My varied and international car history
Discussion
Hi everyone. I've been an avid reader of the PH website and forum for the last few years, but have just signed up today to post. About 18 months ago now I left the UK to move to the states with work. I'm a retail manager by trade and my company moved me out here as they're opening stores in the north east US. Since I'm out here with a whole new set of vehicles I thought I'd post up by car history on both sides of the pond. I's gotten a bit more varied since I got out here.
My first car was a 2001 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 8v Envoy. "Grace" was a base spec, with the oldest, least powerful and least efficient engine fitted to the mk4 Astra. Needless to say I loved her instantly. I ended up sticking her pretty severely in a ditch within 3 months of ownership however, and she needed 2 new wings, 2 new doors on the passenger side, new bonnet, bumper, radiator, 2 new tyres, 1 new rim, track rod ends, wishbones.... I was thorough. After that I fitted a GSI bumper and 308mm brake kit with the 17" SRI-T alloys and lovely new Hankook tyres.
this was Grace on day 1.
Next up was potentially my favourite car to date. I was earning a little more, and wanted something fun before one summer. I ended up with a darling of all PHers, the mighty MX-5! "Jo" is a 2001 1.8 UK spec. She lacks cruise control, AC and heated seats that people say theirs have, she is again pretty much poverty spec, but I was in love all over again. Top down motoring is just the absolute dogs danglies.
After about 6 months i fitted the great MeisterR coilovers. These really do transform the handling of the little car, it's amazing how much better an already great car can get with just a few hours of work and a couple hundred quid. I also treated myself to a hard top with heated rear window. this helped out with the internal size as well, as at 6'4" the "miata" was a bit of a squeeze.
Jo was the last car I owned before I moved out to the states, but not quite the last I drove. Less than two weeks before my flight out to the states, some F**knugget decided to pull out of his parking space, race across a lane of traffic and hit me on the rear quarter. He completely admitted fault and Jo was repaired and the quarter resprayed on his insurance. While Jo was in the shop the insurance agent gal said they were going to set me up with their courtesy car, a Honda Jazz.... I told them they could do better, so they informed me they could get me a mini cooper convertible or similar. I acquiesced that such a car sounded fun, so up on my doorstep at work one day arrives this
Definitely not a mini... A brand new (3500 miles) C 250 with AMG styling details and the flip-up nav (the only bit I didn't like). this was the first auto I'd ever driven and was just a blast after two older and much less expensive cars. It was pretty much high summer and I tooled around in complete luxury and cool comfort in her from home in warwickshire to our company polo event in surrey, up to alton towers, all my goodbyes were said in the merc, on the paycheck of some ass who couldnt check his mirrors before pulling out. Boom. She didn't get named though.
This marks the second chapter of my car history, out in the big wide land of the free. This is also where it becomes pretty apparent who I work for, as the cars in question are, shall we say, not subtle. I've edited out the direct trademarks. Since I got out here I've been assistant managing and subsequently managing a store on Cape Cod, an hour or so south of Boston, MA. It's a complete beach town, and about as far from Warwickshire as you can get.
this one is called "scout" and she's a 1994 v8 manual US market car. She was the first car I got in over here, and my boss at the time nearly killed us on the Boston freeways which are a certifiable nightmare. She did have working AC at that point though, which was a bonus in 80F heat.
This summer we had a different machine, "Thor" is an even better equipped car, with Air lockers on both diffs, and was lifted even further, specced even better, and was just unstoppable, she pulled like a train. Although I'm not sure, I suspect the engine had been breathed on by someone at some point, she was fast!
In between these, we had a great little runaround, a 2013 fiesta. The ford Sync on this was just a great peice of tech. Being an auto also just makes it so easy to get in and drive, a proper little rollerskate, great on "gas" and plenty for one person. That's also my roadbike in the background, one of the best ways to see cape cod.
I was craving something a bit more exciting however, and figured that while I'm out here where the licences make sense, instead of the ridiculous tiering system back home, I got my bike licence and I bought "Suzie," a 2001 Suzuki GSR-600-S bandit.
she had less than 8000 miles when bought her, and I had an amazing summer of fun riding around. I kept her out on the road until early December when the roads started to be icy, then she had to go into my friend's barn.
This subsequently left a hole in my life for a vehicle of a slightly different nature. I wanted to try something that I probably wouldnt get the chance to own at home, so this evening I have been and picked up "Tex" (name still a work in progress, it's from the VIN but seems to suit?)
Tex is a 1995 ford F150 Ext cab, with a flareside bed. The bed was apparently added by a whole separate outfit called Mark-III, along with a handful of interior touches, such as electric sliding rear window, electric million-way-adjust leather seats, and "interior limo lighting..." (its like a bad porn scene with them turned on) The previous owner had re-built the engine, a 351w (5.8l v8) the exhausts are also custom. The body needs a little love and attention, and the ridiculously comfy leather seats have seen better days, but she's such a relaxing place to be (cruising at 30mph sees 900rpm...) and should be mechanically bulletproof. These engines are known to go to huge milages, and the frame of the truck is rot-free.
Thanks for reading, and any feedback is welcome!
Matt
My first car was a 2001 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 8v Envoy. "Grace" was a base spec, with the oldest, least powerful and least efficient engine fitted to the mk4 Astra. Needless to say I loved her instantly. I ended up sticking her pretty severely in a ditch within 3 months of ownership however, and she needed 2 new wings, 2 new doors on the passenger side, new bonnet, bumper, radiator, 2 new tyres, 1 new rim, track rod ends, wishbones.... I was thorough. After that I fitted a GSI bumper and 308mm brake kit with the 17" SRI-T alloys and lovely new Hankook tyres.
this was Grace on day 1.
Next up was potentially my favourite car to date. I was earning a little more, and wanted something fun before one summer. I ended up with a darling of all PHers, the mighty MX-5! "Jo" is a 2001 1.8 UK spec. She lacks cruise control, AC and heated seats that people say theirs have, she is again pretty much poverty spec, but I was in love all over again. Top down motoring is just the absolute dogs danglies.
After about 6 months i fitted the great MeisterR coilovers. These really do transform the handling of the little car, it's amazing how much better an already great car can get with just a few hours of work and a couple hundred quid. I also treated myself to a hard top with heated rear window. this helped out with the internal size as well, as at 6'4" the "miata" was a bit of a squeeze.
Jo was the last car I owned before I moved out to the states, but not quite the last I drove. Less than two weeks before my flight out to the states, some F**knugget decided to pull out of his parking space, race across a lane of traffic and hit me on the rear quarter. He completely admitted fault and Jo was repaired and the quarter resprayed on his insurance. While Jo was in the shop the insurance agent gal said they were going to set me up with their courtesy car, a Honda Jazz.... I told them they could do better, so they informed me they could get me a mini cooper convertible or similar. I acquiesced that such a car sounded fun, so up on my doorstep at work one day arrives this
Definitely not a mini... A brand new (3500 miles) C 250 with AMG styling details and the flip-up nav (the only bit I didn't like). this was the first auto I'd ever driven and was just a blast after two older and much less expensive cars. It was pretty much high summer and I tooled around in complete luxury and cool comfort in her from home in warwickshire to our company polo event in surrey, up to alton towers, all my goodbyes were said in the merc, on the paycheck of some ass who couldnt check his mirrors before pulling out. Boom. She didn't get named though.
This marks the second chapter of my car history, out in the big wide land of the free. This is also where it becomes pretty apparent who I work for, as the cars in question are, shall we say, not subtle. I've edited out the direct trademarks. Since I got out here I've been assistant managing and subsequently managing a store on Cape Cod, an hour or so south of Boston, MA. It's a complete beach town, and about as far from Warwickshire as you can get.
this one is called "scout" and she's a 1994 v8 manual US market car. She was the first car I got in over here, and my boss at the time nearly killed us on the Boston freeways which are a certifiable nightmare. She did have working AC at that point though, which was a bonus in 80F heat.
This summer we had a different machine, "Thor" is an even better equipped car, with Air lockers on both diffs, and was lifted even further, specced even better, and was just unstoppable, she pulled like a train. Although I'm not sure, I suspect the engine had been breathed on by someone at some point, she was fast!
In between these, we had a great little runaround, a 2013 fiesta. The ford Sync on this was just a great peice of tech. Being an auto also just makes it so easy to get in and drive, a proper little rollerskate, great on "gas" and plenty for one person. That's also my roadbike in the background, one of the best ways to see cape cod.
I was craving something a bit more exciting however, and figured that while I'm out here where the licences make sense, instead of the ridiculous tiering system back home, I got my bike licence and I bought "Suzie," a 2001 Suzuki GSR-600-S bandit.
she had less than 8000 miles when bought her, and I had an amazing summer of fun riding around. I kept her out on the road until early December when the roads started to be icy, then she had to go into my friend's barn.
This subsequently left a hole in my life for a vehicle of a slightly different nature. I wanted to try something that I probably wouldnt get the chance to own at home, so this evening I have been and picked up "Tex" (name still a work in progress, it's from the VIN but seems to suit?)
Tex is a 1995 ford F150 Ext cab, with a flareside bed. The bed was apparently added by a whole separate outfit called Mark-III, along with a handful of interior touches, such as electric sliding rear window, electric million-way-adjust leather seats, and "interior limo lighting..." (its like a bad porn scene with them turned on) The previous owner had re-built the engine, a 351w (5.8l v8) the exhausts are also custom. The body needs a little love and attention, and the ridiculously comfy leather seats have seen better days, but she's such a relaxing place to be (cruising at 30mph sees 900rpm...) and should be mechanically bulletproof. These engines are known to go to huge milages, and the frame of the truck is rot-free.
Thanks for reading, and any feedback is welcome!
Matt
Edited by matt i on Tuesday 24th December 06:36
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