Fast Coupes Of The Eighties And Nineties
Discussion
cerb4.5lee said:
AC43 said:
I used to laugh at 318s on the company car park. People must have been so desperate to get behind the badge that they ignored the fact that it was just a posh Cortina. Skinny tyres, plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea shooter exhaust, semi-trailing arms and bouncy castle dampers. Optional a/c and optional ICE. WTAF?
I think that we must be related to be honest, because I've always felt exactly the same as you regarding that as well for sure. 
LuS1fer said:
cerb4.5lee said:
AC43 said:
I used to laugh at 318s on the company car park. People must have been so desperate to get behind the badge that they ignored the fact that it was just a posh Cortina. Skinny tyres, plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea shooter exhaust, semi-trailing arms and bouncy castle dampers. Optional a/c and optional ICE. WTAF?
I think that we must be related to be honest, because I've always felt exactly the same as you regarding that as well for sure. Mr Tidy said:
AC43 said:
I used to laugh at 318s on the company car park. People must have been so desperate to get behind the badge that they ignored the fact that it was just a posh Cortina. Skinny tyres, plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea shooter exhaust, semi-trailing arms and bouncy castle dampers. Optional a/c and optional ICE. WTAF?
What did you have at the time? I bought a 1991 Sierra Sapphire 2.0GLSi (so a later Cortina) in 1993 and it had plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea-shooter exhaust and no A/C, although it did have the 4-speaker stereo with the joystick!
You needed to buy a 2000E to get standard A/C and leather seats.
That's how cars were back then.
I replaced it in 1997 with a 1989 Mercedes 190e that also had plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea-shooter exhaust, etc. but was a much better built car and it had 4 electric windows rather than 2 plus an electric sunroof - luxury!
When I got to choose I was straight into a 200SX Touring. 200bhp, rwd, slippy diff, sunroof, leather, ac etc. The doors were a bit clangy and it actually shared its instrument binnacle with a Sunny but it was a good package.
For me the only interesting 3's at the time were the 328 and the M3 but even the 328 was way out of my budget. I eventually solved this issues by dropping out of the car scheme altogether so I could use my own money to get something three years old with the engine I wanted plus all the toys; my first C43. But then my wife was expecing to it was goodbye to fast coupes and hello to fast saloons - then fast estates.
Rob 131 Sport said:
No BMW 316 handles badly, whereas the Citroen BX was just an abomination of a car with a terrible image and lousy resale values.
And some advanced technology, like hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, lightweight body panels, front & rear disc brakes, really efficient diesel engines (including an excellent turbodiesel) and the practicality of a hatchback. Oh, and it was a Marcello Gandini design, so instantly a cut above most other cars.A mechanic mate of mine used to run high-spec turbodiesel BXs and would always show off that he could completely refresh his entire suspension in about 15 minutes by changing all 5 spheres. He even went to the trouble of replacing the UK-specific "DTR" boot badge with a French-sourced "TRD" (turd) one.
I still can't get my head around UK resale values though, where we seem to place more emphasis on the badge than the car it's attached to.
Rob 131 Sport said:
LuS1fer said:
cerb4.5lee said:
AC43 said:
I used to laugh at 318s on the company car park. People must have been so desperate to get behind the badge that they ignored the fact that it was just a posh Cortina. Skinny tyres, plastic wheel trims, cloth seats, wheezy 4 pot, pea shooter exhaust, semi-trailing arms and bouncy castle dampers. Optional a/c and optional ICE. WTAF?
I think that we must be related to be honest, because I've always felt exactly the same as you regarding that as well for sure. The BX always did well in road tests of the time, especially in GTi form which could be had for less than a basic BMW.
LuS1fer said:
Incorrect. We are talking about the E21 and I dare say the BMW PR machine did a fine job of covering its deficiencies, especially given the inflated prices and low spec. They suffered from lift off oversteer. Even with uprated suspension, Motor Sport said "The result was a prompt and firm turn into a corner but oversteer in the wet with throttle on, or mid-corner throttle removal, to the largest degree I have ever experienced on the road". The rear suspension design causes camber changes, which can introduce "snap oversteer" at the handling limits.
The BX always did well in road tests of the time, especially in GTi form which could be had for less than a basic BMW.
As the comparison was with a Citroen BX, which launched in 1983, I suspect it was the E30 that was being compared, which were better I think. Nevertheless, a fairly spartan, unimaginative thing compared to a BX, but hey, it's a BMW, innit?The BX always did well in road tests of the time, especially in GTi form which could be had for less than a basic BMW.
AC43 said:
When I had no choice I was usually forced into Cavaliers; I had a 2.0 GL for a while which I really didn't like but ended with a CDX which the SRI engine and suspension plus alloys, a/c and sunroof. Suprisingly pleasant to drive.
When I got to choose I was straight into a 200SX Touring. 200bhp, rwd, slippy diff, sunroof, leather, ac etc. The doors were a bit clangy and it actually shared its instrument binnacle with a Sunny but it was a good package.
For me the only interesting 3's at the time were the 328 and the M3 but even the 328 was way out of my budget. I eventually solved this issues by dropping out of the car scheme altogether so I could use my own money to get something three years old with the engine I wanted plus all the toys; my first C43. But then my wife was expecing to it was goodbye to fast coupes and hello to fast saloons - then fast estates.
I had a Sierra Sapphire 2.0GLSi and although it was falling to bits at ten years old I thought it was quite nice driving car. Nippy enough and handled nicely (compared to the old Triumphs I was used to).When I got to choose I was straight into a 200SX Touring. 200bhp, rwd, slippy diff, sunroof, leather, ac etc. The doors were a bit clangy and it actually shared its instrument binnacle with a Sunny but it was a good package.
For me the only interesting 3's at the time were the 328 and the M3 but even the 328 was way out of my budget. I eventually solved this issues by dropping out of the car scheme altogether so I could use my own money to get something three years old with the engine I wanted plus all the toys; my first C43. But then my wife was expecing to it was goodbye to fast coupes and hello to fast saloons - then fast estates.
Later on we (by which I mean my wife) had an E36 328i MTech which looked lovely, but had zero low-end oomph and eventually threw itself off a wet roundabout. I think we (by which I mean my wife) had become used to turbo-charged quattros by that point, which have loads of low-end power and take care of wet-weather business very well. That said, I would have another one, it was a sweet thing.
Yertis said:
AC43 said:
When I had no choice I was usually forced into Cavaliers; I had a 2.0 GL for a while which I really didn't like but ended with a CDX which the SRI engine and suspension plus alloys, a/c and sunroof. Suprisingly pleasant to drive.
When I got to choose I was straight into a 200SX Touring. 200bhp, rwd, slippy diff, sunroof, leather, ac etc. The doors were a bit clangy and it actually shared its instrument binnacle with a Sunny but it was a good package.
For me the only interesting 3's at the time were the 328 and the M3 but even the 328 was way out of my budget. I eventually solved this issues by dropping out of the car scheme altogether so I could use my own money to get something three years old with the engine I wanted plus all the toys; my first C43. But then my wife was expecing to it was goodbye to fast coupes and hello to fast saloons - then fast estates.
I had a Sierra Sapphire 2.0GLSi and although it was falling to bits at ten years old I thought it was quite nice driving car. Nippy enough and handled nicely (compared to the old Triumphs I was used to).When I got to choose I was straight into a 200SX Touring. 200bhp, rwd, slippy diff, sunroof, leather, ac etc. The doors were a bit clangy and it actually shared its instrument binnacle with a Sunny but it was a good package.
For me the only interesting 3's at the time were the 328 and the M3 but even the 328 was way out of my budget. I eventually solved this issues by dropping out of the car scheme altogether so I could use my own money to get something three years old with the engine I wanted plus all the toys; my first C43. But then my wife was expecing to it was goodbye to fast coupes and hello to fast saloons - then fast estates.
Later on we (by which I mean my wife) had an E36 328i MTech which looked lovely, but had zero low-end oomph and eventually threw itself off a wet roundabout. I think we (by which I mean my wife) had become used to turbo-charged quattros by that point, which have loads of low-end power and take care of wet-weather business very well. That said, I would have another one, it was a sweet thing.
Leter I just went sod it and got into V8s as that's my favourite way to get a nice fat and flat toque curve.
LuS1fer said:
Incorrect. We are talking about the E21 and I dare say the BMW PR machine did a fine job of covering its deficiencies, especially given the inflated prices and low spec. They suffered from lift off oversteer. Even with uprated suspension, Motor Sport said "The result was a prompt and firm turn into a corner but oversteer in the wet with throttle on, or mid-corner throttle removal, to the largest degree I have ever experienced on the road". The rear suspension design causes camber changes, which can introduce "snap oversteer" at the handling limits.
The BX always did well in road tests of the time, especially in GTi form which could be had for less than a basic BMW.
Ahhh yes, better times before people wanted cars that effectively drive themselves... I remember coming back from the Post Office in a local town in my E12 M535i (probably would have been Spring 1982) and came up behind a Morris Marina that was 'smoking its bag off' coming out of the local village. Growing sick of the exhaust fumes after a couple of seconds, I dropped the car down to 2nd gear and went to overtake the offending Morris. As soon as I pulled in to the lane for oncoming traffic, as my left rear tyre went over a wet 'cats eye' the wheel spun, hooked up the LSD and the car snapped sideways. I dialled in a good 3/4 turn of opposite lock and proceeded to go past the Morris Marina at 40mph completely broadside. The way cars are nowadays, the whole episode would probably have seen 90% of drivers on the road today either buried in the side of the Marina, stuck behind the Marina owing to sheer volume of dawdlers on the roads now, or flying down the grass bank to the right due to inexperience; back in 'the good old days' it was simply good fun or 'making progress'.The BX always did well in road tests of the time, especially in GTi form which could be had for less than a basic BMW.
s m said:
spoodler said:
"Snap oversteer at the limit"... All I'm saying is, "When I had my TR6 powered Herald..." 
:
:Power and lift-off oversteer in E21s was why we bought them when they were cheap bangers
But once learned...
Terminator X said:
My BiL had a Cavalier GSi in the 90's, at that time to me the car was an absolute gem! So incredibly fast for that time. You look back on it all now in wonder given it was "just" 150hp afaik.
TX.
Also back in the 90s a friend had one of the runout Cavalier Cesaro V6s they did with the wheel trims - stonking engine, sounded really nice and was a lot better than you’d think. TX.
He gave another friend a lift to pick up his M3 from Moseley Motorsport …… he was very disappointed to find he couldn’t shift the Cavalier from his rear view mirror on the way home!
It showed over 150 on the several times ( although it was probably a real 140 )
Had a lovely burble and seemed a margin quicker than equivalent Mondeos - one of the mags timed them at sub 7 to 60 - not bad for a plain looking Cavalier that wasn’t a Turbo
When I had my Sierra Sapphire GLSi I got a chance to buy a 1992 Cavalier GSi ex-company car from my employer for a price I couldn't ignore, and it was a much better car than the Sierra!
Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
Mr Tidy said:
When I had my Sierra Sapphire GLSi I got a chance to buy a 1992 Cavalier GSi ex-company car from my employer for a price I couldn't ignore, and it was a much better car than the Sierra!
Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
I recall ‘racing’ a 16v Calibra for many miles down the A556 in Cheshire in my tweaked Uno Turbo in the early 90s. They were indeed quite nippy for the time. Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
Om said:
Mr Tidy said:
When I had my Sierra Sapphire GLSi I got a chance to buy a 1992 Cavalier GSi ex-company car from my employer for a price I couldn't ignore, and it was a much better car than the Sierra!
Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
I recall ‘racing’ a 16v Calibra for many miles down the A556 in Cheshire in my tweaked Uno Turbo in the early 90s. They were indeed quite nippy for the time. Getting back onto Coupes at the time I had the Cavalier my sister had an 8V Calibra which looked great, but wasn't as quick as my Cavalier. But a 16V Calibra would have been pretty quick back in the 90s.
cerb4.5lee said:
A chap I used to work with had a Calibra 16v, and he always fancied a race with me in the XR4x4 that I had at the time. The opportunity never arose, however...even though both cars had the same 150bhp, I don't think that I would've stood a chance to be honest.
My Uncle had a XR4i when I was a kid and I remember it as being the most exotic car I had ever seen at that time. 2.8 engine afaik which was big for back then.TX.
cerb4.5lee said:
A chap I used to work with had a Calibra 16v, and he always fancied a race with me in the XR4x4 that I had at the time. The opportunity never arose, however...even though both cars had the same 150bhp, I don't think that I would've stood a chance to be honest.
Was it the 4x4 Calibra 16v Lee or just the 2wd version? I don’t think there’d have been a lot in it between your XR4x4 and a 4x4 16v Calibra - similar weight, similar power. The Calibra was a chunk with the 4wd running gear Same as with the front wheel drive Calibra 16v and the XR4i - similar power and weight - Calibra edged it on top speed …… but that’s over 130-ish
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