A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
My first car was a 1962 Vauxhall Victor in the most sickly green imaginable ....although bought in 1978 ..bench seats,column change ...it had character. The bench seats were great until one day they came off their mountings as I sat down making me go arse over tit backwards leaving me in the back!
As a footnote repairs were undertaken by Eddie Cecil bless him ,erstwhile chairman of LAC rovers.He was having a rest from driving at the time and was working from lewis coaches yard ..he got the seats welded back on but managed to set light to the internal carpeting...great memories..whilst the car was in dock a lot of the time had some great times in that car
My dad owned one around the same time, a pre reg year model (665 HLN I remember 45 years later yet can’t remember what I had for dinner 2 days ago). it was an absolute tank. as you said, bench seat, hand brake just under the column change gear stick with only 3 forward gears.
Lol, I just Googled "Pale Blue MK1 Capri" as I do not have any original pics. Bloody internet.
Mark I is the classic shape - coke bottle styling - would love an RS 3.1 litre one
Have to say having a Capri as first car is impressive - insurance must have been high
I bought it off a mate who was handy with cars, he let me have it at "mates rates" and I paid him in 3 x installments so it was doable. Yes the Insurance was high but those were the days when you could pay weekly/monthly for the policy so it could be spread.
1976 Mini Clubman 1100 saloon in Antique Gold (in truth snot green) family car had been owned for several years before it ended up in my teenage hands when it initially arrived it had needed a serious de-coke, I lent the mechanic a hand with the dirty work largely out of boyish curiosity as to the internals of the engine rather than any expectation I'd ever be at the wheel The mechanic was quite the enthusiast, got the head off and set to with the grinding bits and flexi drive etc. The ports were smoothed, excess head material removed, exhaust manifold innards polished to a mirror shine, inlet manifold let out a bit but not polished 'for turbulence', new jet in the carb, valve seats lapped, valve stem seals replaced, pushrod clearances set, timing set, et al. Disappointingly to my teenage eyes, when it was all put back together the only visible difference was that under the bonnet was a bit cleaner. Little did I know. Years later after passing my test I had use of this unprepossessing example of british motoring ubiquity. A few of us at school had cars and inevitably there was plenty of male macho motoring bullshit about the motley collection of minis, allegros, marinas, escorts and littering the school car park. The newest car then piloted by one of my peer group was a late Marina complete with overhead cam engine and spoilers! The efficacy of the mechanic's (and his assistant) skill years before only now became apparent. The only schoolmate's car that could match the snot green missile off the line was the O-series Marina with all it's 1700cc but as soon as the road curved that ludicrous shed was left trailing too. Eff me it was quick, wheelspin in 3rd gear if/when I was stupid enough. The next keeper of that deceptively hot motor sadly binned it...
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
Ford Anglia,1964, 896 DUS Paid £7 in 1973, No Test, Seized Handbrake and small end knock. By the time i finished with it with 1500 Crossflow, Rostyle wheels, 7" Steering wheel was and absolute flyer. Only problem was couldn't stop it, Stuffed it into a tree next to Springfield Grove. Bus driver stopped and helped get me out. Came back in the morning to recover it home, found radio nicked, and the three wheel; that were ok gone. Thats Charlton for yer!
My first car was a green Mk1 Fiesta like the one above. WHJ535W was the reg no.
My grandparents lent me £2k to buy it in 1989 as they said they didn't want me to get a cheap car that would fall apart and I had to pay them back £50 a month (was only earning about £60 a week in Safeway at the time for 39 hours work).
The seats were a lovely brown cloth with a pattern more suited to those on a train.
It struggled up every little hill but managed to get me to Cornwall and back a number of times, and even to St Andrews one year to play golf with a mate.
My first car was a 1962 Vauxhall Victor in the most sickly green imaginable ....although bought in 1978 ..bench seats,column change ...it had character. The bench seats were great until one day they came off their mountings as I sat down making me go arse over tit backwards leaving me in the back!
As a footnote repairs were undertaken by Eddie Cecil bless him ,erstwhile chairman of LAC rovers.He was having a rest from driving at the time and was working from lewis coaches yard ..he got the seats welded back on but managed to set light to the internal carpeting...great memories..whilst the car was in dock a lot of the time had some great times in that car
My Dad’s first job was as an apprentice motor mechanic with Western Motor Works in Chislehurst - when Vauxhall brought out the Victor it was quite quickly apparent that there were serious rust issues with the Victor - so bad in fact, that when brand new ones were delivered to Western Motor Works from Luton, the apprentices were instructed to get the cars off the car transporter as quickly as possible and hide them out of sight of the general public - each car was then taken into the paint shop one by one, rust spots sanded down and re-sprayed and then they could sold i.e. brand new cars were rusting on the journey from the Luton factory to Chislehurst !!!
My Dad developed a lifelong hatred of Vauxhall because of this and was a Ford man through and through as a result
My first car was a 1962 Vauxhall Victor in the most sickly green imaginable ....although bought in 1978 ..bench seats,column change ...it had character. The bench seats were great until one day they came off their mountings as I sat down making me go arse over tit backwards leaving me in the back!
As a footnote repairs were undertaken by Eddie Cecil bless him ,erstwhile chairman of LAC rovers.He was having a rest from driving at the time and was working from lewis coaches yard ..he got the seats welded back on but managed to set light to the internal carpeting...great memories..whilst the car was in dock a lot of the time had some great times in that car
My Dad’s first job was as an apprentice motor mechanic with Western Motor Works in Chislehurst - when Vauxhall brought out the Victor it was quite quickly apparent that there were serious rust issues with the Victor - so bad in fact, that when brand new ones were delivered to Western Motor Works from Luton, the apprentices were instructed to get the cars off the car transporter as quickly as possible and hide them out of sight of the general public - each car was then taken into the paint shop one by one, rust spots sanded down and re-sprayed and then they could sold i.e. brand new cars were rusting on the journey from the Luton factory to Chislehurst !!!
My Dad developed a lifelong hatred of Vauxhall because of this and was a Ford man through and through as a result
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
My dad had a 1500 Hillman Avenger with twin headlamps on each side and it was a good runner (darker green than one below). He was good with anything mechanical and electrical so kept it in good shape and even converted it to be able to run on gas using a kit he bought in Italy. We had quite a few family trips up to Italy in that car/ Like many cars of that era it did have rust issues though.
Oh the days of buying a car for under £500 that had a few months tax and MOT left
Erm, my Peugeot 205 diesel (daily driver) was £250 when I bought it 6 years ago. Done 110k in it so far. Keeps on going at 60mpg. There's still bangers out there.
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
My dad has a 1500 Hillman Avenger with twin headlamps on each side and it was a good runner (darker green than one below). He was good with anything mechanical and electrical so kept it in good shape and even converted it to be able to run on gas using a kit he bought in Italy. We had quite a few family trips up to Italy in that car/ Like many cars of that era it did have rust issues though.
Dad's had the single headlamps. He liked the car and like yours, was very handy mechanically (I learnt so much off him that I still use when looking after my old MG). We did several long trips in it and can only remember it breaking down once when the fan belt snapped and he'd left the spare at home.
Would love one of the limited edition Tiger versions they made.
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
My dad has a 1500 Hillman Avenger with twin headlamps on each side and it was a good runner (darker green than one below). He was good with anything mechanical and electrical so kept it in good shape and even converted it to be able to run on gas using a kit he bought in Italy. We had quite a few family trips up to Italy in that car/ Like many cars of that era it did have rust issues though.
Dad's had the single headlamps. He liked the car and like yours, was very handy mechanically (I learnt so much off him that I still use when looking after my old MG). We did several long trips in it and can only remember it breaking down once when the fan belt snapped and he'd left the spare at home.
Would love one of the limited edition Tiger versions they made.
I recall some had the dashboard dials (my dad's) and some had the long horizontal speedometer.
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
My dad has a 1500 Hillman Avenger with twin headlamps on each side and it was a good runner (darker green than one below). He was good with anything mechanical and electrical so kept it in good shape and even converted it to be able to run on gas using a kit he bought in Italy. We had quite a few family trips up to Italy in that car/ Like many cars of that era it did have rust issues though.
Dad's had the single headlamps. He liked the car and like yours, was very handy mechanically (I learnt so much off him that I still use when looking after my old MG). We did several long trips in it and can only remember it breaking down once when the fan belt snapped and he'd left the spare at home.
Would love one of the limited edition Tiger versions they made.
The Tiger version just screams British 70’s fast saloon car Dave !!!
A white Hillman Avenger bought for £50 around 1983. Looking back I would have been better off buying a skateboard with 3 wheels.
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
My dad has a 1500 Hillman Avenger with twin headlamps on each side and it was a good runner (darker green than one below). He was good with anything mechanical and electrical so kept it in good shape and even converted it to be able to run on gas using a kit he bought in Italy. We had quite a few family trips up to Italy in that car/ Like many cars of that era it did have rust issues though.
Dad's had the single headlamps. He liked the car and like yours, was very handy mechanically (I learnt so much off him that I still use when looking after my old MG). We did several long trips in it and can only remember it breaking down once when the fan belt snapped and he'd left the spare at home.
Would love one of the limited edition Tiger versions they made.
The Tiger version just screams British 70’s fast saloon car Dave !!!
Very true. They only did them in 2 colours, always preferred the yellow one
Here’s Sprout, my first car. I’ve only ever owned 2CV’s. I haven’t had one for six years now 😩😩😩 Used to drive it to work everyday on the A2. Hilarious how angry people got when I overtook them in it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Who is the young lady ?
Me. 25yrs ago 😩 It cost me a grand that car. My last 2CV, Robyn (below), I bought for the same price some years later. I sold it just before I moved to Eire 6yrs ago for 3.5k. You can’t buy a decent one now for less than 7k 😳
Here’s Sprout, my first car. I’ve only ever owned 2CV’s. I haven’t had one for six years now 😩😩😩 Used to drive it to work everyday on the A2. Hilarious how angry people got when I overtook them in it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I didn't know people were allowed to walk on the A2.
My first car I owned was a Morris Marina......but I never got to drive it as I got it off someone from work. Said I could "take it off their hands" for nothing, just pay to have it towed to mine. At 17 years old I was rather naive & didnt realise that the reason why it had to be towed was that the gears were stuck.
First car I actually drove after passing my test was a Mini. Again, bought from someone at work & drove it home this time. First time driving on my own & I picked it up from Billericay & had to drive 3 junctions of the M25 & through the Dartford Tunnel (this was before the bridge had been built). 850cc mini on the inside lane with lorries hurtling past me. That was fun.
But my pride & joy came shortly after. A 2L Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch. The UK version of the Opal Mantra. Great looking car & loved it because it had only half door frames when the windows were down. Classic.
Since then I've had a dozen more cars, which include 2 Renault, 2 Rover 600's, 2 more Cavaliers, an Astra, 3 Jags & a Honda.
Lol, I just Googled "Pale Blue MK1 Capri" as I do not have any original pics. Bloody internet.
Mark I is the classic shape - coke bottle styling - would love an RS 3.1 litre one
Have to say having a Capri as first car is impressive - insurance must have been high
I bought it off a mate who was handy with cars, he let me have it at "mates rates" and I paid him in 3 x installments so it was doable. Yes the Insurance was high but those were the days when you could pay weekly/monthly for the policy so it could be spread.
My first car was a 1962 Vauxhall Victor in the most sickly green imaginable ....although bought in 1978 ..bench seats,column change ...it had character. The bench seats were great until one day they came off their mountings as I sat down making me go arse over tit backwards leaving me in the back!
As a footnote repairs were undertaken by Eddie Cecil bless him ,erstwhile chairman of LAC rovers.He was having a rest from driving at the time and was working from lewis coaches yard ..he got the seats welded back on but managed to set light to the internal carpeting...great memories..whilst the car was in dock a lot of the time had some great times in that car
My Dad’s first job was as an apprentice motor mechanic with Western Motor Works in Chislehurst - when Vauxhall brought out the Victor it was quite quickly apparent that there were serious rust issues with the Victor - so bad in fact, that when brand new ones were delivered to Western Motor Works from Luton, the apprentices were instructed to get the cars off the car transporter as quickly as possible and hide them out of sight of the general public - each car was then taken into the paint shop one by one, rust spots sanded down and re-sprayed and then they could sold i.e. brand new cars were rusting on the journey from the Luton factory to Chislehurst !!!
My Dad developed a lifelong hatred of Vauxhall because of this and was a Ford man through and through as a result
My grandad used to say the same about Vauxhalls; saying that they were built using the metal of old oil drums!
Comments
Mine was R986KCD and his name was Kaseed.
The gearbox linkage snapped whilst doing 60 down a country lane... locked up the wheels and I skidded to a stop, fortunately no crash.
My brother and I re-built it from write off, spent about £500, so I had a car when I turned 17.
I used it for 6 months or so, then I sold it for £120 for scrap as I couldn't afford to get it fixed.
Have to say having a Capri as first car is impressive - insurance must have been high
The Avenger was a lump of scrap metal. However, that didn't deter from attempting to drive to Cardiff for the opening game of the season. Overheated on the M4 and just about managed to limp into Chippenham.
Managed to obtain some new hoses and some more oil and did enough of a repair to enable us to get home to Charlton.
Remember jumping around a Chippenham side street after the radio reported that Killer Hales had just completed his hat-trick and we were winning 3.0
I had the car towed away the following week.
The things you do to watch Charlton.
it was an absolute tank.
as you said, bench seat, hand brake just under the column change gear stick with only 3 forward gears.
family car had been owned for several years before it ended up in my teenage hands
when it initially arrived it had needed a serious de-coke, I lent the mechanic a hand with the dirty work largely out of boyish curiosity as to the internals of the engine rather than any expectation I'd ever be at the wheel
The mechanic was quite the enthusiast, got the head off and set to with the grinding bits and flexi drive etc. The ports were smoothed, excess head material removed, exhaust manifold innards polished to a mirror shine, inlet manifold let out a bit but not polished 'for turbulence', new jet in the carb, valve seats lapped, valve stem seals replaced, pushrod clearances set, timing set, et al. Disappointingly to my teenage eyes, when it was all put back together the only visible difference was that under the bonnet was a bit cleaner. Little did I know.
Years later after passing my test I had use of this unprepossessing example of british motoring ubiquity.
A few of us at school had cars and inevitably there was plenty of male macho motoring bullshit about the motley collection of minis, allegros, marinas, escorts and littering the school car park. The newest car then piloted by one of my peer group was a late Marina complete with overhead cam engine and spoilers!
The efficacy of the mechanic's (and his assistant) skill years before only now became apparent. The only schoolmate's car that could match the snot green missile off the line was the O-series Marina with all it's 1700cc but as soon as the road curved that ludicrous shed was left trailing too. Eff me it was quick, wheelspin in 3rd gear if/when I was stupid enough.
The next keeper of that deceptively hot motor sadly binned it...
My old man bought a 4 year old Avenger in '78 that he had to have rust in the wings sorted and a full respray shortly after.
Old cars had/have plenty of character but the build quality on a lot of them was fucking awful.
By the time i finished with it with 1500 Crossflow, Rostyle wheels, 7" Steering wheel was and absolute flyer. Only problem was couldn't stop it, Stuffed it into a tree next to Springfield Grove.
Bus driver stopped and helped get me out. Came back in the morning to recover it home, found radio nicked, and the three wheel; that were ok gone. Thats Charlton for yer!
Dad's had the single headlamps. He liked the car and like yours, was very handy mechanically (I learnt so much off him that I still use when looking after my old MG). We did several long trips in it and can only remember it breaking down once when the fan belt snapped and he'd left the spare at home.
Would love one of the limited edition Tiger versions they made.
25yrs ago 😩
It cost me a grand that car.
My last 2CV, Robyn (below), I bought for the same price some years later. I sold it just before I moved to Eire 6yrs ago for 3.5k. You can’t buy a decent one now for less than 7k 😳
First car I actually drove after passing my test was a Mini. Again, bought from someone at work & drove it home this time. First time driving on my own & I picked it up from Billericay & had to drive 3 junctions of the M25 & through the Dartford Tunnel (this was before the bridge had been built). 850cc mini on the inside lane with lorries hurtling past me. That was fun.
But my pride & joy came shortly after. A 2L Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch. The UK version of the Opal Mantra. Great looking car & loved it because it had only half door frames when the windows were down. Classic.
Since then I've had a dozen more cars, which include 2 Renault, 2 Rover 600's, 2 more Cavaliers, an Astra, 3 Jags & a Honda.