Nugget the Corsa - 17/11 Winter Prep

[Pillock]

CAR400? Look at you with your lah-de-dah separate bass and treble controls! Real men use a tone control and deal with it.

[vulgalour]

@IainL: That will look at home, so providing it has the code I'll have that and back out of the other one.  Just let me know what the postage is and we'll sort.

 

EDIT:  bums, I can't back out of the other one, left it too late.  Going to have to pass on the cheap one :/ unless I end up buying a Vectra that needs it which seems unlikely.

[beko1987]

One of my teachers at Primary School (Mrs Buswell iirc) had a white B brand new in 95/M. She was quite fit...

 

About the only Corsa B story I have!

[Hendry]

One of my teachers at Primary School (Mrs Buswell iirc) had a white B brand new in 95/M. She was quite fit...

 

About the only Corsa B story I have!

Most folk I know have owned a Corsa B at some point, my best mate at primary, his mum had a brand new 94 M 1.2 Merit 5 door in mint green, I've only ever saw another couple this colour, it had absolutely nothing on it, not even a rear wiper or wheel trims, yet she thought it was luxury, I suppose that's what happens when you come from a J reg 1.1 Metro. and another school mates mum had a 94 M 1.2 Breeze 3 door in Nautilus Blue. My sisters first car was a 00 X 1.2 SXi in Arden Blue, I ewas hoping to buy it off her and do a mini project on it, tidying it up etc when she decided to buy a new car, unfortunately she rolled the thing. Various mates have had everything from L reg 1.2 8v LS to M reg GSi, W reg 1.4/1.6 Sports. I on the other hand my only Corsa experience was a 2 year old 55 plate 1.4 Twinport SXi Corsa C which wasn't a bad car but lacking the character of the B, in fact all this talk of Bs makes me want to get a late Sport for a mini project.

[beko1987]

I quite liked swmbo's corsa c 1.2 when she had it, she used to nick the puma so I took her car, once it was wound up it would proceed with speed fair play to it. Jumping back into the puma was always a laugh though

[Shep Shepherd]

My abiding memory the Corsa 'B' will always be the horrible shade of purple that many of the early ones were painted (which was subsequently adopted by the Max Power brigade), which made them look like a boil on wheels.

[fordperv]

Hey vulg why don't you enquire and email a pic of the dealer front plate to dmb graphics they will make you a set of replica plates matching that one for around the same price as a pair of generic ones, they will also make a tax disc holder if you desire, I have a dealer set from them on my saph and they are excellent

[Lacquer Peel]

lacking the character of the B

 

What character?

 

Soz, they are getting rarer now and nice ones catch my eye, but they are the worst of 90s GM grimness, miserable to drive and be in.

[Split_Pin]

It seems they're everyones favourite now.

 

VulgZ, no probs in the radio, it'll sit there so if you change your mind let me know.

[dugong]

I learned to drive in a 1.5 diesel Corsa B.

 

I didn't like them then and don't like them now.

[Fat_Pirate]

I had a brand new SRi in '94, it looked quite dashing in black with a red stripe.  I should have had a longer test drive though, 'cos I soon realised it wasn't any cop.  Not fast, not economical, numb handling, jiggly ride, but it was a 3 year lease and I was stuck with it.  Eventually I bought an old X1/9 and mostly ignored the Corsa from that point.

[vulgalour]

Love them or loathe them the Corsa is here to stay for a while longer yet.  Spent today doing some cleaning and sorting, not as much as I wanted as I was working outside and the weather is pretty grim.  First job was to tackle the worst door card on which the fabric had lifted in that way they do.  My Corsa HBoL hasn't arrived yet but it turns out the window winders are the same as those on the Vectra so that HBoL was useful in telling me about the circlip I couldn't see.

 

All dismantled the plastics got a scrub and I reglued the fabric to the card shape properly.  I suspect over time that the fabric (or vinyl) on these sorts of moulded cards must shrink over time and it pulls away from the deeper recesses.  Bit fiddly to remedy but gives a nicer finish.  Very light shampoo to get the arm rest stain out and put it all back together, pretty easy job this one but three more cards to go.

 

Plugged the sunroof drain tubes back into their sockets so the water goes where it's supposed to.  Can't be too bad though, the car's been sat outside in the rain and there's no sign of recent ingress from the sunroof.

 

Gave the boot a good scrub and fettle, little more than dust and what I assume is allotment scaff to remove and one of the easiest jobs of its sort I've had on a car. What's this strap for?

 

The plastics all clean up rather well and very easily, nothing seems to have gone brittle.

 

Carpet cleaned up well too, all is good.  Parcel shelf didn't need anything bar a vacuum to lift the dust from storage.  Gave the dash a wipe down too but it felt like it wasn't necessary, weird having such a clean base to work from!

 

Tax disc holder fell apart when I was removing the sellotape so that's not going back in.  Front seats need a light clean, I think I can blind stitch the tear in the driver's seat having looked at it today and I've the other three door cards to reglue the fabric on.

 

This is a very easy car to put right, feels like I'm working on something with half the mileage.  Spotted two Corsa Bs today as well, a red (pogweasel) five door and a white three door Merit.

[Shep Shepherd]

I think that the strap is for holding in a warning triangle or fire extinguisher. My father's Golf 3 had a similar arrangement.

[vulgalour]

Initially I thought it was for the toolkit, but I can't make that work.  Checked the manual:  "securely strap the first-aid kit - and on vehicles with the trailer/caravan towing equipment the warning triangle as well - to the left panel of the luggage compartment using the rubber strap"

 

My concern there is that they're suggesting it's a good idea to tow a caravan with a Corsa.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Tool kit/ jack etc should neatly sit by the spare wheel under the carpet.  I never really worked out what the strap is for- Astra has it too.  I think it may be for the first aid kit, that none of them ever had!

They are simple to clean up, the plastic is tough and keeps it's colour well.

[greengartside]

The strap is for the Vx first-aid kit. I was lucky* enough to have one fitted when I bought an Astra SRi once.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

When's the purple rear quarter panel hsppening?

[r.welfare]

My concern there is that they're suggesting it's a good idea to tow a caravan with a Corsa.

Austin Rover went one better with a caravan warning light on the instrument panel of the Metro, to remind you that you were towing one on the off chance you forgot.

[666jjp]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-VAUXHALL-OPEL-FIRST-AID-KIT-CORSA-ASTRA-VECTRA-ZAFIRA-INSIGNIA-COMBO-NEW-/261725331249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cf00b9f31

[Cavcraft]

The strap is to hold onto the hammer. The hammer is to beat the flange off.

[Hendry]

Hey vulg why don't you enquire and email a pic of the dealer front plate to dmb graphics they will make you a set of replica plates matching that one for around the same price as a pair of generic ones, they will also make a tax disc holder if you desire, I have a dealer set from them on my saph and they are excellent

I was going to suggest this too, I've got a set for my car too and the quality/detail is spot on.

 

One other thing I was going to suggest was a Fiat Punto rear wiper arm/blade, they really tidy the back end up on Corsas and mk3 Astra's compared with thr standard metal arm and can be had for buttons

[M'coli]

Austin Rover went one better with a caravan warning light on the instrument panel of the Metro, to remind you that you were towing one on the off chance you forgot.

Granted, anyone towing a caravan with a Metro had probably had the caravan since new when towed behind their Mini. Thus they needed a warning light close enough to them that the could see it through their cataracts but in a different position to the handbrake warning light...

[Split_Pin]

Same thing is happening with my doorcards. As its an early interior and the one that came with the (late) car was ok, I think it's a problem with early models. I got 3 sets of side trim panels when I bought the interior but only put these ones in as the other sets, which are far better don't have window winder holes in.

[vulgalour]

OEM radio acquired and in the post.  Once I know it works the present CD player unit with Aux input will be up for grabs at £15 delivered to recoup some of my costs.

[dugong]

OEM radio acquired and in the post.  Once I know it works the present CD player unit with Aux input will be up for grabs at £15 delivered to recoup some of my costs.

Who manufactured it and what colour's the illumination?

[Pillock]

I hope it's beige illumination. That's what I'm after.

[vulgalour]

From memory, it's an Alba with red-orange illumination.  Nice smart black fascia which is removable, not blingy at all and easy to use on the move.  I'll get some proper details tomorrow or when I'm next fettling with the car.

[Melchior]

Jolly good work going on here. Glad you made it back in one piece, journey sounds horrid.

 

Some memories for me here, first car was a J reg 1.4i Nova with pretty much the same engine as your Corsa. Went well and had a ticking tappet which never got any better despite 18 yr old me ragging the shite out of it probably everywhere.  Some years later I purchased a 1.5 TD for 100 quids.  It had lots of miles on it, I did lots of miles in it, sold it to a friend who did the same, he then sold it to another friend who did the same.  SO cheap to run. Also had dodgy rear brakes, adjusters were weird ratchety things and siezed.  New cylinders and adjuster cleanup fixed them, IIRC.

[trigger]

Vulgalour yesterday.

 

[Cavcraft]

{Lanky Tim} looks like him as well {end quote}