One For Classic Car Fans.....

[Richard A Thackeray]

Spotted, whilst I was up at Heath village, & after photographing #4 & #5

It was parked by the Kings Arms Inn
http://thekingsarmsheath.co.uk/

(the 'needle' on the far horizon is Emley Moor TV mast)

However, I can't look at a Beetle convertible, especially if it's white without thinking of Hughie Hogg
Boss Hoggs even more crooked/twisted nephew in 'The Dukes Of Hazzard'


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAuKVjDvqTM

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

After photographing the Beetle, I was riding away, & this came into sight, from Kirkthorpe Lane
Then drove along the old 'dead-end' lane (no apparant name, even back to 1905)
By the time he'd pulled up & was getting out, I was at the same spot & stopped to compliment him


The driver told me'd had it 23 years, & it was a daily driver till recently
He'd 'rescued' it from someone who was (presumably) going to ruin it(?)
No front fog-lights though

A 1.9

 

[Gunk]

After photographing the Beetle, I was riding away, & this came into sight, from Kirkthorpe Lane
Then drove along the old 'dead-end' lane (no apparant name, even back to 1905)
By the time he'd pulled up & was getting out, I was at the same spot & stopped to compliment him


The driver told me'd had it 23 years, & it was a daily driver till recently
He'd 'rescued' it from someone who was (presumably) going to ruin it(?)
No front fog-lights though

A 1.9
View attachment 544374

I had a 1.6 GTi back in 1987 as a company car, brilliant little thing.

 

[Profpointy]

TR3 & TR4

At the risk if being a bit of a geek, isn't the "TR3" a TR2 ?

I think the TR3 is close to the top of my dream car retirement list. The TR4 is a lovely shape, and the identical looking TR5 has the 6 cylinder engine, but sadly TR5s seem a lot of money. The more agrigultural TR2 and TR3 somehow appeal a bit more to me now. I use the word agricultural deliberately as I think the old Triumph four cylinder was originally a tractor engine, and is extremely robust

 

[Drago]

I went out with a lass who was heavily into the Peugeot scene. She had 3 x 205s, a 1.9, 1.6 and an XS. The 1.6 was my favourite - near as dammit as fast as its bigger brother, but it was the original and best, had a lovely willing fizz tonics character, and the 15 inch wheelsmon the 1.9 look chavvy and common compared to the more discrete 14 inch jobs on the 1.6.

 

[Gunk]

I went out with a lass who was heavily into the Peugeot scene. She had 3 x 205s, a 1.9, 1.6 and an XS. The 1.6 was my favourite - near as dammit as fast as its bigger brother, but it was the original and best, had a lovely willing fizz tonics character, and the 15 inch wheelsmon the 1.9 look chavvy and common compared to the more discrete 14 inch jobs on the 1.6.

I agree, mine was black like the one below, but with a sliding sunroof

 

[figbat]

After photographing the Beetle, I was riding away, & this came into sight, from Kirkthorpe Lane
Then drove along the old 'dead-end' lane (no apparant name, even back to 1905)
By the time he'd pulled up & was getting out, I was at the same spot & stopped to compliment him


The driver told me'd had it 23 years, & it was a daily driver till recently
He'd 'rescued' it from someone who was (presumably) going to ruin it(?)
No front fog-lights though

A 1.9
View attachment 544374

Strictly speaking they are driving lights, not foglights, as they came on with the main beam. An E reg one would’ve had orange indicator lenses too.

I had an XS, which I loved. Even in 85bhp, 1.4 litre guise it was a nippy car and handled well.

 

[tyred]

I didn't get a chance to photograph them as they were driving in the opposite direction but at different times on today's ride I met a 1980's Bedford Rascal and a 1980's Austin Metro, both once common machines now almost extinct.

 

[Profpointy]

I agree, mine was black like the one below, but with a sliding sunroof

View attachment 544426

Rather nice to drive the old 205. I was driving a friend's one and it was genuinely nice handling and pleasant to drive, even in the very ordinary non turbo diesel version. I thought the interior was a bit loose and shabby though - then noticed it had done a quarter of a million miles, and that was a caving waggon so had not had an easy life, but I think it had been trouble free at leasr
up to that point and quite a lot beyond

 

[raleighnut]

Strictly speaking they are driving lights, not foglights, as they came on with the main beam. An E reg one would’ve had orange indicator lenses too.

I had an XS, which I loved. Even in 85bhp, 1.4 litre guise it was a nippy car and handled well.

Pamela had the GR with the 1.4 (actually 1360cc), that was a 4 (5 if you count the tailgate) door.

 

[Gunk]

Rather nice to drive the old 205. I was driving a friend's one and it was genuinely nice handling and pleasant to drive, even in the very ordinary non turbo diesel version. I thought the interior was a bit loose and shabby though - then noticed it had done a quarter of a million miles, and that was a caving waggon so had not had an easy life, but I think it had been trouble free at leasr
up to that point and quite a lot beyond

I remember that they rattled from new, I pulled mine apart and stuffed foam behind the plastic interior panels to quieten it down.

 

[Drago]

The original 107 didn't feel terribly dissimilar to the 205 to drive. Similar weight, near identical track and wheelbase, trailing beam rear end, albeit sensibly tamed with springs instead of the rather unpredictable torsion bar on the 205. Entertaining to drive as a result, a shame they didn't make a performance version although several firms do turbo or supercharger conversions in them.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I didn't get a chance to photograph them as they were driving in the opposite direction but at different times on today's ride I met a 1980's Bedford Rascal and a 1980's Austin Metro, both once common machines now almost extinct.

I used to have a Rascal
It made ideal bike transport, when I was racing (CX/MTB) in the mid 80's, plus a changing room
Damned scary on the m/way though, when an artic, or coach came past

And, as for encountering diesel on a roundabout...............................

 

[tyred]

I used to have a Rascal
It made ideal bike transport, when I was racing (CX/MTB) in the mid 80's, plus a changing room
Damned scary on the m/way though, when an artic, or coach came past

And, as for encountering diesel on a roundabout...............................

I must admit I have a softspot for all those "loaf" little Japanese vans, although my preference is for the original Toyota Lite-Ace with the column gearshift. I have fond memories of driving my uncle's around the fields when I was much, much younger. They were all such practical design with a lot of load space in relation to their size and the side door made them so much more practical than things like an Escort or a Meastro van.

Light weight and rear wheel drive did make for interesting handling though and forget about going anywhere in snow

I remember a secondary school teacher had one of the Daihatsu HiJets which he always parked by reversing it tight against the hedge at the back of the school carpark. He wasn't a well-liked teacher. One day quite a bit of snow fell during school hours and a guy in my class had found a bit of rope from somewhere and sneaked over and tied the towbar of the van to the root of a tree in the hedge and we all waited to see him driving away that evening. Each time he moved forward a few feet and sat spinning when the rope tightened. Presumably blaming the snow, he kept going back and taking a race at it, harder each time with the same result until the rope snapped and he shot across the car park at speed and into the hedge on the other side

 

[Juan Kog]

At the risk if being a bit of a geek, isn't the "TR3" a TR2 ?

I think the TR3 is close to the top of my dream car retirement list. The TR4 is a lovely shape, and the identical looking TR5 has the 6 cylinder engine, but sadly TR5s seem a lot of money. The more agrigultural TR2 and TR3 somehow appeal a bit more to me now. I use the word agricultural deliberately as I think the old Triumph four cylinder was originally a tractor engine, and is extremely robust

I steer clear of politics on the forum , but I don’t mind a dispute about 1950/60’s British sports cars. My mission now is to photograph some big Healeys to stir things Up some more.