Skizzer’s Vauxhall 2300S: cool again

[inconsistant]

This is a fabulous thread. Saw the car last week at the Essex shitemeet and it's really lovely. Was a bit sad to hear AD was selling it but this is a great outcome.

It will look awesome cruising the Mumbles strip. You'll be beating the old ladies off with a muddy walking stick I would imagine. Maybe you could offer them a ride and teach them a thing or two about ch*ke kn*b?

[Skizzer]

Maybe you could offer them a ride and learn a thing or two about ch*ke kn*b?

more likely. Me, I pull it out too much.

[Skizzer]

The Vauxhall and the XJ-S have now been pressed into daily service as the BMW and Jeep are out on loan and everything else is out of MOT.  

 

The Victor's tendency to poor running has been transformed by the addition of plenty of lead substitute in the petrol.  AngryDicky did warn me to put some in every tank, but I'd run out and thought I'd get away without it for one tank - but lesson learned.  It's still a bit lumpy and grumpy at idle, but Google says that's a 2300 slant four feature* and it was nicknamed the hay baler because of it.  A bit of tweaking of something might help though.

 

Otherwise it's rather delightful, gets a few thumbs-ups and Mrs Skizzer has become rather fond of it.  I stopped in Mumbles this morning to pick up a bag of dried cow's lung for Keith and a small crowd had gathered round the VX, which was pleasing.

 

Have a picture.

 

A big pile of sh*t. And a Vauxhall. by Skizzer, on Flickr

[Guest Breadvan72]

TEH SEX

[Angrydicky]

I used Castrol Valvemaster Plus in it, combined with Super Unleaded it raises the octane to an acceptable level. Glad to hear it's still going strong

 

Yep, the slant four does shake around a fair bit at idle!

[purplebargeken]

They do have a lovely front end.

[Skizzer]

They do have a lovely front end.

 

That reminds me, the other day while walking the dog I ran into a someone who'd seen it parked outside the house and said "I see you've bought yourself a Rolls-Royce, then?"  He was bursting to fire off a broadside of inverted snobbery, and was most deflated when I told him it was in fact a Vauxhall Victor.

[Skizzer]

I used Castrol Valvemaster Plus in it, combined with Super Unleaded it raises the octane to an acceptable level. Glad to hear it's still going strong

 

Yep, the slant four does shake around a fair bit at idle!

 

It's got the Redex juice in at the moment (because 43% off at GSF), and ordinary 95 RON - seems fine but I'll try Super 98 next time for extra brrm brrm noises.  I'll also look out for the Castrol jollop, because Castrol is an old client of mine and I like to buy clients' stuff, other things being equal.

[chaseracer]

..."I see you've bought yourself a Rolls-Royce, then?"...

 

So easily mistaken for a Silver Shadow.

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Cheapskate!  Use V Powah on ye olde engines.

 

This stuff boosts octane above 100 -

http://tetraboost.com/

[Skizzer]

Ah, but the car's got no head rests and 100 octanes might make my neck snap.

[Guest Breadvan72]

[chaseracer]

Ah, but the car's got no head rests and 100 octanes might make my eyes bleed.

 

Apparently, this did happen to Colonel Stapp...

[HMC]

Love the chrome detailing on it. Are the wheel trim rings original? Those and the black inner bit of the steel wheel look superb. She looks straight out of What Car? road test Circa 1975.

 

Is this the model that was dubbed " transcontinental" in its last year or so to add glamour and further to this, James hunt was cajoled into advertising it.

[Spottedlaurel]

Rather neat that this and Dippy's similar model should end up in regular use.

 

Seems an appropriate place to leave this:

 

What Car? April 1975 £2000 Cars by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Who can guess what they chose?

 

That shot reminded me of this happy day:

 

Period line-up by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

[Angrydicky]

Love the chrome detailing on it. Are the wheel trim rings original? Those and the black inner bit of the steel wheel look superb. She looks straight out of What Car? road test Circa 1975.

 

Is this the model that was dubbed " transcontinental" in its last year or so to add glamour and further to this, James hunt was cajoled into advertising it.

Yes, and yes. The wheels are in amazing condition for the age, really shiny original black paint, and stamped "Opel Rekord" as well.

[Christine]

All Vauxhalls are gooder than Fords..  

 

[Skizzer]

Is this the model that was dubbed " transcontinental" in its last year or so to add glamour and further to this, James hunt was cajoled into advertising it.

 

The FEs were called 'The transcontinentals!' in the advertisements from the start, in fact.  Personally I think I'd plump for the overdrive option if crossing any actual continents.

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Deleting the overdrive option (in 1974 I think) was a bloody stupid move. I've driven the identical Vauxhall Heritage 2300S to Devon (where there's another Luton) and back and I was desperate for another ratio.

[Skizzer]

^ Luckily I have just such a gearbox sitting in the Shed, courtesy of AngryDicky, waiting for me to acquire the necessary shorter propshaft and some bravery.

[Squire_Dawson]

Was it a Victor that Geoff Randall had in Randall and Hopkirk (deceased)? Don't see hardly any of those about now.

[eddyramrod]

Yes it was, but the previous model, the FD.

[Skizzer]

Holy Mary and Patrick - Jesus lives in a Vauxhall slant four!  The misfiring died on Good Friday but on Easter Monday it was risen again.  Hallelujah, not.

 

So the VX is back in the Big Shed for now, waiting for me to order some plugs and leads.  (We'll try the cheap and easy things first.)

 

Hmph.  

 

 

This means daily driver is now a V12 XJ-S with no* brakes.  Wish me luck.

[anonymous user]

Hopefully we will be able to replicate this image if I get the caravan of love* finished soon

[Skizzer]

OO YES!  The Holy Victor even has a towbar, all ready and waiting for just such a wagon.  It's a date.

 

When I'm done with the London gig I'm on at the moment (May?) I'd be more than happy to help with finishings, if required.

[lisbon_road]

Looks a fine car and good to see it stored in that superb shed which will keep it that way.  Wish I had a six car shed.  Sigh.  

 

My parents have an 1800 estate which was desparately undergeared.  I fitted a 3.4:1 axle, I think off an auto 2300GLS (memory?  Was years ago) and that was a great improvement.  

 

Undergearing has always been such an issue with older cars, and some not so old as well.

[Richard]

What mph/1000rpm does an overdrive box give you?

[Skizzer]

Looks a fine car and good to see it stored in that superb shed which will keep it that way.  Wish I had a six car shed.  Sigh.  

 

 

Thanks. Sadly it turns out to be a four car shed, because the big doors swing inwards. Might see if I can score a used metal roller shutter, then it would sleep six at a pinch (or five plus workspace).

 

 

What mph/1000rpm does an overdrive box give you?

Dunno offhand, good question, but if it means your ears aren't bleeding at 70 then it's a step forward.

[Skizzer]

It’s been yonks since I updated this thread, but regulars may recall the poor Vauxhall has had issues with lumpy running which I variously attempted to fix with new plugs, leads, coil and unskilled tampering with the carburettor (which had in fact been perfectly set up by AngryDicky before I got my muppet mitts on it).

 

Finally, the other week I reported in the News24 thread:

 

Good news: the Vauxhall 2300S now starts and runs reasonably smoothly, thanks to my having fitted (another) new condensor. This one has the wrong fitting so a bit of bracket fabrication will be needed for a permanent fix, but at least the car runs.

(Actual smoothness is too much to ask of a cold Vauxhall slant four, but it’s now capable of being driven without shaking itself to bits or making the neighbours get up a petition.)

Fear not though, the shite equilibrium remains in balance: the Lotus won’t fire up. Probably/ hopefully just the battery though.

Today it again fired up easily and I took it for a drive around the farm roads. All remains well, if slightly out of tune until I de-bodge the carb settings and put in some fresh 98 octane with yummy lead additive, so I’ve taken the bold step of booking it in for MOT next Saturday.

 

My MOT man is looking forward to it. “Haven’t done one of those for a few years,” he said. “Actually, I think I might have one in the field out the back somewhere...”

 

 

(Oh, and the Lotus still won’t start, but that’s another story. Presumably the cast iron Vauxhall slant four would drop straight in to an Elite...? Just have to leave room for Colin Chapman to rotate in his grave.)

[tooSavvy]

When about 18, I frequented the local petrol station/garage and watched all the goings on..

 

The guy who owned the garage rallied a Celica (front seat went into my Yellow PO MM1000 van!) and his best m8 + m8s brother had some cool gear.

 

One a 2300 Firenza, other 1300 straight cut box Clubman. Both road rally nuts

 

Firenza was full Blydenstein spec rally fitted out and he then bought a BV head + cam for the slant4.

 

After fitting everything and quadruple checking it all.. NaDa! Cerchough Cerchough Cerchough.. no start.

 

Discovered (no interweb) that the megga radical cam required a shim/plate gasket under the cam cradle for the valves to close fully.

 

*period observation* A local 'fat wallet' owned a Ford Escort RS2000 slope grille. He would come up to the T junction, just by the garage, and lite emm up as he snaked off up the road.. Universally derided as a 'fuckkinn knob head' by those in the garage.

 

TS