What did you drive in the 80s?

[davejones]

I've just realized what an eclectic mix of cars I have had over the years and how other purchasing decisions have influenced my driving experiences..!!

Ford Escort Van 1100
Ford Escort 1300 - (converted into "Mexico" 1600 rally car spec with type 49 big wing shell - kept getting stuck in reverse gear!!)
Hillman Minx - (bought to commute to first real job)
Mini Cooper 1275S - (converted into a rally car)
Hillman Husky Van - (to tow Mini Cooper)
Ford Escort Mk3 1.1L (first brand new car)
Vauxhall Astra Mk1 GTE
Porsche 944 Lux
Mini Metro City (bought to commute in, as Porsche upset my clients!)
Mini 850 race car
Hillman Avenger (bought to tow the Mini)
Ford Escort XR3i - (sold the Porsche to buy a flat)
Maserati biturbo - (lasted about two weeks)
Alfa Sud Sprint - converted to road saloon racer
VW Golf GTI Mk2
VW Passat - (bought to tow the Golf once converted into race car!)
Audi 80 Quattro
Audi Quattro UR
Rover 800 - (Quattro sold to finance house move)
BMW 318 - company car

[Sandy59]

droopsnoot said:

It's still around, apparently last seen in a warehouse in 2012, so at least it's keeping dry.

Cool, still in Aberdeenshire do you know ??

[RDMcG]

1980:

[s m]

1984 - from previous year’s 45bhp Mini to 300bhp Ford

[droopsnoot]

Sandy59 said:

droopsnoot said:

It's still around, apparently last seen in a warehouse in 2012, so at least it's keeping dry.

Cool, still in Aberdeenshire do you know ??

Somewhere in that area I think. The post I read was quite vague, not unreasonably.

[OverSteery]

A coupe of my daily drivers from the late 80s.


Build like a tank, I'm pretty sure JBY 58J is still going out there somewhere - I hope so. Does the current owner know that one sill is in fact from an alfa sud?




Alas rot killed this one long long ago

[PeterGadsby]

s m said:

Mr Ian said:

HF Turbo

My friend had a red one then went to the later injection version

Really liked both of them
Skinny tyres for a hot hatch as well - used to 4-wheel drift in very fast bends

I had an H reg HF Martini Turbo IE ... Had the full martini stripes & white alloy wheels loved that car.

- Pete

[pmr01]

share with old dear on original mini. magnum 2300 saloon. mk1 xr2. lancer 2000 turbo. e12 bmw m535i. with a skoda estelle in tandem with the bm - that was a laugh.

[Rob 131 Sport]

pmr01 said:

share with old dear on original mini. magnum 2300 saloon. mk1 xr2. lancer 2000 turbo. e12 bmw m535i. with a skoda estelle in tandem with the bm - that was a laugh.

E12 535i. Now there is a highly desirable car back in the day, through the years and now.

[jamckeown]

monkfish1 said:

Dolomite 1500HL

After that, Dolomite Sprint.

Then it was the 90's

Still got the sprint

Vauxhall Viva [terrible sold my racing push bike to fund the purchase)
Triumph Dolomite Sprint (spent so much money on this to keep it on the road)
Ford Escort XR3i
Rover 216 Vitesse
VW Golf GTI MKII 16V (loved this car)

Still got the Sprint some 37 years later!!!

[lowdrag]

1980 was the year my business really took off, so a few cars came my way. I started with a 1979 Manta Hatch, sold it and bought a Jetta GLi, then sold that and bought a Mercedes 280 CE W123, which I didn't like and traded it back in for a 380SL, in which I had a big accident and the car took six months to repair. So I bought a Cavalier SRi and sold the Merc when finally it came back. Then came my love affair with BMW's; a 323i followed by a 325 Sport, an M6 and very stupidly an M1. Not the ideal car for business really and since I was buying offices a Golf 16V was bought, which made so much noise (direct top, not overdrive) it went and was replaced with a 325i. After replacing the badges and having the stereo stolen several times I went sane for a moment and bought a Honda Accord 2.2. No tea leaf ever looked at that and to be truthful it was a good car and the aircon ice cold. That's it for the 80's except there are - and were - the classics too. The E-type purchased in 1982 is still with me, but the MK VIII, and the S-type are gone, replaced by other Jaguars in the 90's. I miss the MK VIII though.

[s m]

After the rumbling V8, started on the Escorts.

Red one that was written off by an overtaking 323i

Black RS2000 replacement in mid 80s

[Bobo W]

Triumph Mk2 2000
Ford Escort 1.3GL Estate
Metro 1.3 VDP
Renault 18 Estate
Jaguar Mk 2 2.4
Austin Sprite
Lotus Europa S2

[lowdrag]

Pit Pony said:

Was it the 18e engine in the SRi? From.the Astra the mk1 originally? Preface lift ? If you ever took a seat out, you would find that Recaro were the supplier. When I had mine, in 2005, the drivers seat was a right mess, but i found someone selling a full interior on migweb, and paid him.the full price and only took the passenger seat, which was perfect. Just meant tthe adjustment for back rect angle was on the wrong side. But it wasn't an issue functionally

Here was mine. a really lovely car in all respects - except for the heavy steering when parking

[ukkid35]

Capri 3L S in the Alps in '88, not too far from where I am now in this roly poly C3 hire car

[Rob 131 Sport]

lowdrag said:

Not the ideal car for business really and since I was buying offices a Golf 16V was bought, which made so much noise (direct top, not overdrive) it went and was replaced .

I had an E30 320i i the early 90’s that I absolutely loved with the exception of its lack of any power under 3,850 RPM. I was doing circa 25,000 miles per year mainly on motorways and considered a Golf 16 Valve as a replacement. I had no idea they were noisy, I always considered them to be quite refined. How bad were they.

[StevenB]

1966 Vanden plas princess
1978 chrysler Sunbeam S
1979 VW scirocco GLI
1975 wolseley princess
1980 Chrysler Alpine sunseeker