Retro cars - suggestions and advice

[Gunge]

terrym - you forgot trafficators!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Dexter I am no mechanic but diesels don't have an ignition system with coil, HT leads and if going back a while a carburettor so I would say diesels have less to go wrong.


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[Gunge]

Dexter I am no mechanic but diesels don't have an ignition system with coil, HT leads and if going back a while a carburettor so I would say diesels have less to go wrong.


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The only diesel I've had (and still got!) has been rock-solid, and that's with 136k on the clock. I think the main problem area might be the complicated fuel-injection bits which have to be spot-on to get the mixture to ignite at the right time, bearing in mind that it is initiated by the heat of compression rather than a spark. Could be wrong though!

 

[Dexter101]

Dexter I am no mechanic but diesels don't have an ignition system with coil, HT leads and if going back a while a carburettor so I would say diesels have less to go wrong.


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In principle this is correct, however most modern car diesels have turbos, complicated injector systems and DMFs that can all go wrong and often cause costly repairs.

Probably phrased my point incorrectly, petrol engines have less expensive things to go wrong...

emissions rules have led to the engines becoming more complicated and there for when something goes wrong, it gets very expensive, very quickly.

Vauxhall specific examples of this would be:

Fuel pump on 2.0 DTI- common fault and over £1000
1.9 CDTI- swirl flaps break, EGR valves fail, DMFs if not driven correctly break down.

 

[terrym]

terrym - you forgot trafficators!

Yup. My old Moggie originally had those, but someone had fitted a Wipac set of indicators which you operated from a large two position switch located somewhere down by your right knee. Trouble was they weren't very reliable and did in fact fail temporarily on my driving test, and I ended up completing the test using hand signals. Still passed though :thumb:.
This was in the days before MOTs and the car had a rotten floor pan, but a previous owner had cut out some quarter steel plate profiled to the shape of the floor and plonked that on top of the original metal. Worked fine, if a little damp on occasions.
In the end I sold the Moggie which had done 90k on the original engine which had been replaced by another which had done 60k. I know this because it had two speedos inside the car. The original in the front bulk head and the 'new' one held in place by a couple of metal strips somewhere down by your left knee.
And I replaced it with a Hillman Limp, sorry Imp, which had its own story to tell.

 

[Sadfield]

I remember my grandad had a Minor a C reg from 1965, he gave it to my cousin when the C plate came back around in 1985, and bought a new car, a Yugo that lasted about a year. Can still remember the smell of the Morris, pipe tobacco and petrol. Wouldn't get into a car that stank of petrol these days.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

 

[Chippy_Tea]

In principle this is correct, however most modern car diesels have turbos, complicated injector systems and DMFs that can all go wrong and often cause costly repairs.

I only mentioned the Corsa as i have owned one of the older versions with no problems, the OP asked -

I'm looking for a new car. Thought I'd try and get something with a bit of character this time. I love the boxy looks of cars from late 80s and 90s.

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so he probably would not be interested in something so modern.

 

[terrym]

DMFs if not driven correctly break down.

I have had a Dual Mass Flywheel go on a VW within warranty, and yet I'm not an aggressive driver going through the gears, rarely stall, and don't ride the clutch, and mrs terrym is the same.
So I'm interested to know what you consider 'if not driven correctly' means.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I have had a Dual Mass Flywheel go on a VW within warranty, and yet I'm not an aggressive driver going through the gears, rarely stall, and don't ride the clutch, and mrs terrym is the same.
So I'm interested to know what you consider 'if not driven correctly' means.

Generally the diesel particulate filters clogup if used for short regular journeys, then you often need a blast on the motorway to clear them. so small city diesels are a dying breed these days. As too a retro diesel whilst you could run the older ones on vegetable oil, they will not be euro 5/6 and will be getting banned from major cities sooner rather than later, at least with a euro 5/6 they'll be allowed in these places for longer so a classic diesel is probably not a good choice.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think there is a bit of confusion creeping in a DMF and DPF are two different things.

Dual Mass Flywheel

Diesel Particulate filter.

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[chub1]

Yup. My old Moggie originally had those, but someone had fitted a Wipac set of indicators which you operated from a large two position switch located somewhere down by your right knee. Trouble was they weren't very reliable and did in fact fail temporarily on my driving test, and I ended up completing the test using hand signals. Still passed though :thumb:.
This was in the days before MOTs and the car had a rotten floor pan, but a previous owner had cut out some quarter steel plate profiled to the shape of the floor and plonked that on top of the original metal. Worked fine, if a little damp on occasions.
In the end I sold the Moggie which had done 90k on the original engine which had been replaced by another which had done 60k. I know this because it had two speedos inside the car. The original in the front bulk head and the 'new' one held in place by a couple of metal strips somewhere down by your left knee.
And I replaced it with a Hillman Limp, sorry Imp, which had its own story to tell.

Ah trafficators, had those on my first ever motor a sit up and beg 1949 ford prefect :lol:
A mate had a Hillman limp,enough said about that:twisted:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

For all the young ones - Trafficators -



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fvrO_P-td8[/ame]


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU_cMwVBEwk[/ame]