|
|
|
Apr 14, 2016 21:30:29 GMT
|
|
What do you rate as the best 1960's or 1970s four door saloons for pushing on on the B roads, Italian cars with twin cam motors would probably be my preference except that they have all rusted away, fiats etc.
What can be done with a triumph saloon? What about Fords?
Any preferences?
We have an abundance of empty country b roads out here (NZ) and would be great to have a manual car that works well in the bends.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,565
|
|
Apr 14, 2016 23:44:23 GMT
|
|
My Triumph 2000 is pretty good, it's had quite a bit done to it and has stiffer springs better shocks and an anti-roll bar and bigger wheels with more modern tyres on it. It certainly gave a guy driving an Impreza a shock one day as he followed me to where I worked to ask what I had done to it ! Quite an advanced set-up when you think it was designed in the early 60's. My 94 Volvo 940 although has very similar front suspension but has a crude live axle at the rear.
I think I would like to try an early Alfa Sud to see what it was like. People I have spoken to say Austin 1100's and 1800 Landcrabs handle quite well. The only 1800 I have driven though had crossplies on it and didn't feel all that inspiring though.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My 1977 triumph dolomite 1500HL used to handle well and that was standard (albeit with sprint wheels) and 20 years old at the time so with poly bushes and new suspension I reckon they'd drive as good as you'd get.
|
| |
|
|
PhoenixCapri
West Midlands
Posts: 2,684
Club RR Member Number: 91
|
|
|
|
|
Chevette's aren't a bad call - don't know if you got a version of those out there?
All the old live axle Fords are a bit rubbish as standard due to a lack of rear axle location, but all this can be easily fixed with things like radius arms. What Fords have going for them is the engines are strong.
|
| |
|
|
Phil H
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,448
Club RR Member Number: 133
|
|
|
|
|
I've heard Landcrabs are a bit of a Q car as well.
Another vote for a Dolly though - great to steer with the throttle round long sweeping bends and don't embarrass themselves. Double wishbone front, proper rear axle location, just needs the grunt of the slant 4 ideally. Had two 1500's and always found them wanting unlike my mate's Sprint..
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Mk1 Cortina handles pretty good, and there's still a lot I could do to improve it.
|
| |
1966 MK1 Cortina
1971 Hillman Super Imp
1985 Volvo 360 GLEi
1986 Volvo 340 1.7
1990 Mercedes 190e 2.0
1993 Peugeot 205 STDT
|
|
mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,348
Club RR Member Number: 84
|
|
|
|
|
I'm going to chip in with the Volvo suggestion.
Amazons have fantastic rally pedigree
140s had double wishbone front and a 5 link rear axle
240s (1975 earliest which qualifies as 70s) have mac strut front and 5 link rear. Brakes are excellent and commonly used elsewhere as an upgrade
A polybushed and lowered 240 can really hustle, plus plenty of power options (mild to wild).
Lots of off-the-shelf performance stuff available both in Aus and the US.
|
| |
|
|
Ken
Part of things
Posts: 147
|
|
|
|
I'm going to chip in with the Volvo suggestion. Amazons have fantastic rally pedigree 140s had double wishbone front and a 5 link rear axle 240s (1975 earliest which is 70s) have mac strut front and 5 link rear. Brakes are excellent and commonly used elsewhere as an upgrade Didn't realise the suspension had changed so wildly from the 140 to the 240! |
| |
Saab Freak (in order of favouite first) '88 900 Turbo8 '86 900i Old Stripy '72 99 CM4 '83 99 '06 9-5 Aero 260 '96 9000 Turbo CSE '93 900 LPT SE (absolute Shed of a car) www.uksaabs.co.uk |
|
mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,348
Club RR Member Number: 84
|
|
|
|
Didn't realise the suspension had changed so wildly from the 140 to the 240! yeah, ahead of the A-pillar they're very different beasties. Behind it, they're very similar |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 10:47:16 GMT
|
|
Hillman Avenger has pretty good suspension set up for the time as far as I'm aware.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 11:13:25 GMT
|
Fiat 124 sport, 1608 twin cam, twin 40 Weber and a 5 speed box, great little car. EDIT: didn't read the first post properly,as the 124 sport is a coupe, but the 124 saloon would still fit the bill  |
| |
Last Edit: Apr 15, 2016 11:14:54 GMT by claymore
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 11:24:01 GMT
|
Dolomite gets my vote (a biased one admittedly) The standard setup is good by design and there are plenty of upgrades available for not excessive money. Sprints won the BTCC in the 70s so something must be right! Poor standard brakes is also now correctable.  Volvo also gets a look in, I have had an Amazon estate which, even in standard trim cornered on rails and several 240 estates which behaved much better than most would believe possible (albeit at slight cost to scratching of the door handles) Oddly, by far and away the best handling 240 estate I had was a very early one, a '78 245 which had no PAS and no rear antiroll bar. Yes it rolled like a destroyer in a storm, but the wheels always stuck to the ground and the balance and feel of it were much better than the later models I owned subsequently. Steve |
| |
|
|
tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958 
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 14:55:19 GMT
|
|
Another vote for the Dolomite. Can I say SD1, too?
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 14:59:04 GMT
|
Know what you mean about Italian stuff, but the Alfa Giulia must be on this list...  |
| |
1993 Fiat Panda Selecta
2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van
2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 15:25:45 GMT
|
|
|
| |
|
|
tsoob
Part of things
Posts: 107
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 15:26:36 GMT
|
|
I'm going to go with 5 series BMW.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 16:38:34 GMT
|
|
Fiat Mirafiori, Alfa Alfetta, Datsun 180b weren't bad either.....
|
| |
'96 Volvo 850T5 x2, '97 Alfa 145 Cloverleaf '96 Alfa 155, '91 XR2i 2.0 Zetec (sold), '88 BMW 520i slug (sold), '81 Escort Mk3 Project, '68 Mk1 Escort Estate, Berlingo Parts Chaser.
|
|
EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,922
Club RR Member Number: 108
Member is Online
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 17:12:49 GMT
|
|
|
| |
|
|
andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,165
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 17:25:20 GMT
|
Oh yes, only new car I've owned. Steered on the throttle like a really good RWD car and would out-corner most things too! And the internal heater flap had so much glue applied to the foam seal, it was glued shut! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 15, 2016 17:33:56 GMT
|
I'm going to go with 5 series BMW. didnt realise they made them as far back as that, How about the P6 Rover? never driven one so no idea how they handle wasnt the mk1 transit pretty capable compared to the saloon cars around in it's day? |
| |
|
|
|
|
