1986 Vauxhall Carlton CDi, Daily use of a 38yr old car. Winters here.

[sutty2006]

On 31/07/2024 at 10:30, JMotor said:

Yep. 

I left on Monday for home. 

Noticed there was less cars and certain clubs weren't there too. That was comparing it to the last time I went in '22. 

The autojumble was very lacking for certain cars too. I ended buying some Flash Opel magazines and spent most of the time talking to friends and sinking some beers. Got bloody sunburned too! 😆 

2014 was the first one I attended and yeah it was massive. I couldn't believe how large the show was. 

Ahh man, if I’d known that we could have met up for a beer or 7. We stayed until Monday too but we’re ushered off by Shaun and Lewis by 9am. 
 

There was naff all worth buying, I came home with more money than I left with after selling some Landrover parts and manta parts. The only thing I bought was this 

 

Carlton key ring! 
 

This was our set up

 

and we had a couple of cars left over for a picture Sunday night 

 

[JMotor]

I'm sorry too. 

I did think of giving you a shout. But at the same time, I (stupidly) thought I'd leave you be. 

I was on the ClubVox stand with the Corsa. 

That's a very old school keyring. Hardly see those model specific ones now. Good result on the parts sale too. Nice feeling that. Offset the beer bill 😆.

Aye, I chucked my car out into the hotel car park on Sunday. With a cold shower and heaps of aftersun slapped on to finish the evening 😆.

If it was OK with you. I do plan to go next year. So I can take a wonder across get the craic with ya? 

[sutty2006]

1 hour ago, JMotor said:

I'm sorry too. 

I did think of giving you a shout. But at the same time, I (stupidly) thought I'd leave you be. 

I was on the ClubVox stand with the Corsa. 

That's a very old school keyring. Hardly see those model specific ones now. Good result on the parts sale too. Nice feeling that. Offset the beer bill 😆.

Aye, I chucked my car out into the hotel car park on Sunday. With a cold shower and heaps of aftersun slapped on to finish the evening 😆.

If it was OK with you. I do plan to go next year. So I can take a wonder across get the craic with ya? 

I’ll bring extra beers!!!! 

[sutty2006]

Been a while hasnt it? 
 

I parked the Carlton on someone else’s driveway while we had guests for Arthur’s 3rd birthday party and needed space. It sat there for two weeks as I hadn’t had time to pick it up. I tried to start it last week and the battery wasn’t strong enough. 
 

today, I gave her a tickle from the discovery and brought it home. 
 

 

[Wibble]

Now that’s a set of useful jump leads!

[sutty2006]

4 hours ago, Wibble said:

Now that’s a set of useful jump leads!

Fixed to a quick release Anderson socket on a bracket I fixed to the bull bar 💪

 

[Wibble]

Brilliant. Glad to see the Carlton still going strong, love it.

[sutty2006]

Going to use it until the end of the month then sorn it. 
 

might mount the key in a little glass case with a sign above it reading “incase of emergency, break glass”

[sutty2006]

[sutty2006]

Took the Carlton to VauxALL at the British Motor Museum on Sunday. Lovely drive down. 
 

 

[adw1977]

Looking good!  Great to see that it's out of hibernation. 

[sutty2006]

On 22/05/2025 at 16:05, adw1977 said:

Looking good!  Great to see that it's out of hibernation. 

I think I taxed it in March. Been using it every day this week as the compressor on the discovery has stopped working. 
 

I had a fault with this though. Turning left hand bends at low speed it would loose all power. Almost like cutting the throttle off. Happened three times on my way home from work. Was down to less than 1/4 of a tank and I’d had 3/4 in when I went down to gaydon. ( i say that because the tank still hasn’t been completely filled yet, and there was rust on the upper half) . The following day I tried an Italian tune up which seamed to have cleared it. I’ve ordered fuel filters for it. 

[sutty2006]

I had the pleasure of meeting Will from RestRevival the other day. He did a little yootoob video of my Carlton!

 

 

 

[Wibble]

4 hours ago, sutty2006 said:

I had the pleasure of meeting Will from RestRevival the other day. He did a little yootoob video of my Carlton!

 

 

 

My goodness, you are so much younger than I expected.! Regardless, I love the car.

[sutty2006]

7 hours ago, Wibble said:

My goodness, you are so much younger than I expected.! Regardless, I love the car.

Mental age 21, Body age 67, actual age 37. 😅

[Snipes]

11 hours ago, Wibble said:

My goodness, you are so much younger than I expected.! Regardless, I love the car.

By contrast, Sutty is also basically the spit of my uncle! The uncle is a lot younger than my parent, so that's not necessarily the "old geezer" joke it reads like lol.

[sutty2006]

It’s been a while, but while the disco was sat in the naughty corner the Carlton was pushed into daily use. It handled it brilliantly. It even got dirty! 
 

 

so on Saturday it got a quick bath and a wash behind its ears and on Sunday I treated it to a relaxing drive out with some other retro dailys. 
 

 

 

it can rest for a bit now. She’s done superb work as a stand in back up car! 

plans going forward into 2026, she needs two front tyres now. There’s oodles of tread left, but because they were sat in storage flat, the walls have perished and there’s a very slight vibration at 50. I put two new Firestone multihawks on the rear a couple of years ago but it seams I can’t get this size Firestone again! Local tyre shop can only get 1. Will have to hunt around for a pair. 

[sutty2006]

Winters definitely here. 
 

 

going to order two front tyres next week. Settled on Hankooks. I was going to put 4 on, but what’s the point? Rear tyres are like new so I’ll just do the fronts. I am that guy that likes to have 4 matching tyres but does it really matter? 

[sutty2006]

[sutty2006]

Snow just kept coming last night. 2 and a half inches 

 

 

[MJK 24]

Are you worried about salty roads?  Or is it in good order, underneath?

I wonder where your old diesel Carlton is now?

[sutty2006]

4 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

Are you worried about salty roads?  Or is it in good order, underneath?

I wonder where your old diesel Carlton is now?

I’m kinda avoiding the salt where absolutely necessary. I just managed to get the Landrover back the road before the bad weather hit. It’s pretty solid underneath but the front inner wings are susceptible to rot so I’m avoiding salt where possible. 
 

my old diesel Carlton has been restored by the chap that bought it to me and it’s now his sons car. They rebuilt another engine for it and I think they’ve painted it now too! It’s getting some proper love! 

[High Jetter]

A Lotus Carlton featured in PC recently, awaking memories.

[Talbot]

This is becoming perilously close to everything-exempt.  Just 10 months to go for MOT and then Tax a few months later.  Seems odd to me, as I can clearly remember these being brand-new on the road, and are still a good-looking vehicle, perfectly capable of mixing it with modern dross.

Long may it stay on the road!

[sutty2006]

8 hours ago, Talbot said:

This is becoming perilously close to everything-exempt.  Just 10 months to go for MOT and then Tax a few months later.  Seems odd to me, as I can clearly remember these being brand-new on the road, and are still a good-looking vehicle, perfectly capable of mixing it with modern dross.

Long may it stay on the road!

Yep, mot will continue I think, with using it as a daily/back up car. The tax exemption I think will be April next year, which will help!

 

blends in with modern traffic because it’s grey, it was a boring colour BEFORE it was cool 😎