Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Your first car...Would you drive it today?

A friend and I were discussing our first cars and whether we would drive them today... or even want them back today in pristine condition...

My first was a Mercury Capri 2600, "the sexy european at a shamefully low price",bright yellow with a black roof...,manual trans,loved the map light on the passenger side,good for dates as I recall...

Yes I think I could find a place in the garage for a pristine Mercury Capri and I would not be bothered to drive it today...probably good fuel economy,but since I owned it in 1974 I can not recall....I have not forgotten how to use the map light...

How about other first time vehicles,any regrets with the passing of time on not keeping a few...or glad their gone,
I was young and stupid...???

A car that got away from me was a Mercury Cougar Eliminater convertible, candy apple red,white top,351 Cleveland motor,
sequential tail lights...ah but that was car #3 on the ownership list!

My first was a 1972 VW Beetle - canary yellow - hand-me-down. I love it because despite suffering from a serious case of rust, most of the chrome had long since abandoned the car, the Webasto heater leaking fuel into the car and it running a silly voltage system that meant fitting a cassette player became a serious pain, it still represented freedom, personal transportation and a break from the smelly mutant filled local transport.

Would I drive it today... well, I was actually looking at a really nicely restored early 70's beetle awhile back... although that did have a 911 engine, Fuch alloys and a few other subtle modifications. So yes, I'd drive a VW bug again.

I'd definitely keep mine. It was a family heirloom- Morris Minor 'Woodie' estate car

I spent many a happy(?) hour with sandpaper, tins of varnish and scrapers trying to keep the woodwork in some kind of shape- not least scraping out the moss which seemed to grow overnight in the window channels.

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If my legs would bend sufficiently I'd have my old Land Rover 88" Series IIa again - to use.
Having viewed it again (was up for sale locally) nearly 5 years ago it wasn't the same motor car, later series III body and many other changes.

Cheers,

Well I loved my Astra 1.2 Merit (G Reg 1990) I bought for 2k in 1994 after it had clearly spent a significant time in a Welsh Bog. (rusty sills failed the MOT that year and it was just 4 years old).

Still having sold it for scrap in 2000 for 75 quid, I don't think that all the kings horses and all the kings men could put that heap of crap together again.

I'd not have another though, underpowered, unsafe, unstable terribly put together and completely lacking in character...

Mine was a 1972 Mk1 Escort estate for the grand sum of £200 as a birthday present from my parents.

The car kept me a Uni as it kept getting crashing into an written off, I'd then obtain parts fix it MOT it and away it'd go. If I remember rightly it was written off 3 times. Thankfully no HPI then.

Started life with an 1100cc engine which rapidly went pop, by various means it ended up with a 2000cc engine but the original gearbox.

I remember one night being stuck at some traffic lights next to 2 lads in a fiat supermirafiori giving it some large. Left them standing at the lights up to 30mph went like stink but rapidly ran out of legs and brakes.

Would I have it back, probably, but I'd rather have the RS2000 I always yearned for.

No - '60 Ford Anglia dangerously riddled with rust.
Second car - No - '61 Mini dangerously riddled with rust.
Third car - maybe if mint - Harry Potter lookalike '67 Ford Anglia.
Fourth car - Yes - '67 Midget 1275. Fully restored would be a nice runabout. All owned between 1970 and 1972..............

£200 was decent money in those days right?

My first car was a orangy red Hillman Avenger which I bought for £50 in 1981? I think it brew up inside a month as it had no oil and water in it

I wouldn't want it but I'll have a Hillman Imp thank you very much

But only if half- round rear wheel arches. I chewed a tyre once on those 'orrible, flattened things. OK they weren't standard rims but boys and toys etc!
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I've got very fond memories of those two models:

1. Does anyone remember a Dorset watercress farmer called Charles Barter who whipped up a real storm on the Hills in the seventies in ( I think) either a Sunbeam Stilletto or a Hillam Imp Californian

2. At about the same time, there was a guy on the rally scene from Ulster. One Robin Eyre-Maunsell esq. He did things with a Hillman Avenger Top Hat which were at times unbelievable. I saw him coming over the mountain in the Manx rally chasing a Porsche ( the MaCartney brothers I think) He didn't catch 'em but it was some drive

OK, I'll now go back to reading 'Nostalgia for Beginners'

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