What was your first car?

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Lordtyke, Oct 20, 2019.

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  1. Men

    Menai Tyke Well-Known Member

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    Honda Jazz. An absolute beast.
     
    Menai Tyke, Oct 20, 2019
    #81
  2. David Gibson

    David Gibson Member

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    Mine was a 1968, 1500cc Blue Beetle, MUA 174F (registered in Wakefield as UA in the reg meant that), bought in 1980. I was serving in the Royal Navy, Plymouth, at the time, so asked my brother in law, who supposedly knew about cars to spend £280 on either a Beetle or Moggie Traveller in Barnsley. He found a Beetle and I had it for 4 years and blew 3 engines, so by the time the forth needed fitting I was getting OK at it. It also helped that I was training to be an aircraft engineer (WAFU in Navy speak) in the RN. I still own a Beetle, a 1973 1303LS, my fifth and have a spare engine and gearbox for it, in the garage, just in case. I also own a CB400NB Super Dream motorbike, TFJ 952X which I bought brand new in Plymouth (hence FJ is a Plymouth reg). I looked after the bike better than the Beetles I had, so it is still going strong today. I also have a spare engine for that in the garage and needed to learn how to walk again after a trip from Plymouth to Barnsley, as you continued to vibrate after getting off the bike. Fortunately had to refuel at least 3 times on the 300 mile journey.
     
    David Gibson, Oct 20, 2019
    #82
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  3. Brush

    Brush Well-Known Member

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    1974 Hillman Avenger, pretty ropey old thing, held together with rust. Not the worst car I've ever had though, that accolade goes to a 1981 Vauxhall Chevette.....
     
    Brush, Oct 20, 2019
    #83
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  4. Snaptin

    Snaptin Active Member

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    My dad bought me a Mini (Traveller - the estate one with wood round the windows). It cost £50 in 1977 and I couldn't open the front slidey windows cos of grass growing in the runners. Didn't last long - next car was a Mk 2 Cortina - great car - loved it.
     
    Snaptin, Oct 21, 2019
    #84
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  5. Merde Tete

    Merde Tete Well-Known Member

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    Czechoslovakia!

    Russia gave us the famous Lada!
     
    Merde Tete, Oct 21, 2019
    #85
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  6. Spa

    Sparkfield red Well-Known Member

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    Triumph Herald no need to do a 3point turn,they could do it in one.
     
    Sparkfield red, Oct 21, 2019
    #86
  7. Euroman

    Euroman Well-Known Member

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    My first was a 1986 plate Ford Escort 1.4L that I bought off a mate for £1000 in 1994. He said it had been well maintained but when I gave it a check over it only 1 litre of oil in it. I had lots of fun with blocked Carburettor jets with that one. I part exchanged it for an H Reg Escort 1.3 Eclipse in 1995. I got £1000 against the old car and paid £5000 so I got my money back. Since then I have always driven Fords. Orions, Escorts and a Focus. I did have a Vauxhall Astra for about 2 years before I bought the Focus but I'd like to forget about that.

    I always buy a Haynes Manual as being ex motor trade I can still tackle most jobs. In fact the first thing I do when I get a "new car" is buy a Haynes and get to know the technology.

    Before I owned a car I had a few m/bikes. I miss riding but value my life too much to buy a bike. One of the reasons I bought a car was because I was having too many near misses with blind car drivers.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2019
    Euroman, Oct 21, 2019
    #87
  8. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Really - I loved my chevette - even handed it down to my sister when I replaced it and was gutted when she got rid of it
    Only really failed me once when it died on the A1 one sunday evening when I was taking an aunt back to London - Alternator fail and as it was a wet dark night the battery didnt last long - changed to snow later and got recovered by the RAC - hence the changing alternator in the snow the next day. Its one of my favourite cars - probably because it was my first. ( All time favourite was a Peugeot 406 3.0V6 executive - had it for years and almost made it to 200000 miles before it dropped to bits)
     
    Farnham_Red, Oct 21, 2019
    #88
  9. sal

    salesman Member

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    white ford capri just like Del boys
     
    salesman, Oct 21, 2019
    #89
  10. Donny Red

    Donny Red Well-Known Member

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    A 1985 1.6L 5 door Vauxhall Cavalier Reg A894 LRF. It came with my job and the lad who
    had it before me put 21,000 miles on the clock in 12 months and "thrashed" it.

    Due to my grade I was lucky in that I qualified for a new car every three years and over my thirty years Service
    had ten new cars in total viz: a Ford Escort, Vauxhall Cavalier saloon, four 1.6 litre Ford Focus and four Ford Mondeos.

    My last car before retirement was a 2 litre Ford Mondeo Titanium. It was great to drive and the best car I had throughout my career.
     
    Donny Red, Oct 21, 2019
    #90
  11. Brush

    Brush Well-Known Member

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    Bought it in 1984, failed its first MOT (wheel bearing) my hand went through the door panel, all full of filler, then the gearbox seized up and finally blew a hole in a piston crown - all before it was 4 years old.
     
    Brush, Oct 21, 2019
    #91
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  12. RedStriker

    RedStriker Well-Known Member

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    Ford Anglia. Bought of an RAF buddy for £45. Failed it's mot the following year with a brake line problem. Having no motor repair experience at the time I decided to scrap it. Daft move really, could have fixed it in a couple of hours these days but hey ho.
    Bought a mk 2 Austin Healey Sprite after that. No, not a frog eye. This thing dumped engine oil through the rear crank bearing on to the clutch; making it slip and filling the cabin full of smoke.
    Passengers were told "... it's just the newness wearing off"
    'Kinell.
     
    RedStriker, Oct 21, 2019
    #92
  13. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Sounds about as reliable as a Cavalier I had - it had been my mates company car and as he had just had the engine replaced with a brand new one because it blew the bottom end I thought buying it from his company at the trade in price they were being offered would be a good deal (£3000 for a 3 year old GLSi2.0 in around 1989). After a couple of years the new engine went the same way- so I put in a remanufactured one - that needed a new head whilst still under warranty then a year or so later a valve spring broke and the valve fell into the cylinder whilst the wife was driving it down the A3 . Bizarrely we both liked the car though and were sorry to see it go
     
    Farnham_Red, Oct 21, 2019
    #93
  14. Nor

    NorthernDreamer Well-Known Member

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    HB Viva for me, HTD 816 F (just to show I still have my memory!), bought for £180 in 1974 after I passed my test. Loved it, but not as much as the 1956 Series 1 Land Rover I had a couple of years later, and sold for £135; it's probably worth 20k plus now...
     
    NorthernDreamer, Oct 21, 2019
    #94
  15. Donny Red

    Donny Red Well-Known Member

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    Seeing the name Lada made me smile. Went to check out a Timber Merchant at Hull Docks and
    they invited me for a spot of lunch at a nearby pub.

    My host walked towards an old dark brown Lada Riva. Once on Clive Sullivan Way, he proceeded
    to " burn off" a Jag, a MK2 Escort and a couple of sports cars. At one point he was clocking well
    in excess of a ton.

    When we got to the pub, he lifted the bonnet to reveal a V8 engine mounted on Dexion racking.
    I can still see the startled look on the faces of drivers we were passing as they tried to pass him.
     
    Donny Red, Oct 21, 2019
    #95
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  16. RedStriker

    RedStriker Well-Known Member

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    A wire coat hanger gave far superior reception. With careful working you could even turn it into a two fingered salute.
     
    RedStriker, Oct 21, 2019
    #96
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  17. pon

    pontyender Well-Known Member

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    A 1977 Austin Allegro, which even broke down the night I bought it. If you were really well-to-do you would have the Vanden Plas version. I didn't have it long, but still managed to fail two driving tests in it, with a slipping clutch. It's hard to believe now that they allowed you to take your test in any old heap of junk. The first test I took in an instructor's car, I passed.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2019
    pontyender, Oct 21, 2019
    #97
  18. nezbfc

    nezbfc Well-Known Member

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    Nova GTE, F Reg.

    Bought it for 3k. And then had to pay 1200 for insurance.

    That chuff could shift. Until the CV joint snapped (ooops)
     
    nezbfc, Oct 21, 2019
    #98
  19. ScubaTyke

    ScubaTyke Well-Known Member

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    Hillman Imp.......
     
    ScubaTyke, Oct 21, 2019
    #99
  20. George Kerr

    George Kerr Well-Known Member

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    My first car was a company car in 1967, a mark 1 Ford Cortina.
     
    George Kerr, Oct 21, 2019
    #100
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