Strangest Car You've Ever Owned (not Xm)

I'll start this with the `car' my wife and I drove fairly regularly from Southend on Sea to Ullapool (Ross-Shire; Scottish West Coast). A 1966 HILLMAN IMP VAN! More properly know as the 'Commer Imp'. Points in its favour? Very easy to maintain. Super rare (few sold new). I thought mine had finally died the death, so swopped it for two fish suppers and a couple of old car radios. Then the guy by heaven knows what devious means got another MOT on the thing. This was 28 years ago.........

Strage in Norway

Austin A35 1957 Van, bought used -63.
"Perfect" for the new-wed couple and a pram in the back

I THINK thats what my folks had when I went blue on a very cold night when I was less than 1 yr old, would have been winter of 62-63.

Bit off topic as I never owned one but there is some continuity, what with the pram in the back comment LOL.

I've only ever owned a Visa GT (1984 A reg) and my 2 XM's.

For the younger members of this forum is that the one that looks like they put a van body on a cars chassis with the simply huge overhang of the wheels and rounded off corners?
My dad picked up his Triumph stag today and i have just been out with him freeing off the seized callipers and sorting out some perished vacuum and fuel hoses, but i took it out for a little drive and its super, super fun. Yes it drives like a 70's car with no grip whatsoever and masses of body roll but a 3l V8 pushing through the 185 70 14 rear wheels makes for some very fun, effortless and prolonged sideways driving , shame they where built by brumies............. badly and rust a lot .

D

I only 'do' Citroens so haven't really got much to contribute in the way some of you
fellas on here can name drop exotic sounding car makes!!

What's the definition of 'Stangest' and excluding Xm - does an Activa count?

OK, I don't own it (it's my sister's) but I have driven this:


which is a real hoot and surprisingly nippy!
It's a 800cc rear mounted 4pot watercooled Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid!
Actually, there's 3 of them in the family even though they're really quite rare.

Andrew

This post has been edited by Andmcit on January 11, 2009 11:09 pm

never driven one Andrew but there was one at the Ryde car show this year and the owner said much the same, those jap engines, even that old are soooo reliable and in a small car like that i could well imagine it would be a good laugh.
Bond mini car anyone??

D

Not exactly a car. But strange? Yes! Don't ask!!! It wasn't this one but it's identical twin.




This post has been edited by Boris on January 11, 2009 10:55 pm

Bit of a swine to park around town i hear though

D

I'd have thought everyone will get out of your way though the siren (or bell?)
may be illegal if you're not a bona fide fireman Dean!!

Andrew

Owned, and still own, in this case. I drove this to India and back 10 years ago, and it's been sitting in a field ever since. I want to get it back to my house, but it has no MOT (obviously), plastic windscreens, no wipers. I'm certain I can get it running, but how will I get it home?

Isn't that what they threw the Mini's out of the back of Sam?
So they did get it off the edge of the cliff then?

Oh, hang on Millennium Falcon? Do'h - wrong film...

What's that red accessory on the grille then - disco lights?

Andrew

Those are flower stickers. It's covered in the sort of stuff you can buy in truck stops, which varies round the world. On the side is the Iranian equivalent of the naked girlie mudflaps you get in the UK - it's a woman's face in a headscarf, with only a pair of very seductive eyes showing. The real prize is on the front - a multi coloured plastic sparkly Bedford logo from the truckers bazaar in Quetta. Pakistanis love to decorate their trucks, and Befords are, or were 10 years ago, very common. I only wish I'd had enough money to have the steering wheel wrapped in multi coloured tape!

Seriously though, how am I going to get it home? It's only about 8 miles, but it worries me, and I'm never going to get it sorted out whilst it stays where it is. I have little time, and need to be able to pop out and measure things, or work on it for half an hour, with my tools nearbye!

Quote SamWise1972

Owned, and still own, in this case. I drove this to India and back 10 years ago, and it's been sitting in a field ever since. I want to get it back to my house, but it has no MOT (obviously), plastic windscreens, no wipers. I'm certain I can get it running, but how will I get it home?

Just tell anyone who asks that you're taking it for a pre-booked MOT.

Seriously though, how am I going to get it home? It's only about 8 miles, but it worries me, and I'm never going to get it sorted out whilst it stays where it is. I have little time, and need to be able to pop out and measure things, or work on it for half an hour, with my tools nearbye!

Sorry; I didn't realise it was only 8 miles. It sounds as if it has an interesting history. Could the local bus company help, or a commercial garage wiuth a heavy duty tow truck? Tell them the story behind the bus and they might be helpful........

I hesitate to suggest this, but if all else fails if you can get it running and the brakes work, would it be possible to just kind of, shift it when nobody's looking? 8 mile run in the dead of night (maybe 2 AM would be better) could add to the story of 'The Bus'

This post has been edited by combwork on January 12, 2009 10:20 am

OK... my strangest car I've owned isn't that strange... a powder-blue Renault 4 GTL. It was also the first car I owned.

Contrary to the lower-spec models, the GTL actually had a 4 cyl engine (1100cc), which made the car way too quick for its own good. It also had real seats. I think it's fair to say that this was the car the original Panda was modeled after.
But compared to its direct competitors (the 2CV and the Dyane), it was equally utilitarian (and affordable), but it went ruddy quick, handled well, kept four moderately-sized people in good comfort, and was tremendously practical, and very easy to work on.
Plus it had character.