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

I've never owned a four cylinder car, and I'm quite tempted to see if I can never do so (very silly I know).

Take out the iron 4-cylinder and install the 2.5L alloy V6.

Yeah this, loads of them become track mules, I think most do have a very open diff though, that's probably first expense to make it work.

Saw a 330ci for not much over a grand the other day, had a manual in it suspect the original auto had an expensive service bill...

Yeah thats pretty silly. For what reason do you not want a 4cyl? Just because you've got this far without one?

What is replacing it Tom?

You’ll do that whatever it is, at least this one would be a cheap rebuild!

loving the sound of this dude. pictures on here please

@Dammit thinking about selling my mx5 in the Spring. If @NurseHolliday isn't interested could send you a PM

Just go straight to a two cylinder fiat 500, light and fun. Or a three cylinder turbo something? Four cylinder is just a relentless drone in most cars, only if its a bit spicy is it interesting.

Shame you're thinking of selling. It looks like a nicely developed car that you've taken the time to get nice. Anything interesting to replace it?

@Dammit thinking about selling my mx5 in the Spring. If @NurseHolliday isn't interested could send you a PM

I'm afraid it's rather too nice - I have been binge-watching Mighty Car Mods, and want (bluntly) a bit of a shitter that I can not care about to the (silly) level that I do the other two cars.

For e.g. running the 911 or the C55 into a gravel trap would be bad. I'd like a car that I can fill with gravel and not care.

In fact, I'd like a car that I can leave in the gravel trap and get a cab home.

No need for a big bang motor in a car anyways, they're kind of bike specific - you've all the rubber you need with 4 wheels!

Go Hayabusa, they can take 300+ boosted bhp almost stock. An stock they have midrange grunt that crushes the litre bike engines. Of the litre bike engines, GSXR is by far the torquiest, CBR / R1 somewhere in the middle and ZX10 a rev monster.

I lurrve bike engined cars.

Oh ZX12Rs are frigging monsters too and they couldn't give them away a few years back.

Amazing how long it takes to sort lots of small things, but the end result is worth it. Handles so well which is what I always wanted.

Unfortunately not, it'll be replaced by something functional (Volvo/BMW estate) that Madame Jambon and I can share. Decided I'm going to have my fun exclusively with motorbikes.

In an effort to get you to reconsider your stance on 4bangers I present the following:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201811082263366?postcode=n88aa&sort=sponsored&radius=30&price-to=2000&transmission=Manual&body-type=Coupe&advertising-location=at_cars&zero-to-60=TO_8&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&page=1

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201811262756842?postcode=n88aa&advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&sort=sponsored&body-type=Convertible&price-to=2000&zero-to-60=TO_8&radius=30&page=1

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201809150525180?onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&postcode=n88aa&price-to=2000&radius=30&advertising-location=at_cars&body-type=Convertible&sort=sponsored&zero-to-60=TO_8&page=2

and a rotary to top it off... (If you plumped for one of these and it let go, you probably would want to leave it at the circuit and get a cab home instead of facing the bill to put it right)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201809060212791?onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&postcode=n88aa&radius=30&sort=sponsored&body-type=Coupe&zero-to-60=TO_8&price-to=2000&advertising-location=at_cars&transmission=Manual&page=2

Join the Fury club then - https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/kit-cars/fisher/fisher------2002/9132103. Fast but scruffy. Ideal for track use, although you may need a bigger silencer for 89dB days. And another garage.

If you bought a car you could cheerfully leave in a gravel trap, you would spend 15k making it absolutely right to drive into a gravel trap. A decent 3.0 Z4 is less than 4x what you have just spent on your wheel arches.....

Can someone lend Dammit an Xbox and a copy of Forza Motorsport pls?

Oh the misogyny.

Packaging is the biggest concern, from what I know it's damn hard to fit a 'busa in the front of a mini. R1 seems perfect really, light weight and tough. I reckon the right turbo could sort the power band out and make it a tiny bit more useable.

Not RWD but would you go the scooby route? Cheap to buy, cheap parts and real easy to get power out of.

You called? Granted. It's a 14 engine, but hey ho!
@IR Why at the front may I ask?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksRtC1ERuuw

It looks really tidy. I'd like to get to that point with my Eunos. I keep thinking about going down the motorbike route as it seems natural after spending my life riding bicycles but every time I'm close I think better of it. Driving a car here is dangerous enough.

this would be my choice if that route was chosen
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/motorsport/track-day-cars/road-legal/subaru-impreza-wrx-v1-track-car--race-car/9206157

For me the appeal is just how a bike's performance is so cheap. I've bought bikes for £500 and the same day had had them 130+ mph, and can wheel them into he shed where it's secure, insurance is roughly £100 etc... I'm probably into cars just as much but not sure I'll ever have the money to buy something equally fast.

Oh the ruined handling.