Classic Hot Hatches

[James8418]

Hi Guys,

I am a massive 80's car fan, from 205 GTi's too E30 M3's and everything in-between. Over the last year I have started writing reviews and buying guides on many of these cars. I am hopefully going to get some of the stuff published and would like to encourage any one else who loves 80's cars and fancies them self as a bit of a journo to get writing! All the good info on these cars seems to be in magazines, so lets get it on the web!

If any one is interested in helping get in touch.

[Simes205]

Check out www.psooc.co.uk - although you need to be a fully paid up member to view the articles.
We've been scanning and collecting magazine articles dating back from 1984 mainly about the 205GTI, Dimma's and TT's and also 309GTI and 405mi16 and other 80's variants.

[James8418]

Cheers, will join up and check it out. Would you be interested in writing your own article/review on any of the Pugs to have published on the site I am building?

[belleair302]

I ran three 205 1.9 GTI's from 1988 until 1994, each one was kept original but not sure if today I could write much more than any of the professionals have already done. Great cars along with the Golf, Renault 5 Turbo, Escort Turbo and one or two of the other lesser marques.

What worries me in all of this is how technical some people get and they lose their way when talking about the afforability, the performance, the emotions and the feeling of period handling...

[James8418]

In my opinion you cant get a better review than from someone that has owned and loved the car. You are right that to many articles get stuck up on nitty gritty details about mechanical problems, and forget about how the car makes you feel to drive.

[neilr]

My brother had a 1.6 205gti a couple of years ago, was superb fun to drive, truely entertaining. His was a well looked after example and looked great too, but the build quality was little short of scandalous. Highly entertaining though.

[Snoop Bagg]

You've been watching too much Life On Mar's !

Don't forget you had the Group B period, so stuff like Lancia Delta S4, Talbot Sunbeam, 205 GTI's and T16, Renault 5 Maxi and Turbo 2, Nova's GSI's and SR's, Dimma's, Astra GTE's, Golf GTI's, 6R4's, CRX's, XR2's, Cherry Turbo's, Citroen Visa's there are allsorts really.

For pointer's you should buy some of the old 80's / 90's books like "Dream Cars" from Ebay etc !

[hman]

this really is my field of interest, I pretty much owned or drove every single road going hot hatch out there.

they were great times indeed.

[slarnge]

Im from the same era, in my early days in the motor trade i use to pdi all the Rs Ford models at our dealership,and you could not beat the smell of a hog roasted Cossi,or Rs Turbo Escort.No traction control and early type ABS made driving a lot more fun.Those were the days!

[Nolar Dog]

slarnge said:

...you could not beat the smell of a hog roasted Cossi,or Rs Turbo Escort.No traction control and early type ABS made driving a lot more fun.Those were the days!

They still are.

[KingRichard]

AX GT!

Others include the Suzuki Swift Gti, the Daihatsu Charade GTti, The Toyota Corrolla GTi, Escort RS1600, Fiesta RS1800 (more 90's though really), Nova GTE, Nova SR, Nova Gsi, Renault Fuego Turbo, Isuzu Piazza Turbo, Renault 11 and 21 Turbo, Rover 216 Vitesse, Opel Manta GTE... Man there are loads

[john2443]

Sunbeam Ti or Lotus?

[hman]

john2443 said:

Sunbeam Ti or Lotus?

I just googled the sunbeam ti, they were pretty rare sight during the 80's

Edited by hman on Tuesday 5th May 11:48

[Travs]

Far too many sensible cars in amongst these lists. The Strada Abarth 130TC that I ran in the late 80s (until some scrote nicked it) was one of the most fun cars I've ever owned - just loved the popping and banging on the over run. Somehow don't think I'd fit in the bloody extreme Recaros any more.

[Uncle John]

Fiat Uno Turbo.

Nucking Futs!

Made of puff pastry and meringue, but boy did this rollerskate fly!!!!

Used to wheelpsin in third in the one I had!!!

[hman]

It doesnt get much more 80's hot hatch than a warrior kitted escort mk3 turbo



http://passionford.com/forum/pictures-video-and-ph...


My mate bought one from Prestige car audio, they'd taken out the back seats, built a bass enclosure from the back of the front seats to the rear lights and installed 12 x 15" subs and an amp rack !!


It used to rattle bottles of the off licence shelf!

[Duke Thrust]

As far as my nostalgic uni days go, there is only one hot hatch.

MG. Metro. Turbo.

Job done.

[HereBeMonsters]

Duke Thrust said:

As far as my nostalgic uni days go, there is only one hot hatch.

MG. Metro. Turbo.

Job done.

I've been in a very, very quick T16 engined one. Torque steered worse than a VXR, but it was hella fun!

[TimCrighton]

Ah the Renault 5 GTT - A proper 10 second car...















...10 seconds and it'll go pop!

[Nuisance_Value]

Uncle John said:

Fiat Uno Turbo.

Nucking Futs!

Made of puff pastry and meringue, but boy did this rollerskate fly!!!!

Used to wheelpsin in third in the one I had!!!

I was going to offer this as I had one myself. Terrible build quality, used to rot like nobody's business, but hell, did that thing shift. I seem to remember hearing that they were quicker than a Sierra Cosworth to 60mph, not sure if that's true or not, but there wasn't much that could touch it for acceleration at the time (mid/late 80's) in hot hatch land. Great fun..

It would wheelspin in third, and it could get quite twitchy if you floored it iirc. Sheared the n/side drive shaft clean in two on that thing once..