back on the road, although I understand there are a few other projects to get to first! Were I not in the middle buying a complete money-pit of a house I'd be quite tempted to see if an offer can be made for the car, but alas. TBH I'm just thrilled it's still around after all this time for somebody to enjoy
One more pic, if I may - here it is in 1990 next to my Mum's old Escort:
Go on then - what are the chances of TPJ 732X still being around somewhere?
My dad had an Audi 80 Quattro when I was younger, bought it during his midlife crisis, we'd gone up to Longframlington to visit some family and my dad drove past a used car place with the Audi parked upfront, got my mum to drop him off and about an hour later met up with us in his new(to him) Audi 80 Quattro
The car was almost legendary in my circle of mates because it had those most exotic and sought after features...a rear spoiler
The car was almost legendary in my circle of mates because it had those most exotic and sought after features...a rear spoiler
Dad had a white Sierra 2.0 GLE (I think?) - My earliest car memory was being devastated when it was stolen. He had been driving round without a boot lock for about 3 months prior to it, so it probably wasn't the biggest surprise.
Favourite was his first Land Rover - a bright red, N Reg 300tdi - with Land Rover badge seats and graphics down the side - bought from a Main Dealer who sold him the car by taking it on the off-road track and parking on the sideways hill.
Had about 40,000 on the clock when he bought it. Got rid when it hit 196,000 8 years' later and the boot floor had rotted through - along with numerous other maladies that would have cost the value of the car by many multiples.
He had it from 13 to 21 and we went on a lot of adventures in it. Replaced it with another Discovery that he's still got. Has done a paltry 188,000 miles in that one....
Favourite was his first Land Rover - a bright red, N Reg 300tdi - with Land Rover badge seats and graphics down the side - bought from a Main Dealer who sold him the car by taking it on the off-road track and parking on the sideways hill.
Had about 40,000 on the clock when he bought it. Got rid when it hit 196,000 8 years' later and the boot floor had rotted through - along with numerous other maladies that would have cost the value of the car by many multiples.
He had it from 13 to 21 and we went on a lot of adventures in it. Replaced it with another Discovery that he's still got. Has done a paltry 188,000 miles in that one....
I only remember 4 of the cars he had;
A white Cavalier 2.0 SRI in 1991,
A burgundy Cavalier GLS V6 in 1994
A white Vectra SRi V6 in 1997
A burgundy Alfa 156 2.5 V6 in 2000
The Vectra was the best, sounded great, looked cool, had awesome cloth seats and TrafficMaster. Loved it, was gutted when the Alfa came!
A white Cavalier 2.0 SRI in 1991,
A burgundy Cavalier GLS V6 in 1994
A white Vectra SRi V6 in 1997
A burgundy Alfa 156 2.5 V6 in 2000
The Vectra was the best, sounded great, looked cool, had awesome cloth seats and TrafficMaster. Loved it, was gutted when the Alfa came!
My dad had a succession of Renaults when I was a lad, and the best one was a top of the range 20 TX. Just like this one (except this is a 30; the 20 had just the two headlights) -
The only one of his cars that I drove (and his last one) was a SAAB 9-3 light pressure turbo. That one died badly...
The only one of his cars that I drove (and his last one) was a SAAB 9-3 light pressure turbo. That one died badly...
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