MX-5 OC Forum

Steviemac:

You poor thing, did you get counselling?

It got worse before it got better, but the 5 is good therapy.

As for drivers that should not be on the road.

The driver of the Ka in front of me this morning. Doing the barely believable speed of an entire 15mph, a pedestrian approached the curb a good 50 yds down the road. This prompted a emergency stop from the Ka. When we set off again, I am not sure quite how he managed to accelerate so slowly. The slight slope meant just releasing the breaks had me catching him up.

Get a move on my shopping is defrosting! 

In my innocent youth, I bought an Allegro. I was chuffed to bits with the square (Quartic) steering wheel. The car was only 2 years old. When I arrived at work (Apprentice Engineer) to show my brothers the new motor vehicle, the p1$$ taking was enormous! I was made to park at the back of the car park and most mornings I had to run the gauntlet of the assembly shop shouting ALL AGGRO, ALL AGGRO, ALL AGGRO, to the beat of large hammers hitting benches!

Roadie:

The Ka is my nomination for 'Cheapest fun car with a tin roof'.

I'd agree with that. For such a cheapie, the original Ka is a brilliant little thing, a true spiritual successor to the Mini. My first car was the Mk4 Fiesta they based the Ka on, so it was just as fun to drive (albeit a tiny bit heavier), but less funky looking. I'd definitely consider getting a Ka as a daily driver to turn the MX5 into a weekend toy.

Hmm, cars for non-drivers?

Citroen Xsara Picasso. I've never once seen one being driven by someone I could comfortably call a "driver". A moron, perhaps, but not a driver.

Anything with a Vauxhall badge too, save for the VX220. They're virtually all awful, and driven variously by some of the most incompetent people on the road (youths, myopic old people, frustrated sales reps), therefore relegating the brand to a level that no sane car enthusiast should ever consider.

Vaux. Zafira... similar to the Picasso.
Bliddy urban drivers.
A shabby fox made a dash and the driver stamped on their brakes with 3 cars behind aware of a 'clear' road ahead.
I nearly merged with another 5. Good job i wasn't tailgating. It really is a good and safe thing to do. Planting the brakes down for a fox is not! Very sad but NO!

kia pride...a colleague had one...horrible underpowerd sqaure metal box.  no safety equipment and i believe a radio was an option !

best cheap fun car with a tin roof...id like to say punto...first of the good fiats (that didnt rot) 60hp 1.2 8v that can be thrashed within an inch of its life and just asks for more...not bad handling (better once lowered) and cheap parts aplenty...loved mine, maybe im biased.

goodshipalbion:

best cheap fun car with a tin roof...

Oooh. The following list have all cost less than a grand, and some of them less than £100, for cars with tax and MOT:

Toyota MR2 mk1
Toyota MR2 GTi mk2
BMW 325i (E30)
BMW535i (E34)
Honda CRX 16i16 (mk1 not the dreadful Del Sol thing)
Honda CRX 16i16 (mk2 not the dreadful Del Sol thing)
Mazda RX7 (FC)

Of those I really can't pick a winner, and I'd gladly have any of them back (except the RX7, but only because I still have one).

...and if I absolutely had to pick a sensible economical hatchback - Citreon AX diesel. 100mpg and a great laugh to drive, despite being a smidge slow.

If forced at gunpoint to buy a new car I'd probably take the bullet.

Steviemac:

Can't believe I missed this thread, chance for another rant...... oh goody!  (1) silver cars, has nobody got any imagination? (2) Cityrover, I know it's defunct but it cannot be stressed enough how awful it is. To think that the company that gave us the wonderful P5 & innovative P6 sunk to such a level. (3) The whole range of faceless far eastern superminis, all ugly and I can't tell the difference... or should that be I can't be a***d to tell the difference. Time for my medication again, nurse, nurse...NURSE!!

I used to own a silver city rover  I thought I wanted a cheap car with warranty, took me 7 months to realise what a pile of s**te it was and at that point I got rid and went shopping for a mx5. Makes me smile every time I take it for a drive!

 A month on, and we're still therapeutically spitting venom. Think of all those non-drivers who have been spared our rightful wrath because we've been able to vent our feelings here.

To move this on a little, what are the hallmarks of the non-driver?

I'll set the ball rolling with

1. rear window obscured by stickers
2. fiddling with hair at traffic lights
3. driving without lights at dusk

you dont see it as often these days...but an anchient comic relief red nose thing strapped to the grill

Not just the rear window for stickers - what about the complete cretins that have Pay & Display tickets plastered all over the drivers side window and even on the windscreen? That's a BIG warning sign that you have a non-driver on the loose!

Oh, this is going to run and run....  more later.

Sure signs that a driver is going to be slow/dangerous/annoying:

1) They aren't driving my car

That seems to cover it.

Captain Muppet:

Sure signs that a driver is going to be slow/dangerous/annoying:

1) They aren't driving my car

 

 

That seems to cover it.

Although I mean my car not yours.

Mark:

Captain Muppet:

Sure signs that a driver is going to be slow/dangerous/annoying:

1) They aren't driving my car

 

 

That seems to cover it.

That pretty much covers it for me as well.

 

Although I mean my car not yours.

 You forgot,

the Cushions and Tissue box on the parcel shelf, Kids L-Plates left on when only "Qualified" driver in car. A dog is for life - not just christmas dinner sticker .   stopping at roundabouts with nobody there.

 Citroen c5s. Three times in the week I have had my 5, my drives to/from work have been sabotaged by a Citroen driver averaging 20mph on a 40mph road, braking extensively for every bend, and indicating two seconds after they turn at a junction. Argh.

And then there's the complete opposite, the 18 year old chavs driving Vauxhall Corsas with strained 1.2s. Trying to overtake me in a 30 zone while I am travelling at the speed limit.

It is ALWAYS this way around. Would be nice if for once the Citroens were behind me, and the Corsas were in front, but noooo!