h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mmmmmmmm?????

This thread is a very subjective subject... how can you define style?

Well if it wasn't subjective it would probalbly have run out of steam. I think I have style, I probably would struggle to find anybody who supported my view. I was going to say, 'even my wife,' but actually 'especially my wife,' would be more accurate!

Incidentally, <>====uuu====<, (how do you pronounce your nickname - I just copy and paste it) I'd agree with you about the TR6 (which to me is a sports car) and TR7 (which ain't) but surely the TR2 had hips. The TR4 and 5 at least hinted at them too - there's a bit of a 'hump', isn't there? I can't remember what TR3s look like - classic Triumphs aren't my area of expertise.

<>====uuu====< is pronounced 'Spearcarrier' (It's a long story).

The earlier TRs and the Morgan and Marcos have what might be described as hips, as they are bulges around the wheel arches but they are quite far back and intergrated into the tail shape.

Of course there are a number of sub-genres of the word "Sports Car" and it is this that may be causing confusion here. In over generalisation, muscle cars (Dodge Charger, TR6, etc ) don't have hips as such, nor do wedge based cars such as the X19 and TR7. Some cars seem to look as if they evolved from the old shape by inflating their running boards up to become part of the body (such as the AC cobra) whilst others had the body widen out to incorporate the wheel arches which leads to this "hips" effect - as is found on the GT6. Of course, the really difficult to place car in all of these is the Lotus Elan.

I think that trying to define a sports car was how we got started on all this, and the Lotus Elan question was touched on earlier - as you say it doesn't fit into any of the categories but it's hard to deny it's a sports car. Maybe it should have a sub-genre to itself. Would the MX5 be in it?

I get a bit irritated with TV presenters on motoring programmes who insist that cars like the Subaru Impreza are sports cars. I don't doubt that they go like muck off a shovel, but the same argument could persuasively be made about a Boeing 727. It's as Sidney Kidney said, it's very subjective, yet there doesn't seem to have been any disagreement in this thread about which cars are and aren't sports cars.

Incidentally, now I've had '<>====uuu====<' explained it all makes sense - I like it!

Ahh! got you there...

It's all to do with wheels!!

A boeing can't be a sports car cos it has far too many of them, so that counts it out

Ohh, and something else I just thought of!

The Subaru, large BM's and the like, arn't they pushed by the sales men as as super tourers/sports tourers rather than pure Sports Cars?

I think the Subaru Impreza is sold as a road going version of the rally car - like the Lancia Delta and Renault Alpine before it - rather than a sports car per se.

I have found a Triumph club in Dublin.
Perhaps the GT6 will get the work it so desperately needs now...

Excellent news Duncan - that should keep you busy. A friend in my street acquired a terminal Spitfire just before Christmas. He already knows the engine is shot, the chassis is rotten at the front, it needs a new bootlid, doors, sills, lower wing parts of the bonnet, hood, interior and glass. Parts of the floor are quite good, though - and its got a nice steering wheel.

He does understand what he's taking on, he's rebuilt basket cases before.

He's braver/keener than me - I like to start with something that looks like a car rather than a pile of bits. I prefer driving them to building them.

Good luck with your GT6!

"hipped" hmm not a term I've ever come across in my years around the motorsport world, to my knowledge it was refered to as a coke bottle side or at least was on the MGA, now me I have a midget which is most definately a sports car even thought it doesn't have "hips" as you term them.

My parents have a MGB which is most deffinately not a tourer though they have been knowen to take it across to luxemboug when it was still road leagal these days it's on 10" slicks so thats not possible

They have a TVR griffith too (but are selling due to cost reasons) and that is quite a thourghbread but makes an excelnet tourer to the've been across to france meny at time in that confounding the french people compleatly. Dad says mum was quite happy alseep when he was doing 120 in it. 130 down the moulsanne straight at le mans. tsk tsk norty man.

H2G2 Car Club A693335

Huzzar - parts orders
Boo - £1300 + vat and delivery price tag

i was panicing over an oprder i placed without asking how much it was - a whole £4.75

i was panicing over an oprder i placed without asking how much it was, the found out how much - a whole £4.75

I did that a couple of weeks back. I suddenly and irrationally decided that the part I'd ordered was going to cost loads - it turned out that the biggest part of the bill was the postage!

though had hoped to get a fibre glass bonnet but looks like would cost 100quid upwards

Can you not get a decent second-hand steel one for that sort of money? Glass fibre never quite looks right.

'cos the steel ones are notorious for rusting hence needing a new one and thought could pick up a fibreglass one for about 35quid (according to dad!) as opposed to a new steel one which would definately cost at least 150. *sigh* for such small cars midgets have very large bonnets.

Anyway this one is theoretically poporting to be a racer since having removed the bumpers. One day I might compeate it again!

Looks like should get two months over summer to spend time doing it up before have to start work. Which would be good.