Never Driven a | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 12:05

Never Driven a - Harry Boy

Must admit, I've never driven either a mini or a convertible. Partly due to only owning one car at a time, which had to be a practical proposition.

Have I missed anything in driving neither?

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 12:26

Never Driven a - Vitesse6

Never been a fan of the mini but the handling was a revelation compared to anything else made in the early 60's

Have a convertible now for sunny days and it is lovely - drive down a country road and you can smell the flowers! It isn't a bundle of fun on a motorway but on a nice A road it is unbeatable.

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 12:27

Never Driven a - Armstrong Sid

Neither have I....but are you referring to a real mini or a BMW large mini?

Never been in a BMini, and my only experience of a real one was many years ago as a front seat passenger. Obviously crude and basic were words that came to mind even then, but the thing I most remember was the feeling of sitting almost on the road surface and looking up at everything around me. And it was the kind which had bits of string to pull the doors closed.

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 13:14

Never Driven a - torqueman

I agree, it was a relevation with both the handling and the proximity of the seat to the road. I passed my test in a mini and in those carefree days, my friend used to take us home from college in his mini van. Those travelling in the back would open the rear doors and dangle their feet out in the hot weather. Would probably be frowned on nowadays.

After passing my test, first car was a 1939 Hillman minx convertible. I think that put me off convertibles for life. In those days, there were some advantages. The Hillman broke down with a blown head gasket and I had to abandon it on the grass verge of an "A" road. It was two days before I could return and it was not vandalised and I changed the gasket on the roadside. Happy days!!

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 13:27

Never Driven a - Sofa Spud

I've driven all sorts of things but among popular cars I have never driven are:

VW Beetle ( air-cooled, rear-engined)

Ford Cortina (any type)

Any Jaguar

The only Japanese car I've ever driven was an early Honda Civic for a few miles.

The only sports car I've ever driven was a clapped-out Triumph GT6 for a few miles.

As a lorry driver I never got to drive a rigid 8-wheeler - I'd have like to have a go in one.

Also, when I was 'driving' there were still a few 2-stroke Fodens about. I'd have liked to try one of them although word was that they were difficult to drive on account of a narrow power band and 12-speed gearbox.. Something like this:... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHFD_8eD70

As for original Minis - I drove a few of those and they were noisy, bumpy but fun and incredibly easy to drive.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 17/07/2010 at 13:40

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 13:42

Never Driven a - Steve Pearce

Used to have 1971 Mini but never driven a convertible. However that may change soon as I'm tempted by an A3 or A4 converible (or rather SWMBO is). Major marques I have never driven (in 40 years of driving) include:

BMW

Merc

Jaguar

Audi (although that might change soon)

Mazda

Saab

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 13:50

Never Driven a - Armstrong Sid

Been driving over 30 years, owned around 20 cars at various times, driven alot of others via work/friends

....but I've never driven an automatic

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 16:42

Never Driven a - johnnyrev

Had a convertible of sorts, a Fiat X1-9. Wonderful to drive, but I kept getting sunburn and very untidy hair. It finally died when the head gasket went and took a cylinder with it. Predictably I had just spent a fortune on the bodywork!

Never owned anything with more than 4 cylinders, or over 1.5 litres (and that was the X1-9!), or an automatic. Never driven a mini either! I keep hoping a friend will let me have a go in his V12 E-Type.

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Sat 17 Jul 2010 17:27

Never Driven a - Dutchie

I have never driven a convertible,maybe nice on country roads like op said not shore on the motorway.I have owned 3 vw beetles aircooled nice to drive very reliable did most of the servicing myself.First car we had was a hillman imp lovely little car cheap on petrol but engine kept overheating.I remember buying a lada very comfortable seats the car was not very populair with one of our sons i kept it for a year.I drive a ford focus now but still like to own a merc one day used to drive one as a test car for bp very comfortable and nice to drive i can dream.:)

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Sun 18 Jul 2010 00:06

Never Driven a - Greenslade

Never been in a moving BMW, either as driver or passenger. And I'm not far off 40.

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Sun 18 Jul 2010 15:45

Never Driven a - Avant

For 40 years I never drove a convertible, but I've had a Y-registered BMW Z3 for the last two years as a fun car, and I love it.

SWMBO has a Mini convertible, and loves it too. Some 'classic Mini' purists dislike the BMW Mini, but each to their own. Her first ever car was a Mini-Traveller: great at the time, but things move on and we're happy with the three new Minis that SWMBO has had.

What have I never driven? Supercars, but then most of us would say the same. I've never owned a Vauxhall - and have no regrets - but I've test-driven them from time to time to make sure it isn't just prejudice (it isn't).

I've never driven an Alfa Romeo - the road tests I read suggest that I'm not missing much nowadays, although I would like to have driven a 60s Spider (as in The Graduate).

I've also never driven, and no doubt never will, my dream car - a 1939 Lagonda V12 drophead.....

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Wed 21 Jul 2010 00:47

Never Driven a - Marc

Personally I don't think you're missing anything re the convertible.

I've recently bought an MX5 as a weekend/summer car and prefer driving with the roof up and the windows down.

All the fun of an MGB GT (that I initially wanted) but with added reliability and less rust worries.

I've still to buy a Jag of any description.

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