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[omegaV6CD]

So what did the Alfetta had that was clever? Firstly is was a sporty 4-door RWD saloon (familiar?)…

It had a double-overhead camshaft engine – almost unheard of in these days. Vauxhall were just moving from their Cam-In-Head (CIH) engine where the camshaft was on the side of the head operating the valves through pushrods, to Over-Head-Cam (OHC) where the single camshaft sat directly over the hydraulic valve lifters…. Alfa had a DOHC engine as standard for around twenty years before…

It had the gearbox at the rear of the car together with the dif – very good weight distribution! The cost was that the drive shaft rotated at the engine speed i.e. up to 7,000 rpm… so unless it was perfectly balanced the car would vibrate, and in turn all the rubber couplings along the drive shaft worked there way loose…

The rear brake disks where not on the wheel, but on both sides of the dif – this means that the sprung weight of the rear wheels was much reduced as they had no disks or callipers on them, so stuck to the road like glue.

There was also the ingenious De-Dion rear axle, which means that the rear wheels (and tyres) were always kept flat on the tarmac regarding of the body roll ensuring maximum adhesion.

The list goes on… but it was marvellous on those rare occasions when there was nothing wrong with it and it was actually road-worthy…

What are we talking about,
this was a car made for the enthusiast real driver and it was set up for raceing. It would give any of todays 4 door cars a run for their money. It made its compeitors sound prehistoric the likes of ford cortina's and escorts were a joke comparet to this masterpiece.

[x25xe]

Worst car was a Fiesta which I purchased for £25.  It had four months of MOT and Tax and I scrapped it at the end of this and got £10 for it.  Three months motoring for £15.  I hated that car.

Also had a Talbot Horizon (for Talbot read Chrysler) - this was nice and comfy put sounded like a sewing machine owing to the tappets.  This met a premature end with the rear suspension collapsing.

Best car is my Cavalier 16V 2.0 CDX.  I like it so much that when the Omega came along, I could not bear to part with it.  We have been together 10 years now.

[Elite Pete]

My Daimler Double Six a six litre V12 was one

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/2003_0326_154722AA.jpg

and my TR7 V8 a 3.9 beastie that was the quickest car I have owned

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/IMG-1.jpg


The worst was a 1995 Fiesta RS1800. I was stiched up with this as it was HPI clear but had been repaired without the insurance being involved, went down the road like a crab and cost me a fortune in tyres.

[bob.dent]

My Daimler Double Six a six litre V12 was one

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/2003_0326_154722AA.jpg

and my TR7 V8 a 3.9 beastie that was the quickest car I have owned

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/IMG-1.jpg


The worst was a 1995 Fiesta RS1800. I was stiched up with this as it was HPI clear but had been repaired without the insurance being involved, went down the road like a crab and cost me a fortune in tyres.

  I take it this was a "special" Pete? I wasn't aware they ever fitted the TR7 with a V8. :-?

[Elite Pete]

My Daimler Double Six a six litre V12 was one

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/2003_0326_154722AA.jpg

and my TR7 V8 a 3.9 beastie that was the quickest car I have owned

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h64/pickledpepper/IMG-1.jpg


The worst was a 1995 Fiesta RS1800. I was stiched up with this as it was HPI clear but had been repaired without the insurance being involved, went down the road like a crab and cost me a fortune in tyres.

  I take it this was a "special" Pete? I wasn't aware they ever fitted the TR7 with a V8. :-?

They did make a Triumph TR8 Bob which had the Rover 3.5 V8 but most are LHD and went to the States. I think there where about 20 or so which are genuine RHD for the UK. Thats why most V8 conversions are called the TR7 V8.

[sir moanalot]

my 2nd motor was a v. viva 1.3 good reliable little car. when i sold it i had to put a banana into the rocker box to quieten down the tappets, sorry to the buyer!

[MaxV6]

first ever was a 2.0 V4 Ford Corsair.    

Best ever... the Senators.....   I had a couple of Sennie A's, and 4 Sennie B's

the last of my rev A's was D72NFC , a 3.0 manual,  Thames valley police "traffic" vehicle....  We fitted a PMC 3.6 litre conversion engine into it....

that's probably the Car I will always have the fondest "insane, and insanely happy" driving memories of , but it's a close run thing between that and my Later 3.6 Sennie B's

the latter being more refined and capacious , the former being a more aggressively nimble , yet discrete ,4 wheel guided missile.

[bob.dent]

my 2nd motor was a v. viva 1.3 good reliable little car. when i sold it i had to put a banana into the rocker box to quieten down the tappets, sorry to the buyer!

  Class!!

[ohmegod]

The bast car ive owned was a INTEGRA TYPE-R non import but british version.It was number 33 in the country.Never went wrong not once, didnt miss a beat,which was amazing as it spent most of its life doing 9000rpm.

It also saved my life as i had to do a amazing swerve manouver to avoid a huge accident coming my way at 70mph.Anything else ive owned would have crashed.

Worst car was a L reg 325i. The engineering was beuitifull,everything was sorted,feel,steering,handling,breaks i loved it.The engine was straight 6 and very smooth and powerfull.

Sadly it packed up when driving home one night...........One of the coil packs failed,sent a spike to the ecu and £700 later,new ecu and six coil packs it was fixed.Also the coupe style windows didnt fit properly so they whistled.

[TheBoy]

worse is a toss up between a d reg Belmont and the many ford, inc a 51 plate focus piece of junk.

best, probably either one of the Rovers for ease/reliability, or the GTE for fun due ti its apalling handling...

[hotel21]

Worst for me was an Avenger Estate I used as a runabout for a few months whilst rebuilding a crash damaged Astra SRi.  Featureless, noisy, wet, gutless pile of poo, but it was cheap and had the space to cart bits around.  

The one with the fondest memories is the Astra SRi.  6 months old with a brand new shell, ran faultlessly for 5 years other than getting romped up the backend less than a week after getting it on the road!  The insurance sorted it again, though.

B

[Omegatoy]

best was definetly my twin turbo rover Sdi V8 extremely fast and comfortable motor did 183.000 miles in it and apart from one broken pushrod and eating brake pads never had a moments trouble!!!! very quick nought to sixty about 6.6seconds but three weeks to stop it!!!! this was in spite of running jag fourpots!!!

worst? hmm there has been a few probably teh scimitar 3.0 v6 bloody electrics were forever going wrong!!
Omegatoy

[tyreburner]

in terms of fun value when we sold our house i bought this

i even paid 30 to join the website but alas £100 per 200 miles and a lack of job forced her sale!!

in terms of relaibililty mk2 cav 1.6l with 113k on her in 2 years put 100k on it and all it ever wanted was back boxes and one cv joint and i drove like a tw*t back then ( made it from high level bridge in new castle to catterick garrison in 25 minutes ) then big ends went or would still have it now!!!!!

[Gwilym]

Worst was Isuzu Bighorn 3.1TD

Best was Skoda Octavia 1.8T vRS Estate

[Martin_1962]

Worst for me was an Avenger Estate I used as a runabout for a few months whilst rebuilding a crash damaged Astra SRi.  Featureless, noisy, wet, gutless pile of poo, but it was cheap and had the space to cart bits around.  

The one with the fondest memories is the Astra SRi.  6 months old with a brand new shell, ran faultlessly for 5 years other than getting romped up the backend less than a week after getting it on the road!  The insurance sorted it again, though.

B

WORST , I think they were brilliant cars, my mum had one and it was great very good chassis, very comfortable seats and one of the best pushrod lumps of its size ever.

Definately a car I would buy to restore, perhaps yours was a little engine or a Hitorq 1600 my mums had the normal 1600 with larger carb.