Once common cars that you don't see anymore

scub

Banned
scub
Messages
21,816
Location
up north
Renault engine in it tho.
just the body was made from crushed up coke tins by a load of drunk westies!
 

vw1500

RMS Regular
vw1500
Messages
1,820
Drives
VW
scub said:
Renault engine in it tho.
just the body was made from crushed up coke tins by a load of drunk westies!
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As a westy I find that hugely offensive and a massive generalisation.
Some of them were crushed up pepsi tins too.
😜
These used to be everywhere then just vanished
I remember when they brought the new crash tests in in the late 90s seeing them test a Rover 100 and the door fell off with a decent front corner impact!

1991 Rover metro 1.4 gta For Sale | Car and Classic

1991 Rover metro 1.4 gta For Sale
www.carandclassic.co.uk www.carandclassic.co.uk
 

mikey

RMS Regular
mikey
Messages
1,899
Drives
Celica
big_pete said:
I would love to own a Delorean just to tick the box of owning a bit of NI history
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Hired and drove one for a day. Fun to pose about in and feel like a celebrity with everyone ‘papping’ you no matter where you go? Oh very much so. But the driving experience is as disappointing as everyone says. Massively underpowered, boaty and certainly not designed for narrow Irish roads. Good craic all the same but certainly wouldn’t put my own money in one if I was after a classic.
 

svensktoppen

RMS Regular
svensktoppen
Messages
32,798
Drives
FK2 CTR
Someone here had one for a long time, don't know if they still do? Was in member's cars. Haven't seen any updates in a while.
 

vw1500

RMS Regular
vw1500
Messages
1,820
Drives
VW
I got into one once years ago and I'm not exactly the biggest in the world, it wasn't easy to get in and out off. What used to get me with them was generally everyone I saw who owned them was over weight and middle aged or older, how they were able to do it was beyond me!
 

eamon343

RMS Regular
eamon343
Messages
3,132
Location
Belfast
vw1500 said:
I got into one once years ago and I'm not exactly the biggest in the world, it wasn't easy to get in and out off. What used to get me with them was generally everyone I saw who owned them was over weight and middle aged or older, how they were able to do it was beyond me!
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The delorean? I find them much easier to get into and out of because there isnt a door in the way. Ill let @DMC 4087 respond to the second part of your comment 😂
 

vw1500

RMS Regular
vw1500
Messages
1,820
Drives
VW
eamon343 said:
The delorean? I find them much easier to get into and out of because there isnt a door in the way. Ill let @DMC 4087 respond to the second part of your comment 😂
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I did say generally and was excluding DMC4087.......................although that must have been 10years ago, you's are pushing middle age spare tyre territory now 😜
 

mikey

RMS Regular
mikey
Messages
1,899
Drives
Celica
832A1E4B-C27A-4B59-9875-4009EBF97D66.jpeg
Morris Marina peeking out. As much as people malign them (no doubt fuelled in part by the tripe on Top Gear), they really weren’t any worse than other cars of the era. Certainly wouldn’t see many out and about at vintage shows and they are a very affordable way to get into classic motoring.
If I came into a bit of money I would love to do a proper ‘fast road’ spec build on this with a Duratec on ITBs or a Harris Pinto. Something different to the dime a dozen MK2 Escorts about the country!!
 

FM155

RMS Regular
FM155
Messages
8,737
Drives
Alfa 155
Nice Mk2, Saloon or Coupe? I have a 74 Coupe that was myself and my brothers first car in the mid 80's so I have a soft spot for them.
IMO, the right engine for them is a Rover K-Series because the front suspension needs as little weight as possible on it to work properly. The 1.3's handled much better than the 1.8's, I had both and the 1.3's were definitely more manageable but neither were great handling things.
 
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mikey

RMS Regular
mikey
Messages
1,899
Drives
Celica
FM155 said:
Nice Mk2, Saloon or Coupe? I have a 74 Coupe that was myself and my brothers first car in the mid 80's so I have a soft spot for them.
IMO, the right engine for them is a Rover K-Series because the front suspension needs as little weight as possible on it to work properly. The 1.3's handled much better than the 1.8's, I had both and the 1.3's were definitely more manageable but neither were great handling things.
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She is a 1300 saloon. Pretty much ready for the road as it sits! Uncle is doing a bit of bodywork on one of the ‘Jubilee’ editions for a guy at the moment. The paint isn’t quite yellow, isn’t quite lime green but I love it! Pic from the internet as I don’t have one of the actual car.
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FM155

RMS Regular
FM155
Messages
8,737
Drives
Alfa 155
Jubilee's are rare as hens teeth, only a few left now. I know of at least one that has had a hugely expensive ground up restoration.
I had a load of Marinas in the 80's because you could buy them for pocket change. Glad I kept the Coupe though, plan to restore to use in classic rallying.
 

vw1500

RMS Regular
vw1500
Messages
1,820
Drives
VW
mikey said:
View attachment 301719Morris Marina peeking out. As much as people malign them (no doubt fuelled in part by the tripe on Top Gear), they really weren’t any worse than other cars of the era. Certainly wouldn’t see many out and about at vintage shows and they are a very affordable way to get into classic motoring.
If I came into a bit of money I would love to do a proper ‘fast road’ spec build on this with a Duratec on ITBs or a Harris Pinto. Something different to the dime a dozen MK2 Escorts about the country!!
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I remember reading an article before by BMC works driver who said they would have been successful as a rally car if they put a Dolomote Sprint engine or the like in it, but BL being BL they didn't. I always liked them, especially the early coupes!
Think I saw that only 0.5% of them have survived. On a similar note guy I know was telling me that he spotted an Ital van a couple of days ago!
 

FM155

RMS Regular
FM155
Messages
8,737
Drives
Alfa 155
The Sprint engines are very heavy, have seen a few converted with them but based on having a 1.8 Coupe of my own in the 80's, they were really too heavy for them.
Having said that Special tuning prepared a car for the 1974 World Cup Rally from London to Sydney.
A guy has created a fully logbooked replica which is awesome and he's currently doing a 1.3 works replica also.
V8.jpg
 

mikey

RMS Regular
mikey
Messages
1,899
Drives
Celica
01ACC1C1-EEB6-4883-9B1E-DEF192A81B35.jpeg

The uncle owned this one for a while before selling it on to a family friend a few years back. I think it came from Coalisland/Dungannon/Caulfield direction and is a cracking example. Not many original NI ones left I’d imagine.
 
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