The ''whats your old performance car'' thread made me think about this.

I have had some clutter over the years which I thought was brilliant at the time.
AS SUCH
I wonder how a 3ltr S capri would compare these days. Would it get done by a 1.8LX mondeo?
My old mini 1275GT's would they get done by a 1 ltr Yaris?

We wont even talk about the Spitfire i had for 3 months ....haha

 

Very good point TVR ....my first XR3 which I thought was the 'nuts' back in 1986 would be blown away by most 'Johnny reps' in their Diesel motorway munchers now .

 

About 99BHP for the original XR3 wasnt it? If you broke the magic 100BHP you were in the big boys league

 

I used to have a Lotus Cortina Mk 1 which had aluminium bonnet,boot and doors, as well as ali castings on the gearbox and back axle. It was a "hot ship" especially when I gasflowed the head and fitted Cosworth 1/2 race cams.

I drove one the other day, not highly tuned but the same model. It was nice to drive one again but nowehere near in the same class as my MY94 STI. Also sounded rattly and whiney-maybe just general wear though.

Les

[Edited by Leslie - 5/29/2003 10:23:55 AM]

 

I thinkk my Scooby electiic window motors have got more go in them than my old XR3 had under the hood !

 

Sounds about right ......haha.

I had a cortina 1.6GL for three weeks. I had to buy a new indicator bulb and was gutted that they came in packs of two. Really didnt wanna spend any more money than i needed to on it.

My Spitfire (cough cough) the drive shaft thingy went and it cost me £70 for a new one. That was just tooooo much for me so I sold it. How much do I spend on parts today??? loads and loads and dont really bat an eye.

 

I used to own a Carlton 3000 GSI about 5 years ago. I sold it to a friend cuz I couldn't afford the petrol. Still a great car sounds V.nice and incredible fun in the wet.
Cheers.
Ian.

 

I had a Bond Bug. It wasn't quick, but believe me, driving close to the limit in a 3 wheeled orange plastic wedge was quite invigorating.

 

I had a MK2 RS2000 with the full x-pack suspension. Handling at the time was fantastic in the dry and entertaining in the wet. Performance was naff then and embarrassing now!.

Sunbeam Lotus (170bhp in 1984) that replaced it was like driving a sidewinder with a brake, nothing this side of a ferrari beating it through the gears (30-90 range) at the time. Crap handling and crap brakes though.

Neither of the above would touch the handling of a Subaru although I suspect the in gear acceleration of the Lotus (as above) would be close to a standard scooby.

 

I miss my 380bhp Cav Turbo a lot. It was built by Swindon Race Engines, the guys that built the engines for the Cav BTCC car. I think it will more than hang with my 02 WRX wagon.
I wish i could find a nice standard one mod it to 380bhp, then ship it over to America. All the boys over here wouldnt have a clue. There were never any hot cavs here, no 4x4 versions either. Some had bigger engines though, i think 2.4 and 3.1 were available.

Either that or import a Lotus Carlton.

 

I used to have an RS2000 with X-Pack kit. Normal mods of the time such as 2.1 lightened/balanced, big valves, Piper cam etc but standard carb so not huge power. Suspension was well sorted with Bilstein adjustables etc. I took it to an RS national day at Donnington in about 1988 and it totally embarassed quite a few Sierra Cosworths (and they were the bees knees at the time!) I still laugh when I watch the video. With a few more simple mods one of these could still kick subaru butt (but not in the wet obviously), and I am very tempted to get another one.

Steve

 

Did a road rally a year or two back in a "borrowed" Focus 1.6 Zetec. It was difficult to compare actual "times" as that is not really the name of the game.

But on one selective, we ended up on the same minute as two Welsh lads in a well prepared Mk2 Escort. Both of us were trying hard, but we had no real problems in keeping up, and eventually passed when he outbraked himself at a hairpin and slithered off. We had aircon and Jazz FM as well. It doesn't really prove much (usual blah about drivers, road etc) but it was interesting.

On another note, I drive both a Bugeye WRX and a 1.9 205GTi, and also have a 2.8i Capri in the garage. The Capri was actually very well regarded in its day. My car belonged to my father, who bought it new, but replaced it 4 years later with a 1.9 GTi. The difference between the two is staggering. I had a bit of a "go" in mine at the weekend, and there is no comparison (and mine is an as new example, so it ain't tired). No wonder everyone raved about them in 1986.

The Bugeye is from another planet compared to the Capri, and is obviously far more capable than the 205. But in ability ONLY. The fun, entertainment, feel, noise and pleasure in going fast is completely absent. Its antiseptic, there is no involvement. Its BORING.

I could live with any as a daily driver. But the 205 gets the most use by a long, long way, because it is the most enjoyable. The WRX stays on the drive, and the 2.8 stays in the garage.

 

Well I still own a 3.0s capri and I know it is still (was about 15 months ago) faster than a vectra 1.8 sri and my 1.7 puma

 

2 much technology

 

Some older things are still good ..

 

some , are , for me it would be 1968 yank stuff ,DODGE maybe

 

Well my old montego turbo (15years old) even in standard form (150bhp) would beat alot of todays stuff with more power, but in it's modded form would kick even more butt.

 

yer