OV9

Welcome back, tell us about your vehicle history in the last 20 years since you disappeared! You went on to bikes after the 205 iirc?

Interested to hear about the bikes, as I focused more on the bikes after those early Evo days.

"NickR" sounds like "knickers"


I was bored over Christmas, so swapped all the wrappers around in a box of Celebrations.

My mate was so cross they got their Snickers in a Twix.

Hi,

Afraid its not very exciting...

I had a shitty Metro whilst I had the 205, was a1.4, but had plate dish wheels and awful handling, it wobbled opposite to opposite corner roundabouts and got pulled by the Police twice for my effort of trying to maintain momentum around the local bypass roundabouts.
Thundercat was great, passed my test in November and it snowed on my first run out to see my friends in Manchester, in hindsight that winter was a good thing to happen as it taught me great respect for the throttle, about self preservation and other road users.
I sold the 205 in 2005 after we got married and bought a Yamaha Thundercat, Jen already had an SV650.
Bought eBay sheds to go along with the bikes (as car only got used twice a week at most), first shed was a derv 205, felt like it had 30bhp, when it failed its first MOT used that as a good excuse to sell (only needed drivers seat welding).
Next car was Rover 216 SLi that I got of a Rover dealer who went bust,, it was low milage, bodywork almost perfect. Got married and was a great car to tour Scotland on our Honeymoon, really well tuned suspension for our roads (good balance between comfort and handling) and almost as quick as a 1.6gti in a straight line. Sadly about 6-9 months of ownership, headgasket started leaking, so sold it on as a runner, but needing repair.
Jen started a hair dressers business so the bikes got sold, I bought a Serow 225 and started doing a bit of off roading as well (with the dales on my doorstep, a local quarry I could get out most weekends for a little fun), Jen got a GN 125 for riding to work.
Ended up with a Polo 1.3 estate, body work was rusty, but mechanically spot on. I spent plenty of time tidying up the rust. It got written off by a Taxi who reversed into me in the Peak district as he got impatient with an Air Ambulance blocking the road.
Struggled to buy any kind of replacement and ended up with my worst car ever, a Nissan Sunny, luckily that failed its MOT and was scrapped as sills all rusty. Jen sold her GN as we finally got pregnant, I kept the Serow for a while, but it got written off when someone drove into me.
Splashed out for a bit more decent car instead of another bike and got a 5 door Corolla with the 1.6VVTi engine, this did us well with 1 kid, but when number 2 came along we were struggling for boot space (boot was not quite wide or long enough for our double pram), so ended up with a series of MPVs, Mazda Premacy, a Corolla Verso, Grandis (for 3 kids). The Premacy we only had about 2 years (not a great car), Corollla Verso 4 years and boringly perfect, only sold as too small, Grandis we had 2.5 years (super comfy, better handling that the Verso or Premacy and enough grunt for wafting about), last MoT brought up some timebombs (shocks and suspension arms), so decided to sell (got twice what webuyanycar offered).

Ended up with our Current car, 2005 Audi A4 2.5 V6 TDi Avant (FWD not Quattro), owned by a mechanic who works next door to my Bro-in-law (vintage car restorer), it was my wife who first test drove it and fell in love with how well it drove, so I too a look and bought for a very decent price. It was filthy and a few bits of rust in the common places on the arches, but it had a full history including a recent belt and water pump change.
Thing is bloody ace as a family wagon, its an SE not an Sline so handles our imperfect road properly (S lines are too harsh on anything but perfectly smooth roads), very neutral handling, not much feedback, but definitely not the nose heavy understeering meme that is often touted about Audis. Being plenty old not worried about car park dints and scratches (though I touch em up and keep the bodywork well waxed). Being the V6 it has the bigger brakes (320mm front, 280 rear) and stiffer front springs which I think helps neutralise the handling (and the 2.5 v6 is not a lot heavier than the 2.0 TDi engine). Rear has some spring assisters fitted (not because I tow a caravan), as the rear springs are weak and I don't want to lower it as we tonnes or speed bumps and bumpy moor roads to contend with.
Has excellent pulling power, very linear torque from 2000 to 4000rpm, 1st and 2nd gear are low and make crawling around in traffic easy, but useless for quick starts, 3rd onwards and pulls like a train, quite surprised at the cars it keep up with.

Here is a pic from our road trip to Scotland (Edinburgh -> Glen Coe -> Loch Lomond) this summer, I dig some other photos out later.

A few pics of my Serrow.
I was lucky to have a Quarry a few miles away (now shutdown) to play in, plus a few snaps for a couple of ride outs green laning to the Dales.
I did enjoy the Thundercat and blasting about on the road, but I was so much more at home/comfortable off roading (I had a trials bike as a teen).
Serrow was dinky, and geared for a top speed of 80mph indicated, but made an awesome commuter into Leeds and the local off road police had white Hondas at the time (red tanks, white plastic), so people used to move out of the way for me.

Great little thumper those yeah, I've messed about off road for years but only recently got myself a machine capable of it.

Barry wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 6:35 pm Great little thumper those yeah, I've messed about off road for years but only recently got myself a machine capable of it.

Commuted for a few years with it, then some plonk drove into me and it got written off.

Bought a TTR250 with insurance money.

Came off it first proper ride out (in Wales) and broke my wrist, took a long time to recover (2nd time broken it), so sold the TTR and money went towards the Corolla which was my first non-shed car in a while.

TTR250 was my first proper off road ride, at Yamaha Experience. Very competent machine, again. Would prefer a WRF450 of course.

I bought this, for a mix of road and light adventure: