Roffle Not all Vauxhalls are shite. Please pay, roffle on Saturday!

[purplebargeken]

Hopefully this will be a happy little Vauxhall. My first one too in over 30 years of driving.

 

This was a deal done with myself and Brodders. My Rover may have been a part of that deal

 

I have a China Blue 1.3 Astra Merit estate filling the parking space outside where once a blue Rover sat.

 

Needs a couple of things:

 

Tail gate strut. Only one.

Long black rubber strip that covers the bit where roof racks are fitted.

Heater only works on top speed super turbo strength

[cort1977]

Nice one Ken, my first car was an 1.3 Astra that colour.  Would love to have a look sometime when visiting parents in Chingford.

[purplebargeken]

Most welcome mate, just let me know when.

 

Especially if you bring Gas Monkey Garage stickers  

[Bradders59]

Ive owned lots of Vauxhalls that weren't shite. I wouldn't touch any of their current range with a barge pole though.

The only one I haven't owned that I wanted to is the Lotus Carlton, but I doubt that will ever happen unfortunately.

[Jim Bell]

NAVAS?

 

Nah. Thatl'l never catch on.

[Junkman]

Nice one Ken, my first Vauxhall was an 1.3 Astra that colour.

 

EFA

 

And what was your first car?

[cort1977]

Good point.  '74 Pontiac Grand Ville?  Although still GM and a bit shite to be honest.

[dozeydustman]

I don't consider the Chevette as shite.

 

They're an absolute hoot

[Bradders59]

My Chevette was certainly a hoot.

I had a bad motorcycle accident in 76, passed my car test in 78 and got a Viva HB. In 79, when I was 19, I got a big wedge of cash from the accident and did what any sensible 19 year old would do. I bought a Chevette 2300 HS. 

That was my all time favourite Vauxhall Ive owned. Second place is a toss up between the 24v Senator and my current 3.2 Elite Omega.

Both great cars, although the Senator probably just nabs it, purely because I wanted one for so long, before I finally got one.

[Kringle]

When i clicked on the title I was expecting the first line to be.

 

"said no one, ever."

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Excellent choice. I also owned a china blue mk2 Astra estate years back, but mine was a derv, and refused to pass the MOT. Yours looks much nicer.

[sierraman]

Apart from the Insignia and the astra the new ones are cack. Theres a new SUV out apparently, if the advert is an indication of its target market, aimed solely at tax credit mums And those mouth breathing folks that wander round in pyjamas in Asda. Its as if they've finally acknowledged the moronic customer base theyve got.

[5speedracer]

My Chevette was certainly a hoot.

I had a bad motorcycle accident in 76, passed my car test in 78 and got a Viva HB. In 79, when I was 19, I got a big wedge of cash from the accident and did what any sensible 19 year old would do. I bought a Chevette 2300 HS.

That was my all time favourite Vauxhall Ive owned. Second place is a toss up between the 24v Senator and my current 3.2 Elite Omega.

Both great cars, although the Senator probably just nabs it, purely because I wanted one for so long, before I finally got one.

How much do you wish you still had the 2300 HS?

I'm guessing about 12 out of 10!

 

Sent from my Redmi 4 using Tapatalk

[purplebargeken]

Don't s'pose anyone has an awareness of one of these in a local breakers have they?

 

Need a couple of bits as identified earlier.

[schnappi]

Well I'm a Vauxhall fan.  We've had plenty in our family and they've all lasted decades.  They're well put together, generally easy to work on.  Lots of Vauxhall knowledge out there too.  Parts aren't too dear.  Lots of parts are interchangeable so you can have fun modding or upgrading them.

 

Currently own a Zafira B which I've had a few years and (other than having extremely stupid indicators) am getting along with fine.  Also own a 20 year old Vectra B (which I've owned for the last 18 years) with 265k on the clock.  It's still running well but failed its MOT because I need to weld up the back end of the outer sills, the sill end plates and the inner wheel arches (usual stuff for a 20 year old car).

[schnappi]

stupi indicators  beignthe canbus  two push but no mechanical locking ones ? 

 

push to first  'stop' for three flashes , push beyond for normal self cancelling  indicator  ?

 

Those are the ones.  In my case it's "try to push for normal self cancelling, only get three flashes, push again for normal self cancelling - now flashing for 1/2 mile up the road (can't see because top of steering wheel hides the idiot lights above the speedometer) eventually realise I'm flashing so panic and push the stalk the other way to cancel the lights.  Now flashing constantly the other way so push down, now flashing the other way - everyone around me thinking WT%?".  Had this car for 2 years now and still making a mess of indicating.  The old Vectra with the mechanical stalks - never had a problem.  Guess I'm just old.

[Noel Tidybeard]

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/car-boot-tailgate/vauxhall/astra

[SiC]

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/car-boot-tailgate/vauxhall/astra

This is cheaper:

https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/wooden-yard-broom-332398

[Kiltox]

This is cheaper:

https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/wooden-yard-broom-332398

You can take the man out of the Laguna

[Brodders]

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/car-boot-tailgate/vauxhall/astra

I wouldn't be so sure about them. They still haven't responded to my queries about where mine is yet, despite swiftly informing me when I bought it that as I didn't buy a pair that the two year guarantee didn't apply.

 

It's a shame, as apparently the struts are meant to be pretty good.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Apart from the Insignia and the astra the new ones are cack. Theres a new SUV out apparently, if the advert is an indication of its target market, aimed solely at tax credit mums And those mouth breathing folks that wander round in pyjamas in Asda. Its as if they've finally acknowledged the moronic customer base theyve got.

Someone at work has their new SUV.  In white.  I look at it every time they're there and just shake my head.  It's ghastly.

[purplebargeken]

I've just sent them a query. Let's see what they say shall we lol.

[MikeR]

I always wondered about the rear suicide doors fitted to the Meriva unti  i saw a disabled driver open the doors on his side and just reach round from his drivers seat and get a mobility frame off the back seat !  . 

[Bradders59]

How much do you wish you still had the 2300 HS?

I'm guessing about 12 out of 10!

 

Sent from my Redmi 4 using Tapatalk

 

I actually found it again 20 years after I sold it. It was sat in a garden about 5 miles from here and rotten as a pear. There were even brambles growing through the floor. I knocked on the door to speak to the owner but no-one was at home.

I went back a month or so later and it was gone. I really hoped it hadn't been sent to the scrappy.

Not long after this I saw a mint HSR spec shell on a trailer, which looked like it had just been resprayed in silver, so I reckoned someone had bought the remains and was resurrecting the car.

I have put the number (LIJ 98) into the Gov MOT site a few times, and it looks like it still lives. Which is nice.

[vaughant]

Vaux are far from shite, well, certainly up until about 2005/6 when they did seem to lose their way a bit.

 

I've had quite a few Vauxhall's and they're always nice and light to drive, heaters always work well and their certainly really easy to work on, don't seem to rust horrifically either really.

 

Had a few gsi's back in the day, loved the cavalier the best, so rapid, it had the redtop fettled quite a bit and was so quick to rev up. Never put a drop of fluids in other than petrol.

Had an Astra gsi in red afterwards with the same engine but it never felt as good, still fast but nothing like the cav.

 

Vauxhall always seemed pretty reliable as well, nice on the motorway.

 

Plus one their new stuff is shite though, apart from that insignia looks ok as a kind of Merc rip off.

[vaughant]

Just another quick side note. I always admired vaux for always making at least one performance model in the range where a lot of other manufacturers shit out when the insurance premiums went mental.

 

I started in ford in 1995 and the range was pretty dire, escort GTi, what a fucking disgrace, the rs2000 was their performance model and couldn't hold its own against my 1987 GTi 16v, no fast fiesta as the mk 3 rs1800 had just been phased out which left the top boy as a 1.4 16v smiley faced monstrosity.

 

Vaux still had the Astra gsi,corsa gsi etc.

[purplebargeken]

Meh, the bloody camera card has silently shat itself I discovered this after trying to download some pictures, new one in the post. 

 

Tailgate strut ordered and should be here ASAP, was £12.99 plus vat and delivery. Interior was pretty tidy but the seats are much cleaner now, I will have a good root round the load area once I can have some strut action

 

New wipers also required as the one's on the car are a bit tired. Now the snow has fucked off I can do the leaky cam cover gasket, chuck some new plugs in and change the thermostat.

 

The N/S headlight has some condensation in it. This will be wiped out with some kitchen roll and a wooden stick   Low tech solutions are the order of the day. The engine bay is looking a little clean now

 

I like this car!

[Christine]

I'm liking me Astra Arctic mk3... 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Vaux are far from shite, well, certainly up until about 2005/6 when they did seem to lose their way a bit.

I've had quite a few Vauxhall's and they're always nice and light to drive, heaters always work well and their certainly really easy to work on, don't seem to rust horrifically either really.

Had a few gsi's back in the day, loved the cavalier the best, so rapid, it had the redtop fettled quite a bit and was so quick to rev up. Never put a drop of fluids in other than petrol.

Had an Astra gsi in red afterwards with the same engine but it never felt as good, still fast but nothing like the cav.

Vauxhall always seemed pretty reliable as well, nice on the motorway.

Plus one their new stuff is shite though, apart from that insignia looks ok as a kind of Merc rip off.

I've owned a couple of Cavalier GSis and they are up there with my top favourites out of my 55 car history. Brilliant cars - just a shame about the rot.

[vaughant]

I've owned a couple of Cavalier GSis and they are up there with my top favourites out of my 55 car history. Brilliant cars - just a shame about the rot.

Yeah mine was rusty, it had a lot of welding done before I bought it but the arches were in a mess and I ended up sorting them out to look ok with fibreglass and filler but I rattle canned them when it was cold with my Mrs constantly disturbing me and they looked shit.

 

The bodywork certainly let it down.

 

I ended up selling it to an Irish lad who came over on the ferry from cork and he loved it, only really wanted it for the engine but apparently his dad was so impressed with how solid the car was he put his 2.0 8v out of the Astra in it and it survived out there for many more years which was nice to see. Apparently anything beyond a pile of rust was rare out there, I'm guessing due to a Westerly and very wet location and lack of required MOT for a number of years let shit get neglected?