Retro cars making a comeback

[LRF4N]

Anyone else noticed the increase of old school cars during their daily commute? There's loads up here I see and mostly in rush hour so they're not weekend/project cars

 

Capris, sciroccos, old mercs and bms, novas, bentleys, rolls royces, 944s.... The list goes on

I love seeing them all especially the ones you forget about- saw an ancient Granada at the weekend that put a smile on my face

 

Iv noticed them over the past year or so and I can understand people wanting either something a bit different or something cheap to run but my question is.... where are they all coming from??

 

Are they coming out of hibernation after years in gardens under covers or are barn finds becoming the norm now lol

[coldel]

I have seen a marked increase in Ford Capris now you mention it!

[rtbiscuit]

I saw a ford Cortina mk2 1600 the other day

[Neilp]

I seen a capri today in livingston.

 

Loads and loads of classics up here.

[ph 7]

I saw an old Sierra xr4x4i today

[LRF4N]

Also saw a mitsi starion at the weekend. That was on a country road so that was probs a weekend car. Love the starion

[HollowPoint]

I think lots are coming out from full restorations that have gone on for years. Over on zClub, lots of 240zs, 260zs and 280zxs are now coming out of full restorations. Our 280zx hasn't really been out much for 2 years because the previous owner fell ill a couple of years ago and just hasn't used it. Now we own it, it's probably done more mileage in the last few weeks than the last couple of years and once we've restored it over the winter, it'll do the full show season next year.

[rtbiscuit]

To be honest I don't see most 80s cars or some early 90s as classics. It was a hideous time for automotive design.

[HollowPoint]

To be honest I don't see most 80s cars or some early 90s as classics. It was a hideous time for automotive design.

 

That's just not true at all. It was in the terms of the standard day to day cars, like the MkIII Escort and the Stock standard Sierra etc, but when you come to the souped up stuff, you had the 300zx Twin Turbo, the 200SX S14, the ICONIC BMW 3 Series and the introduction of the M5s, you had lots of very nice Lotus cars in that era, plus this was the era where all the cool engines started to be made and all the technology that makes up new cars as something we take for granted, was all developed. Car design went through the roof during the 80s and 90s, there's just no denying it.

[rtbiscuit]

Not a ford, Vauxhall or vw fan, so all those cars are just ugly and dull. The 300zx was way over weight a real fat car. Yes there were some interesting engines. But everything was so boxy. Very little of that period I'd like to own. Maybe an 80s Porsche 911. Jag xjr220. Grew up in Essex so to me escorts, nova, Astra, escorts, sierras, fiesta all hideous chav wagons to me

[HollowPoint]

Not a ford, Vauxhall or vw fan, so all those cars are just ugly and dull. The 300zx was way over weight a real fat car. Yes there were some interesting engines. But everything was so boxy. Very little of that period I'd like to own. Maybe an 80s Porsche 911. Jag xjr220. Grew up in Essex so to me escorts, nova, Astra, escorts, sierras, fiesta all hideous chav wagons to me

 

You grew up in Essex, so you never saw the nice ones clearly, all you've mentioned is crap, including the 80s 911 that'd kill you as soon as look at you, one of the worst designed cars EVER for power, speed or handling. Has as much right to the title 'widow-maker' as any other car of the period.

 

As for the 300zx being such a fat car, it was faster stock, than the 350z........

Edited October 8, 2013 by HollowPoint

[rtbiscuit]

The 300zx twin turbo engine was great, but it had moved away from what zed cars were originally. The 350 was a step back towards the origins of the 240 and 280z

[HollowPoint]

How do you qualify that exactly? It was a rear wheel drive GT/Sports Coupe, with sleek looks, most of the same factory options as it's predecessors (targa top, slick top, auto, manual, 2+2, 2 seater).....I'm sorry but I really fail to see how it moved away from what Z cars were about.

 

I have a 280zx as well and whilst the technology in the 300 is considerably further ahead obviously, the car is very similar. The driving experience is both challenging, but fun and very rewarding, the attention both cars grab from people walking/driving down the street is huge..... I really don't get where you're coming from and I certainly don't get why you think the 350 was in any way a step back to the origins, it was still a RWD GT/Sports Coupe, but suddenly offered with less options than ever before, less power than it's predecessor, completely different styling. To me, each iteration of the Z car was an evolution in one way or another, from it's predecessor, with the 350 taking a rather different approach.

[LRF4N]

I think he means the turbo engines where the 350 reverted back to na

[tony.r123]

I know a guy with an XR4i and a Calibra 4x4 Turbo

[HollowPoint]

I think he means the turbo engines where the 350 reverted back to na

 

Turbo engines started with the 280zx and carried through the Z31 and Z32 300zx. They were doing nothing more than moving with the times really, everything decent that came out of Japan through those years, had turbos, then when the 350 was released, they almost matched the power of the z32 without any. Besides that, plenty of NA 300zxs were sold.

[rtbiscuit]

Back in the day the 300zx was very accomplished, but it got very tech and power focussed moved away y from that more raw experience of driving and got very heavy. The 280 was heavier than the 240 and the 300zx was heavier still, the 350 went back to a slightly lighter car with Na power. And a more raw driver focused vehicle. The 300zx wasn't a bad car but the focus in tat era was different to the original. Concept of the 240z

[LRF4N]

....which is what he said

[HollowPoint]

Back in the day the 300zx was very accomplished, but it got very tech and power focussed moved away y from that more raw experience of driving and got very heavy. The 280 was heavier than the 240 and the 300zx was heavier still, the 350 went back to a slightly lighter car with Na power. And a more raw driver focused vehicle. The 300zx wasn't a bad car but the focus in tat era was different to the original. Concept of the 240z

 

Doesn't the 350z have a huge 3.5 litre engine? Traction Control? ABS? Air Bags throughout? New Crush technology? Double Din head units with bluetooth hands-free kits? A new style ECU to suit the era it came out in?

 

Sorry but I've driven a lot of cars and the 300zx is actually one of the best driver focussed vehicles I've ever driven. I'm still lost as to your point of view here, unless you simply mean you didn't like the 300zx, in which case, each to their own and that's fine, lol.

[HollowPoint]

....which is what he said

 

My point is, the 300zx didn't move away from what the original Zs were about, it was a natural progression from the Z31, which was a progression from the 280zx, which was a progression from the 260z (280z was nothing more than a re-badged 260 to sell excess stock according to the most knowledgeable Z-heads out there.) the 350z did not then move back to what the original z's were about, it simply moved with the times, turbos weren't as popular, but it factored in other new tech that was in the car industry at the time.

[rtbiscuit]

First 2 minutes basically repeats what I said http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFEA1n-Ggy4

[14N]

I saw this today and was so delighted I took a picture! (I did make sure no one was watching first)

 

[HollowPoint]

As much as I like Top Gear and as much as I like Clarkson, I don't take much heed of what he says. Especially since his opinion changes over time. His original opinion of the 300zx was that it was awesome, his original opinion of the 350 was that it was dreadful. Both opinions have changed in various directions over the years too.

 

I disagree with your statement, it's just that simple, lol. I love Zs of every generation and at no time do I think they 'strayed from what the original Zs were about'. Technology moves on, cars move with that technology, end of story really. If the 350 was a straight 6 2.4 litre coupe with no ABS, ancient power steering tech, no air bags, looked like a currently popular American muscle car and wasn't comparable to anything from Germany at the time, I might agree with you.

[HollowPoint]

I saw this today and was so delighted I took a picture! (I did make sure no one was watching first)

 

 

My dad had one of them. He was EVER so proud it would trounce the Lotus of the time. My uncle then bought an MG Montego and a friends mum bought an MG Metro, lol.

[rtbiscuit]

I don't dislike the 300, I just think it got fat, doesn't make it bad, doesn't detract from the quality of the car, doesn't make it any less a zed car, wouldn't put me of having one, but I still think its a fat car. But then I als think the 350 is a lardy car as well, just not as lardy as the 300