Topic

Talkingcars - thats me - I use it everywhere on the net (apart from twitter where it is Talkingcarz) or where one has to use ones real name - James Davidson.

Why Talkingcars? - because I like talking about cars although I have had a talking maestro and converted a mini and a metro to talking cars.

I have always loved messing with cars since I graduated from push bikes, modified them as well.

Currently we have a small fleet -
MGZS180 - daily driver and family barge
MGZR160 - wifes car/does about 3 miles a week
MGF VVC - child free plaything
MG Maestro EFi with T16 tubby lump - my toy
Rover 111 - sons learning car
Rover Maestro diesel - slowly being stripped

mmmmm do you notice a theme?


I currently work for a civil engineering merchant, employed as a releif driver (LGV C+E/crane) but am trying as hard as I can to progress within the company. Previously I have done clerical and sales work in the airfreight industry, several driving jobs, worked for a local VW dealership and spent 8 years as a driving instructor.

I have been doing a degree with the open university on and off for the last 10 years, this is also where I meet my wife.

I live with my wife, Gemma and our 3 youngest (16/14/11), all the others having flown the nest (23/21/20/18), I hasten to add that these are the results of a previous marrage each.

When not working or doing the family thing I seem to spend most of my time on the house, currently work towards finishing the 3rd reincarnation but then I have been here nearly 21 years.

I was born in 1964, guess that makes me the upside of 40.

A quick update -

I still live in the same house with the same wife and work for the same company but am now the Transport Supervisor (mix of compliance, admin, relief driving, management H&S etc). But all the kids have now left home.

We still have the ZR (does even less miles now), the T16 maestro (waiting for me to finish the VVC and 1.8i) and the VVC.

We also have a 1.8i mk1 that was free requiring some TLC and my son to learn to drive (he's only 25!), his 111 rusted away.
The ZS was scrapped (still have the engine which is to go in the maestro) replaced with another which has now gone back to it's PO an I now drive a Alfa 159 Lusso 3.2 Q4 as my daily.

I thought you were the PM Michael fabricant with a hair dye? Ha! Ha! Very interesting bio, thanks for the Talking cars too, will look at that right now.

An update - same wife - same house -same job.....

Son, now 30, now has the ZR, and a 1.8i mk1 F we were given, and gas just bought an Audi A6 Avant, to use when going to the tip apparently. He still has his mini project in his garage.

I still have my mk1 VVC which has just spent a year off the road as I do a couple of jobs for the MOT. The T16 maestro still waits for the MGF to be on the road.

And my daily is still an Alfa Romeo 159 3.2 V6 Q4 Lusso in black with a tan interior. However it isn't the one I had 3 years ago, that died last year when a bearing in the engine failed and repair quotes reached over £5k. Instead I sold it for £900 and bought another, identical except for slightly more miles but the things I would have done to the old one (lip spoiler on the boot, red brake callipers, apparently mapped as it is quicker than the other, powder coated wheels). Everything works on it as it should too.

There was another AR in 2020 - after someone drove across my bows causing damage to the bonnet, bumper, both wings and headlights so I bought another that had a failed engine and got the supplying garage to swap the panels, and a few other bits.