Practically Classics Forum

Considering that some brave souls extracted North of 300bhp from the 5's hemi-headed version of the good old Cleon engine (a specific output rarely seen even now and now only in track cars that would toil to get close to 5,000 miles from each engine, never mind 50,000), I reckon they weren't too shabby and were certainly capable of spectacular bang for the buck.

Some even made a claimed 600bhp. From what was essentially the same bottom end as you'd find in a peasant's shopping car. Checking youtube briefly, I couldn't find much film footage of these things exploding in service.

JPB wrote:Considering that some brave souls extracted North of 300bhp from the 5's hemi-headed version of the good old Cleon engine (a specific output rarely seen even now and now only in track cars that would toil to get close to 5,000 miles from each engine, never mind 50,000), I reckon they weren't too shabby and were certainly capable of spectacular bang for the buck.

Some even made a claimed 600bhp. From what was essentially the same bottom end as you'd find in a peasant's shopping car. Checking youtube briefly, I couldn't find much film footage of these things exploding in service.

Yeah, I wasn't trying to diss them, I liked them ..... they were rapid at the time and one of the proper 80's hot hatches..... they were fragile though, blown head gaskets were common, especially as the miles mounted up or if someone had tinkered with the wastegate and raised the boost.
I've only seen a couple of these on the road in the last 5 years.... seen a few at the shows though..... I'd imagine really clean examples should fetch good money these days.

A whole host of adverts on here:

http://adturds.co.uk/2009/01/best-and-w ... the-1980s/

Austin Metro, a british car to beat the world,complete with split rear seats!!

ian65 wrote:..Yeah, I wasn't trying to diss them...

I know, I apologise for having given the impression that I thought you were.

Thinking about it, I'm sure I've seen more GTTs than bog-standard Supercinqs recently. I'd love to see a Campus or a GTX in perfect, original condition at a show.

Murray wrote:A whole host of adverts on here...//...Austin Metro, a british car to beat the world,complete with split rear seats!!

My family's last one was a City X and that didn't even have the split folding arrangement. I remember when Mother bought it new in 1988, the major USP of that one was that it came with those damned awful TD tyres and their metric wheels. I still never worked out why they were considered a good idea.

JPB wrote:
My family's last one was a City X and that didn't even have the split folding arrangement. I remember when Mother bought it new in 1988, the major USP of that one was that it came with those damned awful TD tyres and their metric wheels. I still never worked out why they were considered a good idea.

You'd think BMW would know better than to "copy" the idea. I gather the modern BMWs have a similar type of tyre that also ruins the ride! I wouldn't mind, but that must be the third iteration of the idea: Dunlop's Denove, the TD and then whatever BMW have.

Both Ma's Metros had TD wheels, the first (an '83 1.3 HLE) had Michelin tyres from new and they were a lot better than the Dunlops that the second (an '89 1.3L) had. She kept the second car until 005, when she stopped driving and it had had three new tyres by the time it was sold: one Michelin to replace a punctured one and two Pirellis to replace worn front tyres (they were the only tyres I could get for it when they eventually needed changing!).

I remember the early Mondeo adverts with Brian May's "Everything I do" as the soundtrack. The first version didn't last long: it showed a David Brown coming out of a gateway into the path of the car and the car swerving to go round it. They soon changed that bit to show a Ford tractor pulling out of the gateway! I suspect Case (who had bought David Brown in the early 70s) weren't too pleased - especially as the DB would (and could) pull the Ford backwards without problems! Of course, the irony is that both Case and Ford (tractors) is now part of Fiat, who own Case-New Holland.

I understood the purpose of Denovos as they had canisters of some sort of magic instant fix around the well of the rim and they could be driven deflated. VRG 77T, my Pageant Blue Clubman Estate, was supplied with Denovos and they actually looked quite good too, thanks to their low profile and wider tread - all accommodated without those silly wheelarch extensions that later minis were given.

Now you come to mention the difference between the brands of TD, I recall that Ma's earlier TD-equipped Metro, B662HTY, came with Michelins and F781JVK came with Dunlops. There was a noticeable difference between the two cars in terms of how much they understeered but when Dad got involved and complained following a damaged Michelin on HTY having to be replaced with a Dunlop, he was told that the TD tyres were all made to the same very specific recipe which meant that both brands would be entirely compatible with each other. It wasn't KwikFit that gave him this information so perhaps there was some truth to it but I always believed that there was a very detectable difference in the handling of cars equipped with the different brands. Now - thank goodness - the awful things are long since extinct and most surviving Metros roll on either the earlier, imperial 12" wheels with 135 or 155/70 rubber, or they've acquired those attractive alloys from very late 4" cars. I know of a few Metros that still run TDs and that worries me because a) I don't have much else to worry about and b) surely these tyres are now all so old that they should be disposed of on the grounds of age?

On 1980s car ads though; in 1986, I bought my first ever split new, previously unmolested, factory fresh car, this was a bright red FSO 125P - D641WTF. I actually enjoyed that quite a lot but then it did drive so much better than the Lada Estate I'd had a few years earlier and was much livelier than my beloved Morris Oxford, if nowhere near as quiet, comfortable or reliable.
Then I remembered this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Da8TOyJ_YA

Doesn't that make you want to rush out and buy a 125?

So then I found a nice A60 and the Polski had to go. I'd owned it for six months and had sorted all of its factory-induced maladies myself during that time so it was well sorted and had acquired - from a scrapyard just by Staines - an Italian 125's dashboard, in as-new condition and complete with woodwork, to replace the creaky, fragile Polish issue plastic dash. The supplying dealer (In Reading, near where I stayed when I bought the car) bought it back from me and get this: They gave me a £10 profit on the price I'd paid as they'd suddenly found themselves with a waiting list and no cars to fill the orders which allowed them to add rather a lot to the retail price and they were just grateful to have the chance to satisfy that order! Shame that doesn't happen so much these days, with the possible exception of the BMW Minis during their first year.

I love the Montego ad. Knight rider eat your heart out!