Strands 259. Would You Look At That
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My first car, a Talbot solara the gear box sometimes would jump out of gear and in to neutral when ever it was sitting in traffic/junction. I was holding it on the bite on a hill at a T-junction WHEN it rolled back and bumped the car behind. I could see him swearing and screaming at me in my mirror WHEN it did it again, He dived out his car and raced up to mine and ripped my door open to punch my face in to see I was 9 month pregnant, spitting and spluttering and shaking with rage he muttered " Due to your condition we will say no more on the matter". ah saved by the baby :)
A brown Fiat Panda.
I bought it for £80 years ago at the first motor auction I ever went to. The car looked OK when it was sitting there in the lights and it seemed like a good idea at the time. When i got it home I found it was full of rust and the gearbox sounded awful I just called the scrapman who took it away for £30. It was a good way to lose 50 quid!
I bought it for £80 years ago at the first motor auction I ever went to. The car looked OK when it was sitting there in the lights and it seemed like a good idea at the time. When i got it home I found it was full of rust and the gearbox sounded awful I just called the scrapman who took it away for £30. It was a good way to lose 50 quid!
A Ford Cortina
I had 4 before that and there had been very few problems.
Suddenly the one was breaking down about twice a month and after making several complaints it was changed after about 9 months for a very low price.
About 7 years later I was interviewing a candidate for a job and I noticed he drove into the car park in the car which had given him so much trouble. I asked him how the car had been and he replied it was the best car he have ever had.
He said it was running well but not worth very much so he was running it until it came to the end of its life.
It lasted another 5 years and suddenly I saw it being loaded onto a salvage lorry on the company car park.
Jane
I had 4 before that and there had been very few problems.
Suddenly the one was breaking down about twice a month and after making several complaints it was changed after about 9 months for a very low price.
About 7 years later I was interviewing a candidate for a job and I noticed he drove into the car park in the car which had given him so much trouble. I asked him how the car had been and he replied it was the best car he have ever had.
He said it was running well but not worth very much so he was running it until it came to the end of its life.
It lasted another 5 years and suddenly I saw it being loaded onto a salvage lorry on the company car park.
Jane
Though I hate to admit it, my old 2CV was a right pain in the anal region.
I spent nine years (partially) kidding myself that it 'had character' was a 'fun car to own and drive' 'economical' etc. But when all's said and done, they are dangerous, feeble, slow, draughty uncomfortable RUST BUCKETS !!!
They *could* be fun if you have the resources that they need and I didn't at the time, it was a false economy - but it was good for going camping.
The advantages:
Air cooled
Convertible (LOL)
Lots of space inside
Seats easily removable and the back seat makes a good camping 'sofa'.
You get to wave at other 2CVists.
The disadvantages:
They rust, unless you coat everything with Waxoyl - including drilling and injecting the floor panels.
The sheet metal of the bodywork is waffer thin so can't be welded WHEN it rusts.
They have a top speed of ...well put it this way - I got overtaken by cyclists a lot.
Your knees/arms/legs/head are the 'crumple-zones'.
WHEN you get overtaken by lorries, you get knocked all over the place by the backdraught.
The doors can be opened even if 'locked'.
The steering full-lock is diabolical.
The handbrake it sh1te.
The gears: imagine trying to change gear with a brolly handle poking through a keyhole.
I spent nine years (partially) kidding myself that it 'had character' was a 'fun car to own and drive' 'economical' etc. But when all's said and done, they are dangerous, feeble, slow, draughty uncomfortable RUST BUCKETS !!!
They *could* be fun if you have the resources that they need and I didn't at the time, it was a false economy - but it was good for going camping.
The advantages:
Air cooled
Convertible (LOL)
Lots of space inside
Seats easily removable and the back seat makes a good camping 'sofa'.
You get to wave at other 2CVists.
The disadvantages:
They rust, unless you coat everything with Waxoyl - including drilling and injecting the floor panels.
The sheet metal of the bodywork is waffer thin so can't be welded WHEN it rusts.
They have a top speed of ...well put it this way - I got overtaken by cyclists a lot.
Your knees/arms/legs/head are the 'crumple-zones'.
WHEN you get overtaken by lorries, you get knocked all over the place by the backdraught.
The doors can be opened even if 'locked'.
The steering full-lock is diabolical.
The handbrake it sh1te.
The gears: imagine trying to change gear with a brolly handle poking through a keyhole.
Most unreliable were a matching pair of Mk1 Cortinas - both red, both utterly, utterly useless ... never started, rust buckets too. The idea was to cannibalise one to keep the other going - but (funnily enough) the same components failed on both of them ...
... worst car to drive was a diesel scorpio ultima estate - company car - I still don't know who I offended enough to be lumbered with that monstrosity. It was a big useless barge and wouldn't go up any sort of hill from stationary without slipping the clutch and many, many engine revs - very embarrassing (and smelly).
... worst car to drive was a diesel scorpio ultima estate - company car - I still don't know who I offended enough to be lumbered with that monstrosity. It was a big useless barge and wouldn't go up any sort of hill from stationary without slipping the clutch and many, many engine revs - very embarrassing (and smelly).
You could get an awful lot of wine in the back Tony - as I proved on a booze run to France ... trouble was the handling (!) then became ... errr ... interesting.
Until you have felt the back end of one of those starting to 'drift' on a fairly modest roundabout you haven't understood the meaning of "brown trouser driving".
Until you have felt the back end of one of those starting to 'drift' on a fairly modest roundabout you haven't understood the meaning of "brown trouser driving".
...then I had a Citroen CX - that was another mixed bag of good and not so good.
Good:
It looked weird
The ride was smooth (hydro-pneumatic suspension)
The steering was as light as a feather
It didn't have self-cancelling indicators
The seats were comfortable
You could fiddle about with the suspension when stuck in traffic, then look in the mirror at the bemused faces of people behind.
Not so good:
Front and rear visibility - orrrrful
Clutch heavy
Whole car v heavy (I found that out when I had to push start it once)
Sluggish
The brake was like a button
If you let go of the steering wheel when locked in one direction, it would go 'ssshhhhhhhhhhhhlp' and return to the centre!
The speedo was like a magnifying glass over the display on a set of old shop scales
Good:
It looked weird
The ride was smooth (hydro-pneumatic suspension)
The steering was as light as a feather
It didn't have self-cancelling indicators
The seats were comfortable
You could fiddle about with the suspension when stuck in traffic, then look in the mirror at the bemused faces of people behind.
Not so good:
Front and rear visibility - orrrrful
Clutch heavy
Whole car v heavy (I found that out when I had to push start it once)
Sluggish
The brake was like a button
If you let go of the steering wheel when locked in one direction, it would go 'ssshhhhhhhhhhhhlp' and return to the centre!
The speedo was like a magnifying glass over the display on a set of old shop scales
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