Keep it simple

[LDB]

How simple can a car be made?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enth...dgntp#image=21

[JockoT]

Caterham Super Seven was originally the Lotus 7 and you bought it in kit form. It cost £526 ($723). Originally it came with the 1172cc Ford side-valve engine.

https://www.supercars.net/blog/wp-co...7_Lotus_71.jpg

[JockoT]

We had a FIAT 500. It was BASIC. Didn't even have a fuel gauge, just a light.

[LDB]

If I somehow came into insane amounts of money I think I'd get a 2CV and the 7, the former just because it's quirky and the latter for fun.

[Draigflag]

The link won't work for me, just jumps straight to the last slide. I used to love the simplicity of basic cars, so easy to fix. The most basic one I had was my 126, the predecessor to the 500. It was so underpowered with just 26 hp, you had to plan every move carefully just to keep up with traffic. It really struggled to maintain 60 MPH, but it was quite charming. Kinda wish I'd kept it now, its currently for sale for 600% more than what I paid for it in 2010.

[LDB]

I messed up and you have to go backward through them. It works that way. Sorry.

[JockoT]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

The most basic one I had was my 126, the predecessor to the 500..

The FIAT 500 was the predecessor to the 126 (we are not referring to the recent range of 500's). The 500 was manufactured from 1957 to 1975. Our 1966 model had a 499cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine.
The 126 was manufactured from 1972 to 2000. Mine was a 1975 Italian manufactured model with the 594cc engine. It had a fuel gauge!

[luv2spd]

When I lived back in former Yugoslavia (now Croatia) my uncle had a Trabant, that's what I learned on how to drive. Two stroke engine, fuel was gravity fed to the engine (no fuel pump, just open a valve before you start it) and the heater was outside air blowing through the exhaust manifold.

My dad worked as an engineer back in the 80s and he worked for Renault making parts for the Renault 4 at that time, very simple car.

I'm also a huge fan of the Citroen 2CV, I would probably get one as well if I was rich. Leave everything stock except the engine, leave the engine the same design but make it out of titanium and use smaller tolerances to see if you could double or triple the horsepower. Use titanium valves and chain and making it as smooth and powerful as possible.

[Draigflag]

Originally Posted by JockoT

The FIAT 500 was the predecessor to the 126 (we are not referring to the recent range of 500's). The 500 was manufactured from 1957 to 1975. Our 1966 model had a 499cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine.
The 126 was manufactured from 1972 to 2000. Mine was a 1975 Italian manufactured model with the 594cc engine. It had a fuel gauge!

Oh yea, I meant it came after, mine was the water cooled BIS a 1989 model, more practical with the lifting boot and storage space. That was my first mid engined rear wheel drive car haha.

[JockoT]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

Oh yea, I meant it came after, mine was the water cooled BIS a 1989 model, more practical with the lifting boot and storage space.

Both our 500 and my 126 had a boot at the front with enough space for a small amount of shopping. My 126 had more space than most as it had Denovo run-flat tyres and no spare.

The Trabant was a unique little car. The first ones did not have a fibreglass body but resin reinforced paper-mache! There are a couple around here, brought over by east European enthusiasts.