Childhood (car) memories...
Discussion
When we (there were three of us kids) were little my mum & dad used to drive from Kent down to Devon every summer to go and stay with family there. The journey used to take FOREVER (you know what it's like when you're a kid). I think like 8 hours or something. We used to get soooooooo bored, played all sorts of eye-spy games; fighting; falling asleep; sitting with feet up on the roof lining etc. None of this electronic malarkey to keep you entertained back then. Anyway I remember laying on the rear parcel-shelf for ages at a time on the motorways 
I think it was a Ford Cortina at the time but not too sure. In the 70s. My dad had a few different cars back then so I might ask if he can remember. Not too sure the police would like seeing that these days...
I also seem to recall my mum used to take a jam-jar for me to pee into, as I always used to drink a lot and pee a lot and it would drive my dad mad cos as soon as we set off I'd want to stop!
Anyone else have any distinctive memories from your childhood car journeys?
I think it was a Ford Cortina at the time but not too sure. In the 70s. My dad had a few different cars back then so I might ask if he can remember. Not too sure the police would like seeing that these days...I also seem to recall my mum used to take a jam-jar for me to pee into, as I always used to drink a lot and pee a lot and it would drive my dad mad cos as soon as we set off I'd want to stop!
Anyone else have any distinctive memories from your childhood car journeys?
Edited by CoolHands on Tuesday 8th November 12:06
Breaking the sunroof in my grandads Renault 21 the very day he got it.
Breaking the hazard light switch in my brothers Ford Escort MK6, the very day he got it.
My Grandad starting up his Mk2 Cavalier only to be greated by a horrible sound from under the bonnet, we opened it up to find a cat wrapped around the fanbelt, YUK!
Breaking the hazard light switch in my brothers Ford Escort MK6, the very day he got it.
My Grandad starting up his Mk2 Cavalier only to be greated by a horrible sound from under the bonnet, we opened it up to find a cat wrapped around the fanbelt, YUK!
I was talking about this at the weekend. I remember one trip to Devon in a Peugoet 504. We had me, my brother, nan, mum and dad. 2 5 stone labradors and a roof rack crammed for 2 weeks at the caravan site. This would all be fine until we incurred a blow out and a very dull 7 hours journey became instantly more thrilling.
Luckily my father was a very capable and experienced driver who kept the fish tailing peugoet in the right direction until it stopped.
Luckily my father was a very capable and experienced driver who kept the fish tailing peugoet in the right direction until it stopped.
My dad tailing two spiritedly driven development hack FIATs along the A7 autostrada between Milan and Genova. The cars we were following turned out to be Type 4s (ie. Croma) and we were in a white Audi Quattro.
I don't think our speeds went under 100 mph for most of the journey and they pulled some crazy moves to try and shake us.
I later discovered that Hans Lehmann was driving a white Quattro at the time...!!
I don't think our speeds went under 100 mph for most of the journey and they pulled some crazy moves to try and shake us.
I later discovered that Hans Lehmann was driving a white Quattro at the time...!!
My Mum had a Cortina estate at one point, we (me and my brother) used to sleep in the boot if we were travelling late at night.
Same car - while attempting to remove a crap Neil Diamond tape from the stereo i managed to break the button. Forever trapping said tap, Neil sounded pretty awefull by the time the car died.
Later my Dad had a Mk1 Mondeo Ghia X as a company car at one point, all my friends thought it was a 'posh car' because it had a built in phone and nice (non velour) upholstery.
Same car - while attempting to remove a crap Neil Diamond tape from the stereo i managed to break the button. Forever trapping said tap, Neil sounded pretty awefull by the time the car died.
Later my Dad had a Mk1 Mondeo Ghia X as a company car at one point, all my friends thought it was a 'posh car' because it had a built in phone and nice (non velour) upholstery.
- Hatfield to Brixham (233 miles) in a Morris Minor 1000. Somewhat of a long journey.
- Mums 205 GTI, known as the "leaky car" owing to the s
t seals around the sunroof meaning the handle used to fill up with water, and soak me EVERY DAY on the way to school
- Throwing up a lot in a Granada (motion sickness, it used to "float" making me constantly sick)
- E30 328 with teeth missing off the timing gear, meaning starting it either resulted in A. a running automobile or (most commonly) B. an ear piercing shriek as it "slipped", making me not the coolest kid in school
- Being picked up on the back of a Yamaha V-Max. Made up for the banshee 328
- And lastly, being let loose around a car park at the tender age of 13 in a Toyota Carina E. Didnt stall, drove it smoothly, was so impressed with myself right up until i learned you need to put the clutch in and take it out of gear when you stop.
- Mums 205 GTI, known as the "leaky car" owing to the s
t seals around the sunroof meaning the handle used to fill up with water, and soak me EVERY DAY on the way to school- Throwing up a lot in a Granada (motion sickness, it used to "float" making me constantly sick)
- E30 328 with teeth missing off the timing gear, meaning starting it either resulted in A. a running automobile or (most commonly) B. an ear piercing shriek as it "slipped", making me not the coolest kid in school
- Being picked up on the back of a Yamaha V-Max. Made up for the banshee 328
- And lastly, being let loose around a car park at the tender age of 13 in a Toyota Carina E. Didnt stall, drove it smoothly, was so impressed with myself right up until i learned you need to put the clutch in and take it out of gear when you stop.
Dear ALl,
breaking my 100m.p.h. cherry in paternal grandfather's Rover P5 in the '60s.
Dad getting full Volvo estate (with extra rear facing seat with 2 younger sisters on) out of flood on the starter and me saying "I've got wet feet". Perhaps he shouldn't have got into it but that's hindsight for you,
regards,
Jet
breaking my 100m.p.h. cherry in paternal grandfather's Rover P5 in the '60s.
Dad getting full Volvo estate (with extra rear facing seat with 2 younger sisters on) out of flood on the starter and me saying "I've got wet feet". Perhaps he shouldn't have got into it but that's hindsight for you,
regards,
Jet
Faint recollections of the rear door flying open on my Grandad's MG magnette and the nice slidy leather seats offering little in the way of friction but no harm done.
My Dad bought a Hillman Imp which was forever stopping on the hard shoulder to cool down as the original ones had cooling issues. He later sprayed it by hand using one of those electric sprayers - looked terrible.
Being one of 4 children, the fact we are all alive after floating, unsecured, round the backs of many cars like a Zephyr 4, Zephyr 6, Hillman Imp, Singer Gazelle, Wolseley 1500 and Victor FB in pale yellow. Most memories are of a Mk II Cortina GT in which we seemed to be endlessly going back and forth Cardiff which took about 4 hours and was largely spent singing various songs from the Sound of Music and so forth, to pass the time. Often had a dog in with us too.
My father once fitted a domestic wireless into his Cortina GT. It caught fire halfway through the Mersey Tunnel and closed the tunnel for about an hour. We were all "rescued" by the emergency services while my father had his burnt hands treated after he'd ripped the radio out and wrapped it in a towel and hidden it...just in case anyone thought his DIY was responsible.
His "classic" was coming home from the pub, half-cut, in the 60's in his Zephyr (it was all jolly acceptable back then)and telling my mother he'd parked the car in the garage. We didn't have a garage but the next day he found it neatly parked in the nearby bus shelter.
My Dad bought a Hillman Imp which was forever stopping on the hard shoulder to cool down as the original ones had cooling issues. He later sprayed it by hand using one of those electric sprayers - looked terrible.
Being one of 4 children, the fact we are all alive after floating, unsecured, round the backs of many cars like a Zephyr 4, Zephyr 6, Hillman Imp, Singer Gazelle, Wolseley 1500 and Victor FB in pale yellow. Most memories are of a Mk II Cortina GT in which we seemed to be endlessly going back and forth Cardiff which took about 4 hours and was largely spent singing various songs from the Sound of Music and so forth, to pass the time. Often had a dog in with us too.
My father once fitted a domestic wireless into his Cortina GT. It caught fire halfway through the Mersey Tunnel and closed the tunnel for about an hour. We were all "rescued" by the emergency services while my father had his burnt hands treated after he'd ripped the radio out and wrapped it in a towel and hidden it...just in case anyone thought his DIY was responsible.
His "classic" was coming home from the pub, half-cut, in the 60's in his Zephyr (it was all jolly acceptable back then)and telling my mother he'd parked the car in the garage. We didn't have a garage but the next day he found it neatly parked in the nearby bus shelter.
Standing up out of sunroofs
Sitting on my dad's knees and steering the car down the street
Going all the way to Spain with a caravan - back seats folded down to give a better doss about and play area.
Excess people in estate car boots
No end of things that people these days would get very upset and sanctimonious about. It was just normal.
Sitting on my dad's knees and steering the car down the street
Going all the way to Spain with a caravan - back seats folded down to give a better doss about and play area.
Excess people in estate car boots
No end of things that people these days would get very upset and sanctimonious about. It was just normal.
Six kids in the back of an Austin Seven van, yelling at dad to go faster on the A702 because there used to be a series of 'yumps' that bottomed out the suspension. Watching dad's van sliding down the hill at 0.00001 mph on sheet ice and bumping into another car, then going out to smash the ice with various garden tools, and burying the hoe in my brother's head when he bent down at the wrong moment.
Dad coming home on the bus after the Vauxhall Cresta Estate's (AEG 444B) wheel bearing seized on the Seven Bridge, god I loved that car
Mum crashing into a Police Ford Prefect in a Vanguard when the steering box failed.
Falling out of mum's Zephyr in Swanton Morely village and landing in a storm drain because I was playing with the door handle as we went round a sharp bend.
Dad coming home on the bus after the Vauxhall Cresta Estate's (AEG 444B) wheel bearing seized on the Seven Bridge, god I loved that car
Mum crashing into a Police Ford Prefect in a Vanguard when the steering box failed.
Falling out of mum's Zephyr in Swanton Morely village and landing in a storm drain because I was playing with the door handle as we went round a sharp bend.
LuS1fer said:
My father once fitted a domestic wireless into his Cortina GT. It caught fire halfway through the Mersey Tunnel and closed the tunnel for about an hour. We were all "rescued" by the emergency services while my father had his burnt hands treated after he'd ripped the radio out and wrapped it in a towel and hidden it...just in case anyone thought his DIY was responsible.
His "classic" was coming home from the pub, half-cut, in the 60's in his Zephyr (it was all jolly acceptable back then)and telling my mother he'd parked the car in the garage. We didn't have a garage but the next day he found it neatly parked in the nearby bus shelter.
His "classic" was coming home from the pub, half-cut, in the 60's in his Zephyr (it was all jolly acceptable back then)and telling my mother he'd parked the car in the garage. We didn't have a garage but the next day he found it neatly parked in the nearby bus shelter.
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