being on the wrong side of 40, its a long list but heres the most recent and the only one i have digital photos of
Not me - none of mine have cost over £4.5k! Cheapest, ignoring the free one, was 50 quid!
People have owned some fantastic cars here! Nice to see for many a definite theme of “once an enthusiast, always an enthusiast”.
A very short car history for me:
#1 1998 Ford Fiesta 1.3 Finesse, 03/2003 - 09/2009
My very first car, bought just over a month after passing my test. Remained with me for six and a half years and served me very well indeed. Only 60bhp but drove brilliantly, Ford really knew what they were doing and of course the chassis honed on this Fiesta was subsequently used for the Ka and the Puma, both of which were praised for their handling. No power steering! No power anything, in fact. I really learned the ropes of driving with this thing, so much so that I wasn’t out of my depth when only the third car I ever drove was a MINI Cooper Challenge car, and the fourth a Mazda MaX5 cup car! Regardless of how humble it is I was sad to see it go, and I only hope that the current owner has as many years of happy motoring from it as I did.
#2 1991 Mazda MX-5 1.6, 09/2009 - who knows…
The new kid on the block! And yet, seven years older than the Fiesta. And in better condition. And absolutely wonderful to drive. I looked at a ridiculous number of different cars, and over the course of the last year often meandered back and forth from MX-5s, but in the end this white one caught my eye and I had to have it. I couldn’t be happier, and although it needs little bits and pieces doing to it, I certainly have the time to do so and don’t be surprised if I own this one for at least another six and a half years, just like the Fiesta. Even though that thought is a little scary, as it’ll take me into my 30s…
Ive had plenty of cars even though i am still pretty young, maybe comparable to a girl changing handbags but thats only because I kept buying cars that were nice but boring 
anyway here goes my list.
#1 97 plate Peugeot 106 1.1 in silver
Was a great little car to learn to drive with, nippy little engine that was dirt cheap to run (important when you are 18) build quality wasnt that bad and it had enough mod cons like electric windows and a sunroof! had it for a year and a bit before I decided that even though it handled great with its independant rear suspension and taught me a bit about cars when I lowered it, that I needed some more power so it was part exchanged for my next car.
#2 99 plate Peugeot 106 GTi in diablo red
This was such a good car and I really do regret selling it (you will see why later) 1600cc which loved being wound up and it handled supurbly and loved going sideways with a bit of lift off oversteer. I even managed to run a 14.5 second quater mile completely standard which i didnt think bad for a car with 95k on the clock! It was simple to maintain, easy to work on and pretty sweet in standard form although I did add upper and lower front strut braces and a ram air induction kit jobbery. After a year I sold it to satisfy my classic car cravings.
#3 74 plate Reliant Scimitar GTE in Ferrari tour de frace blue
What an epic car to drive… It leaked water worse than an mx5 with the top down and smelt dubious inside but I rebuilt all the suspension, polybushed, avo coilovers and redstuff brakes. It handled really well although was fun in the wet with its plastic tyres. The 3litre essex engine was pure torque too. I cant imagine how brutal these cars must have seemed when they were first released. It could keep up with my friends FTO easily and it was cheap to insure on a classic policy. However it came to a sad end when an old chap reversed off his drive into the side of it and did all the rear quarter in, I didnt have the heart to fix it after that and sold it although managed to make money on it still!
#4 Reliant kitten saloon in mat black
Not sure why i bought this as it was rubbish lol! not much more i can say other than the only thing good about it was its turning circle which could rivel a honda CG125
#5 96 plate VW Polo 1.4
Ok so it was a go between car really, cheap as chips. did the job although was slower than my first 1.1 peugeot and did less mpg. cheap cheap cheap and didnt break down although the regulator in the alternator went and it cooked a battery. Still it never really gave me any real trouble so cant moan, sold it at a profit as usual and moved on.
#6 03 plate BMW 330 Clubsport
What a nice car, Smooth torque and pretty quick although it didnt feel it. Not very reliable though and had loads of electrical problems with the seats airbag pressure sensors and it blew a water pump. Also it was ,dare i say it, a bit boring to drive. There was just not feeling back through the steering and seat of what was really going on. Too smooth and nice I think so I lost the plot and bought this.
#7 03 plate Peugeot 106 GTi in yellow with a rotrex blower
Possibly the most fun car ive ever owned. I bought it already supercharged but wish I hadnt as I had to: Rewire the OMEX600, fit a new paddle clutch and all the gearbox seals, remount the intercooler and oil cooler, restrict the rotrex inlet to get 9psi of boost, rebuild the rear beam, fitted Bilstein group N shocks and lowering springs and then it was off for a remap which resulted in 187bhp at the wheels. Bloody hell was it fast though! and after sitting on the laptop messing with the fueling I got it through an emissions test. Scary quick, handled great and was great for annoying people in rather expensive cars. However after much badgering I sold it back to the previous owner and bought another standard one.
#8 99 plate Peugeot 106 GTi diablo red
Although standard when I bought it I loved it. Spent a good few weeks cleaning it up, machine polishing it and cleaning out the interior then got into modding it. I refitted the Bilstein group Ns I sneakily took off the yellow car before selling, fitted a cheap Ebay ram air induction kit but swapped the filter for a decent green one, fitted a full peugeot sport cat back exhaust, a janspeed manifold which was heat wrapped and some silly large white mudflaps I got from the bargain bin at halfords for £5. was such a hoot and sounded like a little rally car! This one came to an untimely end after a year of trouble free ownership when a woman decided it was a foot too long and took the front off pulling out of a roundabout right infront of me and as luck would have it when I wasnt messing about either so insurance sorted it out and I got more back than I payed for the car. And supprisingly enough it protected me very well with not even an ache or pain from the impact. Was so sad to see it sitting there all polished up and gleaming with the front left all squashed up though. If it wasnt for the accident id probably still have it…
#9 64 plate Ford 307e Thames van (based on anglia)
Bought this with the intention of running it for the sumer then putting it in a lockup with a friend and working on it over the winter but the lockup fell through and had to get shot. didnt loose any money though so no worries and was a great fun summer toy. This had capri front struts, retro bucket seats, 10" steering wheel, 1600 kent engine bored to 1750 with pre-cross flow head, tubular manifold, lecy ignition and alternator conversion. Wicked to drive but needed a 5 speed box. Everything about it was just so cool even though it had no seatbelts, no stereo, no heater and used to blow oil out of the breather like a goodun.
#10 97 plate 328i Touring in green
Actually a very nice car at a very good price with electric everything and everything working but then come the problems, for the mot it would have needed two new rear springs, the wheel bearings on the back are on their way out and the front droplinks are going but the biggest problem is the litre of oil every 500 miles it did so that will be on ebay this evening lol! still drives nice but its not as fun as I wanted.
#11 92 plate Eunos Roadster in black
Not got a pik yet but i love it! tan leather, lowe mileage and drives like a dream, all it needs is a new balljoint on the front as it knocks a bit over bumps although not sure if its lower or upper one atm. Handling is a right laugh, sharp and fun and even though its not fast it feels faster than it is. Really like it though unlike lots of the other cars ive had. I rate it on par with the 106 gtis ive had. bit more fun but a bit less practical so horses for corses. Picked up a bike engine and MGB GT rear axle with a 106 when i was building a trike lol!
Lots of cars there and some of you may think i must have lost so much money going through them so fast at my age but the only car I actually lost money on was the bmw 330 and I like to think of it as now ive actually found a car i really like and want to keep again (much like when i had my last 106 gti)
Jules, I have seldom enjoyed a post so much. You’ve had a great car history and the cars you’ve owned sound fantastic and you tell the story so well! A great post from a great enthusiast.
Martin153
Why thank you 
its been real fun (ive had about 9 motorbikes too argh) and I started off knowing nothing about car mechanics and now changing engines and stripping a car back to its shell wouldnt phase me so its been a pretty quick learning curve however hopefully the roadster will be pretty trouble free or only show up problems with easy fixes as im feeling pretty settled with it and my current bike (Triumph street triple) and want to look at buying a house but thats all off topic so ill stop rambling 
Passed my test in 1973 in my first car, a 1968 Vauxhall Viva HB.
Vauxhall Viva HC saloon “L” reg
Vauxhall Viva HC Estate “R” reg
Vauhall VX1800 Estate “T” reg
Volvo 245DL “X” reg. Kept this car for about 10 years.
Passed bike test in 1979 on a Honda CB100N Then bought a Honda CX500 which I kept for 5 years before giving up. Regreted ever since.
Volvo 480ES
Vauxhall Cavalier TD “K” reg
Jeep Cherokee 2.5TD Ltd “S” reg. (joined IAM and passed Advanced test in this car in 2001)
Jeep Cherokee 2.5TD Ltd “03” reg (current car had 4 years)
Ford Fiesta 1.25 “W” reg (my wifes car, had since new)
MX5 1.8i “S” reg (our new “toy”).
Hmm, let’s think:
1971 Mini 850 (in 1981)
1977 Vauxhall Chevette
1980 Datsun Cherry
1983 Vauxhall Astra
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV
1985 Citroen CX
1986 Lancia Delta HF Turbo
1987 Rover 820
1989 Citroen AX GT
1992 Rover 214 Cabriolet (company car)
1995 Honda Civic coupe (company car)
1995 Citroen Xantia
1990 Jaguar XJ6 4.0
1991 Jaguar XJ-S V12
1995 Jaguar XJ6 3.2 Sport
2001 Jaguar S-Type 3.0
2000 Jaguar XJ8 4.0
1993 Bentley Brooklands
2007 Vauxhall Astra Estate (company car, still got)
2006 MX-5 1.8 (still got)
and a few bikes:
1977 Suzuki AP50
1979 MZ 250 Supa 5
1992 Suzuki 650 Savage
1993 Suzuki 1400 Intruder
1996? Harley 1200 Sportster
2002 Harley Super Glide
2004 Triumph Rocket Three
2004 Harley V-Rod (still got)
Some lovely cars in the 60s there and you owned two of my favourites - Lotus Elite and Elan - was thinking of swapping my MX5 for a Lotus Elan +2 now we have a young child - would you recommend it?
I guess that was aimed at me
The +2 was a lovely car, I had it when my son was about 12. Biggest problem with the Lotus models of that period is reliability. I see a number of people are starting to complain about failing engines and poor bodywork on Mk2 MX5s. This seems to have affected the earlier cars of that period, the Mk1 if well maintained is damn nearly bullet proof. No idea what a +2 would cost you today, and most have probably been sorted with new chassis, drive shafts and some sort of gel coat repais. With a certain amount of regret, I would have to advise against one, unless you are very good with the spanners and are not reliant on it except for a weekend toy—
I’m only 22 but have already racked up quite a history - some of it I am not proud of!
1990 Mini Mayfair - 998cc SOLD
1982 Mini City E -998cc SOLD
1963 Austin Mini - for hillclimbing - not finished yet! 1275cc ON GOING
2007 Citroen C1 Cool - just bought as a very very cheap to run reliable new car for the missus to use for commuting ON GOING
1983 Austin Metro 998cc - great fun, lovely engine but gearbox bearing failure at just 23,000 miles! British leyland quality. SCRAPPED
1989 Austin Metro 1275cc - was my daily driver but then engine got nabbed for my hillclimb mini SCRAPPED
1992 Mercedes 190E 2.0Auto - lovely reliable, easy to work on car - SOLD
1989 Mercedes E 300D - 3 Litre Straight Six Manual - quietest smoothest diesel I’ve ever been in and 45mpg - couldn’t afford to run 2 cars while at uni. SOLD
1991 Eunos Roadster V-Special 1.6 - now my daily driver - quite a change from a big diesel merc! ONGOING
- a lot of minis scrapped for parts - about 3.
As for the elan +2 - I’m a big fan of the car’s looks and I have seen some out there with the galvanised spider chassis and zetec engines! Hopefully that would cure most of the problems. Good ones seem to start at around 10K.
Hi Geoff
Yes the previous message was aimed at you - sorry for being vague… Thanks for the advice, good to hear from someone who has owned a Lotus Elan. Was just looking for something that looks and drives like my MK1 MX5 but can fit our son in too - most modern cars are dull in comparison, I guess the nearest modern (and reliable) equivalent would be a Mk1 Jag Xk8, which similarily to the MX5 go fo reasonable money because they are an aquired taste - most people would rather have a merc or a BMW…
Maybe reliability on the Elan +2 is an issue - over here these days you can pick up an Elan for £10k+ but there is a company called Spyder Engineering ironing out all the old niggles, they even make new ones on a new chasis with brand new Zetec engines - best of both worlds but out of my pocket…
Cheers
Mark
- 1980 W Yamaha FS1E DX. 16th birthday present from parents
- 1981 X Suzuki TS125ER. Needed more speed and to learn to wheelie
- 1983 Vauxhall Astra 1200S. Great car and went much faster when I fitted a cassette player and two huge Cibie driving lights
- 1987 Vauxhall Nova 1.2 Club. Grey and yellow seats (
) but a button sized leather steering wheel improved things. - 1991 Ford Escort 1.3L. Kept this for 7 years and 80000 miles for some reason though can't think why
- 1993 Yamaha XJ600S. Return to biking after a change in domestic circumstances meant I could do what I wanted
- 1999 VW Polo 1.4CL. The Escort finally gave up and this had mod cons like electric windows and central locking which hooked me
- 2000 Yamaha FZS600. Bought cheaply new but preregistered and treated to an ART end can, belly pan and hugger. Fab bike
- 2003 Suzuki SV1000S. Another brand new purchase on launch at list price shortly before the discounting started. Doh
- 2001 Mazda MX5 1.6. Realised what I had been missing.
- 2003 Triumph Speed Triple. The riding position on the SV hurt and I was going too fast so time for an upright unfaired bike
- 2007 Yamaha FZ1S. Too windy so I need a fairing and japanese reliability. Bought new and can't think of anything to replace it
- 2004 Audi 2.0 FSI Sport. Nice but little things started going wrong after 40k and Audi dealers/parts ain't cheap
- 2007 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport. The current ride, never missed a beat and just had first MOT without even an advisory
Incidently, talk about small world Geoff, if you were still living in your house in Alnwick in 1975 you could have looked out of the back bedroom window and seen my parents house where I lived as a young’un.
Vauxhall Nova 1.2L 3dr
Vauxhall Astra 1.3 Merit 5dr Estate
Toyota Corolla 1.3GL 5dr Estate
Ford Escort 1.6 XR3i Cabriolet
Mini Moke 1.0
Mini Moke 1.3
Mazda MX-5 1.8 Merlot
Smart Roadster 0.8
VW T2 1.6 Devon Moonraker
Nissan 100NX 1.6
Eunos Roadster 1.6
Rover 216 Cabriolet (Currently for sale!)
Eunos Roadster 1.8 R-Limited
All the pictures are here : http://foolhandy.com/car_wall/
I’ve had a few…
Since I passed my test in 1986 I’ve had the following…
Mini Clubman
Toyota Corolla
Ford Fiesta 1300S
Ford Escort XR3i
Vauxhall Cavalier SRi
Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130
Ford Fiesta XR2
BMW 320i
Toyota Corolla GT
VW Golf GTi 16V (MK2)
Peugeot 306 GTi-6
VW Golf GT TDi (MK4)
VW Golf GT TDi (MK4)
Peugeot 307 D-Turbo
VW Golf GT TDi (MK4)
VW Golf GT TDi (MK5)
Audi A4 S-Line TDi
VW Golf GTD (MK6)
18 cars in 24 years
Hoping to add an MX5 2.0 Sport Tech within the next few weeks
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1977 Mk1 Escort Mexico in daytona yellow (restored this for when I passed my test in 1996, insurance was a killer at 17! Still have it 'cos you can’t sell your first car)
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1986 Mk3 Capri 2.8i in blue and silver
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1982 Triumph Spitfire 1500, in pageant blue (my first taste of open top motoring and another one I still own and drive…)
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hidious Montego 2.0tdi (had to, I needed to commute to uni)
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Cavalier 1.9 tdi (isuzu engine, was even more economical and better built than the monty, was having an even longer commute to a different uni by now)
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1995 Mitsubishi FTO Silver (wahey, finished uni, time for some fun! Brilliant car)
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1996 Mitsubishi GTO MR edition 3.0 twin turbo AWD (inevitable upgrade form the ‘F’’ even more brilliant car which I still have)
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2001 Renault Clio Grande (runaround 'cos the petrol was killing me on the GTO if I used it for the commute!)
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1999 MX-5 1.8iS in twilight blue mica (replacement for the Clio ‘cos the boringness of the Clio was killing me on the commute, no chance of that any more tho’!)
notice I have conveniently left the Reliant Robin I learned to drive in off?
Rob.
Really have to get my old brain cells working my car history out and sure to have missed some along the way.
1977: Ford Anglia 1968 Reg Car:Passed my test in this car, with no syncromesh!!! It was stolen and recovered but she was never the same.
1978: Ford Escort MK1 1969 REG:My old man put a 1600 engine into this car and it went like stink…My favourite car of the seventies.
1979: Ford Capri 1-6S.Nice girl pulling car, but lacked power…
1980 Opel Manta 2.0s Sport Berlinetta Hatchback…Superb handling car…
1984 Ford Estate Car!!!Kids had arrived…
1990 MG Montego 2.0 Ltr…Super Fast when not falling to bits.
1992 MG Montego Estate…Super handy for the three kids!!!
Then went thro a couple of sierras and escorts…sad times no money…
2000 Fiat Punto…what was i thinking of, it was new, but is still had problems…the kids now use this car still works!!!
2003 My first Mazda…a Mazda 323 ZXI V6…What a beast and still my daily runabout…awesome puling power and style…
2008 Another Mazda 323 1.8 Sport.just to give my ZXI some rest…
2009 After over thiry years of driving, treated myself to my Eunos Roadster 1993 Mariner Blue…Smiles all round.
Steve…
My car history!
1st car 96’N Ford Fiesta 1.1 Classic Quartz, blue. Quite possibly the most stupidly name specced car ever! I mean classic quartz? come on! Did some silly boy racer things to this big exhaust, lowered 15’’ wheels, I even bought a replica xr2i fiberglass bodykit to put on but it was total rubbish!
2nd car 97’R Nissan Primera 1.6 Si, white. Quite a good car handled nice and since i was a fan of the BTCC was pretty cool to have a white primera back when they were winning races!
3rd car 00’W Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec-S blue, In my mind this was a focus RS. Some old boy crashed into the side of it weeks after i bought it though luckily not a write off. Was my pride and joy and i ruined it by fitting the stiffest SPAX suspension known to man!
4th car 90’G BMW 520i, white. Not sure why i bought this, though it was a ideal motor for me an all my mates to pile into and cruise off somewhere.
5th car 02’ 51 plate Vauxhall Astra coupe 1.8 SE2 special edition blue, Still own this car as its my daily drive love the blue suede and black leather interior! Had it for 3 years and never had any real grief from it. Totally standard as it is a nice spec and don’t want to ruin it!
6th car Eunos Roadster 1990 G 1.6 Currently off the road waiting for me to put the longnose in, then the real fun can start!
Not sure who would have sat through this thread long enough to see these but here is my list (not bad for a 21 year old!)
1st car,
2007 Pug 107 (My first car and only car I have ever brought brand new!)
2nd car,
Owned for 2years my real best car my Mazda RX7 FD
3rd car,
Jaguar X-Type 3.0 V6
4th car,
Worst car I ever owned! Renault Laguna 1.8
5th,
And my current car that I just brought … my little 5’ (Better pics to come, need to do new ones now paintworks been repaired )
That is a very impressive list for one so young. Tell us more about the cars, please.
Martin153