Old cars that just depress you.

[Yiliterate]

For some reason, the Mini Marcos.



I'm not quite sure why, because I've seen them being raced and they look a blast to drive. Perhaps it is because I used to drive past a particularly unloved example (in dirty white) that had been left in a lay-by to rot.

[rohrl]

Riley Blue said:

Fiat Strada - an awful car in every respect, absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.

Strada Abarth 130TC

[StottyZr]

Astra mk3 and Vauxhall Cavalier. Not sure why, but I look at one and I feel sad.

[J4CKO]

s m said:

J4CKO said:

I dont get the hatred for the Montego, I drove a few and had one for a while and always found them to be alright, despite the Sierra being RWD it didnt handle that well in standard form and had wheezy engines as a rule, the MK2 Cavalier was nippy but the handling was scrappy but the Montego managed to be comfy, handle better than it had any right to and had a decent turn of speed, the 1.6 did 0-60 in ten and a bit second, my "GTI" model was about nine. They werent perfect, for example they rusted but then everything else did then, nothing was Galvanised really until Fiat got sick of the stick and made the Tipo which was galvanised.

I think with some cars it is just the done thing to knock them as they were familiar and not that sought after, like any mass market saloon is, they end up effectively worthless but I am glad someone keeps the odd one going, it is a no brainer that E30 M3's and MK2 Escorts are kept going but really, as a car how much is actual capability to do its job and how much is PH/Evo/Market Hype ?

There is an element of Emporers New Clothes about cars, now I am sure a E30 M3 is a far far better drivers tool than a Montego but one is going for 50 grand and the other 500 quid, the M3 is not 100 times better, 100 times faster but you would think it reading about them.

Jacko, you know some cars' handling/dynamics improves from original with the passing of time whereas others becomes much worse - that thread about 205 Gti 1.6/1.9 handling sort of illustrates it doesn't it?

The handling stays exactly the same (assuming in good condition), what changes is our perception of it and it gets put in context, sometimes however the reverence goes a bit too far, the 205 was a great handler but was apt to swap ends. The Maestro and Montego handled well but people forget this and as they werent cool people assume that they handle like a wheelbarrow, Maestros especially were and still are raced and are probably a better handler than the 205 ever was, like the 309 GTI handled better than the 205, it just didnt look as funky.

[J4CKO]

deltashad said:

J4CKO said:

There is an element of Emporers New Clothes about cars, now I am sure a E30 M3 is a far far better drivers tool than a Montego but one is going for 50 grand and the other 500 quid, the M3 is not 100 times better, 100 times faster but you would think it reading about them.

But would you have wanted a Montego in your drive 20 years ago?
I like them more now, but that's only for nostalgia and respect to someone loving it.

Back in the day I looked at a montego as a maestro with a boot, which it was, and the maestro was ugly, an ugly replacement to an ugly allegro.

I could own any of these cars now as in a quirky kind of way they're cool.

I had one 20 years ago, as a young lad with not much money it was a way into a newer, faster car than I could otherwise afford, I bought a very clean, light blue Montego GTI (like the MG but without the red seatbelts), it wasnt my first choice but I only had three grand to play with. I had a Manta GTE before it and it was way better than that, bette rthan the Capri's I had as well, it was dare I say it better than the MK1 1600 GTI Golf I had by any objective measure, it was as fast as the Golf, the brakes worked a LOT better and it could corner quicker than the Golf, it was comfier and wasnt bad on fuel but the Golf was Cool so it gets forgiven a lot easier, it is like how atractive women in the workplace get away with more than their less attractive colleagues.

With cars, looks and image is a big part of it but I try to separate that from the mechanical side, we have a 1967 Fiat 500 which everybody loves but it is
actually fairly rubbish as a car.

The Montego and Maestro have never been pretty, the Montego was slightly more successful as a design but even then it isnt a beauty by any stretch, but then neither were its contemporaries. The engineering neither was that advanced but the old 2.0 lump was quite torquey and pleasant to use, it had a really wide track so was stable, the suspension was firm but had a decent ride.

[Noisy]

I don't really find any old cars depressing, I like driving, doesn't matter what I get behind the wheel of, driving a crap car means you can thrash it even more without risking your license. Although I might not want to own one, I always know there is fun to be had there.

[B'stard Child]

Riley Blue said:

Fiat Strada - an awful car in every respect, absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.

I can see from a quick gander at your profile you have a vast range of cars both owned and previously owned and I'm glad to see that a Fiat Strada is down in black and white to quantify you viewpoint - thanks for your input/contribution

I refuse to believe that any car has no redeeming features, especialy one that had a glorious italian twin cam on sidedrafts as an option

Edited by B'stard Child on Thursday 7th June 11:20

[J4CKO]

Noisy said:

I don't really find any old cars depressing, I like driving, doesn't matter what I get behind the wheel of, driving a crap car means you can thrash it even more without risking your license. Although I might not want to own one, I always know there is fun to be had there.

Ditto, I just love driving and experiencing as many cars as possible, crap or otherwise.

[Riley Blue]

B'stard Child said:

Riley Blue said:

Fiat Strada - an awful car in every respect, absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.

I can see from a quick gander at your profile you have a vast range of cars both owned and previously owned and I'm glad to see that a Fiat Strada is down in black and white to quantify you viewpoint - thanks for your input/contribution

Yup - had one from new as a company hack, worst car I've ever driven by a long, long way.

[B'stard Child]

Riley Blue said:

B'stard Child said:

Riley Blue said:

Fiat Strada - an awful car in every respect, absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.

I can see from a quick gander at your profile you have a vast range of cars both owned and previously owned and I'm glad to see that a Fiat Strada is down in black and white to quantify you viewpoint - thanks for your input/contribution

Yup - had one from new as a company hack, worst car I've ever driven by a long, long way.

Sorry I edited my post as you were replying

Was it a poverty special?

[J4CKO]

I think when you get a company car sometimes it changes your view of it versus paying with your own money, also it depends what you are coming from and whether for example you had your eye on a Golf GTI or an XR3i rather than the Strada.

[GregMac]

Frances The Mute said:

The Triumph Acclaim.

It's like AIDS on wheels.

Frances the Mute was a terrible album. Worse than the Acclaim

[Riley Blue]

B'stard Child said:

Riley Blue said:

B'stard Child said:

Riley Blue said:

Fiat Strada - an awful car in every respect, absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.

I can see from a quick gander at your profile you have a vast range of cars both owned and previously owned and I'm glad to see that a Fiat Strada is down in black and white to quantify you viewpoint - thanks for your input/contribution

Yup - had one from new as a company hack, worst car I've ever driven by a long, long way.

Sorry I edited my post as you were replying

Was it a poverty special?

It was a 1.5, about 75bhp I think. Ugly, nasty tacky interior, terrible gearchange and it was green (I don't like green cars). I honestly can't think of anything nice to say about it.

[s m]

J4CKO said:

s m said:

J4CKO said:

I dont get the hatred for the Montego, I drove a few and had one for a while and always found them to be alright, despite the Sierra being RWD it didnt handle that well in standard form and had wheezy engines as a rule, the MK2 Cavalier was nippy but the handling was scrappy but the Montego managed to be comfy, handle better than it had any right to and had a decent turn of speed, the 1.6 did 0-60 in ten and a bit second, my "GTI" model was about nine. They werent perfect, for example they rusted but then everything else did then, nothing was Galvanised really until Fiat got sick of the stick and made the Tipo which was galvanised.

I think with some cars it is just the done thing to knock them as they were familiar and not that sought after, like any mass market saloon is, they end up effectively worthless but I am glad someone keeps the odd one going, it is a no brainer that E30 M3's and MK2 Escorts are kept going but really, as a car how much is actual capability to do its job and how much is PH/Evo/Market Hype ?

There is an element of Emporers New Clothes about cars, now I am sure a E30 M3 is a far far better drivers tool than a Montego but one is going for 50 grand and the other 500 quid, the M3 is not 100 times better, 100 times faster but you would think it reading about them.

Jacko, you know some cars' handling/dynamics improves from original with the passing of time whereas others becomes much worse - that thread about 205 Gti 1.6/1.9 handling sort of illustrates it doesn't it?

The handling stays exactly the same (assuming in good condition), what changes is our perception of it and it gets put in context, sometimes however the reverence goes a bit too far, the 205 was a great handler but was apt to swap ends. The Maestro and Montego handled well but people forget this and as they werent cool people assume that they handle like a wheelbarrow, Maestros especially were and still are raced and are probably a better handler than the 205 ever was, like the 309 GTI handled better than the 205, it just didnt look as funky.

I should have put the winking smiley at the end of my post - but you're right, the handling stays the same ..........just some cars get elevated to higher pedestals

[Ferg]

J4CKO said:

I dont get the hatred for the Montego,

Me neither. I bought an estate having driven the Sierra, Cavalier and Xantia equivalents. It was far nicer. We had it for about 10 years and it needed a fuel pump...er, that was it. A smattering of tyres, but the Goodyears it came with finally failed the MOT on the sidewall perishing. They still had tread on them. It rusted along the tailgate and rear arches eventually, but as a load carrier it was a fantastic thing.

[TorqueWench]

Hahaha very good sir

benjj said:

Hmm, I think we should go for a drink. In a secluded forest

[NelsonR32]

A nerd who I used to go to school with drives around in one of these in the same colour...his girlfriend has a blue one

[thiscocks]

^ that nerd is cool

[NelsonR32]

thiscocks said:

^ that nerd is cool

White guy with an afro and a girlfriend that looks like a greenpeace activist? Trust me, he isn't.

[thiscocks]

Lol. For some reason I think driving cars like that is quite cool. If you like it and keep it running and in good order then I think that deserves respect. There's a weird looking guy down my road with talbot AND hillman avenger estates! I have to admit I respect that as he must like the car!