Corsa B - little mint green dream machine

[grogee]

I believe bright green is the county colour for Kent, judging by the two cars I know about that are there: 206CC and this Corsa. 

It is indeed a lovely thing. 

Does it still smell of Vauxhall-McDonald's or have the years replaced that with something else? 

South Lincs: I sometimes frequent Bourne and Aslackby (in fact I'm going next weekend). Is that Mrs @auntiemaryscanary's neck of the woods? 

[MrGTI6]

2 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

Hmmn, I know which I prefer

Soon as I got on the Tonbridge dual carriageway bypass I knew I was going to love it.

For something 26 years old it drives amazingly well. @MrGTI6 said there is a slight steering wobble from 65mph but he must have younger and finer senses than me! Where conditions allow it happily sits at a satnav 70. The queue for the Dartford tunnel didn't bother it. Lovely little thing in a great colour.

Thanks for the kind offer @grizz, hopefully another time. You going shitefest?

Anyway, having my pack up and cracking open the 2nd flask the going for a straight run home.

 

Absolutely delighted to hear you're enjoying the car! It really is a little cracker. Clearly been well looked after all its life. 

I bet the queue at the Dartford crossing was worrying. The first bit of heavy traffic in a "new" car is never enjoyable!

[auntiemaryscanary]

Home 10 mins

Cup of tea 1st. Star man @MrGTI6

[MrGTI6]

Probably the furthest north that car has travelled all its life @auntiemaryscanary! 

[auntiemaryscanary]

So what a thoroughly enjoyable day I've had. Can't thank @MrGTI6 enough.

The car drives stunningly well. It's not lightening fast of course but more than held its own in lane 4 of the M25 at legal speeds. I suspect* it will be thoroughly comfortable at speeds 10-12% above the legal limit but then i'll never know...

I had a silly grin on my face all the way back. I wouldn't have any qualms driving it anywhere based on today. The last 20 miles home after leaving the A1 at Grantham were a mixture of fast single carriageway roads, towns and mildly twisty roads. This Corsa handled them all in style.

I knew the Sirion was flagging but I'd not realised how thoroughly shagged it was. I'll miss the Aircon though. But the Corsa brings me a new experience - a sunroof. The 1st one I've ever had and I'm in my early 50's!

As an added bonus @MrGTI6 found some evidence to back up the timing belt has been done as he had been told by the previous owner

3 years and 2,000 miles ago is a big fat win.

@MrGTI6 graciously left the tax on to get me home. I'm now the registered keeper and it's taxed in my name.

Mrs auntiemaryscanary likes it and wants to drive it straight away. She have to wait until 1 minute past today though until the permanent insurance kicks in.

Well I'm going for a little rest...

EDIT - pics removed I'd posted above

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2024 by auntiemaryscanary
Tiredness

[mintwth]

6 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

Hello Kent!

Thought that looked familiar 

[grizz]

And this all……….

 

Is why you are all WINNERS.  

Cheers  

 

[auntiemaryscanary]

3 hours ago, grogee said:

 

It is indeed a lovely thing. 

Does it still smell of Vauxhall-McDonald's or have the years replaced that with something else? 

South Lincs: I sometimes frequent Bourne and Aslackby (in fact I'm going next weekend). Is that Mrs @auntiemaryscanary's neck of the woods? 

It is a very lovely thing. It doesn't really smell of anything, which is good. 

Mrs auntiemaryscanary knows of Bourne but not been there for many a year. She is from Long Sutton, 10ish miles north of Kings Lynn.

[auntiemaryscanary]

Does anybody know what the official Vauxhall name of this car's green colour is? I'm wanting to keep my eye out for a touch-up pen or rattle can.

[grizz]

Lots of screenshots 

[auntiemaryscanary]

7 minutes ago, grizz said:

Lots of screenshots 

Well I never @grizz. Thought I'd be scouring eBay or autojumbles for a 30 year old original touch-up pen. The modern world eh?!

[grizz]

We’re all in this together. 
 

Happy that for a change I could offer a little advice 

[auntiemaryscanary]

FFS!

[volvoman]

22 hours ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

Hello Kent!

Yep, ive drove over that Tonbridge bridge tens of thousands of times, even going back to the early 1980's, when i owned Ford Cortina MK 3s/4s/5s an a spankin MK2 Ghia Xpack 2.8 Granada...................Then i bought my 1st Volvo, an waved goodbye to my Ford days.

Well bought too, that colour makes the car.

[auntiemaryscanary]

Phew Dartford tunnel fee paid.

Wife now driving as I type. Kids unimpressed, even better. Update later.

[auntiemaryscanary]

So.... After getting home yesterday afternoon I couldn't get the sunroof closed. I was tired, didn't want to break it and after to speaking @MrGTI6 who confirmed he'd not had a problem with it I left it well alone and went to bed. I've not had any form of sunroof before which wasn't helping. In truth I felt a little deflated, hadn't spoilt my day by any means and certainly wasn't feeling let down by @MrGTI6

Fresh this morning I had another look.

Hmmn that's not helping and neither had where I'd given the rusty bits a good poke yesterday. Vacced out the rusty bits but unsurprisingly wouldn't close properly. The sunroof cassette itself is in perfect condition and fully greased.

So I call the next door neighbour mechanic round

Phew!! What a relief, rain forecast later etc. Neighbour diagnosed it instantly of course. He told me how far to wind the sunroof back then he held the metal strip down whilst I wound the sunroof closed. S

I was dreading telling @MrGTI6 what had gone wrong. He'd been so great yesterday. I didn't wanting him thinking I was an ungrateful little sh*t. I love the car.

Bless him, via IM, he offered to pay half to get the sunroof repaired!! What a gent. My reply was something like: Did I check the car over before buying it? No, not a single solitary thing. Would I have paid the same price with a non-working but closed sun roof. Abso-F-ing-lutely.

I will not be taking any money from this fine upstanding Kent based autoshiter, no siree. It's a 26 year old car!! Stuff happens. The neighbour mechanic couldn't believe the car's condition "look how clean those inner wings are!".

PS I then noticed it's proper glass headlights. Marvelous.

[auntiemaryscanary]

Wife's 1st drive of the car today, she thinks it's great. The countryside ice cream parlour was closed as in not opened this year. Emergency garden centre activated. 

Lovely

 

[auntiemaryscanary]

Embarrassed kids and considerably less than lovely....

[MrGTI6]

That little car has probably done more miles in the last couple of days than it managed between its last few MOTs! 

The offer stands if you ever do repair the sunroof during your ownership. From those photos there's no doubt the issue was pre-existing and such a failure was imminent.

I'm glad you and your neighbour managed to get it closed while it's still dry but I'd much rather it had happened to me! 

I think the 50% family approval rating is as much as you could have hoped for! What's the point in having kids if you can't embarrass them? 

[Dan302]

That's a little stunner, I worked in a Vauxhall main dealer for a few months when I left school in 1998, I've a soft spot for them. That colour is epic!

[timolloyd]

Are these early ones essentially a run-out Nova inside, in terms of dashboard, switchgear etc.?

[auntiemaryscanary]

3 hours ago, MrGTI6 said:

That little car has probably done more miles in the last couple of days than it managed between its last few MOTs! 

The offer stands if you ever do repair the sunroof during your ownership. From those photos there's no doubt the issue was pre-existing and such a failure was imminent.

I'm glad you and your neighbour managed to get it closed while it's still dry but I'd much rather it had happened to me! 

I think the 50% family approval rating is as much as you could have hoped for! What's the point in having kids if you can't embarrass them? 

Yeah I'm clocking up a few miles - off to a work office 15 miles north in the morning. I don't know how you "down south" people manage with some of the travel complications. I get twitchy if my 5 mile through the city centre regular commute takes more than 20 minutes!

I really do appreciate your very generous offer about the sunroof. However you know my reply

It is surprisingly easy to embarrass 15 and 13 year old daughters. It's great fun especially as I get older and don't give 2 hoots what other folk think.

[auntiemaryscanary]

2 hours ago, Dan302 said:

That's a little stunner, I worked in a Vauxhall main dealer for a few months when I left school in 1998, I've a soft spot for them. That colour is epic!

Condition aside, it's the colour that swung it for me. I have a silver Doblo and the now scrapped Sirion was also silver. I wanted something in a colour - you don't get a mint green like that now!

There is quite a nice current VAG green mind but I reckon that's because it's not to dissimilar to my Kawasaki.

[auntiemaryscanary]

2 hours ago, timolloyd said:

Are these early ones essentially a run-out Nova inside, in terms of dashboard, switchgear etc.?

I've not a clue unfortunately. I'm sure greater minds on here will know though.

[Cavcraft]

22 hours ago, grizz said:

Lots of screenshots 

I got some 'touch up paint' all over my trousers when I saw that Corsa.

[Shep Shepherd]

5 minutes ago, auntiemaryscanary said:

I've not a clue unfortunately. I'm sure greater minds on here will know though.

As far as I'm aware, the Corsa B was a 'clean sheet' design with regard to exterior and interior styling. 

Shep's Link-O-Matic: http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-gm4200-s93---corsa-b-part-1

Vauxpedia is a great website, even though it looks atrocious. I've learned a lot about old Vauxhalls from it and have gained a new appreciation for them as a result.

[lisbon_road]

Looks good.  I think that's probably the 1.4 SPi, but with the later engine (X14XE?) which I think has a knock sensor and seems a lot better than the early ones to me.  Should be very economical and if not exactly a ball of fire, perfectly adequate for a little car like this.  Nice colour too. 

[auntiemaryscanary]

1 hour ago, Shep Shepherd said:

Shep's Link-O-Matic: http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-gm4200-s93---corsa-b-part-1

Vauxpedia is a great website, even though it looks atrocious. I've learned a lot about old Vauxhalls from it and have gained a new appreciation for them as a result.

I've had a quick look at that website. Crikey, that hurts eyes. Got some good stuff on there once you've acclimatised to the layout.

[auntiemaryscanary]

We had have rain overnight then some rain as I was driving 15 miles to one of the offices. I wasn't expecting any water ingress but it was good to see the sunroof is water tight.

50mph average speed cameras most of the way so a nice gentle way to get more of a feeling of the car. I get the feeling you could chuck about a little if the mood took you.

I wasn't sure going to work whether the Merc/Audi/Tesla tossers thought I was an owd fella and perceived to be holding them up or whether that was their default setting. Time will tell.

Arrival at office "village":

Drive back was lovely in the sun.

After we had to nip to Currys for an emergency fridge freezer (as good as this mint green beauty is it can't swallow a large domestic appliance)I've actually had a bit more of a look round at it. Everything mechanical is so easy to get at. The oil looks like it's just come out of the can and the air filter is clean so I assuming @MrGTI6 has changed them recently.

Something I am have going to be careful of is the cigarette lighter socket is permanently live. My USB charger lit up without even a key in the ignition. A closer looks shows an aftermarket lighter socket and a connection (thankfully fused) back to the battery. All v minor and easily sorted if required.

Edited June 10, 2024 by auntiemaryscanary
Pressed send too early

[MrGTI6]

Pleased to hear that the sunroof remains watertight! Nothing worse than jumping into your car first thing in the morning only to be greeted by a puddle in the foot-well. Sounds like your neighbour knew what he was doing!

Good thing you spotted the light on your USB charger. I was going to suggest perhaps the cigarette lighter was on a timer after you take out the key, then realised what a daft suggestion that would be on an R-reg Corsa! At least you know without finding out the hard way by running down the battery. Perhaps the radio staying on when you take out the key is related?

Nice to have all service items easily accessible. Not that it will need doing any time soon, but a timing belt change for example looks as though it would be an absolute doddle. Not like the wet belt change on my 308 which involved dropping the sump! I can't take credit for the fresh oil/filters. I did check them when I first got the car and realised they looked like they'd literally just been done, and that was only a few hundred miles ago. 

I get through a lot of cars and try not to get too attached, but I actually grew really fond of the Corsa. It may sound daft, but just jumping in it and driving to work felt like an event, and the novelty never wore off during my admittedly short ownership.