One Of Everything

Nice thread Mikeo. My first car was a mark one Vauxhall Astra. It had a 1600cc overhead cam lump with 90 bhp. Not much, but more than enough for a seventeen year old. The boy racer car of the day was the Ford Escort XR3i. I had no problem keeping up with them. Those were being driven by twenty somethings who could afford the insurance and not best pleased at being humiliated by a spotty thin kid driving a leaf green metallic bag of bones from Luton. Happy days. I think everyone's first car is probably their favourite and this remains so, for me.

I have just sold my second favourite; a Peugeot 106 GTI. 120bhp in a shell weighing no more than a paper bag. Let hooliganism commence. Took it for a track day and destroyed a set of tyes with lift-off oversteer antics. Not bad for a front wheel drive. I looked after it ridiculously well. I used to drop the contents of the sump every 3k miles, park it away from everything to avoid unsightly dings and drove it until (like most French cars do) it fell to bits.

The imminent arrival of a little dribbler means that my current hack will soon be going too; a Mazda MX-5. Had some great times in it. My best memory would being throwing the roof down, and going for a balmy summer evening drive around the country lanes and stopping for a beer, with Mrs Drib in a country pub beer garden. Driving home in the dark with the warm air and all the summer smells is surely hard to beat.

You are right; there is something very satisfying about driving an ultra efficent but slightly dull cage. It doesn't matter if it doesn't represent the last word in dynamic thrills. Anyone with an appreciation for all things mechanical takes pleasure in knowing that when you turn the key, it's going to fire up. And so this is on my list for my next set of wheels. Teutonic efficiency is a Daddy priority.

Anyhow, there's always my bike. If I do get the chance to ride it when baby comes, this is how I will get my kicks. Or maybe I'll get a bigger kick from taking them to the park and chucking a ball around whilst the dust gathers on my favourite internal combustion engine propelled device.

Lots of cars in between that I haven't mentioned. Some infuriatingly unreliable, some mundane to drive, all interesting because they are cars and we all love the damn things.

Mine was a Metro. Dark blue, top speed of 110. Got 100 out of it once, until the gearbox started to rattle. I think Steve's right. I loved that little beast with a passion and had driven it all over the UK. In Wales, was going over the Pentrefoelas hills, and there was a makeshift bridge, the roads were completely empty, I didn't see this bridge as I must have been doing 60. Went up the ramp and my car became airborne, landed on all 4 wheels, I remember thinking it was one of the most terrifying and exhilarating moments of my life. I was 18.

After that, I had a Fiesta which served its purpose. Then the Escort MkII.

I bought a 3 series BMW. Black, shaded windows, neon trims added. Reached 135 in that baby. I truly loved that car, used to road trip with my mates up and down the UK. Good times. Then a silver 320ci. When was with the ex, we used to go out on Sundays, in the summer and bring a picnic with us. Somewhere quiet and secluded. Used to stay there until dawn watching the sunrise together.

I got rid, too many memories. Now I'm driving an M5. Had her about 3-4 weeks, and she's a ****ing dream come true. The smoothness, low rumble of an engine that'd tear your face clean off, the M button, tyres, twin exhausts, midnight black, and its sexy as hell.

But thanks for the memo's Mike. Great entry!

Aw Mike, wish you'd have put this in the forum, I'd love to see others stories about their 'car life'!

I lol'd about your pick-up truck story, the tarp and beer cooler especially - must have been magic times - I've just got a mental picture of you lay in your mobile pool with your cowboy boots on, tossing empty beer bottles over the side  

Your Hyundai is the car I've descibed to my youngest as being his first car - I'll buy it, he rolls his sleeves up and learns to keep it on the road, is the deal.  And I mean keep it on the road mechanically as well as in driving ability!

For some, the cars we've owned (especially car nuts) tell a story about our meanderings through life.  A few of mine are....

First car wasn't, it was Reliant Van - at 16 in the UK you couldn't drive a car, but you could drive a 3 wheeled car on a motorbike licence, so passed the bike test and bought this fantastic steed to get to my first job (about 35 miles away).  It wouldn't slide too well, so had to learn the fine art of balancing on two wheels - it was freedom though, many trips 100's of miles away, mainly to races in the south of England.

At 17 got my first Mini, and the second and third - as an apprentice spanner, I got into selling cars for a few bob extra.

Cars for a good few years after that were bought as transport for my Karting - a Ford Escort van was the one that stands out as special, at least my girlfriend, later my wife, thought so   .  It was the best car I've ever had for a cool time in life, it covered all of the UK many times going to Karting events.... and France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal.  Living out of the van gave me some amazing times, and so was the potato and grape picking so I could afford to get from country to country.  A sad day when I woke to find someone had made off with it, I was gutted, end of an era - it was the same week I decided to put my racing behind me for a while.

Cars since then have been varied, the luxury car you mention, Daimler V6 (around '60's vintage), with leather slidy-seats.  The must-have-one-in-your-life Italian car was an Alfasud, terrible for rust, but beeeotiful handling and sounds.  Sheer fun was; a lotus Elan (one of the first ones), a Lotus Elise, Honda Civic Type R and Mini Cooper S.

The car I have now is one of the best I've had, a 1985 VW Polo with 45k miles on the clock    Was the car my Mum bought to get about after my Dad died, she recently decided over 80 is time to stop holding the traffic up - so I'm now the keeper of a sluggard, but much loved shed on wheels.  I'll get something else when the nostalgia's worn off  

Mike, thanks for another terrific blog, and for giving us the opportunity to ramble  


EDIT: @ Steve, you're right about the 106 GTi, a proper roller skate - had one for a short while and loved it.... and one ot hte best cars I've used at a track day was the Peugot 309 GTi, not much to look at, but handling was incredible.  

And, you're dead right when you say, "....chucking a ball around whilst the dust gathers on my favourite internal combustion engine propelled device", it will happen!  

Fine stories indeed! Thanks!

@John; The 309 was always overlooked by it's 205 sister who had the peachier bum, but essentially the same dynamics. What happened to great handling Pugs? The need for dullness through refinement killed their sh!tty, frail brilliance.

@ Steve: Yeah, had the 205 1.9 GTi first - fell to pieces on me, damn quick, but not a track day car I could use with confidence.  I think the Peugots of that time was their one chance to build on some unique qualities they had.  But they failed.  

I've always prefer wet track days - and the 309 was absolutely the best front wheel drive car I've had for wet track days, great fun   Worst I ever had was a 911, I think it was a '79(bought as a stolen engine insurance job), I've never had greater respect for a car than for that one - life on a knife edge    (Come to think about it, the Citroen 2CV I bought the missus was a little more scary on the limit    )

Too many years... too many cars... the VW Corrado V6 was another special buy, as quick as the Saphire Cosworth in most circumstances (which it was compared with at the time), but sounded a thousand times better.



Sorry Mike, I've had more cars than the number of times Steve's changed his undercrackers - this could go on for ever  

Then let it go on forever, Meds! I'll read any car story you've got.

Time for a contribution, I think. John's right, this should be forum thread. Maybe it was. I've missed some stuff.
First car was a 1970 Ford escort, ex police, complete with rubber bung in the roof and no brakes to speak of. Second was an Austin Allegro. Jumped a bridge, landed and sheared the engine mounts. Many others, including a Corrado 16v (couldn't afford a VR6!) and a much missed Rover 820 turbo. But the one I really miss is a Daihatsu Charade GTti. Absolutely mental. Sounded like a Porsche 911. Handled like one too. Random oversteer at inopportune moments. I never knew front wheel drivers could be so scary. Snapped it's cam belt at 90 and embedded most of it's valves in the piston crowns.
These days I love the Scim. And hate it in equal measure. And then love it some more.