I had a mk1 and mk5 Focus both were excellent (no rust problems).
The best quirky technology I had was on my type 3 VW 1600TL. The screenwash bottle connected to the spare tyre in the front to pressurize it. Brilliant but flawed.

I remember that on my Beetle. The washer lever was on the steering column and was just a valve on the water pipe. The washer bottle was enormous and emptied itself on my lap once. The spare tyre had to be over inflated and, with another valve on it, closed off the air to the water when the pressure dropped to driving level.

Steve

My mate must have a couple of old dogs of Focus's then. They were bad. LOL

I have always been into old vehicles and it was known that I would take on almost anything. When I was a brickie back in the 80's our labourer said his mum wanted an "old banger removing from her garage". He said it was a weird VW.
When I opened the door, it turned out to be a 1972 Type 3 fastback, in yellow. one owner (his dad) who had stripped the engine because he got bored.
It had mid 40K on the clock and was solid...apart from the front wings, which were mostly missing due to rust.
I rebuilt it and sold it on a few years later.

My stepdad had an Austin A6 lets go to Belle Vue Manchester for the day he says. 4 of us in the car could it get over the top not a chance, ended up back in Donny at the Top Rank bowling alley.
The next car he got was a Triumph Herald, on his way to work one morning he stopped at traffic lights, felt a huge bump, looking in his rear view he saw a lorry close behind. Thinking it had bumped him he got out only to find that the chassis had stopped but the Body of the car hadn't, rotten with rust
He still kept buying cheap 2nd hand cars, never learned

My friends grandad bought an Austin A30 new. He worked at the docks in London and immediately hand painted it in a thick black tar like substance used on the boats. My friend said there was a perfect car under there somewhere.

Steve

Although my first car was a 1969 Ford Escort, it nearly could have been a 1968 Triumph Herald Vitesse 2.0.
It was lovely and sounded so silky smooth, the guy wanted £300, so I agreed to that and said I would go and get the cash and return.
When me and my dad got back, there was another buyer who was signing the log book.
I was gutted, as he didn't want a deposit and we were back within the hour.

Hi John

You had a lucky escape methinks. The Vitesse went like a rocket but the 2.0 engine was too powerful for the lightweight Herald.

My mates dad owned a big Ford dealership and they got all sorts of cars in p/x. He was lucky enough for his dad to let him borrow anything and he was on the garage insurance. Ian & I went out in lots of flash fast things like the Capri 3.0 GTXLR.

The Vitesse came in and the salesman told Ian only to try it in the dry as it was too powerful for the chassis. We went out to the Lakes one night in 1968 and it was brilliant fun BUT then it started to rain heavily. It became like a sledge on snow. Ian was a good driver but just outside Askam-in-Furness it went straight on on a bend. We were very lucky to get out with just cuts and bruises and Ian's shaken ego...............

I would never go in a Herald again, never mind a Vitesse..............

MikeT

Hi Mike, I may have dodged a bullet then, but the sound of that straight six was just musical though. My GT6 has the same engine.
That Capri 3.0 GTXLR would have been a weapon back then and worth a pretty penny now