My car history; an ode to trans-continental shedding.
Discussion
I figured this might be a nice place to post my car history. I know some here are particularly interested in old sheds, and up until now that's been all I've ever owned. I started driving at 23, about ten years ago, and have always been a car lover, but it took me a while to get the cash together to make it happen. I do a lot of my own work, so I appreciate simpler, more affordable vehicles. So here we go:
1. Skoda Fabia 1.4 MPI. Spent about 2k on this I think. Awfully slow, but it was my first car, so I loved it.
2. Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI - felt like a rocket ship compared to the Fabia with that torquey TDI lump. It was lowered when I got it, not something I would have done, but it wasn't too impractical.
3. VW Passat B5 1.8t - this car had lots of problems, but the 1.8t engine was nice to drive, although it handled a bit like a boat
4. Renault Kangoo 1.5 DCI. This thing was a lot of fun to drive. Bought it to carry mountain bikes around in and did the job admirably. Surprisingly quick and good on fuel too
5. VW Passat B5 1.8. - I wanted to get back into something with more seats. Bought the NA version of the Passat, but HATED that engine so got rid of it for...
6. VW Passat B5 1.9TDI - bit of a theme here... I won this on eBay for 500 quid. This thing was perfect aside from a blown turbo pipe. Loved it.
7. VW T4 2.5. I moved to Australia for year for a girl. We bought this, did a basic camper conversion and travelled Australia for 8 weeks in it. The 2.5 5cyl combined with the CVT slushbox was awful, and it wasn't very reliable, but it took us right through the middle without too much drama, which I'm thankful for.
8. Ford Transit Jumbo. Moved back to the UK and was hooked on vanlife. Bought this Transit, converted and lived in it for a bit. Drove well enough and the MOT guy said it was the least rusty one he'd ever seen.
9. Subaru Legacy mk1 - 1.8na - 1991 I think?. I moved to New Zealand for a year and needed cheap transport. Paid $1200 NZD for this I think. It did the job but was quite ropey. Still, got me to some very cool places.
10. Mazda Tribute. I moved to Canada Same 3.0 V6 as in the Ford Escape, Mondeo ST220 I believe. Nice engine, horrible car. Still, it got me around and took me and four other friends on a big road trip around BC without breaking down. Winner. I think I paid less than $2k for it.
11. Jeep Grand Cherokee 2001 - with the legendary 4.0 I6 AMC engine. Very reliable, terrible on gas. Handled like a boat. Objectively terrible to drive, but I loved it. Did a small lift and bigger tires. This thing took us on so many adventures across BC, including towing my home-built trailer across the rockies.
12. Nissan Xterra 2010 (still current) 4.0 VQ40 V6. Sold the Jeep to buy something with a bit more power for towing. Paid $3500 for this with high KMs, but it's been very reliable. Lifted with strut spacers and SPC UCAs up front, custom leaf pack with extended shackles out back. Again, this thing has taken us on some epic adventures, and I plan to keep it for a while longer yet.
13. Honda Shadow VT500C 1984 (current) - got this from a friend. Currently working on getting my license. Nicely looked after but well-used bike. It's a ton of fun.
14. Chevy Colorado Trail Boss 2024 - just picked this up a couple of weeks ago. Building an overland camping vehicle. Build thread here.
Any questions, ask away!
1. Skoda Fabia 1.4 MPI. Spent about 2k on this I think. Awfully slow, but it was my first car, so I loved it.
2. Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI - felt like a rocket ship compared to the Fabia with that torquey TDI lump. It was lowered when I got it, not something I would have done, but it wasn't too impractical.
3. VW Passat B5 1.8t - this car had lots of problems, but the 1.8t engine was nice to drive, although it handled a bit like a boat
4. Renault Kangoo 1.5 DCI. This thing was a lot of fun to drive. Bought it to carry mountain bikes around in and did the job admirably. Surprisingly quick and good on fuel too
5. VW Passat B5 1.8. - I wanted to get back into something with more seats. Bought the NA version of the Passat, but HATED that engine so got rid of it for...
6. VW Passat B5 1.9TDI - bit of a theme here... I won this on eBay for 500 quid. This thing was perfect aside from a blown turbo pipe. Loved it.
7. VW T4 2.5. I moved to Australia for year for a girl. We bought this, did a basic camper conversion and travelled Australia for 8 weeks in it. The 2.5 5cyl combined with the CVT slushbox was awful, and it wasn't very reliable, but it took us right through the middle without too much drama, which I'm thankful for.
8. Ford Transit Jumbo. Moved back to the UK and was hooked on vanlife. Bought this Transit, converted and lived in it for a bit. Drove well enough and the MOT guy said it was the least rusty one he'd ever seen.
9. Subaru Legacy mk1 - 1.8na - 1991 I think?. I moved to New Zealand for a year and needed cheap transport. Paid $1200 NZD for this I think. It did the job but was quite ropey. Still, got me to some very cool places.
10. Mazda Tribute. I moved to Canada Same 3.0 V6 as in the Ford Escape, Mondeo ST220 I believe. Nice engine, horrible car. Still, it got me around and took me and four other friends on a big road trip around BC without breaking down. Winner. I think I paid less than $2k for it.
11. Jeep Grand Cherokee 2001 - with the legendary 4.0 I6 AMC engine. Very reliable, terrible on gas. Handled like a boat. Objectively terrible to drive, but I loved it. Did a small lift and bigger tires. This thing took us on so many adventures across BC, including towing my home-built trailer across the rockies.
12. Nissan Xterra 2010 (still current) 4.0 VQ40 V6. Sold the Jeep to buy something with a bit more power for towing. Paid $3500 for this with high KMs, but it's been very reliable. Lifted with strut spacers and SPC UCAs up front, custom leaf pack with extended shackles out back. Again, this thing has taken us on some epic adventures, and I plan to keep it for a while longer yet.
13. Honda Shadow VT500C 1984 (current) - got this from a friend. Currently working on getting my license. Nicely looked after but well-used bike. It's a ton of fun.
14. Chevy Colorado Trail Boss 2024 - just picked this up a couple of weeks ago. Building an overland camping vehicle. Build thread here.
Any questions, ask away!
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