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AVAS, in more ways than one!


eddyramrod

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All Volvos Are Scottish (eventually).  This is a well-known fact here on AS, but by some miracle one had escaped and has been with me for 16 months.

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So here's a pez shot, because we're setting off on what will be the car's last, and longest, trip in my hands.

All Vauxhalls Are Shit.  This is also a well-known fact here.  Guess what?

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Eh?  What the actual?

You may remember that recently I advertised the Famous Five Volvo for sale, being in need of both cash money, and a reduction in my monthly outgoings.  I got a message from CMS206 of this parish, already an established friend, expressing strong desires but with similar cashflow issues.  Hmm, how can we make this happen?  A man with two small children really needs a big estate car, because all the paraphernalia his boys need won't fit in a little Astra.  A man with a lockup to clear out can manage without a big estate car; a family hatchback should be perfectly adequate.  So a deal was thrashed out and arrangements made for us to meet up at Gretna Services this very day.

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You what?  Gretna services on the last day of July?  Whose bright idea was that???  (Mine actually!)  It was rammed, and I mean solid.  Anyway, I arrived significantly early and treated myself to sausage and chips from Harry Ramsden's.  Andy CMS, accompanied by Andy CMS Junior, turned up well after I'd finished my dinner and showed me around the Astra, then I showed him around the Volvo.  Junior didn't seem keen on a swop but Dad ruled.

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There were not many interesting cars at the services...

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One of many Dub campers on the motorway today; from modern FWD types all the way back to Splitties.

 

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XJS wasn't as nice as it looks here; OSF wing was looking particularly scruffy.

So, I set off home in the Astra.  We had conveniently left each other enough fuel to get home; in fact I won't need to fill the Astra for a couple of weeks or more!

 

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Erm, wait a minute, what's this?  What happened to P-R-N-D-L?  Have I got to do it all myself?  Dearie me, talk about slumming...

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Round the corner from my house is this one, that's been up on stands for months.  So obviously I had to get the shot!

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And on the next block of the same street, a local banger racer has guess-what ready on his truck!

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ABVAS!  I couldn't resist this; three blue Vauxhalls in my street, and all residents.  There is in fact a fourth blue one but at the wrong end of the street (not to mention a silver one and a white one).

So, I'm a Vauxhall owner again, and a diesel owner again to boot!  Let's see how long this lasts.  (Not long in fact; I'm already planning to put it up for sale or swop.)

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1 hour ago, Amishtat said:

It's where fwd Voxhalls belong. Not fwd Cavs,mind you. 

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And yet, there were 2 for sale on here in June which none of you fucking bought. I owned both.

Good luck with the Astra Eddy, they are absolutely  smashing at just being cars. Its served several Scotoshiters faultlessly. I loved my 1.8 Coupe, I sold it only because 13 years was long enough.  Parts are so cheap it's almost unbelievable. 

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20 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

they are absolutely  smashing at just being cars. 

Yes, that's the impression I got when I first drove an Astra (practically new, 1993) and from subsequent Astras I've driven.  And, in fact, from driving this one almost 100 miles this very afternoon.

It has an aftermarket stereo, and so far I haven't been able to make the radio work.  Tomorrow or Monday, I'll try a CD in it, see if that'll work.  If it does, it'll be good enough.  I came all the way back from Gretna with only my tinnitus for company!  That wasn't fun.

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You know I passed another two red XJ-S on the way home... only managed to pap one of them. Also was passed by a fantastic Citroen Ami 8 Break being driven like tomorrow wasn't coming on the northbound M74!

850 is home getting acquainted with the resident Volvo on the driveway. Neighbours are twitching curtains more than usual...

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4 hours ago, Amishtat said:

It's where fwd Voxhalls belong. Not fwd Cavs,mind you. Just any Astra. And all diesels. Total fucking landfill. 

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And yet my son who learnt to drive in a mk3 cavalier describes his mk4 Astra as a mk4 cavalier.  Reckons it's just an evolution on the mk3 cavalier. Says it drives the same, handles the same,  and is only slightly smaller. It's like a mk2 cavalier in size. 

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7 minutes ago, New POD said:

And yet my son who learnt to drive in a mk3 cavalier describes his mk4 Astra as a mk4 cavalier.  Reckons it's just an evolution on the mk3 cavalier. Says it drives the same, handles the same,  and is only slightly smaller. It's like a mk2 cavalier in size. 

That.

I've had three Mk3 Cavaliers and the Mk4 Astra drives like a tightened up Mk3 Cavalier. That is no bad thing.

I was genuinely gutted that this Astra had to leave my fleet; it's truely been one of my favourite cars and were it an estate it'd have been here for the long haul, but it just wasn't big enough.

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I've had the pleasure of both, only my 850 was a T5 and my Astra was a 2.0 turbo. Both damn good cars in different ways. The Vauxhall was less nice but barely ever needed anything and when it did, the part was available in 3 seconds for 3p.

 

I'd happily drive either of those cars. Good on you both for making a deal and finding something to suit yourselves 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/31/2021 at 1:17 PM, JMotor said:

They are actually not bad cars at all! 

It'll do the job of "car" well.

After a couple of weeks, my experience confirms this opinion.  It's a decent old thing, adequate for normal daily use; but it will never win my heart.  Somebody will get a good tool when the time comes to wave it goodbye.

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  • 3 weeks later...

CD player works...

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Music that very much suits driving like I stole it...

The MoT runs out a few days after we come back from the south coast, so I reckon I'll have to get it done.  The Shiter who was expressing interest has gone quiet.  I have to assume that interest has waned.  The car is therefore back on the market.  Price... will depend on the MoT result.  I'm not expecting any issues, the car seems generally sound.

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27 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

CD player works...

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Music that very much suits driving like I stole it...

The MoT runs out a few days after we come back from the south coast, so I reckon I'll have to get it done.  The Shiter who was expressing interest has gone quiet.  I have to assume that interest has waned.  The car is therefore back on the market.  Price... will depend on the MoT result.  I'm not expecting any issues, the car seems generally sound.

Those Astras are absolute cockroaches. Not terrible rusters, reliable and parts and maintenance are cheap and easy. Being fair, I don't think they were intended to be anything more. A genuinely good car, but not one you will really love. Much respect for the Astra G. They don't even drive badly

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  • 2 weeks later...

And it's dead, Jim.  I haven't collected it yet so haven't seen the fail sheet, but it's been described as "a whole load of welding."  There's no way I'm getting involved in that, on a car that's going to be worthless for the next decade or more anyway.

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MOT data for VAUXHALL KF54ZMV

Failures:

• Front Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i)) - MAJOR

• Nearside Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced sill (7.1.1 (a) (i)) - MAJOR

• Offside Outer Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced sill (7.1.1 (a) (i)) - MAJOR

• Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced centre floor (7.1.1 (a) (i)) - MAJOR

• Central Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor/tunnel (7.1.1 (a) (i)) - MAJOR

• Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced floor above tank (7.1.1 (a) (i)) - MAJOR

oh dear 😪

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