Motor Memories
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Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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After having scanned a lot of old photographs, I thought I'd invite the PH massif to share pictures of their first car, current car and those inbetween.

Here's my first...



...my first proper car en Francais in 1975...



...what I turned it into...



...and my current steed...


J4CKO

46,690 posts

228 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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Astra certainly attracting the birds wink

What was the kit on the Herald ?

Bobupndown

2,908 posts

71 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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Great thread idea.
Will have to go raiding my mums photo albums for pictures of my first (pedal) car. A few pictures of modified Minis along the way up to current landrover to follow.

Frankthered

1,686 posts

208 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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J4CKO said:
What was the kit on the Herald ?
I reckon that's a Spartan.

Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Astra certainly attracting the birds wink

What was the kit on the Herald ?
I think they were MOT pigeons, one inspecting the nearside DRL/fog. the other checking the wiring.

Yes it was a Spartan, which I built in 1976 on my Herald 1200 convertible, with its throbbing 39bhp!

antipodes40

225 posts

74 months

Wednesday 27th April 2022
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Hope folk don't mind this being (poor quality) picture heavy. First car: Austin A30.



Next was a Citroen Big 15.



With a thirst for more performance I moved into a MKIII Zephyr (no photo), but with a baby on the way, then bought a more economical Triumph 13/60.



Back to another MKIII when we outgrew the Triumph.



Rust attacked the MKIII, so on to a Prince B200. Wonderful 2 litre 6, but very thirsty.



In fact so thirsty, I could not afford to run it on a student allowance, so traded in on a Skoda S110L.



Once gainfully employed again, went back to a bit more performance in a Victor 2000SL.



My first brand new vehicle was next. Suzuki ST90V - bought with the aim of doing a lot of camping.



There followed an XW Ford Falcon 500, a Hillman Avenger 1600 TC, and a Holden HQ Kingswood (no photos).

A Datsun 180B was next on the scene.



Followed by a MKIV Zodiac.



My first foray into something little more sporty was a Lancia HPE 2000, and to tow the newly acquired boat, an XA Falcon 250.



After a bit more grunt, I moved on to a Ford Fairmont 351. My first automatic.



Small runaround at this time was a Datsun 120Y Estate. (no photo).

Next was something a bit special (for me). Rover SD1 Vitesse. Wonderful car.



Back to studies after this (poor student), so a succession of cheap heaps (Mitsubishi Lancer 2000EX, Toyota Corolla DX Estate, Triumph 2000, then, as a graduation present, a Nissan Gazelle Turbo (no photos).

A Sierra Cosworth Sapphire followed. Brilliantly reliable car that I owned for 11 years.



A Falcon AU XR6 manual was next (not my photo).



In the interim, my partner had acquired an ST185 Celica GT4, followed by an ST205.



I moved on to something more practical. S4 4.2 Avant manual.



and finished building the toy.



Finally, I traded up to a vRS,



while the partner moved into a Megane 275 RS.


Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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Some intersting hardware there, especially the toy. My Astra has ex-Megane Brembos and discs up front.

Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
Here are some of my others.



Cream Scimitar sprayed with a waiter's cocktail of colours.



Tamara the 2.5PI



Clarice the Cavalier (2.5 V6)



My GT6 (Great Truck the 6th)



An aberration, Gloria the motorhome (Sick Transit Gloria). It had a 2-litre Pinto engine.



A dissected Kitten, donor for this...



Stay tuned for more.

antipodes40

225 posts

74 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
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Trenchard said:
Here are some of my others.

snip

Stay tuned for more.
Interesting collection.

sutoka

4,717 posts

136 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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Trenchard said:
Here are some of my others.



Cream Scimitar sprayed with a waiter's cocktail of colours.
Princess Anne had one of those, nobody seems to mention it.

Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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sutoka said:
Princess Anne had one of those, nobody seems to mention it.
I've had three GTEs (as I understand Princess Anne did) plus an SS1.
I know her Royalness was nicked twice for speeding in one.


Edited by Trenchard on Friday 29th April 15:26

Tommie38

998 posts

222 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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J4CKO said:
Astra certainly attracting the birds wink
biglaugh

Trenchard

Original Poster:

303 posts

56 months

Friday 29th April 2022
quotequote all
Have some more...

Rover 416 I had for a short while. A Honda by another name and none the worse for it.



The crashed Lotus Seven Series 4 that never was. I bought it and bottled out - the frame was rotten,



How to do a body-off restoration on a TVR Tasmin (1981 IIRC).





Here's how it looked previously.



Another kit. JBA Falcon, a.k.a. Mk.3 Cortina in drag. Note the bicycle lamp indicators.



Here's Kay, my SE6b Scimitar.



Before Ford named the Cortina, it was to be called the Cardinal. I called mine 'The Archbishop'. Meet the Bish.



My Scimitar SS1 (a.k.a the Playmobil) at York Historic Vehicle Rally about 1989.

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A throwback or two. I bought the Escort in the background from my hairdresser lady. It got new floorpans. strut tops and an RS exhaust. Worth a mint now. In the foreground is Olaf the third, one of my 240 Volvos.



The legendary Rex the BGT. This had an engine tweaked to Leyland Special Tuning spec. Airdams were popular back then.



Another kit, of which I was proud. I bought this pre-litigation Westfield as an unfinished project, together with its 1600GT Escort donor parts. I decided to colour key the red and black and fit 2 x 40DCOE carbs. No apologies for the number of pics. The car was sold through the local TVR agent around 1990. It fetched £6,000!





That's about it, unless some other snaps show up. These machines, and the motorbikes before them, have kept me in states of excitement, pride, frustration and/or abject poverty over more than 45 years and I still haven't made, fixed or built the perfect car.

And just to prove that it was a sickness I caught at an early age. Here I am with my Grandma in Grandad's Bond Minicar.



Edited by Trenchard on Saturday 30th April 00:17

Frankthered

1,686 posts

208 months

Friday 29th April 2022
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Lovely thread - thanks for sharing!