REVIEWS PART 2
Keith now had narrowed down his choice to six cars, and happened to manage to squeeze in test drives of them all into the same day. Though he was by no means an expert on cars, so it felt better for him to bring his cousin Jim with him that had his drivers license for some years, and also, working at the junkyard he knew which cars people was looking for parts for, and how often. He knew the reason why they came in at the yard to start with, and also had somewhat of a knowledge which ones that used to look like a can of baked beans that someone had stomped on, when they came in after a crash. The first car they was going to take a look at was the HEPAESTUS LUPIN 800. (@Maverick74 )
Being owned by an old lady since new, and with few miles on the odometer, the thing was actually mint. Closing the door, it had a decently solid sound, not the rattle you could expect from a cheap car like this. He also was impressed by how smooth the 800 cc inline 4 was when it woke to life - but it was also a bit noisy. Probably that was also what you could expect. Otherwise, you were more comfortable in the cramped cabin than he would have thought.
âJust donât crash this little crackerbox nowâ, Jim said. âNot much between you and whatever you will hit.â- yeah, he could only imagine.
âWhat do you think about them otherwise?â
âNot much to say really. They have their flaws like most cars but I canât say that they seem to be slapped together.â
Taking it for a spin, it was quicker than he would have expected. Also, for such a small car, it could only be said that the comfort was decent. He tested the simple radio fitted from the factory and it worked, though it sounded like crap and should probably be replaced by a tape deck anyway if he bought this car. He noticed that it was maybe better suited for the old lady than it was for him, though. It did not like to be driven hard, probably rear engine and narrow crossplies had to show its true colours here. It swayed a bit in the corners, you could not really know if it would oversteer or understeer, braking was fair but with such a light car, the small drums was probably not having a very hard task.
âYouâre driving like a car thiefâ, Jim said. âBut thatâs really a good thing, that will show the weak points of the car.â
The Lupin was not really void of them, but hey, he was not really going to have an E-type for this money either. After returning the Hepaestus Lupin to its owner, the next car they went to take a look at was the SAETA LYNX JUNIOR (@Petakabras )
The owner, a little bit older than him, at Jimâs age maybe, seemed to be OK, but a bit nerdy. Probably he was honest, telling them absolutely EVERYTHING about the car, even what was not so good with it, also, showing a bunch of reciepts that seemed to show every single nut he had bought for it. "Yeah, we are a bit busy, we have lots of other cars to look at too., Keith said. âCan I take it for a test drive now?â
Itâs a good thing he didnât bring mum with him because she would probably tell him to have second thoughts about this. Only 2 seats and a minimal luggage compartment. Yeah, whatever, who wanted to be that grown up and boring anyway? Carefully he shut the door, knowing that the owner would probably get a heart attack at the age of 20-something if he slammed it.
âWow, those bucket seats are comfortable!â, Keith said. âAnd what a build quality it seems to have for such a cheap car.â
âYou are absolutely rightâ, Jim said. "They are built very stout. Rarely any problems with them, also seems to be able to take quite a large hit considering how old and small they are.
The engine was not very impressive for a sports car, and he already knew that. 1.2 litre 60 hp twin carb inline four. Nothing remarkably when it woke to life, a little bit more rough running than the Lupin had been but also much more quiet.
(Absolutely not bothering to change photo scene, lol)
Fact is, that it was not remarkably quicker than the Lupin either, with the difference being that he expected more. This was not much of a sports car, it was more of a standard car in sporty clothing. Though it handled better than the Lupin, still it wanted to swing out its tail when pressed hard. 4 wheel drum brakes here too, but still a light car so they were certainly good enough. At least it was comfy, a positive surprise actually.
âSeems to be pinging a little, do Saetas need premium?â, Keith asked Jim.
âNah, probably just the distributor that needs some adjustment.â
A mixed bag but there was generally positive traits there. But with no time to spare, they returned the car to take a look at the 1969 BALLATER ALLEATO (@ChemaTheMexican ).
Being a family man now, the owner needed something more practical. Having a hatchback and a large luggage compartment, this was at least more practical than the Saeta, however, still a 2-seater. Fit and finish showed nothing to complain about, even if the Saeta was more of a looker if you asked Keith. He noticed that it had a staggered tyre setup though, that could be a drawback later on.
Getting into the car, the interior was not too different from the Saetaâs either, nothing special and seemed to have decent build quality, though the Saeta had been a notch higher there it seemed like.
âThey seem to hold up wellâ, Jim said. âUntil you crash at least, I have seen some examples being bent badly out of shape.â
The 1.7 litre 84 hp inline four with its DAOHC layout was more modern and powerful than the Saetaâs, even if there was nothing remarkable about it. And it was reasonably quick, too! Seemed like a rocket compared to the two cars tested earlier.
Handling on its staggered radials was also much more secure than it had been with the earlier cars - up to a point. Like the Saeta, it wanted to swing out its tail when pressed hard. Though the most striking thing was how it was such a good mix between comfort and handling, it soaked up the bumps well and it even had power steering! Bragging rights compared to the parents brand new Escort, he thought. It also had front disc brakes, but he really did not notice any difference to the drum brake cars he had tested earlier.
Being largely satisfied with the Ballater, there was no time to spare, so rather quickly they went to look at the KBL 1100 instead (@mart1n2005 )
âBeing our second car in the family but wife wants something more modern blah blah blahâ, oh no, not another blabbermouth Keith thought, he was mainly caring about the car and not this manâs life story. Being over 20 years old, the car of course showed dings and scratches, but was remarkably well kept for its age. Getting into it was nothing special either, it was old and cheap and interior was about what you could expect. Everything seemed solid at least.
âI would recommend this over a Lupinâ, Jim said. âIt is both much safer and more reliable.â
Instead of an inline 4 like the other cars, this car had a flat 4, meaning that it ran smoother and it was also decently quiet.
Another thing it was? Slow.
"Do this thing have porridge in the gas tank?, Keith asked.
"Haha, 44 hp and 1.1 litres, what do you expect?, Jim answered.
At least a 4 speed transmission was not bad for 1957. And even if handling had felt a bit tail happy to start with, it was relatively secure, making Keith confident to use all the (lack of) power this car had. Then they were coming close to a stop sign and he hit the brakes. Another thing this car had a lack of.
âWhoa, that is scary!â, Keith said.
âNormal for 1957â, Jim said. âDo you still want more power in this thing?â
Comfort wise it was showing its age too. Quite hard suspension and leaf springs in the rear probably took its toll. Interior space could be seen as decent for such a small vehicle, for the 4 people it would fit. Luggage compartment was around the same size as in the Seata, though.
âHmmâŠwe will seeâ, Keith said when they were going back with the car. âWe will take a look at the FMC KESTREL next, right?â (@Lanson )
It was standing at a rather shady backyard dealer, but the car could still be OK, right?
âI am not impressed by themâ, Jim said. âBoth safety and reliability could be better for a car this ageâ. Keith did not listen since he was busy with adoring the slick design of the car.
The paint showed a bit of a mediocre finish, as did the fit of the trim and body panels. The door rattled a little and the interior was a bit more cheap looking than it had been in the other cars.
"You think that there is any free lunches in this world?, Jim said. âSome corners had to be cut to fit a V6 and IRS to this price point.â
But of course a V6 was more impressive than the four bangers the other cars had been using this far, it was also the most powerful at 91 hp.
Being heavier than the other cars, it still meant that the FMC did not have the performance of the muscle cars it was trying to emulate, but it still was among the quickest of the bunch. Also, compared to the other cars, it handled like a dream, also stopped like one, this was driving dynamics on another level. What was not so good was the comfort, though. Suspension was stiff and had short travel and the V6 was roaming loudly when it was pressed hard. It had power steering, but not as good as in the Ballater. Sure, it felt âsportyâ but would it be annoying in the long run? That was the question. It also was a bit cramped and despite the hatchback, that was also true for the luggage compartment, however, the small back seats could be folded forward so no big deal.
"Ok, one last car to look at, the HESSENBURG C100 1200S, Keith said. (@BannedByAndroid )
âSolid choiceâ, Jim said. âAlbeit a bit dated, even safety wise, but their reputation for reliability is not out of the blue.â
The old man owning the C100S was relatively quiet, he thought that they should test drive it and let the car speak for itself. âNice, not another blabbermouth at leastâ, Keith thought. It struck him how small the rear seats were, but that was no big deal for him. The cabin was cramped overall, but so were all the other cars he had been looking at. The interior was very simple - rudimentary vinyl seats, a painted steel dash and rubber floor mats. At least it had a radio, and everything seemed to be solid despite the age of the car.
The engine was very similar to the one used in the KBL 1100, a 45 hp 1.2 litre flat 4. It was running smooth and decently quiet butâŠ
âCan you go out and help pushing this car so it will go a bit faster?â, Keith said in a sour voice.
âHehe. They arenât known to be quickâ, Jim laughed.
Also, having only a 3 speed did not really add to the driving excitement, the 4 wheel drum brakes were decent in stopping power but had an annoying tendency to lock up the rear wheels. Handling was good for the age of the car, though - and secure enough to match its performance. The soft suspension somehow compensated for the primitive seats, but the comfort felt dated.
After having a test drive of all the six cars, he could not really say that he disliked any of them, but in the end of the day he could only afford to buy one.
RESULTS
The first car to go was the HEPAESTUS LUPIN 800. While economical and not exceptionally bad, it was a bit less car than he would have wanted. The other cars tested was beating it in most areas, and the thoughts of what would happen to such a tiny car in a crash was a bit scary after all.
Even if it was a hard decision, he also ruled out the FMC KESTREL. He loved the way it looked, and also the way it drove. But the somewhat lacking reliability and build quality, combined with the high running costs meant that it was not the most sane choice he could do.
Neither would he consider the KBL 1100 as his first car. Not that there was something really wrong with it, but it really felt a bit primitive and boring. Like with the Hepaestus, he expected just a little bit more from a car.
The BALLATER ALLEATO was the next car to be ruled out. It drove well and he liked the looks, but not as much as the looks of the Saeta or FMC. That, combined with relatively high running costs meant that he could not really justify a purchase at the end of the day.
Neither did the HESSENBURG C100 cut the mustard. It was a bit simple and primitive like the KBL 1100, and not really an exciting driving experience. But you could not really look away from the low service costs and reliability of the Hessenburg, that was close to legendary. Probably the sane purchase the parents would have liked. But nah.
That left him with the SAETA LYNX JUNIOR. A good looking car, actually his favourite since he had ruled out the Arlington, that actually had only two major drawbacks. It ate up all the budget, but he thought that the low running costs would compensate for that. Also, not very practical, but meh, who cares about boring stuff.
It did not have sports car dynamics, but for this price he could choose between a regular car that drove like a regular car or a sports car that drove like a regular car, and hey, who could say no to a bit more sleek looks? Also, it should have good reliability records. It was simply the best compromise for all his needs.
So, the final rankings are as following:
6th: @Maverick74
5th: @Lanson
4th: @mart1n2005
3rd: @ChemaTheMexican
2nd: @BannedByAndroid
1st: @Petakabras
So, congratulations to Petakabras for the win, and congratulations to Keith and his purchase of a SAETA. As in CSR and other similar competitions Petakabras hosts round 1B if he can, if not 2nd that is BannedByAndroid, if not 3rd that is Chema, etcâŠ
It should also be said that while the SAETA stood out a bit, it was VERY even at place 2-6, in fact so close that one could almost talk about one winner and five cars on second place. Overall very solid cars in this challenge.
So, letâs see what Keith will buy as his next car and when, and maybe most interesting, how does his life look by then?
