Classics you're embarrassed at liking

I would love a souped-up S110!

As long as the comfort level were souped up too. Good stereo, leather, air con....what do you reckon you could get under the bonnet of one of those?

AMC Pacer DAF 55 Datsun Cherry 100A FII Fiat 126 Skoda S110R Coupe Talbot Matra Rancho The list goes on...

Dale Turley

'39 Standard Flying 8 (Brit in Pieces)'55 Morris Minor II '66 Singer Vogue IV (Brit Difrunt) '69 Vauxhall FD Victor 'wagon (Brit Slow) '71 Triumph Herald 13/60 convertible (Brit Rusty!) '95 Suzuki GSF600N Bandit '00 Castelgarden 8.5/72(!) '02 Citroen C3 1.4HDi 16v Exclusive

The RS1600i was a very different car to the XR3i - it had solid tappets for a start, plus revised front suspension. This it shared with the Series 1 RS Turbo. The Series 2 was nothing more than a Series 2 XR3i with a Turbo. Terrible car.

Can't think of anything complementary to say about the Orion 1600i - it was just an ugly XR3i with a sticky-out boot.

Ian just got a nice, black 1600i. Proper thing, finned rocker cover, different suspension mounts, twin coils etc.

Sadly, he wants it himself. I really like it, though, and it just needs a door and some tidying to be really smart!

Richard

In news:020520041130345669% snipped-for-privacy@dmc12.daemon.co.uk, Richard Kilpatrick decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

I had an RS1600i. I always loved the interiors in them, fabulous seats.

Mine was white though, and I despise white cars.

4 door is generic junk. The 100A FII estate was a dead ringer the VW Polo made 10 years later. 120A FII coupe. UK got a 1.2, US/Canada got a 1.4 - Vauxhall Tigre and Ford Puma just 20 years before it's time.

Dad had one from new. He thinks that other than the Viva he got so mum could learn to drive that it was the most suggish car he ever owned. Nice chrome, wood and leather.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Late 60's, early 70's Moskvitchs would be my contribution here :o) Like the Daf's

And I learnt to drive in a 1973 100A estate (2 door). Very revvy little engine (if you wanted to get anywhere anyhow)

It seems that the Chrysler/Talbot Sunbeam has become a bit of a classic. God only knows why? I suppose they can't be that bad cos I've got 2 of 'em! One is the rallycar but there's hardly anything Sunbeam left! The other I bought last week as a spares donor. Shame to strip it really cos it's got a genuine

36000 on the clock and dry garaged all its life - absolutely immaculate with no welding and none needed :) When I got it home I pulled it off the trailer, drove 'round the block twice and that was enough to convince me to strip it. Absolutely awful cars as standard. Funny things classics...

Neil.

"SteveH" wrote

It was IMHO much subtler than the XR3i, not being festooned with spoilers or other junk apt to attract the attention of chavs in and out of police uniform. It was supposedly faster to 60 by about 0.2 of a second (big deal!). It was also about £50 cheaper than an XR if you equalised the specs. It had stuff like electric windows included as standard, and therefore able to be discounted.

IME, it's more Chavvy than the XR3i, because it was / is more affordable to insure. Plus the chavs reckoned they had a 'classy' motor as it had a boot and 'ghia' badges ;-)

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "N. Wallace" saying something like:

Not that awful really, just an Avenger underneath.

"SteveH" wrote

You may have a point there.

I spilt paint on the back seat of mine and had to go round scrappies all over Essex to find the same pattern second hand (Ford quoted £600 to replace it and couldn't guarantee a match).

I well remember the teenage chavs who ran one of these yards staring admiringly at my silver Ghia and commenting..."Lavly! Them XR3s are a boy's car, but that - thassa MAIN's car!" (and yes that is how they pronounced 'man').

Guess I'm just sentimental about my first ever motor...

In article , snipped-for-privacy@Jasta1.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.classic...

Anything that would physically fit. You would need to move the radiator to the front like on an Estelle/Rapid and fit decent coolant hoses (the Estelle/Rapid used hard pipes under the body shell covered by a shield).

Have seen a Ford V6 fitted into an Estelle, along with most ford 4 pots, Alfa/Lancia/Fiats twinks, and Alfa boxers, Scooby turbos,

has an S100 saloon with a toyota twink. But you would seriously have to butcher the floor and rear seat area to get a 5 speed rapid box in, and weld up mounts for a rapid semi trailing arm setup, or try for a 120L5 box that could use the standard swing axle IRS like the L5 did.

An interesting build might be an RX7 turbo Wankel rotary, but I would reckon you would need a renault 21 trans to take the power (I think that is the one used in the Lotus Esprit V8 and turbos).

Hey, how sad am I ? I really loved my Sunbeam Imp Sport bought it brand new in 1970 and it was my third Imp!! I could've cried when I sold it and had recurring dreams about it over the years. Saw one in the flesh recently, christ it was ugly!

Jim

Datsun made and developed a version of the Austin 'A' series engine. Other than a water pump problem it was better than the UK made 'A' series and kept it's oil inside it!

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Peter Hill saying something like:

I remember those little Datsun engines - the visual similarity to the A-series made me wonder at the time if it was an improved copy or simple plagiarism.

Austin 3-litre and Vanden Plas 4-litre "R".

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember PJML saying something like:

The Austin Champ is a secret favourite of mine. Glad I never actually owned one though - those who did bitterly regretted it.

'Twas Sat, 01 May 2004 22:09:50 GMT, when "The Blue Max" decided to declare:

Oh lots & lots & lots!

Ford Mk4 Zodiac Colt Cordia Lancia Y10 Renault 17 & Fuego

I'm sure I'll think of more as this thread continues!

Del