Flickr Find

[DHK Dolomite]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38389354@N07/

Has anyone seen this guy on Flickr? I have posted the link above. He goes round snapping all sorts of classics and some future classics,
there is literally hundreds of great cars from ultra rare Karman Ghias to 1990's Nissan Sunny's
He also gives a brief history of ownership and when they where last on the road.
I have just spent a thoroughly enjoyable hour or so and i'm only up to page 5!!
There a few Dollys and Toledos on there too!
Has a section from his travels to Italy and has snapped some great Lancias and old Fiats
Well worth a look

[harvey]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38389354@N07/16225528268/


^^^ I had me one of dem!^^^

[Toledo Man]

I recognized one of the Dolomites (the purple one). I also recognized the Citroen GSA which I believe belongs to one of the staff writers at Classic & Sports Car magazine. It was nice to see examples of the cars I owned in my younger days such as MK2 Cavaliers, Ford Sierras, Rover 214, MK3 Granada and the Vauxhall Carlton.

[DHK Dolomite]

Exactly Toledo man. It was nice to take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing back to my Ford Orion, Rover 214, Mk2 Cavalier, Mk1 Astra and "ahemm" My brief relationship with a Talbot Solara ( not one of my better purchases )
But great fun looking back and realizing how many models that where common place not too many years ago have now become as rare as hens teeth

[Toledo Man]

I used to have a Talbot Solara (HJX 909W) which I bought in 1990 for £99. I overfilled it with engine oil and ended up killing the engine. It wasn't ever road legal (I was still on a provisional licence back then!) and I ended up scrapping it. Not one of my better purchases either! I had an early Ford Orion (A88 NNW) in 1997 which was at least road legal and had an engine swap from the 1.6 CVH to a 1.4 OHV. I managed to get it through an MoT and I bought a Sierra from the guy who did the engine swap. I let him borrow the Orion in lieu of payment and when the Sierra failed the MoT I sold it back to the previous owner and I got the Orion back which got scrapped when I bought a Sierra Sapphire. I nearly bought a nice low mileage Mk1 Astra in 1993 but I was wanting a MK2 Cavalier in GL trim so I didn't bother.

[DHK Dolomite]

We have a similar chequered past. i started off with a Hillman Avenger STC128L i think? bought it off a guy up the street for 20 quid in 1985 when i was 15 put new front wings, front skirt drivers door all from the local scrap yard. Then my Dad ( bless him ) was made redundant from British Leyland and gave me £300 of his redundancy money for my 17th birthday telling me "for gods sake get something decent" so i traded my Avenger for a white Viva WSL456T then once i past my test later that year i ran the wheels off that Viva.
Then bought myself an Mk2 Escort Van Then got int Minis in a big way had a van and a few saloons including my first resto project a 75 Clubman GDM574N. Then it gets blurry i can remember Mk1 Astra, Talbot Solaro, Mk2 Cavalier, Ford Orion, Vauxhall Chevette Mk2 Escort. P100 pick up and a Mk 5 Cortina. Which has a funny story attached.
It was as rotten as a pear and one day in the centre of town i parked up opened the door and as i did so the window popped off its runners and dropped through the bottom of the rotten door, so embarrassing. So off i go to the scrap yard buys a new door off a mk 5 estate £25.00. Sorted. Gets home, grinds off the hinges off the old door, totally destroying it. Offers up my shinny new door fitted like a glove Except....
There was a 3" gap between the top of the door and the roof!!! What i didn't know at the time Estates had a lower roof line than saloons
OMG so i fit the door loosley head back to said scrap yard for a saloon door.. None in stock... great!! So only option, get my money back and drive 7 miles to another breakers minus the drivers door. Ha Ha i looked like Fred Flintstone, but didn't have a care in the world
Happy days

[Toledo Man]

You've reminded me of an Avenger estate I bought for £60 at the local auction in 1990 which wasn't road legal and didn't have a working starter motor so I had to bump start it every time (like I was doing with the Astra recently). I got caught with no insurance and when that went to court I ended up getting disqualified for 6 months through totting-up (12 points or more in the space of 3 years). Once I got my licence back, I made sure that I passed my test before getting another car. The only Mini I had was an 850 (GJX 518S) which had a short tax and & MoT which I bought in 1993 for £120. 3rd part insurance courtesy of Swinton was under £300 so I was road legal for less than £500. It had been resprayed in BRG (from a similar colour to Russett brown) with a Mayfair interior and a wooden dashboard. It was cheap to run and was the most fun I've had on 4 wheels. I got it through the MoT and about a month after that I was going through some traffic lights when a yellow Mk1 Fiesta 1300S turned right across my path writing off the Mini. I was able to claim for the 3rd party because I had legal protection on my insurance which paid for a solicitor to claim on my behalf. The next car was the Cavalier GL that I was wanting over the Mk1 Astra I mentioned earlier.

[xvivalve]

Now MX5 powered?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38389354@N07/15000524702/

[DHK Dolomite]

Ah a classic Mini for £120 now there is a blast from the past, Your right there isn't much tops a mini when it comes to fun, until like you your unlucky enough to be in an accident, but you always have the built in Impact Protection System ( your knee caps against the metal dash!! )

xvivalve

Do you know this car in the picture? Are you saying it may have a MX5 engine in? I bet that took some fettling?

[Toledo Man]

Funny enough, I did bang my right knee when the Mini was written off and I eventually got some compensation. This was just over 20 years ago before the "compensation culture". The Cavalier GL I got after the Mini had been written off in an accident (a Nissan Sunny pulled out in front of me and I had a full load of passengers) the day I taxed it and the day after it had passed the MoT. I decided to get something a bit bigger and by this time the compensation money from the Mini accident came though so I bought the Carlton (A116 RFE). I had a choice of 2 and I probably should've bought the other one because it had a 2 litre engine but it had no tax. RFE had the 1.8 and was taxed & tested so I could drive it away legally.