Cars we've owned?

[saleen 192]

Nice pics less hassle than the jeep. No lockdown out at sea lol

 

[Will]

Hi, Mine I think was 20ft, inboard mercruiser, it originally had a V8 so would of been a bit of a flying machine, I got it without its engine, so bought a rough old boat with a 466 engine and stern drive and swapped them over, went well, except or the first outing when she dropped a valve, split the liner wide open, first pic was the donor boat, actually sold it for more than I paid, without its engine. Other pics are of its new engine, and it actually running

Excellent! Some nice pictures there .
I like Mercruisers. Actually, I think their V8's are basically marinised small block Chevys! I had a Bayliner Capri with their 3.0 straight four in (pictured below just off Southsea sea front. You can see the IOW hovercraft to the top right). This was taken this Summer and is the guy I sold it to out with his family.

 

[Alex Gibson]

Before I could drive I used to cycle to New Road in Portsmouth to help my granddad, i was at college at the time, I wrote a database for his stock control on a 8088 PC so it was a very old PC, little RAM. anyway that turned into a college project I got a distinction for. When the stock control was done we worked on his car, a MK1 cavalier KWL117W. He showed me how to do tappets, welding, well wasn't so good at welding was chasing a hole and setting the carpet alight. A year or so later I passed my driving test and he gave me his car as a present. It was great to have a first car.

1996ish - Mk Cavalier KWL117W
1996/97 - Opel Manta 'B' reg. (B669 RPR?) Bright Yellow, perhaps my Sponge Bob feeling started then before Spopnge Bob came about..
1997 to 2003/2004ish - 3rd Gen Pontiac Firebird, F522VVC or F552VVC https://www.solent-renegades.co.uk/media/albums/1989-pontiac-firebird.171/
2002 to present 4th Gen Pontiac Firebird.

So withing the 1st year of Driving I was on my 3rd car and my first Yank. I brought it as it looked great on the forecort of the garage, I new nothing about it, it just looked great and had to buy it, i later found out it was American and left hand drive. lol.

Insutrance was interesting £1200 a year TPFT for the Opel Manta, yet the 3rd Gen firebird in the same year was £700 full comp. I asked why was insurance so much cheaper, and they said as its left hand drive it less likely to be stolen for joy riding.

It was interesting to see your post here TransAmDan - At one point I nearly bought your old car! F522VVC. Was it still a going concern when you sold it? Great looking car.
Weird thing though - it is shown in the DVLA MOT history as having never had its first MOT! Did you put a private plate on it or just a glitch?

 

[TransAmDan]

It was interesting to see your post here TransAmDan - At one point I nearly bought your old car! F522VVC. Was it still a going concern when you sold it? Great looking car.
Weird thing though - it is shown in the DVLA MOT history as having never had its first MOT! Did you put a private plate on it or just a glitch?
View attachment 161972

That is the one. No private plate. That is the plate I always had. Still got the American style plates in the loft from it. How old is the photo? From what I know it left the country to go to Slovenia in 2003 driven by a chap that lived up north, he was working over there at the time,. So I was hoping it came back to the UK. Looks like it did. Great colour, it was originally gunmetal grey. Saw a 4th gen in the states in putpke, couldnt affort a 4th gen so painted the 3rd gen that colour.
Do you know more about the car? It was 18 years ago I last saw it.

 

[Will]

Just found this picture of a MK1 Escort I bought back in the late 80's. Pretty sure I paid about £200 for it! Try finding one for that money now lol...even £2,000 would be a result!

But I never used it on the road and turned it into this. Imagine doing that to one now!