Best or Favourite Cars You've Owned/Driven

[AnnoyingPentium]

I do love a storytelling thread, being full of bull****, it helps.

 

So aye, what's the best or favourite cars you've ever owned or driven? For me in my fairly short (thus far) driving career, it has to be an E110 1.3 Corolla 3-door that had quite the suspension refresh. Stuck to the road like glue.

[lol-lol]

Opell Manta 2.0 GTE. 

Pretty car. 

I love all cars., the ugly ones too, Dacia, Skodas, everything except the Fiat Multipla. 

 

Example picture similar to mine.  Slippery shape, vague-ish instrumentation could show over 130 mph, not bad for a mere 110 hp but it was slipper and light.  True top speed more like 120 and acceleration about 8 seconds to 60 mph.

Looked good, related to the early ie mk1 Cavalier, so front engine and rear wheel drive, fun in slip conditions like the MK 1 and 2 Escorts.   

 

 

 

Edited 12 June, 2022 by lol-lol

[Breezy_Pete]

1991 Mk2 Golf, 1.6 carb. 

Consistently did high 40s mpg on my A-road commute of the time, never failed to get me where I wanted to go. Owned for quite a few happy years.

Needed a bit of understanding to get and keep it running well, which led me to www-based car repair, clubgti.com, the inspirational 'rubjonny' and was the (late) start of my interest in car mending around 2000.

[skomaz]

1991 Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 GLX.  I bought it from new and added a few extras like dark blue metallic paint, a sunroof, multi spoke alloy wheels and a better radio and then did well over 113k miles over 10 years in it.

 

In all that time the only non-service or non-consumable issue with it was a cracked exhaust manifold that was fixed using a second hand part off a Proton that cost £12.  I also enjoyed the fact that it was comfy, had decent sports style seats and was different and a bit quirky compared to the run of the mill ford's and the like I could have had.  OK it wasn't the Corolla GTI or Civic CRX I wanted but couldn't find or afford but it was still a great car. 

Edited 12 June, 2022 by skomaz

[Gaz]

1979 FIAT 132 2000TC.  Owned it in 1985 and was the first car where I could give my mates in their Capri's a run for their money.  I was 21 at the time, learned a lot about maintenance (like not to re-use stretch head bolts after a HG failure - learned the hard way when re-torquing 🙄) and was the car I had when I met Mrs Gaz.  Great car to hoon around in.

 

Gaz

 

Edit: LHD, but the same year and colour as my one:

 

Edited 14 June, 2022 by Gaz
Added a pic.

[lol-lol]

1 hour ago, Gaz said:

1979 FIAT 132 2000TC.  Owned it in 1985 and was the first car where I could give my mates in their Capri's a run for their money.  I was 21 at the time, learned a lot about maintenance (like not to re-use stretch head bolts after a HG failure - learned the hard way when re-torquing 🙄) and was the car I had when I met Mrs Gaz.  Great car to hoon around in.

 

Gaz

 

Mate of mine had and Alfa GTV, late 70s model, which we had around 1985/6/7, so much prettier than the popular standard fare ie Ford Crapies and the engine and suspension much better the the most popular Ford output, not leaf suspension and even this 1.6 had two twin choke Webbers.   Good brakes too I recall.  History was rewrote that the VW Golf started the Hot Hatch genre where as those in the know know it was the Alfa Sud.

 

The hot/warm hatch daddy........

 

[Mickvrs220]

My rs172 cliosport was the best driving car ive owned ,if you were the mood for abit of a hoot it were like a go kart ,but my fave was my slowest motor ive owned and was my short wheelbase mitzi shogun 2.5 diesel it were a pleasure to drive anywhere in any weather .

[AnnoyingPentium]

7 minutes ago, Mickvrs220 said:

My rs172 cliosport was the best driving car ive owned ,if you were the mood for abit of a hoot it were like a go kart ,but my fave was my slowest motor ive owned and was my short wheelbase mitzi shogun 2.5 diesel it were a pleasure to drive anywhere in any weather .

 

I do like a go-kart style car. The Fabia has that feeling, you just plant your foot in the carpet and hope for the best, chuckable too, no real power though. Same as the Corolla.

[Evil Miyagi]

Owned: My current car, 2022 Audi RS3 Vorsprung Edition… accelerates like nothing you could imagine in the same category, it’s comfy and if you try you get decent mpg (but who’s gonna try that lol)

 

 

Driven: My work steed, Supercharged Ariel Atom 3…  when I say the RS3 is silly quick, The Atom is something beyond that…. 0-60 in around 2.7 seconds, no bodywork and go kart handling… what’s not to love

Edited 12 June, 2022 by Evil Miyagi

[Baxlin]

2002 Rover 75 Connoisseur SE, with the BMW M47 Diesel engine.  Possibly the most underrated and needlessly maligned car ever built (just because it was a Rover!).

 

Beautiful beige leather interior, it was the first car I had that I couldn’t resist looking back at after parking it...

 

I bought it ex-lease at 3 years plus forecourt time with 87,000 miles, kept it for 5 years, sold it at 154,000 miles to my son-in-law, who ran it for 10years, selling it with 268,000 miles under its belt to another owners’ club member. One new clutch, original exhaust.

Edited 13 June, 2022 by Baxlin

[Aspman]

My old 335d. Not very special I guess but it was the best car I've ever owned. Brutally fast, felt a bit murderous in the corners and  pretty tame to run.

 

For my SWMBO she loved, loved the first car she bought herself. It was a Mini Coupe JCW, her brothers car from new. She was gutted when it had to go because we needed a back seat. She loved it so much that now we have the space we've just bought another near identical coupe to keep as a summer future classic.

[nige8021]

On 12/06/2022 at 01:08, lol-lol said:

Opell Manta 2.0 GTE. 

Pretty car. 

I love all cars., the ugly ones too, Dacia, Skodas, everything except the Fiat Multipla. 

 

Example picture similar to mine.  Slippery shape, vague-ish instrumentation could show over 130 mph, not bad for a mere 110 hp but it was slipper and light.  True top speed more like 120 and acceleration about 8 seconds to 60 mph.

Looked good, related to the early ie mk1 Cavalier, so front engine and rear wheel drive, fun in slip conditions like the MK 1 and 2 Escorts.   

 

 

 

 

My Manta GT/E was written off coming back from it's first MOT so I bought the salvage and rebuilt it for stage rallying

[Ootohere]

My current Corsa-e which i spend lots of time in and in comfort, heated seat or steering wheel on when needed and no sore back or thigh.

The seat, wheel and pedals are just in the right place and it is quick & handles well on narrow and hilly roads and is costing me nothing to run other than the weekly rent because i am using free electric. 

If it had to go today i would have another to replace it as not been able to find anything with as a good fit with the controls where i like them.  

 

Edited 14 June, 2022 by roottoot

[AnnoyingPentium]

44 minutes ago, roottoot said:

My current Corsa-e which i spend lots of time in and in comfort, heated seat or steering wheel on when needed and no sore back or thigh.

The seat, wheel and pedals are just in the right place and it is quick & handles well on narrow and hilly roads and is costing me nothing to run other than the weekly rent because i am using free electric. 

If it had to go today i would have another to replace it as not been able to find anything with as a good fit with the controls where i like them.  

 

 

My Gran has a Corsa just like yours, except it's the ICE version, a petrol automatic. Lovely cars.

 

She's bought nothing but Corsas since passing her test (didn't start learning till late 40s) and she's said it's a nice replacement as she felt the last lot of GM ones were a bit disappointing. 

[Ootohere]

It is a strange world just now and dealers / manufacturers can just sell or lease what they can produce and then register what people want.

I like the look of Ford Pumas but have not gone and tried one yet.  I could live with how they look. 

[TMB]

All my cars have been old-ish. The one I liked the most was my Mk6 Escort 1.6 Zetec. Beautiful smooth, trouble-free engine. Hard to say what the best car I've driven has been, Audi TT & 2019 Ford Focus Vignale were fun and I've driven a lot of newish hire cars.

 

Edited 14 June, 2022 by TMB

[lol-lol]

It should always be the best car you own should be the current one and I certainly fell very good about driving the Renault Zoe Riviera ZE50 as it wafts around power by renewable energy and whilst I still like the sound of a 6,8 or 12 cylinder car or a flat four Scoobie I just think if what a huge economic and climate mess we are in the moment at how the Zoe makes me feel that I am rising above that both costing me next to nothing to drive and not harming the environment.  For that it is best of the fifty or so car and bikes I have owned.  

 

Zoe topping out at 158 kph at the ring, handling quite well if not really that fast but being Eco and having lots of fun. 

https://evcompare.io/video/the-renault-zoe-absolutely-dominates-the-n-rburgring_150929/

[Mickvrs220]

2 hours ago, lol-lol said:

 

 

Edited 14 June, 2022 by Mickvrs220
Not the place

[AnnoyingPentium]

Before we get into that debate... let's not. Ta.  

[Mickvrs220]

 👍

Edited 14 June, 2022 by Mickvrs220
As above

[AnnoyingPentium]

Thanks, Mick.

[SteveTheElder]

Best or favourite car - a tricky one!

 

Favourite has to be my old 'N'-reg Triumph Dolomite (1850cc version). I no' but a lad of 18 when I got it and it felt like a rocket ship (which it wasn't really) and with the addition of overdrive on 3rd and 4th made that change down to overtake a flick of a switch - so much easier and quicker. Shame it was a bit naff in the corners though.

 

I've had better cars since but that one gave me the biggest smile.

[AnnoyingPentium]

There's a bright yellow Dolly that roams the local area here, makes me grin every time I see it.

[Gaz]

2 minutes ago, sneal said:

(1850cc version)...

 

Did that make it a 'Sprint'?

 

Mate had a 1500 when I had a Renault 16TL and I remember being dead envious.

 

G

[Mickvrs220]

I fitted dolly sprint wheels to a marina 1700 i used to own ,not sure if i should admit that tho haha it were a poor car as i remember ,i once took it to a jet wash and blew most of the paint off the front wings 🥴

Edited 14 June, 2022 by Mickvrs220