For those interested in "Modern Classic" Cars

[monkeysarefun]

23 hours ago, russ p said:

Datsun 180. Japanese cars of that era to me were quite strange,  They didn't seem to have anything in common with European cars . I know its not but front end grille and lights appeared to be one huge moulding 

I'm glad some have survived and loved 

 

Japanese cars were ubiquitous here in the 70's, the choice was basically, Holden, Ford, Chrysler or Japanese. European cars on a whole had a reputation for unreliability in our climate and ridiculously expensive hard-to-get  parts. 

 

Of the Japanese, the Datsun 1600 was well-respected especially as a rally car, the RX7 had a nice shape but a tendency to go bang, the rest were not really considered desirable cars, just transport.  There is now a sub-culture of car-enthusiasts, many not born back then who do covet these 60's - 80's Japanese cars, and  one or two often turn up at car shows beside the usual Monaros, Falcon GT's etc.

Edited January 19 by monkeysarefun

[Classsix T]

In the UK (and possibly in the wider European market) Chris, I suspect Datsun were victims of something of a marketing hatchet job.

Infamously, Japan uses grit on their roads during winter but doesn't mix in salt, so consequently Japanese manufacturers didn't seem it appropriate to treat the cars with corrosion protection. You can see the inevitably of that.

So I believe, late 70s/early 80s the Datsun brand was dropped like a hot potato and the range became Nissan.

 

Japan motors were still getting slagged off in the UK in the mid Eighties, Spitting Image did one of it's worst edgelord sketch misses, just as Nissan were about to take advantage of Maggie's tax breaks to set up a plant in Sunderland.

 

C6T.

[monkeysarefun]

58 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

In the UK (and possibly in the wider European market) Chris, I suspect Datsun were victims of something of a marketing hatchet job.

Infamously, Japan uses grit on their roads during winter but doesn't mix in salt, so consequently Japanese manufacturers didn't seem it appropriate to treat the cars with corrosion protection. You can see the inevitably of that.

So I believe, late 70s/early 80s the Datsun brand was dropped like a hot potato and the range became Nissan.

 

Japan motors were still getting slagged off in the UK in the mid Eighties, Spitting Image did one of it's worst edgelord sketch misses, just as Nissan were about to take advantage of Maggie's tax breaks to set up a plant in Sunderland.

 

C6T.

 

 

Apart from the Toyota Crown (one of which my dad bought, to the disappointment of 10 year-old me who had his heart set on the bright blue Falcon in the local Ford dealers) most Japanese cars were  limited to small or mid-range and without a V8 , so were thought of  as  safe ladies cars for daughters  or as a second car for mum to go to the shops in. 

 

When you got past the snobbery though they were actually pretty handy. My bother had a 1978 Toyota Corolla that he used to take bush-bashing, up to the snowies and along Stockton Beach sand-dunes, places that these days car manufacturers reckon you need a hundred grand 4WD  with 55 different transmission modes before you even think about it. 

Edited January 19 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

 this was on my youtube home for some reason. It is obviously not filmed  here - I recognise just a Volvo a Jag and a Mini. (And maybe a Fiat X1/9!)

 

 

Edited January 20 by monkeysarefun

[Hobby]

Just on that photo, not the video, a Metro, Sherpa, what looks like the back end of a Montego (with the L plate, buried), I should know some of the others, especially that red one above the Sherpa, but can't name them at present! That Jag's a rare one as well, it's a Coupe!

[peanuts]

2 hours ago, Hobby said:

Just on that photo, not the video, a Metro, Sherpa, what looks like the back end of a Montego (with the L plate, buried), I should know some of the others, especially that red one above the Sherpa, but can't name them at present! That Jag's a rare one as well, it's a Coupe!

fiat 128 behind the metro ? red one hyundia pony ?

[Hobby]

Yes with the 128, or one of it's copies. I don't think the other is a Pony, however that did stir some brain cells - FSO Polonez or Chrysler Alpine? I suspect the latter.

Edited January 21 by Hobby

[Kickstart]

On 20/01/2024 at 14:24, monkeysarefun said:

 this was on my youtube home for some reason. It is obviously not filmed  here - I recognise just a Volvo a Jag and a Mini. (And maybe a Fiat X1/9!)

 

 

 

Red one above the Sherpa is a Talbot Solara isn't it?

Noticed a pile of yellow painted cars with TRRL down the side. Presume crash test cars from the TRRL

 

All the best

 

Katy

[monkeysarefun]

  Two takeaways I got was "Red was a lot more popular back then" and "I have no idea what a Talbot is, but there were a lot of them at the wreckers."

[MJI]

3 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

  Two takeaways I got was "Red was a lot more popular back then" and "I have no idea what a Talbot is, but there were a lot of them at the wreckers."

 

Talbot was a right mix of Simca and Rootes, created by Chrysler then sold to Peugeot.

 

So they ended up trying to make French and British cars look similar.

 

3 Small hatches, 1 good

 

Samba - small French like Peugeot 104

Sunbeam - bigger British, hatch version of Avenger

Horizon - rattley POC from France, 5 door

 

Bigger cars were the Alpine and Avenger lines.

 

The French cars were more advanced, but the British ones were a better drive, better handling, to me better looking, (and more reliable).

 

The best hot hatch of that era had a Talbot badge

 

Rootes main stay engine was a pretty reliable 1600 OHV with short pushrods, 8 port, large bore and short stroke, safe to over 7000rpm. Was well designed by a known engine designer I cannot find the details of.

 

Simca was another OHV design which got very rattly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simca_Poissy_engine

[Hobby]

39 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

 is a Talbot Solara isn't it?

 

The Solara had a boot if I remember rightly, hence I thought it was an Alpine which was a hatchback.

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, MJI said:

Bigger cars were the Alpine and Avenger lines.

 

The Talbot Tagora was Granada-sized. I think I only ever saw one and I had a lift in it.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, MJI said:

Talbot was a right mix of Simca and Rootes, created by Chrysler then sold to Peugeot.

 

The next obvious statement  now is what the (#*%$ is a Simca and a Rootes! ? 

 

Actually, the name Rootes rang a bell and after some internet delving I remember that one of my mates had an old  Hillman Gazelle as his first car in 1981, which from my sleuthing turns out to have had some connection with "The Rootes Group". Which caused merriment amongst us due to the word Roots meaning something else here.

 

I do recall that it had  some ridiculously complex gearshift gate, which almost got me murdered when we were out one night. He delayed setting off  at a set of lights in Parramatta;  some car behind us beeped;  he gave them the 2  finger salute;  they then followed us while keeping   about 3  feet from the rear bumper until we ended up in a carpark dead end;  4 huge bikie-types got out of the car behind us; my mate took what seemed like ages to manoeuvre the gearstick into reverse while we were all screaming at him ;  he finally found it as the bikie types reached the car;  we reversed the fasted ever that a car has ever  gone backwards past them, their car and back out into the safety of Parramatta road.    

 

Oh, it also had had  2 of its  engine mounts replaced with scrunched up pads of chicken-wire at some point, which explained why it rocked so much when idling, but my mate just liked imagining he had a lumpy cam.

 

 

Edited January 22 by monkeysarefun

[Kickstart]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

 

The Solara had a boot if I remember rightly, hence I thought it was an Alpine which was a hatchback.

 

Think you are probably right.

 

56 minutes ago, 30801 said:

 

The Talbot Tagora was Granada-sized. I think I only ever saw one and I had a lift in it.

 

I only saw one on the road back in the 80s. And that was an unmarked police car in Northern Ireland that we saw quite regularly. Full jam sandwich livery would probably have been less obvious!

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Quarryscapes]

On 19/01/2024 at 20:29, Classsix T said:

There's a carpark just over the road from the chippy mentioned in my previous post, which occasionally turns up the odd gem.

This Jordan branded Honda Civic (EK?) was worth a snap a couple of years or so ago, shame it wasn't parked front out.

 

C6T.

 

Just noticed, both the Japanese classics are V reg.!

 

Proper Modern Classic that, basically a limited edition version of the EK4 VTi to celebrate the Honda Jordan F1 team. Not as aswesome as the EK9 Type R of course, but the yellow wins for me. 

[big jim]

5 hours ago, Quarryscapes said:

 

Proper Modern Classic that, basically a limited edition version of the EK4 VTi to celebrate the Honda Jordan F1 team. Not as aswesome as the EK9 Type R of course, but the yellow wins for me. 

there’s a civic Jordan rotting away on a driveway not far from me, sad to see 

 

until not long ago another nearby house had a Nissan sunny GTIR rotting away but that’s gone now, hope it’s gone to a good home and not scrapped 

Edited January 22 by big jim

[Quarryscapes]

On 22/01/2024 at 22:28, big jim said:

there’s a civic Jordan rotting away on a driveway not far from me, sad to see 

 

until not long ago another nearby house had a Nissan sunny GTIR rotting away but that’s gone now, hope it’s gone to a good home and not scrapped 

 

There used to be a Jordan on my street in Oswestry, back when I had a relatively boring MB4 (5 door hatch). 

Anything old and Nissan will just have rusted into the ground. I used to have an N15 Almera GTi, a rare non bodykit facelift one in Tropical Green. Sadly It was pretty rotten and I got rid before having to put it through an MOT! Lovely car, would love to find a good one again but may as well go hunting unicorns! 

[monkeysarefun]

Anything Nissan  Skyline with GTR on it is worth insane money here to the JDM fans.   1989 track cars will be a smidge under 100k, lovingly cared for ones, especially the R35 version can be in mid 6 figures.

[steve1]

Doesn’t seem to be many of these about.

 

steve

 

 

[Stevebr]

Thank goodness

[Dunsignalling]

5 hours ago, steve1 said:

Doesn’t seem to be many of these about.

 

steve

 

 

They never did sell all that well IIRC and the few I have seen of late appear prone to getting brown and crumbly.

[monkeysarefun]

 

 

I saw my first Crossfire only about 4 weeks ago in the local supermarket carpark. It definitely lived up to the Clarkson description of it looking like a dog doing a poo.

[big jim]

Not quite sure wheee to put this, modern classic or old car thread given its 40 odd years old! 
 

parked up next to my car in Carlisle earlier, 78k on the clock and a local(ish) garage name on the number plates (dissington)

 

[Classsix T]

On 10/02/2024 at 19:27, big jim said:

Not quite sure wheee to put this, modern classic or old car thread given its 40 odd years old! 
 

parked up next to my car in Carlisle earlier, 78k on the clock and a local(ish) garage name on the number plates (dissington)

 

Hmm... not looking quite as 'Executive' these days is it? I remember thinking when radio aerials embedded in the window pillar was a new thing, as opposed to straight up out of a wing, how cutting edge it seemed!

 

C6T.

[Hobby]

It's a fifth generation Corolla, launched in 1983 so could fit in either thread as my cut-off was the mid 80s! I've just ordered a new Corolla which is the twelfth generation!