The joys of awful cars
Discussion
Due to reckless business expense I am currently forced to drive a 1.4 A Class. It has an odd spec as well. Rock hard suspension and a long wheel base. Now the thing is that I've realised that I get huge satisfaction out of driving it fast - just because it is SO awful. Stringing together a set of bends with any 'flow' at all is something of an achievement and, as such, hugely rewarding. It's manual and the engine, though dangerously underpowered, is very sweet. The brakes are comically terrible.
Nearby there is a section of road that I know well and often use. Today I finally managed to traverse it with both speed and flair. I was wildly pleased about this. Much more so that I ever have been doing the same in more exotic, driver oriented stuff. Anyone else have a terrible car (from a drivers perspective that is - it's otherwise brilliant) that they enjoy driving fast? Is it more satisfying to get it right in something rubbish? Or have lost it?
Nearby there is a section of road that I know well and often use. Today I finally managed to traverse it with both speed and flair. I was wildly pleased about this. Much more so that I ever have been doing the same in more exotic, driver oriented stuff. Anyone else have a terrible car (from a drivers perspective that is - it's otherwise brilliant) that they enjoy driving fast? Is it more satisfying to get it right in something rubbish? Or have lost it?
A 1.4 A Class Merc......bloody luxury.
If you had driven some of the terrible dreck I have piloted over the years ..like a Suzuki SC 100 (swapped lanes in sidewinds , engine cut out on spirited cornering ), Vauxhall Viva (no discernible power despite thrashing noises from engine room ) , Morris Oxford (like steering a barge) or Marina TC (made an Oxford feel like an F1 car), Nissan Bluebird (sadly indestructible ; hideously awful trim , tractor engine, dead steering , rubbish brakes and a total inability to go round corners ) . I could go on.
Your Merc has disc brakes , aircon (or at lest a heater that works), it doesn't let in water, it doesn't break down , reek of petrol,gas you with exhaust fumes or stop when it rains (as every original Mini did) and it has ABS - count your blessings mate!
If you had driven some of the terrible dreck I have piloted over the years ..like a Suzuki SC 100 (swapped lanes in sidewinds , engine cut out on spirited cornering ), Vauxhall Viva (no discernible power despite thrashing noises from engine room ) , Morris Oxford (like steering a barge) or Marina TC (made an Oxford feel like an F1 car), Nissan Bluebird (sadly indestructible ; hideously awful trim , tractor engine, dead steering , rubbish brakes and a total inability to go round corners ) . I could go on.
Your Merc has disc brakes , aircon (or at lest a heater that works), it doesn't let in water, it doesn't break down , reek of petrol,gas you with exhaust fumes or stop when it rains (as every original Mini did) and it has ABS - count your blessings mate!
Gilhooligan said:
Most fun car I've had was an old rust bucket ford Ka that I bought for 400 quid to use through the winter. It had no power steering and skinny tyres. I had massive fun chucking it into the corners and used to rag it everywhere and not worry too much about speedbunps and pot holes.
+1 on the Ka.Recently scrapped my sister's Ka (rust) but drove it a fair number of times. Had the old 1.3 Endura engine but was super fun to chuck down the twisties. Very forgiving.
I had a Corsa 1.0 3 cylinder thing as a hire car for about 3 days once, beyond hateful.
My parents had a Volvo 240DL estate brand new back in about 1989, also beyond hateful.
By far the worst things I've ever endured driving, and try as I might I just couldn't think of a single redeeming feature for either. So no, sorry, I'm not getting the joys of awful cars thing at all, beyond genuinely not giving a single toss what happens to them, meaning you'll happily leave them absolutely anywhere.
My parents had a Volvo 240DL estate brand new back in about 1989, also beyond hateful.
By far the worst things I've ever endured driving, and try as I might I just couldn't think of a single redeeming feature for either. So no, sorry, I'm not getting the joys of awful cars thing at all, beyond genuinely not giving a single toss what happens to them, meaning you'll happily leave them absolutely anywhere.
I actually prefer driving slower/worse cars purely because it's more fun. A good accomplished car is a little dull unless pushing silly speeds.
Some previous cars I've owned and loved, Nissan Micra K10 and K11 (I think that's the codes, bubble one and the one before it) both in 1.0 flavour. No power so momentum was king. Only cars I've ever owned that were actually impacted by the wind direction and number of passengers, tail winds doubled the power of it!
As others, the Ford KA was fantastic until the engine went pop.
The only rubbish car I didn't enjoy was a Kia Rio courtesy car which made lots of noise but no forward motion. Cornering might have been fun if it had any grip of any sort, I suppose the monumental understeer could be fun if was adjustable but sadly it wasn't.
Some previous cars I've owned and loved, Nissan Micra K10 and K11 (I think that's the codes, bubble one and the one before it) both in 1.0 flavour. No power so momentum was king. Only cars I've ever owned that were actually impacted by the wind direction and number of passengers, tail winds doubled the power of it!
As others, the Ford KA was fantastic until the engine went pop.
The only rubbish car I didn't enjoy was a Kia Rio courtesy car which made lots of noise but no forward motion. Cornering might have been fun if it had any grip of any sort, I suppose the monumental understeer could be fun if was adjustable but sadly it wasn't.
I had a City Rover as a 'courtesy' car, steering was either f
ked or just terrible, I think both, cheap tyres that were also barely legal, knackered clutch that slipped in 3rd all on its own going up hill.
A complete and utter turd of a car, but THE most hilarious car to drive I've ever experienced because it was so bad. It's one positive was a victory in a courtesy car drag race against a mate in a Cinquecento. After he jumped the start
ked or just terrible, I think both, cheap tyres that were also barely legal, knackered clutch that slipped in 3rd all on its own going up hill. A complete and utter turd of a car, but THE most hilarious car to drive I've ever experienced because it was so bad. It's one positive was a victory in a courtesy car drag race against a mate in a Cinquecento. After he jumped the start
95% of my driving is done in a Toyota Hiace, with a whopping 88bhp and lots of body roll.
I do take great pleasure in maintaining momentum through the bends and catching up with the cars that flew past me on the straight sections!
One car I did not enjoy driving fast was an automatic Suzuki Baleno saloon! My GF and I were visiting her heavily pregnant Sister, who awoke in the early hours of the morning in agony. I was the only sober one, so I had to drive her to hospital. Went outside and discovered my car (Mk1 Focus, which was a pleasure to drive fast) had a flat tyre, meaning I had to drive their car, quickly, in the dark on roads I'd never been on before!
What a horrid, horrid car!
I do take great pleasure in maintaining momentum through the bends and catching up with the cars that flew past me on the straight sections!
One car I did not enjoy driving fast was an automatic Suzuki Baleno saloon! My GF and I were visiting her heavily pregnant Sister, who awoke in the early hours of the morning in agony. I was the only sober one, so I had to drive her to hospital. Went outside and discovered my car (Mk1 Focus, which was a pleasure to drive fast) had a flat tyre, meaning I had to drive their car, quickly, in the dark on roads I'd never been on before!
What a horrid, horrid car!
poing said:
I actually prefer driving slower/worse cars purely because it's more fun. A good accomplished car is a little dull unless pushing silly speeds.
I agree with this. Maybe I am getting old or not trying hard enough?Although it is not a rocket-ship, my MCS is definitely a tool to get a job done - it is a daily driver - but to really enjoy it I get very few opportunities (speed limits, traffic, commuting). Therefore I actually enjoy my 2.5 tonne VW T25 with probably 60bhp. I only do about 1500 miles PA in it - so it does not get used too much. It really is awful, slow, average brakes, wallowy, uncomfortable, hard to park, rusty but for some insane reason I look forward to it because it is so different to any previous vehicles I have owned.
Driving it is usually associated with family days out to the beach, general cruising, taking the bikes out, camping trips etc. so maybe it is with rose tinted specs.
Although I think you were perhaps referring to slower cars that can be driven hard without really troubling speed limits because of performance or handling issues. I can also empathise with this.....
Mike
before I joined the army I used to work for a motor factors and one of our back up vans was a knackered old nissan vannette which failed to trouble any rice pudding skins!
It was however rear wheel drive and I made it my life's mission to get the back end out on it! one day I achieved it on a wet roundabout at the bottom of a hill!
was even more pleased about that than getting the back end out on the nissan 200sx I owned at the time!
It was however rear wheel drive and I made it my life's mission to get the back end out on it! one day I achieved it on a wet roundabout at the bottom of a hill!
was even more pleased about that than getting the back end out on the nissan 200sx I owned at the time!
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