Classic Cars

[KungFooBob]

I do really like these (and the Hornet).

They're 90% Mini so plenty of mechanical bits about, apparently the model specific trim is getting a bit thin on the ground tho'.

[Yorick]

I liked that Honda 2 seater that was in the famous bike ad, but can't find it

[KungFooBob]

I liked that Honda 2 seater that was in the famous bike ad, but can't find it

Was it an S360 or an S800?

[Yorick]

I liked that Honda 2 seater that was in the famous bike ad, but can't find it

Was it an S360 or an S800?

Dunno

[KungFooBob]

Cos you're lazy, I googled it.

It's a Honda S500.

[Yorick]

They've updated the advert and changed the ending

[David]

I watched one of those progs where they restored a MK1 fiesta. It ended up north of 20 grand. Ridiculous.

A mate of mine has a Mk2 Capri, a 2 litre GL. He had it restored about 5 years ago and it cost him £22k.

However he's had it for 40 years, second owner iirc so there's an emotional attachment too. He'll never sell it.


My choice of "classic" car would be a Hillman Avenger. My dad had one and I have fond memories of it. They are better cars than Escorts but they're getting kind of rare

When the avenger was current i was working in a dealership......first job on pdi was open the boot and knock t
Out the plastic bungs in the boot to let the water out. Usually the spare wheel would be floating. In imps it was chase the mice out. With hunters it was take off the trim panels and check for semtex.

[v8-powered]

I was going to suggest a Lancia Beta Montecarlo, knowing that many years ago a friend sold his for £3k, checked and similar is now £23k

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I was going to suggest a Lancia Beta Montecarlo, knowing that many years ago a friend sold his for £3k, checked and similar is now £23k

The Monte is the best of the Betas, it's the only one that has a monocoque made out of decent steel, so it doesn't suffer the chronic structural rust of the saloons and coupes, it's design is closer to the Stratos than to the rest of the Betas.

[KungFooBob]

I reckon the DeLorean designer had a poster of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo on his office wall.

[Davie lad]

1964 Sunbeam Rapier

1CEE7CF2-3FA0-40D8-B8B7-FD476E4CA37E.jpeg (142.89 KiB) Viewed 1054 times

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I reckon the DeLorean designer had a poster of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo on his office wall.

Maybe he owned one, and that's why the DeLorean is stainless steel.

[Taipan]

I do really like these (and the Hornet).

They're 90% Mini so plenty of mechanical bits about, apparently the model specific trim is getting a bit thin on the ground tho'.

Back in the 80s when I was selling cars, we bought one of these off the Vicars wife! It was the Vanden Plas luxury one with 3.5k miles on. It was on the front and loads of people would stop and look then say oh, i thought it was a a Mini and walk away again! Had it for bloody ages before ewe sold it. Wish I'd kept it now!

[Mr. Dazzle]

I reckon the DeLorean designer had a poster of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo on his office wall.

One of my uni Lecturers was Chief Engineer at DeLorean, even he reckoned the car was unfinished and a bit rubbish.

[v8-powered]

I was going to suggest a Lancia Beta Montecarlo, knowing that many years ago a friend sold his for £3k, checked and similar is now £23k

The Monte is the best of the Betas, it's the only one that has a monocoque made out of decent steel, so it doesn't suffer the chronic structural rust of the saloons and coupes, it's design is closer to the Stratos than to the rest of the Betas.

My friends one was mint and stunning, in a champagne colour - he always had a thing for Italian cars and also had a few Delta's too. After he sold the Monte he was lucky enough to buy a mint Ferrari 348 for silly money which he still owns, think its now worth over £80k.

[Wossname]

I do really like these (and the Hornet).

They're 90% Mini so plenty of mechanical bits about, apparently the model specific trim is getting a bit thin on the ground tho'.

Back in the 80s when I was selling cars, we bought one of these off the Vicars wife! It was the Vanden Plas luxury one with 3.5k miles on. It was on the front and loads of people would stop and look then say oh, i thought it was a a Mini and walk away again! Had it for bloody ages before ewe sold it. Wish I'd kept it now!

No - not a VDP Mini, they were never made (except a few odd conversions from S Africa). Maybe you're thinking of the VDP Princess 1100/1300, which were the even more upmarket version of the Austin/Morris/MG/Riley/Wolseley BMC cars. Leather/walnut everywhere, picnic tables in the seat backs etc, but still rusted like the rest of them, so rare now.

[Wossname]

1964 Sunbeam Rapier

1CEE7CF2-3FA0-40D8-B8B7-FD476E4CA37E.jpeg

That's a Series IV (1600) or V (1725). We had a 1960 Series III 1500, 2-tone green, for many years, used as family transport when the kids were small (90s to mid 00s). Spent a lot of time commuting between N & S coasts of Cornwall with boards on the roof, looking for surf. Kids called it the Batmobile. Bought it from the son of the original owner and 2 owners after us converted it to rally spec and took it on the Peking-Paris rally in 2007 when it won the Coupe des Dames. Some great pics on the net - I don't know how to link, but Google 700GAF (Pamela Reid - car no 118) if you're interested. Bonham's sold it a bit later as FSL823. Many happy memories....

[Amulree]

IMG_20210119_120247165_HDR by Joe Lamont, on Flickr

I've had this 10 years now - it is a project without end, but it is real motoring!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I had a beige 1.5 mk3 Allegro, it was a great laugh when I was 22, and a big bonus was that the seats folded down to make a double bed, but it was a rusty shit heap that drank oil

[Potter]

Potter I also have an old Snapdragon 747 from 1979 I am rebuilding. Worthless but it was my dad's.

Cracking little things, apparently unbreakable.

I think some stuff these days is built with a specific useable lifecycle in mind, but back before everything was value engineered I think they just built stuff to last as long as possible and it did because the builders at the time didn't have the options of super thin new materials that have a limited lifecycle. Boats are a good example, my mate has a new Beneteau and it's very nice, but it's not solid teak inside like mine and I wonder what it will all look like in forty years. His Beneteau was built to go fast and close on the wind, my Oyster was built to sail in all weathers and all conditions, he will beat me in a race, but I'd rather be in mine if we were sailing across an ocean.