British Sports Car

[dewisant]

I would like to get a hold of an old British sports car and fix it up, maybe even restore it. My first car was a 1969 MG Midget and I had a 1976 MGB as well. I even drove a 1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite around for a summer! I would probably like to get an MGB with stock wire wheels on it.

[dewisant]

I had a couple of Porsche 914's too. The first one was a 1972 with a 1.7 liter and Dellorto carbs, fixed seat and crappy shift linkage. My second one was a 1973 with a 2.0 liter, euro driving lights, all the bells and whistles...a much different and better car. The '73 was probably my favorite car of all time.

[Johann]

My first car was a '61 Bugeye Sprite. I hated it -- because it was unreliable and kept me poor with repairs - including paying for "learning time" by small-town mechanics who'd never worked on one before. Cured me forever of sports cars!

Instead, my "mid-life crisis" car was a mild-mannered Hyundai Pony. Bought it brand-new, right after my divorce -- and was glad I could afford it!

I like some English cars, because they remind me of the England I left, as a kid (1952). I especially like Wolseleys, most Alvis cars, Armstrong-Siddeleys and older Rovers. Don't have the skill to restore one, though. Only car-related skill I have is signing cheques -- and of course, that has its limits.

I wish you well with your project, though... nice-looking cars.

Johann

[Photog]

I learnt to drive in my dad's old Rover SD1 V8, awesome engine, used in the MGB GTV8 and TVR 350i. Fond memories of being a 12 year old blasting down empty country roads in England.

[dewisant]

I learnt to drive in my dad's old Rover SD1 V8, awesome engine, used in the MGB GTV8 and TVR 350i. Fond memories of being a 12 year old blasting down empty country roads in England.

Sound very fun indeed!

[Johann]

I learnt to drive in my dad's old Rover SD1 V8, awesome engine, used in the MGB GTV8 and TVR 350i. Fond memories of being a 12 year old blasting down empty country roads in England.

Yes - awesome indeed. I believe the early Rover V8 was sometimes referred to as a "Buick-Rover V8." Long ago, its first ancestor came to life in US Buick (1961) models. The SD1 engine, I'm told, was a re-engineered development of the original. Very successful - and besides the cars you mentioned, I think a version was also used in Morgan cars - until 2012, when the Morgan Plus 8 became BMW-powered. That same V8 was used by other manufacturers, e.g. TVR (as you mentioned) and Marcos.

Legendary! I read an article recently, on the most popular British V8 cars for restoration. The Rover, a '60s Rolls and the Triumph Stag were the top 3.

Johann

[Johann]

I learnt to drive in my dad's old Rover SD1 V8...

A few weeks ago, I was watching reruns of a British TV show about a fictional hospital, "The Royal." Made in the 2000s, it was set in the 1960s and one of the doctors drove an impressive Rover V8. There's another TV show set in 1960s Yorkshire, "Heartbeat" and I watch it partly for the cars.

And oh, looky - here's a Rover SD1 Van den Plas taking off. Turn up your sound!

Rover SD1 V8 VandenPlas EFI Stainless Exhaust Sound & Acceleration - YouTube

And if you like British cars that are even older - try "Foyle's War" set in WW2 England. Det. Chief Supt. Foyle himself uses two elegant "Cop Wolseleys" and there's a whole site devoted to the many cars in the series: IMCDb.org: "Foyle's War, 2002-2014": cars, bikes, trucks and other vehicles

Johann

[Kajkulahi]

WOOHOO! Great to know this forum has gearheads!

Speaking of British sports cars, the Jaguar E-Type Series I (inline-6, V12 sucks) in British Racing Green with a Sahara Beige top has to be the holy grail of them all!

[Johann]

...Speaking of British sports cars, the Jaguar E-Type Series I (inline-6, V12 sucks) in British Racing Green with a Sahara Beige top has to be the holy grail of them all!

Nice car, but not my personal Holy Grail. That would be the 1939 Lagonda V-12 Rapide. You can see one here - classy as they come.

1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide - Front Angle - 1600x1200 - Wallpaper

Incidentally, the Lagonda marque was established in the U.K. by an American, Mr. Wilbur Gunn. Aston-Martin purchased the company in 1947 and the name survived until 1990 in the Aston-Martin Lagonda. Here's a bit on that car. I much prefer the 1939 model!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_Lagonda

Johann

[alleycat]

My first car was a classic Triumph GT6 MKIII. Man I loved that car. It looked like a mini Jag.