RE: My First Car
Discussion
Code Monkey said:
Ahh the first car
Vauxall Viva HC 1256cc's of roaring(well when the exhaust fell off) power. hmm maybe not, great fun though rear wheel drive so brill learning how to drive in the snow in economy tyres.
Bought from my Gran having been owned by her from new, had the shock of it's life when I bought it and actually used 4th gear.
Fixed static seatbelts meant soft floaty suspension not really a problem for driving as if stolen, had to drive like that to keep up with traffic but that just added to the fun of it all.
This was my brother's first car too. Was the Viva the one with the subtle S-shaped kink in the rear-door, at the window's base (the Victor's was straight IIRC)?...Vauxall Viva HC 1256cc's of roaring(well when the exhaust fell off) power. hmm maybe not, great fun though rear wheel drive so brill learning how to drive in the snow in economy tyres.
Bought from my Gran having been owned by her from new, had the shock of it's life when I bought it and actually used 4th gear.
Fixed static seatbelts meant soft floaty suspension not really a problem for driving as if stolen, had to drive like that to keep up with traffic but that just added to the fun of it all.
1983 mk1 golf driver 1.3 (gti lookalike in mars red)
insurance was only three times what i paid for the car!
still,paid for all by myself. certainly looked after it better knowing how hard i had to work to pay for it! had the funniest dangerous fault where whenever i pressed the brake pedal the headlights would come on. wondered for months why people kept pulling out in front of me at junctions............
insurance was only three times what i paid for the car!
still,paid for all by myself. certainly looked after it better knowing how hard i had to work to pay for it! had the funniest dangerous fault where whenever i pressed the brake pedal the headlights would come on. wondered for months why people kept pulling out in front of me at junctions............
LDNrevs said:
My 1st car was a 205 XS.. a 1.4 with twin Weber carbs.... only a tad slower than a 1.6 GTI 205 at the time. I wanted it based purely on it's drive and while all my mates wanted cars that looked good I was happy in my small lil' 205
Friend of mine has 2 (perhaps even 3) of those - I can see the appeal. I've only ever hooned one around a field (without 2nd gear) but it was great fun, seemed happier going sideways than forwards 
85bhp isn't bad for an 8v 1.4, the gearing is uber-short and they weigh nothing by modern standards.smeagol65 said:
my first car was also a ford capri,a 2litre sport jps edition.i loved that car it was solid as it had been zibarted from new,i think that it was called.had it for years until i wrapped it round a lorry on kamazasi island,rest in peace mrl 156p
Yep, that's what I got next. Absolute rust bucket it was. Loved the car, but the way it creaked when I jacked it up was a source of constant amusement (or in hindsight - absolute horror!).blowy84 said:
1983 mk1 golf driver 1.3 (gti lookalike in mars red)
insurance was only three times what i paid for the car!
still,paid for all by myself. certainly looked after it better knowing how hard i had to work to pay for it! had the funniest dangerous fault where whenever i pressed the brake pedal the headlights would come on. wondered for months why people kept pulling out in front of me at junctions............
Hah! My first car was a Fiesta 1.1 Mark III, bloody bullet proof. Upgraded the carbs on it and managed to get a speedo indicated 110, down hill, before valve bounce set in. (Clearly, this is below 100, I have no idea what the accuracy of this thing was!)insurance was only three times what i paid for the car!
still,paid for all by myself. certainly looked after it better knowing how hard i had to work to pay for it! had the funniest dangerous fault where whenever i pressed the brake pedal the headlights would come on. wondered for months why people kept pulling out in front of me at junctions............
Drove it a bit hard... the oil filler cap popped out (not a screw in one!) then I proceeded to drive 200 miles with oil spraying out. Got back and asked "Why is it so ticky?"
Finally died when I sold it to a friend who let it rust to death.
Edited by stuartbuckell on Monday 14th April 16:01
Mine was a MK1 Hillman Hunter 1750 DL (DL was form deluxe, not diesel). It had previously belonged to an old uncle of mine who could no longer drive and was actually a year older than me (the car not the old uncle).
It was a good fun first car with surprisingly good ballance for a 1967 vehicle with an agricultural engine, allowing to perform controlled drifts in the way I can these days only dream of. It was also from before the fuel crisis, resulting in a different gear ratio/diff ratio from the MK2, resulting in a very long first gear (great fun at traffic lights) and 4th being effectively a cruising overdrive (though there was an overdrive option available for this model). I think it's 0-60 time was around 14.5 seconds, though 0-30 it was rather quick, and could hit just over 90 MPH on the flat, not that I would be able to tell. The horizonal speedo used to bounce back and forth so badly over 40 miles an hour that I'm glad there were no speed cameras around in those days.
In the end a combination of Hillman build quality (read rust), mechanical age, and a gagarge failing to put the manifold back on properly post a clutch replacement (resulting in fiery blow back and a failed cylinder) all resulted in it's visit to the great scrap heap in the sky.
It was a good fun first car with surprisingly good ballance for a 1967 vehicle with an agricultural engine, allowing to perform controlled drifts in the way I can these days only dream of. It was also from before the fuel crisis, resulting in a different gear ratio/diff ratio from the MK2, resulting in a very long first gear (great fun at traffic lights) and 4th being effectively a cruising overdrive (though there was an overdrive option available for this model). I think it's 0-60 time was around 14.5 seconds, though 0-30 it was rather quick, and could hit just over 90 MPH on the flat, not that I would be able to tell. The horizonal speedo used to bounce back and forth so badly over 40 miles an hour that I'm glad there were no speed cameras around in those days.
In the end a combination of Hillman build quality (read rust), mechanical age, and a gagarge failing to put the manifold back on properly post a clutch replacement (resulting in fiery blow back and a failed cylinder) all resulted in it's visit to the great scrap heap in the sky.
my frist drive was the 1.6 GL auto capri. 0-60 in 31 seconds, fully loaded & downhill.
Crap customer service at my local Ford dealership resulted in my never buying another Ford, an attitude that remains in place to this day.
Top Tip to Ford Dealers, 17 year olds grown up & this one never forgets.
Crap customer service at my local Ford dealership resulted in my never buying another Ford, an attitude that remains in place to this day.
Top Tip to Ford Dealers, 17 year olds grown up & this one never forgets.
1.0 Nova Swing in 2 tone Diamond White / Rust. After fitting a stereo worth more than the car I went out and bought a Pipercross filter and Peco exhaust which I convinced myself made it much faster. Thinking it handled well, I tried a Colin McRae-esque powerslide around a hairpin. I then discovered 155 profile tyres on a fwd car do not give you the same amount of grip as a WRC Impreza and understeered into the hedge. The only damage done (bar pride) was the front numberplate cracked in half. Told my Dad that someone must have kicked it, and to this day he doesn't know the truth. 
About 6 weeks after passing my test it gave up the ghost completely and died every time I tried to dip the clutch or idle, so it went to the great scrappy in the sky. Yes it was a shed, but it was my shed; so long B246JMX
About 6 weeks after passing my test it gave up the ghost completely and died every time I tried to dip the clutch or idle, so it went to the great scrappy in the sky. Yes it was a shed, but it was my shed; so long B246JMX
my first car was a 2 litre capri mk3
brilliant fun when ur 18, ok i had to pay near enough 2 grand insurance, but it was worth it to drive something with character and was fairly quick, 0-60 in 10 secs or so with some light engine mods manifold are exhaust. sounded like a beast as well without being deafening.
d706abd your still out there somewhere, taxed anyway hehe
on my third capri now
brilliant fun when ur 18, ok i had to pay near enough 2 grand insurance, but it was worth it to drive something with character and was fairly quick, 0-60 in 10 secs or so with some light engine mods manifold are exhaust. sounded like a beast as well without being deafening.
d706abd your still out there somewhere, taxed anyway hehe
on my third capri now
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