Favourite 70’s and 80’s cars

Fiftyyearsandcounting said:
One of my favouties cars. Austin 1300 GT (with vinly roof). I think I paid £1K for it mid 70's. It had twin carbs and a bugger to get them tuned properly. Tried several garages with "The Latest" Autotuning Gear, but they weren't very good. Found a old boy with a low tech' shed in Stockport area who just sat, smoked his pipe, and listened. Every now and again he'd get up, tweak a carb' then sit down again. No one ever did a better job.
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My first car was similar to this, an 1100cc Vanden Plas Princess, complete with leather seats, walnut trim.........and, wait for it, a push button radio!!!

Similar to someone earlier, sold to me by a work colleague as a really good car, only to find the subframe all rotted and it was a complete piece of shite. Young and gullible, a life lesson there.

Following this was a Vauxhall Viva and then later on an Allegro, I know classy cars, eh? Drove them both like a rally car, but I honestly believe that our tractor would have been quicker off the line than either of these.

The Viva ran on.............cross ply tyres!!!

Had a Mini Cooper S as well. The brake cylinder failed on me one morning heading to college, so I drove for a week, first going to work for a couple of hours, then to college, then back to work until midnight with only the gearbox and handbrake to stop.

I was heading to work one morning, bombing along as usual and came around a blind downhill bend, approaching another bend which quickly followed that. On the bottom bend was a car half on the road, half in the hedge and the local bobby in attendance.

A bit of panic, because there was no way I could stop, but he just waved me on and I flew by putting my hand up in acknowledgement.

Sold it to a guy who was pretty competitive at the circuit/hill climb events. He did a lot to it to vastly improve the performance and reduce the weight. It was a monster when he finished with it. Bored it out and put a twin cam Lotus head on if I recall and something like 0-60 in around 4 seconds. Anyway, when he had finished it he took me for a spin around the local B roads. I don't think I've been so fast along roads like that in my life, ever......fuck me he was rapid.


I had the Astra MK2 Dial M 4 Mercer, compared to what I was used to, it cornered as though it was on rails. Big digital speedo as well......very smart and impressive.


I've had some pretty crap cars in my time to be honest, but had some fun along the way though.

​

 
Bill Walker said:
I had an old one of those, went everywhere in it, all over the UK, never broke down, never had it serviced, I changed plus and points myself, never bothered with oil change.
Couldnt find the engine, ohh it was in the boot !! Had quite a bit of sex in it I remember.
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What with? Midgets?
 
Boo or Boo-urns said:
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Datsun 240-Z
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Always wanted this. Or 280ZX iirc. Still looks great. Quite rare at the time. Can’t see any listed in Autotrader.
 
Slipper One said:
My first car was similar to this, an 1100cc Vanden Plas Princess, complete with leather seats, walnut trim.........and, wait for it, a push button radio!!!

Similar to someone earlier, sold to me by a work colleague as a really good car, only to find the subframe all rotted and it was a complete piece of shite. Young and gullible, a life lesson there.

Following this was a Vauxhall Viva and then later on an Allegro, I know classy cars, eh? Drove them both like a rally car, but I honestly believe that our tractor would have been quicker off the line than either of these.

The Viva ran on.............cross ply tyres!!!

Had a Mini Cooper S as well. The brake cylinder failed on me one morning heading to college, so I drove for a week, first going to work for a couple of hours, then to college, then back to work until midnight with only the gearbox and handbrake to stop.

I was heading to work one morning, bombing along as usual and came around a blind downhill bend, approaching another bend which quickly followed that. On the bottom bend was a car half on the road, half in the hedge and the local bobby in attendance.

A bit of panic, because there was no way I could stop, but he just waved me on and I flew by putting my hand up in acknowledgement.

Sold it to a guy who was pretty competitive at the circuit/hill climb events. He did a lot to it to vastly improve the performance and reduce the weight. It was a monster when he finished with it. Bored it out and put a twin cam Lotus head on if I recall and something like 0-60 in around 4 seconds. Anyway, when he had finished it he took me for a spin around the local B roads. I don't think I've been so fast along roads like that in my life, ever......fuck me he was rapid.


I had the Astra MK2 Dial M 4 Mercer, compared to what I was used to, it cornered as though it was on rails. Big digital speedo as well......very smart and impressive.


I've had some pretty crap cars in my time to be honest, but had some fun along the way though.

​

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So much of what you write resonates with me. I was talking to my daughter the other day, I couldn't recall attending a wedding (not hers!) or several incidents in my children's life (I'm in my 70's now).
However, I can recall all the cars I've ever owned and any incidents attached to them.
At one time, in the mid-70's, I had a 1300 Hillman Avenger (Brand New!). It was a company car and I had to travel to Walthamstow to collect it. Seats all covered in plastic which smelt awful. Opened all the windows and started up the M1. Lit a fag (I smoked back then), chucked it out the side window and the bugger got sucked into the back sat. Burnt a hole though into the seat cover- 15 minutes I'd had it!
 
Fiftyyearsandcounting said:
So much of what you write resonates with me. I was talking to my daughter the other day, I couldn't recall attending a wedding (not hers!) or several incidents in my children's life (I'm in my 70's now).
However, I can recall all the cars I've ever owned and any incidents attached to them.
At one time, in the mid-70's, I had a 1300 Hillman Avenger (Brand New!). It was a company car and I had to travel to Walthamstow to collect it. Seats all covered in plastic which smelt awful. Opened all the windows and started up the M1. Lit a fag (I smoked back then), chucked it out the side window and the bugger got sucked into the back sat. Burnt a hole though into the seat cover- 15 minutes I'd had it!
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Ah, a Hillman Avenger.

When I was a kid, I can remember going to a dealership to see one which the ol' chap had bought.

What really stood out for me at the time for some reason was the metallic paint, it just intrigued me and is the main thing I remember about the car now.

Prior to that, the family car was a black Austin Cambridge. Those were the days of no seatbelts and I don't ever remember things like car seats for toddlers......a cushion perhaps.
 
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