Andy Wilman (Producer of the Clarkson/Hammond/May Era of Top Gear) looks at some modified cars, like you would have seen in the now defunct Max Power magazine Taken from an early 1997 edition of the old format Top Gear
Ed H It's car that have all the appearance of a fast car, but aren't. We went through that in America with the Pro-Street movement during the 80's--cars that became more and more modified/customized that were primarily built for showing-off, but only ran well enough to putter about the fairgrounds. Eventually, some even took the focus on appearance alone to the point that other than "tubbed" wheel-wells out-back, and a well-trimmed interior w/fancy paint, they just production-stock cars... sporting N/A six- and four-cylinders, no-less! This was known as the Pro-Fooler movement... And to anyone serious about building a cool, performance-oriented car wasn't fooled. And those that built such just "looked the fool". In time, Pro-Street builds became more realistic/practical... and the Pro-Touring movement started. But when kids from California and Urban Centers began modifying their hand-me-down FWD imports, we laughed! Especially at those that essentially were only doing what those in the Pro-Fooler movement did, but to a worse extent.
@@pancudowny so you're just going to pretend that the original hot rodding has nothing to do with all of this those cars looked faster than they went because when you take a bunch of weight off and tune the engine it will go faster. however a 1940s Ford deluxe still wouldn't go as fast as a open wheel Bugatti Maserati auto Union whatever you blaming the 80s for a 1940s problem next thing you know you'll be telling people to tear down that wall Mr Gorbachev.
This era is long gone. Blokes/Women have plenty more to spend their money on now, gym membership/online shopping etc etc. I seem to remember a high percentage of 17 year olds wanting to get a car asap, and even if you weren’t into cars you could get drawn into the car scene once you got on the road. That 950 fiesta popular you have is a great first car but you were soon making plans on how you could get that XR2 etc.
that is true so in reality it didn't really cost the guy anything really as he won the car from mag great times from back in that day modifying has changed now it's less in your face with kits and stuff it's mostly oem where you can with little changes
@@MrMcKane The pink WRC Escort was recently owned by Monky London (RU-vidr). He had the engine rebuilt and the bodywork restored. I think he raffled it on his channel. There’s a few vids on his channel if you’re interested
You love any car, as long as the owner is genuine in his love? What are you trying to say? Do you have trouble in understanding/ speaking English, or are you just fucked up?
Cosworth has only been detailed and (unfortunately) lots of chrome parts added. Still; it keeps the punter off the street taking drugs or worse, selling them.
I was 17 when this aired. I literally skinted myself on an xr2, nothing like 40 grand, but a gas flowed lump, updated suspension, exhaust and sound system was all I could afford lol. Wish I still had it.
My older brother had a white mk2 xr2, I thought it was the fasted car in the world and nobody could beat my big bro until one day a Renault 5 GT Turbo left us for dead like we were standing still, The sound the turbo and dump valve made to me at the age of maybe 12 was like nothing i had ever heard, i was in awe, 20 years later at the age of 32 i got my first 5 turbo
Yep seen a few for sale over the recent months over and about the 100k mark, those have very love mileage, but even if he has done a fair bit its still worth a fortune.
not quite, rs500s yes, this looks like the std sierra non 500. and even then just coz one gets 100k doesnt mean they all will, 50k plus is going 500 rate. 122k upper end. as of last week! 20-45k for 3dr.
John Higgins Not really. Considering the opportunity cost, he could've put the money in a property at that time which would now be worth several times more than the car.
It was due to guys like these and the modding scene back in the day is the reason why car makers make fast versions of their models. Golf R, civic type R, VXRs etc which is why the modding scene is now dead.
Lotus Cortina? Escort Mexico? Talbo Lotus Sunbeam? Chevette HSR? The car scene had 0 input on what the offered other than 106 Quicksilvers and Corsa SRIs.
So true, 80s/90s modding scene more or less dead, you just rarely see it now, they buy them off the peg now. Same as car stereos and a speaker upgrade with a sub in an MDF box in the boot, who fits them now?
As the owner of a 3dr Sierra cosworth I am relieved to see that the Cossie is the most tastefully done one of the lot, I would drive that with no shame today (if it weren't for the fact mine is already much more heavily modified)
Im 46 now and still love these cars, i still remembered them the minute they came on even after 25 years or however long it is since i saw them last! I would still rather have any of those cars than the garbage they spew out on the forecourt!
I seem to recall the orange Corrado was a Max Power project car that was then given away in a competition? I was a avid reader of that magazine in the 90s. That guy didn’t spend anything on it, but won it.
6:11 Is Andy Wilman even a car enthusiat? Choosing a soulless new car like an Audi A8 over a Sierra Cosworth just because it's the "same price" is a serious non-car person attitude. I dropped £20k+ on a Mazda RX-7 last year, and for that price I could've got a brand new VW Golf. But would I have done it? Absolutely not; because the FD is full of character and has been my dream car since I was a kid, and the Golf is, well, a Golf.
Would you even get a new Golf for £20k these days? I had an FD also. A '96 Efini one.. it was a special edition, I think it was one of three hundred, had a lot of nice little differences. It was chaste white with red leather inside and the little mini red leather seats in the back, opposed to the plastic storage bins I think came in most. I regret selling it in some ways.. it probably was the best car I ever owned.. well, the most special anyways. It gave me a feeling when driving it that I never got from anything else. It was a fantastic car. It was immaculate throughout. I'd thought about doing a single turbo conversion on it but ended up just selling it on. I really miss that car. God only knows what it'd be worth today. The FD is, in my view, the most perfect sports car ever to come out of Japan.. that unique rotary engine and not to mention the styling, like if you look at its contemporaries, R33, 300zx etc, they're not anywhere close, even the Mk4 Supra looks ugly beside it.
Its a close one, but the cars of the 90s were actually cool, unlike the bulk of what's on offer today as a new car. So I can see why you would take the RX7, because now there's nothing new like it. But comparing the sierra to the A8 in the context of the 90s the A8 would attract a high proportion of car enthusiasts. I mean the Sierras only got a straight 4 but that A8 probably has a V6 or V8, 4 wheel drive and it won't rust.
@@ayrshiresoundman That's a good point. We look at this and it seems bizarre today but, you do have to look at it in the context of the 90s. What has become valuable classic icons today were not thought of in the same way 25 years ago. I remember looking at old car classifieds a while ago.. there were immaculate rear wheel drive Toyota Corolla GT Twincams. UK Model AE86s. Selling for like £2,000. I bought a lovely one with 53k miles on it for £2,100 in very early 00s and everyone told me I was insane spending that kind of money on an old Toyota. The same car, in the same condition today would make 20k+. You also used to see Cosworths for similar. I remember seeing numerous sub £1000 RWD 4 door Sierra Cosworths. Probably not mint but even so. Wheras Peugeot 306 D-Turbos were selling for like £10,000. Crazy. I even recall seeing a Lotus Carlton for sale for very low money once. I can't remember exactly how much. But even to me then it seemed affordable. I remember telling my Father to buy it and he was like "what the hell would I want that old thing for?"
When I first passed my test back in the nineties I was driving capris my first being a 1.6gl auto😂😂. It was all about hot hatches back then as the coupes were going out of fashion at the time. I went on to own another 5 ford capris, the last being a 2.8i special in two tone blue. I've never owned a hot hatch but was close to buying an xr2i fiesta. Big fan of the Sierra cossie and a 3 door one today fetches megabucks!
the speakers used by mclaren (orange speakers) can be replicated with bowers and wilkens 801 speakers or any b+w replacement speaker because apparently their kevlar mid/ woofer speakers.
The style of writing by the script is the new Top Gear quintessential, and by new I mean the reboot 2002 until Andy left. Andy must have been the one who dictated most of Jeremy scripts.They are 2 parts of the same men these 2.
Middle age bloke you see doing burnouts in McDonald's car park at 10pm trying to impress 15 year old girls and going to "cruises" thinking he's vin diesel.
Back in the days of the 80's and 90's when the words "red top" or "mi16" were king, and most modding normally implied you needed a screwdriver to start it
