Car Fashions

[screenman]

Cars are very similar nowadays as different manufacturers all edge slowly towards the optimum design. And I bet there's little quality difference, in the bought-in components at least, between a Bentley and a Ford.

I would take that bet on if I was a bookie, I work daily on all makes of cars from banger to well you name it and the chances are I have worked on one in my time, there is a huge difference. The very base material may have a bit in common but it soons stops.

Is a BSO a top flight titanium road bike.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I wouldn't go back. Drum brakes, vacuum windscreen wipers, manual points and distribution caps that fail if a sparrow farts wetly nearby, Lucas electrics, skinny tyres, intrusive road noise etc etc.

 

[Stephenite]

We (my dad really) had a Cortina Mk3 just like this:

 

[Globalti]

My Dad had one of the first BMWs imported into Britain, a 2002. Nobody knew what BMWs were and it was outrageously fast so I used to egg him on to burn off boy racers. It had shockingly bad heating and ventilation and the wings rusted out in a couple of years. Nice little sports saloon though.

 

[fossyant]

My dad had a Cortina 1600E MK2 when I was born in 1970, and he was in his mid 20's at the time. Had a Capri Mk2 after

 

[otek59]

My dad had a Cortina 1600E MK2 when I was born in 1970, and he was in his mid 20's at the time. Had a Capri Mk2 after

The mk2 1600E one of the nicest cars Ford produced alongside the mk1Granada coupe

 

[CharlesF]

I tried to drive one of these on the very smooth concrete of the filling station un Mbabane, Swaziland, 1971. So overpowered that it just sat still spinning its wheels! Lovely noise, though...

Reminds me....... a 123 South African = 1 litre brandy, 2 litre Coke, 3 litre Ford.

 

[ozboz]

One of my favourites, nicest looking car I've owned -

View attachment 467521

Nice cars those , my Mate had one of those sporting an Opel badge
Bright red with a black vinyl roof ,

 

[gbb]

I would pick a smack in the face over an old Cavalier

The Cavalier was a funny in the middle car, for the most part (like many Vauxhalls) not ugly, not nice...an everyman's car. We had a 2 litre circa 1990s Cavalier, not highly specced but jesus, if you gave it some wellie, it went like stink compared to other company cars at the time, an absolute wolf in sheepskin clothing (for the money).
Equally, I had a 1992 1.6 Cav, very reliable, quite economical if you trued, modestly sporty if you gave it some...again, a good middle of the road car. I dont think for the most part they try to be anything else.

 

[tyred]

Mk3 Cortina is the first car I remember, followed by several Mk4s and Mk5s. I learned to drive in a Mk5 2.0GL.

I'd like one for the nostalgia factor but they were really junk in hindsight. Bumpy ride quality, tail happy handling, vague steering, rust holes in the boot floor at no age, ticking camshafts and noisy diffs.

When you look at how much better cars like the Peugeot 305 or VW Golf/Jetta actually were, you wonder how Ford sold cars.

 

[NorthernDave]

The Cavalier was a funny in the middle car, for the most part (like many Vauxhalls) not ugly, not nice...an everyman's car. We had a 2 litre circa 1990s Cavalier, not highly specced but jesus, if you gave it some wellie, it went like stink compared to other company cars at the time, an absolute wolf in sheepskin clothing (for the money).
Equally, I had a 1992 1.6 Cav, very reliable, quite economical if you trued, modestly sporty if you gave it some...again, a good middle of the road car. I dont think for the most part they try to be anything else.

Big fan of the Cavalier. I had a MK2 Commander (the sporty saloon, not the less desirable hatchback) and it was fantastic at the time. Far, far better than the Sierra and nicer to look at than the Montego.

Later on I had access to a couple of Mk3s, a 1.8 LS and a 2.5 V6 which was very quick. Again, far superior to any of the competition.

Mind you, they've long since lost their way and I haven't touched a Vauxhall since.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Big fan of the Cavalier. I had a MK2 Commander (the sporty saloon, not the less desirable hatchback) and it was fantastic at the time. Far, far better than the Sierra and nicer to look at than the Montego.

Later on I had access to a couple of Mk3s, a 1.8 LS and a 2.5 V6 which was very quick. Again, far superior to any of the competition.

Mind you, they've long since lost their way and I haven't touched a Vauxhall since.

Maybe from Ford., Rover, the French etc.. I always owned Vauxhall's, thought they were better than Ford's. I've had a couple of mk2 Astra's and my brother had a Mk3 Cavalier. By pure chance I bought a 1992 P10 Nissan Primera 1.6 and later on a 1995 P10 2.0 eGT Primera. These cars were vastly superior to a Vauxhall in every way. Build quality, engineering-wise and mostly handling. Then on it was Japanese cars mainly for me. A bit of an assuming car the Primera, but a cracking motor. It was a better car than the first Mondeo despite coming out 3 years or so before it. Built like a Toyota, but a way better drive, Just a fantastic fun car.. Still miss it.

 

[screenman]

My Dad had one of the first BMWs imported into Britain, a 2002. Nobody knew what BMWs were and it was outrageously fast so I used to egg him on to burn off boy racers. It had shockingly bad heating and ventilation and the wings rusted out in a couple of years. Nice little sports saloon though.

My wife had a run of 6 BMW on the trot in the eighties, they were over here way before that.

 

[Levo-Lon]

This is older than me, but I can see the appeal....

View attachment 467519

My first car, loved it. Pitty it wasn't that one as that is a cracker

 

[Levo-Lon]

We (my dad really) had a Cortina Mk3 just like this:

View attachment 467567

That was what i had in a 1.6 auto.. Oh yes same colour I paid a 100 quid for it.
Changed the cam followers and a front spring new exhaust and shocks, drove it miles for over a yr and sold it for £280.
I was a biker but a car was needed and the mk3 was a big roomy car