First car

[JonHarbour]

My first car was a 1969 Mini Traveller (the station wagon with the 'Tudor half timbered' effect) which I got just before I started university in 1983. It was fine until two things happened:

• The gear lever started popping out of the gearbox in my hand during driving! Very disconcering at first!
• I knocked a rock on a country road upwards such that it punched a hole in the fuel tank and I couldn't afford to fix it

My second car was a similar age Mark 1 Escort that was an absolute pile of  and cost me the princely sum of GBP 120.00. It lasted a year. I eventually moved on to a Mark 1 and then a Mark 2 Ford Capri (typical boy racer!) before getting sensible when I went self-employed in 1989 and buying a Vauxhall Cavalier. When I turned 25 I bought an Astra GTE soft top which then I sold when as a result of my move to the UAE in 1991.

Out there I had three Nissan Patrol 4WDs (an MQ, then a GQ then a GU) before moving to Australia in 2004.

In Australia, I bought another GQ Patrol before buying a 100 Series Land Cruiser which was beautifully set up for outback touring but I never got to do that with it. My current vehicle is a 2013 Prado.

[njee20]

I had a 1993 1.1l Fiesta (in 2004), in a very fetching metallic baby blue, with pink stickers no less, which swiftly got removed. It wasn't too bad actually, you occasionally had to remove the fuel pump fuse as it was a bit keen and would flood the engine when you first stopped after pulling away. I got adept at doing it before the car stalled. I used a concrete pillar to help me park once and it largely shrugged that off.

Replaced with a Peugeot 206, which was actually a great little car, then three successive Golfs, each one getting newer and faster!

[daffy]

My first car - not counting the 'plastic pig' Reliant Regal van I had when, after more than 15 years of two-wheel freedom, my last motorbike had problems - was the best car I have ever owned. No new car since has come close in matching it in terms of pride of ownership and general feel-goodness. It was a Saab 96 with a V4 four-stroke engine and a freewheeling gearbox, that meant it had almost zero engine braking when you took your foot off the accelerator. Lovely driving position, heated front seats, real wood trim, and Saab solidity.

[The Q]

Car's in order of apperance
BMC-Morris 1300 (big mini type)
sold when I moved, as I hadn't passed the test yet.

Ford Anglia Van,
I think it used more oil than fuel, I used to slipstream coaches on the motorways to keep up 70mph.

Ford Zodiac,
bench seat I kept sliding around, it went with many of those cars a warped V4 cylinder head.

BMC- Wolsley 1800,
loved that car really comfortable, some drunk pulled out on me outside Lanark race course on a clear day..

Mini van,
bought in a hurry, I was in the middle of being posted from one RAF camp to another when the above happened.

Triumph 1500 FWD, I quite liked that car, it's clutch failed Christmas day morning as I finished work, I had it loaded with cans of fuel to drive 430 miles to my parents, no food in the house, nothing open...

Chrysler Alpine 1300 FWD, suprisingly good. Towed a 1 ton Boat inc trailer from Norfolk to the Outer Hebridies and back and to Northumberland. Had to go as it was suffering from the hammering it was getting.

Triumph 2000 saloon, towed many thousands of miles loved the overdrive switch, loved the car, split the body shell between the rear wheels with all the towing....

Triumph 2000 saloon, many thousands of miles done, less towing. sold to buy...

Bedford CF Ambulance!!!,  used to go to various places sailing, mast on the roof little boat in the back!!, kip in ambulance at sailing site..

Yugo thing... awful car given to us by SWMBOs brother as SWMBO was too small to drive the CF..

Ford Sierra Estate (with tow bar) SWMBO could manage it, and it would tow boat for two with a lot of gear on board.

Kia Pride our first new car (I was working in Saudi by this time I had some money for a change) Specifically bought for SWMBO while I was out there. it  was suffering from over 120,000 mile rust  living so close to the sea, the rust being on body parts repaired by a garage after being hit by an 8X4 sheet of shuttering ply with nails that came off a lorry going the other way on the M6.

Mazda 121 I had in Saudi for the duration ,bought very secondhand  for about £400, mechanically the same as a Kia pride.

Kia Rio, the replacement for the Pride some time after I got home using the Scrappage scheme, effectively it cost us £6000, they are well over £12,000 now.
still got it very reliable, heading for 90,000 miles on the clock.

Land Rover 110 1984 van body, NO, it's NOT a Defender, that name didn't come out till 1991. Bought as a tow car during the days of the Kia Pride.
Still going strong, but it has now got A galvanized chassis, galvanised Bulkhead, galvanised frame doors, stainless exhaust, much sound and heat proofing, a 200TDI engine and Discovery Gearbox. I use it a lot towing and carrying stuff from DIY Sheds.

Since I keep mentioning towing...

Laser Dinghy, sold when I had to move up to a 2 person boat,

Lark Dinghy, very old, eventually broke it's back scrapped.

Ospray dinghy, bought as a wreck, sailed using the Lark mast.

Lysander 17ft sailing cruiser sailed anywhere from the Outer Hebridies to Norfolk, towed that many miles, eventually succumbed to woodworm.

16ft home designed and built by me in Saudi, mini keel boat, now 20 years old undergoing a full rebuild and modification.

27ft Motorboat not a wreck, but not far from it, has now been re-engined as a diesel electric with generator, the window seals are knackered, which is the next task before rebuilding the inside.


if that lot hasn't bored you nothing will..

[Bad Raven]

Ah, you want to be bored, Eh? NO problem................

Riley One Point Five (as previous post)
Austin 1800 (bored to max and stage three)
Austin Maxi Mk2  (Baby carrier period)
Fiat 132 (twin cam 5 speed close ratio boxed rocket in sheeps clothing, "Mafia Staff Car")
Toyota 1000 (grotty looking saloon but the engine was a real shock when tested, then realised it was what they were winning all F3 races with at the time!!)
Nissan Stanza Coupe
Nissan Cherry (new)
Fiat 126 (at same time as Cherry)
Toyota Corolla (post "hurricane" damaged repaired new bought for a song! Replaced Fiat 126)
Mazda 626 1600cc (replaced Cherry)
Ford Ka (new, replaced Corolla)
Mazda 626 2000cc EGI
Mazda 626 Coupe
Mazda MX6 (superb 2.5 V6!)
Ford Focus Mk1 2.0 Ghia (new, job car then bought)
Ford Focus Mk1 1.8 TDCi (new)

Current pair

Hyundai i20 (modded, new)
Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0 TDi (new)

I'll not list all the two wheels or the historic commercials (lorries and buses).

[Bob Tidbury]

My first car was a blue and white Ford 105E I had it for about nine years  ,me and a mate rebuilt the engine on the kitchen table as a part of his apprenticeship at Fords ,We done a little bit each night and too the exact tollerances as per the book .My Mum wasnt very happy about that but she enjoyed the trips out in it .When we started it up it went first turn of the key.
My second car was a Mk 2 Cortina it was one of the very first built and actually had a de ratated  Mk 1 1600cc engine because it was one built in a hurry to get it to the big car show.I had that for about the same time and I put inch and a half wheel spacers on the back and inch and a  quarter spacers on the front ,and spring assisters front and rear as well, it used to corner as if it was on rails .I used to tow a Sprite Alpine caravan with it  went all over the South West with it .Vals favourite car was our Mk 2 Capri she would love another one but that was absolutely usless as a tow car the back was far too light.

[Portpatrick]

OK, here goes - main car only

1964 Austin A40  (1100 engine)   1972-73  Grey with cream roof.  I learned and passed my test on this.  Initial TPFT insurance cost me c £36 - I was 19 with no NCD.  Petrol usually 32.5p a gallon
1968 Morris 1300 Estate Car  1973-77   Dark blue
1972 Morris Marina 1.3  4 Door   1977-84  dark blue
1982 Austin Maxi Mk 2 1750cc   1984-87  dark blue
1984 Austin Maestro 1600  1987-91  (This proved to be a very expensive lemon)  Creamish
1989 Ford Escort 1300    1991-94  Dark blue
1990 Vauxhall Cavalier 1800 Hatchback  1994-97  White (never again)
(Can;t remember the year of registration) Ford Mondeo Estate  1800  1997-2002  (dark blue again!)
2001 Peugeot 307  1600  2002-09  (dealers lease car)  Metallic Silver
2008 Peugeot 207 1600 diesel  Estate  2009-2013  (dealers demo car)  Metallic dark grey
New VW Golf H/B  1.2 S  85bhp  2013-2016  Bright Red
New VW Golf H/B  1.0 Match 115bhp  2016-    Metallic Grey

[Tonye]

  My first car was a Morris Marina estate in red with a 1.3L engine, the gear lever came out in my hand , lucky I was n`t moving at the time. The car really only had one use and I leave that to your imagination!.   

[Bob G]

In order of acquisition/disposal, my first 20 years of car ownership:

1980-82). 1966 Hillman Super Minx LJD888D in green. Three accidents, three bonnets, two boots, and fluffy seat covers a la Huggy Bear in Kojak. No power steering, no servo assisted brakes. A great addition to your collection, as Mr Antique Toys might say!

1982-86). 1973 Cortina Mk 3 LX SPF371M in Daytona Yellow with black plastic seats. handy bolt on wings for when the old ones corroded.

1987-90). 1984 Vauxhall Nova 1.2 L A324NTT in GWR Chocolate with cream fabric seats. Best investment as a car ever. Bought for £3200, sold 4 years and 30,000 miles later for £2000. Needed extra lead in petrol to stop it pinking though, and slowed to about 30 going up Telegraph Hill outside Exeter.

1990-92). 1988 Vauxhall Belmont 1.6 L F21HKX. dark metallic blue which flaked off like dandruff. Shouldn't happen they said.

1992-94) Rover 216SLi H102WDU in pulsar silver. Woarrrrrrrrrr. Loverly Honda engine. Had to sell as I got the first of three company cars, which was...

1994-95) Brand new Rover 214 SLi in antique gold. Pah. Rover K engine. Pah. Dashboard fell out one day. Burned out three rear windscreen wiper motors. Skidded off road twice before finally wrapping it around a line of trees and denting every panel in a flat 360 spin. Prescribed diazepam as a muscle relaxant so I would not get whiplash after the accident. Those were the days!

1995-97) Rover 216 GTi 3-door in solid white. Now we are talking.

1997-99) Honda Civic 1.8 VTi in Pirate's Black, (or as I pronounced it, Pi-ra-tees as in Pilates) a lovely metallic aubergine colour with go faster stripes saying VTEC on the sills. What you get when you put a Devil's incarnation of an engine in a Rover 420 hatch. Seriously fast. Loved it. Pi-ra-tees black eh?

1999-2003) Back to reality and not a company car, with Honda Civic Coupe in plain old black.

That's all for now. I'd like to say the cars I had this century were more grown up cars, as I matured, but they are not

Bob

[JayM481]

The first car I owned was a 1967 Ford Galaxie convertible like this one:



Could sleep four comfortably.

[B757-236GT]

My First car which was family owned from new was a BL (not Rover according to the log book) Metro 1275 G206WOU in Henley Blue (i still have an aerosol can of that colour). Great car of which i was the 5th family owner from new in 2000 that could out run sports cars in the corners but on the straights lacking a bit of power. Ours had the usual rust and an engine that would run on despite a top end rebuild, valve seat grind and de-coke. I sold it to my uncle in 2002 for £25 when i bought another car which i kept for many many years. Despite all this it went on till 2006 according to the DVLA website.

Talking about Citreon Saxos, i nearly bought a VTR last night which was original and honest for £495, the problem was the 148k on the clock but it was really straight and i thought about having it over the summer to just run it then get rid of it in September.

Richard

[Zogbert Splod]

My first car was a Standard Companion which I remember very little about except that it carried more rust than paint and metalwork combined.  I paid the grand sum of seven pounds ten shillings (£7.50) for it. It was Portpatrick's mention of fuel prices above that prompted me to make this post.  I clearly remember saying that if petrol ever went over three and six a gallon, I would give up driving and go back to using the bus and the train.  Three shillings and six pence would be equal to seventeen and a half pence (or new pence as I still tend to think of it) in modern speak.
Do I need to say that I didn't stick to that promise to give up driving?  I do however clearly remember the awe and amazement when I first went to live in the US and filled the tank on my hire car (a Chevy Lumina) and got change from nine dollars!!!

[Chetcombe]

My first car was a Standard Companion which I remember very little about except that it carried more rust than paint and metalwork combined.  I paid the grand sum of seven pounds ten shillings (£7.50) for it. It was Portpatrick's mention of fuel prices above that prompted me to make this post.  I clearly remember saying that if petrol ever went over three and six a gallon, I would give up driving and go back to using the bus and the train.  Three shillings and six pence would be equal to seventeen and a half pence (or new pence as I still tend to think of it) in modern speak.
Do I need to say that I didn't stick to that promise to give up driving?  I do however clearly remember the awe and amazement when I first went to live in the US and filled the tank on my hire car (a Chevy Lumina) and got change from nine dollars!!!

I moved to the US in 1995 when gas was $0.89/gallon, so I am appalled at paying $2.99/gallon today!!!

To stick to the topic, my first car in the UK was a Renault 4 (bench front seat, weird gear stick coming out horizontally from the dashboard). My first car in the US was a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which must have been pretty soon after that model first came out. Quite a contrast to the R4!

[Bealman]

MGB on arrival in Australia. Convertible. Sunny climate.

[Komata]

 :You  obviously weren't living in Melbourne...