cars you have been embarrassed to drive/worst trip....
Discussion
I went through a phase of restoring/driving 2cv's about 15 years ago - I enjoyed working on them and found them good fun to drive so when I found a cheap Beachcomber model in Loot (it's the white one with the blue wavy stripes up the side) near Heathrow I went for it. The only downside was the car was described as having a dodgy clutch (but still a runner) and for some unknown reason the owner had plastered the car in Calvin and Hobbs stickers. I got the early flight down from Edinburgh and set off to meet the owner - the car was "as described" complete with decals so I handed over the cash and as soon as I turned the corner I parked up with with the intention of removing the stickers - to my horror they were completely and utterly welded to the body. The next eight hours were hell - I was tired having been up since 5am and the clutch was indeed on its last legs (it would barely disengage) so I spent the whole 400 miles trying to avoid stopping, compounded by the embarrassment of the lovingly applied cartoon characters all over the car. I finally stopped at a service station and parked up for a sleep, only to be woken by the sound of horns...the handbrake didn't work either so I had rolled gently back to block the car park...
So, what's the most embarrassing car/worst trip you have had to drive?
So, what's the most embarrassing car/worst trip you have had to drive?
I had a new shape Corsa 1.2 2 door and 1.4 4 door as hire cars last year when my Focus was having a repair done on it. I'm glad I didn't pay for either of them, because they were crap. The 1.2 only had something like 14,000 miles on it and the fuel guage stopped working, so they gave me the 1.4 as a replacement.
I felt utterly ridiculous driving both, hideous little pieces of tat unbefitting of me as a motoring enthusiast. After a month of having them I had sort of gotten used to them, which was worrying. Dead easy to drive, and they got flogged...but I missed my Focus.
I felt utterly ridiculous driving both, hideous little pieces of tat unbefitting of me as a motoring enthusiast. After a month of having them I had sort of gotten used to them, which was worrying. Dead easy to drive, and they got flogged...but I missed my Focus.
One of the first Marinas - a company car to replace the Moggie 1000. Drum brakes and no servo, I ploughed into the back of a lorry on the second day of ownership. I reused to drive it until the company added a servo at £40, but they refused, so it sat there until they agreed. Bloody lousy handling, shocking quality dashboard, LHD wipers which left a big patch in front of the driver - I could go on, but I am depressed enough already. The second one, in a light "merde" colour was delivered and signed for. It already had a gearbox locked in first, requiring a dealer callout and a new gearbox.
Baryonyx said:
I had a new shape Corsa 1.2 2 door and 1.4 4 door as hire cars last year when my Focus was having a repair done on it. I'm glad I didn't pay for either of them, because they were crap. The 1.2 only had something like 14,000 miles on it and the fuel guage stopped working, so they gave me the 1.4 as a replacement.
I felt utterly ridiculous driving both, hideous little pieces of tat unbefitting of me as a motoring enthusiast. After a month of having them I had sort of gotten used to them, which was worrying. Dead easy to drive, and they got flogged...but I missed my Focus.
Luxury!!I felt utterly ridiculous driving both, hideous little pieces of tat unbefitting of me as a motoring enthusiast. After a month of having them I had sort of gotten used to them, which was worrying. Dead easy to drive, and they got flogged...but I missed my Focus.
Try the mk1 if you dare! Especially an M reg. 1.2 in m&m purple. Hideous wasn't the word. It was the gaffer's missus' car and I had to drive it about 15 miles. Felt like 15 years!
It had NO redeeming features at all, awful, awful, AWFUL to drive. It went round roundabouts like a barn door on one hinge, the steering was terrible - as was the gearchange. The worst car I've ever had the misfortune to get behind the (bus) wheel of.
I felt a right t
t driving it in that bloody awful colour too.The car of the devil.
y2blade said:
honestly...none of them 
I couldn't give a monkeys what others think, so nope I never been Embarrassed about any car I've driven or been passenger in
Agreed.I couldn't give a monkeys what others think, so nope I never been Embarrassed about any car I've driven or been passenger in
I've been embarrassed by friends' driving before but never by the car. As for driving myself, I can have fun in any car (even the crappy Metro we inherited from my Gran
).
Baz Tench said:
Luxury!!
Try the mk1 if you dare! Especially an M reg. 1.2 in m&m purple. Hideous wasn't the word. It was the gaffer's missus' car and I had to drive it about 15 miles. Felt like 15 years!
It had NO redeeming features at all, awful, awful, AWFUL to drive. It went round roundabouts like a barn door on one hinge, the steering was terrible - as was the gearchange. The worst car I've ever had the misfortune to get behind the (bus) wheel of.
I felt a right tt driving it in that bloody awful colour too.
The car of the devil.
That does sound fairly bad. I'm yet to try a Vauxhall that doesn't have an awfully sloppy gear change, I need to try my friend's Astra VXR. Try the mk1 if you dare! Especially an M reg. 1.2 in m&m purple. Hideous wasn't the word. It was the gaffer's missus' car and I had to drive it about 15 miles. Felt like 15 years!
It had NO redeeming features at all, awful, awful, AWFUL to drive. It went round roundabouts like a barn door on one hinge, the steering was terrible - as was the gearchange. The worst car I've ever had the misfortune to get behind the (bus) wheel of.
I felt a right t
t driving it in that bloody awful colour too.The car of the devil.
Gold, shiny wheels etc.Three cars spring to mind - my mum's 1 litre Metro (one of the early cars registered, i think, A999 UOX).
Nasty piece of st with horrible plastic seats that wouldnt recline, a horrible gearbox,an unresponsive slow noisy engine & a driving position that even a double jointed monkey would have found uncomfortable...
Also my own two Austin Allegro's - a 1.3 litre heap of junk & a 1750 Equipe. For which i truly apologise for driving.
Oh yeah - my dad also owned a Morris Marina 1.8TC coupe although that wasnt actually too bad a car apart from the colour. Orange if i re-call correctly.
Nasty piece of s
t with horrible plastic seats that wouldnt recline, a horrible gearbox,an unresponsive slow noisy engine & a driving position that even a double jointed monkey would have found uncomfortable...Also my own two Austin Allegro's - a 1.3 litre heap of junk & a 1750 Equipe. For which i truly apologise for driving.
Oh yeah - my dad also owned a Morris Marina 1.8TC coupe although that wasnt actually too bad a car apart from the colour. Orange if i re-call correctly.
Friend's Suzuki Swift, P plate if i recall.
1.0 3 cylinder engine, utterly guttless, and the front struts on them got a recall for corroding completely away causing the front wheels to almost fall outwards from the car till flat on the floor
Faded red, and completely un-nerving at anything north of 70mph, never want to drive anything like that again!
VW polo that was my mum's, 1.0 and 4 speed.. again horrible, no 'street cred' and had a tarten interior
1.0 3 cylinder engine, utterly guttless, and the front struts on them got a recall for corroding completely away causing the front wheels to almost fall outwards from the car till flat on the floor
Faded red, and completely un-nerving at anything north of 70mph, never want to drive anything like that again!
VW polo that was my mum's, 1.0 and 4 speed.. again horrible, no 'street cred' and had a tarten interior
One car on my mind straight away here.
Took my car to the garage which a friend owns, job was going to take longer than thought so asked him if he had a spare car I could pinch for 2 days. He hands me the keys to a R Reg Suzuki Swift GTi.. Now I know not the end of the world and happily take it.
Anyways driving home up Dewsbury Cutting if anyone knows it, if you don't its a very steep uphill road with an overtaking lane. My car happily would go up in 3rd at about 30 and 4th any faster.
I had to get this little sodding Suzuki down to 2nd! I was revving the backside off it and still had wagons trying to pass and right up my behind.
No idea if the car had a problem or was actually that underpowered.... But that was a time I moved down the seat as other cars passed me looking in..
Took my car to the garage which a friend owns, job was going to take longer than thought so asked him if he had a spare car I could pinch for 2 days. He hands me the keys to a R Reg Suzuki Swift GTi.. Now I know not the end of the world and happily take it.
Anyways driving home up Dewsbury Cutting if anyone knows it, if you don't its a very steep uphill road with an overtaking lane. My car happily would go up in 3rd at about 30 and 4th any faster.
I had to get this little sodding Suzuki down to 2nd! I was revving the backside off it and still had wagons trying to pass and right up my behind.
No idea if the car had a problem or was actually that underpowered.... But that was a time I moved down the seat as other cars passed me looking in..
Edited by R3v 1 on Thursday 3rd March 22:40
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