Buying a used sports car in Oz
in [Aussie Drivers]
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From: hippo on 31 May 2010 08:29 Noddy wrote: > > > "hippo" <am9obmhAc2hvYWwubmV0LmF1(a)REGISTERED_USER_usenet.com.au> wrote in > message news:htus28$lr5$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > > > Maybe a more economical plan B - get a really good Clubman and upgrade > > brakes, suspension and powertrain. Not as valuable but just as much fun > > and a Q car to boot. Clubby has the advantage of giivng you a tad more > > working room, although I agree the front looks ... erm ... square? > > It does. > > I've had a couple of Clubmans (including a mint version of one of the last > 1275 LS's) and while they were a nicer car than the early roundies with more > room under the bonnet I never really liked the styling as much as the old > roundies. I think if I was going to do a "fun" car, in terms of it being a > "hottie" I'd do a roundie with a full house engine and have it set up to > howl. > > > The other probably better (and maybe cheaper overall) option for real > > world conditions would be to pick up one of the Japanes spec ones with > > aircon, fuel injection, adjustable seats (and I believe, a decent bloody > > alternator!) then go ratso on the engine. There's no more coming in under > > the limited import rules but you can still private import from Japan or > > the UK if you meet the right criteria and have the money. > > I looked breifly at that option for a car for my Mum some years ago as she's > always loved the things since I gave my old LS Clubman to her. When I asked > her what car she'd like to replace her tired old Mazda 323 about 6 years ago > the first thing she said was that she'd like another Mini and I thought > about one of the newer imports. We got as far as going to look at one that > was in an importer's yard not far from here and she didn't like it as she > thought the modern touches kinda spoiled the whole idea of the thing. She > ended up with a Hyundai Getz instead. > > I thought the "modern" Mini was pretty decent, but the drive was pretty soft > and uneventful compared to the ealier ones as I remember them. > > > I wish I still had my first 1100 Clubman and also the '65 850 that did > > Sydney to Perth and back at least 4 times in the late 60s - poor old > > thing! > > Lol :) > > Like most around here I'd think we've all had cars we wish we could have > back today. Most of my Mini's were shitfighters that I spent a zillion bucks > on hotting up only to get bored with them after a while and move onto the > "next big thing". However, I did have a pretty nice Mk.II Cooper S in BRG > with a white roof that I absolutely loved at the time, and it was one of my > all time favourite cars. It wasn't terribly quick compared to some of the > other "Frankenstein" Mini's I'd had, but it was just a great all rounder > that went well, cost next to nothing to run, was a shitload of fun to drive > and didn't need it's bonnet up every second week-end to be sorted. > > Like anything, the older I get the greater they seemed to be so if I *do* > get serious about buying another one some day I'll have to find one I can > take for a decent drive to see if they're as good as I remember them being. > > I'm sure they are :) > > -- > Regards, > Noddy. > > > > > Thy are, but most of us are now a bit bigger and wider than we were then, with less forgiving spines, hips and necks. I'll probably stick with things like the 206 GTi (or a really silly Clio) for the next few years and then build the Morry Minor I always wanted. It *won't* be all original collectable if it ever happens (unless I can bring out an excellent condition late production Traveller, which I *would* keep mostly original) but it will be a reasonably quick, economical and comfortable workhorse with a lot of character (in a good way - not a Lucas &/or later era BMC/BL way). Proper suspension, brakes & steering first up, full Datto running gear with a 5 or 6 spd manual, 15 or 16" wheels, a/c, probably Saab or Renault front seats (if possible to fit 'em in), a nice exhaust note and a reasonable sound system. FYI, the bloke next door got the XP to the stage of 302, gearbox and driveline running and pretty well sorted over the last couple of months. The full exhaust finally went on lst week and it sounds magic - perfect tone and IMO just enough of it. I *think* he ended up fititng another XP steering box after killing the original on and some dramas with an alternative replacement. Your info was appreciated. Thanks. Whatever, the wheels do turn corners and the brakes stop it going through the back of the garage, so it's all gong well so far. BTW, did you ever have any dealings with worked Isuzu Bellet GTs? Serious fun! -- Posted at www.usenet.com.au
From: Noddy on 31 May 2010 22:07 "hippo" <am9obmhAc2hvYWwubmV0LmF1(a)REGISTERED_USER_usenet.com.au> wrote in message news:hu0a32$avo$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > Thy are, but most of us are now a bit bigger and wider than we were then, > with less forgiving spines, hips and necks. I'll probably stick with > things like the 206 GTi (or a really silly Clio) for the next few years > and then build the Morry Minor I always wanted. It *won't* be all original > collectable if it ever happens (unless I can bring out an excellent > condition late production Traveller, which I *would* keep mostly original) > but it will be a reasonably quick, economical and comfortable workhorse > with a lot of character (in a good way - not a Lucas &/or later era BMC/BL > way). Nice. > Proper suspension, brakes & steering first up, full Datto running gear > with a 5 or 6 spd manual, 15 or 16" wheels, a/c, probably Saab or Renault > front seats (if possible to fit 'em in), a nice exhaust note and a > reasonable sound system. That'd be a nice drive. There's a few old Morry Minors getting around that have been cut down into tray back utes with Datto running gear and they look great. Of course, that'd be the only way you'd *want* one, as with the standard mechanicals they were as slow as a wet week. > FYI, the bloke next door got the XP to the stage of 302, gearbox and > driveline running and pretty well sorted over the last couple of months. > The full exhaust finally went on lst week and it sounds magic - perfect > tone and IMO just enough of it. Cool. > I *think* he ended up fititng another XP steering box after killing the > original on and some dramas with an alternative replacement. Your info was > appreciated. Thanks. Whatever, the wheels do turn corners and the brakes > stop it going through the back of the garage, so it's all gong well so > far. As long as it all works *and* he drives it with the limitations of the original hardware in mind it'll be fine. > BTW, did you ever have any dealings with worked Isuzu Bellet GTs? Serious > fun! Not worked, but I used to have a neighbour who had one years ago and he loved it. I never drove the thing but I raced him around the Richmond & Kew Boulevards in a pretty hot Mini I had at the time and it was a lot of fun. It certainly seemed to go pretty well, and sounded quite schmick at full noise. -- Regards, Noddy.
From: st3ph3nm on 1 Jun 2010 20:59 On May 29, 12:06 am, Oz...(a)Crackerbox-Palace.com wrote: > On Fri, 28 May 2010 04:58:00 -0700 (PDT), st3ph3nm <s...(a)hotmail.com> > wrote: > > >Shall we go hunting for lap times for supercharged AWD Veradas vs. > >WRX's? I think that might be difficult... > > >Cheers, > >Steve > > Ahhhhh try driving an F1 on the road....or a Roller on the track. So what you're saying is that they're very different cars designed for different purposes. Does that mean you were wrong when you said this? "No Nod....As I've always stated the AWD Verada supercharged allows a very good chassis to reach its potential ...which happens to be a lot higher than many others and as good as a WRX. " Cheers, Steve
From: st3ph3nm on 1 Jun 2010 21:06 On May 27, 9:35 pm, Oz...(a)Crackerbox-Palace.com wrote: > On Wed, 26 May 2010 19:44:01 -0700 (PDT), st3ph3nm <s...(a)hotmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > >On May 26, 6:48 pm, Oz...(a)Crackerbox-Palace.com wrote: > >> On Wed, 26 May 2010 01:29:47 -0700 (PDT), st3ph3nm <s...(a)hotmail.com> > >> wrote: > > >> >2 or 3 Production World Rally Championships would define it as a world > >> >beater, wouldn't it? > > >> >Cheers, > >> >Steve > > >> Actually it sucks compared to the real World beater, Lancia. > > >>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Rally_Championship_records > > >> Abnd as a road car the Subaru WRX is no world beater. > > >> OzOne of the three twins > > >> I welcome you to Crackerbox Palace. > > >Yes, yes. Very relevant. And tell me, how many championships has the > >Verada won? > > >Cheers, > >Steve > > >(FWIW, Ford now hold the record for most championship round wins, with > >75) > > Ahhhh none...never claimed any different. > > WRX is a very minor player in your reference to world beaters. > > OzOne of the three twins > > I welcome you to Crackerbox Palace.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - You claimed the WRX was no "world beater". I just showed you that you were incorrect. It has won international competition on enough occasions to be a world champion. Which makes it a world beater, for those championships. (Hint: Do you know what the "W" stands for in WRC?) Bringing old Lancia victories that span back to the 70's is totally irrelevant. We were comaring a Verada to a WRX. Cheers, Steve
From: OzOne on 2 Jun 2010 07:51
On Tue, 1 Jun 2010 17:59:58 -0700 (PDT), st3ph3nm <sgam(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >On May 29, 12:06�am, Oz...(a)Crackerbox-Palace.com wrote: >> On Fri, 28 May 2010 04:58:00 -0700 (PDT), st3ph3nm <s...(a)hotmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >Shall we go hunting for lap times for supercharged AWD Veradas vs. >> >WRX's? �I think that might be difficult... >> >> >Cheers, >> >Steve >> >> Ahhhhh try driving an F1 on the road....or a Roller on the track. > >So what you're saying is that they're very different cars designed for >different purposes. Does that mean you were wrong when you said this? > >"No Nod....As I've always stated the AWD Verada supercharged allows a >very good chassis to reach its potential ...which happens to be a lot >higher than many others and as good as a WRX. " > >Cheers, >Steve > No actually it means that the supercharger has allowed a very good chassis to reach its potential...which happens to be a lot higher than many and as good as a WRX. At no time did I mention rallying nor racing the Verada so lap times are not relevant. OzOne of the three twins I welcome you to Crackerbox Palace. |