Dad driving memories, the good, the bad and the ugly
Discussion
The year is 1977 and I’m 6 years old.
Dad turning up in his replacement new car. An S reg (1977) Toyota Crown 2600 super saloon, the interior still had protective plastic coverings on the seats.
This car was a marvel of modern technology, it had electric windows and an 8 track player, the doors locked at a given speed and if you tried to pull the stems up they would clatter around. I remember the odometer turning to 100,000 miles. Very reliable and massive, I don’t think it had rear seat belts though, I’m sure I sat up front sometimes too.
Happy days.
Dad turning up in his replacement new car. An S reg (1977) Toyota Crown 2600 super saloon, the interior still had protective plastic coverings on the seats.
This car was a marvel of modern technology, it had electric windows and an 8 track player, the doors locked at a given speed and if you tried to pull the stems up they would clatter around. I remember the odometer turning to 100,000 miles. Very reliable and massive, I don’t think it had rear seat belts though, I’m sure I sat up front sometimes too.
Happy days.
Very evocative some of these memories. So here's my tuppence worth.
The smell of leather and tobacco smoke in the back of the Mk2 Jag we had when I was about 5/6. This was in the early 70s when they hadn't become proper classics but were mere Sweeny fodder.
My mom driving the Reliant Scimitar at 105mph whilst also eating an apple.
Waiting at a set of traffic lights in the family Dutton Phaeton that my parents both sprinted and hillclimbed. It had a 2.5PI Triumph Six in it. Lights change and and Escort Mexico hares by in the other lane. Cue much straight six noise, two black stripes on the road and in 50 yards we're blasting past him. Quick car that Dutton, was doing 12s 1/4 miles on RWYB days at Long Marston.
Riding round in Series 1 an 2 Land Rovers with the hardtop roof removed and windscreen folded flat.
The smell of leather and tobacco smoke in the back of the Mk2 Jag we had when I was about 5/6. This was in the early 70s when they hadn't become proper classics but were mere Sweeny fodder.
My mom driving the Reliant Scimitar at 105mph whilst also eating an apple.
Waiting at a set of traffic lights in the family Dutton Phaeton that my parents both sprinted and hillclimbed. It had a 2.5PI Triumph Six in it. Lights change and and Escort Mexico hares by in the other lane. Cue much straight six noise, two black stripes on the road and in 50 yards we're blasting past him. Quick car that Dutton, was doing 12s 1/4 miles on RWYB days at Long Marston.
Riding round in Series 1 an 2 Land Rovers with the hardtop roof removed and windscreen folded flat.
Im sure my petrolheadiness comes from my old man.
I have a really early memory of being plonked on the bonnet of a white Pontiac Firebird (same as the Bandits one, complete with bonnet decal) Crying my lungs out, then being bounced about as my old man started and revved up the engine
He was a Ford man, had several before I was born, sometime after the Firebird was gone he had a black XR3i and then a series one RST in white. I don't remember any drives in them as such sadly.
when I was a bit older he had a black Scorpio 4x4 which used to seem fairly rapid and unstoppable in the snow. It was nicked and before it was found (after being used in several ram raids!) he got a cossie scorpio (both before the ugly use style one) and I remember going to Devon in it and it taking only a few hours even though half the motorway that's there now wasn't there back then. I also remember him getting the last drop of life out of the tyres on the way to get new ones.
It might not have been the monster it could have been but I still hanker after a Scorpie to this very day!
I have a really early memory of being plonked on the bonnet of a white Pontiac Firebird (same as the Bandits one, complete with bonnet decal) Crying my lungs out, then being bounced about as my old man started and revved up the engine
He was a Ford man, had several before I was born, sometime after the Firebird was gone he had a black XR3i and then a series one RST in white. I don't remember any drives in them as such sadly.
when I was a bit older he had a black Scorpio 4x4 which used to seem fairly rapid and unstoppable in the snow. It was nicked and before it was found (after being used in several ram raids!) he got a cossie scorpio (both before the ugly use style one) and I remember going to Devon in it and it taking only a few hours even though half the motorway that's there now wasn't there back then. I also remember him getting the last drop of life out of the tyres on the way to get new ones.
It might not have been the monster it could have been but I still hanker after a Scorpie to this very day!
Dad is super smooth, fast efficient driver who has been loyal to ford most of his life (Xr3, Xr4i, tonnes of xr4x4 then mondeo V6, St220 etc and now just put his name down for a focus RS at the age of 70!).
So many good memories but the first one that comes to mind is that we lived in Dunblane in Scotland up the top of a hill with a windy road leading up to our windy steep drive. Every winter the snow would come and on perfect cue everyone would chug along, get stuck and everyone would be out in the street helping shovel the snow and grit the road and push the car up the hill.
Hours later dad would arrive back from work as we were sitting on the garden hillside playing snow balls. A huge amount of revs would be heard as his sierra of the time would appear on the road, rear tyres spinning away, drifting one direction to the next as the road snakes, all the way up our steep drive. Getting out an pushing was seen as complete failure and as a RW tradition you would get to the top of the road and up the driveway without stopping, literally driving round everyone and after that you would get your boots n hat on and head back down to help the others you just drove past.
Red line in third gear was 85mph so that was the speed the tyres were turning as he was drifting up the road at about 25mph. Awesome. Been my inspiration for driving ever since. Taught me heel n toe before I passed my test. I subtly applied it in the test but was aware it would be frowned upon so didn't make it obvious. Just added to the smoothness.
RW
So many good memories but the first one that comes to mind is that we lived in Dunblane in Scotland up the top of a hill with a windy road leading up to our windy steep drive. Every winter the snow would come and on perfect cue everyone would chug along, get stuck and everyone would be out in the street helping shovel the snow and grit the road and push the car up the hill.
Hours later dad would arrive back from work as we were sitting on the garden hillside playing snow balls. A huge amount of revs would be heard as his sierra of the time would appear on the road, rear tyres spinning away, drifting one direction to the next as the road snakes, all the way up our steep drive. Getting out an pushing was seen as complete failure and as a RW tradition you would get to the top of the road and up the driveway without stopping, literally driving round everyone and after that you would get your boots n hat on and head back down to help the others you just drove past.
Red line in third gear was 85mph so that was the speed the tyres were turning as he was drifting up the road at about 25mph. Awesome. Been my inspiration for driving ever since. Taught me heel n toe before I passed my test. I subtly applied it in the test but was aware it would be frowned upon so didn't make it obvious. Just added to the smoothness.
RW
My father used to take us out round the Oxford ring-road at maximum speed (about 80-85mph) in my grandmother's Mini whenever we went to visit her. He explained that it did the car some good by de-coking the head as she only ever pottered around at 25mph in it. I suspect it was more because it's good fun to see how much speed you can get out of a Mini.
I remember doing a 200 mile journey with my mother at the wheel when she had to manually switch on the rear fog lights whenever she braked because the brake lights had stopped working on the crappy old Talbot Horizon we had at the time.
My Father bringing home a Ferret scout car and driving around the block with a dozen or so kids in and on said vehicle. We could always hear the Ferret coming from about half a mile away as the regular pattern tyres make an unmistakeable humming noise.
I remember doing a 200 mile journey with my mother at the wheel when she had to manually switch on the rear fog lights whenever she braked because the brake lights had stopped working on the crappy old Talbot Horizon we had at the time.
My Father bringing home a Ferret scout car and driving around the block with a dozen or so kids in and on said vehicle. We could always hear the Ferret coming from about half a mile away as the regular pattern tyres make an unmistakeable humming noise.
There's some great stories here. My memories involved road trips round the UK and Ireland nearly every weekend. My Dad is a cameraman who specialises in motorsport, mainly rallies. Back in the 80's and early nineties he had a succession of press cars, usually a fast Ford, or a quick Vauxhall. He had his own Sierra 2.9 4x4 estate car.
He's a good, fast safe driver and I never once felt nervous, even during some crazy overtakes trying to keep up with the rally cars between the stages. I used to navigate from an ordnance survey map and would read out bends, easy right into 90 left, flat over crest etc! This was from about age 12.
Vivid memories was a 130mph blast from Inverness to Glasgow after the Snowman Rally to deliver tapes to Glasgow for the late night Sportscene program on BBC 1! It was snowing and the Sierra was on Michelin forest tyres. Nothing would stop it! Another was travelling home from London to Stirling. Flat out all the way and only one stop for fuel. Junction 1 on the M1 to home in 4 hours!
He's a good, fast safe driver and I never once felt nervous, even during some crazy overtakes trying to keep up with the rally cars between the stages. I used to navigate from an ordnance survey map and would read out bends, easy right into 90 left, flat over crest etc! This was from about age 12.
Vivid memories was a 130mph blast from Inverness to Glasgow after the Snowman Rally to deliver tapes to Glasgow for the late night Sportscene program on BBC 1! It was snowing and the Sierra was on Michelin forest tyres. Nothing would stop it! Another was travelling home from London to Stirling. Flat out all the way and only one stop for fuel. Junction 1 on the M1 to home in 4 hours!
1983: I went for a drive with my Dad in his gleaming new black Capri 2.8i. It was so smooth and effortlessly fast (compared to 4 pots of the era). It looked gorgeous inside and out. So deeply cool with its red pin stripe, pepper pot alloys, the latest style registration plate. The windows were down, the sun was out, breeze was flowing by and the air was filled with various 80s tunes like Duran Duran. Then back home for a roll on my BMX and playing with RC cars. Endless summers and great times.
I miss being a little kid in the 80s
I miss being a little kid in the 80s
My dad used to be a fast driver - usually 100mph on the motorways where traffic allowed. He now suffers with an inner ear issue and get's dizzy when he goes fast so goes not over 60....
As kids I remember a few journeys....
One was a trip to Edinburgh where we had been motoring in a M535i. Blue lights from a long way back caused us to stop and a very grumpy Scottish policeman asked how fast we were going. Apparently he'd been revving the nuts off his diesel Astra for ten minutes trying to catch up. He was not impressed when he was going on about ice, and my dad showed him the outside temperature gauge.... No ticket though somehow...
Another drive when he was being enthusiastic in a MG Montego 2.0 EFi, and cut a corner a little too much. How he missed the oncoming car I do not know.
Also remember a crash when we were not in the car.... He'd been waiting for someone to pull in front of him. They dithered. He gave up, they pulled into him. His car was drivable, theirs was not, and he gave them a lift back the 200 miles to Yorkshire....
As kids I remember a few journeys....
One was a trip to Edinburgh where we had been motoring in a M535i. Blue lights from a long way back caused us to stop and a very grumpy Scottish policeman asked how fast we were going. Apparently he'd been revving the nuts off his diesel Astra for ten minutes trying to catch up. He was not impressed when he was going on about ice, and my dad showed him the outside temperature gauge.... No ticket though somehow...
Another drive when he was being enthusiastic in a MG Montego 2.0 EFi, and cut a corner a little too much. How he missed the oncoming car I do not know.
Also remember a crash when we were not in the car.... He'd been waiting for someone to pull in front of him. They dithered. He gave up, they pulled into him. His car was drivable, theirs was not, and he gave them a lift back the 200 miles to Yorkshire....
Drives in his old MG Y type, returning from cricket matches back in the 60s, me standing up between the back seats while my brother lay across it asleep, the smell of beer, leather and the perennially damp cloth headlining filling the car. Encouraging him to drive in the 'fast' lane of the new M4 up to London, a good 60mph flat-ish out in the same old MG, and Sunday mornings 'helping' him adjust tappets, and using the car's built in jacks to rotate the wheels.
Then there was the memorable valve bounce in 3rd in his his Cortina Mk2 1600GT racing a friend in a Mk2 Jag, then his first 'proper' family car, an E3 BMW 2500, with a silky smooth engine and all-day-long 100mph cruise. And finally, his two white Porsches, 924 and 924S, that got me into the whole Porsche thing, especially when he arranged insurance for me for a birthday treat.
He wrote the second one off on the M4, unaccountably running into stationary traffic. It turned out to be the first signs of the neurological condition that killed him, but not before he'd met his first grandson who now proudly continues a long line of petrolheads.
SS7
Then there was the memorable valve bounce in 3rd in his his Cortina Mk2 1600GT racing a friend in a Mk2 Jag, then his first 'proper' family car, an E3 BMW 2500, with a silky smooth engine and all-day-long 100mph cruise. And finally, his two white Porsches, 924 and 924S, that got me into the whole Porsche thing, especially when he arranged insurance for me for a birthday treat.
He wrote the second one off on the M4, unaccountably running into stationary traffic. It turned out to be the first signs of the neurological condition that killed him, but not before he'd met his first grandson who now proudly continues a long line of petrolheads.
SS7
Edited by shoestring7 on Tuesday 7th July 21:04
Edited by shoestring7 on Tuesday 7th July 21:04
Edited by shoestring7 on Tuesday 7th July 21:05
My father was an excellent driver, fastish and safe, but had a continual succession of time expired Jaguars and Triumphs. I was grown up before I realised that the norm was to spend more time driving cars than fixing them. Sdaly gone some years ago, but outlived all of his cars except the Escort which when towards the end he was too ill to drive.
On the other hand my father-in-law was also a safe driver, but had the irrational and unshakeable belief that a Rover 213 would accelerate faster from 30 mph in fifth gear than third (I believe that he was brought up on Hillman Minxes) which made for many brown trouser moments when overtaking slow traffic.
Still I have fond memories of both of them, although I now drive Japanese Domestic Appliances and rev the nuts off them
On the other hand my father-in-law was also a safe driver, but had the irrational and unshakeable belief that a Rover 213 would accelerate faster from 30 mph in fifth gear than third (I believe that he was brought up on Hillman Minxes) which made for many brown trouser moments when overtaking slow traffic.
Still I have fond memories of both of them, although I now drive Japanese Domestic Appliances and rev the nuts off them
My dad's an excellent driver, as in safe and smooth, but in no way exciting. My Granddad is a different story though. He was once featured in the local newspaper (back in the day) for being pulled over whilst speeding to church, as he was late to give a sermon 
Also has built his own lomax kit car as well as some other projects in the past.
He knows his age now so doesn't speed or anything anymore, but he recently told me in my Type R to 'stick it in second and gun it'. Always good to hear that from a granddad!
Also has built his own lomax kit car as well as some other projects in the past.
He knows his age now so doesn't speed or anything anymore, but he recently told me in my Type R to 'stick it in second and gun it'. Always good to hear that from a granddad!
Not strictly driving memories, but car memories of my dad.
He got company cars, back when you had them for 2 years or 60,000 miles, they were OK spec but radio cassette didn't always come with the car. (Avenger, then Escorts and Cortinas) But I remember the ritual of disconnecting the stereo that he'd bought and then putting it into the new car the next day until finally a car came with one as standard.
We went to The Trading Post (before ebay and the internet) and sold it.
After that I remember the first Cavalier because it was the first car with more than 100bhp (114 IIRC), then a white Cavalier which he'd occassionally drive at 70 on the motorway and we'd laugh when no-one would dare pass.
Once, when someone had run into him he got a Mercedes (his car at the time was a Scorpio estate) and I remember how happy he was seeing it in the drive.
This was before lease deals and every man and his dog owning a Merc / Audi / BMW
I went to uni in Liverpool and I remember him driving me cross country across Derbyshire and taking the old roads to nip past lorries as we skirted Buxton and headed towards Macclesfield.
For my 30th birthday my parents bought me a Ferrari experience at Silverstone, I waited until Spring (May actually) to use it and my mum and dad came along aswell and I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. He was ill at the time and died that July.
He got company cars, back when you had them for 2 years or 60,000 miles, they were OK spec but radio cassette didn't always come with the car. (Avenger, then Escorts and Cortinas) But I remember the ritual of disconnecting the stereo that he'd bought and then putting it into the new car the next day until finally a car came with one as standard.
We went to The Trading Post (before ebay and the internet) and sold it.
After that I remember the first Cavalier because it was the first car with more than 100bhp (114 IIRC), then a white Cavalier which he'd occassionally drive at 70 on the motorway and we'd laugh when no-one would dare pass.
Once, when someone had run into him he got a Mercedes (his car at the time was a Scorpio estate) and I remember how happy he was seeing it in the drive.
This was before lease deals and every man and his dog owning a Merc / Audi / BMW
I went to uni in Liverpool and I remember him driving me cross country across Derbyshire and taking the old roads to nip past lorries as we skirted Buxton and headed towards Macclesfield.
For my 30th birthday my parents bought me a Ferrari experience at Silverstone, I waited until Spring (May actually) to use it and my mum and dad came along aswell and I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. He was ill at the time and died that July.
My Dad is an awful driver, always in the wrong gear, one handed driving only, brushing sausage roll crumbs off him etc. Two events spring to mind:
He used to slip the clutch. All the time. Reversing off our drive he would keep rolling backwards and select first, lot of revs till he started moving forwards all in our lovely Mk5 Cortina. Cue me learning to drive and using the car and the clutch is knackered. He made me pay for it with my savings from my part time job cash.
Coming back from a rugby match once, early 80’s so drink driving the norm. We were in my uncles Capri and Dad was driving – him, Uncle, me and my cousin – and at one point he thought we were on a dual carriageway until we very nearly had a head on. Cue driver swap as my uncle was ‘less drunk’. Going through Nottingham he went through a red light and straight in to the side of a bus! Idiots.
He used to slip the clutch. All the time. Reversing off our drive he would keep rolling backwards and select first, lot of revs till he started moving forwards all in our lovely Mk5 Cortina. Cue me learning to drive and using the car and the clutch is knackered. He made me pay for it with my savings from my part time job cash.
Coming back from a rugby match once, early 80’s so drink driving the norm. We were in my uncles Capri and Dad was driving – him, Uncle, me and my cousin – and at one point he thought we were on a dual carriageway until we very nearly had a head on. Cue driver swap as my uncle was ‘less drunk’. Going through Nottingham he went through a red light and straight in to the side of a bus! Idiots.
Zod said:
J4CKO said:
Coming home and he appears to be polishing his Golf GTi with a pair of beige Y fronts, I asked why he was polishing with underpants, and I asked if they had belonged to my recently departed granddad, his father, he said "yes, its what he would have wanted"
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