Cars You Never See Anymore
- Thread starter Idris2002
- Start date
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
"Current auto brands are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden and Wuling. Former GM automotive brands include McLaughlin, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Opel, Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall."
Never any of these?
What about any of the Peugeot Citroën group? (Used to be one of the GM partnership companies)
Never any of these?
What about any of the Peugeot Citroën group? (Used to be one of the GM partnership companies)
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
I'm spewing that I didn't hold on to the cars from my youth.
I had a HSR Chevette, a Lotus Sunbeam and a plethora of Escorts, from Mexicos to RS2000s. Oh, and a fair few AE86 Corollas, which are also selling for silly money now.
The Chevette and the Sunbeam had basically the same engine. It was the 2.3 slant engine that was derived from the Bedford CF van engine. The engines used to twist a lot, which resulted in them constantly pissing oil from the lower rocker cover.
I had a Lotus esprit turbo for a very short while, too. That also had a derivative of the Bedford CF van engine, and I managed to blow the engine to pieces in less than 1000 miles. I think that's the most money I ever lost on a car, and in the shortest space of time.
It's nice to remember all these cars with a smile, but, in reality, every single one of them was a bag of shit, that rotted into the floor after about 7 or 8 years. And getting anything more than about 30k miles from an engine without it needing a rebuild was only a dream.
Last edited:
not-bono-ever
meh
mantas( x2) Chevette Chevanne, Calalaier SRI 130- all under £300 when i bought them. the Cavaliaer was of that era when no self respecting saleseman would be seen dead in anything but a Cav- they had a period when they produced genuinely groundbreakingly relaible and fast motorway friendly cars that didnt shake themselves to death like many of their their competitors
I did not know about the origins of the Esprit engine. Strikes me that for decades fuck all r and d and production process improvement was done by management. But like building ships on the stocks in the 1960s when the French were building them under cover, or rivetting ships when others started welding. The complacency of Empire.
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
The major problem with the engine was that the cast iron block was replaced with an aluminium one. It was one of the first engines to get an ally block, but, being a relatively new technology, nobody had a clue how to manufacture one properly, and as a result, it warped and twisted like mad, which resulted in all sorts of problems.
Cars have progressed so much since my youth. It used to be a novelty having a window mechanism that worked, and a heater was something put there to piss the carpets wet through, as it was usually good for little else.
I actually remember the first car I bought. It was a seven year old MK2 Escort, and when I got it home I realised the C pillars had rotten through and been filled with body filler and repainted. A seven year old car these days is like brand new. Back then a car was literally only fit for the scrapyard after 7 years.
Griff
Feeding the foxes
But you'd be a Ford man
Nope, never owned a Ford either.
Learnt to drive in a pale blue Escort mk2 1.1 Popular and that was it.
Although the TVR Vixen has a 1700c Crossflow and the S2 had a 2.9 Cologne V6.
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
Did anyone ever own a Cortina (with the Pinto engine)? They were a nightmare for wearing cam lobes (due to carbon blocking the spray bar), and you had to remove the cylinder head to replace the camshaft, as it came out the back of the head. They were so bad and needed replacing so often that we used to cut a hole in the bulkhead with a hammer and chisel and pull the camshaft out through the ashtray. 
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
If never a Ford or a GM product, what have you driven?Nope, never owned a Ford either.
Learnt to drive in a pale blue Escort mk2 1.1 Popular and that was it.
Although the TVR Vixen has a 1700c Crossflow and the S2 had a 2.9 Cologne V6.
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Owned:
MGB GT x 2
MG Metro (new in 1985)
Rover P5B Coupe
Volvo 1800S
MGBGT V8 x 2
TVR Vixen - Still owned
Jaguar XJ6
Jaguar XJS x 2
Volkswagen Golf Gti Mk4
Volkswagen Beetle 1600 GT
Volkswagen Polo diesel
TVR S2
Honda Civic Type R EP3
Volvo S40 diesel - Still owned
TVR Chimaera 500 - Still owned
Maybe a couple of others I've forgotten, but no Ford or GM.
MGB GT x 2
MG Metro (new in 1985)
Rover P5B Coupe
Volvo 1800S
MGBGT V8 x 2
TVR Vixen - Still owned
Jaguar XJ6
Jaguar XJS x 2
Volkswagen Golf Gti Mk4
Volkswagen Beetle 1600 GT
Volkswagen Polo diesel
TVR S2
Honda Civic Type R EP3
Volvo S40 diesel - Still owned
TVR Chimaera 500 - Still owned
Maybe a couple of others I've forgotten, but no Ford or GM.
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
And then there was the MK3 Escort with the CVH engine, with hydraulic tappets that sometimes worked, and a CV carb that was equally as bad. I've never seen an engine so capable of producing sludge!
Back in 1984 I was working as a mechanic, and I bought a batch of Ford's testbed CVH engines. They weren't supposed to be sold, and had ball bearings poured down the inlets once Ford were done with them, to destroy them if anyone got hold of one and fitted it, but I had a friend at Ford who enjoyed a backhander
I bought a batch of about 15 of them. There were only 1.3 and 1.6 variants, but I looked at the block of one and saw 1.8 on the casting. It seems Ford were planning to fit the 1.8 in the Mk3 Escort but never did, so I had the only 1.8L Mk3 Escort on the road
I was also the first to fit a 16V Mk2 Golf GTI engine into a MK1 GTI
Back in 1984 I was working as a mechanic, and I bought a batch of Ford's testbed CVH engines. They weren't supposed to be sold, and had ball bearings poured down the inlets once Ford were done with them, to destroy them if anyone got hold of one and fitted it, but I had a friend at Ford who enjoyed a backhander
I bought a batch of about 15 of them. There were only 1.3 and 1.6 variants, but I looked at the block of one and saw 1.8 on the casting. It seems Ford were planning to fit the 1.8 in the Mk3 Escort but never did, so I had the only 1.8L Mk3 Escort on the road
I was also the first to fit a 16V Mk2 Golf GTI engine into a MK1 GTI
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Yes, you're right. It's a 2004!
I stand corrected.
Altough it feels extremely unFord like in its quality and build.
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Indeed. Bought it for a grand as I was back living in London but still working in Cambridge, so it was doing well over 500 miles a week for the best part of a year.
Smoith, comfortable, fast with lovely cold air-con. Brilliant for £1k. Love it and kept it, it has a much easier life these days.
Not the most stylish looking thing though..
Smoith, comfortable, fast with lovely cold air-con. Brilliant for £1k. Love it and kept it, it has a much easier life these days.
Not the most stylish looking thing though.
.
Nope, never owned a Ford either.
Learnt to drive in a pale blue Escort mk2 1.1 Popular and that was it.
Although the TVR Vixen has a 1700c Crossflow and the S2 had a 2.9 Cologne V6.
For some reason thought the Griffith had a Ford lump in it.
blairsh
pale knuckle grip on this steering wheel
It did.
not-bono-ever
meh
Did anyone ever own a Cortina (with the Pinto engine)? They were a nightmare for wearing cam lobes (due to carbon blocking the spray bar), and you had to remove the cylinder head to replace the camshaft, as it came out the back of the head. They were so bad and needed replacing so often that we used to cut a hole in the bulkhead with a hammer and chisel and pull the camshaft out through the ashtray.
I think i still have the splined head bolt socket in my tool box somewhere. was easier in the early 90s to find a rotten OHC ford in thje scraapy and remove the head for £20 rather than replace the cam with a new one. it sometimes worked
not-bono-ever
meh
And then there was the MK3 Escort with the CVH engine, with hydraulic tappets that sometimes worked, and a CV carb that was equally as bad. I've never seen an engine so capable of producing sludge!
Back in 1984 I was working as a mechanic, and I bought a batch of Ford's testbed CVH engines. They weren't supposed to be sold, and had ball bearings poured down the inlets once Ford were done with them, to destroy them if anyone got hold of one and fitted it, but I had a friend at Ford who enjoyed a backhander
I bought a batch of about 15 of them. There were only 1.3 and 1.6 variants, but I looked at the block of one and saw 1.8 on the casting. It seems Ford were planning to fit the 1.8 in the Mk3 Escort but never did, so I had the only 1.8L Mk3 Escort on the road
I was also the first to fit a 16V Mk2 Golf GTI engine into a MK1 GTI
the CVH engine did get a bit tappety and the enthusiast was invariably driven to learn how to replace the hydro taps on a regular basis. re the GTI - again, early 90s, I had an '83 1.6- a rocket ship for me at the time. drove to the French alps on a whim one day ( a few days actually ), just to get some fun with it.
fast forward to 1999 & a fly by night Dagenham dealer had a decent black RS1600i for £1500 on his forecourt. I gave him £50 to hold it but couldnt get the insurance for it. real shame
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
The Golf was an amazing car. It came out at a time when everything else was slow and handled like a new-born giraffe. It was in a whole new league, and rear wheel drive cars aside, it's the most fun car I ever owned.
not-bono-ever
meh
I knew the GTI's had to be good,as the farm boys up on the moors all had them towards the end of the 80s- they were sticking their escorts in the barns and thumping around on golfs.Farmers are usually a good tell of a half decent car. too early for me to have one, but i got one as soon as I was able. now i drive a 500 quid ford mondy that I am rather attached to now
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
You're only attached to it because you can't sell it
