What a difference a week makes!

Maxbert · 16th April 2007, 21:26

Just back from a week in the South of France with the kids, staying with my mother. She drives my first new car- 1992 first generation Renault Clio 1.7.

The car is 15 years old and has... 56000 Km (33000-ish miles) on the clock- One of the last new cars to be sold with a carburettor (remember those?) before catalysers became compulsory. It's an absolute gem, and I still love it to bits- Goes like stink and a load of fun drive for the week I was there.

But boy does the Civic feel BIG when you come back to it- It took me a couple of hours to get used to it again!

All this to say that it's an interesting exercise to change cars for awhile, if possible- It makes you aware of all the differences between cars which motor magazines carry on about, but which are hard to grasp if you drive the same motor day in, day out-

Still love the Civic, but that little Clio is like your first girlfriend...

Maxbert

madasadad · 16th April 2007, 21:53

Ah yes, carbs and the smell of leaded petrol, takes you back!

czechplastik · 17th April 2007, 00:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by madasadad

Ah yes, carbs and the smell of leaded petrol, takes you back!

Before my time

I feel like I missed out...

TB1 · 17th April 2007, 07:42

Oh remember it well, days of the pull out Choke, and if you forgot to push it back in you'd flood the carb

itsrelfy · 17th April 2007, 08:33

my 91 civic had twin carbs, they made some lovely noises and yeah the manual choke two clicks to start it up then you had to knock it back to one click otherwise it would get really lumpy and stall. that was a brilliant little car and i agree with maxbert like ya first girlfriend, i still miss that car in some ways, it was me first car paid for out right and while my mates were driving around in corsas novas and fiestas this was something very different and much much better.

Adrian

dondon · 17th April 2007, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxbert

Still love the Civic, but that little Clio is like your first girlfriend...

Maxbert

Sounds like your Clio was better than MY first girlfriend

richardc · 17th April 2007, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB1

Oh remember it well, days of the pull out Choke, and if you forgot to push it back in you'd flood the carb

LOL

I had 2 manual choke cars an 81 Escort mk3 and a 84 Nova. How things have moved on!!!!!

andrewuk · 17th April 2007, 09:11

Ah my first car was a D-reg 1000CC Fiat Panda, used to feed it 4-star at about 50.9p/litre.

I rememeber that if it flooded from too much choke you could get flames to shoot out of the top of the carb

. All very amusing but didn't help with getting to work on time!

I spent many hours tinkering with adjustment screws and settings on the carb and distributer trying to get the damn thing to run properly. A far cry from plugging it into a laptop and moving some sliders around in Windoze

Still when it worked it went like stink since it was made out of tin-foil and weighed about as much as the banana I am eating right now...

milliondollarman · 17th April 2007, 13:37

ah, the days of the manual choke.

I had a Vauxhall Chevette (shove-it) that I had to hold out the choke whenever i stopped at traffic lights to avoid the engine stalling.

i don't miss those days !!

chriswarwick · 17th April 2007, 13:55

My Dolomite Sprint had twin S.U. carburettors which used to freeze in the winter. Would start fine but for the next 3 miles would play up and stall. Remedy was to put some cardboard over the top of the radiator and fold it back to keep the inlet manifold warm!
How I agree that cars have moved on. And that includes Honda's.
Some of you might have read my tale of woe [Hondas do break down] and me being lent a T reg 1.4 Civic [the model co-produced with Rover]. I could not believe just how cars have improved. i now look at Rover 400 / 45 drivers with a mixture of sadness for them and one-upmanship for me!!

GHGH · 17th April 2007, 13:58

Oh, thanks! I had plain forgotten the excistence of the manual choke

.
I remember I longed for it back in the eighties when I troubled with my first automatic choke (Fiat UNO -87 or Citroen BX -85, I don't quite remember)

Charles_Harding · 17th April 2007, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by madasadad

Ah yes, carbs and the smell of leaded petrol, takes you back!

Some poor Civic owners have the smell of diesel I understand!

Up the 1.8!!!

"The average person thinks that he isn't!"

Charles H.

GHGH · 17th April 2007, 14:31

Yes but back in the eighties diesel wasn't really an option, now it is!

Charles_Harding · 17th April 2007, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHGH

Yes but back in the eighties diesel wasn't really an option, now it is!

Sure it is now an option.

I just don't know why so many people take it up!

"Where would men be without women today? In the Garden of Eden eating watermelon and taking it easy!"

Charles H.

GHGH · 17th April 2007, 14:46

I tend to agree - my reason for this is that I feel diesel engines deliver the power in "chunks", and besides I LIKE to rev the engine high

czechplastik · 17th April 2007, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHGH

I tend to agree - my reason for this is that I feel diesel engines deliver the power in "chunks", and besides I LIKE to rev the engine high

Each to their own, some people find the diesel easier and more relaxing to drive.

madasadad · 17th April 2007, 22:02

When I was between "desirable" cars like my 1.0l Nova and 1100cc Polo Coupe, white, gold BBS alloys, golf ball gear knob Ker Chiiing! I also owned a S**tvet. It was my 2nd rear wheel drive car and bought for £80, I drove it for 2-3 weeks and always wondered about the very lively and quite unpredictable back end. It was whilst mending a hole in the floor with an old t shirt! that I discovered that 3 of the 4 leaf spring mounting points on the chassis had rusted through providing me with a 'Live' rear axle. Fortunately it was the winter, and I scrapped it after the snow melted, plenty of rear wheel jollies. I also lusted after a 1.7 White Clio, but it was just too good a car for my pocket. I'm sure many other members, like my self, could blab for hours with ditties about old cars. Whilst very influencial during my formative driving years, I don't miss any of them for a minute. Technology provides us with safer, faster, more reliable etc, etc, etc cars. Thank crunchie for progress!

Yorkmister · 18th April 2007, 01:47

I find it quite amusing all this talk of starter buttons, when all cars quite a few years ago had starter buttons on the floor. Some even had starting handles in the boot in case of starter failure/flat battery.

Copycat · 18th April 2007, 07:15

What a difference a week in a right hand drive Kia Picanto makes!! And on the wrong side of the road too! (no, let's not get into that)

Driving my own Civic after that was a relief to say the least.

GHGH · 18th April 2007, 07:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by czechplastik

Each to their own, some people find the diesel easier and more relaxing to drive.

I must admit I haven't tried it yet. Due to earlier high taxes on larger motors, with the thumb screw starting to tighten over 1.8 liter piston deplacement, the 2.2 diesel wasn't availible i Norway. This was changed to an CO2-emmission component from 2007, and now I see the diesel is in stock.

16th April 2007, 21:26	#1 (permalink)
Maxbert Supporter Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 11th August 2006 Location: The Green Heart of Europe Posts: 138 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	What a difference a week makes! Just back from a week in the South of France with the kids, staying with my mother. She drives my first new car- 1992 first generation Renault Clio 1.7. The car is 15 years old and has... 56000 Km (33000-ish miles) on the clock- One of the last new cars to be sold with a carburettor (remember those?) before catalysers became compulsory. It's an absolute gem, and I still love it to bits- Goes like stink and a load of fun drive for the week I was there. But boy does the Civic feel BIG when you come back to it- It took me a couple of hours to get used to it again! All this to say that it's an interesting exercise to change cars for awhile, if possible- It makes you aware of all the differences between cars which motor magazines carry on about, but which are hard to grasp if you drive the same motor day in, day out- Still love the Civic, but that little Clio is like your first girlfriend... Maxbert

18th April 2007, 01:47	#18 (permalink)
Yorkmister Valve Cap Join Date: 6th March 2007 Posts: 41 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	What a difference a week makes. I find it quite amusing all this talk of starter buttons, when all cars quite a few years ago had starter buttons on the floor. Some even had starting handles in the boot in case of starter failure/flat battery.

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This thread is about: What a difference a week makes!, it's in General Discussion at the Honda Civic forum Civinfo; Just back from a week in the South of France with the kids, staying with my mother. She drives my first new car- 1992 first ...

16th April 2007, 21:53	#2 (permalink)
madasadad Supporter Triangular Exhaust Join Date: 21st February 2007 Location: Carrickfergus Posts: 272 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ah yes, carbs and the smell of leaded petrol, takes you back!

17th April 2007, 07:42	#4 (permalink)
TB1 Valve Cap Join Date: 7th April 2007 Location: Poole, Dorset Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Oh remember it well, days of the pull out Choke, and if you forgot to push it back in you'd flood the carb

17th April 2007, 08:33	#5 (permalink)
itsrelfy Wheelnut Join Date: 19th November 2006 Location: kent Posts: 94 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	my 91 civic had twin carbs, they made some lovely noises and yeah the manual choke two clicks to start it up then you had to knock it back to one click otherwise it would get really lumpy and stall. that was a brilliant little car and i agree with maxbert like ya first girlfriend, i still miss that car in some ways, it was me first car paid for out right and while my mates were driving around in corsas novas and fiestas this was something very different and much much better. Adrian

17th April 2007, 09:11	#8 (permalink)
andrewuk Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 27th January 2007 Location: Middlesex Posts: 130 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ah my first car was a D-reg 1000CC Fiat Panda, used to feed it 4-star at about 50.9p/litre. I rememeber that if it flooded from too much choke you could get flames to shoot out of the top of the carb . All very amusing but didn't help with getting to work on time! I spent many hours tinkering with adjustment screws and settings on the carb and distributer trying to get the damn thing to run properly. A far cry from plugging it into a laptop and moving some sliders around in Windoze Still when it worked it went like stink since it was made out of tin-foil and weighed about as much as the banana I am eating right now...

17th April 2007, 13:37	#9 (permalink)
milliondollarman Valve Cap Join Date: 12th March 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	ah, the days of the manual choke. I had a Vauxhall Chevette (shove-it) that I had to hold out the choke whenever i stopped at traffic lights to avoid the engine stalling. i don't miss those days !!

17th April 2007, 13:55	#10 (permalink)
chriswarwick Wheelnut Join Date: 24th November 2006 Location: A village near Warwick Posts: 61 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My Dolomite Sprint had twin S.U. carburettors which used to freeze in the winter. Would start fine but for the next 3 miles would play up and stall. Remedy was to put some cardboard over the top of the radiator and fold it back to keep the inlet manifold warm! How I agree that cars have moved on. And that includes Honda's. Some of you might have read my tale of woe [Hondas do break down] and me being lent a T reg 1.4 Civic [the model co-produced with Rover]. I could not believe just how cars have improved. i now look at Rover 400 / 45 drivers with a mixture of sadness for them and one-upmanship for me!!

17th April 2007, 13:58	#11 (permalink)
GHGH TANSTAAFL! Magic Rear Seat Join Date: 13th March 2007 Location: Trondheim, Norway Posts: 920 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Oh, thanks! I had plain forgotten the excistence of the manual choke . I remember I longed for it back in the eighties when I troubled with my first automatic choke (Fiat UNO -87 or Citroen BX -85, I don't quite remember)

17th April 2007, 14:31	#13 (permalink)
GHGH TANSTAAFL! Magic Rear Seat Join Date: 13th March 2007 Location: Trondheim, Norway Posts: 920 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Yes but back in the eighties diesel wasn't really an option, now it is!

17th April 2007, 14:46	#15 (permalink)
GHGH TANSTAAFL! Magic Rear Seat Join Date: 13th March 2007 Location: Trondheim, Norway Posts: 920 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I tend to agree - my reason for this is that I feel diesel engines deliver the power in "chunks", and besides I LIKE to rev the engine high

17th April 2007, 22:02	#17 (permalink)
madasadad Supporter Triangular Exhaust Join Date: 21st February 2007 Location: Carrickfergus Posts: 272 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	When I was between "desirable" cars like my 1.0l Nova and 1100cc Polo Coupe, white, gold BBS alloys, golf ball gear knob Ker Chiiing! I also owned a S**tvet. It was my 2nd rear wheel drive car and bought for £80, I drove it for 2-3 weeks and always wondered about the very lively and quite unpredictable back end. It was whilst mending a hole in the floor with an old t shirt! that I discovered that 3 of the 4 leaf spring mounting points on the chassis had rusted through providing me with a 'Live' rear axle. Fortunately it was the winter, and I scrapped it after the snow melted, plenty of rear wheel jollies. I also lusted after a 1.7 White Clio, but it was just too good a car for my pocket. I'm sure many other members, like my self, could blab for hours with ditties about old cars. Whilst very influencial during my formative driving years, I don't miss any of them for a minute. Technology provides us with safer, faster, more reliable etc, etc, etc cars. Thank crunchie for progress!

18th April 2007, 07:15	#19 (permalink)
Copycat Galaxy class starship Rocketship door handle Join Date: 5th May 2006 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	What a difference a week in a right hand drive Kia Picanto makes!! And on the wrong side of the road too! (no, let's not get into that) Driving my own Civic after that was a relief to say the least.