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FAO Mr Welfare RWD Rare Vauxhall/Opel frenzy!


AnthonyG

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Seen it. Mr Bickle has first dibs, I believe! Although I like this particular style, I don't rate the 2.5 OHV lump in the Viceroy, but appreciate it's rarity.Mr Bickle - if you're successful and it needs an offside front wing let me know, I've got one in the loft somewhere...

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Having had a Mk1 Senator and two Opel Rekords I do love these old things, lovely and comfy to sit in and drive. I think I've got them out of my system (for now!) though. By comparison my Mk2 Granada feels a lot lighter and not as substantial, it's a bit like a big Mk1 Fiesta (particularly the dashboard!) and the seats are nowhere near as comfy, although the steering is better: the non-PAS steering on the Vauxhall/Opel is bloody awful - 900 turns lock-to-lock or so it seems. If the back end goes, it stays gone!I think Baz gave me a brochure for these as well, I'll post it down to you Nigel if you get it, so drop me a PM if you do - good luck!

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Thanks 'R' -deafening silence to all my exhortations so far....I've been fortunate enough to find a new local 'storage' facility -initially renting - with a view to purchase- once I'm happy its safe.if successful, it'll free up the log jam at home -which has reached epic proportions, allow me to finish the house -and let me buy LOADS more.Marvellous!!!

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More than 'ample' Reg if it happens -'normous'. And less than 4 miles away.This Viceroy -the true story.It exists- and I have spoken at length with the delightful lady owner -who isnt giving up driving and definitely wants more than £50.White 'W' auto 87000 mls -2 owners. Came off road 95, for hubbie to sort mechanics and welding -all done -seemingly. Now lost interest -which seems a bit strange.Recently offered to 2 local chaps who seem to have storage problems -she will get back to me with a price/value if they dont stump up.If I then cant/wont -I'll put it on here- with her details.Is that OK chaps?

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Odd that - the chap on R-R (Bstardchild) is usually pretty good with his info. I suspect the old dear contacted the Autobahnstormers which is the club for these motors. I doubt there are any other Viceroys in it though - at one point I had 2/3rds of the Opel Rekords registered! :lol:

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Yup. It may in fact have the Senator front end - which is apparently longer (think this refers to the inner panelwork rather than the outer stuff, which I believe to be interchangeable). Holden got caught out as they were given a prototype Carlton/Rekord body to base their Commodore on, but none of the straight-sixes or V8s would fit, so they had to use the Senator front end. Senator has a '6th light', i.e. a small window just behind the rear door, which the Carlton/Viceroy/Rekord/Commodore (Opel) doesn't get. Original Holden didn't get it in the early incarnations, but I believe the later ones ('84 to '87) did. The Aussies were always behind the times - didn't get a 'curvy' Carlton based version until late '87 (nearly two years behind us), didn't get an Omega-based one until '97 (three years behind) and only replaced that with an all-new one last year!I recommend the model history as good reading if you have insomnia - I fell asleep twice writing about them for Original Tin Volume 1... :lol:

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Well -it does indeed seem it is to be mine!Nice lady called(twice) today- and offered it me for £150. Knowing nothing about it, having seen no pictures , I - of course -said 'Yes'. Whats a 400 mile round trip -to collect unroadworthy junk to you/and me? A mere bagatelle.Add the issue of an auto box -which means a backward tow on the dolly- oh delightful! So -to all you Norfolk chappies -near or close to Gt Yarmouth (Potter Heigham to be precise) I need something up there to persuade the wife out on this splendid endeavour -prob next weekend? All ideas welcome...Failing that- who's on for a beer?

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Well -it does indeed seem it is to be mine!Nice lady called(twice) today- and offered it me for £150. Knowing nothing about it, having seen no pictures , I - of course -said 'Yes'. Whats a 400 mile round trip -to collect unroadworthy junk to you/and me? A mere bagatelle.Add the issue of an auto box -which means a backward tow on the dolly- oh delightful! So -to all you Norfolk chappies -near or close to Gt Yarmouth (Potter Heigham to be precise) I need something up there to persuade the wife out on this splendid endeavour -prob next weekend? All ideas welcome...Failing that- who's on for a beer?

Nice one my friend! Look forward to seeing it. Will this be your first Griffin badged shite? :D
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Hey Regie -did you realise that 2 of the cars 'out front' at pres are indeed Standards? The Estate (called a Companion) passed its first MOT in 7 years yesterday (somewhat shocked to notice on the V5c that I've owned it since 1977!) and the saloon -a Pennant is gradually being prepared.And hidden behind the Trannie -a 1937 Flying 9, mid 'up date' -6-to 12 volt, plus the addition of hidden indicators (- semaphores are just no good in this day and age) and a hidden elec fuel pump -the original mechanical is a bit lazy.That'll be out shortly -too, hopefully!

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As SL says, plenty to do.Plus going to Potter Heighem is an experience in itself, you can bear witness to LATHAM'S, which is truly the shite pinnacle of consumerism. A huge carbuncle of a shop/warehouse filled with cheap grot, and infested with mad old folk - it's mega.

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Mr. Bickle. What sort of charmed life does one have to have led in order to amass such an incredible collection? As we are now back to 1977, I can only imagine ERNIE smiled at you, or better still, you struck it lucky with the score-draws, and Grandstand invited you to call with 48 points (or whatever it was) before sitting down to Dukes of HazzardDear Jim'llPlease fix it for me to have a collection like Mr. Bickle. You can keep the badge, just want a Fiat 132 to roll out of that chair-arm door and appear through the cigar smoke...From Tom.

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Grandstand invited you to call with 48 points (or whatever it was) before sitting down to Dukes of Hazzard

The pedant in me says it was '79 before the Dukes hit the screens, but to be honest judging by the Yankshite used in each episode it was set some years before that. Later episodes have a good selection of J-tat including late 70s Accords and what looks like a Civic wagon
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Hey Regie -did you realise that 2 of the cars 'out front' at pres are indeed Standards? The Estate (called a Companion) passed its first MOT in 7 years yesterday (somewhat shocked to notice on the V5c that I've owned it since 1977!) and the saloon -a Pennant is gradually being prepared.And hidden behind the Trannie -a 1937 Flying 9, mid 'up date' -6-to 12 volt, plus the addition of hidden indicators (- semaphores are just no good in this day and age) and a hidden elec fuel pump -the original mechanical is a bit lazy.That'll be out shortly -too, hopefully!

No I didn't! :shock: Not really surprising though, as there can't be much you haven't got / have had! Maybe I subconciously took it in if you mentioned them before, as they're a bit old for my liking and it's a bit of a coincidence otherwise!I passed yours today, just to see what was new (it's a fun game!). What's happening to your metallic green R12 estate, is it off on a little adventure? Nothing serious I hope, it's one of my favourites of yours, not least because of the colour, & I've never seen it move before! I saw your FSO pickup more clearly now too! Is that leaving soon?
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(- semaphores are just no good in this day and age)

Tell me 'bout it. I letmy neighbour have a go in the Daimler the other day, and during the course of a 15-minute drive round residential areas there were only two motorists who noticed the trafficators. For the time being I'm consoling myself with the thought that if the Daimler is involved in a collision, the other car is almost certainly going to come off very much the worst (I'd hesitate to take on a Conquest even in my old Volvo 245), but eventually it's going to have to have flashing indicators fitted. It's already 12 volt though, which helps...
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As i said Reg -switch around time.Too congested -so a few have gone into store. The Colorale, Estafette van, 128, Companion (though thats prob coming back) and 12 Estate. Nowt serious -just time for swopsies.You'll se a few different out shortly, not least the rhd 411 Dattie from Melbourne -due for its MOT Monday. Should pass- no issues I can find (except the gripfill in the holed muffler -thanks to a fork lift on the docks!)All ready to register- bit pissed to see the cost has risen from £37 to £50- thats a hell of a steep increase!Semaphore Wu-iee -I love 'em -but the gen populus just dont understand.Its slow at the best of times (dog slow actually!) but very original dipping headlamp unit (as the o/s goes out), wartime s/phores and white running boards (original -I think) but I gotta have indicators- or its effectively unusable.So I've taken one of those MGA relays -flashs the brake light -for the rear (OK on the D lights fitted) and I'm double filamenting the tiny sidelights- gotta be those modern tiny things to fit. I've a period A30 type switch -hope it all works Ok.I'm adding a 12v elec fuel pump too -full throttle (most of the time) -exhausts the original.Who knows- perhaps a little more zing!!Out this Oct I hope -in time for the annual Old Crocks run. Me -or the car?

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