Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

In September 1966 my late father bought a 12 month old white 3.8 litre Jaguar S Type 3.8 with all the extras, sunroof, wire wheels, heated rear window and more. It had done 10k miles and I thought it was fantastic.
My father thought otherwise, kept it for less than a week and bought a new Triumph 2000 instead.

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In February 1990, having sold my Stag nine months previously I bought a 1968 3.4 litre S Type as an abandoned restoration. The seller had lost interest after having the bodywork restored and painted. The car was dark blue with a cream "Ambla" interior much of which he had realised needed replacing and sourcing and the engine had not been overhauled
But I had a cunning plan. I knew of an MOT fail Jaguar 420 locally and someone I knew had both 3.4 and 3.8 litre engines from a 1970s hot rod project including a spare IRS (independent rear suspension unit).

All the signs were good. The red 420 seats, door cards and carpets were all in good condition and only needed just cleaning.
I bought the 3.4 litre engine complete for £125 knowing that it was a good one having been in a locally owned S Type before it failed it's MOT due to rust.
The wood trim from the S type had been kept and was mine for £35. Restored it looked good.

I spent two years on a leisurely and enjoyable rebuild and with a first time MOT pass I looked forward to using the 1968 Jaguar S Type.
The reality was different. I am convinced to this day that there was an awkward spirit living inside it. For example, one day the servo failed so no brakes or ventilation, the next the steering box dumped its contents on the ground.
I chased faults large and small for nine months. The last straw happened all in one evening. The speedo went bang due to a faulty (new) speedo cable,next, the temperature gauge started climbing and clouds of steam billowed from under the bonnet.
The culprit was nothing more than a split heater hose and one mile from home the S type came to a halt with no electrical power. An ignominious tow home and a day's head scratching and the fault was found to be an aged and degraded battery earth cable.
I didn't like driving because it felt ponderous and awkward and the engine was never smooth.
A mechanic friend sorted that out in two minutes. He examined the new carb needles, went to his van and brought back two second hand needles from an Austin 1800 S.

I quit while I was ahead and sold it to a retired merchant navy engineer who had watched the car being reassembled when he took his dogs on regular weekend walks from his holiday home.

" Bought as seen, inspected, driven, tried and approved by me"
Signed (buyer) is how I worded the receipt.

It put me off classic cars for all of three months before I started evaluating what needed doing to my stored Jaguar Mark 2

Oh! Modern car? . Without doubt the Mitsubishi L200 double cab pick up I bought new in June 2004 and sold 800 miles later.
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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

[Ray White]

I can't say that I have ever been disappointed by a classic but I have most definitely been disappointed by a modern.

The Vauxhall Zafira GSI 2 litre turbo that I bought new was a bargain price (about £6K off) because the new model, the VXR, was just out and the GSI in the showroom was not selling. This thing had every extra going and the sports body kit with tinted glass gave just a hint of it's performance. In fact it was the quickest MPV on the road and handled pretty well for it's size. It was a true wolf in sheep's clothing and I liked it so much I kept it for five years. The GSI was still immaculate when I sold it.

I imagined the newer model, a very low mileage year old VXR which had been the GM dealer's own car would have been at least as good as the old GSI that it replaced but I could not have been more wrong. Everything about the later styling began to irritate me. I felt it was trying too hard to be something it was not. Admittedly it was a bit quicker but the fuel consumption was dreadful despite still being basically the same engine. I also couldn't get on with the six speed gearbox whereas the old 5 speed had been 'just right' for me.

Worst of all was the driver's seat which felt as if it had been designed for a midget. I hadn't noticed that this car, despite being the Vauxhall flagship, was not equipped with cruise control and the side of the seat would make my right leg ache where I had to keep my foot on the throttle. I had c/c fitted and it improved the driving a bit. I also hadn't noticed that the photo chromatic rear view mirror on the GSI was not fitted to the VXR and it was not even an option! The sat nav was in German and it took the garage months to sort it out. Most of the "problems" were because I hadn't taken the time and trouble to really examine what I was buying so I only have myself to blame. I have learned that you can't assume anything when buying a car.

I sold the VXR on after grumbling about it for nearly a year and I never want to see another one.

I went back to an old favourite - the Range Rover and despite it's flaws, I can't say that I'm disappointed.

[peppiB]

Another Jag hater. In the early 90's I had a Daimler Sovereign, 5 years old, and just about everything that could have broken or failed, did. Over 2 years it cost me £15000 in repairs so was eventually traded in for a Passat.
Must be something about these cars as friend who has the Double Six which won't run has had it in a Jaguar 'specialist' for 7 months now and last week the garage phoned him to say they had no idea what the problem was, and had had it at an auto electricians for 4 weeks and they couldn't find the problem either.

[kevin2306]

Biggest disappointment for me came last year in the shape of a merc a220 AMG.
It had been bought got a director who left before it arrived. My car was due for selling so it was passed to me.
It looked nice, had a lovely engine with autobox and it was rapid.
I kept it overnight and got rid the next day having found the sports seats truly uncomfy after any journeys over 50 miles.

Kev

[Rick]

My worst buy in recent years was a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD. The seats were very comfy, and it had plenty of grunt, but otherwise it was junk.

The sills were beginning to rust through underneath, the smoke it put out of the exhaust reminded me of a B52 on a MITO (Minimum Interval Take Off), and the car wobbled alarmingly on a random basis, at anything over walking pace.

The engine was a Merc unit, shoe-horned into the Jeep body by the factory. As such, the rear two injectors were wedged beneath the scuttle, so anytime they needed looking at would require the engine to be dropped down.

On paper it was a good buy, but in practice it was a pup and was re-sold after a couple of weeks.

RJ
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[baconsdozen]

For me it was this early XJS. I must have been drunk when I bought it,it was as rotten as a pear,so much so that lifted on a pillar type ramp the back axle assembly fell off. Attached by the brake pipes and cable it swung underneath like a pendulum.It took weeks to weld back together and I realised the body had more filler than Halfords.
The final straw was realising that it couldn't keep up with my old Capri 3 litre which I'd sold and few weeks before and tried to chase down a dual carriageway.

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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Dipster]

As a young teenager I was smitten by E type Jags and the MGB when they were announced. A few years later as a new driver I got my hands on both in the garage I worked in. Both disappointed me totally. I found neither to be as fast as I had imagined. I found the gearbox in the Jag to be awful to use, slow and cumbersome. The B was just not the sharp handling car that I had allowed myself to imagine. I must have confused it with an Elan......

In later years I fell in love with the Alfa 75 when it was announced. I could actually afford to buy one so toddled off to my local dealer and took a test drive. Nice car but I could not have lived with the gearchange. I presume it was the linkage that let it down.

All that glitters, eh?

On the other hand one of the biggest surprises for me was driving a new Transit when they were announced. Wonderful! What a revelation compared to the vans on offer at the time. Further improved when the factory Dunlop crossplies were dumped and it was fitted with Michelin radial tyres.

[norustplease]

[norustplease]

[mikeC]

Two cars spring to mind, both Fords!

Back in, I think, the autumn of 1978 I got one of the first new Cortina Mk4s, a 1600GL. It seemed fine until the first signs of cold weather... for the next few months it was in and out of the local Ford dealers,often three or four times a week; it just would not start in cold weather. The dealer usually kept it until mid morning, by which time the temperature had risen and the sodding thing would start. They couldn't find anything wrong with it, and by the time the warmer spring weather arrived, I had lost my job (because of poor timekeeping!) and the car was sold. I still think the Mk4 was the smartest Cortina style, but I wince every time I see one...

The second one was a ten year old Sierra Sapphire GLS - immaculate, one owner, low miles with full annual service history, (horrible colour!), I had great hopes for that one. Sadly it was not to be; gutless, awful to drive, soulless... sorry, just not my kind of car!

[Riley Blue]

I was really disappointed by a friend's MX5 that I co-drove to Le Mans and back. It lacked the 'pep' I expected it to have and though it handled OK, I never gained the confidence in it to really chuck it round bends.
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[ukdave2002]

I have never been disappointed with an old car, you know what your going to get

I bought a new Merc last year, it's a 8 out of 10, disappointing bits are the interior is plasticy and to Kev's point; I paid a premium got the AMG spec, and the seats whilst looking good are not as comfortable as the standard leather , the oily bits though are just fantastic and better than the BMW 6 series it replaced.

I'll replace it in about 18 months, the jury is out !

Dave

[badhuis]

In 2000 I had to look out for a new company car. The Renault Laguna, which I liked a lot was three years old. The new Mini appealed so I took it for a test drive. What a disappointment. Plastics all over, toy like as instruments and switches, stupid big speedo, too wide, hard to see where it ends front and rear. Fast but too bumpy ride.

A year ago my brother bought a two year old Mini convertible, Cooper S. Yes it is very fast and corners like on rails, but again I could not live with the kiddie interior.
Those Clubmans and 4 door versions are even more horrible.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[Ray White]

I agree with you badhuis; the BMW Mini is trying too hard to be something but it doesn't quite know what!

The Renault Laguna - now that is a car which I have done many miles in and a car which I can live with. Pitty I can't say the same for it's little sister the Meganne. I just couldn't get on with it. Everything seemed to be user unfriendly. Given the choice, I would even prefer the lovely little Cleo. I never felt that car was doing anything but trying to please.

[Ashley]

We bought a new Saab 96 in the seventies and didn't like it at all. The axle whined, it was slow, had odd gear ratios and it rolled and bounced along in a most uncomfortable way. I thought it a poor car, especially after the reputation the two strokes had in Rallying.

Later on we bought a 99 EMS that was excellent and totally reliably.