Automobiles : Good,Bad & the Ugly.

[Oldsmobile-88]

Works van that I drove around in was the Bedford CF not a bad vehicle.The first one I had when I came out of my apprenticeship in 1980 had sliding doors.

Brilliant in the summer for cruising down Queen St

The gas industry were also still buying Vauxhall Viva vans until they stopped making them in 1981.
Not many creature comforts in those,but they were pretty robust.

 

[ramone]

Total Ford nut here and have liked most of the Pre 78 models apart from the Fiesta why they ever made that an XR model is beyond me ? And to date have owned 30+ MK1 Cortina's.
TBH the worse POS I owned was a Skoda Estelle lasted about 2 weeks before I stood and watched it scrapped.
Always wanted a 32 Ford 5 window but don't think I'll ever afford one to the standard I want it to be so am hopefully getting something new soon to hotrod !

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

^^^^
Ever had a Granada Ramone ?

 

[ramone]

^^^^
Ever had a Granada Ramone ?

Yes a silver 2.8 MK 2 and a fastfack MK 1 in a horrid hand painted blue which basically killed off ever being able to sell it on.
The same guy I got the fastback off also painted a MK4 Zodiac in Hammerite with a friggin roller ! God he was an animal.
If you attended any of the local car shows from about 95 onwards you will have probably seen one or more of my cars.

 

[Banksy]

First car after ditching my trustee Lambretta was a Morris 1000 current is a Nissan Juke and have had everything from Vauxhalls to BMWs in between over the last nearly fifty years.My worse car was probably a blue Vauxhall Cavalier in the seventies where the whole of the paintwork came out in a mass of blisters.Must have been in the metalwork because although I had an expensive respray they reappeared a year later. My favourites were the BMWs.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

The fastback MK 1 a nice looking coupe.A friend of my dad had one when they first came out(he had a bit of poke)
I occasionally went in it.My Dad had a Fiat 127 so it was like going from the sublime to the ridiculous

I had a MK2 2.8 A white one with a lovely brown velour interior(1979 model before the facelift)

 

[ramone]

The fastback MK 1 a nice looking coupe.A friend of my dad had one when they first came out(he had a bit of poke)
I occasionally went in it.My Dad had a Fiat 127 so it was like going from the sublime to the ridiculous

I had a MK2 2.8 A white one with a lovely brown velour interior(1979 model before the facelift)

My dear old Dad's Gold Granada still resides in a scrapyard on the outskirts of Exeter and the owner has never reregistered it saying he liked my dad so much he would never sell it and when he looks over at it he smiles and thinks of the good times.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

First car after ditching my trustee Lambretta was a Morris 1000 current is a Nissan Juke and have had everything from Vauxhalls to BMWs in between over the last nearly fifty years.My worse car was probably a blue Vauxhall Cavalier in the seventies where the whole of the paintwork came out in a mass of blisters.Must have been in the metalwork because although I had an expensive respray they reappeared a year later. My favourites were the BMWs.

BMW is like it says on the ads The ultimate driving machine(or similar)

I had a 3 series convertible a few years ago.It was the most fun car I have driven a 2.8 straight 6,it was a dream of a road holding car.

Also had a older 7 series 1986 3.5.A lovely car that l picked up quite cheaply l,but was horrendously expensive to maintain.(that’s why they are cheap )
It was brilliant for a trip to Scotland that I did around 1998,but not so good around town.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

I have got a Lexus GS 450h which i use for high days & holidays.
The car I drive most though,that makes people smirk is a 2003 Citroen Saxo.125,000 on the clock.I have had it 7 years.It was my sons for 5 years before that.When he left these shores,I just couldn’t part with it.
It’s got a few dings & has a different coloured o/s wing to the rest of the car,but it’s great for bombing around town & longer runs.
If it’s just me travelling i take it on the football trips..At Walsall a few weeks ago & has been to Carlisle,Crewe & a few other places this season...Oh,& I never worry about parking it in a supermarket car park

Spent a few quid keeping it on the road,but it’s been worth it.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

The last few cars I have bought have been through main dealers,so you would hope for a bit of comeback if anything went wrong.
I remember years ago there were a few dodgy dealers & cowboys in the car trade(no idea if that’s still the case)

I was lucky because a friend of mine ran a car repair business for years & would check cars out for me in the 80s & 90s..The only time I bought myself without his advice was a rust bucket Datsun 280zx !!
It looked lovely & shiny on the outside but had a few rust holes on the chassis & probably had a bent MOT on it.
I managed to get 21 months use out of it(Don’t ask ! but it was taxed & insured) before someone bought it off me for a couple of hundred quid despite me saying it had no MOT & was unlikely to get another one.
He said he was in the motor trade & just wanted the Engine & Gearbox which were still in good condition.
I saw the car still driving around a couple of months later !