1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe 1800

1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe 1800

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

55 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Bit of spottage action for yaz. This 1970 911 is only seen on the streets of NW3 at weekends. It has a disklok over the steering wheel.

I am not a Porsche person at all, not least because the cabin of every single Posrche except for Lowtimer's* is a place of Gothic gloom, reflecting and projecting the black pain of the Germanic soul. I realise that all 911s are, as a Porsche driving friend once observed to me, "ass-engined Nazi slot cars", but if I could have one Porsche it would be an early 1970s 911 in a colour such as purple, orange, or a crazy lime green.

The only 911 that I have ever driven was a 1980s Carrera Turbo that spent the whole of the (rainy) drive actively and purposefully trying to kill me.

The only Porsche that I have ever enjoyed driving was an early Boxster that I rented and drove like a nutter around the Western Isles of Scotland. I do not know why Porsche people say that Boxsters are hairdresser cars, or, to quote a line from The Soprano, are "Porsches in panties". I found that a mid-engined six cylinder convertible car with a great gearbox and fun handling was way better than some stupid machine that has its heavy engine stuck behind its back wheels.


* The interior of Lowtimer's Porsche 944 Turbo is like the Lower Manhattan Apartment of Pimp of The Year 1980, or perhaps the VIP Suite at the Nightclub in the East Village where Pimp of the Year 1980 conducts most of his business dealings, at least until the DEA/IRS come a knocking, and his digs acquire a slightly more, shall we say, public sector aesthetic.





gforceg

3,524 posts

180 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
As a born again orange car fan that has my approval. Small sporty cars MUST be wacky colours.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

55 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
I agree. Note also how smollcar the smollcar Porsche is. Modern 911s are hulking beasts. Smoll is better than bigly.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
A nice '69 LWB 912 Targa or '69 - '73 911 Targa in orange would do me. Took a demo 981 Cayma for a four hour test drive courtesy of Porsche Towcester three years ago, loads of mid engined fun but I couldn't justify the monthly outgoings at the time. Also looked into getting a secondhand gen one 987 Cayman but decided the draw of the Italian stuff was much stronger. Mind you, my Porsche funny bone still gets a bit jiggly when I look at 914s, probably something to do with the lovely Deborah Grant driving one in a very spooky episode of 'UFO'.

I'm sat here looking out of the front parlour window at a neighbour's cute looking modern Fiat 500 in silver with Abarthy looking wheels, blimey guv, it don't half look a right cutie.

Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 1st August 09:33

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

55 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Bloke, can you please send me an email? You may learn something to your advantage

Your settings say NO to emails from the likes of me, because you are evidently a sensible and classy person who does not wish to be troubled by the riff-raff. For this, I salute you, but drop us a line, will ya?

AW111

9,674 posts

134 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
I agree. Note also how smollcar the smollcar Porsche is. Modern 911s are hulking beasts. Smoll is better than bigly.
Get with the program, gramps!

I read on this very website that the "sweet spot" for power-to-weight for a road car is between 300 and 500 bhp / ton.

And the minimum tyre width to avoid fiery death is 300+ mm.

Obviously I died before posting this, owing to my taste for small weedy under-tyred cars.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Bloke, can you please send me an email? You may learn something to your advantage

Your settings say NO to emails from the likes of me, because you are evidently a sensible and classy person who does not wish to be troubled by the riff-raff. For this, I salute you, but drop us a line, will ya?
Me BV? If so I'll get on it as soon as I get off this company iPad and back onto my home PC. If not me, ignore this!

gforceg

3,524 posts

180 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
P5BNij said:
I'm sat here looking out of the front parlour window at a neighbour's cute looking modern Fiat 500 in silver with Abarthy looking wheels, blimey guv, it don't half look a right cutie.

Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 1st August 09:33
Is that the same neighbour with the X19? That man's got the fever baaad.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
gforceg said:
P5BNij said:
I'm sat here looking out of the front parlour window at a neighbour's cute looking modern Fiat 500 in silver with Abarthy looking wheels, blimey guv, it don't half look a right cutie.

Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 1st August 09:33
Is that the same neighbour with the X19? That man's got the fever baaad.
No, lady across the road, she's just driven off in it. Chap with the X1/9 is a bit odd but has great taste in old motors.

shoestring7

6,138 posts

247 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
a Porsche driving friend once observed to me, "ass-engined Nazi slot cars",
P J O'Rourke is a friend of yours?

gforceg

3,524 posts

180 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
P5BNij said:
No, lady across the road, she's just driven off in it. Chap with the X1/9 is a bit odd but has great taste in old motors.
It's a sign. If you beat 'em, join 'em.

gforceg

3,524 posts

180 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
AW111 said:
Breadvan72 said:
I agree. Note also how smollcar the smollcar Porsche is. Modern 911s are hulking beasts. Smoll is better than bigly.
Get with the program, gramps!

I read on this very website that the "sweet spot" for power-to-weight for a road car is between 300 and 500 bhp / ton.

And the minimum tyre width to avoid fiery death is 300+ mm.

Obviously I died before posting this, owing to my taste for small weedy under-tyred cars.
Quite right too. Let's be frank, if you don't use the Countach to drive the weekly home at the end of her shift you should just give up on life.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

55 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
P5BNij said:
Breadvan72 said:
Bloke, can you please send me an email? You may learn something to your advantage

Your settings say NO to emails from the likes of me, because you are evidently a sensible and classy person who does not wish to be troubled by the riff-raff. For this, I salute you, but drop us a line, will ya?
Me BV? If so I'll get on it as soon as I get off this company iPad and back onto my home PC. If not me, ignore this!
Yes, you! Casey Jones. Park up The Cannon and Ball Express and get on the electronical intertubes.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
P5BNij said:
Breadvan72 said:
Bloke, can you please send me an email? You may learn something to your advantage

Your settings say NO to emails from the likes of me, because you are evidently a sensible and classy person who does not wish to be troubled by the riff-raff. For this, I salute you, but drop us a line, will ya?
Me BV? If so I'll get on it as soon as I get off this company iPad and back onto my home PC. If not me, ignore this!
Yes, you! Casey Jones. Park up The Cannon and Ball Express and get on the electronical intertubes.
Email sent, but whether it reaches you or not is anyone's guess...! Having trouble editing my settings due to email address cockup.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Slightly random classy '70s chick pic - Mrs.Rindt and Mrs.Stewart at Monaco in '71....



And some smallish Italians....


Mefistofele

71 posts

48 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
I realise that all 911s are, as a Porsche driving friend once observed to me, "ass-engined Nazi slot cars"
So you are friends with PJ O'Rourke? Or at least a fan of his.

Re: Birkin, Jane - she appeared in Blow Up too.

(Damn good film. I think it was David Bailey who commented that one of the first scenes – when Hemmings buys an old propeller – is an exact description of something he did, down to the price paid at the shop.) (Also, been a fan of Vanessa ever since I first saw it.)

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
I remember Bailey saying that in the two hour documentary about the '60s that was on BBC2 a few years ago. Another bit of 'Blow Up' trivia - in the park scenes Antonioni had the grass painted a brighter shade of green as he wasn't happy with the way it looked when the crew arrived there to start shooting. Sarah Miles who was also in the film (albeit very briefly) lived just round the corner from me when I lived in Hammersmith.




P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
And back to Fiat 124s with a vengence : buy one get two free....

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1250527


Mefistofele

71 posts

48 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Antonioni had the grass painted a more luscious green?

Well, when shooting his previous films he had already had some walls and façades repainted in colours closer to the palette he had chosen for the story. Painting grass must have been a first though.

Sarah Miles lived nearby?? Wow.
An old flame of mine grew up next to Delon's place when he was still quite young. He was the (step)son of the neighbourhood butcher and it seems nobody thought much of him then.

I must try to find out that documentary on the 60s, thanks for the tip. I think I read the anecdote in a newspaper somewhere, not so long ago.

Incidentally, that picture of Jochen's and Jackie's wives is lovely, thank you. On the other hand it made me think of Merzario...

Edited by Mefistofele on Saturday 1st August 12:47

P5BNij

15,875 posts

107 months

Saturday 1st August 2020
quotequote all
Can't remember the name of that documentary but was all about the pop culture, art and photography of swinging London etc, pretty sure it was one of those late night BBC2 jobbies.

Quite a few thesps and celebs lived close by back then, I lived about half way between Hammersmith Bridge and the Ship boozer in Chiswick, my uncle used to drink with a few of them, the usual faces from 'Sweeney', 'Minder', 'Professionals' etc and some of the older generation thesps. The Ship pub appeared twice in 'Special Branch' in 1973 (the later colour George Sewell and Patrick Mower series, not the earlier Fulton Mackay ones).