Your first car - fond memories or not so happy ones?.

[Butch]

On 10/29/2023 at 6:39 AM, richy65 said:

 I replaced the Marina with a Saab, been mainly Ford vehicles since.

It's a shame Saab bailed out of the UK. The reputation for reliability was pretty epic, plus being easy to work on and cheap enough to run.

Can't really fault fords either. I ran an Escort for a few years (the car, fellas). It died an honourable death through rust on the rear arches and chassis rails. Still, it had done 130k miles and needed only a ball joint during my 2 year , 20k mile ownership, was pretty impressive.

[KhunDon]

9 hours ago, Butch said:

It's a shame Saab bailed out of the UK. The reputation for reliability was pretty epic, plus being easy to work on and cheap enough to run.

Can't really fault fords either. I ran an Escort for a few years (the car, fellas). It died an honourable death through rust on the rear arches and chassis rails. Still, it had done 130k miles and needed only a ball joint during my 2 year , 20k mile ownership, was pretty impressive.

I had 2 Ford XR3i’s better known as Ford Clitoris’s, because every C**t had one.

Ran the first one from new for two years then traded it in for another new one that I wrote off after 3 months on the Ringwood Spur road one rainy winters night, whilst taking the girlfriend back too Tampax towers In Southampton Hospital. 
It was called Tampax towers because it was 10+ floors all full of nurses and she was a trainee SRN nurse and living there at the time while she trained. 🤣

Edited October 30, 2023 by KhunDon

[Butch]

9 minutes ago, KhunDon said:

I had 2 Ford XR3i’s better known as Ford Clitoris’s, because every C**t had one.

Ran the first one from new for two years then traded it in for another new one that I wrote off after 3 months on the Ringwood Spur road one rainy winters night, whilst taking the girlfriend back too Tampax towers In Southampton Hospital. 
It was called Tampax towers because it was 10+ floors all full of nurses and she was a trainee SRN nurse and living there at the time while she trained. 🤣

That's a co incidence, my Mrs is off to Southampton hospital tomorrow to give a lecture!.

I actually liked the XR3is. The XR3 was the non fuel injected model iirc, and these days, much rarer as they never sold in big numbers. I always remember the sound of the 1.6 CVH engine as it built up the revs, a bit "farty" as standard but with a deep growl if the correct aftermarket exhaust was fitted.

The XR3i was a game changer for Ford, they basically made a performance family hatchback within reach of the masses. The next step up was an RS Turbo, and / or an RS1600i. Good cars on the whole.

[boydeste]

21 minutes ago, Butch said:

I actually liked the XR3is. The XR3 was the non fuel injected model iirc, and these days, much rarer as they never sold in big numbers. I always remember the sound of the 1.6 CVH engine as it built up the revs, a bit "farty" as standard but with a deep growl if the correct aftermarket exhaust was fitted.

The XR3i was a game changer for Ford, they basically made a performance family hatchback within reach of the masses. The next step up was an RS Turbo, and / or an RS1600i. Good cars on the whole.

I had the baby version in the form of a XR2 in Sunburst red., a fantastic little motor that went around corners on rails. Should have kept it longer than what I did, but sold it because I had the offer of a Sri Cavalier cheap.

[Golfingboy]

4th year of working summers at Pratt and Whitney, skipped the whole "first car must be a beater" and leased a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire 5 speed stick. Sale price new was probably less than 8K quid given the exchange rate at the time, $280 CAD for 36 months with $9K buyback. Was a whole new level of freedom, no air but had a sunroof, great on fuel(the GT version my sister had was +35 HP). 6 months in, I had a crash on black ice 1/4 mile from new apartment, after a gallon of beer- parked and got towed, no cops thank God.

2 years later moved from Montreal to Calgary and bought it out. Did many road trips, and made good $ doing deliveries later. In 2003 the clutch went at exactly 150KM, well I had no prior experience except driving a few drunk friends home in college. My boss found me a 1983 Honda for $350, got 40K out of it doing only one brake job- should have learned at that age used is definitely the way to go! Had the clutch done, decided I wanted something different and sold to my friend for maybe only double what that cost- only had 190K and was still running well- but economy USA cars always had terrible resale value

So many fond memories,including road head from the ex Pinay between Edmonton-Calgary,  but should never have bought a new car at 22, felt I needed it, I did not. And should never have sold it so cheap after the new clutch, but had more $ than sense

 

 

[Siam Addict]

My first car was a family owned 1973 Renault 5L, I think about 750cc and it took about a week to get to 60 with a tailwind.

Orange in colour and a great little work horse for our small supermarket, you wouldn't believe how spacious it was with the seats dropped!

[KhunDon]

3 hours ago, Butch said:

That's a co incidence, my Mrs is off to Southampton hospital tomorrow to give a lecture!.

I actually liked the XR3is. The XR3 was the non fuel injected model iirc, and these days, much rarer as they never sold in big numbers. I always remember the sound of the 1.6 CVH engine as it built up the revs, a bit "farty" as standard but with a deep growl if the correct aftermarket exhaust was fitted.

The XR3i was a game changer for Ford, they basically made a performance family hatchback within reach of the masses. The next step up was an RS Turbo, and / or an RS1600i. Good cars on the whole.

I liked them as well, but on the Ringwood spur road (the dual carriageway from Bournemouth bit) in the pissing rain in the dark, we were behind a large lorry that dropped a large block of old bricks joined together in front of me. I swerved to avoid it and hit one of those huge road signs which spun me around and across the grass center section (no Armco then to divide the east west duel carriageways) and I ended up in a ditch alongside the carriageway facing Bournemouth. How I missed all the traffic coming along that side of the road I’ll never know. 

We were both fine, but the sign support had ripped off the driver side of the car from my door to the boot and the rear wheel and fuel tank plus the spare wheel was found down the ditch 20 meters away. 

I’d only had it 3 months! Anyway, I called the AA who sent a flatbed with a crane and he loaded up the wreck to take it back to my house as it was a Sunday night.
They also took my wife and her gear, including a Tv that was on the back seat to Southampton in a separate vehicle and took me home. The only injuries was a glass splinter I got in my finger as I felt the hatchback that was laying on the road separate from the car. 😩
Took the car to the dealership on Monday and they said it was a write off and insurance paid me pretty much the cost of the new car and I bought a new Toyota Gt Auto. 

I used to spend weekends with her in Tampax Tower in her room and ate at the cafeteria and no one bothered me as there were many guys there doing the same thing. 🤣
 

Edited October 30, 2023 by KhunDon

[Jambo]

My first car was a "Sit Up and Beg" Ford Popular which burned engine oil almost as fast as it used up petrol. I used to pour used oil which came from taxi's into the sump.

The following is an example of the same car as mine except mine looked like it had been used for stock car racing.

I failed my first driving test aged 17 in a motoring school car. I then did 3,000 illegal miles in the Ford Pop putting the L Plates back on at the test center and sailed through my second test. The test "Examiner" loved the car not knowing that none of the indicators worked.

I paid 25 pounds for it and it lasted a year when a drunk driver crashed into it whilst it was parked and wrote it off. I received 37 pounds from his insurance company in compensation and 10 pounds from the policeman who gave me the bad news but wanted the four wheels.

[Yesitisdakid]

1962 Chevy Nova 2 paid 99 dollars for it from Dollar motors. similar to this one but mine was babyshit yellow 

[Scottie]

I had a Hillman California,which was imported from Malta.

Took it with me when I moved to Birmingham to work.

Was the coldest winter in the 60s.Of coarse it had no 

heater.