Here it is folks, every car I've ever owned. The newest is either the Citroen Xantia estate or the Ledbury Maestro, both from 1997. Still haven't owned a car from this century.

Let's make this a little thread.
(1/19)

#WeirdCarMastodon #Austin #Rover #Renault #Volkswagen #Ford #Citroen #Ledbury #Vauxhall

Austin A40 Farina
Technically my first car, went in on this with my brother but there's some debate as to whose car it really was. I kind of got muscled out of the whole thing and it was sold before I got a chance to enjoy it or really get involved. Disappointing, I quite like these.

It was the standard saloon and had no engine, or floors, but was otherwise a good sound project.

(2/19)

#Austin #A40 #Farina #ClassicCar #WeirdCarMastodon

Next one I have no photo of. It was my first proper car, a Ford Sierra Sapphire in a graphite metallic colour. Bought from Charlie's Cheapies in Chesterfield. I really wanted the boxy 1980s Mazda 323 but my Dad talked me into the Sierra.

It burned oil, the top of the doors were rotten, it was full of filler... it ended up being an experimental project that I learned a lot on before scrapping it.

(3/19)

#Ford #Sierra #WeirdCarMastodon

Volvo 240 saloon. I loved this car, bought it from a neighbour who sparked my love of Citroen BXs (he had quite a few) and it was a sturdy old thing. I hadn't passed my test at this point and couldn't afford to insure it so sadly I had to move it on. Enjoyed it all the same and preferred it to the 740 my Dad would later have a few of.
(4/19)

#Volvo #240 #WeirdCarMastodon

This little car was my first true automotive love and it was in the family for a very long time, I learned to drive in it, and it was the back up when other people needed a car before I'd passed my test. Taught me lots and lots about modifying and maintenance but life meant it didn't get to stay and we parted ways in 2012 so I never got to see the project through to completion.

(5/19)

#Volkswagen #Polo #WeirdCarMastodon

Here she is, my second love, the one I still have 13 years later. At the time I bought this I really wanted either an FSO Polonez or an Austin Princess and this one turned up at the right time. We've been through a lot together, too much to document here.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7VWrXR8KI&list=PLXyFRjxdjpziFjKzRqWTmPa9VJ3oYKBzv

(6/19)

#Austin #Princess #WeirdCarMastodon

I hated this car. When I bought it I hoped it was going to be like my old Polo and it kind of was. I never bonded with it, didn't like the driving position and just generally found it unpleasant. As luck would have it, I swapped it in a convoluted way for a car I really wanted...

(7/19)
#Volkswagen #Golf #Cabriolet #WeirdCarMastodon

So what did I swap the Golf for? That's right, another Princess! This was 'free' and had 180,000 miles and a blown head gasket. The plan was to resurrect this one while my other Princess (the black and pink one) was undergoing repairs because it should have been less work... you know, buy another car because the car/s you haev are broken? That logic.

(8/19)

#Austin #Princess #WeirdCarMastodon

... thing is, that red Princess needed a few things, so it has the doors off a Princess that was being stripped and a friend said "do you want a Princess?" and, well, no, I didn't at that point. The price was right and that's how I ended up with three Princesses.

It was SO rotten, omg. It also offered a surprisingly large amount of useful spares that helped a lot of cars.

(9/19)

#Austin #Princess #WeirdCarMastodon

At this point I had three broken cars. Or maybe I'd got rid of the red one... I'm not sure. Life was a bit broken around about now so I'm not so clear on the timeline. Anyway, what I definitely didn't need was an end of life Citroen BX estate, formerly owned by Hubnut, so obviously I ended up with that. BXs are one of my all time favourite cars, I love them, even worn out they're still good.

One of the few cars I've scrapped, it needed too much.

(10/19)

#Citroen #BX #WeirdCarMastodon

When it became clear the BX needed to go, I needed new transport. At least I think this is the way around it happened. Anyway, here's a Ledbury Maestro from 1997, the newest car I'd owned at that point. It was dreadful, in a good way. It was also apparently invisible, so many near misses with people pulling out of junctions in front of me at the last minute.

(11/19)

#Ledbury #Maestro #WeirdCarMastodon

The Ledbury was moved on and I replaced it with a car from the same year, a Citroen Xantia estate. I was expecting this to be like my old BX and in some ways it was. Much better build quality. Unfortunately I couldn't get on with the driver's seat, the extent I put Peugeot 405 seats in (straight swap, funnily enough). The back pain was too much, it had to go. Boo.

(12/19)
#Citroen #Xantia #WeirdCarMastodon

The one I shouldn't have sold. It was high mileage and had the K series, was definitely underpowered being the 1.4. That said, this little Rover 414 SLi was on paper the best car I'd ever owned. Gearbox blew up shortly after I sold it, sadly, and it was scrapped.

But why did I sell it?

(13/19)

#Rover #414 #WeirdCarMastodon

I sold the Rover because a Citroen BX 1.7RD came up at the right price. It also promptly burst a hydraulic line just before collection so it was fun getting that on the recovery truck, and off again. Loved this thing, just right for me until I stopped doing long distance runs and then the diesel made no sense for me. Really enjoyed my time with it.

(14/19)

#Citroen #BX #WeirdCarMastodon

Okay, so the situation with the cars here is that I had multiple at the same time. One of those is this incredibly rare right hand drive facelift Renault 6TL that Hubnut found on Anglesey. I should have persisted with this, but life was too much at the time.

Sold it to an employee of Paul Cowland.

No idea what's happened to it, I'd love to know if you know. I don't want it back, I'm just curious.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJeSrz4XfM&list=PLXyFRjxdjpzi6AzwdP9U2ItPTFhcmBmuF

(15/19)

#Renault #6TL #WeirdCarMastodon

This is Nugget, a 1.2 Vauxhall Corsa B Swing in one of the best 1990s colours. I drove this back in one shot from South London, with no satnav, during a storm, against the clock, to Middlesbrough. Amazing little car, really cemented my respect for them. Sadly the insurance was insanely expensive so it didn't stick around.

(16/19)

#Vauxhall #Corsa #WeirdCarMastodon

This Austin 1100 was free. It was purple when I got it and it needed so much welding. That wasn't the problem. I couldn't drive it because of the offset pedals and steering wheel making it very uncomfortable. It had a lot of welding before I got it, I did a bunch of welding to it, the owner after me did more welding and the owner after him is still welding it.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJeSrz4XfM&list=PLXyFRjxdjpzi6AzwdP9U2ItPTFhcmBmuF

(17/19)

#Austin #1100 #WeirdCarMastodon

We're almost at the end of the list and up to date with this, the oldest car I've ever owned, a 1951 Lanchester LD10 that's been off the road since 1984. Technically I've owned two of these... but the other one was a donor car before it even got here.

Still working on it, ongoing Youtube series on it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJEj_rZ-Po&list=PLXyFRjxdjpzizTuBAadVue-f01FsgbRzU

There's so many ways it can rot, you'd be amazed. They only made a couple thousand of these cars, not many survive.

(18/19)

#Lanchester #LD10 #WeirdCarMastodon

This one has been and gone. Shockingly high mileage and I was only the third owner. I needed a basic reliable lump of transport and this one narrowly escaped the scrapyard. When it came time to sell the right buyer was there waiting so as far as I know it lives on and is loved.

Big old Youtube series on it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SN1SJTvVQo&list=PLXyFRjxdjpzi7blc7LpSq8G6bk9t31OVk

Welding aside, had a grand time with this car, I do like a Maestro.

(19/19)

#Austin #Maestro #WeirdCarMastodon

The last one here is a car I bought for a purpose, that purpose being shuttle run house moves for me and my then housemate. A Renault 5 Extra van converted for wheelchair use from new by Atlas. Got a clean sheet MoT and then two weeks before moving house the engine catastrophically failed going over the Humber Bridge. Gutted! It's with a Renault 5 botherer now, hopefully of use to them.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9X3jLRlgo&list=PLXyFRjxdjpzg2B5_8YXhNOrIBuYfNPpiO

(20/19)

#Renault #Extra #WheelchairVan #VanLife #WeirdCarMastodon