Oh yes I will! The fact that he wasnt even potty-trained when they started making Metros did make me giggle a bit
Just for you Muppet, here is a photo of a Mini-Metro that I used look after in Rallycross, this one has a very interesting engine, obviously a V64V 6R4 unit but this particular car probably had the highest rev limit and power-output of any normally aspirated Metro ever made, 553bhp at 10,500rpm (approx) thanks mainly to Judd F1 internals, oh and a 0-60 time of less than 2 seconds…:
Well, I’m about the same age as you, but many members here on the forum are much much younger. A fair few 19 year olds have recently joined, people born well after the MX5 was launched, has made me feel fairly ancient. I think its too easy sometimes for us to assume the 20-somethings know what we are talking about (when was the last time you saw an Austin Princess outside a classic car rally, for instance. This is a car with as much relevance and familiarity to 20-somethings, as I suppose the A120 Princess has to me (a mystery car that only seems to exist in books these days).
Anyway all this ire for MGFs. I prefer to direct it to the Punto-based Barchetta, and the deeply cynical Z3 (complete with its habit of cracking rear subframes, and shameless product placement). No fun in those cars whatsoever, and fun should be the central element to any roadster.
Well,as the ad says, usable classic, probably a bit more desireable still than its rivals from the time (Ventora, stodgy Granada, nameless Toyota). When you go over to support the MX5OC at the NEC, you will see a lot of owners polishing cars that others don’t approve of. I like them all.
For the middle management sector of the time, the Princess actually sold very well, and in 1975, was the only exec car to break into the top 10 sellers.I wouldn’t want one, but I always like seeing these sort of cars at shows; it reminds me of a time when you actually took notice what was on the road.
That’s a very good point and probably relates to why we’re all driving around in ‘classics’ today. This topic has been entertaining, educational and interesting. I think ‘English’ should get out in his tow truck more often.
‘English’ should get out in his tow truck more often.
The humble Zafira was pleased to be of help to another road user even if it was a m** i cant bring myself to sat the words **f but the story gets more sinister now.
did i mention that my son in law has a g and yes i got the phone call on thursday his head gasket had blew well i was not surprised and now he is waiting for the repair shop to fix it
he thinks about £300.00 quid i did feel sorry for him and still do as it is his only means of transport.
so i may do a bit of backpeddleing and say to him the MGF is a great car get it fixed and enjoy it.
Don’t forget there’s mobile ‘fixers’ that will come to you if you wish. Here’s one that is a member of our forum and is highly recommended. Prices and parts are listed on the site I believe.
Had several BL products inflicted upon me through the 70’s & 80’s. Itals were utterly atrocious in every way imaginable.
However(shock horror) a notable exception was of all sheds my Maxi 1750 HLS
It could swallow the Bismark, went like pooh of a shovel…torque steer was hilarious though…and never gave me any bother bar gear selector rods over 2 years and around 60k miles. And it was red…with the Burtons Biscuit interior.
Another notable love-hate relationship was my Marina Coupe TC complete with go faster factory stripes, twin carbs, and…erm…beefed up springs. It went like hell in a staight line. Steer? Don’t be daft. Stop? Well maybe if you sent it a recorded delivery message of an impending roundabout. Reliability? Cannot recall any big issues but it needed lots of oil, ate a couple of gearbox tailshafts, and burned the outside of front tyres off with a will…looking back on it probably teminal understeering did not help. The only thing I really hated was the Alsation Vomit beige paint. Axle tramp? Naturally dear boy…it had all the sophistication of a child’s wooden buggy. Somehow…it was fun as it was such a challenge. To stay alive that is.
My dad had one of those, the 1750 anyhow, with the 5-speed. He loved it; it was his first new car. I remember him pouring over car brochures, in Hong Kong, in 76, and was settling down to either a Maxi, Allegro Estate, or Cortina Mk3 estate. He went for the Maxi, and put in the order for a blue one, to be delivered to Brize Norton, on his return from Honkers. Well, the dealer certainly delivered it, only it was red. Still, he quite liked the red, and stuck with it. He motored from Germany to the UK and back at least once a month over 2 years, and was quite proud of the fact he could squeeze 99mph down the Autobahn in it. Never let him down, but he passed it onto his brother in law to “look after” while he was on a Middle East posting. Within a year, the numpty had trashed the gearbox, and done other stuff to it (the sort of fool who’s idea of a good car was a matt black Pop 100E with painted drums). So my dad never got his car back; he didn’t really want it back.
His next BL product was a Range Rover over in the ME, needed because the contractors had forgotten to actually build a road to the housing. Parts prices and supply were atrocious, and the local LR agent (also sold Rolls Royces and Ferraris) was less than competant. But he discovered in a nearby Shi’ite village an ex-Indian army mechanic who had amazing engineering skills, as any REME mechanic will have, who was abole to fabricate needle valves, for pocket money. He followed that up with SDI V8S, which was awesomely fast, and with the pimp gold wheels. Electrics were terrible though. Then a gap, until his final BL-Rover product, the Metro 1100, which was ok; for a small car, it was very comfy (great seats, very smooth ride). At 140k miles, it had K-series HGF. It was fixed and passed onto my sister, as these things are, and at 190k, it died when a lorry wrote it off (though it was still driveable, as I took it to the scrappy). Sister was unharmed.
My mum (Nana Eunos) used to have a 1750HL Maxi in Harvest Gold and my sister who was a junior newspaper journo borrowed it (because her Mini Clubman has spat its gearbox to shreds) to cover the land speed record attempt by Barry Bowles on Pendine Sands in Blonde Bombshell a hydrogen peroxide powered ill-fated dragster. Me and my mate managed to persuade her to take us along and we both got to drive it on Pendine beach, neither of us had reached 10 years old at the time, happy days!
She really does exist just for you heres a photo of Nana Eunos alongside Old Man Eunos from a recent MX5OC South Wales area run, taken in Crickhowell nr. Abergavenny:
The fact that he wasnt even potty-trained when they started making Metros did make me giggle a bit
the mgf lol
…with the Burtons Biscuit interior
.
. Stop? Well maybe if you sent it a recorded delivery message of an impending roundabout. Reliability? Cannot recall any big issues but it needed lots of oil, ate a couple of gearbox tailshafts, and burned the outside of front tyres off with a will…looking back on it probably teminal understeering did not help. The only thing I really hated was the Alsation Vomit beige paint. Axle tramp? Naturally dear boy…it had all the sophistication of a child’s wooden buggy. Somehow…it was fun as it was such a challenge. To stay alive that is.
Almost made me wish they made them like they used too… But not quite. 
That made me really lol. 
