When I was 15 in 1979, I bought an Austin GT from a local scrapyard for a tenner and used to drive it around my dads farm tracks and fields. Thanks for awakening a happy memory...
@@UKBarnFinds my brother borrowed it and wrecked it, so I gave it back to the scrapyard and bought an MOT failure BSA Bantam which I did store in a barn, but unfortunately my dad gave that to the scrapyard after I left home. I was not pleased...
I had a Morris 1300 when I was 21, I fitted the twin carbs of a scrapped MG version, was a great car very reliable, even in mid winter it only needed half choke and a flip of the key and started first time every time, it's one car I do miss along with my old Rover P6 3.5
A lot of RUclipsrs visiting that place. It’s a great idea. There’s a little car museum featuring modern classics just a few miles from me…..but you can’t drive any of them.
I had an MG version of the 1300,what a great car! Even by today's standard,still drivable and fairly economically. The modern cars are much larger in comparison for the engine size. What a great place for a visit! Great show,well done and keep going!
I need to drive that Capri!! My third car, after a Mk1 Fiesta and then a Mk3 Escort, was a Mk3 Capri 1.6 Laser in blue over silver (D717BLP....gone but not forgotten!!). I bought it off our neighbour with just over 20k on the clock and put another 100k miles on it. It was the car I picked my girlfriend (now wife of 28 years!!) up for our first date. Sadly, in the early 90's the Capri was major uncool, but I didn't care, I loved it!! I only sold it to make way for the first of a couple of Mk3 2.8 Injections. They really were the "Car I always promised myself". I now own a couple of the retro styled S197 (2005+) Mustangs and you can tell there's Mustang DNA in those old Capris! Thanks for the happy memories :)
Hi Elton I'm 73 passed my test in 1969 my first car was a 1956 Ford anglia 100e 1cost me a month's wage of £35 had for 18 months progressed to a 1964 Ford mk1 cortina two door three column change with front bench seats had several other dads cars in the future always wanted a Austin 1300 gt classy looking car enjoyed the video good memories
After watching some of the other RUclipsrs videos featuring the great British Car Journey i must say that this video is the most informative one, great work claire and elton, great channel 👌👍
My old Dad had two Chevettes during his driving life - the second he purchased brand new from the Vauxhall dealer in Ilford, He was a belt and braces type who wasn't too concerned about performance as long as it was reliable!! When he sold the second one, he went on to own Hyundai cars - at a time they were not considered mainstream. I always preferred the Cavalier of which I had three. Another good video - well done.
My first car in 1989 was a 1974 imp paid ninety pounds for it been stood five years new sill went through MOT two weeks later water pump went fried engine warped it as they were alloy got another engine for coppers three weeks later clutch went I gave up sold it for 80quid bought a mk 2 escort 1.3gl it was reliable but dropping to bits around me in rust lol.
Awesome. Must have seemed like a fairly quick car, back then. I’m glad I came away liking the Austin even more. I was a bit worried that I’d drive one and not like it.
You certainly had a great day, it seems! I approve of your choices to drive. They have so much choice, I must get over there one day and drive some cars!
The Capri was my favourite in the video. Iv owned about 8 in total MK1 ,2 and 3 .The best was my MK2 3 litre Ghia manual in diamond white. Owned a Chevette hatch for a few weeks lol . I used to buy and sell back in the 80,s so I had quite a few cars back then . Had a few MK3 and 4 Cortina's Escort mk1 and 2 And had a triumph spitfire for a few months 😁. Happy days. At the moment I have a car from my more recent past a 97 vauxhall Calibra which iv had since 2017 ..I owned my first Calibra in 1994 . If I had the funds I'd definitely have another Capri though. I'm now 62 but still love my cars
There must be quite a difference between a 1.6 Capri and a 3-litre. I’d love to try one of the bigger-engined ones eventually. One of my favourite cars from my early days was a MK3 Cortina. They’re so rare (and expensive!) now. Mate of mine has just bought one and I was looking around it yesterday. They’re still a great looking car.
Great drive. I really liked my highly pre-loved bog standard 1100 and when I moved to the 1300GT I thought it was a great car. Loved it. I thought the basic design premise for all models of the car was terrific. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
Great video. I drove that same 1300gt last year and came away with that same ‘I want one of these’ feelings! My first car was a 4 door Vauxhall Chevette so enjoyed watching that too. I need to go back for another visit and book some more cars. Seeing your faces driving those cars just proves how much enjoyment is to be had from driving old cars!
My dad had an austin like that. I was too youmg to drive it back than, but i loved it. The sound, the smell, the looks... But the Ford Capri I owned myself with the leather' interieur. That's still my favorit car. And looking at the proces i'm not the online one.
My second car also was a Chevette but a saloon like 'Oddy' but brown with one red door....your smile was great behind the wheel of the Chevette as the memories came flooding back and as my theme tune you got to love and old Vauxhall advert, I find my Chevette easier to drive than my daughters Corsa....brilliant again guys...🥰
Thank you. I knew I’d enjoy driving those cars, but I genuinely didn’t expect to feel such nostalgia. I’m glad we chose the Chevette, especially as it was Claire’s favourite on the day.
That takes me back , my first car was an Austin 1100, Vanden plas. All leather, walnut dash chrome seat back winders. Lovely drive, spot lamps and lovely front Grill. The only thing was the heater matrix was blocked and the heater didn’t work very well. Hey Ho!
Brilliant video folks, the reminiscence of earlier days was great. Elton reminds me of the late Harold Lemay of Tacoma Washington, who amassed a collection of over 3000 cars. His wife recalled that Harold had never met a car he didn’t like, I could imagine Elton doing the same if funds allowed. It's great to see you get recognition by the Practical Classics team.
You’re not wrong there. If I had the funds, I’d love something exactly like The Great British Car Journey. Thing is, I met Claire and she’s even worse. She falls in love with just about any car over 30-years old 😂
Yep I'm going! My role is the grey haired old bloke, trying to sort out people's issues with cars and the problems that go with ownership! Lol 😂 see you there ❤❤❤
General Motors "T-car", starting as the Opel Kadett C, followed by the Vauxhall Chevette, Isuzu Gemini, Holden Gemini, Chevrolet Chevette, and Pontiac Acadian versions.
My uncle Geoff had a 1300 GT same colour, it replaced his Morris Traveler, I remember the dash and rev counter, thinking that's a sports car, I was only a child at the time, at least 45 years ago probably nearer to 50 years ago! God I'm old! Loving the Chanel, great work, happy new year to you both, especially the lovely Claire ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Great video! I would love to find a place like that on the west coast of Canada but I doubt if one exists. Thanks for taking us along and giving us running a commentary as you both take a turn driving. Would be great to do another trip there when the weather is sunny and warm. Cheers
My father bought a new vauxhall chevette in 1985 I was only 10 years old at the time and amazingly he still has it now and has always been an everyday car. It's never been any problem but it's now looking a bit worse for wear and the wings have rusted somewhat but the engine has yet to die
Hi Elton and Clair, I had a Morris 1100 early model which I kept for a couple of years, I hired a Vauxhall Chevette hatchback when I got married, I have owned a Triumph 1300 which was the fore runner of the Dolomite range, I traded that in for a Mk1 Capri 1600 GT XLR in silver livery, and Silver Machine was in the charts then, used to play that on the radio with the window rolled down..., I've owned 2 DAF 33s, also 2 Rover 216 VdPs, a Triumph 2000, a Triumph Spitfire 1500, just some of the Classic Cars I have experienced and enjoyed. I was Chairman of the Brandon and District Classic Car Club for just over 2 years. If it were pissible I would love to come and see your collection and chat with you about the cars you have, you could do it on camera if you wanted to. Great to see you driving cars from my era, I'm 74 in a couple of weeks time and I'm enjoying your content. Take care, Jon B.
Great vid . . I had an Austin 1300 . Not GT . . The colour was called . . Hairy Lime . . . Bright green . . . Put a set of radials on in stead of crossply . . Handled like a dream . . . 4hrs from Hamilton to Fielding . . . . Good time to cover 371 kms . . And dont forget the 2300hs Chevette . . . . Happy new year from NZ . . . 💐❤🙏🇳🇿
I own a 2 door MG1300 which is mechanically the same as the GT. They are a great drive.I'm currently upgrading it to 1330cc with a Swiftune SW8 camshaft, 1.4 rockers, twin HS4 SUs, Maniflow manifold and system etc. I've fitted a KAD Quickshift kit which improves gear selection enormously. Should be fun!
I would love to go there and drive a few of the cars. Love the ADO16's in every form. A shame they dont have a Hillman Avenger. A good choice of cars and it's very temping.
My second rally car was a Chevette hatchback and I loved it. It had the engine internals from HRO885N a development car from Vauxhall which was driven by Will Sparrow andGerry Marshall, these were pre HS days. It revved to 8000RPM and would do about 70MPH in second never thought about it blowing up, in fact it never felt it wanted to. I was lucky to win the ASEMC rally championship and we think we were the first Chevette to compete in the Motoring News Championship, my wife who bought the car was interviewed about it on the start ramp of the Cilwendig Rally in Newcastle Emlyn in front of about 3000 people, to this day she still thinks its one of the most frightening things she has ever had to do , worse than the rally itself. On a second note I had a Tickford Capri when I worked for an RS dealer in Dartford , we had to lend it to another dealer who managed to write it off so I never took it to Brands Hatch for a film day that Aston Martin had arranged damn! Great memories.
@7.02, yes they did fly, top speed was around 98mph, they also have a close ratio gearbox in them, it's technically a slightly down graded Cooper 'S' engine, these 1300 engines were called solid wall blocks as they had no tappet chest, the Cooper 'S' did as all the smaller 'A' Series engines did
Ah yes...my era cars! Never actually owned a Capri though. But had two cortinas, one was a 2000 gxl. Very nice cars...1300 GT, I'm guessing was a twin carb A-series. 👍
I passed my test in a 1100, and my first car was a £30 1956 100E ford prefect 3 speed side valve with vacuum wipers the fast you went the slower the wipers went, I blew the engine but managed to buy a mot failure 100E van for 30 bob (£1.50) changed the engine and scrapped the van for a quid (£1) for another years driving before selling it for £35 to buy a my 2 consul for £40. Happy days.
My dad's1973 austin maxi came from Robinson bros of Ashton under lyne same as your 1300GT. My mother also had a austin 1300 countryman which came from deane garage in greenfield. There were austin or morris garages in most villages and towns
Never got the Morris 1300 GT or the Vauxhaul Chivet in Australia but we did get the Ford Capri the first generation only and later on we got a Ford Capri a small front drive convertible but the roof leaked were it attached to the top of the windscreen convertibles don't sell well in Australia but the two seater roadster does
I find vehicle's from the seventies always bring back memories of industrial disputes . You were very lucky if you bought a new car in the 70s and 80s that didn't have any niggling faults or wasn't starting to rust. And as there were so many strikes it was actually quite difficult to gauge when you'd receive it.😀😀. My old common motor bike from the seventies is now a collector's item worth thousands because of it's rarity !!. Happy motoring.
CZ 175 Sport. Rather odd but cheap and quick. I rode my friends bikes if I wanted something quicker , Yam. RD250. Triumph T120. etc. It was a bit like being in a library . I remember the Chevette and the BMC 11/1300 . Used to rust a bit but good to drive , they never really thought of rust protection back then , no plastic wheel arch protection meant all the water got in crevices and stayed there.
Indeed, it wasn’t a good era for metal and build quality, in a lot of cases. Younger viewers here may not realise that you could ride up to 250cc bike on L-plates back then. There were many great bikes around, but I steered clear of two-wheels, after falling off a moped 😂
Fast engines they had, relatively, for the day, a hefty 72bhp. 1300GT had a three branch long centre branch LCB exhaust manifold of their own, going everywhere behind the block. And the etcs..
Love it great video guys lots of amazing cars their ❤️ is their a limit on how many tes you can visit? So many cars to drive from many years that I have never driven and that my parents or grandparents would of driven or may of wanted but could never afford.
You are really spoilt for choice there. We’d love to go back one day and try some older and more oddball stuff. Hubnut was having an absolute blast in a Reliant.
@@UKBarnFinds lol trust hubnut, looks like an amazing place like you I would love to drive something that's a bit older have driven a fair few cars loved driving my mk1 escorts the 2.8 MK2 Granada I had over 30 years ago. I fancy driving something built between around the 1920's and the 50's I had a Standard 8 many years ago unfortunately it was more like Fred Flintstone s car I took it on as a restoration project but never started it parts were so limited in the late 80's 👍
Lovely. I had one in that colour. The idler gear went, so i put an engine and box from a Wolseley 1300 in it. Also a twin carb. Rather stupidly sold it. Extremely rare now. I am cringeing to see it driving through puddles though 😱
Happy new year Elton and Claire hope you and the family had a great xmas! really enjoyed the video! looks a top place for a day out whats the pricing like??
Back in the 1990s a local guy had a hillman imp and won constantly at the banger racing, he left all the bigger cars such as the rover 3.5 and RS 2000s literally in the Dust,
Often the way with bangers. A good driver in a nimble car can do well. Until their luck runs out, that is, and one of the big cars gets a good hit on them 😳
The Vauxhall edition of the Chevette looks so much better than the US Chevrolet version: front drive, nimble handling, good visibility. The American edition was thrown together by GM as quickly as possible to have a vehicle to market in an inflationary economy and era of high fuel costs. The engineering was so backward the drive shaft utilized torque tube technology rather than U-joints. I never knew anyone who bought a second one.
If we had known that the cars of the 70's and 80's was as good as it was going to get then the British car Industry might still be around today! Perhaps you two should start your own version of this driving experience set up on your farm :)
My first car. A 1973 Austin 1300 gt. It cost me £30. In 1981 came in boxes and was rotten. I did all the necessary work and used it daily, including regular drives from Edinburgh to Norwich. I parked it up when I went to the Falklands for 6 months and returned to find the local wonderful children had used it as a trampoline. Gutted 😢
The 1300GT would be my choice of the three. Then I'm a bit of an A series fan. The Van Dan Plas was the posh one with leather and stuff. Very nice. I never got on with Capris, except maybe the Mk1 3000. Bit of a hooligan car, that one.
I went there a year or so back - similar weather sadly - didn’t drive anything but like you I fancy trying something pre-war, like an Austin 7 Ruby (if I can fit in it!). Direct steering, cable brakes, no seatbelts - what could go wrong? 😂
I had a primary school teacher in the 70’s who had an orange GT. He’d be pushing 80 now. It was in Balham in south London. A Standard saloon is not that interesting for me, but I’d also consider a GT in my fictional 10 car garage. 😊
Do they have a Skoda 110L or a mk1 Cavalier GL both dad's cars I remember I remember the night he bought the Cavalier home around 1981 if my memory serves me correctly I thought my dad was the bee's knees and the pressed steel rostyle wheels as standard the golden era of Vauxhall with the Chevette, Viva, mk2 Cavalier the Astra all marks and the Nova right to the early 90's
Yeah back then people had shorter legs and smaller feet so clutch pedals had to be higher to accommodate 😁 GT was prime example of this policy, if you had long legs and big feet you drove a Noddy car 🚗 with Big ears 😂. Never liked Chevette but the Capri was every schoolboy’s dream car , a MK2 2.0 in Jupiter Red , black vinyl roof and go faster stripe 😁👌🏻.
Not far wrong Kevin, but there’s another thing l found out three years ago when l bought my Austin Vanden Plas 1300 after a period of 45 years since l last drove my Austin 1300 gt. or any other 1100/1300, modern footwear and those pedals, don’t go together very well so l have to use bloody plimsoles lol!
I had 2 Austin,s first was the 1100cc then i had the 1300gt both sadly were Rubbish i could never work out why they had a prop shaft tunnel when they was front wheel drive...Also had the Chevette that was a nice car great engine the bodys did suffer a bit from rust worm lol
I agree Adam, as I said in the video I would happily have one as a daily. Of course I love the kitsch retro styling but the comfort and ease of driving left me pleasantly surprised- Claire
The nostalgia of driving them again was amazing. I can't remember the last time I saw a Chevette Estate. I'd forgotten they even existed, until you mentioned it!
Vauxhall Chevette ( nicknamed the Shuvitte by Me ) , worst car I ever had the misfortune of owning, I still avoid Vauxhalls to this day through that Car. So wanted my mk 3 Cortina back 😂
You must have had a really bad one 😂 I was the same with Citroens for a long while. I had a Xantia so bad, I gave it away in the end. Within a day, it eroded years of happy memories with my BX.
I have drown classic cars, Opel P2, Morris Minor, 2CV, Volvo Amazon, all of them 40 - 50 years ago, and I would rather not drive any of them again. Except maybe a 2CV.
we have a ford event, starting this month. Fords only. no booking required. Last Sunday of Every month. AT Hartwell Ford grimsby in Lincolnshire. please share, and subscribe, Thanks
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Brought back some good memories especially the Austin,
Thanks for sharing your experiences 😅
When I was 15 in 1979, I bought an Austin GT from a local scrapyard for a tenner and used to drive it around my dads farm tracks and fields. Thanks for awakening a happy memory...
I don’t suppose you tucked it away in a barn somewhere? Asking for a friend…
@@UKBarnFinds my brother borrowed it and wrecked it, so I gave it back to the scrapyard and bought an MOT failure BSA Bantam which I did store in a barn, but unfortunately my dad gave that to the scrapyard after I left home. I was not pleased...
I had the V D Plas version, what a lovely car it was, quiet comfy, reliable and economical, the poor man's Rolls Royce.
I had a Morris 1300 when I was 21, I fitted the twin carbs of a scrapped MG version, was a great car very reliable, even in mid winter it only needed half choke and a flip of the key and started first time every time, it's one car I do miss along with my old Rover P6 3.5
Fantastic video you two! Loved the little magazine excerpts and even the old car ad. Was lovely meeting you both as well!
Thank you. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with you, too. Have you stopped driving that Land Rover yet, though? 😂
A lot of RUclipsrs visiting that place.
It’s a great idea.
There’s a little car museum featuring modern classics just a few miles from me…..but you can’t drive any of them.
I had a 1300GT in Blue… a 2door Saloon Chevette in Blue and I actually had 3x Capris… a 1.6, 2.0 with side linkage gearbox and a 2.0S 5 speed… 😮
You lived my best life! 😂
@@UKBarnFinds my 1st car was a FD Victor… wish I still had it now… 😊
I had an MG version of the 1300,what a great car!
Even by today's standard,still drivable and fairly economically.
The modern cars are much larger in comparison for the engine size.
What a great place for a visit!
Great show,well done and keep going!
And I
I had the Riley equivalent, the 1300 Mk2. What was there not to like, fast, comfortable, distinctive.👍
That’s a nice Capri 👌🏻
I need to drive that Capri!! My third car, after a Mk1 Fiesta and then a Mk3 Escort, was a Mk3 Capri 1.6 Laser in blue over silver (D717BLP....gone but not forgotten!!). I bought it off our neighbour with just over 20k on the clock and put another 100k miles on it. It was the car I picked my girlfriend (now wife of 28 years!!) up for our first date. Sadly, in the early 90's the Capri was major uncool, but I didn't care, I loved it!! I only sold it to make way for the first of a couple of Mk3 2.8 Injections. They really were the "Car I always promised myself". I now own a couple of the retro styled S197 (2005+) Mustangs and you can tell there's Mustang DNA in those old Capris! Thanks for the happy memories :)
What a great comment. You've really picked up on the same notalgic vibe that we did. It's amazing how cars do that!
Hi Elton I'm 73 passed my test in 1969 my first car was a 1956 Ford anglia 100e 1cost me a month's wage of £35 had for 18 months progressed to a 1964 Ford mk1 cortina two door three column change with front bench seats had several other dads cars in the future always wanted a Austin 1300 gt classy looking car enjoyed the video good memories
Past same year and same make only Ford Anglia VJV161 paid £25 and loved it
After watching some of the other RUclipsrs videos featuring the great British Car Journey i must say that this video is the most informative one, great work claire and elton, great channel 👌👍
My old Dad had two Chevettes during his driving life - the second he purchased brand new from the Vauxhall dealer in Ilford, He was a belt and braces type who wasn't too concerned about performance as long as it was reliable!! When he sold the second one, he went on to own Hyundai cars - at a time they were not considered mainstream. I always preferred the Cavalier of which I had three. Another good video - well done.
I really like the little 1971 Austin 1300 GT ....
1971 Same Year I was born
"Subscribed"
Absolutely, a cracking car! Many thanks for subscribing; much appreciated
Great video , enjoyed watching, brought back memories. 👍🏼👍🏼
Glad to hear that. That’s what the day was all about for us and the nostalgia came flooding back.
My first car in 1989 was a 1974 imp paid ninety pounds for it been stood five years new sill went through MOT two weeks later water pump went fried engine warped it as they were alloy got another engine for coppers three weeks later clutch went I gave up sold it for 80quid bought a mk 2 escort 1.3gl it was reliable but dropping to bits around me in rust lol.
It was an ‘interesting’ era for build quality, that’s for sure 😂
My first car. A H reg in Snowberry white. It literally rotted round me over 4 years. Loved it. Not a GT just the 1300 super deluxe.
Brilliant stuff again, I could watch you two all day.
I had the MG 1300 and absolutely loved it, I was 21 yo and the bee's knees. Love your channel.
Awesome. Must have seemed like a fairly quick car, back then. I’m glad I came away liking the Austin even more. I was a bit worried that I’d drive one and not like it.
It did seem quick at the time. I'd take one now for sure 👍
You certainly had a great day, it seems! I approve of your choices to drive. They have so much choice, I must get over there one day and drive some cars!
The Capri was my favourite in the video.
Iv owned about 8 in total MK1 ,2 and 3 .The best was my MK2 3 litre Ghia manual in diamond white.
Owned a Chevette hatch for a few weeks lol .
I used to buy and sell back in the 80,s so I had quite a few cars back then .
Had a few MK3 and 4 Cortina's
Escort mk1 and 2
And had a triumph spitfire for a few months 😁.
Happy days.
At the moment I have a car from my more recent past a 97 vauxhall Calibra which iv had since 2017 ..I owned my first Calibra in 1994 .
If I had the funds I'd definitely have another Capri though.
I'm now 62 but still love my cars
There must be quite a difference between a 1.6 Capri and a 3-litre. I’d love to try one of the bigger-engined ones eventually. One of my favourite cars from my early days was a MK3 Cortina. They’re so rare (and expensive!) now. Mate of mine has just bought one and I was looking around it yesterday. They’re still a great looking car.
@@UKBarnFinds The 3 litre Capri was great ,fast and sounded awesome with the twin tail pipes 👍
Great drive. I really liked my highly pre-loved bog standard 1100 and when I moved to the 1300GT I thought it was a great car. Loved it. I thought the basic design premise for all models of the car was terrific. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
Lovely cars, i remember my Grandfathers' Austin 1100, his driving was interesting but the car was lovely, great video.
Thank you for watching, so glad you enjoyed the video
Great video. I drove that same 1300gt last year and came away with that same ‘I want one of these’ feelings! My first car was a 4 door Vauxhall Chevette so enjoyed watching that too. I need to go back for another visit and book some more cars. Seeing your faces driving those cars just proves how much enjoyment is to be had from driving old cars!
Very nostalgic but top of my list would be one of those pink DAFs.
Thank you for the memories..my mum had an 1100 in that colour scheme ❤
My dad had an austin like that. I was too youmg to drive it back than, but i loved it. The sound, the smell, the looks...
But the Ford Capri I owned myself with the leather' interieur. That's still my favorit car. And looking at the proces i'm not the online one.
My second car also was a Chevette but a saloon like 'Oddy' but brown with one red door....your smile was great behind the wheel of the Chevette as the memories came flooding back and as my theme tune you got to love and old Vauxhall advert, I find my Chevette easier to drive than my daughters Corsa....brilliant again guys...🥰
Thank you. I knew I’d enjoy driving those cars, but I genuinely didn’t expect to feel such nostalgia. I’m glad we chose the Chevette, especially as it was Claire’s favourite on the day.
@@UKBarnFinds would love to see you hooning around in a Chevette round the farm....😅
My first car was a 1965 Morris 1100. A wonderful little car. No wonder they sold over a million of them.
That takes me back , my first car was an Austin 1100, Vanden plas. All leather, walnut dash chrome seat back winders. Lovely drive, spot lamps and lovely front Grill. The only thing was the heater matrix was blocked and the heater didn’t work very well. Hey Ho!
Nice! Is does seem like they were the ‘first car’ of a large part of a generation.
Brilliant video folks, the reminiscence of earlier days was great. Elton reminds me of the late Harold Lemay of Tacoma Washington, who amassed a collection of over 3000 cars. His wife recalled that Harold had never met a car he didn’t like, I could imagine Elton doing the same if funds allowed. It's great to see you get recognition by the Practical Classics team.
You’re not wrong there. If I had the funds, I’d love something exactly like The Great British Car Journey. Thing is, I met Claire and she’s even worse. She falls in love with just about any car over 30-years old 😂
Yep I'm going! My role is the grey haired old bloke, trying to sort out people's issues with cars and the problems that go with ownership! Lol 😂 see you there ❤❤❤
Out here in Australia the Vaxhaul Chevetee was called a Holden Gemini. Great video thanks very much.
General Motors "T-car", starting as the Opel Kadett C, followed by the Vauxhall Chevette, Isuzu Gemini, Holden Gemini, Chevrolet Chevette, and Pontiac Acadian versions.
Love all car a great video guys
Thank you.
Passed my driving test ( many many many years ago, 1964) in an Austin 1100 . Lovely car.
They certainly are. I've got a sneaky feeling that quite a few people learnt to drive in one of those.
My uncle Geoff had a 1300 GT same colour, it replaced his Morris Traveler, I remember the dash and rev counter, thinking that's a sports car, I was only a child at the time, at least 45 years ago probably nearer to 50 years ago! God I'm old! Loving the Chanel, great work, happy new year to you both, especially the lovely Claire ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks, Kevin. Hope you're going to Rustival? If so, we'll see you there.
Had one of them get back about 79/80 when I was a young soldier back in the day. It wasn’t bad. I don’t think I would want to acquire one again.
Great video! I would love to find a place like that on the west coast of Canada but I doubt if one exists. Thanks for taking us along and giving us running a commentary as you both take a turn driving. Would be great to do another trip there when the weather is sunny and warm. Cheers
My father bought a new vauxhall chevette in 1985 I was only 10 years old at the time and amazingly he still has it now and has always been an everyday car. It's never been any problem but it's now looking a bit worse for wear and the wings have rusted somewhat but the engine has yet to die
Hi Elton and Clair,
I had a Morris 1100 early model which I kept for a couple of years, I hired a Vauxhall Chevette hatchback when I got married, I have owned a Triumph 1300 which was the fore runner of the Dolomite range, I traded that in for a Mk1 Capri 1600 GT XLR in silver livery, and Silver Machine was in the charts then, used to play that on the radio with the window rolled down..., I've owned 2 DAF 33s, also 2 Rover 216 VdPs, a Triumph 2000, a Triumph Spitfire 1500, just some of the Classic Cars I have experienced and enjoyed. I was Chairman of the Brandon and District Classic Car Club for just over 2 years. If it were pissible I would love to come and see your collection and chat with you about the cars you have, you could do it on camera if you wanted to. Great to see you driving cars from my era, I'm 74 in a couple of weeks time and I'm enjoying your content.
Take care,
Jon B.
Looks great fun. I guess if you go back it will be in summer time!
Yeah, and it will probably still be raining 😂
Great vid . . I had an Austin 1300 . Not GT . . The colour was called . . Hairy Lime . . . Bright green . . . Put a set of radials on in stead of crossply . . Handled like a dream . . . 4hrs from Hamilton to Fielding . . . . Good time to cover 371 kms . . And dont forget the 2300hs Chevette . . . . Happy new year from NZ . . . 💐❤🙏🇳🇿
@11.17, the MG 1300 & Riley Kestral 1300 had a wood dash instead of the Black on the 1300GT's
@12.20, i think Steph has done a feature on that Chevette, they used to be nicknamed Shoveit's (It'll go if you Shove It)
The Reliant Robin MK3 next to it is a blast!
Sure is. We saw HubNut flying around in that! ruclips.net/video/Pet1q7ZCF4c/видео.htmlsi=ALdPUTL2a0rNeKOq
My second car was a MG 1300 MK2, they were quick in their day, i ended up having more than one just like my A30's & A35's lol
I own a 2 door MG1300 which is mechanically the same as the GT. They are a great drive.I'm currently upgrading it to 1330cc with a Swiftune SW8 camshaft, 1.4 rockers, twin HS4 SUs, Maniflow manifold and system etc. I've fitted a KAD Quickshift kit which improves gear selection enormously. Should be fun!
I would love to go there and drive a few of the cars. Love the ADO16's in every form. A shame they dont have a Hillman Avenger. A good choice of cars and it's very temping.
My second rally car was a Chevette hatchback and I loved it. It had the engine internals from HRO885N a development car from Vauxhall which was driven by Will Sparrow andGerry Marshall, these were pre HS days. It revved to 8000RPM and would do about 70MPH in second never thought about it blowing up, in fact it never felt it wanted to. I was lucky to win the ASEMC rally championship and we think we were the first Chevette to compete in the Motoring News Championship, my wife who bought the car was interviewed about it on the start ramp of the Cilwendig Rally in Newcastle Emlyn in front of about 3000 people, to this day she still thinks its one of the most frightening things she has ever had to do , worse than the rally itself. On a second note I had a Tickford Capri when I worked for an RS dealer in Dartford , we had to lend it to another dealer who managed to write it off so I never took it to Brands Hatch for a film day that Aston Martin had arranged damn! Great memories.
Must admit, I’m quite envious of your Chevette and Capri experiences. What fantastic memories of rallying one. Does that car still exist?
@7.02, yes they did fly, top speed was around 98mph, they also have a close ratio gearbox in them, it's technically a slightly down graded Cooper 'S' engine, these 1300 engines were called solid wall blocks as they had no tappet chest, the Cooper 'S' did as all the smaller 'A' Series engines did
Ah yes...my era cars! Never actually owned a Capri though. But had two cortinas, one was a 2000 gxl. Very nice cars...1300 GT, I'm guessing was a twin carb A-series. 👍
Sure was, and it sounds lovely. Microphones don’t always pick that up.
Its mad to think the nova replaced the shuvit, what a leap forward it was.
I did drive classic cars often. But that was before they were classic cars.
I passed my test in a 1100, and my first car was a £30 1956 100E ford prefect 3 speed side valve with vacuum wipers the fast you went the slower the wipers went, I blew the engine but managed to buy a mot failure 100E van for 30 bob (£1.50) changed the engine and scrapped the van for a quid (£1) for another years driving before selling it for £35 to buy a my 2 consul for £40. Happy days.
My dad's1973 austin maxi came from Robinson bros of Ashton under lyne same as your 1300GT. My mother also had a austin 1300 countryman which came from deane garage in greenfield. There were austin or morris garages in most villages and towns
I don’t think younger people will realise quite how prolific these dealerships were.
Never got the Morris 1300 GT or the Vauxhaul Chivet in Australia but we did get the Ford Capri the first generation only and later on we got a Ford Capri a small front drive convertible but the roof leaked were it attached to the top of the windscreen convertibles don't sell well in Australia but the two seater roadster does
I find vehicle's from the seventies always bring back memories of industrial disputes . You were very lucky if you bought a new car in the 70s and 80s that didn't have any niggling faults or wasn't starting to rust. And as there were so many strikes it was actually quite difficult to gauge when you'd receive it.😀😀. My old common motor bike from the seventies is now a collector's item worth thousands because of it's rarity !!. Happy motoring.
I’m intrigued now…which bike did you have?
CZ 175 Sport. Rather odd but cheap and quick. I rode my friends bikes if I wanted something quicker , Yam. RD250. Triumph T120. etc. It was a bit like being in a library . I remember the Chevette and the BMC 11/1300 . Used to rust a bit but good to drive , they never really thought of rust protection back then , no plastic wheel arch protection meant all the water got in crevices and stayed there.
Indeed, it wasn’t a good era for metal and build quality, in a lot of cases.
Younger viewers here may not realise that you could ride up to 250cc bike on L-plates back then. There were many great bikes around, but I steered clear of two-wheels, after falling off a moped 😂
I fell off too but wasn't hurt.
Great video. But volume a bit too low? Thank you both!
Fast engines they had, relatively, for the day, a hefty 72bhp. 1300GT had a three branch long centre branch LCB exhaust manifold of their own, going everywhere behind the block. And the etcs..
Love it great video guys lots of amazing cars their ❤️ is their a limit on how many tes you can visit? So many cars to drive from many years that I have never driven and that my parents or grandparents would of driven or may of wanted but could never afford.
You are really spoilt for choice there. We’d love to go back one day and try some older and more oddball stuff. Hubnut was having an absolute blast in a Reliant.
@@UKBarnFinds lol trust hubnut, looks like an amazing place like you I would love to drive something that's a bit older have driven a fair few cars loved driving my mk1 escorts the 2.8 MK2 Granada I had over 30 years ago. I fancy driving something built between around the 1920's and the 50's I had a Standard 8 many years ago unfortunately it was more like Fred Flintstone s car I took it on as a restoration project but never started it parts were so limited in the late 80's 👍
Lovely. I had one in that colour. The idler gear went, so i put an engine and box from a Wolseley 1300 in it. Also a twin carb. Rather stupidly sold it. Extremely rare now.
I am cringeing to see it driving through puddles though 😱
Hi guys 👌👌
Happy new year Elton and Claire hope you and the family had a great xmas! really enjoyed the video! looks a top place for a day out whats the pricing like??
Back in the 1990s a local guy had a hillman imp and won constantly at the banger racing, he left all the bigger cars such as the rover 3.5 and RS 2000s literally in the Dust,
Often the way with bangers. A good driver in a nimble car can do well. Until their luck runs out, that is, and one of the big cars gets a good hit on them 😳
The Vauxhall edition of the Chevette looks so much better than the US Chevrolet version: front drive, nimble handling, good visibility. The American edition was thrown together by GM as quickly as possible to have a vehicle to market in an inflationary economy and era of high fuel costs. The engineering was so backward the drive shaft utilized torque tube technology rather than U-joints. I never knew anyone who bought a second one.
If we had known that the cars of the 70's and 80's was as good as it was going to get then the British car Industry might still be around today!
Perhaps you two should start your own version of this driving experience set up on your farm :)
We’d have to stop busting them and start fixing them first 😂
My first car. A 1973 Austin 1300 gt. It cost me £30. In 1981 came in boxes and was rotten. I did all the necessary work and used it daily, including regular drives from Edinburgh to Norwich. I parked it up when I went to the Falklands for 6 months and returned to find the local wonderful children had used it as a trampoline. Gutted 😢
That’s really gutting. I’m envious of the miles you did in it, mind you. Such a cool car.
The 1300GT would be my choice of the three. Then I'm a bit of an A series fan. The Van Dan Plas was the posh one with leather and stuff. Very nice. I never got on with Capris, except maybe the Mk1 3000. Bit of a hooligan car, that one.
I went there a year or so back - similar weather sadly - didn’t drive anything but like you I fancy trying something pre-war, like an Austin 7 Ruby (if I can fit in it!). Direct steering, cable brakes, no seatbelts - what could go wrong? 😂
Exactly. If I’m going to have a full-on fist fight with a car, I want it to be well away from a public road 😂
I had a primary school teacher in the 70’s who had an orange GT. He’d be pushing 80 now. It was in Balham in south London. A Standard saloon is not that interesting for me, but I’d also consider a GT in my fictional 10 car garage. 😊
Do they have a Skoda 110L or a mk1 Cavalier GL both dad's cars I remember I remember the night he bought the Cavalier home around 1981 if my memory serves me correctly I thought my dad was the bee's knees and the pressed steel rostyle wheels as standard the golden era of Vauxhall with the Chevette, Viva, mk2 Cavalier the Astra all marks and the Nova right to the early 90's
Claire should be diving Dad's car from Australia 🦘
I drove that 1300Gt last year, and also struggled to find reverse gear. In fact I found the gear selection very vague.
I drove it about 15 months ago, and the clutch and gears were dreadful - nothing like the Austin and MG versions I'd loved back in the '70s.
Yeah back then people had shorter legs and smaller feet so clutch pedals had to be higher to accommodate 😁 GT was prime example of this policy, if you had long legs and big feet you drove a Noddy car 🚗 with Big ears 😂. Never liked Chevette but the Capri was every schoolboy’s dream car , a MK2 2.0 in Jupiter Red , black vinyl roof and go faster stripe 😁👌🏻.
Not far wrong Kevin, but there’s another thing l found out three years ago when l bought my Austin Vanden Plas 1300 after a period of 45 years since l last drove my Austin 1300 gt. or any other 1100/1300, modern footwear and those pedals, don’t go together very well so l have to use bloody plimsoles lol!
@@glennlingard7851 Plimsolls 😂, now your showing your age 😂😂😂
@5.49, you had to give them a good slap over to cross the gate into reverse
Indeed! Glad it wasn’t just me, being a numpty…again.
Surprise to see Princess Anne’s Reliant Scimitar 1420 H at 1:19😊
I had 2 Austin,s first was the 1100cc then i had the 1300gt both sadly were Rubbish i could never work out why they had a prop shaft tunnel when they was front wheel drive...Also had the Chevette that was a nice car great engine the bodys did suffer a bit from rust worm lol
My dad had a vauxhall
First time as a passenger in a Chevette, I was surprised how comfortable and capable it was. Shame it was ridiculed unfairly back in the day.
I agree Adam, as I said in the video I would happily have one as a daily. Of course I love the kitsch retro styling but the comfort and ease of driving left me pleasantly surprised- Claire
Crikey...I had a blue Morris 1100, and a Chevette Estate back in the day... same colour red...
I was 22 when I had the 1100
The nostalgia of driving them again was amazing. I can't remember the last time I saw a Chevette Estate. I'd forgotten they even existed, until you mentioned it!
Vauxhall Chevette ( nicknamed the Shuvitte by Me ) , worst car I ever had the misfortune of owning, I still avoid Vauxhalls to this day through that Car. So wanted my mk 3 Cortina back 😂
You must have had a really bad one 😂
I was the same with Citroens for a long while. I had a Xantia so bad, I gave it away in the end. Within a day, it eroded years of happy memories with my BX.
See for me i would have a cav sports hatch over a capri and a calibra over a probe , thats just me though.
How old does a car have to be to be tax exempt and a classic car?
Hi Stephen, thanks for watching. I think it’s 40 years old 👍
mk3 zephyr
I have drown classic cars, Opel P2, Morris Minor, 2CV, Volvo Amazon, all of them 40 - 50 years ago, and I would rather not drive any of them again. Except maybe a 2CV.
Just watched HubNuts vid with you guys on it , went straight here and subbed . Great Chanell .
Thank you. Ian was so kind to chat to us and is incredible to watch at work. Quite an inspiration!
More like drive grandads car..lol
rust and more rust i had once drove 150 miles all oil gone filled up 8 pints home oil empty again as igot home ?
Had the 2 door MG version and it was a blast. My first car I had a payment on. $595 USD and $17.oo per month.
we have a ford event, starting this month. Fords only. no booking required. Last Sunday of Every month. AT Hartwell Ford grimsby in Lincolnshire. please share, and subscribe, Thanks
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