Discussion
I thought I'd start a topic about cars which are tough, robust and good at handling abuse. The first thing I'll say is this is about cars and not 4x4s. We all know Landcruisers go on forever and you can drive a Patrol off a cliff without denting the bodywork, but they are supposed to be tough.
I live and work on a farm, spend most of my time thrashing along unclassified roads and down farm tracks which generally give cars a very good work out. I don't slow down for speed bumps and if I think I can get some air time off a hump back bridge I'll probably give it a shot. So I tend to seek cars which are tough, won't fall apart or bend and still look reasonably tidy after 18 months of neglect. I'm currently look for a new car so hopefully this thread will bring some inspiration for that.
To get things started, here's 2 cars I've owned that stand out as being tougher than average:
Volvo 740/940.
Mechanically simple and built for comfort and durability. Very softly sprung which makes them wallowy on tarmac but un unmade roads they are as comfortable as any 4x4. This particular car was thrashed along 1000's of miles of dirt road in the Australian outback for 6 months with the only issue being a puncture. I have a 940 in the UK which is on 200,000 and every suspension component is original.
Peugeot 306.
Who says French cars are flimsy? My 306 has been to hell and back and refuses to die. It hit a deer at 70mph and only cracked the numberplate. Braille parking against walls, bollards and farm machinery has become a popular source of entertainment with my peers. The most recent episode saw it getting driven through a foot deep flood at 15mph. It turns out it was too deep, the engine drew in water and we ground to halt in the middle of the flood. But after an hour of spannering and a litre or so of water blown out of the turbo she was up and running again as if nothing had happened.
So what cars have you had that thrive on neglect, can handle abuse and always come back for more? There must be some good stories out there.
I live and work on a farm, spend most of my time thrashing along unclassified roads and down farm tracks which generally give cars a very good work out. I don't slow down for speed bumps and if I think I can get some air time off a hump back bridge I'll probably give it a shot. So I tend to seek cars which are tough, won't fall apart or bend and still look reasonably tidy after 18 months of neglect. I'm currently look for a new car so hopefully this thread will bring some inspiration for that.
To get things started, here's 2 cars I've owned that stand out as being tougher than average:
Volvo 740/940.
Mechanically simple and built for comfort and durability. Very softly sprung which makes them wallowy on tarmac but un unmade roads they are as comfortable as any 4x4. This particular car was thrashed along 1000's of miles of dirt road in the Australian outback for 6 months with the only issue being a puncture. I have a 940 in the UK which is on 200,000 and every suspension component is original.
Peugeot 306.
Who says French cars are flimsy? My 306 has been to hell and back and refuses to die. It hit a deer at 70mph and only cracked the numberplate. Braille parking against walls, bollards and farm machinery has become a popular source of entertainment with my peers. The most recent episode saw it getting driven through a foot deep flood at 15mph. It turns out it was too deep, the engine drew in water and we ground to halt in the middle of the flood. But after an hour of spannering and a litre or so of water blown out of the turbo she was up and running again as if nothing had happened.
So what cars have you had that thrive on neglect, can handle abuse and always come back for more? There must be some good stories out there.
My Fiat Uno wouldn't take the hint and just kept going and going despite the usual abuse you'd expect of a uni student in a seaside town.
Same goes for the Uno we used as a company vehicle when I was in the motor trade. It was treated like an old broom in a garden shed but took everything we through at it.
If ever I've driven a car that had soul, the Uno was it.
Same goes for the Uno we used as a company vehicle when I was in the motor trade. It was treated like an old broom in a garden shed but took everything we through at it.
If ever I've driven a car that had soul, the Uno was it.
My mum had a Peugeot 205, a 1.1 litre with a 4 speed box. And 17-year-old me.
I bottomed it a few times out and drove it in the way a 17 year old drives a car that isn't his - the throttle had two positions, on and off. When I went to university I loaded it up so much it sat on the bump-stops and then drove it flat out anyway.
It did 120,000 miles before she sold it with no rust and no mechanical problems. If the paint hadn't faded you'd have had no idea it was so worn. A great car.
I bottomed it a few times out and drove it in the way a 17 year old drives a car that isn't his - the throttle had two positions, on and off. When I went to university I loaded it up so much it sat on the bump-stops and then drove it flat out anyway.
It did 120,000 miles before she sold it with no rust and no mechanical problems. If the paint hadn't faded you'd have had no idea it was so worn. A great car.
TheHeretic said:
busta said:
Oi! That's a 4x4 therefore cheating.
I only use 4x4 when required. Most of the time it's in RWD mode. 
aka_kerrly said:
I'l put my neck on the line and say it...... old VWs, by which I mean pre 2000 models, the 80s polos/golfs/passats can take serious amounts of abuse.
Theres a good video of them testing late 90's VWs; Doing jumps, driving into piles of gravel, hitting kerbs etc but I cant find it atm.
TameRacingDriver said:
Micra K11. The cockroach of the car world. Mine used to get bounced off the limiter from cold every day and it just refused to die, or even give me any problems at all.
I'm with you on that. My first ever girlfriend had one as her first car. As far as I know she's still got it and all it's had each service has been the basic serviceable items and that's it - nothing's ever gone wrong. Not actually that bad to drive either.RobM77 said:
TameRacingDriver said:
Micra K11. The cockroach of the car world. Mine used to get bounced off the limiter from cold every day and it just refused to die, or even give me any problems at all.
I'm with you on that. My first ever girlfriend had one as her first car. As far as I know she's still got it and all it's had each service has been the basic serviceable items and that's it - nothing's ever gone wrong. Not actually that bad to drive either.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff