What makes you a petrol head? Your ideal car.

[Wattie]

Thought this might be interesting and get creative juices flowing. What’s your story and early memories?

My early ones as a kid were crank handle started green Morris minors and then. broken down ford escorts, Seluki Bronze no-less, a £1 paint extra(clutch problem) after a Edinburgh to London trip (12 hours at dads speed), a Ford anglia that my dad had a concrete slab in the back of, to stop it spinning (apparantly). The idea never took off and go demonstrate why he spun it on the downwards slope towards Glencrse Golf club one night with us in it across the dual carriageway. Fortunately no horses and carriage were coming in the opposite direction
No harm done.
Thereafter, I remember having a Porsche fetish, not really 911’s, but 928’s (especially after Risky Business). Hormone related I suspect.My first car memory was returning from the Glasgow car show,.....early 80’s with tons of brochures full of crushed velour. Most of the cars I couldn’t get near....not even the Toyota Supra. My point dream at the time.
Didn’t deter the lust.
My dad wasn’t interested in cars at all bless him- even when I suggested he import a Vauxhall Nova SR fromBelgium, cos it was better than our Toyota Starlet......funnily enough my Mrs 1st car too. Importing at the time was the rage.
I did however recognise immediately the chick pulling power of wheels and my first car was a triumph dolomite 1500 (twin carb for haters HR, with overdrive bit like a boardroom on wheels, with woodworm. Thought it would attract a girl keen on polishing things.
Not even the Dollysprint cos that was £800.

Anyway, to cut a long story short,Triumphs, fords, vw’s, rovers, volvos, vauxhallls, thunderbirds, Mercs, Chrysler’s, renaults, Alfa’s, Jaguars, Bmw’s, Atom and Maseratis later, I’ve been fortunate to drive a lot.
My Dad stilll wouldn’t be impressed nor care- bless him....he was in a lot and couldn’t give a sh1t.
Not Materialistic or car driven at all.
Luck, fortune and some hard work got me into 911’s over the years. Something I never ever thought I’d achieve. At the time , I rememember thinking the Aston Vantage equivalent was gorgeous. Bond, if I’d been single at that time I’d have had one, bow tie too.
Wasn’t, Went Cayenne turbo after 911’s. Some machine.
Funny, but as much as I appreciate Ferrari,i’ve never desired one. I think it’s because I went Maserati first. Never dreamed of a Lamborghini either. When I had the Atom, my friend had a Gallado, cost him a fortune. Broken down every 5 weeks. Atom thrills were cheaper and as quick acceleration wise- an a experience like no other.

So dream car, here and now
I’d take a Quattroporte or a Granturismo, GTS V8, noise , shape, with the technology and reliability of my current Merc.
That would be quite a car.

 

[Hawk13]

My grandad was a mechanic (learned the trade in RAF) and worked on competion engines and almost all of my family (other than me) are in engineering ..... and so I grew up around engines in bits.

My first passion was (and is) motorcycles but I have always loved cars. My first car was a Dolomite Sprint that I bought with a whining rear diff and starship mileage before I had passed my test. Swapped out the rear diff to discover a gearbox problem - which was also swapped out. Passed test and then it threw a rod which cracked the block - and so I put a new engine in it.

Sold that to buy a Talbot Samba Ralleye (don;t laugh, it was a great car) and then a string of stupid cars (Mantas, 2.8 Capri, Opel Monza, Rover Turbo ....) until I realised I couldn't afford truly quick cars so turned to motorcycles as my only form of transport for many years (I lived in London and didn't need a car). Family brought about a string of sensible cars (not even going to embarrass myself by naming them) and a focus on mortgages and family holidays.

Kids got older, priorities changed and wages went up which allowed me to indulge in some fun cars alonsgide motorcycles and daily drivers.

Fast forward to today and I genuinely have my perfect car. A proper GT car with a NA V8 with more than enough power and handling to have some fun but with genuine daily driver usability and 4 proper seats. Only other option was an FF which was 3 times the price.

Only thing I would change on the GT is in hand (appalling in car entertainment / technology). An Xpipe would be nice but not really needed.

 

[Nayf]

Started with fast Fords; always loved the shape of the Sierra, probably because it looked so futuristic compared to the Beetlejuice yellow Volvo 240 my dad drove. Caught the BTCC with the infamous Soper vs Rouse RS500 race at Brands in 88. From there I knew I wanted to be around cars.
The switch to Italian cars came from Car magazine, in 1992 - the Escort RS Cosworth was first reviewed in the same issue of Car that featured the first RHD Shamal being driven to the UK. It made a huge impact, and my love of Italian cars grew from there.

Started off with a Vectra, of all things, before a 156 Selespeed that lasted three months before I crashed it. Then a terrible Laguna, another 156 which was no end of trouble, then a Mercedes W123, which died in a ditch. Then I had a Focus for a long time, then a BMW 3 Series. Then I moved on to an Alfa 166, which was crashed into.
I also bought another W123 Coupe, but it was a carb-fed two cylinder with neither power or torque. Doubled my money on it, and bought a 147 GTA.
I now run a 291k Alfa 156 and the GTA.

Dream car shuffles each day: of the cars I’ve driven at the moment it’s an Alfa Romeo 75 V6 Cloverleaf or a Maserati GranSport MC Victory, or a Alpina B10 Biturbo.

Mind you, I haven’t driven a Maserati Ghibli Cup, and I’ve a feeling that will defeat everything, even with its flaws...

 

[Nayf]

Ah yes, drove a Honda NSX Type R NA1 the other week. That was amazing too.

 

[Wattie]

I

My grandad was a mechanic (learned the trade in RAF) and worked on competion engines and almost all of my family (other than me) are in engineering ..... and so I grew up around engines in bits.

My first passion was (and is) motorcycles but I have always loved cars. My first car was a Dolomite Sprint that I bought with a whining rear diff and starship mileage before I had passed my test. Swapped out the rear diff to discover a gearbox problem - which was also swapped out. Passed test and then it threw a rod which cracked the block - and so I put a new engine in it.

Sold that to buy a Talbot Samba Ralleye (don;t laugh, it was a great car) and then a string of stupid cars (Mantas, 2.8 Capri, Opel Monza, Rover Turbo ....) until I realised I couldn't afford truly quick cars so turned to motorcycles as my only form of transport for many years (I lived in London and didn't need a car). Family brought about a string of sensible cars (not even going to embarrass myself by naming them) and a focus on mortgages and family holidays.

Kids got older, priorities changed and wages went up which allowed me to indulge in some fun cars alonsgide motorcycles and daily drivers.

Fast forward to today and I genuinely have my perfect car. A proper GT car with a NA V8 with more than enough power and handling to have some fun but with genuine daily driver usability and 4 proper seats. Only other option was an FF which was 3 times the price.

Only thing I would change on the GT is in hand (appalling in car entertainment / technology). An Xpipe would be nice but not really needed.

I hate you, a dolly sprint....British Racing green I guess by any chance? My memory was the vertical clutch pedal.....handy for Kangaroo take offs which would come in useful now. I loved the Opel Manta, white.....sexy at 19.

 

[Hawk13]

I

I hate you, a dolly sprint....British Racing green I guess by any chance? My memory was the vertical clutch pedal.....handy for Kangaroo take offs which would come in useful now. I loved the Opel Manta, white.....sexy at 19.

It was a bergundy / maroon colour with obligatory vinyl roof.

 

[Corranga]

I guess my answer is pretty simple - my dad was a petrol head.

I grew up with toy cars, then some collectors models as I got a bit older, plenty posters on my bedroom walls, regular visits to Knockhill to watch racing and of course BTCC and F1 on TV (plus whatever else I could find on there from truck racing to rally cross).

I had a permanent mounted Scaletrix track mounted on a folding board on the wall, and moved on to R/C when I was older, then on to real cars.

My posters were mainly BTCC and Ferrari. The beauty and culture drew me to Ferrari, and still does, in particular the ones I noticed as I grew up - F40, 308, 348, 355, 456, F40 etc.

At the age of 6 or 7 I saw The Italian Job for the first time, which cemented my love of Minis, and Italian things. So many pretty cars in the film, so of course when I passed my test, a Mini was bought.
After a fleeting couple of years with a VW Jetta as a student (cheap and dependable) I went back to a Mini for a long time, perhaps missing out on a lot of cars I'd have loved in between.

In 1996 I saw the Elise for the first time, and that went on my list instantly too.
I think I'm lucky that I loved cars that not only looked great, but drive great too.

My dad instilled in me the idea of never buying a car I didn't like, and, combined with my collector / hoarder ways, that means I tend to get something I like and hang on to it for way too long, so my own list of cars is quite short. I also saw some regret in his own car purchases, often putting head over heart, which is why I try not to, though it took me way to long to get in a Alfa!

 

[rivarama]

Total petrolhead myself, started from my dad who was into racing and raced semi professionally in his early 20s and had to quit after my mom became pregnant and made him chose between her + baby and his cars.
He’s always been into F1 and motor sports but from the spectator side from there on and pushed that sense into me every since I was a kid. I remember watching the Prost/Senna GP sitting on my dad’s lap after the Sunday family roast.
I got my 1st Porsche 911 at 28, it was a 4S and probably was more than I could afford at the time. I have slowly grown numb to the German sportscar (although I would like to own a GT3 RS) at some point or a early 70s 911.
I am now obsessed with Italian cars... I still own my F430, trying to add a 550 to the mix and probably a Gransport after that.
My ultimate fantasy car - money is no object - you can only own 1 toy - would be a F40 LM, but I would settle for a “base” F40

 

[allandwf]

I started with a mini van, then various Minis, swapping engines, disc conversions etc. I always loved Italians so bought a 2.4 Fiat Dino which I had restored in the 80's then a Merak, an Espada always a bit tired but managed to sell on at a profit. A few years followed with a TVR Cerbera then a Tuscan both great cars . The Assetto Corsa followed which I kept the longest almost six years, ( with a brief spell away.) The 348 followed and was a car I always wanted, probably as it is the last you can tinker away at, it is my keeper. I skoot around in a modified Abarth 595 which reminds me very much of the old minis, so almost went full circle. lol.

 

[philw696]

What a Great thread Wattie.
Im going to have to write a list as have been driving for 40 years passing my test first time days after my 17th birthday.
Was gutted at the time that I couldn't get my test on my birthday.
Even wrote to Jimmy Saville to see if he could fix it.
More later.

 

[DaveT]

At last a Wattie thread I won't be avoiding.

Great idea. Let me think...

 

[iainw]

All started for me with a Citroen AX with 900cc. And seats like sunloungers. I was upset my parents didn’t buy me something more sporty. It was very generous of them though. Starting small and not having much money helped my work ethic and I have gradually worked my way up the car ladder. By working in the kitchens at the local nursing home I scraped enough together to make it look like an ax GT! But it was still slow and sounded ****. Fast forward a lot of hard work and exams and I feel less guilty looking at Italian supercars.

 

[Wanderer]

How about a slight thread diversion? Ideal hankered-for car that can now full officially under classic car tax/mot/nct rules?

UK and Ireland. Thinking something fairly cheap to own/run (relatively speaking)

I have an eye still for;

1. Ferrari Mondial - I think I'm one of the few who actually like them...
2. BMW M635CSi
3. BMW 850 (not quite old enough for Ireland)
4. Toyota Celica Supra 2.8i

 

[Wanderer]

All started for me with a Citroen AX with 900cc. And seats like sunloungers. I was upset my parents didn’t buy me something more sporty. It was very generous of them though. Starting small and not having much money helped my work ethic and I have gradually worked my way up the car ladder. By working in the kitchens at the local nursing home I scraped enough together to make it look like an ax GT! But it was still slow and sounded ****. Fast forward a lot of hard work and exams and I feel less guilty looking at Italian supercars.

I had to buy my own first car, and it was a 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, 8.2 litres of no power. I don't do things by half, me.

 

[MaserCoupe]

I started with a mini van, then various Minis, swapping engines, disc conversions etc. I always loved Italians so bought a 2.4 Fiat Dino which I had restored in the 80's then a Merak, an Espada always a bit tired but managed to sell on at a profit. A few years followed with a TVR Cerbera then a Tuscan both great cars . The Assetto Corsa followed which I kept the longest almost six years, ( with a brief spell away.) The 348 followed and was a car I always wanted, probably as it is the last you can tinker away at, it is my keeper. I skoot around in a modified Abarth 595 which reminds me very much of the old minis, so almost went full circle. lol.

Would love to see a pic of your Espada! What a fabulous car that was. A genuine four seater and 155mph in the late 60’s-70’s..Brilliant bit of kit I thought. What series did you have?

 

[Wanderer]

Would love to see a pic of your Espada! What a fabulous car that was. A genuine four seater and 155mph in the late 60’s-70’s..Brilliant bit of kit I thought. What series did you have?

Here's part of mine.

 

[Wanderer]

Actually it's not mine, and it's not an Espada, it's an Uracco....

 

[MaserCoupe]

Here's part of mine.

View attachment 60717

Wanderer! Snap! Urraco!!! I had a silver on black 3litre back in 2000 to 2003. That looks fabulous buddy... very pretty car.

 

[Nayf]

How about a slight thread diversion? Ideal hankered-for car that can now full officially under classic car tax/mot/nct rules?

UK and Ireland. Thinking something fairly cheap to own/run (relatively speaking)

I have an eye still for;

1. Ferrari Mondial - I think I'm one of the few who actually like them...
2. BMW M635CSi
3. BMW 850 (not quite old enough for Ireland)
4. Toyota Celica Supra 2.8i

Classic car rules are 40 years are they not? All those are a bit too young...

Going by the 40 years thing, I’d struggle t choose between an Alfa GTV 2000, Fiat 130 Coupe, Citroen SM, Maserati Sebring and a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9

 

[Wanderer]

Classic car rules are 40 years are they not? All those are a bit too young...

Going by the 40 years thing, I’d struggle t choose between an Alfa GTV 2000, Fiat 130 Coupe, Citroen SM, Maserati Sebring and a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9

Pretty sure it's 30 in Ireland where I am the noo....