skoda rapid embaressment to skoda owner

[FellyMagic]

I was on the blunt end of badge snobbery in 86 when the old fella went and bought a brand spanking Lada Riva 1200L in astral blue,with black vinyl burn your arse off in summer seats..That thing was a tank, and was surprisingly reliable..Dad had a smash in it when it was 3 yrs old..Totalled an Orion & Fiesta..Damage to the Riva..Smashed headlamp,creased wing and a slightly bent bonnet..Was still drivable to the garage though...He gave up driving for a bit after he got done for the prang, and also got free transport to work (he was a coal miner out in the Selby coalfield).

In 94, the works transport contract was axed, so he needed a motor again..That was when he discovered the joys of Skodas. He loved his Carribean Green flairline LXiE, and often drove it in true Briskoda style..Nudging the ton down Whitwell Hill on the A64..And regularly sat at 90 on motorway journeys...He now drives his 58 plate Fiesta Zetec in much the same way...Senile Delinquent I call him...Think thats where i got my driving style from..And yes I did used to turn my old Fabia into a Tripod on roundabouts, and once saw 115 on the speedo on the A14 (Was a 1.4 8v 'SHOCK')

[eorkob]

I just feel aneed to say im lovin this thread!

[skorob2007]

:)I was a bit "different" to most kids. Most kids had pics of Porsches and Ferraris ect on their bedroom walls, I had pics of rear engined Skodas. I was brought up with these cars and have always loved them. I simply didn't [and still don't] care that my mates didn't really understand. [i would say grew up but I never quite managed to grow up! ]. I never got an excesive amount of pee taking from others about it, even when I bought my first Skoda at 18 in 1990...a 2 year old Rapid 130 in Astra blue...only the usual jokes about skips and wheelbarrows! :p

I was exactly the same - had posters of Rapids and Estelles all over my bedroom walls, hated everything that didn't have a winged arrow badge on it, and from the age of 13 - beack in 1985 - I started collecting Skoda registration numbers.....(I still do )

My first Skoda was a 78 105 S with retrimmed grey velour seats and a 120 LS engine that i resprayed red, ready for learning to drive in when I was 17. I did get the odd derogatory comment, including one from an old school pal who's chosen mode of transport was a 1972 Viva.(hahaha, old skoda he said, when at the time his car was 6 years older than mine - didn't make sense.)

Now, 33 Skodas later, with my latest acquisition being a lovely grey Favorit LS, 1992, a real blast from the past as my last Skoda, a 1997 felicia GLXi back in 2004, I still wouldn't want any other make. Ive had Fords, Vauxhalls, Rovers, Peugeots, Citroens, Fiats etc, but no cars make me feel as good when I'm driving them as a Skoda does. This Favorit - the one you MOT'd, is being kept for years, and will next year be joined by Skoda 34, a used fabia, so i can keep the Favorits mileage down.

[Turbo120Fabian]

Hahaha love this! my first car was a 120L that my dad had purchased new after we blew up out Fiat 850 on holiday one year, yes i was the bain of alot of jokes but it didnt bother me, these cars are so fun to drive! especially on a nice twisty road or a gravel road showed more than a few people up toying with them, got myself a octavia 1.8t now and even to this day i run into people who call me the skodaboy all from the days of the 120L, and then when they hear i have an octavia.....they go gee youll never change haha

[richardsfavorit]

Hahaha love this! my first car was a 120L that my dad had purchased new after we blew up out Fiat 850 on holiday one year, yes i was the bain of alot of jokes but it didnt bother me, these cars are so fun to drive! especially on a nice twisty road or a gravel road showed more than a few people up toying with them, got myself a octavia 1.8t now and even to this day i run into people who call me the skodaboy all from the days of the 120L, and then when they hear i have an octavia.....they go gee youll never change haha

Yeah my nickname has often been "Skoda boy!"

[TMB]

On 24/07/2009 at 21:27, daverapid said:

:)I was a bit "different" to most kids. Most kids had pics of Porsches and Ferraris ect on their bedroom walls, I had pics of rear engined Skodas. I was brought up with these cars and have always loved them. I simply didn't [and still don't] care that my mates didn't really understand. [i would say grew up but I never quite managed to grow up! ]. I never got an excesive amount of pee taking from others about it, even when I bought my first Skoda at 18 in 1990...a 2 year old Rapid 130 in Astra blue...only the usual jokes about skips and wheelbarrows! 😛

 

 

I'm the same. Never been interested in fast, fancy cars but always loved rear-engines Skodas. I used to visit my local Skoda dealer (Barrie Thorman of Norton, Teesside) just to go and look at the brand-new Estelles and Rapids in the showroom, and to get sales brochures. Mr. Thorman would let me open the rear engine lids so I could marvel at the lovely, pristine engines. I'm sure he must have thought I was mad.  I can remember a friend buying a brand-new 'Estelle 120L Five' there. I was so jealous, haha.

 

I never cared what ignorant car snobs thought - most of them had never even driven or owned a rear-engined Skoda and probably knew sod all about cars anyway. I have always appreciated good, simple engineering. Yes, the cars had their faults but they were a decent,  honest little motor if looked after and they gave me a lot of motoring pleasure. They had character - something modern cars are devoid of. I enjoyed working on them - they are so simple and easy to fix. I find cars today so over-complicated with all the electronics and sensors everywhere. Yes they are certainly more refined but I still sometimes hanker after simpler times, when keeping a car running was a less painful and wallet-draining experience.

 

Great to see people on here trying to keep the good old rear-engined cars alive.

Edited 30 July, 2020 by TMB

[mender]

I'm the same. Never been interested in fast, fancy cars but always loved rear-engines Skodas. I used to visit my local Skoda dealer (Barry Thorman of Norton, Teesside) just to go and look at the brand-new Estelles and Rapids in the showroom, and to get sales brochures. Mr. Thorman would let me open the rear engine lids so I could marvel at the lovely, pristine engines. I'm sure he must have thought I was mad.  I can remember a friend buying a brand-new 'Estelle 120L Five' there. I was so jealous, haha.

 

I never cared what ignorant car snobs thought - most of them had never even driven or owned a rear-engined Skoda and probably knew sod all about cars anyway. I have always appreciated good, simple engineering. Yes, the cars had their faults but they were a decent,  honest little motor if looked after and they gave me a lot of motoring pleasure. They had character - something modern cars are devoid of. I enjoyed working on them - they are so simple and easy to fix. I find cars today so over-complicated with all the electronics and sensors everywhere. Yes they are certainly more refined but I still sometimes hanker after simpler times, when keeping a car running was a less painful and wallet-draining experience.

 

Great to see people on here trying to keep the good old rear-engined cars alive.

Oh God, it wasn't just me, then.  I always had the feeling I was "special" 

 

When I was little, I used to collect brochures of basic cars and stay up all night imagining what adventures could be had in them...

 

I've since owned Skodas, Ladas, Fiat 126s etc and love their basic, sturdy engineering-there is a certain pride about doing exceptional things in an "underdog" car that you have serviced and maintained yourself.

 

Recently, after having kids, safety has become a big factor in car choice-it is such a shame you can't buy a simple, basic, safe new car with some character; it's all sensors and can-bus now.  The single-minded chase for low g/km emissions has ignored so many other factors such as usable life of a vehicle-when the sensors, turbos and superchargers play up, the car will not be economically viable to repair and a new replacement will be needed-hardly a good eco-principle.

[TMB]

Oh God, it wasn't just me, then.  I always had the feeling I was "special" 

 

When I was little, I used to collect brochures of basic cars and stay up all night imagining what adventures could be had in them...

 

I've since owned Skodas, Ladas, Fiat 126s etc and love their basic, sturdy engineering-there is a certain pride about doing exceptional things in an "underdog" car that you have serviced and maintained yourself.

 

Recently, after having kids, safety has become a big factor in car choice-it is such a shame you can't buy a simple, basic, safe new car with some character; it's all sensors and can-bus now.  The single-minded chase for low g/km emissions has ignored so many other factors such as usable life of a vehicle-when the sensors, turbos and superchargers play up, the car will not be economically viable to repair and a new replacement will be needed-hardly a good eco-principle.

 

 

Well there's nothing wrong with being a bit 'special'

 

But yes, cars are so complicated these days. Of course, safety is vital but it's a shame we'll never see the likes of the simplicity of cars like the old Skodas anymore.