What were your "attainable" childhood dream cars?
Discussion
Before I could drive I lusted after the escort cosworth and bmw e36 m3. By the time i was old enough to take my test, the e46 m3 was available and that quickly replaced the e36. Never had the escort cosworth, test drove one once and was massively disappointed, maybe it's true that you should never drive your boyhood dream cars, or maybe it was just a dog. Never fet the same about cosworths after that. Did manage to buy an e46 m3 eventually, that was just as good as I'd imagined.
As a kid I wanted a Mk3 capri (Owned one aged 19) an XR3i (never owned one), a TR7 (yes, really) and
an Escort RS2000. Bizzarely, I was also a huge fan of the Alfasud from the age of 7, because the first car magazine I clapped eyes on, What Car, had a test of one and it was voted the best. I owned a 1.3 Alfasud from 1989 to 1990.
Into my teenage years, it would have been a 205GTI (bought one finally in 2003) and the Mk1 MR2 (never owned one) and probably the Sierra Cosworth Sapphire and the Escort RS Turbo Mk1 (again Ive never owned one). I also had a soft spot for Vauxhall Astra GTE and the quicker Cavalier and Carlton models would you believe!!
...liked the BMW 325i E30 - never ended up owning one.
So I haven't done too bad really in owning a few of my childhood attainable favourites....
an Escort RS2000. Bizzarely, I was also a huge fan of the Alfasud from the age of 7, because the first car magazine I clapped eyes on, What Car, had a test of one and it was voted the best. I owned a 1.3 Alfasud from 1989 to 1990.
Into my teenage years, it would have been a 205GTI (bought one finally in 2003) and the Mk1 MR2 (never owned one) and probably the Sierra Cosworth Sapphire and the Escort RS Turbo Mk1 (again Ive never owned one). I also had a soft spot for Vauxhall Astra GTE and the quicker Cavalier and Carlton models would you believe!!
...liked the BMW 325i E30 - never ended up owning one.
So I haven't done too bad really in owning a few of my childhood attainable favourites....
Edited by greenarrow on Thursday 21st June 15:59
white_goodman said:
Good luck finding a clean example of one of these...
I didn't believe you and I've just checked: f
k me! They're on eBay for £20k now.I had a 2.0E Coupe around 10 years ago and I'm sure that I looked at S2's at around the same time and they were £4k / £5k. I thought they'd be around the same. Bloody hell.
I’ve a few.
Teenage years was an Escort Cosworth. There’s was an L reg Mallard green one in my village. Rough and in need of tlc, but it was fast, loud, spat flames and had a certain something about it. I wanted an imperial blue one, large turbo model.
Prices are going daft so I think that may not be a box I tick sadly.
A random childhood one was a Land Rover Discovery. Compared to the 1.6 Escort my dad had, it was massive and rather cool.
I got a Discovery 3 nearly 6 years ago and I’m rather fond of the old bus.
A more recent one was a Series 1 Land Rover. Had to be an 80 or 86 model. Was offered a few but prices were silly for cars needing a full but and bolt restoration. £6500 for an Australian I import was one.
Last year I eventually got one, a 1950 80, as original as triggers broom, but still with correct V5 and still on Dvla system. £1350 for it after some rude haggling was done..
I’ve been offered £5000 for it but it’s going nowhere.
My restoration project for when I change houses.
Teenage years was an Escort Cosworth. There’s was an L reg Mallard green one in my village. Rough and in need of tlc, but it was fast, loud, spat flames and had a certain something about it. I wanted an imperial blue one, large turbo model.
Prices are going daft so I think that may not be a box I tick sadly.
A random childhood one was a Land Rover Discovery. Compared to the 1.6 Escort my dad had, it was massive and rather cool.
I got a Discovery 3 nearly 6 years ago and I’m rather fond of the old bus.
A more recent one was a Series 1 Land Rover. Had to be an 80 or 86 model. Was offered a few but prices were silly for cars needing a full but and bolt restoration. £6500 for an Australian I import was one.
Last year I eventually got one, a 1950 80, as original as triggers broom, but still with correct V5 and still on Dvla system. £1350 for it after some rude haggling was done..
I’ve been offered £5000 for it but it’s going nowhere.My restoration project for when I change houses.
E92 m3. I was 17ish when they were released and ever since they always appealed. Only this year at 29 managed to buy one (decent one I'll add not a dog) . Don't know what the future holds. I'm not really interested in attaining expensive cars anymore. A 997 GT3 RS was always my poster car. But they are unattainable I suspect and I'd sooner put that sort of money elsewhere if I had it.
I'm stuck in my ways though. Nothing new appeals. It's all the stuff I grew up with I like. I dislike the current outlook on cars hugely. Next goal for me is an Exige S2 if they don't appreciate more.
I'm stuck in my ways though. Nothing new appeals. It's all the stuff I grew up with I like. I dislike the current outlook on cars hugely. Next goal for me is an Exige S2 if they don't appreciate more.
Mitsubishi Evo 8/9. It was my dream car in general but also fairly attainable too. Unfortunately, you soon learn that actually buying a car like this is the easiest part. Running one appears to be a different story. I still like them, but nowhere near as much as i did. I'd honestly be happy with a decent hot-hatch now.
ERA turbo Mini
R19 16V
And one I can't find any trace of on the web. It was about the same era so 1990 Astra GTE but it was modified by Courtenay (sure itw as Courtenay) and had twin headlights. The advert for the tune was in Autocar and I remember it used the words "the car can trade punches with a Ferrari 348".
R19 16V
And one I can't find any trace of on the web. It was about the same era so 1990 Astra GTE but it was modified by Courtenay (sure itw as Courtenay) and had twin headlights. The advert for the tune was in Autocar and I remember it used the words "the car can trade punches with a Ferrari 348".
I passed my test in 1993 so basically any fast car from around that time. I was an avid reader of Max Power and knew the BHP and 0 to 60 time of every car off by heart.
There was a garage in Wimbledon around that time that only sold Peugeot and Golf GTi's, I used to drive past in my Mk 3 Escort 1.1 and imagine just how amazing it would be to own a MK 2 Golf GTi 16 valve.
Aside from that it would have to be the Clio Williams, Escort Cosworth, Corrado VR6 and E36 M3. I remember seeing an immaculately clean E36 M3 in the petrol station once, and I again imagined how incredible it must be to own one.
However, the Golf GTi was the one I wanted most I should have bought that rather than the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 I bought instead.
If there was one car I wish I could have kept in a carcoon and had today it would have to be my Subaru Impreza Turbo now that they have gone past the chav period and are becoming extinct.
There was a garage in Wimbledon around that time that only sold Peugeot and Golf GTi's, I used to drive past in my Mk 3 Escort 1.1 and imagine just how amazing it would be to own a MK 2 Golf GTi 16 valve.
Aside from that it would have to be the Clio Williams, Escort Cosworth, Corrado VR6 and E36 M3. I remember seeing an immaculately clean E36 M3 in the petrol station once, and I again imagined how incredible it must be to own one.
However, the Golf GTi was the one I wanted most I should have bought that rather than the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 I bought instead.
If there was one car I wish I could have kept in a carcoon and had today it would have to be my Subaru Impreza Turbo now that they have gone past the chav period and are becoming extinct.
Joey Deacon said:
I passed my test in 1993 so basically any fast car from around that time. I was an avid reader of Max Power and knew the BHP and 0 to 60 time of every car off by heart.
There was a garage in Wimbledon around that time that only sold Peugeot and Golf GTi's, I used to drive past in my Mk 3 Escort 1.1 and imagine just how amazing it would be to own a MK 2 Golf GTi 16 valve.
Aside from that it would have to be the Clio Williams, Escort Cosworth, Corrado VR6 and E36 M3. I remember seeing an immaculately clean E36 M3 in the petrol station once, and I again imagined how incredible it must be to own one.
However, the Golf GTi was the one I wanted most I should have bought that rather than the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 I bought instead.
If there was one car I wish I could have kept in a carcoon and had today it would have to be my Subaru Impreza Turbo now that they have gone past the chav period and are becoming extinct.
I passed my test a week after my 17th birthday in 1995 so had similar icons. There was a garage in Wimbledon around that time that only sold Peugeot and Golf GTi's, I used to drive past in my Mk 3 Escort 1.1 and imagine just how amazing it would be to own a MK 2 Golf GTi 16 valve.
Aside from that it would have to be the Clio Williams, Escort Cosworth, Corrado VR6 and E36 M3. I remember seeing an immaculately clean E36 M3 in the petrol station once, and I again imagined how incredible it must be to own one.
However, the Golf GTi was the one I wanted most I should have bought that rather than the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 I bought instead.
If there was one car I wish I could have kept in a carcoon and had today it would have to be my Subaru Impreza Turbo now that they have gone past the chav period and are becoming extinct.
I remember a woman from our tennis club had a purple E36 M3 convertible around that time (the light purple similar to the Diablo Jay Kay drove in Cosmic Girl). It made her very hot, especially in her tennis skirt.
Corrado Vr6 was definitely another favourite.
A guy I knew took me out his in 1984 Turbo 2 R5 which I remember him selling for about £15k which seemed crazy at the time. I wonder what that would be worth now.
A normal R5 GT Turbo was another "want". As was the Uno Turbo.
Shnozz said:
A guy I knew took me out his in 1984 Turbo 2 R5 which I remember him selling for about £15k which seemed crazy at the time. I wonder what that would be worth now.
A normal R5 GT Turbo was another "want". As was the Uno Turbo.
I had an MK1 Uno Turbo after the 205 1.6 GTi and it felt way quicker. If there is any car I have owned that punched above it's weight it would be that. Cannot believe it only weighed 845KG, looking at road test it did 40-60 in 6.7 which was the same as the Impreza Turbo.A normal R5 GT Turbo was another "want". As was the Uno Turbo.
My friend owned an Escort RS Turbo at the time and I remember being passed on the motorway by an Astra GTE 16 Valve. There was then a bit of a race with the Astra still pulling away as the RS turbo was flat out at an (indicated anyway) 130MPH
Best days of my life, I would go back in a heartbeat.
Joey Deacon said:
I had an MK1 Uno Turbo after the 205 1.6 GTi and it felt way quicker. If there is any car I have owned that punched above it's weight it would be that. Cannot believe it only weighed 845KG, looking at road test it did 40-60 in 6.7 which was the same as the Impreza Turbo.
My friend owned an Escort RS Turbo at the time and I remember being passed on the motorway by an Astra GTE 16 Valve. There was then a bit of a race with the Astra still pulling away as the RS turbo was flat out at an (indicated anyway) 130MPH
Best days of my life, I would go back in a heartbeat.
Ha ha ha - tales like those do take me back.My friend owned an Escort RS Turbo at the time and I remember being passed on the motorway by an Astra GTE 16 Valve. There was then a bit of a race with the Astra still pulling away as the RS turbo was flat out at an (indicated anyway) 130MPH
Best days of my life, I would go back in a heartbeat.
I do remember the stats on the Escort Xr3i being hopeless and the RS Turbo being little better. The "cool" yoofs had them and yet they really were not quick at all. As you say, the Astra would take them easily, as would the 205 Gtis (even the 1.6 was quicker to 60!).
A mate of mine used to borrow his dad's Fiat Croma ie and we buried a lad in an RS Turbo in a grandad car
IIRC the RS Turbo was over 9 seconds to 60 and the Xr3i about 9.6! IIRC the 1.9 GTi 205 was sub 8! Quite a difference.
white_goodman said:
SidewaysSi said:
Have loads:
- Peugeot 405 GTX 1.9
- Renault 25
- BMW E34 525i (drove and didn't buy)
- Mercedes W124 300E (owned a 220)
- Caterham Superlight 1.6K (currently own)
- Evo VI RS Sprint
- 964 C2 (driven a modified SC)
- Lotus Elise S1 (currently own)
- BMW E36 328i (currently own)
- 205 GTI (owned and sold)
- Mini, the proper one (owned and sold)
- Defender 110
- 968 CS (drove and didn't buy as it was a disappointment)
Sure there are a few more but these were my childhood heroes.
That's a pretty eclectic list but humour me...Renault 25 and Peugeot 405 GTX 1.9? Nothing wrong with the 405 but why not the SRi or Mi-16?- Peugeot 405 GTX 1.9
- Renault 25
- BMW E34 525i (drove and didn't buy)
- Mercedes W124 300E (owned a 220)
- Caterham Superlight 1.6K (currently own)
- Evo VI RS Sprint
- 964 C2 (driven a modified SC)
- Lotus Elise S1 (currently own)
- BMW E36 328i (currently own)
- 205 GTI (owned and sold)
- Mini, the proper one (owned and sold)
- Defender 110
- 968 CS (drove and didn't buy as it was a disappointment)
Sure there are a few more but these were my childhood heroes.
Re.the 405 - I prefered the cleaner lines of the GTX over the winged SRI and MI 16. A pretty facelift GTX 1.9i in grey would be perfect. I remember the magazine reviews and how it out drove every other family car. Wouldn't surprise me if it is more fun than all of today's family cars too.
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