Probably showing my age here but so what

In the course of my motoring years, 1987 onwards, I've owned many hot hatch type cars but one car I didn't own was a Mk1 Astra GTE. I'm not sure why I didn't ever get around to owning one but now I'd love to own one.
It would be a weekend toy just to roll back the years

However, I dare say decent ones are as common as rocking horse sh*t these days

Anyone else hanker for something old school to bring back a few memories.

Nik.

 

back in the 70s...... when I was 13-15, I used to serve petrol at my local garage, the Anglesey Arms, three cars used to appear, a rusty, spluttering, very well used Austin Healey 3000 convertible, an immaculate Aston Martin V8, light green metalic, "5 star petol..lol",and a Morris Minor pickup, 1275, bucket seats..cebies....wide minilights.. wanted them all.....

 

i wish i would have owned the following............

- astra mk2 gte 16v in glacier white

- peugeot 309 gti (with a mi16 lump in it)

- vauxhall carlton gsi3000 24v

- another mk2 cavalier sri 130 as mine was stolen in 2001

- a series 1 escort rs turbo (much better than the softer looking series 2)

 

Your right about not finding one in good condition ill wager you would proberly get blood from a stone first.One of those was my first proper fast car when I was 19,a MK1 vauxhall Astra 1.8 injection G.T.E,it was a lovely carit handled like it was on rails,I still would of had it but my mate brought a Renault 5 GT turbo and we had a race and he left me for deadthat's when my turbo saga began and I have never looked backSJ.

 

I wish I had got
A sierra 3 door cosworth in moonstone blue


And a
Renault 15
2 door couple 1974/1979 if anyone can remember what these were
Most other cars I wanted I actually got ll

Cars I might treat my self to next on my bucket list

Mustang regent modle
Jag Xjs. ( fully restored )

 

You lot have mentioned some very nice cars but to find them now in mint condition is virtually impossible and if you did it would cost £££££ there was a series 1 escort turbo for sale the other day £45,000 but it was mint.SJ.

 

a car i would have again is a cavalier gsi2000 2wd as i had 2 before and i love them but most are rotten now,there is an old boy around here with a mint h-plate silver one but he wont sell it-so im gonna wait until he snuff's it then go and ask his wife

i also know of a almost mint carlton gsi3000 12v thats a barn find.the guy will sell it but i dont have the room for it which is a shame as i can see myself drifting around the midlands in an 80's barge with guns and roses blasting from the tape-deck

its been parked up for about 10 years along with a few isuzu piazza turbo's (remember them) a few sd1'2 and a ac-cobra kit car thing

 

NICEI wish I had a storage place like that my car collection would be never ending plus a seven figure yearly salary would also helpSJ.

 

I'm trying to source a MK1 escort at the minute, I have managed to find a very tidy looking MK2 for €1000 but need to get a few more details and go see it in the flesh, but my heart is really set on a MK1, I don't care what engine is in it but a 1.6 would be nice, just want something simple to tinker with and have a bit of RWD action at low speed.

Peugeot 309 GTI was my favourite all time hot hatch, best chassis on a hot hatch that I ever drove, could cover ground really well, such an under rated car.

 

Shreksta I want to buy that Carlton!!!!!

I would love a mk2 Astra 16v champion

I'm always on the look out for a mk2 escort project but they are stupidly expensive and are only getting dearer

I would also love a 24v senator but again they are so hard to find in decent nick.

I would love to own a chevette HSR or a firenza or a magnum....... I could go on

Don't even get me started on big daft muscle cars.... Charger anyone?

Mick

 

I was scanning a classic car site a couple of days ago and there was a 2.3 Magnum in need of some love going very cheap.

 

i can get in touch with the bloke if you want,its got the retro 80's digi-dash aswell which as we all know..................****ing rules

 

I would love another mk3 8v cavalier SRi. it was my first car and still to this day regret selling it. Flame red hatch.

 

If you could find out a rough price without it being too much trouble I would appreciate it fella

My brothers a huge fan aswell he's had most models of senators and Carlton's but never a gsi his last senator had the digi dash it was cool as ****

Could be a nice little project, obviously it's gonna need all fluids, belts, brakes etc but it would be worth it in the long run if its a clean shell

Many thanks

Mick

 

I sold my Opel Manta last April. Although I don't think I'll ever want another one, I thought that back in 1998 when I sold my first, and only lasted three years before the bug bit again. I had loads in the early 2000s, but they're becoming pretty rare now.

The Mk2 Astra GTE 16Vs were the ideal engine donor for the 1.8 Manta. A 16V Manta is a nice thing to have, or a 20 SEH 8v on bike carbs like my last one. 180+ BHP with not much weight and RWD - lovely!

And the A Series Manta from 1970 - 75. Now there is a really stylish car.

 

This whole thread is gonna cost me in the long run

Mk2 escort is my life ambition, need a garage big enough to get it in and work all around it first though

There's a stunning wide arch mk2 near me with the steel forest arches on, full roll cage, fuel cell in the boot, minilite wheels and last I seen it had a c20xe (vauxhall red top) running webber 48's to say it was quick and sounded good is an understatement, last time I seen it I was with my old man, pulled up to a roundabout and it came all the way round roundabout sideways to which my dad responded "jesas look at that escort, what the fu*ks he doing???"

Mick

 

 

I had a Mk1 fiesta, nearly had an XR2 of the same era but would love a 1.3 Supersport

 

how old skool...

Rover Metro S
1991
11500 miles from new!!!
http://www.westdalecarcentre.co.uk/s...er%20Metro%20S

yours for £2300

at a garage near where I live!!!

 

Romanticism and eulogies can only go so far

The Metro was an awful car even back the, maybe a deal for the "irony" value - but little else

 

My dad had a metro vanderplas about 25 years ago, I thought it was super cool as it had electric windows, he thought it was sh*t as you could see the road through the footwell

 

But 25-years ago there was probably a road to see rather than the pot-holed tracks we now call motorways

 

I used to have an MG Metro / Nova SR while my Dad had an MG Montego with the talking dashboard but always wanted a Rover SD1 Vitesse. Ideally it would be a twin plenum in black.

 

I've not been on SN for a while so it's great to come back and find a thread about my obsession, old school cars
I love anything from the 70's 80's and early 90's, I had a 309 GTi back in the day and a mk2 golf 16v.
I've currently got a 1983 Opel Manta, 1980 Escort RS2000 project and a 1980 Escort Ghia with a few surprises.
Here's a few pics.
Manta and RB5


Manta wth my mate's rs16i

My Beige RS2000, needs a bit of work to get it back on the road



And my pride and joy, a mint low mileage Escort Ghia 1.3. Fitted with a 2.1 pinto, GSXR carbs and a few other goodies, and sporting louvres in the rear window

 

I have had several old skool motors, S1 and S2 rs turbos, fiesta Rs turbo, XR3i that was turboed, E30 bmw 318is that I turboed, nissan pulsar gtir, sierra cosworth, sierra xr4x4 that i turboed

 

The Rs1600i looks fantastic

Nik.

 

I currently have these on my drive;





I also have a '78 Honda CB550, and a '85 FZ750, Old School rules in these parts

Always hankered after an R5 Turbo but never got round to it, the chances of finding a tidy one now are pretty slim I'd imagine

I once had the opportunity to buy an almost full 400 spec (wrong engine, but the rest was pukka) Manta rally car for not much cash, but passed on it because I didn't have anywhere to keep it at the time. It's the only proper regret I have in 25 years of car ownership

 

Love this thread! Phase one 5 GT Turbo for me, in blue, but I'd take a red one I suppose

 

Mslorach.... Those cars are amazing!! I actually prefer the 4 door ghia for some reason even though its a 2 door I would love most.

Mick

 

Cheers Mick, I appreciate the comments. I've always preferred the 2 doors until recently, then the 4 doors kind of grew on me and I decided to get one before prices went through the roof as they have done with 2 doors. I just love the wee ghia, it was built by someone else, he took a mint 1.3 never been welded, only 45k miles and stuck in the engine and running gear from a stock car. It is honestly the most fun car I've ever driven, loads of power from the 2.1 pinto and weighs nothing, it's still badged as a 1.3 so I've surprised a few bigger more powerful motors