project A Very Brown (Broken) Senator

[MiniMort]

That’s a very desirable car in that colour. May I wish you the best of luck with this beauty

[andy18s]

I do believe the round bump to be a rubber plug,to either remove or drill a small hole in to help with draining

[Uncle Jimmy]

Shirley the brown trout of Vauxhalls; wtf were they thinking? Congrats you win the Luxobarge award this month, collect an 8 track collection of power ballads.

[Zelandeth]

Those are lovely old barges to waft around in.  That one will make a lovely noise too.

We had one through in similar spec while I was at the garage, while brown wouldn't have been my first choice at the time, that car absolutely glowed after we'd done the machine polish.  Really suits the car I think.

I seem to recall that these have about a hundred tiny warning lights along the lower edge of the instrument panel.  Only thing I remember seeing at the time period which could compete was a Neoplan Skyliner coach which had a few dozen lined up along the top of the dash...

[RobT]

42 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I seem to recall that these have about a hundred tiny warning lights along the lower edge of the instrument panel.

Yes they do.  At the moment the lights flash like crazy, which I'm putting down to the damp.  They warn you of low coolant, washer fluid and so one.  No ABS light of doom, but will double check that tomorrow.

[Craig the Princess]

Absolutely superb. What a car, what a colour!

[HMC]

In about 1996 my Dad lost his company car but was given a lump sum to buy a car. I Remember viewing one of these in a similar colour (early one, a 2.5) in the end he bought a newer Sierra instead ?

[RobT]

9 hours ago, Wingz123 said:

I like that Cavalier! 

Thanks!  Best cheap car I've ever owned.

https://autoshite.com/topic/15626-cavalier-mk3-attitude-french-road-trip/page/7/

 

[Steve79]

Pretty sure that this isn't brown and in fact is what vauxhall called Damson Red at the time. 

At launch, the only solid colours available were glacier white, regency blue, black and damson red. I think over the years the finish has dulled. 

These two links give some interesting reading - down the rabbit hole alert!

Check out the crushed velvet interior on the early cd models - very Vauxhall Royale/Viceroy!

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-v88---senator-b-brochures-advertising-road-tests

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-v88---senator-b

[RobT]

4 minutes ago, Craig the Princess said:

Absolutely superb. What a car, what a colour!

I am genuinely excited to be part owner of it Craig.  After the initial viewing I just couldn't stop thinking about it.  Paid to play it cool though, as a few days later he dropped the price by 100 quid without asking.  Normally I'd just stuff the notes in their hand immediately, or buy blind obviously.

[RobT]

18 minutes ago, Steve79 said:

Pretty sure that this isn't brown and in fact is what vauxhall called Damson Red at the time. 

At launch, the only solid colours available were glacier white, regency blue, black and damson red. I think over the years the finish has dulled. 

These two links give some interesting reading - down the rabbit hole alert!

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-v88---senator-b-brochures-advertising-road-tests

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-v88---senator-b

Thanks Steve.

Here's the inside of the bootlid, which I suppose could pass for Damson Red, but it still looks brown to me.  I wonder if the buyer resolutely insisted his car must be brown, so they did him a special order.  Or would he have been told to piss off and buy a Granada instead?

[EssDeeWon]

Sooopurb that is squire.  An early one too,  didn't this shape come out on 'E' reg / 1988?  

Here it is back in 2013

 

[trigger]

What a fantastic car! That colour! It's like a giant size bar of Galaxy Caramel, delicious!

[flat4alfa]

Wow! A proper brown panzer

#34 please

[Steve79]

Easiest way to tell is just to get the paint code from the plate either under bonnet or on door pillar.

Really like these senators - top shitting!

[RobT]

That streetview pic is about 20 yards from where I collected it. The seller bought it off his neighbour, and it had sat there for 2 years.  Prior to that it was in his garage further down the road.

The V5 came yesterday, 3 days which is a record, and it's had 8 owners.  So to only have 70k miles they must have all used it sparingly, or it was broken most of the time!

[RobT]

6 minutes ago, Steve79 said:

Easiest way to tell is just to get the paint code from the plate either under bonnet or on door pillar.

Really like these senators - top shitting!

Here's the numbers, but a quick google didn't yield a definitive answer.  I literally just spent a minute looking.

[Kiltox]

14 minutes ago, RobT said:

That streetview pic is about 20 yards from where I collected it. The seller bought it off his neighbour, and it had sat there for 2 years.  Prior to that it was in his garage further down the road.

The V5 came yesterday, 3 days which is a record, and it's had 8 owners.  So to only have 70k miles they must have all used it sparingly, or it was broken most of the time!

Low mileage high owners is really odd - my 216 Cab has 12 owners and 55k!

[Steve79]

Yep, damson red aka terracotta red

[sierraman]

Check those front chassis legs, as per Carlton they rot like fuck there

[Bradders59]

I had a maroon 24 valve Senator. It was a superb car. It broke my heart to send it to the scrapyard when the inevitable rust took hold. Good luck with it. Good ones are worth hanging onto now. 

[Angrydicky]

That looks fantastic Rob! I might be hassling you for pictures of the injection wiring if I get stuck next week, as I'm converting my Royale to injection power!

 

7 hours ago, EssDeeWon said:

Sooopurb that is squire.  An early one too,  didn't this shape come out on 'E' reg / 1988?  

Here it is back in 2013

Hey Steve, how good is your memory? Do you remember the Senator that used to be all overgrown outside what is now Gates Appliances in that old forge building on Great Wakering High Street? That was there for years and years. Used to be a MK1 Transit luton used for storage outside the greengrocers nearby too.

[RobT]

32 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

That looks fantastic Rob! I might be hassling you for pictures of the injection wiring if I get stuck next week, as I'm converting my Royale to injection power!

I'll get some today Richard and send them over.  As it's at my folks' I can't just pop out for a quick tinker!

[Sudsprint]

What a brilliant car in a great colour. 

Almost the last time a volume manufacturer really competed with BMW/Mercedes etc?

 

[Angrydicky]

Hi Rob,

It's ok, don't worry! I think I have all the info I need from the man who's sold me the parts! But I know where you are if there's anything else I need

Fortunately, the job doesn't look too daunting, though in hindsight I should have just cut my losses and bought a later car like this, would have been a lot cheaper!

[cort16]

Imagine ordering  that from the dealership thinking it was going to turn up as a red car?

Looks great btw. I'm a fan of 80's barges obvz.

[eddyramrod]

I always fancied one of these, and maroon would easily have been well up my list of colour choices.  I'd still have one, so put me down for two randoms, won't you?

[EssDeeWon]

55 minutes ago, Angrydicky said:

That looks fantastic Rob! I might be hassling you for pictures of the injection wiring if I get stuck next week, as I'm converting my Royale to injection power!

 

Hey Steve, how good is your memory? Do you remember the Senator that used to be all overgrown outside what is now Gates Appliances in that old forge building on Great Wakering High Street? That was there for years and years. Used to be a MK1 Transit luton used for storage outside the greengrocers nearby too.

Hi Dicky no never saw that Senator, or can't remember seeing it.  I do remember the old MK1 Transit used for storage at the greengrocers, used to pop in there with my late nan many years ago. The owner used to drive a blue Bedford Rascal. 

[Bradders59]

2 hours ago, Sudsprint said:

What a brilliant car in a great colour. 

Almost the last time a volume manufacturer really competed with BMW/Mercedes etc?

 

Your probably right. The nearest I have come since, is my 3.2  Elite Omega. On paper its a better car in every way, but there was something about the Senators character that made it feel a bit more special than the Omega will ever be. Mine had the digital dash, which I loved. I still miss that so much that I briefly looked into the possibility of retro fitting it to an Omega.

[DVee8]

I think you should have a 1990 autocar shoot out,with this,Flat4alfa's or (who ever wins it) Renault Saffy and Triggers newly acquired  Scorpio.