Ever felt like you're not the fastest any more?

[Deleted]

I started my driving career back in 1997. Had a standard 1961 Ford 107E for my first car which got upgraded to a 140hp crossflow and it was practically unbeatable out on the street. I won every traffic light grand prix, whupped 1.9 GTI's, Porsches, T5 Volvos etc. The engine from that ended up in my Anglia and was in there up until about 2003.

The last few years I didn't drive it much but I was noticing that fairly run of the mill hatchbacks would give it a run for its money and it wouldn't stand a chance against hot hatches or turbo rice burners. Now looking at quarter mile times for out of the box cars there's absolutely no way it would beat anything.

So there's two ways to look at this. One could get depressed about it, one could put an even faster mental motor in the car or one could embrace the old school and accept that it's never going to be as fast and enjoy it for what it is. So that's three things but I've opted for the last. Yes people may laugh at all the noise and seemingly not as much go, sneer at the lack of horsepower from a 1.7 etc but it's a whole bundle of fun and they won't ever know that.

Pointless thread. Braindump. Er, I should try and spur on some discussion shouldn't I... erm, which would you opt for and why? And are you feeling slower now you're getting older? ;D

[Stu_B]

Seeing as I'm getting the bus everywhere at the moment - yes!!

I know what you mean though, my 1550 in my Anglia feels fast and sounds fast... but side by side with another car the results are depressing... but on the flipside imagine how they're feeling that you almost had them in your 40+ year old car!

[reanimation]

Great point

This is kind of the issue with many of our cars, My XR2 with bigger capacity 1600xflow was awesome fun, like a dart, spun up everywhere, and described by Police, as like "Starship Enterprise"! or summat!

Then theres my Rv8 powered machine I reckon its gonna be some fun but the kind of power it will put out will be nowt by todays standards wilth some Diseasels offering teh same, and most reps and executive mongs having more on tap in their waft mobiles!

I don't care I'll quest to be clever with weight and future tunings

what was a shocker, buying an almost blind exhaust for my 55BHP van last night and reaising I'd bought something more suitable for the RV8 power!!! ;D

[JasonB]

Looks like a case of evolution at work.
I started my driving career in a souped up X-flow fitted to a supersport fiesta and like you say in 1990 I thought I was the kiddy. Not the fastest in a straight line but off the lights it was superb. A few years later had a 16v Astra GTE and again that was quick and I kept if for years as there was nothing else I fancied.
Now at this time (1995 -1998) there wasn't much around that was affordable and quick. The high insurance killed the hot hatch market and no one bothered with them.
Then slowly, quick cars started coming back, plus you had the J import turbo monsters that could be so cheap to buy when you look at the spec.
In the last 5 years just look at what's been available on the 2nd hand market- 170 - 180bhp clios, 220bhp Seat leons & mondeos, 200+bhp volvos not to mention imprezzas, evo's, sunny gtirs etc. etc.
People went nuts for the 204bhp RWD cosworths years ago. 200hp isn't that much these days.
Engine development really has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, pair that with 2nd hand car prices dropping and we've never had it so good really.
Just a case of advancing technology being made affordable.
If only a few of these newer engines were easier to swap into the older stuff - but i suppose that's the next challenge if you want speed / power.

Plus of course we are getting older, slower, more sensible - take your choice. My driving has certainly changed since I was a nipper and it's probably a damn good job too.

JB

[reanimation]

Wise words JB

I saw a mental cossie Sapph coming at me yesteday on the road, bright white and like a UFO, Psssshhh and seeming spinning in all gears, yep in a 30 zone too but he slowed back down. pretty awesomes in this day and ages still

[dave21478]

Its a feeling well known to anyone with a small-engined car. Minis, 2cv`s etc.... there you are giving it everything round the bypass, man at one with the machine, taking the racing line on the roundabouts and working the engine as hard as you can.....truly a driving God.

Then some Grandad in an Avensis goes past you like you are in reverse, and he isnt even trying to race you!

Damn, talk about a crushed ego!

[rmad]

Back in the day a Twincammed Minor would be enough to beat a boy racer XR3, these days when the competition are in Type Rs and the Minor doesn't have a chance!

[reanimation]

Aug 5, 2008 8:37:33 GMT dave21478 said:

Its a feeling well known to anyone with a small-engined car. Minis, 2cv`s etc.... there you are giving it everything round the bypass, man at one with the machine, taking the racing line on the roundabouts and working the engine as hard as you can.....truly a driving God.

Then some Grandad in an Avensis goes past you like you are in reverse, and he isnt even trying to race you!

Damn, talk about a crushed ego!

This is me in the van, but till that point you have safe fun doing it really! Ms R has also found the powerband now

[boring]

...which brings us to putting said modern turbo motors etc. into 'our' cars!

to be honest tho, i think theres still something more appealing about hooning an older engine. i certainly enjoyed driving my old pinto powered viva more than the J turbo powered one that soon followed.

[Oldbus]

Interesting discussion Mr. 69!

Not only are we getting old but our cars are too! ;D

When I started driving in the early eighties you were right up there when you had a 90bhp Capri, I ran a few Audi 100 Coupes with staggering 112 (carbed) bhp and thought I was the bees knees..how times change.

I drive 100 miles to work and back every day - with the plastic TDI I bimble along at 120mph (german Autobahns ;D) and still get overtaken regularly....and not just from big flash Mercs and co.

With diesels winning Le Mans, WTCC etc I keep asking myself why did I go to the effort of dropping a V6 with 200BHP in the van when the misses´daily plastic is quicker!!

Think i´ll have to drop a diesel in the Capri instead of the 24 valve!!!

[JasonB]

That's another topic you could go on for ages about - quick modern diesels!

I read / heard about a guy on a bike who came up behind a modern Merc diesel (E class I think) sat in the overtaking lane with nothing in the middle. The merc driver sees him in the mirror and floors it, the biker thinks here we go again and reckons on blasting past when the merc runs out of steam at 120.
The biker was stunned when the merc was still going at over 140.
Plus who hasn't been passed by a merc sprinter / VW transporter van well into three figures on the m'way?

Is it just me or should we all be in a cosy pub enjoying this discussion this with a nice pint?

JB

[Seth]

Well, I've never been the fastest anyway. Always consoled myself with the thought that the car is going faster than it was originally designed too. And looks cool.

Jonny, what you're describing is pretty much what happened to the hot rodders in the '60's when the muscle car movement came on strong. Why bother fixing up that old jalopy even with a modern-ish OHV motor when you could buy a 13 second car from the showroom for not much more cash than a "cooking" model.

[popuptoaster]

i dunno about this, my cortina seems to leave most stuff behind reasonably easy, maybe its cos its under geared and it will lose its edge when the new axle is on it but at the moment if i can get it to grip its winning the traffic light grand prix and on the motorway on the way back from santa pod i was hanging on the back bumper of an RS focus that was trying to lose me, not bad for a car thats cost well under 3 grand to build, choosing your bits carefully helps a lot, i have a lot of torque, no turbo lag and a decent amount of horsepower and i havent even started tuning it yet, theres a lot to be said for putting a more modern engine in and older, lighter car.

[JohnnySomersett]

Wellas much as carbed lumps are the 'proper' way to roll in my book...eventually the engines will die and we'll be forced into EFi by default. Engines past about '93 are just too damn complicated for most home mechanics to consider messing with.

I'm going to be taking the plunge into EFi with the wagon... and it making me nervous lol

[rtlkyuubi]

since Ive only really started my driving carrear I cant really comment, but my car will never be as fast as modern stuff on the standard 1.2 block, but wait till I meet them on a country windy road ;D

Only thing that keeps up with me round the twisties is my mates 205 1.9 gti running a few suspension mods and 195 tyres! (I'm using 155's)

[stealthstylz]

I think the problem with modern engines will be spares availability in the future. On older engines everything tends to be made out of some form of metal. If spares become unavailable, stuff can fairly easily (if not cheaply) be custom made.

However when companys stop producing spares for modern engines what are people gonna do. The main components of the engine will be the same, but what about the myriad of sensors and control units. Getting one of those custom made would be nigh on impossible, and replacing with different units often doesn't work as they'd have to have the same number of wires and the same resistances etc to be compatible with the ECU, and whose gonna make OEM replacement ECU's?

Matt

[Stu_B]

Aug 5, 2008 9:26:09 GMT rtlkyuubi said:

since Ive only really started my driving carrear I cant really comment, but my car will never be as fast as modern stuff on the standard 1.2 block, but wait till I meet them on a country windy road ;D

Only thing that keeps up with me round the twisties is my mates 205 1.9 gti running a few suspension mods and 195 tyres! (I'm using 155's)

I used to think that in my slammed mk1 golf... try keeping up with a scooby, evo or a hf intergrale through bends

[dollywobbler]

Oh aye. Nowt like 'bombing' along in the 2CV, pushing the limits on corners with extreme lean, engine screaming only to see some bored sales rep in a Vectra on your rear bumper.

I take consolation in the fact that I can have LOTS of fun and stay well within the speed limit most of the time!

[Ed]

meh to fast boring rep/old fart mobiles,...

try sitting in a 190bhp corrado and youre trying to pass a dull eurobox who then accelerates up to 100 easily so you just cant take him,....

gutted aint the word.

but I look way cooler every day of the week ;D

[Deleted]

ed said:

but I look way cooler every day of the week ;D

This is my comforting thought. I used to have to go fast to look cool but now I just look cool ;D

The only problem is I can't teach everyone a lesson any more, the hidden power shuts people up and puts them in their place, especially bigger saloons and 4x4's