Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

In March 1983 my aunt had a major decision to make. The MOT tester told her that her beloved 1967 Wolseley Hornet Mark 2 had passed it's annual MOT test but warned her that major work to the sills would be needed for a further pass.

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I know that the one above is a Mark 3 but my aunt's, FEY 221E was in the same colours. She had owned it since 1969, her first car and she had cherished it. 56000 miles from new and otherwise immaculate.
Two days later a young apprentice mechanic at the MOT garage called at her house and asked if he could buy the Hornet for himself. He offered £100.
A friend told her to accept and look for a new car and get a discount with no part exchange. My aunt accepted. It was worth more for being completely original but I was not consulted.

She came to stay with us over Easter and asked me what should she buy. I suggested a new Mini Metro or Ford Fiesta. I spoke to the owner of the local BL garage where we had bought our cars for years and he had an ideal Metro in stock. Three months old, January 1983, 1.0L, in blue, 800 miles. Bought new by a long term customer who didn't like it and part exchanged against a new Mini. He had a Mini previously and preferred it.
Our Metro HLS came from there in 1982 and as a long established customer country garage owner he offered me the Metro, for my aunt, at the price he had given in part exchange and to include the 1000 mile service and delivery to her home. A good deal!

I reported back and I was a little surprised and a little put out when she said she would discuss it with her friends and family when she got home.

A week later she phoned and told me that she had bought a new car from a patient of the dental practice where she worked. A new Tallpot!
Of course, out of courtesy I had to phone the Metro's seller and apologise. Mental note, never be too eager to help again.

The TALLPOT was a Talbot Samba LE just like this one, same colour too.

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The registration number was GJC 663Y and it was the one of the most awful contraptions I have ever driven before or since. Underpowered, heavy steering, tinny, plasticky and susceptible to side winds. It didn't handle or corner well either.
My aunt was delighted with it, at first, and then she admitted to it's shortcomings. It needed welding to it's sills for it's first MOT and it was a devil to start once hot. It wore it's front tyres unevenly despite several "trackings". I discovered that both inner wishbone rubbers were perished after 3 years. It was difficult to keep in tune as well.

In 1990 my aunt inherited a 1987 Vauxhall Nova 1.2L from her brother in law with 9k miles on the clock. She had one heck of a job selling the 1983 16k mile Talbot Samba and I refused to get involved.

Talbot Samba Le 954cc is my nomination for a best forgotten 1980s car.

Which is yours?
One nomination per post please.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[kevin2306]

Being a young carpenter in the early 80s, my then boss bought the workshop a brand new vehicle to replave the fantastic Bedford CF pickup we had. It was a 1.6 petrol VW transporter pickup



Lovely looking pick-up with nice build quality and very comfy to drive, its only problem was the huge lack of power meant that 50mph was about its top speed with any form of load on it, it wasnt much better unladen and its drivability was so poor compared with the Bedford.
so thats my recommendation

Kev

[geonot]

Just about any car by Talbot in the 1980's could claim first prize in this competition! My vote would need to go to the Talbot Alpine. I owned one for a week… That was long enough. Handled like a boat. Leaked like a sieve. Didn’t like to start , hot or cold.
What a heap it was……………..but it was only £75

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[Fatbloke]

My Mum had a Talbot Horizon. Mum, My Brother and I all learned to drive in it.

After I passed my Test I promptly droped half a valve on a flat out dash back from a camping trip in Tenby. I was made to help change the engine and was my 1st experience of working on cars.

My brother put it in a ditch the day he passed his test.

Needless to say, it was rather beat up when it was time to part and it went to the great motorway in the sky.

But she does hold fond memories even if she wasn't one of the classic greats.
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Mike,

A Fatbloke in a Herald.

[baconsdozen]

My nomination would be a Talbot Samba that owned for a short while. Truly horrid thing,gutless and with all the charisma of a dead cod.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Riley Blue]

Talbot seem to be getting some 'stick' so I'll add to it - we had a Talbot Horizon which sounded as though it was made from baked bean cans and (except for a Fiat Strada) was the worst car of its era by far.
My boss and his wife each had Talbot Alpines - equally nasty cars; just the thought of driving them makes me shudder..
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Dipster]

I had one of the first Stradas, a 65CL. I got it new in 1978 direct from Fiat France for an amazing price. And it served me very well for 264,000 kms. So not one of my cars to forget. I personally have never owned a car I wished to forget.

[Rick]

[Dipster]

I always presumed it was tappets. Very generous gaps but why that should be necessary is beyond me. Not sure what else they could all have been afflicted with that would have caused the noise.

[ukdave2002]

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

I'll add to the list and keep it in the family. Simca 1100, the spiritual father of the Talbots and the rattly engine. It gets my vote though for the front ball joints that had a habit of coming apart with rather unfortunate consequences, though, as a dealer once told me "only when going round corners slowly"
Absolute junk!

[smiffy220]

Ironically, reading the initial post on this thread, I would have voted for the Mini Metro! 2 speeds, slow and stop. Horrible things.

A true story, I was once in a long snake of a queue between Wickford and Billericay in Essex on my way to work one morning, where everyone was getting rather frustrated crawling along at about 15 miles an hour in a 60 limit. Eventually, on a longer stretch of the road I thought I could see the problem, there at the front of the queue was a milkfloat. As the milkfloat began a sweeping right turn in the road, blow me down, there in front said milkfloat was a mini metro! The metro was holding the milkfloat, and all then following up!

I liked the Talbot Sunbeams and Avengers, they were good cars, but I guess they came out of the Chrysler stable more in the 70's than the 80's, so maybe you're right on the Talbot shout.

Dave
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Born to rally, forced to work!

1980 Opel Manta 2.0 SR Berlinetta
1934 Morris Cowley Four (my late fathers)

[mikeC]

[clan chieftain]

Ital got off lightly so far.
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The Clan Chieftain

[Ray White]

No one seems to have a good word for the Morris Marina but although they are probably best left in the past, I HAVE to say that my 1300 4 door saloon, bought new for my first Company car was a better vehicle than it's given credit for. I know they wallowed on the corners and were ghastly in hot weather when the plastic seats got too hot but they were more comfortable and roomy than the Morris Minor that they replaced and every bit as reliable if serviced properly.

Maybe I was lucky but I did 100,000 miles in mine and it NEVER let me down. I twice went to the South of France and back without a problem. The end came when after giving good service for a number of years, the A series engine started using oil. I was able to use this as a reason to persuade my tight fisted boss that he had had his money's worth from it and it was about time I had a new car - or I was off. Whether it was the oil consumption or the thought of loosing his most gullible employee I shall never know but my old green Marina was shortly consigned to history.