I-Spy Classic Cars/Bikes-What have you spotted?

[CitroJim]

Ohh gorgeous More yellow cars Lovely!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Also, got to be worth some rarity points these days: in the car park at Snetterton Race circuit where we were today for the Touring Cars was a C plate Nissan Cherry 1.3 SGL Maxima.

In 1977 I passed my driving test in a Datsun Cherry. My driving instructor got a new one just a couple of weeks before my test which wasn't ideal. He had one of these on his drive but didn't use it for driving school purposes, ( it was probably a 260Z in reality in dull old black, but this 240Z is nice in orange!)

and the 240Z makes it into the 120 in I-spy Classic Cars normally 35 points but see this weeks special offer below

from I-Spy Classic Cars
Japan had a reputation fo making copies of Western cars until this sporty Datsun came along and proved the country could make a fast and stylish GT. The 2.4 litre straight-six cylinder and all independent suspension were rugged enough to make the 125 mph 240Z an accomplished rally car too. Datsun became Nissan in 1985.

regards Neil

So special offer on points this week, spot a Datsun 240,260 or 280 Z and help yourself to 100 points

regards Neil

[Zelandeth]

Thank you. Thought I'd get laughed into the next county for mentioning the Cherry. We'd had Novas and Fiestas before it and I remember thinking that it was incredibly plush and comfy in comparison. Fantastic stereo too. As a 10ish year old I found the fact that everything in terms of legends was orange (even down to the legends on the warning lights) was orange strangely fascinating. I know it's basically a Nissan Sunny hatchback, but I reckon it looks so much better as a hatch. Drove nice too.

Guess this is a good place for it to be appreciated though...afterall, BXs and Xantias were everyday repmobiles only a few years ago.

One of the few places I don't have to be embarrassed to admit I would quite like a Cherry in the drive I guess!

[addo]

Yellow JDM AE86 Sprinter today, fairly unmolested appearance. And a Datsun 260C sedan in metallic brown with beige vinyl roof.

[NewcastleFalcon]

More education for me. JDM.....Japanese Domestic Market?

AE-86......Wiki offers this analysis

The AE86 generation of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno is a small, lightweight coupe or hatchback introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla lineup. For the purpose of brevity, the insider-chassis code of "AE86" depicts the 1600 cc RWD model from the range. In classic Toyota code, the "A" represents the engine that came in the car (4A series), "E" represents the Corolla, "8" represents the fifth generation (E80 series) and "6" represents the variation within this generation.

Now this one comes from the USA, so no doubt has bumper and headlight features specially to allow it to be on the roads, but it is a nice yellow



and it has a nice clean looking engine bay



Looking at the Japanese Vehicles which make the I-Spy Classic Cars 120....The Honda NSX gets 30 points, The Datsun 240Z 35 points, and the Triumph/Honda Acclaim/Accord gets 30 points and a Mazda MX5 Mk 1 gets 10 points.

So I reckon at least 30 for the AE-86, and a yellow one from Australia a generous 35 points .

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

And the 260 C something like this although this is more of a coupe than a sedan?



regards Neil

[CitroJim]

And yet another yellow car

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well As I surveyed Morrisons car park tonight, not a single even midly interesting car in sight, colour, shape, size....a sea of ordinaryness (including mine I have to say...not my lovely wicked red Picasso of course, I had one of Luton's finest out )

Looking back to circa 1970 car parks were full of interesting cars!



Regards Neil

[Stickyfinger]

none of which would start on a damp winters morning

[CitroJim]

none of which would start on a damp winters morning

Many a true word spoken in jest!

[addo]

It's amazing the human race survived, after all, apparently one needs a 4WD if one has children...

Neil, correct on the 260C, the coupé is very rare indeed but there are a couple about.

Today's spot was a Commer camper in dull red, it had an aluminium caravan-style camper body behind the cab in white with red stripes. Amusingly, I was keeping my eyes peeled when I saw it because just around the corner from this, some weeks back I'd spotted an AM Lagonda of the four-door "wedge" variety in minty green complete with UK plates. I thought nothing of it, before realising it was in the wrong country! (Of course, its bonnet was up...)

[CitroJim]

(Of course, its bonnet was up...)

That amused me

Tenuous connection. I live just metres from the site of the factory where that Lagonda was built...

[dnsey]

Well As I surveyed Morrisons car park tonight, not a single even midly interesting car in sight, colour, shape, size....a sea of ordinaryness (including mine I have to say...not my lovely wicked red Picasso of course, I had one of Luton's finest out )

Looking back to circa 1970 car parks were full of interesting cars!



Regards Neil

Is that a Simca 1301?
Don't see many of those over here these days!

[CitroJim]

One does not see many Simcas at all thee days...

All dissolved I guess. Could they ever rust - almost as well as some Italians of the period...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Another 20points bagged for this Reliant Robin in Leyburn North Yorkshire. The market Towns of this part of North Yorks Leyburn, Richmond, Bedale, Masham all within a 10 mile circle are what I would decribe as good places to stop off at.

from I-Spy Classic Cars
The original Robin is the most successful three wheeled car ever sold in Britain. To keep weight down-so the Robin could legally qualify as a tricycle, and so be driven on a motorbike licence- the two door body is plastic, and the tiny four cylinder engine is made of aluminium. Its an extremely cheap car to run.

Regards Neil