[Closed] What would your classic car be?

Triumph GT6
Vauxhall Sportshatch
Lotus Sunbeam
Bristol 411

The Instagram link thing doesn’t work any more then?

No, it's the one thing that worked so they removed it.

Edit: doh! 🙄

Easy, if I had access to a secure garage then I'd have one of these in 16 valve form:

I'd go with slightly firmer dampers and better front brakes, but otherwise it would be standard. I used to have one back in the day and when not suffering from a myriad of reliability issues it was a stunningly good drive.

If I had the secure storage and enough cash to splurge on fuel, I'd have one of these:

Again, not terribly reliable (my brother had two, the second was a warranty replacement that still went wrong often) but the V6 sounded nice and handling was lovely. It's not as good a track car as a MK2 Golf, nor is it as nice to look at, but the Passat derived rear axle allowed for some passive rear steer making it very throttle adjustable. Even a complete idiot like me could corner it nicely.

If I had sufficient means to ensure access to secure storage, a stash of spare parts AND a friendly garage on a retainer, I'd have one of these IIRC, Alfa Romeo South Africa wanted to go head to head with the domestically built BMW 535i, so it imported CKD GTVs and installed a 3 litre V6 complete with SIX Dellorto carburettors. Mental, financially ruinous to own, probably uninsurable, rust prone, unreliable but oh my..

From my childhood it would a Mk2 Ford Escort. My parents drove around New Zealand in a red one when I was little, with photos of them negotiating landslips in it. Then when I went to boarding school in the UK they had a yellow one, with everyone else's parents turning up in Range Rovers and Volvos. I'd still love a fast one.

but I wouldn’t want to give up the practicality of my van, so maybe…

Sunbeam Tiger

https://www.sportscarmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1965-sunbeam-tiger-mk-i-convertible-front-1.jp g" alt="sunbeam" />

I know a man who has both an Alfa SZ100 and a Delta Integrale - both absolutely mint (Aussie imports) and he's going to let me have a play in both in the summer - if he hasn't already sold the Lancia by them.

Most insane car I went in during my youth (Not me driving though) was a Chevette HSR driven quite spiritedly ! Engine was a 6 cylinder 2.3 I think from a Bedford CF van. Banana Yellow with a roll cage. I think it died hugging a lamppost 🙁 Guy who built it was a Vauxhall mechanic who had two speeds - Flat out and crashed.

I don't think I'll get any closer than this to owning one:

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Realistically a Mazda RX7 third gen, I still think they look fantastic but don't know if I'd ever be happy with a rotary engine.

Unrealistically a Ford GT40, before my time but I remember seeing some on track at Silverstone for the 50th anniversary of F1 when I was younger. They look beautiful but the noise they make and their wide and low stance also makes them quite menacing.

In 1995 I had a metallic blue Mk1 Mazda MX5 1.8iS, loved the car, eldest daughter was 2 by the time I had to sell it before 2nd daughter arrived and had to move on to a more sensible 1.8 MX3.
I always wanted another, MX5 not daughter

Oldest daughter is now 24 and has just bought this as a project for herself

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She has even put me on the insurance

I much prefer looking and admiring classic cars rather than owning and driving them but it would have to be a old citroen for me (I owned three XM V6, two 12V and a very late 24V over a few years) so preferably a SM or a DS23/D21 even a CX Gti Turbo2. No space for me cars here though! Maybe a S1 Elise is more likely.

HSR Chevette was a 2.3 but only 4 cylinders 16 valve
Droopsnoot Firenza now they are quite rare , Gerry Marshall was the opposite of any today's drivers he was fat , probably smoked and had a thirst but was always at the front

good point! If we’re talking money-no-object, but you can only have one…
A-Team van, modernised, electric conversion, kitted out as minimal camper with bike garage/load space. (I am not even joking, that is what I would get 🤣)

Looks like it'd have plenty of space in the rear, and I do like the idea of a minimal camper set-up.

Would be handy as a bike holiday solution for someone who didn't like going on planes, eh?

Money no object? I got to sit in this actual car when I was a teenager.

Actual childhood nostalgia car? I got to sit in one of these most days when i was a teenager

My husband had a Droopsnoot Firenza before I met him, sold it to fund a XR2 when they fist came out.

Guy who bought it rolled it after a couple of weeks and it ended up totalled and in the scrap yard.

Porsche 914
Always loved them when I saw them in the 70's and sill love them now. Still fairly cheap too.

Another vote for the Mk2 Golf GTI 16v

Here's the one I used to have:

Sold it about 20 years ago. Red bits on the photo are due it being the last frame on the 35mm roll (I think.)

Always wanted (still want) a VR6 Corrado.

Now, if I had almost unlimited amounts of cash, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk style then the world would be my oyster. I'd probably stop hanging out with eugenicists and would want to fund Covid vaccinations for everyone, pay my employees properly and pay my tax so that we all could enjoy a properly funded NHS, I'd probably still have pots of cash lying around that I could never spend in one lifetime, so I'd go for the following:

A Mercedes Benz 600 Pullman - the problematic ownership profile included people like Idi Amin, Deng Xiaoping, John Vorster, Kim Il-sung and Jeremy Clarkson. On the flip side David Bowie, Karen Carpenter and John Lennon owned 600s, so I'd like to think that I was restoring some karmic balance to the brand.

Then there's this:

I mean, just look at it. It's as old as New Order's Blue Monday (both were revealed to the world in 1983) and the Porsche doesn't come with Peter Hook. Running costs are apparently monstrous, but away from a race track you'd rather drive one of these than a Ferrari F40 and it's going to be far better everywhere than a Lamborghini Countach, especially in the rain.

Finally, we have this:

Take a Williams FW15C and add a 1994 Renault Espace silhouette body and this is what you get. The downsides are that it's not road legal, it requires a Formula One team to start and spares are going to be thin on the ground. But it's gloriously mental.

Late 60’s early 70’s 911 Targa in dark blue or Burgundy

Delta Integrale Evo 3 in yellow

Renault 5 turbo 2

Escort Mk1 drop nose.

Pug 309 GTi Goodwood

The Instagram link thing doesn’t work any more then?

No, it’s the one thing that worked so they removed it.

Ha.

Having some experience of trying and failing to get software developers to do seemingly simple tasks, I'm sure there's a pefectly good but unintelligible explanation for its absence - or that there are much more important business priorities which we aren't aware of.

I was lucky enough to buy my dream car a few years ago. Audi quattro turbo 1988. It didnt disappoint. Nearly bought a Lancia Delta Intergrale when I sold it but went for a motorhome instead. I'm toying with idea of getting a Mark 1 Toyota MR2. Had one back in the day, great little car.

Money no object?. This:

https://auctions.artcurial.com/en/infinitebidding.asp?method=getLotInfo&lotref=5994E81AAA&seq=9&tokenID=109171829

Bids open at 1,000,000 euros!!!.

Money no object? An early Jaguar XKR, they aren't that expensive, but it would be by the time I've spent an extra few grand on some wire wheels and written a blank cheque made out to retropower....

This just looks so RAD and ticks all my boxes

There's a lot of nice motors on this thread, but that Esprit is just ****ing moist. It looks like it's doing Mach 1 when it's parked up.

Would have to be one of these. When I was 18 a bloke I used to climb with who worked offshore had one and did a Lakes trip in it up the A65. The sound of an air cooled 911 is like nothing else.

Full spares availability (including new rustproofed bodyshells)
Reasonable purchase price
Available in large numbers so plenty of choice
Easy to work on at home
Low insurance
No tax
Great owners club support

MGB

My dad had a powder blue Viva HC company car, which my grandad bought off the fleet and kept for years. It wasn't anything special- reasonable spec, 4 door, think it was probably the 1.2- but I absolutely loved that car and the fact that any time I saw it, there'd be good times coming.

But I still love that nose, and the whole "tiny muscle car" thing always appeals. I don't want a resto or a Proper Classic, though, I want to get a basket case and fill it with whatever I can squeeze into it. Lots of tyre, give it some curves back in the arches, nose down... I could definitely be tempted by a Firenza (not a droop snoot, just the normal coupe) or Viva-E but really it's the old blue car that's the inspiration so I don't know if that'd be Pure. I don't know how to do most of these things to be fair but that's just details.

Had a near miss with a volvo 940 just before I got the current car, still love those too. Banded steels and as much boost as you dare 🙂

Volvo 480 ES turbo

I had a 1967 mrk2 spitfire (then I got divorced) the guy round the corner from me in Colchester had a non running GT6, he kept offering me the engine and running gear for cheap. Apparently the ex got in it one day and the floor fell through (it was stationary).

So a mrk2 spitfire.

Or

Austin Healey 3000

Or

Mark 1 mr2

It wasn’t anything special- reasonable spec, middle sized engine, hardly a Firenza- but I absolutely loved that car and the fact that any time I saw it, there’d be good times coming.

^Brilliant, cause my Dad also had a Blue Viva HC 🙂

A while ago I almost bought a lime green Shuvitt as a runaround ,I was outvoted.

Miura as the money no object option. Much better looking than a 250GTO IMO, although I wouldn't kick a 250SWB out of bed for dropping crumbs...

More realistic? XJS. Ideally the V12, but would settle for the straight six if I had to daily it. Either way, it'd need a manual conversion and to be rot free (lolz)... An early 911 would be lovely too - like this

Volvo p1800 es for me please

Had a Citroen zx 16v in the late 90’s in white as pictured previously, very nice quick car, hasn’t aged well though looking at the pic compared to my fuzzy  memory of ownership

Mg midget or a bond bug....

996 generation 911 Turbo S or GT3. They came out around the time I started driving ('97 so the turbo did anyway) and there was one around the corner from my uni house, just the right kind of unobtatium to get 18 year old me drooling!

On a more limited budget, I would love to have another 172 cup, I ran a mild modified one for a couple of years as my daily covering 30 odd thousand miles (could never be quite sure as the gearbox speedo sensor was a little dodgy so used to just drop off and not show speed or record mileage until I changed it). Sadly I didn't have space to park it up when I bought a more sensible car so traded it in for a grand (was actually bought by the garage so they could turn it in to the staff track car!) gutting when half tidy ones are going for £4k plus now.

this one recently sold for £7.5 plus fees!

How old is classic?
I've owned my take for 13 years, 27 years old this year.

I'd love a GT6 or a 240z, anything else my heart lusts after (air cooled 911, NSX,Hakosuka kpgc10, Cosmo 110s etc) is now sadly out of financial reach.

I had a 172 cup, great when it worked but broke constantly. Less reliable than my rotary, and it has been looked after!
Wife had a DC2, and it was phenomenal. If love to have another.

Another shout to the Saab 900. Would upgrade the family memory to a soft top Turbo.

My Dad used to be asked for his navy blue standard 900 as a wedding car living on a dodgy estate. Did it for a couple of pints and it being washed. Even had the posh ribbons in the boot. Actually looked quite good although smelt of Hamlet cigars inside! Oh, the 1990s.

For nostalgia purposes: MK2 GTI IV - Oak Green

but if we are are dreaming, then a delta integrale

^^ love that Oak Green GTI - I always wanted one that colour. Had a Jade Green one with the machined version of those wheels and then a bit of a scabby dark blue one.

I'd like a mint version of my first car - Mk4 Austin Healey Sprite - basically a Midget, and a mint Mk2 Golf GTI. However, I'm in the fortunate position of having a car I've always fancied - cheap and cheerful but a great drive. This car, but a few years after this advert after it had been standing a while...

Money no object? 1973 911 RS Touring

The industry experts always rate the Mk1 GTI so it's good to see the MK2 getting a lot of mentions on here. I really loved mine and with the addition of extra anti-roll bars it cornered so flat it was like a go-kart.

I had a Mk1 Scirocco GTi in Arctic Gold. Light and beautifully balanced. I’d have one of those in a heartbeat.

I had a MK2 GTI 8v 3 door in Oak Green. One of the 1 in 10 million Campaign models with small bumpers, rainbow interior, sunroof, half dark rear lights, tinted glass and Castellet wheels. Lovely car that rotted badly in the sills. I owed a mechanic mate of mine a load of favours so gave it to him for nothing. He welded it up and it ran in the VWDRC for a while.

I’ll have the same as pondo please. Lancia Statos in Alitalia livery. Failing that a Delta Integrale.

oh, and a triumph stag because my Dad bought one "for my mum" when he was having a mid life crisis

The first time I put my back out was lifting the hard top on to that car - weighed about as much as the moon.

Had a Mk1 Caddy pickup up until last autumn, but sadly I'd bought a bit of a dog and it never went very far in the 4 years i had it.

Dream would be the same again with a straight, rust-free chassis/body, decent brakes and suspension, a non-scratched windscreen and an electric motor dropped in...

As others have posted vans, I'll add my 1974 'bus' which I still have.

Previously, I owned a 1939 Citroen Light 15 - awesome engineering for a pre-war car. 2 litre engine and could do 70mph. Only trouble was it was the first monocoque and the back doors used to pop-open due to body flex going around corners - nearly lost Mrs DB going around the Elephant and Castle.

Alpine Renault A110.

I was lucky enough to co-drive in one in 2019 for an Italian guy, and he gave me a shot of driving it on one of the road sections.... wow 🤩

I would love to have the chance to go for a road trip in one.

Would have to be a mini. I had 6 as a kid, one of pretty much every variant other than a van or a pickup. They were all beaters though, so it would be nice to have a good one and see if they are as much fun as I remember them being...

Absolute dream would be finding an ERA.

Just for Northwind - here's my HC Viva. Fitted with an Alfa 1750 engine and gearbox.....

That is lovely.

An alfaholics 290R
Having owned three 1600 105series Alfa coupes it would be both nostalgic and a dramatic improvement on the originals.

Actually, I've changed my mind

@perchypanther would be oh so proud of me

Circa 1990 BMW E30.

I'd have another Alfa Romeo Bertone coupe - having previously owned a 1976 GT Junior. Great little car, in that idiosyncratic way that only Italian cars - and especially Alfa's - really manage. Mine was Piper Yellow, aka Mucky Beige. Proper 70's colour.

After the Viva/Alfa above I became a full Alfista and got a red Bertone GTV - and another has been on my wish list ever since.

I've also had GTV6, Alfa75 V6, Alfa 155, Alfa 156 (2x), Alfa 166 V6 and currently have Alfa 159 3.2 Q4

Peugeot 205 GTI. Preferably a Miami blue 1.9, gutted I never got one when they were cheap

Silly money/dreamland stuff it'd probably be a 964 given the Singer treatment.

@fruitbat

You have won the internet for today.

Ore Sum

My list of only two Alfa’s so far pales to insignificance.

MkII Ford Escort RS2000 in Signal Orange...

i’m not sure of the rules. are these cars that we would see around our home town when we were young? or cars that our parents or neighbours owned?

if the first, a ferrari gto (the one known as the 288 GTO). i grew up near Guildford. in the late 80’s i saw one a few times in the town. it was at the time that ferrari had a design office close by.

if the second, an orange x-1/9 or, oh i’ve just remembered a young upwardly mobile professional couple from up the road had a red M635 csi. it must have been worth more than the house.

bloody hell, i’ve just remembered another one further up the road! an RS200. the son of the owner was a similar age but went to a different school so only vaguely knew him, but he let me know when his dads buddy was coming over in his Audi Sport Quattro. i nearly pissed my pants at the sight.

this makes it sound like i lived somewhere extremely fancy. this isn’t the case. there were some anomalies in the area.

if it’s having cars you once owned, Big bumper mk2 Golf GTI, or the 1.7 Puma my wife drove.

Never really had much interest in cars till the Lamborghini Diable came out.

DerekStarship. I owned a 900 T16s for a year in that silver. Burgundy interior, was lovely, gearbox got a little tight do sold it on for a 50% profit
Then bought a bright red one which wasnt as good, but still sold for a profit

Had a Golf mk1 race car, 750mc spec, never raced it, sold it for a profit

Had a Scirocco, shed of a car
Had an Oselli mini 1320, it ended life in a ditch.

Had a Sunbeam Ti twin 40s, shed of a car
Had a Sunbeam Ti Lotus Lookalike. Kept on being stopped by the police, too much agro, sold it

Had a few 323 4x4 Mazdas tuned one to 185bhp, fun lttle things

I would love a Tommi Makkenham mitsubishi evo fast and practical

Or a clean Toyota ae86. Dream on

Give up can’t work out how to post a pic of my delta integrale!

I’m the very fortunate owner of this

View this post on Instagram

At 15 years old there would have been the Toyota Supra, not the jelly mould, the cheese wedge and the Nissan 300SX.

Now looking back at the road going cars of my youth and early 20s...

Porsche 911, before they got all smooth lines and the headlights started to merge into the bonnet. Targa top, whale tail. Think Robert Redford in Spy Game.

Possibly controversial and a little later but the 406v6 coupe would be on my list, lazy 3l, 200hp- as quick as any road car needs to be, understated and big four pot brembos hidden away up front. Had a V6 estate for a while, such a sleeper. 🙂

Also had a 306GTI6 for a while - I'd have another 306GTI6 or Rallye in a heartbeat, either (preferably) totally stock with the original Cyclones or with a low boost supercharger conversion (someone was doing kits at one point).

Give up can’t work out how to post a pic of my delta integrale!

What, this? Lovely!

singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-would-your-classic-car-be/page/4/#post-11735498

Yep thanks and thanks😀

Yep thanks and thanks 😀

Triumph Stag for me.
Always wanted one, had to settle for a Triumph 2000 (ended up with 3 of em).
My brother, who’s still in the motor trade found me J reg 2000, absolutely immaculate, with 30k on it. Loved that car despite. the cost of petrol putting me into my overdraft every month.
Got some nice photos of it somewhere...

That Integrale is lovely.

Money no object?
Practicality not a consideration?
A Bristol from 1946 - 1955.
Will post some pics later.
If Nick Mason is a member, he would be well qualified to comment.

‘71 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda.

Or a continuation Jaguar D-Type.

I’ve stood next to Nick Mason’s D-Type, and it’s a thing of sublime beauty.

Couple of folk have mentioned the Stratos. There's an ongoing build thread of a Lister Bell replica on Pistonheads ...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1807417

I’m no driving god, but am well up for some spannering. I’ve got my eye on a Series IIA 109 Station Wagon.

"An alfaholics 290R
Having owned three 1600 105series Alfa coupes it would be both nostalgic and a dramatic improvement on the originals."

And so it should be for £300k...
With just a £2k suspension package my junior was transformed.
But is does leave one lusting more powah.
My mid life crisis ain't complete 'til I do...

As a daily driver to potter in to town, probable a Citroen Avant.

For a bit of fun it would have to be a toss up between a Lancia 037 or a Metro 6R4

If we’re doing unlimited money and little practicality this:

https://amyshorephotography.com/2016/05/15/legends-and-its-dino/

trackday only classic

Something just occurred to me.

I had a bit of a thing for Cavaliers for a while and have owned several. So I offer you this,

Take a Cav, throw a 200bhp engine and a sporty shell on it, what's not to like?

The V6 sounds fun too:

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-reviews/retro-road-test/vauxhall-calibra-v6-review/

some americana....

'sGarage

MkII Ford Escort RS2000 in Signal Orange…

I had that exact car back in 1988 (a custom version) Mint condition and paid £2,800 for it. One of the very few cars I have owned that I would want again.

if i lived in the right part of the world (somewhere you can keep the roof down 😉 ) one of these would do nicely, not cheap though

arg....

mmmmm....

in the mid sixties guise

what an interior wowsers!

Oh God, "if I had the money and space" there's no way I could stop with one, it would end up being a constant revolving door of cars, mostly late 80s / 90s German and Jap stuff for me.

There's no point trying to be objective about performance etc, the march of technology is brutal, by the early 2000s the awful Ford Sportka with 95bhp could put in a lap time on-par with an E30 M3 (there's a Fifth Gear video on YT) but who cares, the roads are too busy to drive like a Div these days, might as well enjoy the nostalgia.

E30 M3 is an obvious one, the Sport Evo if I had a choice, they're all mega money now. It's partner-in-crime Mercedes 190 2.5-16 Evo2 is probably even more cool looking and more expensive.

Porsche 968 Clubsport (no body colour wheels though please), or a 964 Carrera RS, or 993 Turbo

Early NSX, the facelift 3.2 manual hardtop in red please. One of the last N/A MK2 MR2s Silver with a black roof.

Golfs, I had a couple, Mk2 16v for old times sake, but why stop there, G60 for a bit more go and EFI, or hell a Rallye or Limited if money is no object.

BMW M635CSI or an 850CSI. A Mercedes 500E

Or maybe a Lotus Carlton.

Now, all I need is a 10 car garage and about a million quid.