Your "first car" modifications

[Dieselman]

I want to know more about his beaver experiences....

Agreed. You can't beat a good beaver on your passenger seat.

 

[stevesey]

'75 Allegro 1275

Cheap driving lights sunk into the original grill. Halogen headlight bulbs. Homemade centre console (replacing centre speaker) for tape storage, ammeter, oil pressure guage and ??? Dash mounted rev counter.

1293 rebuilt engine, large valves, ported head (well me with flexi-shaft grinding out the inlet/exhaust ports as close to the push rod holes as I dare), Piper Magnum 270 Cam, Belt Drive cam kit, Single 1 3/4in HIF SU carb (modded as well), 3.44 final drive, Allegro 1750 exhaust. All done in the understairs cupboard in a student flat.

 

[Anil]

'81 Mk V Cortina 1.6L
Capri alloys, Ghia steeting wheel, spot lights, 2 x 12" subs bolted to a piece of MDF behind the rear seat - powered by a 125w amp, rear sunblind and colour coded (home made) Ford badges!

Ahh those were the days

 

[oorjim2]

My first car a 1973 Ford Escort MK1 1300GT

Twin carbs
Chrome side exhausts
Radio
Cassette player
Bucket seats
Furry dice
Go faster stripes

Jim.

 

[BTB 500]

Vauxhall Viva HC 1100 2-door, reg BRX 353J

Just electrical stuff really:

stick-on rear window heater
front spots
rear fogs
reversing lights
radio

The reversing lights were on a switch on the dash, so you could put them on while driving forward ... if you wanted to scare someone behind you

Oh yes, sporty little steering wheel too.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My first car was a 1987 Vauxhall Nova 1.3SR in metallic grey.

Of all the cars I've had it's the most modded - and you'd have to look close to notice.

K&N air filter
14" Vauxhall alloys as fitted to the Cavalier LX
Kenwood removable radio cassette
Alpine 3522S amp
20cm Alpine reference speakers in a completely concealed enclosure

Wonderful car and would love another.

 

[Defiant]

I must say, I've been awfully conservative. Except that I love to drive at night, and I hate -not nearly a strong enough word- deer. Those in the roadway, at least.
I've always gone for lights. We can't quite pull Oscars on the roads here, but I started with Carellos on my VW Bug, one pencil in front of the driver, and a beautiful, flat fog on the passenger's. With the pencil wired through the high beams. I've done similar with almost all my cars, but in the last few have tapered-off, down to just higher-wattage bulbs for the highs in those whose electrics would permit.
Lately, I've just opted for stereos that'll do MP3 files. It's fun, getting old.

 

[BlackC55]

I painted my hubcaps red!

 

[Smatt]

My first car at the late age of 23( post Uni) was a rather uncool Citroen ZX 1.4i. I put a new stereo /speakers in & a sun strip.
My main mod was to swop it for a Citroen ZX 2.0 16v- a special 3 door edition of the ZX Volcane.
Probably was still uncool, but at least it went well!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Those ZX Volcanes had a good reputation amongst those in the know. Very subtle too.

 

[verytalldave]

My first car was a Singer Chamois (slightly posh Hillamn Imp) My mods....

Stripped interior
De-cambered front suspension
VX Viva front hubs / discs
Revolution alloys 12x6" with Yokohama tyres
Mote Carlo springs / Koni shocks
998cc Rallye engine
1" drive shafts
Heavy duty doughnuts
Front mounted radiator
70 Amp alternator
Cibie Super Oscars spots/fogs
Corbeau seats / full harnesses
12" Mountney Steering wheel

Crikey..........thats some list......you must have been earning a packet to have done all that.
I bet you wish you still had it...........

 

[mercboiuk]

My first car mod was to get some double sided tape and stick a CD walkman on the passenger's side of the centre in my W124 230E. I also bought one of those AUX wires attached to a cassette, so I could play me CDs in a tape-deck-only car

Darren

 

[portzy]

I want to know more about his beaver experiences....

Lost in the mists of time now Steve . I'm an old man and nostagia 'aint what it once was.

Portzy.

 

[Ted]

"998cc Rallye engine"

Those Imps/singer engines were actually half of a Coventry Climax racing engine.

Also used in fire pumps IIRC

 

[portzy]

I also bought one of those AUX wires attached to a cassette, so I could play me CDs in a tape-deck-only car

Darren

Often wondered what they sounded like? . How did they work?

Portzy.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I can help there as an ex got me one for Christmas. IIRC it cost £220!!

Often wondered what they sounded like? .

Awful

How did they work?

Not very well




I used mine once to test it, and it sat in a cupboard for the next 10 years. I finally gave it away last year but kept the headphones. In fact I'll be using them later today - ideal to keep in the laptop bag for web conferences and the like!!

 

[whitenemesis]

"998cc Rallye engine"

Those Imps/singer engines were actually half of a Coventry Climax racing engine.

Also used in fire pumps IIRC

Not half an engine but quite an advanced design for its time....

"
[SIZE=+2]The FW Range and derivatives[/SIZE]
The FW range became marinised as the FWM ( Featherweight Marine) and was very successful in this new role. Its development in this form was the last series of actual fire pump engines and was about 1400cc. A version of the smallest engine in the model range, the 750cc FWMB, was adapted (cheapened!) to suit the automotive industry's requirements in collaboration with the Rootes group, also based in Coventry. This engine, known at the time as the FWMA ( A for automotive) was to be fitted to the new Hillman Imp (although termed at the time 'Ajax project'), being built at the all-new and disastrously planned Linwood plant in Scotland. This was the company's last purely automotive venture. The engine suffered from under-development and despite constant upgrading was always beset by overheating and cooling problems.
Interestingly the 750cc FWMB was at this time producing the same power output as the original 1020 FW engine had and it had also shed some weight, now having the ability to be carried by two men rather than the four required for the FW. The FWMD was also experimented with as a diesel version, basis for the world's first diesel outboard motor, whilst the FWMC was used in a Lotus racing car with many special revisions and an entirely different cylinder head. "

IIRC the 998cc Rallye engine pushed out some 82bhp at 6500rpm. Definately required the extra front rad to keep things cool!!

 

[Ted]

My old memory failing me again!!
There used to be a pub in Coventry called the Coventry Climax with one of those engines in a glass case.

 

[Leemc2008]

My first car mods were my Toyota MR2 when I was 18...

1992 Toyota MR2 (SW20) 2.0 16v 3SFE (115bhp version, insurance!)..

In black, I fitted 17" Toyota Celica Gen5 alloy wheels, Full eibach suspension and the LOUDEST exhaust I've ever heard, basically ran open pipes as the back box was 5" straight through, being mid-engined the exhaust was about 2 foot in length!

I could set off every car alarm and wake up people in the next town..

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I had a Goodwood Green 174 bhp SW20 and it was an amazing car - really miss it. The ladies loved it!! Ahem...