Once common cars that you don't see anymore

[Lyons]

Looks like it was in daily use until early this year too.

Haven't seen a Samara in absolute ages.


View attachment 252977View attachment 252978

7000 miles in a year?! Legend!

 

[arosa]

Spotted a yellow Renault 5 outside Seaview on Saturday looked in very good condition

 

[FM155]

I loved the R8 214/414 Sli's because they were so nippy for the engine size. Turned out the throttle body on those was way bigger than on the later ZR's and the alloy manifold was a better flowing item. They really could shift relative to engines of a similar size at that time. I ported a few k-series heads in the 90's and they really responded well to a bit of tuning.
I bought a 414Sli as an airport beater in Derby and used it for a couple of years from '03 to '05 when it was 10 years old. Then when I moved to work in Madrid, I took the mighty 414 with me and drove it down in one night from east midlands airport to Getafe, south of Madrid, around 1200miles.

The periphal seal on the head gasket went on a 35 degree day one morning on the way into work around 6 months in so I did the sensible thing and took a gasket set, set of head bolts, cambelt kit and an oil filter out in my luggage the next weekend I was home. Changed it in a cul-de-sac behind the flat in central Madrid the next Sunday (got reported to the cops because working on your car in the street is illegal in Spain to stop environmental damage - soz ) and ran it for another 18 months before heading back and taking a job in Leicester and getting a 155 V6.. Wee thing was a champ, bought it for 350, ran it for nearly 4 years and sold it for 250, spent 3.5K parking it in various airports in that time. (Parking is expensible..) Loved the fact that it still had the original P4000 Pirelli's on the back which were as hard as the hobs of hell so the slightest whiff of rain meant that entering roundabouts backwards was obligitory. I just love **** cars.

I used a ZR to start out doing targa rallies that had been my daughters car while she was at uni and did a wee head port and skim and a bigger throttle body. Went well for what it was.

They weren't perfect by any means but they got under your skin.

 

[bill]

I had a couple of them myself.

 

[Coog]

Had a ZS myself. Was a great handling thing and the KV6 sounded well with the powerflow.

Yes metro plate too @Boabybooster !

 

[svensktoppen]

Had great fun with the K-series in the Lotus, very tunable wee engines. Not the most reliable perhaps, lol, but great fun. Until it went bang, which it did spectacularly and literally

 

[bill]

My boss had one of these and he crashed just bumper and wing damage when he got it back the girl in the office asked could she buy it.
He said no then he got into it and found out from one of the repair guys she had put 500 miles on it and was in love.
He went back in and offered it to her for £1000 more than its retail and she took it.
I used to see her driving it around the Woodstock all the time upto 2014 must be scrap now.

 

[Coog]

 

[FM155]

Ohhhhh streetwise!
Thought one of those with a 1.8VVC mill and a proper diff would be a good road rally / targa car.

 

[bill]

Streetwise with the aftermarket lights that was at the time they where heading down the drain.

 

[FM155]

Oh yes it was properly friar tucked by that stage although it was the right idea. Every normal car has had the SUV treatment now.

 

[roverspeed]

Oh yes it was properly friar tucked by that stage although it was the right idea. Every normal car has had the SUV treatment now.

I remember thinking at the time, what the heck are thinking about with the Streetwise.

But as you say, loads of models have had the same treatment since and still do.

 

[bill]

The most comfortable car i ever drove as i said i had a few MG.

 

[suckindiesel]

Just bought a 95' SAAB 9000 Saloon with 20k on it....unearthed from a 93 year old's garage, haven't even seen one in years.

 

[anlygi]

@Colin will cry when he sees all this MG Rover love!

 

[CharlySkunkWeed]

I near bought a brand new MG ZR back in the day , till i sat in the sparce interior and he told me the price. The cheapest ones had no mod cons but were still expensive.

 

[anlygi]

I near bought a brand new MG ZR back in the day , till i sat in the sparce interior and he told me the price. The cheapest ones had no mod cons but were still expensive.

I thought they were great at the time, except when they were in those ostentatious flip paint jobs. Now I'd take a Midnight Purple R34 GTR anytime!

 

[Brennan]

Fiat Brava and Bravo. In fact, pretty much any older Fiat.
View attachment 252400

My parents used to run the Tupperware company over here many years ago, these Bravas were the first company cars they had so this is a major throwback seeing your picture lol I’ve never actually realised how ugly these cars were until today

 

[anlygi]

My parents used to run the Tupperware company over here many years ago, these Bravas were the first company cars they had so this is a major throwback seeing your picture lol I’ve never actually realised how ugly these cars were until today

Bravo HGT was a 5 cylinder weapon in its day! Wonder if any survived this long?

EDIT: 11 taxed and 40 SORN'd from 1388!

Took a screenshot but server error uploading from phone.

 

[Brennan]

Bravo HGT was a 5 cylinder weapon in its day! Wonder if any survived this long?

EDIT: 11 taxed and 40 SORN'd from 1388!

Took a screenshot but server error uploading from phone.

Just 11 left, would love to get a spin in one. Quite possibly a future classic

 

[Lyons]

I can remember seeing both (I think) the 145 and 146, and Bravo and Brava in the showroom at Kane of Comber...when my dad was in scouting out his next Rover.

 

[FM155]

A mate lent me a Marea Weekend with the 5 cylinder 2.0 in it for a few weeks while one of my 155's was getting a bit of work done. It was a tuneful thing but didn't really have much go in it, thirsty too. The Stilo Abarth had a 2.4 5 pot which was a bit quicker. There are a few hybrid 2.4 turbo 5 cylinders in Fiat Coupe's with 650bhp through the front wheels which is nuts. I always fancied a Marea Weekend with a turbo mill from the Coupe but with all the outer panels / interior etc from a 155 (They are the same underneath). Would need a huge amount of work to fabricate a rear quarter panel and re-style the marea tailgate to match the 155 styling, probably using a 155 bootlid to make the lower half outer skin.

Probably much more sensible to search out a clean 156GTA Sportwagon and be happy with that tbh.

 

[Lyons]

Marea Weekend!!

I remember oogling over them as a potential family car when I was a kid too.

 

[greyfloppyhat]

The Galaxies/Sharans were class. Mates parents had one and when he passed his test we used to all head out in it. Captains chairs and picnic tables. The seats even pulled out of it altogether IIRC.

That picture brings back fond memories of trying to fold the chair on the sibling in front as we got dragged around as kids. I still to this date hate these things......

 

[FM155]

View attachment 253015
My boss had one of these and he crashed just bumper and wing damage when he got it back the girl in the office asked could she buy it.
He said no then he got into it and found out from one of the repair guys she had put 500 miles on it and was in love.
He went back in and offered it to her for £1000 more than its retail and she took it.
I used to see her driving it around the Woodstock all the time upto 2014 must be scrap now.

My eldest sister had one of these when I was around 12 - 14 ish so I used to work on it for her which mostly seemed to involve fiddling around with various bits and pieces and then taking it for a drive...