What new car from 1990 would you run as a DD?

[white_goodman]

If you could travel back in time to 1990 and take a new car back to 2014 to run as your daily drive, what would it be? Please feel free to post pics.

Note: running costs are down to you, so you will be paying today's parts and petrol prices and labour rates.

[white_goodman]

L1ham said:

I often wonder if someone somewhere has preserved a brand new, undriven, showroom condition Regular Joe car from 20/30 years ago?

I'd like to say I'd go for a Lexus LS400 (I remember wanting the one they restored on Wheeler Dealers... lol) but not sure about the costs? If we're being realistic... probably an Accord? I dunno, just guessing it would be a lot cheaper to look after these days if I'm honest.

If we're talking normal cars (like an Accord), then I would probably go for a Cavalier GSi2000 or a Sierra XR4x4. The lure of a Cosworth is strong though!

[white_goodman]

okie592 said:

BUY A NEW CAR AND FACE ALL THAT DEPRECIATION??

NO THANK YOU I WILL TAKE A 10 YEAR OLD SHED

I never said you had to pay for it!

Here's your 10 year old shed (it's 1990 remember)!



I'll stick with this!

Edited by white_goodman on Monday 11th August 20:13

[white_goodman]

Daniel1 said:

E36 325i (august 1990 according to wikipedia)

I just have a soft spot for the E36, so to drive a new one without rusty arches and wobbly suspension would make me so happy.

I'm pretty sure these didn't come out until 1991. I've seen them on J-plates but were any registered on H-plates? Posted in the spirit of the thread though, so I'll let it slide

[white_goodman]

Some I remember fondly (friends dad's owned them). Thought they were awesome at the time but look a bit crap in the photos now (apart from the Astra).



Futuristic looks, very fast (that redtop engine - possibly one of the best engines ever put in a normal car?) but quite a wild, hard-riding ride (could have been the driver, he liked to make progress)! Would it stand up to scrutiny against the classic hot hatches (205/Golf GTi) of the time now? I'm not so sure.



It was actually one of the last mk4 Orions (a 1.6 GL on an H-plate I think) that he bought new and had for about 10 years. I was friends with his eldest son and we used to cruise around in it after he passed his test. Nice, comfortable car with a reasonable turn of speed from what I remember. It only expired due to son number two crashing it! I always preferred the hatchback Escort though and the perceived "luxury" of the Ghia model. I wouldn't mind a 1.6 in that light non-metallic blue (can't find a pic).



Rover 820e Auto. Nice big, comfy car and looked very classy as a grey saloon. Looks like a Montego in this pic though. It was much nicer than that really!

[white_goodman]

Hugo a Gogo said:

jesus, we've had VW estates, and now a Ford Escort

that's really your 'any car from 1990' choice?

Not "any car from 1990". Daily driver. I've already pitched in a 205 GTi 1.9 which is fun (but not comfortable on longer trips or cheap to run or that practical) and a Sierra XR4x4 or Cavalier GSi 2000. Sierra would be too expensive to run as a daily for me, Cavalier might be doable but still more expensive to run than the Escort and no heated front screen!

Something like an F40 would be awesome to drive but would you really want to drive it every day? You would ruin it and it would bankrupt you.

[white_goodman]

Hugo a Gogo said:

you run a WRX Impreza, that's no less impractical than those sub-2 litre hatchbacks

and theres a lot of middle ground before you get to an F40

That's true but I don't have the WRX any more unfortunately.

Mortgage + Two kids + Single income + longer commute = Toyota Cotolla

An Escort Ghia would be more interesting!

[white_goodman]

KM666 said:

My grandad had one for years. First car I ever felt 'acceleration' in. 116bhp is still decent for a cooking 1.6 today.

I'd have this US spec MI16, i'm a sucker for amber running lights on european cars.

Edited by KM666 on Tuesday 12th August 21:40

Edited by KM666 on Tuesday 12th August 21:45

I never knew they sold these in the US. You learn something new every day!

[white_goodman]

Pommygranite said:

Well if I was given an F40 and brought it back to the present I'd not have paid for it and would happily pay £15k a year to run it.

If the thread title was what was the best new car in 1990 or what car would you most like to own from 1990, then absolutely I'd love an F40. Do I have or would I want to spend 15k per year to run it as my daily though? Absolutely not and I expect that 15k doesn't include insurance either!

For it to be my DD, it would have to fulfill the criteria for my current vehicle (Toyota Corolla) i.e can I drive it 3 miles down a gravel road to work? Can I take/pick the kids up from school in it? Can I go supermarket shopping in it/fold down the seats and load it up with flat pack furniture? Can I park it anywhere?

For some people, I think it's more about the nostalgia of owning something from new that they never got the opportunity to own when it was new/nearly new e.g. Sierra XR4x4 in my case, as I was only 10 or something that they owned when it was way past its best (would have loved to have owned my 205 GTi with 150k less on the clock) or simply something that reminds you of the time and used to be fairly mundane/commonplace at the time but is quite rare now (like a mk4 Escort for example)! But fine, this is PH, so I'll take an RS Turbo instead, even though I prefer the S1 RS Turbo and 4 doors would be more useful to me! When I passed my test in 1997, a 1990 Escort would have been considered as quite a decent car but as I couldn't afford to buy my first car until 2000, I bought a 1995 Astra instead. I don't feel particularly nostalgic about that car though!

I've never owned a Ford, so feel like I've missed out a bit, as for some reason, I have a soft spot for 1980s/early 1990s Fords (mk5 Escort excepted)! Don't see myself owning a Ford in the near future though, as I prefer the styling of other makes and they don't appear to be as good value any more as some others (I'm sure they are excellent cars though)!

Not knocking your choice but if we all chose the same car then PH would be a dull place. I can understand why someone would choose something a bit juicy with a big engine but 15k per year running costs are another thing!

Edited by white_goodman on Wednesday 13th August 15:58

[white_goodman]

Alright, sod practicality! I'll have an R129 SL too (with the 3.0 24v engine please). I'm probably about 20 years too young for it but it would be a pleasure to drive every day!

[white_goodman]

Pommygranite said:

Understandably I disagree - i'm not sure desiring a Ford Sierra 1.6 shows 'proper petrolheadedness' over an F40. As I get older and realise I am a)not going to be rich and b)never have an F40 I think - sod doing what you 'think' is right, do what you want and if I could get an F40 and run one each day to the massive detriment of my comfort and wallet I would. In a heartbeat.

To say that choosing an F40 means an interest in cars is only skin deep is somewhat 'insulting' (can you get insulted by a random on the internet - no not at all). I think picking all these 'everyday cars' whilst wistful it is somewhat rose tinted - I grew up driving/owning Ford Orions, Rover 214's and at Montego's and they're not exactly desirable to drive - they werent great then but now they would just be comically bad.

If your mate turned up in one you'd laugh and be like 'lets have a drive' in some sort of reminisce but you'd get out entertained after 30 minutes but glad to be back in your modern car with all that that brings.

Whilst it may be PH 'cool' to appear like an everyman its very much like when someone says 'who's Justin Bieber, never heard of him' like being not in the know is the equivalent to being in the know.

This thread is a ridiculous fantasy of time travel so i'll take my F40 as my chosen Daily Driver thank you very much as I am guessing it is much better drive than a Volvo 740 or Rover 820 (Si, nice spec but i'd take a Sterling thanks...).

Edited by Pommygranite on Thursday 14th August 05:18

What's your choice again?

[white_goodman]

Davie said:

I like the "If you could...." If, if..? There is no if here as 90's metal is pretty much all I've driven since 98 aside for a brief spell with a Mk4 Astra and a Phase 2 V70. Currently driving an 850 T-5R with nigh on quarter of a million miles day in, day out...

The novelty hasn't worn off.... yet...

Yes, I'm well aware that it is possible and perfectly feasible to run a 1990 car as a DD but I think the idea of the thread is that you can enjoy it factory fresh as originally intended. Your 850 may still be brilliant even with 250,000 miles on the clock (although it will be a bit newer than 1990) but lots of 1990 cars won't feel or look fresh by now and some may even be virtually extinct. Try finding a "nice" unmolested Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v, Cavalier GSi2000 or Honda CRX now for example. My 205 GTi (1991) was still brilliant when I owned it with 150k on the clock but I would have loved to have driven it when it was new and everything wasn't knackered!

[white_goodman]

Pommygranite said:

Haha, well in the interests of being a true petrolhead (apparently) I will not choose an F40 but instead choose a Testarossa.

Alright Pommygranite, you should have your F40 and I've kind of come around to your way of thinking. I like the idea of having one of the 1990 working-class heroes in new car condition but yes if I could have a Ferrari instead of a Ford Sierra I would (even if it is totally impractical for my useage)! As I've already relented and taken an R129 SL, I might as well go the whole hog and take a 348tb in Rossa Corsa thanks.



The thing is because most of these more exotic cars were not bought as DDs and not run on a shoestring (so maintained regardless of cost) you can still pretty much enjoy them "as new" if you have the means. In fact, I would say they might even be better thanks to a few modern upgrades such as modern rubber! I will probably never own a Ferrari but the 348 has always been my maybe I will if I'm lucky Ferrari. I think (hope) being an "entry-level" Ferrari the running costs may be a bit more affordable and if I ever have a spare 30k to spend on an automotive "toy" it would be hard to walk away from a Ferrari 348 for the cost of a new top-line hot hatch! I think the time to buy was 10-15 years ago though when values dipped to 20-25k!