Peabody said:
In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
All the early Hyundai stuff was based on other manufacturers vehicles, mostly Mitsubishi. Before the Excel, the Pony was a 4dr version of the Plymouth Arrow/Mitsubishi Celeste/Lancer. Hyundai built it, but almost everything was interchangeable.
Many times the local parts stores wouldn't have listings for Hyundai excel, but you could look up the part for a dodge colt or Mitsubishi starion (I think) from a few years earlier and find it on the shelf.
One of my few brand new cars was a 1986 5 door excel. $6100 title tags fees... out the door. Only options were tinted glass and AC.
The 4cyl / 4speed MT ran fine, even on a trip to FL from VA.
A 5th gear would have made the engine a tad quieter on the hwy, but wasn't bad. Actually anything under $9K at the time, was much worse.
2 years, 38,000 miles; zero problems!
JG Pasterjak said:
I would very much like* to own a Kia Elan someday
(*I probably wouldn't like it after the first time something broke, but it would be fun for a few weeks I bet)
Aren't those just reskinned "Mercury Capri" aka short wheelbase convertible Mazda 323?
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
JG Pasterjak said:
I would very much like* to own a Kia Elan someday
(*I probably wouldn't like it after the first time something broke, but it would be fun for a few weeks I bet)
Aren't those just reskinned "Mercury Capri" aka short wheelbase convertible Mazda 323?
Nah, Lotus sold the tooling off for the M100 after they threw in the towel. It used Isuzu motors, sometimes with turbos, like in the Impulse. But no connection to the Aussie Capri besides vaguely similar styling.
My son flew into Rio de Janeiro and had to entertain 6 people at a hostel-vineyard in the mountains at about 12,000 feet. VW Amroks and other stuff not seen in North America are all over.
Be interesting to explore the market for exporting rust free 25+ year olds here.
fatallightning said:
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
JG Pasterjak said:
I would very much like* to own a Kia Elan someday
(*I probably wouldn't like it after the first time something broke, but it would be fun for a few weeks I bet)
Aren't those just reskinned "Mercury Capri" aka short wheelbase convertible Mazda 323?
Nah, Lotus sold the tooling off for the M100 after they threw in the towel. It used Isuzu motors, sometimes with turbos, like in the Impulse. But no connection to the Aussie Capri besides vaguely similar styling.
I wonder what I was thinking, then!
I probably made the Mazda connection because before the Hyundai/Kia amalgamation, Kia was making cars with cast off Mazda tooling the way Hyundai used Mitsubishi tooling. (Remember the Festiva? That was a Mazda 121 built by Kia... the way the original Sephia was a Protege)
