Where do you come from, ex-petrolhead?

[elm70]

Hi

Just got a 2nd hand PHEV ... Dec 2013 with 121k km .. coming from NL

Lot of km ... but it is looking in very good shape .. interiors are almost as new (only the driver sit has a little sign of wear on a corner) ... the car is looking never crashed and in perfect shape ... apparently

Here is from where I come from:

1st car : Ford Fiesta 1.4L 75HP (lost after 1y due to a big car crash)
2nd car: used Alfaromeo 90 1.8L
3rd car: "borrowed" Renault Clio 1.2L
4th car: "borrowed" Fiat Panda ?.?L
5th car: new Alfaromeo 145 Junior 1.4L
6th car: new Fiat Coupe LE 2.0L (profy tuned to 270HP)
7th car: company VW Passat (slow diesel )
8th car: company BMW 320D (163+30HP cheap chip tuned) (it got stolen )
9th car: company VW Passat (170HP, still slow diesel)
10th car: company BMW X1 1.8D 4x4
11th car: new Dacia Duster 1.5D 110HP 4x4
12th car: used BMW E93 335i (JB4 tuned to 400HP)
13th car: new Minauto 0.4D 5HP
14th car: used PHEV

Currently owning the last 3 car ... Minauto for Lady Boss (she no driving license) .... using BMW as pure toy car .. daily drive was Duster (I will miss it) .. and now is going to be PHEV (hopefully will not make me regret my Dacia )

Tchuss

e_lm_70

ps: Only regret ... I should have never sold my Fiat Couple LE ... but I had no space to store it at the time ... and it was costing me 1200 Euro a year only in extra taxes

 

[Sumpy]

A great thread that has given me a drive down memory lane.

Morris Marina 1800 special - the "special" standing for velour seats and velour headrests, seems daft now but that was quite a feature back in '84.

Ford Capri 1600GL - underpowered and in camel brown, not as fast as my Marina but looked a lot faster.

Rover 213S - 12v Honda engine, a very comfy and reliable car.

MG Montego turbo - All I can say is very fast and very rusty with stupidly sized tyres that were expensive and not to forget the torque steer, my memory might not be too good here but I think it pulled to the left under hard acceleration.

Nissan Bluebird 1.6 LX - nearly forgot this car, very reliable and comfortable and practical, but so boring.

Nissan Primera P10 2.0 SGX - A brilliant car that I kept for 12 years.

Nissan Xtrail sport-X 2.2td - Another brilliant car that I kept for 13 years.

Mitsubishi PHEV GX4h glacier blue - so far seems to be a brilliant car and who knows how long I will keep it, maybe 14 years?

 

[stripey]

Great thread!

My first car cost £100, and it could only have three wheels, as I drove it courtesy of a full motorcycle licence. It got to Cornwall, but died near Bristol on the way back. This was a Reliant Regal. Managed to get a wheel up on a corner fairly early on.

Number two was another Reliant Regal which I bought on the way down to Brighton. by the time I got there, I realised it was a lemon, so I drove it back to the dealership and got my money back.

Number three was another Reliant Regal, which lasted until I had passed my car driving test. It meant I could get plenty of practice, but it still took me two shots to pass.

Car number four was a red 1967 Volkswagen Beetle, 1300 cc. Lovely solid, strong car that started in the worst winter conditions (January 1982) but it eventually fell a victim to rust.

Number five was a green Austin Allegro 1500, which was OK but rather short on character.

Number six was a bright yellow Citroen 2CV with eyebrows. I kid you not! Great car, with the roll-back roof and hinged side-windows, that would suddenly slam shut, so we went upmarket and got

Car number seven a brand new 1989 F-reg Citroen 2CV Charleston in two-tone grey. This was the first new car in our household and very exciting to acquire. We had it for eleven years, after which time, you could see the road through the floor, and the engine was knackered.

Car number eight overlapped with number seven as we became a two-car family. This was a Nissan Micra Mark 2, L-registration, in silver, bought new. Good and reliable.

When the 2CV needed replacing, its successor was (car number nine) a Toyota Yaris Verso, X-reg, and bought new in 2000. At that time, you could save a packet from buying elsewhere in Europe, so we ordered this one from Denmark and saved about 30% on the UK new price. Fabulous car, wonderfully practical, and with a totally reliable engine that still runs sweetly. Sadly, as well as the expensive things that wear out from time to time needing replacement, it has fallen victim to serious corrosion underneath, so it is not worth spending a four-figure sum on to get through its MOT. Sixteen years is a good innings, however.

Car number ten was another Nissan Micra, this time an ex-demo model in gold, and our first diesel car. Again, very reliable, and one of the few cars we have sold as a going concern.

Car number eleven saw us become a two-Toyota family with a new 13-reg Toyota IQ in white. A wonderfully tiny car, a bit over-priced, with more space inside than you would think behind generous front seat space (if you don't look behind you in an IQ, you can pretend that you are in a much bigger car).

Car number 12 will arrive very soon - an ex-demo 16-reg Orient Red PHEV.

 

[Fecn]

Now let me see...

1.) Peugeot 104 ... My first car back when I'd just passed my driving test.... £220 from the auctions... drove OK for a little while but then needed a new cam shaft... Had a lot of fun rebuilding the engine, but about 1000 miles after that it ended up rolling down a hill and into a tree whilst I wasn't in it... (Hint: Don't try to push-start your own car)
2.) Citroen GSA - I liked the oleopneumatic suspension... This one had too many problems though and I only had it for a few weeks.
3.) Nissan Bluebird - The car I went to university in... Spent some time doing up the bodywork and electrics and managed to sell it to one of the lecturers for twice what I'd paid for it.
4.) Citroen GSA (Yep.. another one).. This one lasted for a couple of years getting me to and from university.
5.) Volvo 240DL... My mum bought this one for £300 with 132,288 miles on the clock... She ran it for about 5 years before giving it to me.. I ran it for another 2 years before we finally sold it when it needed new brake disks... Got £350 for it when we sold it.
6.) Citroen CX... Lasted about a year... It was rather old and had many many mechanical problems.
7.) Citroen Xantia 2.0i ... The first car I had with some decent power under the hood... Got done for speeding on the first day I drove it... Kept it for a couple of years... Some warning light on the dash kept coming on, so got rid of it after a while.
8.) Mercedes 320SL ... Superb vehicle.. loved driving it until the kids came along and as we couldn't fit a car seat in there it then got mothballed in the garage doing <300 miles a year).
9.) Ssangyong Musso (for pushchairs and baby seats)... I always regarded this more like sailing a ship than driving a car... No accelleration, very little feel in the steering... but it did go over mud quite nicely... Lots of problem with the vacuum system and 4WD selection.
10.) Toyota Hiace Regius 7-seater Jap-import van..... Sold both the Merc and the Musso and got this van instead (plus a good chunk of cash back from the dealer).... Without a doubt the absolute best and most flexible vehicle I ever owned, bar none... The swivel seats and rear sunroof meant that you took a living-room with you wherever you went... Great for in-car picnics and meetings.. Good for haulding building materials too... and for getting the christmas tree home each winter.. Mechanically superb... Never let me down... ever...
11.) Toyota Auris Hybrid (2013)... Got it as a brand-spanker for the long commute to work... Could never get comfortable in it.. Hated the driving position... Sold it after only 6 months, loosing a hefty chunk of money in the process..
12.) Toyota Hiace Regius 7-seater Jap-import van.... Yes.. this is actually the same one as 10.) but I never sold it when I got the Auris because I wasn't sure that the Auris would be able to fill it's shoes... Drove it for another 3 years after I got rid of the Auris... Still the absolute best vehicle ever... only problem is that as soon as there's 1mm of snow, it's going nowhere because it's rear-wheel drive and there's no weight over the axle... which is why I went for...
13.) MY2016 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX5h ... Had this for about 6 weeks so far (1500 miles) and it has been good enough that I finally sold the Hiace... Only time will tell if the Mitsi can prove itself as reliable and flexible as the Hiace...

If I could have got a 4x4 PHEV 7-seater van, I'd have got that instead of the Outlander... but the outlander is a pretty good compromise... Free EV charging at work and my commute is now just 18 miles each way, so costing me practically nothing to run.

Also has a big old Hymer motorhome for one summer a few years back... Good fun.. but definitely not one for the commute.

Cheers!!

 

[Jojoxx]

Started off with a 1959 mini and changed the engine for one from a Morris 1100

Next up was a 998 mini which I made into a Cooper

Moved on to a Mk1 Escort Mexico followed by a Mk1 Escort RS 2000 - Brilliant cars

Marriage and a new house reduced this to a little Mk2 1300cc Escort followed by a Mk2 Escort Mexico as finances improved.

Divorce resulted in buying an old Triumph Dolomite Sprint - loved the overdrive button!

Not sure why I then got a souped up Fiesta followed by a Mk3 Escort XR3!

Couple of BMW 318's followed this and then an Audi Coupe which was replaced by a company car - Golf GTi - brilliant machine.

Finally started my own business and bought a Porsche 944 which was superb.

Made some pennies and moved on to a Porsche 911 (993 - last air cooled version) which was awesome. Sadly not great in snow so I got a Mitsubishi Shogun V6 SWB petrol for winter use. Perfect combination of cars at that time.

Moved in with my new partner (and kids) so both cars went to be replaced with a BMW X5 4.4. which was a great family car.

I missed the Mitsubishi so swopped the X5 for a new SWB Shogun which I kept for 8 years whilst I took chunks of time of work to finish a Phd which meant less income.

Phd done I changed the Shogun for the PHEV. Great piece of kit but I do miss the ruggedness of the Shogun. To make it worse, they had a black SWB Shogun Barbarian in the showroom when I picked up the PHEV which looked great!! Almost changed my mind but the financial case for the PHEV is just too strong.

Took a while to like the PHEV as it was so much slower and handled a lot worse than the Shogun Warrior (Ralliart Pack with 198bhp). A change to Vredestein winter tyres with wider wheels transformed it into a much better car, particularly on damp/wet roads and I'm slowly growing to like it. That said, as soon as a Shogun SWB PHEV is available I will go for that.

Best car - the 911 without question.
Best combination - 911 and a Shogun
Most tax efficient - PHEV

 

[johnrude]

Thats nice.

 

[JohanvdH]

Owned:
Talbot 1510 LS - 1982 (in Exclusive trim after adding some salvaged parts including a trip computer! Lots and lots of RUST)
Peugeot 405 GL - 1992
Suzuki Alto GA - 1990
Volvo 360 GL - 1987 (rearwheeldrive 2 liter, added all addons I could get my hands on)
Volvo 940 GLE 16v estate - 1992 (infinite loading space)
Suzuki Swift 1.6 GLX - 1994
Toyota Prius 2 Business Edition - 2005 (9 years of troublefree motoring)
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Instyle+ - 2013

Will drive anything big, open, loud and/or fast if given a chance

Rentals:
Alfa Spider - 1987
Corvette C5 convertible - 2000?
Mustang convertible - 2005?
Dodge Challenger R/T - 2017?

 

[MrPastry]

1982 I took my driving lessons & test in a real Mini.

Owned these over the years. Some I deeply regret parting with & some I wish I'd never touched.

1974 Landrover Series 3 SWB 2.25
1968 Mini 1380 (heavily modified)
1974 Mini 850
1980 Mini 998
1979 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (heavily modified)
1987 Renault 5 Campus
1966 Landrover Series 2A SWB 3.0 V6
1978 Cavalier 4 Door GLS MK1
1950 Landrover Series 1 SWB
1973 Landrover RR/LR 3.5 Hybrid 100"
1988 Toyota Landcruiser VX Turbo Diesel
1987 Landrover 90 Turbo Diesel
1986 Austin Montego Estate L (Can’t remember why I did this)
1990 Peugeot 405 Estate GL
1987 Peugeot 205 4 Door GL
1990 Ford Escort 4 Door GLX 1.8d
1984 Rangerover 4 Door Vogue 3.5 auto
1990 Landrover 90 Turbo Diesel
1993 Landrover Discovery 1
1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX
1991 Mitsubishi Pajero Auto SWB
1990 Volkswagen Polo Fox
1995 Ford Fiesta 1.1
1995 Landrover Defender 300TDI
1998 Renault Scenic 1
2004 Renault Scenic 2
2007 Vauxhall Astra CDTI
2006 Landrover Discovery 3 (coil sprung)
2005 Landrover Discovery 3 S
1982 Argocat 8x8 (Also an Argocat 6x6 but not road legal)
2008 Renault Kangoo 16v
2013 Fiat Panda Lounge
2010 Landrover Discovery 4 HSE
2011 Hyundai i30
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev 4H
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Phev 4H

 

[greendwarf]

No need to be embarrassed about the Montego estate - very stylish design and cavernous load capacity. They were difficult to find second-hand due to demand from tradesmen. :idea: I loved mine, until it was rear-ended by a taxi.

 

[Sumpy]

No need to be embarrassed about the Montego estate - very stylish design and cavernous load capacity. They were difficult to find second-hand due to demand from tradesmen. :idea: I loved mine, until it was rear-ended by a taxi.

Maybe it's my memory failing me, and this is only my opinion, but I wouldn't say the Montego was stylish, I agree that it was definately very spacious but the styling and build quality was like someone had given a 5 year old a box of badly chewed lego and told to design and build a car in under a minute! Even my Morris Marina was a better built car and that isn't saying much at all. I only bought mine because I was young (I was stupid) and it was very fast (I was stupid) . (not sure I should be using "stupid" just in the past tense?).

 

[VillageIdiotDan]

That's one impressive list above. I have had in my stable:

Yamaha Divi 500 (crashed within months, end of my motorcycling career!)
Skoda Fabia (70's bathroom green)
2CV (loved that thing)
Mondeo estate 1.8 LX (2 of, hand me downs from my Dad)
BMW C1 200cc (loved that too!)
Smart Roadster (drove it like a granny so sold it)
Volvo v50 (loved it, destroyed it on a parking bollard, no further questions please lol)
PHEV

and a F355 F1 spider as a nod towards a middle life crisis purchase

 

[Mitch]

You all know all your past cars??!!

I had round abut 40 cars so far and can not remember all of them, only the cool ones :mrgreen:

 

[greendwarf]

No need to be embarrassed about the Montego estate - very stylish design and cavernous load capacity. They were difficult to find second-hand due to demand from tradesmen. :idea: I loved mine, until it was rear-ended by a taxi.

Maybe it's my memory failing me, and this is only my opinion, but I wouldn't say the Montego was stylish, I agree that it was definately very spacious but the styling and build quality was like someone had given a 5 year old a box of badly chewed lego and told to design and build a car in under a minute! Even my Morris Marina was a better built car and that isn't saying much at all. I only bought mine because I was young (I was stupid) and it was very fast (I was stupid) . (not sure I should be using "stupid" just in the past tense?).

Of course, styling is a matter of personal taste, but it was by Pininfarina and looked much better than its rival, the Volvo estate, which shared its practical square back end design - wardrobes were a doddle to load.

It was also very strong. I had several Montego saloons and estates which were involved in shunts - one even surviving a head on with a Merc, which came off much worse. :lol:

 

[jaapv]

Montego? Wasn't that one of the models that finished BLMC off?

 

[greendwarf]

Montego? Wasn't that one of the models that finished BLMC off?

Not really, as the patient was already terminal. I always find it sobering that on its death BMLC comprised 80% of the British car industry that had existed in the early 50s. :roll:

 

[jaapv]

There is always a final cause of death.