New member - Calibra V6 (resurrection)

[Captain Flimble]

Many thanks for the encouraging comments chaps. It will be a classic one day, even if it kills me, (or unless it kills me first).

 

Good work Flimble, you're really putting the effort into saving something most people wouldn't hesitate to chuck away.

I'm glad someone's taking the time to save one of these, Calibras have gone from 'one on every street' to 'C.R.T.L.T.I.S.O' in the space of a couple of years.

 

...nope, sorry - I've tried to work that one out - what does it mean? It appears to be an anagram of Clitoris.

[Cheggers]

Can't remember the last time I saw one???

[RichL]

Excellent work there, sir. There is something about these cars I really like but I can't explain. I saw a late Cavalier V6 while on holiday a couple of years ago I had a deep sense of WANT. They are now forgotten, along with the Calibra, but were decent motors. Well spec'd, nice to look at, not bad to drive and well built. Apart from the rust...

Well worth the time and effort

[stuboy]

good working i still hanker after one from my cavalier days

[Morgan84]

Thats what loving and running old cars is all about.I fully understand you putting in such quality effort to what is still a lovely motor,and lets face it ,its less decayed then some of these 'barn finds' with a legacy of bodgery people try to put back into life ! With some decent rust proofing ( both underside and internal sections ) you should keep that car running for a long time to come

[Captain Flimble]

less decayed then some of these 'barn finds' with a legacy of bodgery people try to put back into life !

 

Um, be under no illusion - I have owned this car for 14 years, and there has been plenty of bodgery in that time!! It currently has 2 left seats (I'm not much of a dancer either) because decent drivers seats are getting hard to find, the fuel sender in the tank had rotted through so it was patched up with a bit of pipe soldered in, (a couple of years ago - still holding), and the headlining is held up with copydex (again - hard to find). But it is gradually getting straightened out, and I pick up pieces as they become available, (and as they fall off).

 

I could probably pick up a decent replacement one with less miles for about £500, but:

1) This one is mine, and

2) Where's the fun in that!

[406V6]

Back in the 90s I had several Vauxhalls as company cars from new - in order a 1989 Astra GTE 8v, 1991 Calibra 8v, 1994 Astra GSi 1.8 and 1997 Vectra SRi V6, all with manual boxes. All of them were pretty similar for fuel consumption in the mid-30s mpg. The best - Astra was 5 - 10% better on fuel than the worst - the Vectra V6, but the V6 still got about 34-35 mpg on a run. The Vauxhall engines of the time were excellent and the V6 was superb. Smooth, powerful and economical. In my experience it will only drink fuel if you do lots of short runs and/or cane it. V6 fans may be interested to hear that the 406 V6 that came after the Vectra was better still. Despite being almost 3 litres and with an auto box it's more economical except when used on short runs. On a long run it normally gives 34 to 36 mpg. I don't drive like a tearway but not like a granny either.

[John F]

Only letdown for me is it has the later grille which I don't think suits the Calibra at all.

 

+1 there, I think a Calibra with a V grille looks like a footballer in a suit.

 

I've had my 1994 Calibra V6 for 4.5 years now, it's almost never let me down in the 70,000 miles I've put on the car (the only actual breakdown was due to me inadvertently crimping a replacement section of fuel pipe during fitting), its performance is more than adequate (a genuine 145-ish mph) and now that Calibra values are starting to go up it's probably worth double what I paid for it. Not that I'll be selling it, ever.

[Captain Mainwaring]

...its performance is more than adequate (a genuine 145-ish mph)

 

Sodding Nora!

[eddyramrod]

decent drivers seats are getting hard to find

 

Ebay Europe, LHD passenger's seat?

[John F]

decent drivers seats are getting hard to find

 

Ebay Europe, LHD passenger's seat?

 

Capt. Flimble and I have discussed popping over to Europe for some Calibra seat swappage at some point... probably en route to picking up a free Honda Legend he's been offered in the south of France...

[John F]

...its performance is more than adequate (a genuine 145-ish mph)

 

Sodding Nora!

 

Capt. F says that he's seen 155 mph on the speedo in his Calibra V6

[Captain Mainwaring]

Forking hell, I knew they could shift but would have never imagined they'd be able to reach that kind of whack.

[John F]

Forking hell, I knew they could shift but would have never imagined they'd be able to reach that kind of whack.

 

Yep, and that's in standard trim, too.

 

I recently picked up a 3.0 V6 from an Omega and a 6-speed f28 gearbox from a Calibra turbo for mine, that should give it an extra 40-ish bhp and possibly another 10 mph or so at the top end. Not that I'm doing it for more speed, I just want the 3.0's extra torque at the bottom end & closer ratios from the turbo box.

[Captain Flimble]

...its performance is more than adequate (a genuine 145-ish mph)

 

Sodding Nora!

 

Capt. F says that he's seen 155 mph on the speedo in his Calibra V6

 

...of course this is purely hearsay, officer!

[John F]

 

...of course this is purely hearsay, officer!

 

I didn't specifically say that the speedo needle was pointing at the quoted figure...

[Captain Flimble]

The next stage in my continuing plan to bend said needle around the end stop:

 

 

Big grin