trisonic Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 My favourite Countach ever: Smokey Joe Best, Pete. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Car widths have got silly. A normal family car of the early '60s, the BMC Farina series was 5' 3.5" wide. Now a supposedly 'small' Fiesta is 5' 8.3"! That's practically an extra foot needed to pass side by side. I finally realised the world had, indeed, gone mad, when I spotted Vauxhall Corsas with THREE headrests on the back seat.......ffs!! The problem with fat cars is, once parked, there's less room for others to pass. {Are cars actually becoming obese?] The next problem lies with the drivers of those fat cars.......drivers who either [a] don't know, or cannot be bothered, to judge the width of their fat cars....thus turning normal streets where 2 double deck buses used to pass with ease, into narrow, single track roads with occasional passing places....so far out from the parked cars or kerbs do they drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted October 16, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 16, 2018 My favourite Countach ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F4g_vVCaOI Smokey Joe Best, Pete. Did the driver have to open their door to see round the corner in the garage? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Cars have always got bigger, just look at each new model, an inch or two here and there extra. I don't think that's a problem when the design of the car is OK. The problem comes when style overcomes substance and that's the issue with many modern cars. I have a Mk7 Golf estate which is eminently practical, and though bigger than the stuff from the 70s and 80s is still practical. Recently I was at a set of lights and a MINI Countryman pulled up alongside and I had to look UP to see into it! What's more despite being fairly close in size to the Golf and higher it has less room inside. Style over substance, and the suckers buy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Did the driver have to open their door to see round the corner in the garage? Indeed he did, it was a technique started by factory test drivers Bob Wallace and Valentino Balboni, sometimes they'd perched themselves on the wide sill and still be able to reach the pedals, I watched someone do it at a car show several years ago, it's quite a feat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) In reverse with the later models it was even more vital - I'll find another vid. Some d@#head driving..... He doesn't do it as elegantly as Bob or Valentino. Ferrari's are so more beautiful - a friend of mine who owns two recently got a factory tour which included the farm owned by Ferrari with their herd of cattle that exclusively provide the leather upholstery. Best, Pete. Edited October 17, 2018 by trisonic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted October 17, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) ... Ferrari's are so more beautiful - a friend of mine who owns two recently got a factory tour which included the farm owned by Ferrari with their herd of cattle that exclusively provide the leather upholstery. Best, Pete. The leather on one Ferrari that lives down the road should last forever. The car spends much of its life being trailered to a garage.Tony Edited October 17, 2018 by Tony_S 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) Right, that's it, I'm moving to Milan and growing a moustache... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alfa+romeo+alfetta&&view=detail&mid=F4787C6D3F4F42446226F4787C6D3F4F42446226&&FORM=VRDGAR How's this for Italian elegance - the 1969 Lancia Flaminia Marica by Ghia, I don't know how many were built but what a lovely looking thing it is... Ciao! Edited October 17, 2018 by Rugd1022 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 The leather on one Ferrari that lives down the road should last forever. The car spends much of its life being trailered to a garage. Tony That's too bad! You only live once. Best, Pete. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) Right, that's it, I'm moving to Milan and growing a moustache... How's this for Italian elegance - the 1969 Lancia Flaminia Marica by Ghia, I don't know how many were built but what a lovely looking thing it is... LANCIA 1969-lancia-flaminia-marica-3.jpg Ciao! Odd wheels on the top one (Lancia)??? I confess to liking the F 400i GT 412, not many do........ they are still "reasonable". Remind me of the Granny Mk.2!!!! Best, Pete. Edited October 17, 2018 by trisonic 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) Yes Pete, they look like standard sized Flaminia GT wheels in the top photo, here it is in profile... The 400 series, very nice, very much the 'unloved' Ferrari but I've always liked and been impressed by them. Saw two in the auction area at the NEC Restoration Show back in the Spring, I sat in both and was knocked back by the relative opulence and glamour they conveyed, much better build quality than I was expecting too. One was manual, one was auto IIRC. Edited October 17, 2018 by Rugd1022 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I wouldn't want a red one but the Ferrari 400/400i and its related models is a favourite of mine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I wouldn't want a red one but the Ferrari 400/400i and its related models is a favourite of mine. have only ever seen two 400s in my time both in a dark allmost black blue realy did suit them think ferrari scarlet would look a bit garish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted October 17, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 17, 2018 Car widths have got silly. A normal family car of the early '60s, the BMC Farina series was 5' 3.5" wide. Now a supposedly 'small' Fiesta is 5' 8.3"! That's practically an extra foot needed to pass side by side. ...and developers build smaller and smaller car parking spaces; the result is yet more risk of some numpty denting your doors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Why do car doors not have clumsy-strips any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 The two Ferrari 400s at the NEC last Spring... Used to see a silver one quite often when I lived in Hammersmith in the early '80s, I was probably the only person in the area who ever took any notice of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Steve Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Right, that's it, I'm moving to Milan and growing a moustache... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alfa+romeo+alfetta&&view=detail&mid=F4787C6D3F4F42446226F4787C6D3F4F42446226&&FORM=VRDGAR How's this for Italian elegance - the 1969 Lancia Flaminia Marica by Ghia, I don't know how many were built but what a lovely looking thing it is... LANCIA 1969-lancia-flaminia-marica-3.jpg LANCIA 1969_Ghia_Lancia_Marica_02.jpg LANCIA GHIA MARICA 1969.jpg Ciao! Very reminiscent of the Ferrari 365/400/412 range at first glance. Lovely looking car though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted October 18, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 18, 2018 At the LM Classic this year. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Not keen on the convertible, which I think was aftermarket rather than factory sanctioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) Yes Pete, they look like standard sized Flaminia GT wheels in the top photo, here it is in profile... LANCIA MARICA GHIA 1969.jpg The 400 series, very nice, very much the 'unloved' Ferrari but I've always liked and been impressed by them. Saw two in the auction area at the NEC Restoration Show back in the Spring, I sat in both and was knocked back by the relative opulence and glamour they conveyed, much better build quality than I was expecting too. One was manual, one was auto IIRC. It's quite a reasonable way to obtain the 12 cylinder engine in all its glory.... I like this model too the BB (one of the few Ferraris that look great in black): I remember in the late seventies, maybe early eighties, coming back from Le Mans in a Jaguar XJC V12 (in itself a great car, it was the actual one on the cover of Classic Cars, the registration started with LPN - it's being restored as we speak) doing 130mph when we saw this approaching behind us in the Jags' mirrors: He must have been absolutely flat out when he passed us. The sound was incredible! Those were the days alright. Best, Pete PS I know someone who has a Testarossa for sale if anyone is interested - its the model with one extra long side mirror. Edited October 18, 2018 by trisonic 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 At one time (not really that long ago), you could pick up a usable 400 or 412 for around £20k. Nobody wanted them back then though and the same goes for the Mondial, the cheapest way into Ferrari ownership, it was even less loved than the Bertone designed 208 / 308GT4s which now seen as the excellent mid engined sports car they always were. Pretty much all of the period road test reports thought the GT4 superior to the outgoing but prettier Dino246GTs, the handling was described as better than anything on the road bar the Lamborghini Urraco, ironic really considering the overall design was based on a rejected proposal for the baby Lambo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 It's quite a reasonable way to obtain the 12 cylinder engine in all its glory.... I like this model too the BB (one of the few Ferraris that look great in black): -this-1984-ferrari-512-bbi--bb-for-berlinetta-boxer-i-for-fuel-injected-the-car-was-powered-by-an-unusual-flat-12-engine.jpg I remember in the late seventies, maybe early eighties, coming back from Le Mans in a Jaguar XJC V12 (in itself a great car, it was the actual one on the cover of Classic Cars, the registration started with LPN - it's being restored as we speak) doing 130mph when we saw this approaching behind us in the Jags' mirrors: cc73990f596fd7114391897af04940f3.jpg He must have been absolutely flat out when he passed us. The sound was incredible! Those were the days alright. Best, Pete PS I know someone who has a Testarossa for sale if anyone is interested - its the model with one extra long side mirror. re the BB in black the only one i ever saw in the flesh was in black and it just looked right tho a little out of place outside Mossley FCs seal park ground amongst the Sierras owned by your typical semi pro 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 keep your eyes peeled folks https://www.facebook.com/sam.curtis.1272/posts/1476360359174049 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted October 20, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 20, 2018 keep your eyes peeled folks https://www.facebook.com/sam.curtis.1272/posts/1476360359174049 Total scum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Steve Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 At one time (not really that long ago), you could pick up a usable 400 or 412 for around £20k. Nobody wanted them back then though and the same goes for the Mondial, the cheapest way into Ferrari ownership, it was even less loved than the Bertone designed 208 / 308GT4s which now seen as the excellent mid engined sports car they always were. Pretty much all of the period road test reports thought the GT4 superior to the outgoing but prettier Dino246GTs, the handling was described as better than anything on the road bar the Lamborghini Urraco, ironic really considering the overall design was based on a rejected proposal for the baby Lambo. I can remember nice Dino's at £80 not that long ago, they're up at £400K now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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