What car do you own?

[Hux]

I'm sure we've had this conversation before but I'm so surprised to find another person who owned one that we should do it again.

I have fond memories of mine. Mostly related to not being able to start it because the ring gear was stuffed, and I often had to manually turn the engine to the right spot to get the starter motor to engage. Oh and the floaty handling - I bought and fitted new shocks for it - those stupid lever arm ones - but it was still a boat.

Eventually I did buy a new flywheel/ring hear for it, dropped the box out but couldn't get it back in so did the thing I should've done from the start and scrapped it.

Would love to have another toy car but the funds really don't permit and won't for a while. Another Torana would be nice; (I think I left the LJ 2 door I owned off the list, probably because it was only driveable for a couple of days before I stripped it and it never got finished). I would own another Trans Am in a heartbeat too.

Ben

As a poor uni student I used to frequent the wreckers - found a Marina with a front shock conversion - the old lever arms stayed but these brackets adapted a standard telescopic shock in. Made a massive difference, had a sway bar on it and alloys and wide tyres and it was almost driveable.

The XD took its place - it was awesome had Simmons wheels, pacemaker tuned length and was knocked off just as I was planning on an engine build - glad it was before not after!

[BenM]

Ben

As a poor uni student I used to frequent the wreckers - found a Marina with a front shock conversion - the old lever arms stayed but these brackets adapted a standard telescopic shock in. Made a massive difference, had a sway bar on it and alloys and wide tyres and it was almost driveable.

The XD took its place - it was awesome had Simmons wheels, pacemaker tuned length and was knocked off just as I was planning on an engine build - glad it was before not after!

That sounds like it would've been decent! They weren't a terrible looking car to be honest, I had dreams of doing mine up but was too poor and unmotivated. My brother (who is in the UK) has sent me a couple of photos of Marinas he's spotted so he remembers it well and there are still a few out there.

I was never really a Ford guy but if I had to own one I reckon I'd have an XD/XF, a mate had one that was fairly tough back when I was 18 or so, great fun.

[markTHEblake]

I've had a few.... Past:
85 Mazda 323
ED XR6
EF Fairmont
AU XR8
NC Fairlane
EB XR8
ED Fairmont
AU XR8

And I now have:
1997 LTD
1994 EF XR8 with a 343ci Stroker motor.

oldracer - that XA looks brilliant! Not just the older members who want one!

I was thinking you were more like a Hyundai Accent driver.

[LarryLong]

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale:

1979 Subaru 1600 wagon - the 1800 wagons came a year or so later and were bomb-proof, but this one was just a bomb. POS, but I loved it.
1984 Datsun Bluebird - auto, and reliable. Got it because I fractured a wrist and needed something I could drive with one hand, and it wasn't a POS.
1989 Mitsubishi Magna - Dad's old car. I didn't really like it, but he basically gave it to me and I couldn't say no.
2006 Subaru Impreza - First new car. I don't care what you petrol heads say, a small hatch is the perfect car.
2010 Subaru Outback - Family chariot. I no longer need a car this big, but I'm keeping it because I can fit my surfboard in the back and I'm too lazy to buy a new car.

My next car will be electric if the price drops.

[Dotty]

Just waiting delivery on my 10th car in 37 years.

71 HQ Monaro (202 three-on-the-tree)
78 Corolla coupe (bloody oil crisis)
82 T-18
85 Corona SR 2.4i
88 Camry Wagon (worst built car ever)
91 Liberty Wagon (best built car ever)
97 Outback
03 Forester
09 Mondeo Diesel
15 XR6 Ute

[oldracer]

Just waiting delivery on my 10th car in 37 years.

71 HQ Monaro (202 three-on-the-tree)
78 Corolla coupe (bloody oil crisis)
82 T-18
85 Corona SR 2.4i
88 Camry Wagon (worst built car ever)
91 Liberty Wagon (best built car ever)
97 Outback
03 Forester
09 Mondeo Diesel
15 XR6 Ute

T 18, my mum had a couple of those, went great just rusted out pretty quick even with the "paint treatment"

[markTHEblake]

Just waiting delivery on my 10th car in 37 years. 71 HQ Monaro (202 three-on-the-tree) 78 Corolla coupe (bloody oil crisis) 82 T-18 85 Corona SR 2.4i 88 Camry Wagon (worst built car ever) 91 Liberty Wagon (best built car ever) 97 Outback 03 Forester 09 Mondeo Diesel 15 XR6 Ute

It's very noticeable that you had the Monaro the longest

[Dotty]

It's very noticeable that you had the Monaro the longest

Only three years, as I bought it in 78 and it was written off by a brakeless Rover P6 in 1981.

Interestingly, the three Subarus were the longest at 5, 6 and 10 years.
The original Liberty still hadn't had a problem by 1991, when my father sold it. (Not so the Forester, that I held onto for too long, due to more important issues.)

The Mondeo would have been the longest, as it ticks all the right boxes, but we are playing musical cars in the family, after loss of parents and nephews now working.

[Timbo]

My son has just bought a MB Mondeo diesel (late 2010) as his first car. He paid 12k on the road, and I am really impressed at the level of options and safety.

[davepuppies]

This could be a long list

Mazda 1300
Holden camira
VL hdt aero (written off in head on)
87 celica
Xf falcon
Vl commodore
Vt commodore
Ba xr8
Magna
Ba falcon
Vy commodore
Vy Calais (400 rear kilowatt stroker motor, cost a bomb!)
Vz Calais
FG g6e turbo (current car, owned 4 years now)

Looking at maybe a vf Calais or one of the new xr8s with the supercharged 5.0 in it factory, or the FPV version of my current the GTE

[Dotty]

My son has just bought a MB Mondeo diesel (late 2010) as his first car. He paid 12k on the road, and I am really impressed at the level of options and safety.

Those factors are number 4 and 5 on my list, after space, torque and economy.

My brother was so impressed by mine, that he was starting looking to get one for his son.

$12K? I must have a word to my vendor.

[driftn69]

I don't own a car as such but drive a work 4x4 Colorado ute...

A bit toff topic but i was watching some YouTubevideos of RickShields and co the other day. They had a bit of a behind the scenes episode where they were getting out of there Audi and BMWs. Didn't realise making YouTube videos and coaching golf payed that well...

[Daves]

I don't own a car as such but drive a work 4x4 Colorado ute...

A bit toff topic but i was watching some YouTubevideos of RickShields and co the other day. They had a bit of a behind the scenes episode where they were getting out of there Audi and BMWs. Didn't realise making YouTube videos and coaching golf payed that well...

Audis and Beemers (and Mercs) are taxis in Europe, everyone has one. And at half the price we pay here!

[BenM]

Audis and Beemers (and Mercs) are taxis in Europe, everyone has one. And at half the price we pay here!

This is totally true in my experience.

3 series BMWs are as populous as Commodores and Falcons, in the UK at least.

London is amazing for car porn. Walk around for an hour or two and you will see Astons, Jags, Lamborghinis and Ferraris very regularly, Porsches are not very special, high end AMGs are all over the show like Clubsports.

I love Australia but we do suffer in a couple of areas, one being the high cost of imports (partly due to being such a small market and partly due to tariffs/LCT etc). My other bugbear is the amount we are taxed on alcohol but I should put that rant in another thread.

[Timbo]

Those factors are number 4 and 5 on my list, after space, torque and economy.

My brother was so impressed by mine, that he was starting looking to get one for his son.

$12K? I must have a word to my vendor.

As a Dad helping his son shop for his first car, my priorities were a little different.

In order - safety, economy, options, with space (for mates) & torque a long way back.

$12K on the road was a good price. We looked around for a few months in the lead up to his 18th and spotted it on Carsales for $12.5K. We turned up at Melbourne's Cheapest Cars and they had just written $10950 on the windscreen (they don't haggle). I was dubious about dealing with MCC as I have always bought private, but I can't fault them. The only issue we had with the car was a faulty cruise control switch, and they paid for the repair under the statutory warranty.

[markTHEblake]

Only three years, as I bought it in 78

Oh, what a stupid I am. For whatever reason I read that as the years you bought each car.
I should have obviously noticed you didn’t get your first car at 5yo.

[Grunt]

Update

2014 Nissan X Trail T32
2013 Nissan X Trail T31
2009 Ford Mondeo Tdic
2006 Ford Focus zetec
2003 PT Cruiser
1977 Mini Moke
1991 Falcon XR6 Sedan
1977 Holden Gemini Wagon
1974 Datsun 120Y Coupe

Rachelle's Cars

2012 VW Up!
2003 PT Cruiser
2002 Nissan Pulsar Q
1997 Toyota Camry CSi
1995 Daihatsu Charade
1977 Holden Gemini

[Looney]

My list
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee (wives car)
2014 Range rover sports SDV8 (my car)
2010 Range rover sports TDV8
2009 Audi RS5
2007 Range rover sports TDV8
2007 Volvo XC90
2007 Subaru Liberty B-spec
2005 Lexus IS300
2001 Audi S4
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
1999 Subaru Forester
1994 Toyota celica
1989 Toyota 4runner
1986 Subaru sorts wagon

[benno_r]

Geez you guys go through some cars.

1997: 1984 Nissan Bluebird TRX (handed down to sister as first car)
2000: 1992 Mitsubishi Triton Single Cab 2WD
2002: 2002 Holden Rodeo Single Cab 2WD (written off by the Mrs, or I'd still have it)
2013: 2012 Nissan Navara STX Extra Cab 4WD

[Tongueboy]

You play Tamworth or Longyard???

Longyard.

[Tongueboy]

Ok lets list them.
1964 XM Falcon
1967 Valiant Regal
1970 Toyata Crown
1972 Toyota Crown
1977 HZ Holden Kingswood
1977 Ford Fairmont 4.9
1982 VH Commodore S/W
1992 EB Falcon 4.0
2000 XR6 VCT Falcon
2005 Mazda6 Luxury Sports
2006 Hyundai Getz
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel
2014 Hyundai ix35
2014 Skoda Rapid.

All have done the job required at the time. The worst one was the XC Falcon followed by the ix35. Best by a longshot is the Skoda followed by the Santa Fe.

[coalesce]

I can't remember when I actually owned them all but in order:

Rover 216SLi
Vauxhall VX220
Ford Fiesta 1.3
Vauxhall Astra Coupe Turbo
Renault Clio 1.6
Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 Jtdm
BMW 330 Ci M Sport
Toyota Yaris

By far the best was the Vauxhall VX220 which looked a bit like this one: https://cdn6.3dtuning.com/info/Vauxh.../factory/7.jpg

The Astra Coupe Turbo had the same 0-60 in a more user friendly configuration (I could take passengers, and luggage!)

The BMW was a class above in build quality - I had one of the last of the E46 (old shape) ones. I loved it, but sold it before coming to Aus as it wasn't worth shipping over.

And now I pootle around in my girlfriend's Yaris. Sad panda.

[oldracer]

Geez you guys go through some cars.

1997: 1984 Nissan Bluebird TRX (handed down to sister as first car)
2000: 1992 Mitsubishi Triton Single Cab 2WD
2002: 2002 Holden Rodeo Single Cab 2WD (written off by the Mrs, or I'd still have it)
2013: 2012 Nissan Navara STX Extra Cab 4WD

hope she was ok

[benno_r]

hope she was ok

She was, it was a low speed bingle, but it bent the chassis rails.

Was awesome, because I insured it for a bit more than what it was worth, and nobody was hurt at all. #winning

[Dazza]

Currently got a late 06 Ford Territory Turbo Ghia (Petrol, AWD), got a touch under 80,000km on the clock.
Nice car, really gets up and goes, but typical of Ford (IMO, and I bleed blue) too many corners cut in both the design and manufacturing process.

Looking to trade up to a late model T/D Prado or SR5 Hilux shortly.