My first car way back in 1965, what was yours?

Although lee had the A35 van when we first went out and then the A35 car, the first car I learnt to drive was a Ford Anglia. I managed to wrench the front bumper and grill off reversing out of the garage days before we were due to trade it in against a Ford Cortina.
 
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Although lee had the A35 van when we first went out and then the A35 car, the first car I learnt to drive was a Ford Anglia. I managed to wrench the front bumper and grill off reversing out of the garage days before we were due to trade it in against a Ford Cortina.
Oh the A35 van. Andrew had one when I was 18. He gave me a lesson in it and it broke down and was kaput and needless to say I got the blame
 
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1965 mini 850, bought in 1981 for £30 from a scrapyard, my apprenticeship included ground up restoration, ( jim in picture) wouldn’t let me drive it until everything was right in his words,
The scania UK managing director lived locally and loved the paintwork so much he commissioned a new scania to be painted the same way
The paint started off as marine blue metallic and then each time he walked round the car he added a capful if silver metallic, Jim swore at me by the time he’d finished climbing ladders to paint the truck
My mini was then featured in a scania magazine article with the new scania
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In 1968 I took delivery of a brand new Morris Cooper 1275S, it was brilliant until July 1969 when on a rally in Devon it suddeny became 3' 6" shorter when it came in direct contact with a very solid bank of trackside rock & earth!

Where did you finish the race??
 
1968 Wolsley Hornet mk2. Wished I still had it. Leather seats, wood dash, no synchro on 1st, sliding windows, full beam switch on the floor? And the pull wire to open the front doors.

Jon
 
1973 Hillman Imp - passed test first go as well........ soon changed though to

White Honda Civic - which turned brown.........
Holbay Hillman Hunter GLS
Mk 2 Cortina 1600E - lotus engined
Morris Cooper 1275S bored to 1360 and race tuned to 200 hp - my favour car. Sad end though as sold to an american serviceman who couldn't handle power and hit a tree killing him............
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Sunbeam Imp Sport
Mk 2 Ford Capri 2.0 GL
Mk3 Ford Escort 1.3 GL
Volvo 340 1.4GL
Volvo 340 1.7GL
Volvo 440 1.7i GL
Volvo 740 2.3 GLe Estate
Volvo 740 Turbo Est GLT
Saab 9000csi
Saab 9000 CSE Turbo (Abbott tuned)
Saab 9000 CS Aero 2.3 (Abbott tuned to 250hp)
Saab 9-5 SE Estate 2.3 (Abbott tuned to 275 hp)
Saab 9-5 2.3T Aero Estate (Abbott tuned to 300 hp) Ludicrously fast!
Saab 9-5 2.2 TiD Estate
Saab 9-5 1.9 TiD Estate (Abbott tuned to 150hp)
Subaru Legacy Estate - lasted 3 months when gearbox went pop - got money back + compensation
VW Passatt 2.0 Sport Estate - hated as so uncomfortable - lasted 6 months.
58 Reg Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero Estate - absolutely superb fast comfy estate with 200 hp. Kept for 3 years to 195k miles
Current for last 14 month 2011 Nissan X Trail Tekna - loads of goodies, Celtic tuned to 221 hp and goes anywhere - literally. Makes these big 4 x 4's look useless!

Sorry quite a list but doesn't include my current T5 camper soon to be replaced by a VW California when I find right one for right price :)
 
Huh Teenage drivers !
I managed to spin mine 180 on a very wet road...but no damage (except to my pride) and no collision
Mine was 1968 but wasn't rallied but had loads of work done to it............was 1275 bored to 1360 fitted with high lift cams and 2 twin choke webbers plus big valves etc. Jack Knight race gearbox, huge cooper works exhaust a potato would fit, twin cibie lamps, wood and pickett interior, webasto sunroof, wolfrace super slots, corbeau ralley seats and harness with full roll cage. And of course twin big fuel tanks all in flame red. It went like absolute stink with 200 hp recorded on rolling road. Nothing took it at traffic lights and did 60 in about a sneeze! Loved it to bits but had to sell when moved to London and a USAF guy from nearby Mildenhall bought it. I explained never to hit the loud pedal going into corner - only out. Sadly he did opposite and wrapped it round a huge oak tree ending his life - very sad as he also hadn't re-registered it so police called at my home........................ :(
 
My first car was a "Davies Sports Special" LDE 565 that I didn't build but bought second hand.

The fibreglass body sat on a Ford chassis with an 1172 side valve engine running on twin SUs with a standard three speed gearbox. I drove it with the hood permanently down because I had a full head of hair in those days. :cry:
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My first car was a Standard 8 (radiator grill and opening boot not included as they were optional extras). I bought it for £15 (had to borrow £10 from my brother) and sold it 2 years later in worse condition but looked good because I had hand painted it, for £25. Never did pay my brother back come to think of it so I hope he doesn’t read this.
My main car now is a Tesla Model X - how times have changed!
 
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Mine was 1968 but wasn't rallied but had loads of work done to it............was 1275 bored to 1360 fitted with high lift cams and 2 twin choke webbers plus big valves etc. Jack Knight race gearbox, huge cooper works exhaust a potato would fit, twin cibie lamps, wood and pickett interior, webasto sunroof, wolfrace super slots, corbeau ralley seats and harness with full roll cage. And of course twin big fuel tanks all in flame red. It went like absolute stink with 200 hp recorded on rolling road. Nothing took it at traffic lights and did 60 in about a sneeze! Loved it to bits but had to sell when moved to London and a USAF guy from nearby Mildenhall bought it. I explained never to hit the loud pedal going into corner - only out. Sadly he did opposite and wrapped it round a huge oak tree ending his life - very sad as he also hadn't re-registered it so police called at my home........................ :(

Sorry Jim, but how on the eart did you ever fit 2 twin choke webbers onto a 5 port head? For that reason the works cars were sometimes fitted with a single 45 dcoe webber and the highest ever power that anyone ever achieved out of an 'A' series engine was at best 150 bhp.

I do of course realise that some of the works cars were later fitted with 8 port heads, but very few of these were ever put onto the open road because they cost a fortune as indeed they do these days if you buy one from the likes of MED Engineering, but the head alone before you even start thinking of the exhaust or carbs costs an eye watering £2,500. So by the time you have tuned an 'A' series engine with one of these when fitted to a Mini, then along with a Jack Knight gearbox, the exhaust the con rods, the crank and everything else the engine and transmission build alone would come to well north of £7k.
 
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Yet again the bloody post did multiple reply........................ fortunately 2cv came to the rescue.
 
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Yet again the bloody post has been multiple replied........................ come on Phil what is wrong with the software?

Very strangely it only seems to affect a small number of users. Could it perhaps be browser related?
 
My first car way back in 1965 was a Heinkel 175cc bubble car, slow as a snail but good on fuel and I could drive it on my provisional motorcycle licence with L plates and without a passenger!

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in the Early eighties a then fledgling punk rock group produced their first album and I drive a red one of these with the guys playing their instruments etc out of the sun roof etc for the Album covers photo shoot.

My parents had a Messerschmitt.

My first was a Reliant Regal Van which amazingly in those days did not come fitted with Diesel heater or Sola!
 
My parents had a Messerschmitt.

I loved those, so charismatic, I once knew someone who had a highly tuned Messerschmitt Tiger 500 which he used to compete on hill climbs and he even did the Land End Trial in it on a few occasions..... now look at the prices of any of them in good condition being asked these days!!
Here are some Bonhams images of the Tiger 500 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22792/lot/106/
 
Mine was a Talbot Sunbeam. It died a death when the engine went on fire outside B and Q on a bank holiday Monday.
 
I started off with motorbikes, then learned to drive in a Morris Marina. I borrowed my dad‘s Morris 1100 if I needed to use a car.
My own first car was an 1100cc Escort, only picture I can find

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Next I got a Nissan Sunny and kept that until I bought the GS in the background from my dad, starting my interest in Citroens.

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