A40 and other family cars - Start ya bastard.

[spike60]

I'm an old Opel pervert having run a 1976 Ascona B 2 door 1.6s as a daily for about 5 years in the early 1980's, a 1981 Manta 2.0sr hatch after that as a family daily, a cheapy 1980 2,0s Ascona 4 door work hack and a glorious 1985 Monza GSE manual the last in the 1990's. I was also given a 1972 (?) Ascona A 2 door 1.9SR the timber contractors had been using without docs in the forests, you can guess....! All suffered badly with the rot blight, even the very smart Monza had the strut turrets cut out and replaced professionally.

It's great to see an Ascona B in such good condition, I assume it has avoided becoming a rally replica as it's a 4 door. 

[Barry Cade]

An Ascona B 400 is my dream car. I nearly made one when I was 17, chopping the front end off my 2dr Mk1 Cavalier, and arc welding on an Ascona front panel, along with the rest of the Ascona front end. I sold it to a mate after getting a signal orange RS2000, and he smacked the quarter into a lamp post, then nearly got done for insurance fraud as the police argued it was an Opel insured as a vauxhall and was modified...

We're still best mates 😆

I was in Germany for 2 weeks, Ascona hunting this year, and saw 2. They really are rare now. Only 3 Mantas too 😢

Post loads of pics when it's done!

 

[Matty]

55 minutes ago, spike60 said:

I'm an old Opel pervert having run a 1976 Ascona B 2 door 1.6s as a daily for about 5 years in the early 1980's, a 1981 Manta 2.0sr hatch after that as a family daily, a cheapy 1980 2,0s Ascona 4 door work hack and a glorious 1985 Monza GSE manual the last in the 1990's. I was also given a 1972 (?) Ascona A 2 door 1.9SR the timber contractors had been using without docs in the forests, you can guess....! All suffered badly with the rot blight, even the very smart Monza had the strut turrets cut out and replaced professionally.

It's great to see an Ascona B in such good condition, I assume it has avoided becoming a rally replica as it's a 4 door. 

Its been off the road a long time. I would guess it came off the road when the engine went. The turrets needed repairing and the sills had to be done but much of the rest was just cosmetic corrosion rather than structural. So best guess it was the engine that did it.

[Matty]

2 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

An Ascona B 400 is my dream car. I nearly made one when I was 17, chopping the front end off my 2dr Mk1 Cavalier, and arc welding on an Ascona front panel, along with the rest of the Ascona front end. I sold it to a mate after getting a signal orange RS2000, and he smacked the quarter into a lamp post, then nearly got done for insurance fraud as the police argued it was an Opel insured as a vauxhall and was modified...

We're still best mates 😆

I was in Germany for 2 weeks, Ascona hunting this year, and saw 2. They really are rare now. Only 3 Mantas too 😢

 

I wish id kept the Manta but theres plenty i could say that about.

Problem for me will be when he sells this (which he will, always does). Itll be more than i really have, itll fill my single garage leaving no room for my tools and id have to part with the A40 as ive only room for one. But given as its basically a 4 door GTE (albeit with a carb and 4 speed box) it feels like id have to try and do something.

[sierraman]

Those Asconas are ace. I can’t ever recall them being very common at all though? 

[chadders]

Wallace Arnold in Leeds ran a fleet of white Voyages in the early/mid 70s but I don't remember seeing many Asconas on the road.

Once the Cavalier came out there wasn't much point for the average car buyer to buy one nor the fleets, although they tended not to buy Opels anyway.

[sierraman]

An Opel always seemed to carry a bit more gravitas than a Vauxhall. The early Senators were lovely cars, I don’t think any one has ever toppled having an ox blood interior or that light green one to match the bathroom suite you’d have had at the time.  

[Dobloseven]

My dad bought one of the first Cavaliers in 1976,a white 4 door 1600L.In 1977,he replaced it with a blue 1.6 Ascona 4 door,which he kept until 1980,replacing it with a 1.3 Kadett,sold before the Astra became available..Think he used them for work and could get them on some sort of car scheme,though they were always his own vehicle s.The Opels at the time were sold from a different dealer to Vauxhalls,in Leicester at any rate.

[Barry Cade]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

An Opel always seemed to carry a bit more gravitas than a Vauxhall. The early Senators were lovely cars, I don’t think any one has ever toppled having an ox blood interior or that light green one to match the bathroom suite you’d have had at the time.  

A 2.0S Berlina had headlight wipers and THE best steering wheel ever fitted to any car, ever. And that Bronze that most of them seemed to be is perfect. Not forgetting crushed velour for the win. Not even to mention a SIX dial dash. 

I want the 80s back.. sideways.

 

 

[chadders]

8 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

A 2.0S Berlina had headlight wipers and THE best steering wheel ever fitted to any car, ever. And that Bronze that most of them seemed to be is perfect. Not forgetting crushed velour for the win. Not even to mention a SIX dial dash. 

I want the 80s back.. sideways.

 

 

We've really gone backwards haven't we, that was also the decade of the Mk2 Gti, the best car I've ever had. Obviously not perfect but the best balance of qualities.

[N Dentressangle]

28 minutes ago, chadders said:

We've really gone backwards haven't we, that was also the decade of the Mk2 Gti, the best car I've ever had. Obviously not perfect but the best balance of qualities.

Loved my Mk2 GTI. Always a car I felt good in.

[Barry Cade]

51 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

Loved my Mk2 GTI. Always a car I felt good in.

Preferred a mk2 Scirocco. Nicest driving position of any car I've owned. Here's a divisive question. 8v or 16v....?

Just reminiscing a bit.. i remember going for my yearly summer 6 week holiday to Germany, and a distant relative, Volker, took me to see a white BMW M1 in a BMW dealers, in his Ascona 1.9 S. Dark blue 4 door with the ATS wheels, and rubber rear spoiler. Height of Manta Manta time .. Shell suits, mullets, and Rothmans fags. The next year he had a Citroen CX GTi, which kinda puzzled me!

 

[chadders]

3 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Preferred a mk2 Scirocco. Nicest driving position of any car I've owned. Here's a divisive question. 8v or 16v....?

Mine was 8v, my company car budget wouldn't quite stretch to a 16v.

[Barry Cade]

5 minutes ago, chadders said:

Mine was 8v, my company car budget wouldn't quite stretch to a 16v.

Maybe we should start a new Fred for this! Don't want to trample on Matty's good stuff!

[chadders]

2 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Maybe we should start a new Fred for this! Don't want to trample on the OP's good stuff!

Good idea.

[N Dentressangle]

22 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Preferred a mk2 Scirocco. Nicest driving position of any car I've owned. Here's a divisive question. 8v or 16v....?

Just reminiscing a bit.. i remember going for my yearly summer 6 week holiday to Germany, and a distant relative, Volker, took me to see a white BMW M1 in a BMW dealers, in his Ascona 1.9 S. Dark blue 4 door with the ATS wheels, and rubber rear spoiler. Height of Manta Manta time .. Shell suits, mullets, and Rothmans fags. The next year he had a Citroen CX GTi, which kinda puzzled me!

 

Good mate had a 16v in helios blue whilst I had a silver 8v. His was quicker at the top end, but we both agreed that the torque of the 8v made it equally quick if not a bit quicker in 'normal' driving. Other difference we noted was the lower gearing of the 16v, meaning a busier motorway experience. I'd be happy with an 8v again tbh.

[Barry Cade]

13 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

Good mate had a 16v in helios blue whilst I had a silver 8v. His was quicker at the top end, but we both agreed that the torque of the 8v made it equally quick if not a bit quicker in 'normal' driving. Other difference we noted was the lower gearing of the 16v, meaning a busier motorway experience. I'd be happy with an 8v again tbh.

Totally agree! That question can cause arguments. .. 

Helios blue..🥰

[Matty]

2 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Maybe we should start a new Fred for this! Don't want to trample on Matty's good stuff!

Nah. Love all this stuff. I had an 8 valve. Never felt slow and much less to go wrong 🤣

[chadders]

10 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Totally agree! That question can cause arguments. .. 

Helios blue..🥰

This:

[sutty2006]

That ascona looks ace. I love my 4 speed box, no complaints from me, but if I was to live near a motorway id need to put my 2.0 axle in! 

[Matty]

4 hours ago, chadders said:

This:

Looks a bit of a dog @chadders 🤣

[comfortablynumb]

23 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Preferred a mk2 Scirocco.

Nearly died in a Scirocco storm, think that was a MK1.

Demonstration vehicle, came up to a T junction, not exactly hanging around, stood on the brake pedal and absolutely fuck all happened 😱

Fortunately there was nothing coming, I pinballed off the opposite kerb , finally got it to stop, and called VW recovery to get the fucking thing taken away.

Not for me, thanks.

[N Dentressangle]

On 17/11/2025 at 09:40, N Dentressangle said:

Somehow I always preferred the Ascona's styling to the Mk 1 Cav, plus it hasn't got a Vauxhall badge on it 😉

Shame there are so few survivors

Missed this one:

It's good!

[Matty]

Bit of shopping this evening. Turns freely and got compression. Itll be stripped and rebuilt anyway but its a good start. 1500 Triumph SC. Destined for the Standard obvs 🙂

 

[GeorgeB]

22 hours ago, Matty said:

Bit of shopping this evening. Turns freely and got compression. Itll be stripped and rebuilt anyway but its a good start. 1500 Triumph SC. Destined for the Standard obvs 🙂

 

SC?

 

[Matty]

2 hours ago, GeorgeB said:

SC?

 

Just what i know the triumph 4 pot refered to as. Not sure what it means. It may be a referance to Standard as im pretty sure it was their design.

[captain_70s]

1 hour ago, Matty said:

Just what i know the triumph 4 pot refered to as. Not sure what it means. It may be a referance to Standard as im pretty sure it was their design.

"Small Car", according to Wikipedia. "Stupendously Crap" according to me.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, captain_70s said:

"Small Car", according to Wikipedia. "Stupendously Crap" according to me.

Id asumed "single cam". To distinguish from Standard Triumphs well known range of twin cams and variable valve timing units 😁

[Jenson Velcro]

For some reason I always thought it was single carb, and TC was twin carb?

[Rustybullethole]

TC is most definitely Top Cat.