General What else do you own?

[Bambino]

I've noticed that quite a few of the list contributors own many cars and was wondering if they might share the makes/models of any of the current older cars that they own and any stories that may go with them.
Chris

 

[jjacob]

2002 Infiniti G20 (Nissan Primera everywhere else) - Most reliable car I have ever owned. In 204,000 miles only failure was a starter motor at 170,000 miles. Still has everything original except brakes, tires, and belts.

1994 Saab 9000CS - Non-turbo, so slow. Wonderful car. Huge inside. Carried a new furnace for my home in it with the hatch closed. Always something wrong with it though. Nothing to strand you, just little things.

1988 Chevrolet full size pickup - 8 foot bed. 5.0 liter V-8. Just enough scratches and dents to make you not care anymore. Lived most of its life on a farm in Tennessee, so no rust. Daily driver for my college age son. Haul eveything in it. Referred to affectionately as "the rolling dumpster." When I moved to Tennessee 6 years ago a friend of mine in Tennessee told me "you know it is required that you buy an old pickup and a shotgun." I complied.

1977 Alfa Romeo Spider - Bought this car to part it out. Got it home and found out it was solid. Southern car all its life. So going to fix up as a daily driver for the warmer months. Came with dual webers, and headers.

1969 Fiat 500L - Bought in Memphis, Tennessee from former Air Force F-16 mechanic. He brought it back with him from Aviano, Italy. Sat since 2006 until I bought it. Quote from guy I bought it from "I am a great F-16 mechanic, but I don't know anything about cars." My comment to him "that's OK, I don't know anything about F-16's."
Car is currently under restoration.

1966 Maserati Mistral - Have owned since 1985. Still waiting patiently for me to restore it.
John

 

[dragonwagon]

1987 Panda 4x4 - owned since 1993, my daily driver once more.

1972 Abarth / Radbourne OT1000 (fiat 850 Sport Coupe based) patiently waiting restoration

1967 Citroen DS 21 again waiting restoration

1959 Land Rover 109" pick up owned since 1986 and in use as a mobile skip mostly.

My wife has a 2003 Alfa 156 2.4 JTD (150 bhp) the last of the first series cars - the ones that look the best but have most of the sensible upgrades and the near indestructible 10v 5 cylinder diesel.

 

[Bambino]

Interesting - I have this theory that you can't own just one Italian car.

Currently for me,

1967 Fiat 500F rebuilt as a 695 with 126 transmission, front disc brakes etc. Great fun.

1970 Alfa Romeo 1750GTV. I've owned this car for many years and it's in original condition. Twin cam engine, 5 speed synchro box, LSD, 4 wheel twin circuit vacuum boosted disc brakes etc. etc. They built them well then.

1981 Mercedes 230E (W123). Nick named 'The Green Hornet' because of both its colour and the fact that its a little known superhero. Bombproof construction and fantastic reliability. Its currently got 460,000km on the clock with original pistons/rings and only recently starting to blow smoke though that will be the valve guide seals.

1991 Mercedes 190E 2.6 (W201). My wife's car. 320,000km and still going strong.

In the past I've owned many cars - Fiats, VWs, Volvo, SAAB etc...

Chris

 

[dunnah01]

1971 500L - in bits but getting nearer
1978 MG Midget 1500 - de-bumpered, fibreglass bits and very low - summer fun
1986 Ford Fiesta Mk2 2.1 Turbo ZVH Popular Plus lightweight - Track Day hooligan
2000 Maserati 3200GT - Daily Driver

 

[ianhunterv8]

1965 Fiat 500 F, just imported from Italy and awaiting kingpins and brake hoses to get it through the MoT.

2012 Fiat 500 Pop - my wife's car

2010 VW Scirrocco GT 170 bhp Tdi - my daily driver

2008 Factory Five Racing AC Cobra replica, only one in the UK and rhd. 400 bhp and 425 ft. lbs of torque. Took a couple of years to build, something I had dreamed about for 15 years - great for sunny days and the occassional Track Day.

Ian

 

[Bambino]

Maserati, Cobra, DS 21 - you're an eclectic lot.

There must be more out there ...

Chris

 

[Kernow]

On the other end of the scale from the 500 is my daily driver........................

Which is of course a Vauxhall VXR8 for us in the UK, but it's actually a HSV Clubsport R8 made by our good colonial cousins down under.

Mine has a full sequential LPG conversion and I get the cost equivalent of 38MPG, not bad for a 6.0L V8 430BHP beast!

The VXR8 replaced this (well actually this was the first of two identical ones)....................

Which I unfortunately had the misfortune to own for almost a year before rejecting it. The first one developed a fault at 1,000 miles which was a misfire and poor running, eventually replaced with a brand new one by Citroen after 7 months and then that one went exactly the same!

Prior to that was this................................

Which was a 300C 6.1L Hemi SRT8, tuned to just under 500BHP and would do 0-60 in a fraction under 4 seconds!

My Wife has the Italian car history, previously owning these two.......................

Stef

 

[Bigvtwin996]

The collection... but don't tell the wife..

1959 500 Jolly US bug eye lights
1960 500 N Transformable RHD
1968 Lotus Elan S4
1967 Lotus Elan S3
1966 Lotus Elan S3
1965 Lotus Elan S3
Probably another Elan but can't remember
1967 VW Splitscreen 21 Window Samba
1965 VW Splitscreen 21 Window Samba
1960 VW Splitscreen 23 Window Samba
Probably another 21 windows but can't remember

Now the drivable ones
1960 500 N Ecconomica RHD - On the road
1965 VW Split Screen Double Door 21 Window Samba
2003 CBR 600 (should have kept the Ducati)
2000 Pug Speedflight
2002 Porsche Boxster (wrapped up for the last 5 years)

Daily Drivers
2004 Pug Partner - Van with Windows
2004 Pug 206 SW - Cheap motoring
2000 Hymer Lionheart Motorhome

Probably missed a few as most are racked and stacked in storage...

Biggest regret, not buying the 246 Dino.

Second bigest regret ... not having time or space to work on all the toys..

 

[dunnah01]

The collection... but don't tell the wife..

I can't believe she hasn't noticed the queue to come and see such a great collection...

 

[MattGibson]

I only own my '68 500F which, after owning a couple of modern Jags, makes a bit of a change as a daily driver. That said, I do occasionally get to play with my Dad's '71 MGB when he's not using it (or fixing it!).

 

[Bambino]

These are mine - only two 'classics' at present but may be a third coming in the next couple of weeks.

My greatest asset is my wife who is very tolerant of my automotive passion.

My biggest regret is that I don't have a larger garage ...

Chris

 

[Antgiu]

Hello

My wife has a Tiguan, I have a Skoda Roomster.
Our Luigi, our 1965 500F, is our 'family car'......

and our 4yr old, G, has a 1/2 size Landrover (which is more complete than the picture, but still needs to be completed before we can 'play' with Luigi!)

Anthony

 

[Bigvtwin996]

I can't believe she hasn't noticed the queue to come and see such a great collection...

I used to buy properties to rent out before we met.. but kept the garages, she knows about the properties but not what's in the garages.... Now should we ever divorce.. "What garages!!!"

I view it as a pension, but it pales into insignificance when I recently heard of someone not too far from me who has a collection of 60 cars, 14 Fiat 500s and rents part of a hotel underground carpark for storage, I am trying to find the guy..... My only route is to sell him my 500 Ecconmica as he wants to buy it... but I don't want to do that...

Ohh to return to the days you could buy heaps for a couple of grand or less....

Ohh I don't let people view unless it is at my house after a garage was turned over and some rare parts stolen.. amazing just after I sold some other stuff from the same garage to someone... (not fiat so don't worry)

Should we start a thread on what you regret...

a mate who broke a mk1 Escort Mexico
a mate who sold a works Escort Twincam for £4k
Me thinking £5k was a lot for a Mk1 Lotus Elite
Me thinking 23 Window Sambas were expensive for £10k (not so long agao)
Me thinking an Aston DB5 may be too unreliable for £25k

those were the days....

 

[PointFiveO]

Nothing too exciting compared to the exotics some have owned, currently run a 17 year old Alfa 164, prior to that another alfa romeo a 155. Before that a string of 80's hot hatches; honda crx, citroen AX GT, peugeot 205 gti.

colm.

 

[rustywheels]

Some fantastic cars listed above!!!!

No Fiat as yet but on the case

1974 1300 VW Beetle (Running)

1975 1200 VW Beetle (3/4 done I think )

Mk4 Golf GTi just passed on to son (so have room for a Fiat now) Plus the wife she says yes

VW T4 camper

There is a trend here.

Previous cars many since my first 1959 Moggie in 1971! But no Italian (YET)
Cheers
Chris

 

[dunnah01]

I went through a German phase before I saw the light (or blown Italian electrics bulb!)

Porsche 944 - very good (still fancy a 968 Club Sport)
Porsche 911 3.0 SC - very ordinary
5 series BMW - very dull

 

[RobbieDunne]

Let me see,

I'm from a VW family and bought my first 500 when I was 16 and sold the last at 18 because I needed the money for college. Moved away from old cars for a couple of years. But as time went on the urge took hold again and iv had a few vw since. Currently I have:

90 Corrado,
61 Rag top bug resto,
58 bug,
68 500 resto,

And my daily the audi. I always looked at the 500 as the little Italian cousin of the beetle built on the same principal and needs of the times.

Robbie

 

[littlemouse]

Having a mid life crisis at the moment much to the wifes dismay, currently own

1986 Ford RS200 Group B Rally car
1987 Ford RS500 Cosworth
1972 Fiat 500L
1969 Mk2 Wood and Picket Mini Cooper S