Cars you don't see many of anymore

[xkxlxm]

Toyota Starlet - obviously, there are less than there used to be but there are still a few getting around. I got passed by one on the highway on Friday. There was an airbag recall on the Starlet recently and a buy-back program. I was surprised when Toyota actually started to replace the airbags. I thought they would just buy all the remaining registered Starlets back. (I know two people who still drive Starlets.)

[bathurst77]

Fairlanes LTDs and Statos


In fact if i had money and space to buy a car to keep and drive onn sunny sundays, that would hopefully appreciate as an investment over 10 20 years, I wouldnt buy a XR GT or hsv, coz there are always newer faster cars. I would buy a top of line LWB fairy/LTD or stato, with the biggest v8 engine (did they ever put i6T in LWB ford?)

Because those huge sumptuous, every option, lazy but fast, soft relaxed, stretch your legs out long distance luxury tourers are no more, except a few nose-bleed expensive eurocars. They were unique to oz and usa, There will be a collectors market of "my dad or boss, or posh neighbour) had, or wanted a fairlane" in 10 - 20 years.

And there were a hella lot less LWB sedans made in the 21st century by ford n holden, than there were fpvs and hsvs... hmm Grange?

[Tonz]

another slant on this...living in a rural/farming/touristy area I see a lot less old bangers than I do when driving through Adelaide, but then maybe its the suburbs I have to drive through.

[lumen8]

Can't remember the last time I've seen a Cortina out in the wild... only pics of them at shows.

Originally Posted by bathurst77

(did they ever put i6T in LWB ford?)

No.

[chinamonty]

the cars I have seen recently but haven't seen for a while before that. Two Nissans - a Pulsar coupe and 300ZX and a Toyota Crown (its been yonks between sightings). Strange sighting was a couple of Imperials (both in great condition) I think someone nearby must have garaged them nearby! I too have not seen a Cortina on the road for a couple of months but as we have been in lockdown and no car shows happening I am not surprised.

[Fev]

Eseries XRs are getting really rare, especially EB/ED

I never see Accord Euros on the road anymore, infact I never see really any Hondas older than 15 years old

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Fev

Eseries XRs are getting really rare, especially EB/ED

I never see Accord Euros on the road anymore, infact I never see really any Hondas older than 15 years old

a Friend has a accord Euro 320,000kms now 14 years old I think.

Thing is most cars of this age and kms only need to have a minor accident or mechanical faults and they are not an economical repair. there would need to be something special about them to keep them going. like I often see Honda S2000s doing country drives

as for any e series they should have mostly disappeared off the road 10 years ago..

[FTE217]

Preludes don't see anymore.......
Some people must have enjoyed spotting a FGX on the road yesterday, mine
Any early Z Nissan.

[chinamonty]

It had to happen didn't it. I stopped at Parkmore Shopping centre on the way home from work and there was a late model Toyota Crown in the car park - made me giggle. It was in perfcet cosmetic condition too.

[.:4:.]

Theres a few fords you dont typically see anymore getting around in my area. One is an ef xr6 wagon. The other is a mint manual el xr8. Thats owned by a bloke who drinks at my local. Same with the steel bumper commodores. You never see any left on the street. My brother has a vh. Same with xd/e falcons, but a bloke in my street has a rough xd. I see more kingswoods on the roads then 70s falcons, but there is a lawn mowing bloke i see getting around with his equipment trailer hooked up to the back of a pretty tired looking 6 cylinder XA ute. So mainly the 70s, early 80s carby things i see way more of then late 80s plastic bumper things with primitive efi motors.

[xkxlxm]

Today I saw a Nissan EXA, a Suzuki Baleno and for a short time I was driving behind a Fairmont, probably an EB.

[whynot]

I have been thinking about this question a bit. With nearly 40 years of having a driver's licence, there are quite a few cars that I don't see many of any more. I think of the 60's and 70's Chryslers that have long gone. Not to mention the bread and butter Falcon and Kingswood from that period.

A 1981 Ford Laser would by now have nearly 40 years on the clock. (Really, has it been that long ago ...) There are only four Laser on car sales. Ditto Ford Cortina (with the 4.1l was probably overpowered).

I think the surprise is the explosion in 4WD, large and small SUV. The large sedan is rapidly going the way of the dodo. I am seeing less and less of them on the road. So too is the medium size sedan (so much for the pious predictions in the late 1990's that we would have to give up our love of large sedans and squeeze into medium size sedans).

(To digress for a moment ... I would go so far as to suggest that when the economics of EV become more attractive, we will not see many Nissan Leaf, but more CyberTruck, HummerEV, F150 EV, etc.)

[roddy1960]

Got told a couple of days ago about a new bloke in town that owns a Citroen DS but I haven't seen it .. When I was at school our headmaster had one . Pretty innovative in their day although I think a rear wheel puncture repair required a bit of extra work to do if memory serves me correctly .

[.:4:.]

Seen a restored moke today. Havent seen a moke in almost 20 years.

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Seen a restored moke today. Havent seen a moke in almost 20 years.

saw a shell (that had basically just turned up) at the sand blasters just behind my work yesterday and thought the same thing
have to remember to get a pic and post it here next week

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Seen a restored moke today. Havent seen a moke in almost 20 years.

They're worth serious Coin Too..


I've got a mate with one that has the Running gear out of a Mini Cooper S In It....

[wodahs]

seen one a few months ago with a lift kit and looked to be 4wd
but id hate to be in one 4wd'ing and have a rollover , mind you id hate to be in one at all with a rollover

[.:4:.]

A kid i went to school with had a rusted out moke as a paddock basher. But that thing was roached completely. The moke i saw today looked mint. It was almost comical seeing it because there were 2 rather portly blokes in it. Due to rust, i dont think more then a handful would even exist these days. And they are only 10% of what a car typically is. But still, something you never see.
Funnily, the kid who had the moke paddy basher, his parents refused to let him buy a car he could get into trouble with the fuzz with. So they made him buy a fiat niki. Havent seen an 850r since. Dont even know how his old man even managed to find one, and that was in 2004. But his old man restored old Peugeots, so had some weird contacts. That niki i would consider child abuse. No 17 year old should have to suffer that.

[wodahs]

back when i was an apprentice (with WAGR) i use to often get a lift with one of my tradies in and outa work
he had two cars and some days we took the moke others we were in his maserati , big change and both were yellow , and yes he was a $15 pom (or what ever they were back then as trade immigrants)

[X-AHH]

Holden Gemini

Sorry if already mentioned

[.:4:.]

I see more geminis then camiras. My mum had a camira wagon when i was a kid. Bad memories of the boot flying open and the bmx bikes falling into traffic. Actually, my parents also had an isuzu gemini coupe before i existed. But it wasnt cool at the time and they decided 4 doors was more then 2 when my older brother was on the way. That was before the camira existed too, but dad got a work car, a xd wagon, then a mitsubishi L300, but the really old school early 80s one that you dont see anymore at all. But the one with seats. Not like the 09 L300 work van i didnt kill myself in driving it for 6 years. After a long run, i reckon the governing bodies realised the coke can like construction of the mitsubishi vans cottened on.
Dont see any toyota cressidas around these days either, my old man had one of them too in the early 90s. It was pretty nice. Leather, sunroof, wired analogue car phone. It was full 90s decked out.

[roKWiz]

Been seeing a few HG HK Holden's lately more so than some later dunnydores, maybe the tin being thicker lasts better.
There is even a honey getting around here in a EH wagon.

[chinamonty]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

I see more geminis then camiras. My mum had a camira wagon when i was a kid. Bad memories of the boot flying open and the bmx bikes falling into traffic. Actually, my parents also had an isuzu gemini coupe before i existed. But it wasnt cool at the time and they decided 4 doors was more then 2 when my older brother was on the way. That was before the camira existed too, but dad got a work car, a xd wagon, then a mitsubishi L300, but the really old school early 80s one that you dont see anymore at all. But the one with seats. Not like the 09 L300 work van i didnt kill myself in driving it for 6 years. After a long run, i reckon the governing bodies realised the coke can like construction of the mitsubishi vans cottened on.
Dont see any toyota cressidas around these days either, my old man had one of them too in the early 90s. It was pretty nice. Leather, sunroof, wired analogue car phone. It was full 90s decked out.

haven't seen a Camira except at car shows for years. I occasionally see a Gemini. I used to see an L300 before lockdown but haven't seen it since but that may change now that country and city can visit each other.

[au2000]

Endura ... Too soon??

[Sprintey]

Don't see much of:

Clean AU or AUII wagons.
B series are getting thin on the ground here in regional coastal Vic, not completely gone though.

XG and XH panelvans. I miss these after the deluge of Transporter/Hiace/iLoad vans that has infested this coastal area.

380s and Magnas.

Mazda 121 bubble car, Toyota Echo, Honda Accord Euro, Any golfs older than current model.

---

Funnily enough, I still see 60, 80, 100 and 200 series Cruisers regularly and troopies of all ages. Camrys too, of the early 2000s thinner model after the widebody (best looker) And also older Range Rovers, there are local survivors from Classic and L322 onward which you would think is impossible as they are supposed to fall apart so thoroughly. Still see older Discos too which is surprising.

Still see the odd EF-EL, and VT-X-Y-Z Commodores. There's a couple of local Kingswoods running around much to my satisfaction, and one fella a couple of towns over still runs an XW.

---

It seems that maybe Adelaide is right and being in 1999 is the best way to be. 20 years has passed but in some ways it feels like nothing much has changed despite all the crazy stuff that has gone on. Can't wait for today's dual cab utes to disappear from the auto landscape...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Don't see much of:

Clean AU or AUII wagons.
B series are getting thin on the ground here in regional coastal Vic, not completely gone though.

XG and XH panelvans. I miss these after the deluge of Transporter/Hiace/iLoad vans that has infested this coastal area.

380s and Magnas.

Mazda 121 bubble car, Toyota Echo, Honda Accord Euro, Any golfs older than current model.

---

Funnily enough, I still see 60, 80, 100 and 200 series Cruisers regularly and troopies of all ages. Camrys too, of the early 2000s thinner model after the widebody (best looker) And also older Range Rovers, there are local survivors from Classic and L322 onward which you would think is impossible as they are supposed to fall apart so thoroughly. Still see older Discos too which is surprising.

Still see the odd EF-EL, and VT-X-Y-Z Commodores. There's a couple of local Kingswoods running around much to my satisfaction, and one fella a couple of towns over still runs an XW.

---

It seems that maybe Adelaide is right and being in 1999 is the best way to be. 20 years has passed but in some ways it feels like nothing much has changed despite all the crazy stuff that has gone on. Can't wait for today's dual cab utes to disappear from the auto landscape...

How good are Thailand Specials, they are always a staple on Dash Cam Australia vids spinning out in wet weather or tipping over in stacks.

Given you always see ye olde 20+ year old Hilux floating around I don't think the Thailand Specials will be gone from our landscape anytime soon.

Out here every man and his dog has a Troop Carrier, come across multiples every day on my commute, or it's just the same two or three blokes lol

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

How good are Thailand Specials, they are always a staple on Dash Cam Australia vids spinning out in wet weather or tipping over in stacks.
lol

Love the ones who tailgate you out on the flat country roads only to be left well behind once you start into the twisty hilly stuff.

CoG doesn't make Johnny go around corners. POS.

[chinamonty]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Don't see much of:

Clean AU or AUII wagons.
B series are getting thin on the ground here in regional coastal Vic, not completely gone though.

XG and XH panelvans. I miss these after the deluge of Transporter/Hiace/iLoad vans that has infested this coastal area.

380s and Magnas.

Mazda 121 bubble car, Toyota Echo, Honda Accord Euro, Any golfs older than current model.

---

Funnily enough, I still see 60, 80, 100 and 200 series Cruisers regularly and troopies of all ages. Camrys too, of the early 2000s thinner model after the widebody (best looker) And also older Range Rovers, there are local survivors from Classic and L322 onward which you would think is impossible as they are supposed to fall apart so thoroughly. Still see older Discos too which is surprising.

Still see the odd EF-EL, and VT-X-Y-Z Commodores. There's a couple of local Kingswoods running around much to my satisfaction, and one fella a couple of towns over still runs an XW.

---

It seems that maybe Adelaide is right and being in 1999 is the best way to be. 20 years has passed but in some ways it feels like nothing much has changed despite all the crazy stuff that has gone on. Can't wait for today's dual cab utes to disappear from the auto landscape...

i see quite a lot of good clean AU wagons in my area. There are three AU Fairmont wagons other than mine that I see regularly. You are right about Falcon panelvans - I see few and those i do see are well used tradesman vans. 121s are also scarce as you say but i do see a few older Golfs about but not many. maybe now that lockdown is over we will some of these less seen vehicles out on the road again.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by chinamonty

i see quite a lot of good clean AU wagons in my area. There are three AU Fairmont wagons other than mine that I see regularly. You are right about Falcon panelvans - I see few and those i do see are well used tradesman vans. 121s are also scarce as you say but i do see a few older Golfs about but not many. maybe now that lockdown is over we will some of these less seen vehicles out on the road again.

After writing that, my driving day today saw heaps of BA/BF wagons, so there you go!

AU Fairmont wagon is so nice, love them.

[Trek]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Don't see much of:

B series are getting thin on the ground here in regional coastal Vic, not completely gone though.

and one fella a couple of towns over still runs an XW.

Curious if you're Geelong-based, Sprintey

If the Ex Dub is a wagon and is teal/aqua in colour, then yeah, I see it almost weekly

As for B-series, I rep that big time haha