hairs on the back of your neck

[MOGGY]

cool, performance, acceleration, handling, noise, image, wow factor, there are many things that can make a good car.

but why do some cars that don't tick all of the boxes make the hairs on the back of your neck tingle?

I've had dozens of good cars, I've been lucky but the one that really got me neck hair moving was a £1000 banger.

1988 325 hartge. not mint, not the best driving car ever but god did it rock. 90k on clock middle aged woman owner till i got it, ie just nicely run in. a proper hartge car with no pas, ew, roof, computer just a slightly flowed head, bigger cam, better susp 205 x 50 x 15 on hartge wheels. everything was balanced. it wasn't too quick or too wayward in the handling dept. it just made you feel like a driving god at pleasantly illegal speeds.

my point is what cars have you had that made the hairs on the back of your neck tingle?

[DickDastardly]

MOGGY said:

my point is what cars have you had that made the hairs on the back of your neck tingle?

1980 Mini Clubman estate in, HARD-AS-NAILS red oxide primer, complete with recaro buckets seats from a Fiat Strada 130 Abarth, 1340 engine on twin Metro SU's, and DRUM BRAKES ALL ROUND!!!!!!
Maybe the hairs didnt stand on end for quite the reason you meant, but hell did they stand on end!!!

[welder]

Brown primer rat look Stilletto with a full race 998. Firenza droopsnoot estate (where are you now LWS 484P?.
Both stupidly fast and made even going to work fun!!

[igbandy]

my V8 series 2 a land rover.. bashed body work, leaf springs and drum brakes all round, fully caged up. even tho it nearly killed me (ended up in hospital for a night). When it was street legal if driven hard it gave me such an adreneline rush with its igbuilt SD1 lump. I remember once taking a mechanic mate out in it, and he almost curse word himself when he realised he was in a 100mph+ barge with no brakes and a very twitchy rear end going sideways round some of the many traffic islands in tamworth he was impressed!

gosh i need to get that motor back on the road, its currently sitting in a yard, just not had time this past couple of years

[rustingdeathtrap]

1st generation Honda crx, just like driving a rollerskate with limitless revs.

78 camaro, straight six, boat like handling, no real power to speak off, but it just made me smile a lot.

72 Dodge Challenger, loads of power, no brakes, probably best suited to straight roads only.

Citroen BX 16valve..... Honest!

[Shortcut]

Not mine (obviously) but still electrifying...

Watching the 1984 Lombard Rally, the classic cars came through first. Hearing a Lancia Stratos (real one!) screaming in the woods before blasting down the straight and spitting flame and barking like a mad dog before howling off into the woods again.

Quite possibly the best sound I have ever heard in my entire life.

[Revolution 9]

We had a Volvo 940 turbo that I had messed around with, that was truly frightening to drive on the limit, had a 130mph+ race with a Lancia Delta Intergrale (the all wheel drive one) once on a backroad, truly amazing experience, even gave him a very good match, the Volvo seemed to corner a bit better but it was a bit tail happy, no doubt he didn't have to work as hard as I did to keep his motor on the road, but I bet he was crapping himself about getting damaged whenever one of us tryed to pass one another on the narrow roads, the 940 could be fixed for curse word all if I dented it, but he seemed a bit squemish when we were side by side, wonder why? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Ed]

my old mk2 gti...lowered 40mm...standard 156bhp engine....audi a3 copy alloys....monza metallic blue....went like fookin stink....sooooooo much torque....god i miss that car

[Halfers]

I've had a few cars that have done that, My fondest memories are of driving those cars that possess that ability to really make you feel privelidged to have driven them.

My first was my 1380 Mini van, what a noise, hooligan pace, amazingly chuckable and practical too.

My E30 325i SE 2dr, first rwd, great fun, lovely 6 pot, a bit hairy in the wet.

16v Clio, like the mini with extra luxuries. Pipercross filter and Scorpion Exhaust enhanced the soundtrack, good on the twisty bits. Traded in for a dissapointing Celica GT4 which in turn was traded in for the Evo.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 RS. 296 bhp with only an Aftermarket Exhaust and Airfilter. Devastating and practical. My Joint favourite, gutted to sell it after getting sacked.

SD1 V8. 200 bhp, Black, dumped in the weeds with a Rimmer brothers SS manifolds & Exhaust, mild cam, K+N filters, mean and thirsty. The sweetest sound is that of a V8. Now my Dads toy.

Nissan Skyline GTR. Like driving in fast forward. A Brutal car, An engineering masterpiece. I'm on my second on of these now and its fairly standard other than an aftermarket Exhaust, Cone Air Filter kit and boost increased to about 1.2 bar. Probably about 370bhp.
Howling straight six twin turbo provides the soundtrack. This car scares me sometimes, good job I don't drive it every day as my license wouldn't last long. And she's a thirsty beast.

I hope that the RV8 Triumph Estate will have that special something, when I get the exhaust sorted and 4 barrel Holley fitted she should sound pretty sweet.

I guess the reason that I have had so many cars is that I love that feeling and love driving different cars, its an expensive hobby though and am just about to turn 30. Should I be getting a bit more sensible?.....

Nah, not yet. I'm having too much fun and at least I keep the North Sea going with frequent visits to Shell for Optimax.
Which is good for business,
And helps me afford my toys.

Let there be many more out there to discover.

[Raceimps]

Halfers said:

My first was my 1380 Mini van, what a noise, hooligan pace, amazingly chuckable and practical too.

That van was quality!!! Especially the first exhaust system!!!

Halfers said:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4 RS. 296 bhp with only an Aftermarket Exhaust and Airfilter. Devastating and practical. My Joint favourite, gutted to sell it after getting sacked.

I still think that has to be my favourite, and with pishy small brakes too!! Scary!!! Great car to turn up to the Job Centre with!!! ;D

Halfers said:

SD1 V8. 200 bhp, Black, dumped in the weeds with a Rimmer brothers SS manifolds & Exhaust, mild cam, K+N filters, mean and thirsty. The sweetest sound is that of a V8. Now my Dads toy.

'Rimmer brothers SS manifolds & Exhaust' Boooo!!! Great fit!! NOT!!! Fantastic car though, I would be very surprised if it only had 200 bhp!!

Halfers said:

Nissan Skyline GTR. Like driving in fast forward. A Brutal car, An engineering masterpiece. I'm on my second on of these now and its fairly standard other than an aftermarket Exhaust, Cone Air Filter kit and boost increased to about 1.2 bar. Probably about 370bhp.
Howling straight six twin turbo provides the soundtrack. This car scares me sometimes, good job I don't drive it every day as my license wouldn't last long. And she's a thirsty beast.

Totally brutal!!! No more to add!! ;D

As for me, my Stiletto was great, a real head turner.
I remember turning upto an upmarket restaurant in Aberdeen for lunch one day with it. Loads of Porsches, Ferraris, Mercs etc in the car park. My car was the only one that drew any attention!!! Loads of people standing round it.!!! ;D
But the thing that really gets the hairs on the back of neck standing up is every time I go out to my folks house. I have to pass a field (belonging to the guy I sold it too) and the car is just sat there, rusting away. It must have sat there for almost 9 years now!!!

My Black Hillclimb Imp also made the hairs on mynneck stand up. Mostly due to the fact it was soooo noisey!!! No interior and a removable parcel shelf!!!!
Plus the fact you would never no if you make it home or not!!!!

And at the moment, the hair stands up on the back of my neck every time I get credit card statement through telling me just how much I spent on my Civic!!!! And that's going to get alot worse too!!!!!!! ;D

[Blue850]

Personally a Fiat Uno Turbo which could go off the rev counter in 5th but the scariest car was my brothers 127 GT in which he took on anyone who challenged him from a 1 litre Micra to an Integrale

[nickb]

1. My 1984 Skoda Estelle 120 that I had when I was 17/18.

The combination of tail-happiness and relatively inexperienced driver makes for quite a cocktail, making every drive an "experience"! Knowing that only a tiny bit more, ore a tiny bit less throttle and your going ditch-finding is quite a buzz!

2. My current BMW 318iS.
As above.
Driver experience level may have increased, but now it's all happening at MUCH higher speeds! ;D