Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Williams engined Singer

I had a set that were actually the wrong offset so i sold them, i need ET12 now.

ATS say they'll supply them as long as i buy 8 which is spendy but necessary as i need a set of wets and slicks

What size do you need? I'm beating around the bush, I want 15x8 and I don't need 8, so if you're ordering that size, I'm in.

I can run 15x8 but i think i'd need ET0
I'm miles off actually needing them also

I could make ET0 work if you wanted them in that size.

They do have a long lead time and I can wait.

I had a ph1 172 in iceberg silver on turini's back in the day:

Sold it because I thought I wanted an m3:

M3 was great, 2 owners from new, 80k miles, fbmwsh, all the toys. It was just too fast to be fun.

The sickest part? I sold the m3 in 2012 to fund a move to London...for €4000. I hate to think what it's worth now...

It's definitely got a lot more comforts than a 172/182, but it's still pretty hard edged for a hatch. It's very stiffly sprung, and goes like stink. Controversially I like the edc gearbox a lot. I got the upgrade seats which are banging, and it comes with pilot supersports from the factory. It has nice trickle down tech from the Nissan with a race computer and launch control, which is lols.

I drove it back to back with a fiesta st and the Clio found it to be a much more competent car. Fiesta just felt like a toy.

Ah just look at the front panel... (the bit under the bumper)

EDIT-I look at that an feel sad what I can tell from the photo..such as the windscreen rubbers and side trim.

EDIT-I really have wasted my life.

Suspect that we are using different meanings of the word stable.

340, even turbo'd was really stable, that it did not want to over steer willingly. Even with very old and quite hard xzx70 michellin tyres. Whilst things like mk1 escorts (any engine), rover p6's and an E34 525 was brilliant at lovely oversteering over roundabouts or going around roundabouts.

Sweet Jesus, it's amazing to think that Launch Control is optional on a hatchback these days.
I suppose since the big Europeans share platforms a lot these days, there will be a lot of refinement.
You've gone through quite some tasteful cars. How was the 172 to run as a daily? I really want a ph2 as a general use vehicle. Alas, I can't just do a box, I still want to have a heavy foot without seeing lights behind me and en early 2000's hatch seems like a good option.

Word Hive Fart...

Want to get me an Alfa 147 hatchback.

Am I cray cray?

What should I look out for and where?

Cheers,

C

Will be seeing that and others Sat. #FOS

A standard 172 is great. Small light hatch with a decent sized grunty 4 banger. Had tonnes of torque and averaged mid 30's mpg as a result. Great little cars.

Mine was set up for track time so had bigger wheels, smaller tyres, coilovers, solid engine mounts and a ktec exhaust. All of that amounted to a droney motorway experience, but it was worth it to push m3's around mondello park.

I've had my fun with most of the fun 90's motors over the past few years, but it's so nice to have a comfortable new car with a warranty and just pay someone else to work on it. That said I have a hankering for a ktr arb, catback and remap. A 260bhp Clio would be many lols.

Dent fixed. I couldn't find anyone who could do a mobile / paintless repair in the end; not really sure what their criteria are, but one guy said it was too close to the edge of the door panel to work properly.

It turned out pretty well I think, happy with the result.

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What engine?

Mine was set up for track time so had bigger wheels, smaller tyres, coilovers, solid engine mounts and a ktec exhaust. All of that amounted to a droney motorway experience, but it was worth it to push m3's around mondello park.

I'm not yet at the stage where I'm bored of getting my hands dirty and ear plugs are just another process (might happen at some point) so the idea behind the 172 is to make it sharper rather than comfortable. What you described is nearly what I want, but not fundamentally that brutal.
I want the car to resemble a wasp out of corners. So paramount to me would be damping, good rubber and to let it breathe a bit more.
My only hesitation is that most seem to have been owned by either track fiends, or racer boys, so mileage is high on most.

That wouldn't put me off as long as it was looked after. I bought mine off a mate who trackday'd it frequently, including a ring trip, but had an extensive folder of receipts. In fact I'd rather that vs a low mileage car with no history.

GTA only. Refurb suspension and go have fun. Busso V6 sounds, chrome induction pipes....mmmmmm

also, i hear that a quaife diff is a must..

yeah for sure. After having one in an pug lately I think every fwd car should have one.

£1.8million thooooooooo

It's $1.6 million, no? Which is closer to £1 million.

I don't think it's "worth it", but it's a Williams engined, 500bhp 911, with incredible chassis and suspension, and weighing less than 1t, and while retaining the look and feel of an original 911, it's also thoroughly modern, and has proper aero. Also, there's only 75 and they won't all be specced the same.

That makes it in the same league as the other £1 million cars, where they're all worth it or not.

I'd still rather just have a 911 Cup car with sequential gearbox for probably a quarter of the price

My mistake -$1.8million. I feel much better about it now! I might get a couple

It was just too fast to be fun.

Huh?