Best handling Classic car

[nota]

I see that car in Topgear have a South African registration.......

I'm sure you'll enjoy watching Top Gear's > Africa Special < (part 1 of 6)

[willysjeep]

I'm sure you'll enjoy watching Top Gear's > Africa Special < (part 1 of 6)

Yes, those programs caused quite a stir here in South Africa. They did almost everything wrong in the program, from speeding in National Parks to driving clapped out vehicles on public roads, etc.

The local off road fraternity had lots to say in the media....

[Fleet 500]

It is not a good idea to compare such different kinds of cars like we do... Of course I can admit that many U.S.cars have good handling qualities, that many of them are comparable to, or much better than, Europian cars.
Anyway, what do you think about handling qualities of the third and the fourth generation Corvettes ?
Talking about Porsche cars, I would prefer 944. It was the best car I had ever an opportunity to drive, with the sole problem - revs limiting device which could cause a lot of trouble.

Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear. Kitdy, can you also agree with the above statement outlined in bold print?

As for Corvettes, I am not that familiar with them (I am a Mopar... and Cadillac... guy in general. I do like other makes of muscle cars, though.

I am familiar enough with 'Vettes to know that they were very good handlers from at least the '60s and later. I think they had a more refined and improved suspension compared to the earlier ('50s) ones.

[Fleet 500]

LOL, sunk like a stone!

From "911 perhaps" now down to a cheap ill-handling Opel, which shares its front spring design (traverse leaf!) with the Model T Ford

Is that the best you can do? Really .. the Opel GT? Coincidentally, I was going to include Opel GT among my list of [worst handlers]

A suspension taken from abysmal 'bottom feeder' GM Opel Kadett econocars. Here's a pic of traverse leaf Kadett in action on Top Gear

You are the one who is "sunk." Because you will not accept data I post. Jaromull does... you can learn from him.

Yes, I believe it was a 911... don't remember exactly. The test is still stored on my computer... shall I repost it?

As for the Opel, you wanted a direct comparison with a European model car and I delivered.

[Fleet 500]

You are the one who is "sunk." Because you will not accept data I post. Jaromull does... you can learn from him.

Yes, I believe it was a 911... don't remember exactly. The test is still stored on my computer... shall I repost it?

As for the Opel, you wanted a direct comparison with a European model car and I delivered.

I'll post it anyway. (BTW, it was a 911E.)

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...sche-911e.html

[nota]

You are the one who is "sunk." Because you will not accept data I post.

Huh?

The only previous "data" posted by you within this thread was model year & vehicle weight!

As for the Opel, you wanted a direct comparison with a European model car and I delivered.

Okay, if you want an example of a certain model...

[Buick GS455 vs Opel GT]

All too obvious how the world according to fleet works

Your only tendered example (semi-exotic Buick GS vs that 'worst case euro' Opel pos econocar) is adjudged a "good" example...

Also, the Ford Thunderbird is a poor example.

That car, in general, were not known as good handling cars.

Whereas admitted indefensible handling losers like T-Bird (yes an "accepted sports car" within the US idiom) are termed "poor examples"



Best to abandon you to your caddywank fantasies, bye for now, enjoy that understeer!

[clutch-monkey]

As for the Opel, you wanted a direct comparison with a European model car and I delivered.

that's a poor example though. like pitting a lotus against a ford f150.

[willysjeep]

Huh?

The only previous "data" posted by you within this thread was model year & vehicle weight!


All too obvious how the world according to fleet works

Your only tendered example (semi-exotic Buick GS vs that 'worst case euro' Opel pos econocar) is adjudged a "good" example...

Whereas admitted indefensible handling losers like T-Bird (yes an "accepted sports car" within the US idiom) are termed "poor examples"



Best to abandon you to your caddywank fantasies, bye for now, enjoy that understeer!

yeah this thread

[lowdrag]

I wonder sometimes just how many cars you lot have actually driven. Over nearly 50 years there have been the highs and the lows and american cars are designed for long open roads without bends, designed for long journeys with engines that can and did hundreds of thousands of miles with no problems - lazy V8s that just went on and on. In Europe smaller engines are the norm and roads twisty and tight. Personally, when I go to the USA I find the cars interesting but, like the Tbird I rented, they don't handle but they don't need to. Of the worst cars I've had to suffer (company car) one that stands out as a real dog was the first Morris Marina. Drum brakes with no servo and suspension that was from a Morris Minor plus wipers that were set up for LHD and left a large part of the screen in front of the driver unswept. But I posted before - the worst for what it was supposed to be was without doubt the Ferrari 348TS. A real dog of a car. I've had numerous BMW's from an M1 through 635M and plenty of 3 series, Mercs from coupé to SLs to saloons, Golf GTis (the original was the best, far better than my 16 valve) Opels, many a Jaguar and so on, but there are many which are supposed to be worse but I've not driven. One of the best though in its day was the Alfasud.

[jaromull]

Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear. Kitdy, can you also agree with the above statement outlined in bold print?

As for Corvettes, I am not that familiar with them (I am a Mopar... and Cadillac... guy in general. I do like other makes of muscle cars, though.

I am familiar enough with 'Vettes to know that they were very good handlers from at least the '60s and later. I think they had a more refined and improved suspension compared to the earlier ('50s) ones.

Even so it can hardly be taken as a win... It is valid vice versa, of course, i.e. there are many Europian (and Japanese and Australian etc.) cars for which many U.S. cars are no match.

[jaromull]

I wonder sometimes just how many cars you lot have actually driven. Over nearly 50 years there have been the highs and the lows and american cars are designed for long open roads without bends, designed for long journeys with engines that can and did hundreds of thousands of miles with no problems - lazy V8s that just went on and on. In Europe smaller engines are the norm and roads twisty and tight. Personally, when I go to the USA I find the cars interesting but, like the Tbird I rented, they don't handle but they don't need to. Of the worst cars I've had to suffer (company car) one that stands out as a real dog was the first Morris Marina. Drum brakes with no servo and suspension that was from a Morris Minor plus wipers that were set up for LHD and left a large part of the screen in front of the driver unswept. But I posted before - the worst for what it was supposed to be was without doubt the Ferrari 348TS. A real dog of a car. I've had numerous BMW's from an M1 through 635M and plenty of 3 series, Mercs from coupé to SLs to saloons, Golf GTis (the original was the best, far better than my 16 valve) Opels, many a Jaguar and so on, but there are many which are supposed to be worse but I've not driven. One of the best though in its day was the Alfasud.

On the other hand, Morris Mini itself was a box of dynamite and real delight to drive.

[Fleet 500]

that's a poor example though. like pitting a lotus against a ford f150.

The comparison was between an Opel (a very small car) and a Buick GS455 (a relatively large car built more for speed than acceleration).
So, if anything, the GS455 was at a disadvantage.

Besides, ask people which of those cars handle better and almost everyone would say the Opel. But as my post shows, what appears to be obvious is not always true.

[Fleet 500]

Even so it can hardly be taken as a win... It is valid vice versa, of course, i.e. there are many Europian (and Japanese and Australian etc.) cars for which many U.S. cars are no match.

For sure, but with regards to handling, some U.S. cars do much better than expected. Even though some will never admit it.

[Ferrer]

For sure, but with regards to handling, some U.S. cars do much better than expected. Even though some will never admit it.

Much better than expected doesn't necessarily mean better than European cars though.

[Fleet 500]

Much better than expected doesn't necessarily mean better than European cars though.

And it doesn't necessarily mean worse, correct?