Everyday cars which are already starting to disappear
Discussion
Tempest_5 said:
Saw an R reg Calibra on the way home last night. Looked in quite good condition.
Haven't seen a Mercedes W123 for ages. Always fancied the estate one.
I have a Cortina based kitcar. I've started to find some bits needing a bit of ringing around to find. Ford don't have them on their computer system now, so no chance of NOS gathering dust on a shelf out the back at the dealers. I'm sure it wasn't that way when it was on Microfilm (showing how old & knackered I am).
I had to convert the BL/Mini sealed beam headlights when one blew to replaceable bulb ones as I wanted the car fixed in a hurry. No auto factors in the area had any and I could not wait for a specialist to supply them. Though the new ones are much better lights, it is a sign of how it's going.
Ah, when I were a lad even Halfords stocked a decent amount of spares !
Your Cortina mechanicals are c. 40 years old. That is the equivalent of expecting Halfords to have the parts for a 1930/40s era car on the shelf in the era the Cortina was current.Haven't seen a Mercedes W123 for ages. Always fancied the estate one.
I have a Cortina based kitcar. I've started to find some bits needing a bit of ringing around to find. Ford don't have them on their computer system now, so no chance of NOS gathering dust on a shelf out the back at the dealers. I'm sure it wasn't that way when it was on Microfilm (showing how old & knackered I am).
I had to convert the BL/Mini sealed beam headlights when one blew to replaceable bulb ones as I wanted the car fixed in a hurry. No auto factors in the area had any and I could not wait for a specialist to supply them. Though the new ones are much better lights, it is a sign of how it's going.
Ah, when I were a lad even Halfords stocked a decent amount of spares !
It's not a case of how it is going - it never was that way!
rossub said:
Biker's Nemesis said:
Never see Cortina's anymore.
I think people were saying that circa 1995 
When I was 17 in 1985 I really wanted a MK3 Cortina but they were rare as Hen's teeth even then as at 12 yrs old for the newest one they'd all rusted to oblivion.
My son has a lovely MK1 Focus for his first car, has a small dent on the rear quarter and on the bumper and needed a new coil pack but bargain motoring for £300 and had been loved and cared for other than the dent (FSH, lots of bills, etc.) should last him a good few years yet.
Balmoral said:
Halfords are rubbish though, I was in there the other day looking for a semaphore indicator for a Morris 8, but nope. They don't even sell "road tax" holders any more.
I know you are joking (hopefully 
) but they do seem to do a lot of bike stuff these days rather than bits for the motorist.Trafficators were great and they should bring them back. But this time a running LED version nightrider style.
GBB said:
I had one in 1988 and they were rare enough then.
When I was 17 in 1985 I really wanted a MK3 Cortina but they were rare as Hen's teeth even then as at 12 yrs old for the newest one they'd all rusted to oblivion.
My son h as a lovely MK1 Focus for his first car, has a small dent on the rear quarter and on the bumper and needed a new phone coil pack but bargain motoring for £300 and had been loved and cared for other than the dent (FSH, lots of bills, etc.) should last him a good few years yet.
It's beginning to look like the Mk. 1 Focus is " The One". They resist rust much better than Escort (not difficult) but still need thorough body work inspection, preferably on a ramp and if looking ok, wheel arches/ sills will benefit from Waxoyl or similar. Far better than Fiesta/Puma, though.When I was 17 in 1985 I really wanted a MK3 Cortina but they were rare as Hen's teeth even then as at 12 yrs old for the newest one they'd all rusted to oblivion.
My son h as a lovely MK1 Focus for his first car, has a small dent on the rear quarter and on the bumper and needed a new phone coil pack but bargain motoring for £300 and had been loved and cared for other than the dent (FSH, lots of bills, etc.) should last him a good few years yet.
Trabi601 said:
There are a couple of Nissan Cherry Europes kicking around - at one point there was a Cherry which had been given an Arna makeover.
I wonder if that's what has happened here?
Although I do know of one Arna which is still on the road - which demonstrates that the data isn't 100% accurate.
Edited to add: B660 LCH is registered as a Cherry Europe, but has been shown at Alfa shows as an Arna!
I'll add a further edit - the owner of that car milks it for all it is worth - he shows it at Alfa shows and has it in Italian car media as an Alfa - but has also punted it around with Nissan badges for Japanese shows and media. It's a shame he feels the need to do this, in my opinion, as there is definitely an Arna kicking around the Alfa scene.
Sounds like possibilities I wonder if that's what has happened here?
Although I do know of one Arna which is still on the road - which demonstrates that the data isn't 100% accurate.
Edited to add: B660 LCH is registered as a Cherry Europe, but has been shown at Alfa shows as an Arna!
I'll add a further edit - the owner of that car milks it for all it is worth - he shows it at Alfa shows and has it in Italian car media as an Alfa - but has also punted it around with Nissan badges for Japanese shows and media. It's a shame he feels the need to do this, in my opinion, as there is definitely an Arna kicking around the Alfa scene.
Edited by Trabi601 on Thursday 12th January 23:30
I was beginning to think it was all a dream!sparks_E39 said:
Bdevo3 said:
Have we had these. Unless it's an evo the lancer is a rare site for what was an exceptionally reliable car
I saw a Citroen BX this afternoon, on the M25! A white estate, K reg, in decent order. I was so amazed I nearly drove off the road. I really wouldn't want one of them 25 years on, my folks had one for about 10 years and it used to hand in maintenance bills for fun. Every service my dad used to pay the bill thinking that this time it would let up and deliver decent service with the work done. It never did, and eventually the hydraulic pipes rusted through for the second time in not many years and it died.
battered said:
I saw a Citroen BX this afternoon, on the M25! A white estate, K reg, in decent order. I was so amazed I nearly drove off the road. I really wouldn't want one of them 25 years on, my folks had one for about 10 years and it used to hand in maintenance bills for fun. Every service my dad used to pay the bill thinking that this time it would let up and deliver decent service with the work done. It never did, and eventually the hydraulic pipes rusted through for the second time in not many years and it died.
Your folks were unlucky. They were pretty reliable on the whole. The key was having people work on it who knew what they were doing, much the same as it is with Alfas. Know what you're doing and you're fine, but second guess and it's possible to ruin one without too much effort.cpjitservices said:
Volvo,
The old 240's, 340's, 440's, Dont see many of those about these days ?
What killed them apart from age of course ? The 240 was a solid car!
I still see a couple of 240s near me.The old 240's, 340's, 440's, Dont see many of those about these days ?
What killed them apart from age of course ? The 240 was a solid car!
1 is a 240 Estate, in a
The other is a white GLT Saloon, just like my dad had when I was about 10. Go all misty eyed when I see it.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff