Pete-M Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Well, it's had a mini valet since the pic above was taken and it's been in for a thorough examination, a quick wipe down of a plug lead (it's been sitting for close to eight months) and finally the dreaded MOT. Which it passed. With no advisories whatsoever. "The exhaust on this is cleaner than on most moderns and there's no play in anything. Someone's really looked after this properly.". So finally the time to give the old dowager a run out. The 'electronic ride control' light was on when it left the MOT station, but a quick squizz in the handbook confirmed that it's meant to come on after six minutes idling and go out when the car is driven - which it did. All three modes work, "Comfort" mode is just a bit floaty but not terrible. "Normal" mode is a lot less floaty, quite firm in fact, but it's fine on anything other than particularly rough urban streets. "Hard" isn't quite skateboard, but it's stiffer than the XJR. Steering is quite precise for a recirculating ball setup. Similar to a good W124 in feel but without the immense Mercedes turning circle. Probably a bit sharper than the W124. Usual GM RWD tilt column nonsense - either slightly too high or slightly too low. Engine is sweet as a nut. Not massively gutsy under 3000 rpm but amusingly nippy above 3000. That'll be that dual-ram nonsense, it has the same tiny flatspot my old 24v Carlton had when the dual ram valve opens. Exhaust is louder than you get on modern stuff but not when it's cruising along. Sounds quite lovely really. Auto box is a typical late '80s job. Not bad, but easier to confuse than the more modern computer controlled jobs. Sport mode is a grin with changes at just about the right time to not make the fact it's an auto an issue. Winter mode starts in second and makes it comically sluggish. It doesn't handle badly at all for a barge. The lack of weight and sound proofing in comparison to the E39 is noticeable over bumps when bump-thump you don't hear nowadays is there in all its glory. Nothing squeaks or rattles badly so its quite good fun. It is more vague than the E39, but it's happy enough. Quiet on the motorway, they got the window sealing sorted on these. The Limited Slip Diff works too. Seats seem comfy. Dual lumbar supports are an unusual touch but I've not managed to get the drivers seat quite right yet. Seat heaters are volcanic. Aircon works perfectly, as does everything else other than the little bulb on the gearshift selector, one headlamp wiper and the illumination on the removable bit off the stereo. Which I'll fix tomorrow. Stereo isn't bad actually. Grundig job with a 10 cd changer. Other than a couple of bits of minor grot at the leading edge of the rear arches there's no rot on it. Being garaged for 15 years has helped. I'll probably tidy them up as it's a shame to let them get much worse. I'll give it a good clean tomorrow if it's not raining.
SambaS Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Was driven in an ex Police one as a teenager and the acceleration impressed the hell out of me. I always thought I'd get one before I got a Monza but it never happened.
CreepingJesus Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Sounds like a timewarp example of the breed. I'll confess to turning just a little green! Top buy, sir.
R9UKE Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Not enough bite size reviews like this on here. Can't beat a big luxobarge with 24 valves and a suspension system that's just waiting to fuck up. Top motoring!
CortinaDave Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Gorgeous. If i could find a decent one of those, id be sorely tempted to LPG it and use it every day. I notice theres a few places offering multipoint conversions under the grand mark now...
Tetleysmooth Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 You could fix this one up. Getting quite rare, these beasts: http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... ead=124553
dollywobbler Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Great stuff. I've always liked these 'cheesy grin' Senators.
red5 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Lovely mate. Wish I'd kept the povvo 2.5 Auto I had. Red with a beige interior.... The 5-0 used to bring theirs into the Vauxhall dealer I worked at - the Chief Constable had an unmarked white manual which was a blast. Allegedly.
trigger Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Fantastic cars, I miss the days when you saw these hammering up the motorways with blue lights flashing on top, If they are good enough for the police then they must have been good enough for Joe public. I haven't seen one for a long while though, the last one i can remember seeing on the road was a blue L reg one being driven by a elderly couple. Yours sounds a peach though Pete, Lucky man!
Pillock Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I've got a semi-lob for these.... gorgeous motors and I really like the high specageness of it. What was police spec about the police spec, just a bit more poke?
trigger Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 What was police spec about the police spec, just a bit more poke? Hang on, I'm just scanning something which will answer that...
dollywobbler Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I've got a semi-lob for these.... gorgeous motors and I really like the high specageness of it. What was police spec about the police spec, just a bit more poke? Police spec tended to be cloth seats, non-digi dash, manual transmission and obligatory white paint.
red5 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I've got a semi-lob for these.... gorgeous motors and I really like the high specageness of it. What was police spec about the police spec, just a bit more poke? Police special order only manual transmission, Carlton GSi suspension as standard. Bog interiors, no roof. Lovely.
trigger Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Looking at the Police Spec Vauxhall Senator 3.0 24v compaired to the standard spec model 1993 (1) by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr Looking at the Police Spec Vauxhall Senator 3.0 24v compaired to the standard spec model 1993 (2) by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr egg 1
rml2345 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 This is a good idea actually. Perhaps we should all write a review...If it wasn't for he fact I'm mega mega jealous I'd say how utterly glorious that Senator really is.Top, top car.
Pillock Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Cheers Trig, that answers that one! I know the Volvos have a remap for motorway use but I suppose the 24V 3.0 is a bit too old to be all ECU-based, and then you're getting into head work and manifolds to get more power. Shame, but then it's hardly a slouch for a car that size and I'd wager a police driver would have outdriven me within a few hundred yards
Pete-M Posted March 17, 2012 Author Posted March 17, 2012 Well I'm furious today. Some fat sweaty scrote tried to pinch it this morning from outside my mates garage. In full view of about 15 people. I chased him and his scrote mate but they had a car waiting just around the corner. Pointless exercise anyway, the Senator has more security fitted than any car I've ever owned. Still, the fat bastard screwed the door lock (professionally) and I disturbed him before he did any damage other than snapping the tilt column lever and breaking the lower plastic shroud. Luckily, my mates in the breakers yard just happened to have a complete, new, lock set on the shelf for £25 and gave me a new tilt lever. He knows I saw him as I chased him off. I have a photographic memory. He'd better sleep with the lights on, because I wouldn't advise he goes anywhere dark.
Bren Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 At least you stopped the shithouses getting away with it - maybe they need the 24v motor for something or more likely they were looking to weigh it in. You would be surprised how many older cars are vanishing.
red5 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I'd be very disa....surprised if the bag of cack didn't have and accident about the time you see him. Oh no. What a shame.
sporty-shite Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I'd be very disa....surprised if the bag of cack didn't have and accident about the time you see him. Oh no. What a shame. He tripped whilst running away.
AnthonyG Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Bloody Nora Pete, I can see why you're jacking in cars for a while. Folk memories about these old Vauxhalls being easy to nick die hard.
red5 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I'd be very disa....surprised if the bag of cack didn't have and accident about the time you see him. Oh no. What a shame. He tripped whilst running away. A number of times. How unlucky. Glad you stopped him mate. Can't abide thieves. Flog em publicly.
eddyramrod Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 That's a bloody lovely piece of kit Pete, and I'm not surprised someone had a crack at it. Plod are always advising us not to have a go at thieves, but come on, you'd protect that car with your life! Good on yer for going for him, and if his body ever turns up I will be amazed. If the Mersey could tell tales......................!
Lankytim Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Why can't just the one time... just once these thieves get caught in the act. What would you do? keep them prisoner until the rozzers arrive or beat them to a fine paste and rip the remains apart with your own teeth?
rml2345 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 Christ on a bike! It's a brave tea-leaf has a go on one of those.Glad you stopped him though, it would be a shame to see this get nicked. If you ever spot him walking down the street though you could always hit him with it... "My foot slipped officer, and you know how much poke these have..."
warren t claim Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Steering is quite precise for a recirculating ball setup. Similar to a good W124 in feel but without the immense Mercedes turning circle. Probably a bit sharper than the W124. Usual GM RWD tilt column nonsense - either slightly too high or slightly too low. You may wish to check your sources on that information! Although i'll agree that the Senator does feel a bit like a skinny W124 I can assure you that the Mercs turning circle is pretty tight by any standards, let alone it's size! Feel free to come along to the Wirral unit and take the Pepsi challenge over that statement! You're totally right about the Adwest adjustable steering column though.
Pete-M Posted March 18, 2012 Author Posted March 18, 2012 Steering is quite precise for a recirculating ball setup. Similar to a good W124 in feel but without the immense Mercedes turning circle. Probably a bit sharper than the W124. Usual GM RWD tilt column nonsense - either slightly too high or slightly too low. You may wish to check your sources on that information! Although i'll agree that the Senator does feel a bit like a skinny W124 I can assure you that the Mercs turning circle is pretty tight by any standards, let alone it's size! Feel free to come along to the Wirral unit and take the Pepsi challenge over that statement! You're totally right about the Adwest adjustable steering column though. Having owned a W124 260E for close to a year as well as running a 280-24v TE for a hell of a lot of miles, my source is me. my comment was meant to say that the W124 turning circle is bloody excellent. Immense probably wasn't the best term. Oh, are you sure you mean Adwest? Adwest are British and have only existed since 1961. I'm pretty sure the GM tilt column has been around since the early '50s.
Guest Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 I had a brief ride in the in the premier automobile for apologists in the Vauxhall situation last night. Pete brought it round. Let's start off with a naff Holga photo. Its lenses are being remanufactured again for the express purpose of extracting the maximum amount of cash from idiot hipsters with DSLRs. Whoops. This was on a twenty second exposure. I had to take about 8 shots to get my eye in - so little light comes in through the lens you have pop off a couple of test images to find the edge of the frame. It's better in the daylight, or so I'm told. Back to the 18-55, and a chuckaway photo for library purposes. I'll do some better ones. That's about it.
DSdriver Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Great pics of a fine car, one for the calendar methinks. Do you have a very steady hand or were you using a tripod?
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