Back in time!

[Dave Knight]

If you could go back in time and buy any car brand new, knowing what you know now, what car would it be? 
 

I’ll start…….one of these 

[Miniliteman]

OSF is Old Skool Ford not Old Skool Fiat  🙄

[Dave Knight]

48 minutes ago, Miniliteman said:

OSF is Old Skool Ford not Old Skool Fiat  🙄

Yes that’s a given but, there are threads on here that mention other motors…

never mind, I was only making a chat thread. Consider the thread a waste of time then. 😤

[Rally Pack 2000]

5 hours ago, Miniliteman said:

OSF is Old Skool Ford not Old Skool Fiat  🙄

 

4 hours ago, Dave Knight said:

Yes that’s a given but, there are threads on here that mention other motors…

never mind, I was only making a chat thread. Consider the thread a waste of time then. 😤

Yes there are several threads asking about what other classics people one. Its a nice diversion from time to time as many love a variety of cars not just old Fords. Even our imperious leader owns an Alfa Montreal.

I saw one of those Fiats just last week at a car meet for Sydney Street cars.

Many here already know my love for Land Rover 101 Forward control, this rare local one I couldn't justify the 40k price tag with the current financial crisis which was a huge disappointment.

[Dave Knight]

That Fiat is stunning!
Not seen a forward in years. We had them when I served. They used to tow the L118 light guns. Lovely to drive. 

[Johnny Boy]

The Fiat 131 was Fiats answer to the MK2 escort. I had a 1300 one , back in the day, and it was super quick, compared other manufacturers 1600/2000cc cars.   

But also super quick at rusting.☹️

[Dave Knight]

1 hour ago, Johnny Boy said:

The Fiat 131 was Fiats answer to the MK2 escort. I had a 1300 one , back in the day, and it was super quick, compared other manufacturers 1600/2000cc cars.   

But also super quick at rusting.☹️

Yes it was. What a sound it made from that twin cam. 
Rust was shocking. I think you got a free dust pan and brush from the dealer ship🤣

When I was looking for an Escort, an orange one came on Car and Classic £20 grand, no rust and a UK car, was so tempted. 

[Monza]

Had a 1977 131 Mirafiori back in 1984, as I think my 4th car. Not the Supamirafiori twin-cam, but a 1600. Went very well, very little rust too. Not got a pic [emoji53]

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Xp197777]

I had a lancia delta hf martini back in the day and a Alfa sud green clover both were quick cars no pics though 

[Vista]

I don't remember having any specific car aspirations in the 70's. Supercars of the day I guess.

In the 80's I lusted after an Audi Quattro 

It was a VR6 Corrado in the early 90's.

The noughties? Hmmm tough one. My aspirations had kicked up a gear by then. 

Now? I like to own a British Built factory V8 sports car before the V8 dies forever. A supercharged F type maybe? Or some kind of Aston Martin.

[YellowTaxi]

True story.

I bought a new RS2000 Mk2 in 1979.

Loved it but the auto choke drove me mad, constantly sticking on.

Long story short it went back to Fords workshop many times.

The last time I was loaned an RS1800 in full road trim.

Returned the car to collect my RS2000 and choke was still not right after driving home. Had a real rant on the phone at Ford tech man.

Returned the next day and was offered the RS1800 to keep instead of my RS2000.

The RS1800 had 200miles on it. My RS2000 had a over 3000 by then.

I kept my car and converted the choke to manual myself. All my mates said it looked like a Gas board van. I worked for brittish gas at the time.

So....If I could go back I certainly would make a few different decisions.

Such is life.!

[YellowTaxi]

I also once bought a Datsun 240Z for £300

Sold it the same day for £400.

Again if I could go back I would have stock piled a few at those prices.

[Dave Knight]

1 hour ago, YellowTaxi said:

True story.

I bought a new RS2000 Mk2 in 1979.

Loved it but the auto choke drove me mad, constantly sticking on.

Long story short it went back to Fords workshop many times.

The last time I was loaned an RS1800 in full road trim.

Returned the car to collect my RS2000 and choke was still not right after driving home. Had a real rant on the phone at Ford tech man.

Returned the next day and was offered the RS1800 to keep instead of my RS2000.

The RS1800 had 200miles on it. My RS2000 had a over 3000 by then.

I kept my car and converted the choke to manual myself. All my mates said it looked like a Gas board van. I worked for brittish gas at the time.

So....If I could go back I certainly would make a few different decisions.

Such is life.!

That’s a real sickener knowing what we know now 😩

[Rally Pack 2000]

10 hours ago, YellowTaxi said:

True story.

I bought a new RS2000 Mk2 in 1979.

Loved it but the auto choke drove me mad, constantly sticking on.

Long story short it went back to Fords workshop many times.

The last time I was loaned an RS1800 in full road trim.

Returned the car to collect my RS2000 and choke was still not right after driving home. Had a real rant on the phone at Ford tech man.

Returned the next day and was offered the RS1800 to keep instead of my RS2000.

The RS1800 had 200miles on it. My RS2000 had a over 3000 by then.

I kept my car and converted the choke to manual myself. All my mates said it looked like a Gas board van. I worked for brittish gas at the time.

So....If I could go back I certainly would make a few different decisions.

Such is life.!

 

8 hours ago, Dave Knight said:

That’s a real sickener knowing what we know now 😩

Many years ago I was saving some money to buy myself an Escort Van so I could modify RP2000 with a Piper Cam kit and new twin Dellortos that I bought for it. I wanted the van to cart parts and stuff around as my every day driver. A friend who worked for a car dealership told me this guy tried to trade in this old Mk1 Escort but they wouldn't know what to do with it so they passed. My friend took me to see it. The guy wouldn't take a cent under $3500 (2000 quid). Even though it was fully road registered and complete  it had stripped ring gear but Ford still had it new in stock so I bought the car and lost my chances of ever having that van I really really wanted. Is that terribly sad or what?

Still have that worthless old Mk1 though .....

Hmmmm doesn't quite work as well as @YellowTaxi RS1800 memories sorry. But I did pass one another genuine Twincam for 700 quid fully registered and complete but the engine had been replaced by a regular 1600. Like that would be worth anything without its engine right?!!!

[Miniliteman]

Are you in the RSOC Australia or did that blue sticker came with the car?

[Rally Pack 2000]

1 hour ago, Miniliteman said:

Are you in the RSOC Australia or did that blue sticker came with the car?

I was many years ago and won the Mk1 category back in the 90's which was really hard with only one other Mk1 that year and I only won cause I had the original muffler air filter LOL. I actually clashed with them and left cause they wouldn't allow Rally Packs in their group cause they didnt have an RS badge but I said neither to Twincams and  even though they were homolgated as flat nosed RS2000s raced all around the world after the extension of the Mk1 RS2000 became questionable for Mk2s. Rally Packs also were the only locally made cars that had the RS1800/ Mexico front as well. Our RS2000s took over after Rally Packs were fazed out but were nothing more than droop snoot Rally Packs so technically we only had one single RS model built in reasonable numbers and only in 1979 and 1980 (and 25 limited imported of Mk1 and German RS2000s and RS3100s) So there weren't alot of RS cars around to even join.  You were lucky if they had 10 cars at some concours when they had a unique Australian model they could have included to bolster numbers but they claimed they strictly adhered to UK RS Club rules. That was like 30 years ago now. I heard that its run by some really nice people these days so things may have improved since then.

You can see the shadow of another sticker the other side to make the car symmetrical. That was Club Lotus sticker, strangely they were less elitists than the RS owners clubs. The one on the passenger front is the AVO club of Britain.

[Dave Knight]

11 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

 

Many years ago I was saving some money to buy myself an Escort Van so I could modify RP2000 with a Piper Cam kit and new twin Dellortos that I bought for it. I wanted the van to cart parts and stuff around as my every day driver. A friend who worked for a car dealership told me this guy tried to trade in this old Mk1 Escort but they wouldn't know what to do with it so they passed. My friend took me to see it. The guy wouldn't take a cent under $3500 (2000 quid). Even though it was fully road registered and complete  it had stripped ring gear but Ford still had it new in stock so I bought the car and lost my chances of ever having that van I really really wanted. Is that terribly sad or what?

Still have that worthless old Mk1 though .....

Hmmmm doesn't quite work as well as @YellowTaxi RS1800 memories sorry. But I did pass one another genuine Twincam for 700 quid fully registered and complete but the engine had been replaced by a regular 1600. Like that would be worth anything without its engine right?!!!

That’s a lovely looking Escort.

[Rally Pack 2000]

4 minutes ago, Dave Knight said:

That’s a lovely looking Escort.

Its a shame they only painted their Twincams white in the UK.

[Miniliteman]

From an RSOC Australia Newsletter of 1992; is that your Mk1?

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 12/09/2023 at 00:18, Miniliteman said:

From an RSOC Australia Newsletter of 1992; is that your Mk1?

Gosh thats me! I don't even remember even having a copy of that! I didn't even remember it being at Wisemans Ferry, I remembered it being at Windsor. Maybe Im confusing it with the Club Lotus Concours of the same year. I cant seem to find the trophy for that one. That's really freaky you would have that after all these years!

I only remember two Mk1s there that day probably due to this photo. Usually they clustered them all together. I also thought the other Twincam was Red from Memory so maybe the other orange car was the Mk1 RS2000 mentioned there and the Red Twincam I remember somewhere else? Boy that was a long time ago, your making me feel old.

@Vista Estate See Mark even then those Bl**dy door seals wouldn't close on the Mk1. I shut the door on the car today and that very same seal still wont flatten after 30 years!

[Miniliteman]

Most of us on here are old James ....

In the early 90's I corresponded with Peter Cox from the RSOC Australia, think it was because he had a name which is very common here. He send me some RSOC Newsletters and stuff and I posted some of ours to him. Met Tom Chaplin at a Essex Regional Day at Boreham after he discovered the RSOC Australia sticker on my Mk2!

If you want I will send the old Newsletters to you.

[Rally Pack 2000]

6 hours ago, Miniliteman said:

Most of us on here are old James ....

In the early 90's I corresponded with Peter Cox from the RSOC Australia, think it was because he had a name which is very common here. He send me some RSOC Newsletters and stuff and I posted some of ours to him. Met Tom Chaplin at a Essex Regional Day at Boreham after he discovered the RSOC Australia sticker on my Mk2!

If you want I will send the old Newsletters to you.

Wow what an incredibly small word. Peter Cox is still helping run the show and was the most decent member they had back then and one of the few that didn't look down at me personally. Chaplin on the other hand ...................(bites tongue)! Its like fate or something but I drove the other side of the Mountains Sunday for an event and someone who attended that Councours was there with his RS2000 and he mention Peter has throat cancer and is receiving treatment. He is big on RS parts sales and the down pipe on RP2000 for the RS manifold came from him. Was well before the virus I ever saw or heard from him or even heard his named mentioned yet now its twice in one week! I hope he gets well soon.