(Nearly ) New car. . .

[Phil Perry]

 

Following on from my story about buying an El-Cheapo Banger for small Daughter, AND FINDING THAT she had bought a car herself the same day. . . ( Suzuki Splash)

 

I had purchased a 'Trade In' 2010 Ford Fiesta Zetec. . .1.4 litre 16V DOHC car,. . only 6 years old. . .for £450 Quid. ( from a Friendly dealer person whom I had introduced to aviation some years back. . . and who is now a qualified pilot with his own Evektor Eurostar )

 

 

 

 

I've researched the service history on this thing. . it has 109K Miles on the frame, but had a 'Dealer replaced' Brand New Engine only 3K miles back. . .So I now have a Ford Fiesta Zetec, with a Virgin ( almost ) powerplant and it goes like $hit off a greasy shovel. ( Not that an old fart like me is going to race young bucks off the traffic lights. . .)

 

The only two faults that I've found are that the Passenger side Mirror doesn't retract when the car is powered down. . .and that the front Fog lamps don't work.. . . . I've decided to keep it for my own use and dump the Vauxhall ( GM ) Astra estate. . .which is coming up to it's MOT in 2 months and has five advisories to it's name from the last permit to fly and is likely to fail. . .as it's a 2004 model. . . and I've bashed oit to bits to be fair. . 

 

Just thinking of calling it 'Black Betty' ( Bamba Lam ) . . .any other suggestions ? ?

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

 Can't help you there Phil. While I do sometimes get attached to a car, (or VAN) that I've  done many hard miles in. I've not given them names since a few Volkswagens (Beetles) way back which I  referred to as Hitler's revenge, (the superbug)  or a Roll Your Own.(The earlier one). Nev

 

 

[old man emu]

Who can ever forget the Marrickville Mercedes?

 

 

 

[nomadpete]

Marrickville Mercedes that I remember,  always had pompoms around the back window, pillows on the back shelf (with embroidered pictures of harbour bridge on them), a saint hanging from the mirror, and were usually brush painted purple.

 

 

[Yenn]

I have rented many cars in the UK, VW, Skoda, Renault, Ford and others. Last time I was there I got a Vauxhall. I now know why the UK car industry failed. I would not rent another Vauxhall, they are absolute rubbish. They are worse than an old Hillman, if that is possible.

 

 

[Litespeed]

The old hotted up Imp made a good hill climb beast at times though.

 

The rest are best G tested down mineshafts.

 

 

[red750]

I had a 1998 Ford Festiva which was a great little car, cheap to run and carried a surprising amount in the rear hatch with the back seat folded down, until an idiot ran into the back of it 20 months ago and insurance said it wasn't worth repairing. We called it Pixel, because the rego was PXL--- and it was small.

 

 

[facthunter]

 Those Festiva's were built wrong . They don't seem to wear out. The Vauxhall was a GM car and actually an Opel. Not something I'd seek to own.  Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

The Vauxhall VIVA was the first Pomi car to be builtwith a 5 year life, problem with workers Not having time to do all the welds, or put all the bolts on, meant it fell to bits after 3 years, & you literally ran over your own mudguarde.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Phil Perry]

 Can't help you there Phil. While I do sometimes get attached to a car, (or VAN) that I've  done many hard miles in. I've not given them names since a few Volkswagens (Beetles) way back which I  referred to as Hitler's revenge, (the superbug)  or a Roll Your Own.(The earlier one). Nev

 

 

 

The 'Naming' thing was started by my two girly kids when they were tots Nev. . .. since then, they've named every vehicle we've owned. . .

 

They even named my Gemini Flash 2 Weightshift 'Harry' . . . this puzzled me for a while. then they said 'FLASH HARRY' and collapsed into fits of girly giggles. . .( ? )

 

Where they got this innate Lunacy from. . .I have no idea.

 

 

[facthunter]

We need a sense of humour, imagination  and variety in more things. I suppose it's now replaced  more expensively by personalised numberplates. to an extent. for want of any easier way being conjured up.  People pay a lot of money to HAVE a LUXURY car. Mostly you wouldn't know what it was till you see the badge. They all look much the same and can only do the speed limit, legally, like all of them.  All houses look much the same All suburbs look much the same.  All shopping centres look much the same. Nev

 

 

[Cosmick]

 They are worse than an old Hillman, if that is possible.

 

What ! Blasphemy. Sure looking back now they are a bit pedestrian but at the time, a 1971 Hillman Hunter for less than $2000. 4 on the floor, a push button radio, WOW !! even a cigarette lighter (more use in those days) and very easy to rebuild the engine 

 

 

[Yenn]

Hillman Californian. I couldn't drive one more than about ten miles, because they were so uncomfortable. Nearly as bad as the Land rover.

 

We had Hillman utes in the pommy army and I must admit that I seldom drove one. My job was more involved with driving defective vehicles, so that is a point in their favour.

 

Later vehicles have engines that are harder to rebuild, but it is my experience that later vehicles don't need engine rebuilds.

 

Of the old English vehicles the Standard vanguard was a stayer and the same engine is still going strong in hundreds of old Fergie tractors.

 

 

[Litespeed]

What other refugees from design were sold here and worthy if a mine shaft G test?

 

120 y Datsun

 

180B and its replacement 200B, added 20 more mistakes.

 

The Stanza was Datsuns ironic poetry about death by car.

 

 

[spacesailor]

"look much the same and can only do the speed limit, legally, like all of them."

 

RR excepted, It is speed restricted,

 

According to that TV show, when they could not get it over the 70 mph ( 112 kph) limit.

 

Be no good in the NT Open road or even the 140kph limit.

 

The Bentley Sport, is A lot different !.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[pmccarthy]

When I bought my daughter her first car 25 years ago she chose a Triumph Dolomite. Cost me two grand. I wish she had kept it.

 

 

[willedoo]

I too have a confession to make. I once bought a Nissan Cedric. One of the worst decisions ever made.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

My most reliable car when in Australia was my VW Beetle.  Had it 3 years, never went wrong.

 

Worst ? ?  The Ubiquitous Hillman Imp.   

 

There exists insufficient opprobrium on the planet to pile onto that $hyte can.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Musta bin summat you said to it, Phil.

 

My Imp was great - and driving it was the most fun I could ever have without having to take my clothes off!

 

 

[old man emu]

If I remember correctly, the tappet nuts of the Hillman Hunter would loosen themselves after a short time.

 

As for number plates, they used to be the property of the government department responsible for vehicle registration. Now they are owned by a private company. What gets me is that you have to have registration plates on your vehicle, but you have to pay for them, and if they get damaged or lost, you have to pay for new ones. My wife has plates for which she selected the numbers and letters. She paid for them when they were issued, but still has to pay $104 each year to keep them. Bloody good money spinner on a few cents worth of stamped aluminium! I wonder which Polly has his nose in that trough.

 

 

[Yenn]

I had forgotten the mini moke. it had a square section fuel tank with the filler on the side. just to make it difficult to fill from a drum. The steering rack was held to the firewall with a couple of U bolts. Good fun when they came loose. It should have been better as it came years after the Hillmans.

 

 

[willedoo]

I've never been guilty of owning a British car, but my older brother's first car was a 105E Anglia, like the one the Coppers drive on Heartbeat. It wasn't a bad little car.

 

 

[hihosland]

"It wasn't a bad little car. "

 

If you could keep it in second gear.!!

 

At least that was my experience of the Anglia.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

 I saw one racing at Hume Weir circuit with a big V8 under the bonnet.

 

 

[Cosmick]

Friend had a Prefect in early 70's. Had a worked 186. A 3 speed impala shift and little fat wheels. Engine protruded under a cover between driver and passenger. I remember he took on a Sandman from the lights, we had a ski boat with 200hp chrysler on the back.