Which attainable car from your youth would you still like?
Discussion
DickyC said:
Yes, I meant 'attainable at the time of your youth' but it sounded stuffy and it was too long for the title.
I'd like to add Gilbern Invader to my list. Also not BMC you'll notice.
I saw in Invader driving through the Cotswolds last Friday, pretty sure it's the first time that I have seen one moving and outside of a classic car show.I'd like to add Gilbern Invader to my list. Also not BMC you'll notice.
I think I got lucky many years ago!
In 1979 I bought a 1973 Rover P6B 3500S for £1,650 - only because I couldn't get insured for a 3 litre Capri, but more on that later!
Got a deal on a MK2 Granada 2.8 Ghia I couldn't refuse in 1981 but for a hooligan it wasn't that exciting so in 1982 I bought this.
As well as it handled it got hammered by a 2.8i Capri so I sold it in 1984 and bought a 2.8i that I sold in 1985 for a house deposit, then I bought this one in 1988.
I wanted a Sierra Cosworth next but they were uninsurable then so I went sensible for a while.
But in the early 90s I bought a MK1 Golf GTi 1.6 as a stop-gap and had a MK2 Golf GTi 16V as another stop-gap a couple of years later.
Then a mate booked a track day on the Silverstone GP circuit with a 1987 Sierra Sapphire Cosworth that blew it's head gasket. Even before that I didn't like it - his XR4i drove so much better, so I realised sometimes it's better not to meet your heroes!
I loved most of them back in the day when they were just old cheapish cars, but wouldn't pay what people want for them now!
Just glad I had them when they really were attainable.
In 1979 I bought a 1973 Rover P6B 3500S for £1,650 - only because I couldn't get insured for a 3 litre Capri, but more on that later!
Got a deal on a MK2 Granada 2.8 Ghia I couldn't refuse in 1981 but for a hooligan it wasn't that exciting so in 1982 I bought this.
As well as it handled it got hammered by a 2.8i Capri so I sold it in 1984 and bought a 2.8i that I sold in 1985 for a house deposit, then I bought this one in 1988.
I wanted a Sierra Cosworth next but they were uninsurable then so I went sensible for a while.
But in the early 90s I bought a MK1 Golf GTi 1.6 as a stop-gap and had a MK2 Golf GTi 16V as another stop-gap a couple of years later.
Then a mate booked a track day on the Silverstone GP circuit with a 1987 Sierra Sapphire Cosworth that blew it's head gasket. Even before that I didn't like it - his XR4i drove so much better, so I realised sometimes it's better not to meet your heroes!
I loved most of them back in the day when they were just old cheapish cars, but wouldn't pay what people want for them now!
Just glad I had them when they really were attainable.
Neil1323bolts said:
Well back in my youth I was a proper Ford fanboy so I guess a few of the fast Ford gems of that era, s1 RS turbo absolutely loved that car , sapphire RS cosworth , mk2 fiesta xr2 , v6 24v cosworth xr4x4 massively modified, mk1 fiesta super sport , that’s some of the fords I’ve owned, I did quite like my cavalier Sri 130 it seemed a rocket ship back in the day . What else golf vr6 was pretty good , if a bit front heavy !
I still really miss my Ford days too. 
Ford seemed to lose their way for me in the more recent times(granted the Focus RS/Fiesta ST/V8 Mustangs etc are the exceptions). However there was a time when I would've liked to have owned/experienced pretty much all of the XR/RS models though for sure.
Mr Tidy said:
I think I got lucky many years ago!
In 1979 I bought a 1973 Rover P6B 3500S for 1,650 - only because I couldn't get insured for a 3 litre Capri, but more on that later!
Got a deal on a MK2 Granada 2.8 Ghia I couldn't refuse in 1981 but for a hooligan it wasn't that exciting so in 1982 I bought this.
As well as it handled it got hammered by a 2.8i Capri so I sold it in 1984 and bought a 2.8i that I sold in 1985 for a house deposit, then I bought this one in 1988.
I wanted a Sierra Cosworth next but they were uninsurable then so I went sensible for a while.
But in the early 90s I bought a MK1 Golf GTi 1.6 as a stop-gap and had a MK2 Golf GTi 16V as another stop-gap a couple of years later.
Then a mate booked a track day on the Silverstone GP circuit with a 1987 Sierra Sapphire Cosworth that blew it's head gasket. Even before that I didn't like it - his XR4i drove so much better, so I realised sometimes it's better not to meet your heroes!
I loved most of them back in the day when they were just old cheapish cars, but wouldn't pay what people want for them now!
Just glad I had them when they really were attainable.
You've lived the dream Mr Tidy for sure for me. In 1979 I bought a 1973 Rover P6B 3500S for 1,650 - only because I couldn't get insured for a 3 litre Capri, but more on that later!
Got a deal on a MK2 Granada 2.8 Ghia I couldn't refuse in 1981 but for a hooligan it wasn't that exciting so in 1982 I bought this.
As well as it handled it got hammered by a 2.8i Capri so I sold it in 1984 and bought a 2.8i that I sold in 1985 for a house deposit, then I bought this one in 1988.
I wanted a Sierra Cosworth next but they were uninsurable then so I went sensible for a while.
But in the early 90s I bought a MK1 Golf GTi 1.6 as a stop-gap and had a MK2 Golf GTi 16V as another stop-gap a couple of years later.
Then a mate booked a track day on the Silverstone GP circuit with a 1987 Sierra Sapphire Cosworth that blew it's head gasket. Even before that I didn't like it - his XR4i drove so much better, so I realised sometimes it's better not to meet your heroes!
I loved most of them back in the day when they were just old cheapish cars, but wouldn't pay what people want for them now!
Just glad I had them when they really were attainable.
Attainable at the time of my teens-20s (1990s) meant anything less than about 500 quid as I spent most of that decade skint. Managed some fun things like a 2.0-litre Mk2 Escort, but whilst fun was still had, the cars were mostly dross.
If I’d had the money at the time, something like a 2.8i Capri or Manta GTE would’ve been on the list, as would a 309 GTI and Series 1 RS Turbo. Having since driven a few my fave hot hatch ever though is a 306 GTI6 and I still scout around for a tidy one now.
Perhaps a bit more aspirational would’ve been an E28 5 series, maybe an E24 635i, I can’t get comfy enough in an E30. I still need to scratch the E24/E28 itch.
Things have changed now, so when I had the chance to buy something fun a few years ago, it was transaxle Porsches that I went for. Just so far from attainable back then, they were literally just poster cars.
Good to see that many others were able to get their cars at the time
If I’d had the money at the time, something like a 2.8i Capri or Manta GTE would’ve been on the list, as would a 309 GTI and Series 1 RS Turbo. Having since driven a few my fave hot hatch ever though is a 306 GTI6 and I still scout around for a tidy one now.
Perhaps a bit more aspirational would’ve been an E28 5 series, maybe an E24 635i, I can’t get comfy enough in an E30. I still need to scratch the E24/E28 itch.
Things have changed now, so when I had the chance to buy something fun a few years ago, it was transaxle Porsches that I went for. Just so far from attainable back then, they were literally just poster cars.
Good to see that many others were able to get their cars at the time
Mellow Yellow said:
jeremyc said:
And for me, something like this please.
Like that, made me think of my favourite Scalextric car:
...but having thoroughly googled, I can't find a real one in black with yellow stripes, presumably it was a Scalextric-only colour scheme.
They later did the same thing in reverse with a limited number of RS2000's sold in Sweden, which were all Daytona Yellow with the blue stripes fitted, but they didn't have to specially make those, as they were the same stripes as used on the Diamond White, Stardust Silver and Olympic Blue RS2's.
I'll have a Triumph Stag please.... or a Dolomite Sprint. The latter was more of a passing phase but the desire to own a Stag keeps coming back again and again. I've even been to see a few of them, but a car in the condition I'm looking for, at the price I can afford, has always been just over the horizon.
52classic said:
I'll have a Triumph Stag please.... or a Dolomite Sprint. The latter was more of a passing phase but the desire to own a Stag keeps coming back again and again. I've even been to see a few of them, but a car in the condition I'm looking for, at the price I can afford, has always been just over the horizon.
I still have a Stag urge as well. Back in Aug 1977, my Dad owned a Triumph 2000, and every year on the 1st Sunday of August he was involved in a small sports club fete type event in Essex, and the local BL and Ford dealers always had a selection of new cars on display, which to a car made teenager meant I could collect brochures and spent hours sitting in the various cars wishing that the family was in a position to be able to buy a new car (never happened) and being the 1st day of August back then the trip around the A406 to Chingford from West London was usually a new reg number spotting competition for my Dad and I 
Anyway.....I still vividly remember the 1977 event as the local BL dealer had a Russet Brown Stag on display, which was the last new unregistered one they had left for sale, and was likely one of the last ones off the line before production ended about a month or so before.
Pretty much still have a Stag urge because of that memory, plus Dad always wanted one, but he had to have an estate for work purposes back then, so never got the chance either.
Where am I up to? A Hotted-up Anglia and a Gilbern Invader, ooh, and a Frogeye.
The Frogeye Sprite: the World's least scary sportscar. When I was first buying car mags in the 60s, Caterham were car dealers who specialised in Lotus 7 and Frogeyes. I know! They did handle nicely. The rear suspension was different to the later Sprites and Midgets. Exotic in a modest way.
The Frogeye Sprite: the World's least scary sportscar. When I was first buying car mags in the 60s, Caterham were car dealers who specialised in Lotus 7 and Frogeyes. I know! They did handle nicely. The rear suspension was different to the later Sprites and Midgets. Exotic in a modest way.
aeropilot said:
52classic said:
I'll have a Triumph Stag please.... or a Dolomite Sprint. The latter was more of a passing phase but the desire to own a Stag keeps coming back again and again. I've even been to see a few of them, but a car in the condition I'm looking for, at the price I can afford, has always been just over the horizon.
I still have a Stag urge as well. Back in Aug 1977, my Dad owned a Triumph 2000, and every year on the 1st Sunday of August he was involved in a small sports club fete type event in Essex, and the local BL and Ford dealers always had a selection of new cars on display, which to a car made teenager meant I could collect brochures and spent hours sitting in the various cars wishing that the family was in a position to be able to buy a new car (never happened) and being the 1st day of August back then the trip around the A406 to Chingford from West London was usually a new reg number spotting competition for my Dad and I Anyway.....I still vividly remember the 1977 event as the local BL dealer had a Russet Brown Stag on display, which was the last new unregistered one they had left for sale, and was likely one of the last ones off the line before production ended about a month or so before.
Pretty much still have a Stag urge because of that memory, plus Dad always wanted one, but he had to have an estate for work purposes back then, so never got the chance either.
This thread reminded me that I am on the downhill leg of a looong term restoration of a BMW 2002 Targa. Surely a concept that combines much of the Dolmite and Stag. Will that satisfy my urges? probably too set in my ways to change.
jeremyc said:
DickyC said:
A hotted-up Anglia for me, please.
I won't do it, but I like the fact that it still intrigues me.
The spec I can still reel off for you: Classic struts and discs, 5 1/2 Js, 1650 pushrod - or a Lotus Twin Cam! - with a bullet box from a 2000E.
I even enjoyed typing the words.
Marvellous.
Get yer wallet outI won't do it, but I like the fact that it still intrigues me.
The spec I can still reel off for you: Classic struts and discs, 5 1/2 Js, 1650 pushrod - or a Lotus Twin Cam! - with a bullet box from a 2000E.
I even enjoyed typing the words.
Marvellous.
aeropilot said:
52classic said:
I'll have a Triumph Stag please.... or a Dolomite Sprint. The latter was more of a passing phase but the desire to own a Stag keeps coming back again and again. I've even been to see a few of them, but a car in the condition I'm looking for, at the price I can afford, has always been just over the horizon.
I still have a Stag urge as well. Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff