My first car – a Triumph Mayflower

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In this message to the OVF editor, Barry Edge recalls the purchase of his first secondhand car… Barry Edge writes… Hello Rob, It seems only yesterday when, as Curator of your very successful Vale Vaults, a lady came over giving you photograph and asked the question… ‘Do you know whoRead More →

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[TheSage]

Nice bit of nostalgia, Barry.

 

I think my first car was a little red Fiat 127. They only lasted about 6 weeks then as Italian cars used to rust like mad! But I passed my test in it and treated it like my baby. Every weekend - soap bucket, water, chamois, polish. It was my pride and joy. It was only about 6 months old and cost from memory round about £1000. Very sad when it went. But my Hillman Avenger was bigger and faster. Didn't seem to help me pull the women though. Is it only ladies who name their cars?

[Aussie Rules]

Nice bit of nostalgia, Barry.

 

I think my first car was a little red Fiat 127. They only lasted about 6 weeks then as Italian cars used to rust like mad! But I passed my test in it and treated it like my baby. Every weekend - soap bucket, water, chamois, polish. It was my pride and joy. It was only about 6 months old and cost from memory round about £1000. Very sad when it went. But my Hillman Avenger was bigger and faster. Didn't seem to help me pull the women though. Is it only ladies who name their cars?

 

Ah! The Fiat of yesterday year. A mate of mine - mechanic by trade - would unkindly refer to them as 'Fix It Again Tom' plus other not so nice expletives.

 

p.s. the 'photo of me was taken on my birthday January 9,1961.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

You guys are a fair bit older than me but talking of disastrous first car buys mine was a Volvo 240, proper tank but a proper stupid buy for a 21 year old, it cost a fortune to insure and in fuel. Anyway, even worse, the engine blew up on the M6 on the way to watch the Vale at West Brom in a League Cup match. Luckily I managed to coast off the motorway and got my dad to come and tow me home. Having no money to repair it properly I bought a second hand (knackered) engine and changed it outside my parents house under the light of the streetlamp with the help of a mechanic mate! I saved some money as hard as I could and then got my mum to persuade my dad to lend me the rest to trade it in to buy a Capri which turned out to be a fabulous car and my favourite motor of any I've ever owned. I learned a big lesson there and I've never bought a real nail ever since, just some cars have been better than others. Wish I'd kept the Capri though, it'd be a cool 'classic' now.

[Aussie Rules]

You guys are a fair bit older than me but talking of disastrous first car buys mine was a Volvo 240, proper tank but a proper stupid buy for a 21 year old, it cost a fortune to insure and in fuel. Anyway, even worse, the engine blew up on the M6 on the way to watch the Vale at West Brom in a League Cup match. Luckily I managed to coast off the motorway and got my dad to come and tow me home. Having no money to repair it properly I bought a second hand (knackered) engine and changed it outside my parents house under the light of the streetlamp with the help of a mechanic mate! I saved some money as hard as I could and then got my mum to persuade my dad to lend me the rest to trade it in to buy a Capri which turned out to be a fabulous car and my favourite motor of any I've ever owned. I learned a big lesson there and I've never bought a real nail ever since, just some cars have been better than others. Wish I'd kept the Capri though, it'd be a cool 'classic' now.

 

 

Brilliant That's Monty Pythonism at it's best...'Eee, a house and a street light'...

[Howjy04]

In order.

Daf 33,Cortins Mk 2, Volvo 33,Chevette(lol),Capri,Cavalier,Volvo 240,Volvo 240( had it from new for 18 years,BMW 320i M Sport,BMW X 1( current).

[rsb]

My first car was a Vauxhall viva estate second hand about £175 I now drive a 2006 VW Touareg

[Aussie Rules]

The main problem with my 1st car was getting replacement parts - especially head gaskets. On one occasion we couldn't get a head gasket for love nor money so my eldest brother fashioned one from a thick piece of linoleum. Didn't do much for engine timing but kept me on the road long enough for one to come from England.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

The main problem with my 1st car was getting replacement parts - especially head gaskets. On one occasion we couldn't get a head gasket for love nor money so my eldest brother fashioned one from a thick piece of linoleum. Didn't do much for engine timing but kept me on the road long enough for one to come from England.

 

Proper motoring!

 

A good way of making them was to cut them out of a thin cork floor tile by laying the old one down as a template. Lots of old gaskets were made of cork anyway.

[man in the pub]

My Dad had a Mayflower about 1964 and he always said they stopped making them because they didn't breakdown, obviously doesn't apply to Down Under. He used to let me drive it down our driveway. Were they really that easy to drive ? I was only 7 at the time. Yes I know Social Services would have taken me away from my parents today but it was simpler times then.

Yes Sage I had a Fiat 127 too, a red one from Platts. Always remember it used to have an electrical fault which when you were driving along suddenly resulted in total power loss. Also no lights, indicators , radio etc.. Can always remember coming back from girlfriends( Now Mrs man in the pub) at Smallthorne very late one night having just watched the film Psycho at her house. I was on my way back to Blurton about 1 am when everything shut down. I had learnt you had to unscrew the dash and wiggle a few wires and eventually I was on my way again. Glad there wasn't a Bates Motel in sight.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

FIAT - Fix It Again Tomorrow!

[Aussie Rules]

FIAT - Fix It Again Tomorrow!

 

Yes SOTT, Tomorrow it was - not Tom.

[Conrad]

I was always on 2 wheels when I was younger so my first car wasn’t until I was in my mid twenty’s, a Morris Marina bought for £80 of my brother.

When it failed it’s mot I couldn’t afford to get it repaired so took it to maginnises then had to walk home to Birches Head.

[TheSage]

Marina! We had one of those for a few months. Worse than Fiat. The steering was so imprecise and loose you couldn't keep the car in a straight line. Bliddy dangerous. One of the many reasons why Morris went down the pan. I think, from memory, around that time the Japanese were beginning to send us cars that lasted a lot longer and had all the exciting bits and bobs that we craved - like a radio cassette (wow).