Opinions please

And the BX 16v put out 160bhp ;)

In news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net, Carl Gibbs wrote something quite bizarre, possibly in an effort to confuddle the world. It went like so;

I've had a reliable 165 from a 2.0 Pinto SOHC lump on carbs :-)

Nah... that ain't no hooligan car. That's just chav. Real hooligans draw donuts before their girlfriends' door.

Tom -and her father was a copper ;-) - De Moor

PS he didn't like me, which was good because I didn't like him either.

Right, I've discovered some more beauties that I had completely forgotten about. Namely these 2:

Anyone actually owned either? What they like. Really like the idea of a

3.0l Monza with the digi dash :D

Digi dash.

You called?

JackH says 'B16 1.6 VTEC - 160bhp standard, without the need for hairdryers'

-- JackH

Revvy as hell and a pig to use as a daily driver, though ;-)

2lt, 8v, variable inlet = gobs of torque low down, decent economy and power when you need it.

I've not had enough use out of mine to completely shout it down on those counts, though... and they're only 'revvy' when you want them to be revvy.

Yes... sounds exactly like a VW TDI, only more bits of trim fall off. ;-)

Point is... if the B16 VTEC is so bad, why are the Civics and CRXs fitted with it so revered and sought after?

-- JackH

Economy probably isn't much worse, either. 40mpg is easily attainable even with relatively good progress from an old Alfa Twin-Cam.

Because they appeal to people who spend their time at the redline. I prefer to have a bit more low down - the Marea is quite addictive when you floor it, but in day to day driving, the Alfas wipe the floor with it, 'cos they have more power low down.

80ish cruising in a fully laden Golf TDi estate down to your way equated to 58mpg overall...

This'll be why there are so many 75s about then, yes, if they're that great?

-- JackH

No, but it'll be why there's so many 156 / 147 / GTVs around.

...which are of a different era to the other two in question, which IIRC, were sold around the same time.

-- JackH

To be fair - there's not many of any of them around these days - and the CRXs of the late 80s / early 90s seem to be as rotten as the Alfas :-p

You are joking?

There's loads of said Civics - a lot of them (and CRXs) being brought in as jap imports. Nice and rot free, given where they've spent most of their lives.

The price of them though, is bloody ridiculous.

Indeed... which is why more people should be dropping said lumps into the relatively solid Rover 200s of the era. ;-)

-- JackH

Ach - 2.0 24v variable inlet, smooth, quiet, balanced and 150bhp. That's Rover power for you.

Yup. Shame fuel economy wasn't a standard feature.

That's cheating..... you could do that with 75s from Italy, but people don't 'cos they'd be LHD. Cheaper, though.

Heh.

All that complexity for only 150bhp?

Give me a nice, simple, 4 potter with chain driven twin cams and only 8 valves to worry about rather than a K-series derived complex heap of head gasket blowing shit ;-)