Yes i Have just Landed from the planet ZARG
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) and a load of roof tiles. I used to drive a Skoda Rapid (sic) 136 and that could've done with a sackful, especially when standing on the 4-pot calipers from a rate of knots (well let's say 'less than 100 mph' anyway.... ;-)
I can heartily recommend the Rapid as a Good Way to Frighten Your Passengers and for practising tail-happy antics on roundabouts.
Ian
I can heartily recommend the Rapid as a Good Way to Frighten Your Passengers and for practising tail-happy antics on roundabouts.
Ian
When I was a student I had a 130 Estelle II 
, which was good cheap motoring and nothing to be too ashamed about really 
It was actually a hoot to drive. Handled like an early 911 in fact - with the engine slung out over the rear axle it could get interesting, especially when icy.
This was during the late 80's / early 90's at the height of the Skoda jokes (I bought it before they began, BTW), so I think I've heard just about every Skoda joke there is.
, which was good cheap motoring and nothing to be too ashamed about really It was actually a hoot to drive. Handled like an early 911 in fact - with the engine slung out over the rear axle it could get interesting, especially when icy.
This was during the late 80's / early 90's at the height of the Skoda jokes (I bought it before they began, BTW), so I think I've heard just about every Skoda joke there is.
JonRB:
I had an Estelle 105S (the base model) before the Rapid: highly entertaining as you say, as it had the prehistoric swingarm setup.At least the later cars got proper articulated driveshafts...
I had it in about '90; it was then 9 years old and had done only 7500 miles from new. The aged owner used to go to the shops once a week; I had to lie on the bsck seat and kick the rear doors open as they'd never been used. It was absolutely immaculate; when I traded it in for the Rapid I got more than I'd paid for it!
Still one of the best 'value-for-money' purchases I ever made.
My brother had a 130 saloon and my then girlfriend bought an Estelle 105 which, believe it or not (the Police didn't!) was stolen from a layby on the A19 when it overheated one night. Probably went to Russia; that'll teach them!
Ian
I had an Estelle 105S (the base model) before the Rapid: highly entertaining as you say, as it had the prehistoric swingarm setup.At least the later cars got proper articulated driveshafts...
I had it in about '90; it was then 9 years old and had done only 7500 miles from new. The aged owner used to go to the shops once a week; I had to lie on the bsck seat and kick the rear doors open as they'd never been used. It was absolutely immaculate; when I traded it in for the Rapid I got more than I'd paid for it!
Still one of the best 'value-for-money' purchases I ever made.
My brother had a 130 saloon and my then girlfriend bought an Estelle 105 which, believe it or not (the Police didn't!) was stolen from a layby on the A19 when it overheated one night. Probably went to Russia; that'll teach them!
Ian
Mine was a nearly-new Estelle II 130 on a 1986 D-plate that my dad and I went halves on in 1987. It cost £3500 as I recall.
He figured that if he helped me buy a nearly-new car with a warranty then he would be saving time and money, as otherwise I'd have gone out and bought an old banger that he would have either have had to help me maintain or pay for a garage to fix. What a great dad!
As it turns out, the Skoda was very reliable and saw me through my last year at school and my first year at college before I traded up to my grandparents 1985 Mitusbishi Colt 1500 GLX with ridiculously low mileage and electric windows and mirrors (rare in those days). And it didn't cost much more than I sold the Skoda for either - bonus!
I should get round to adding those cars to my profile really, I guess.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 9th October 09:51
He figured that if he helped me buy a nearly-new car with a warranty then he would be saving time and money, as otherwise I'd have gone out and bought an old banger that he would have either have had to help me maintain or pay for a garage to fix. What a great dad!
As it turns out, the Skoda was very reliable and saw me through my last year at school and my first year at college before I traded up to my grandparents 1985 Mitusbishi Colt 1500 GLX with ridiculously low mileage and electric windows and mirrors (rare in those days). And it didn't cost much more than I sold the Skoda for either - bonus!
I should get round to adding those cars to my profile really, I guess.
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 9th October 09:51
God's teeth! At the risk of a good kicking for bringing up the S-word again on a TVR list.... £3500 for a Skod!?
I paid £250 for my Estelle and got £350 as a trade-in against the Rapid which was £995. I gave the Rapid to my girlfriend (later wife, now ex-wife ;-), who lived in Middlesbrough at the time, and it was repeatedly vandalised to such an extent that the local scrappies ran out of side windows and quarterlights, the roof was like a ploughed field and some c**t got underneath and slit the fuel tank balance pipe to drain the tank. I caught one guy in the act one night: he wasn't a kid, but a guy of 30-ish, out of his face and when I challenged him to a good kicking he pulled a huge knife on me. Luckily for me he threw it on the grass and as he went to take his jacket off for some fisticuffs, I socked him. I should've kicked the crap out of him like I always promised myself I would do if I caught any scum stealing from me, but I let him get up and we had a bit of a spar until he heard an ambulance siren and legged it.
My Estelle was radared by a bike cop near Penrith: flat-out down a hill with the trailer tent on at about 83mph: the officer was last seen shaking his head in disbelief and tapping the radar gun... the same car failed to negotiate Hard Knott Pass in Cumbria even with a run-up at the ski-jump on the inland side! Total embarrassment: a crowd of bikers gathered to watch. I even made the wife and kids get out and it still couldn't make it.
Eee, happy days...
Ian
I paid £250 for my Estelle and got £350 as a trade-in against the Rapid which was £995. I gave the Rapid to my girlfriend (later wife, now ex-wife ;-), who lived in Middlesbrough at the time, and it was repeatedly vandalised to such an extent that the local scrappies ran out of side windows and quarterlights, the roof was like a ploughed field and some c**t got underneath and slit the fuel tank balance pipe to drain the tank. I caught one guy in the act one night: he wasn't a kid, but a guy of 30-ish, out of his face and when I challenged him to a good kicking he pulled a huge knife on me. Luckily for me he threw it on the grass and as he went to take his jacket off for some fisticuffs, I socked him. I should've kicked the crap out of him like I always promised myself I would do if I caught any scum stealing from me, but I let him get up and we had a bit of a spar until he heard an ambulance siren and legged it.
My Estelle was radared by a bike cop near Penrith: flat-out down a hill with the trailer tent on at about 83mph: the officer was last seen shaking his head in disbelief and tapping the radar gun... the same car failed to negotiate Hard Knott Pass in Cumbria even with a run-up at the ski-jump on the inland side! Total embarrassment: a crowd of bikers gathered to watch. I even made the wife and kids get out and it still couldn't make it.
Eee, happy days...
Ian
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