Rustynuts Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 No, not old people who own Vauxhalls, people who used to own Vauxhalls way back when. Daughters boyfriend is seriously considering buying a car. He's 17, drives a Berlingo van for work, and is looking for a car for a runabout. Just down the road from where he lives, tucked half away behind a hedge in someones front garden is an orange Vauxhall. The back end looks like a Firenza, but it might be a Magnum or Viva E, I can't quite tell from driving past. Front end is hidden. Stuck in the windiow is a note saying £450.00. My only experience of rear wheel drive Vauxhalls of this era is taking a £200 Viva E for a test drive in 1986 and having the clutch fail on me. So what're they like and is it gonna be a good car for a young enthusiast? This is something like it looks, but without the vinyl roof, and it's in orange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyds Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 Old vauxhalls are a good bet, if it's a 1256cc then it wont be too bad on insurance, they're as mechanically complex as a potato, thus cheap and easy to fix, and a right hoot. Rust your main issue though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve2 Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 i think thats a Firenza with the sloping rear, i had a chevette many years ago ( i owned a vette ) and it was a laugh to drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 My first car was a Chevette (after my dad made me get my deposit back on a yellow TR7 !). 1256cc engine was tough as nails, although rust was rampant, and it had all the style of a very unstylish thing. The Firenza was a nice old thing, and the Viva was interesting, but they're all long rotted away now. Credit for chosing something different, but not the most practical choice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted June 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 This is the Viva E. And the Magnum was the Firenza before a facelift (or something like that) and also had a fastback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shao_khan Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 I've had a few Vauxhalls - my car history started off with a Viva (pretty much like the one in your first picture - colour as well!!) - had 4 more Vivas before moving onto other Vxs. The Viva is IMO great for a first car, although you have to remember the current safety rating would probably be negative stars. Engines, etc dead simple even the big lumps - I am not sure these days how easy parts are to source, but there was nothing complex about them, and good old style so grab a haynes manual and you can do anything. Bodywise - Iremember they use to have issues withthe arches rusting - basically people didnt clean the crap out the wheel arch so the dirt built up and eventually rotten from the inside out. My first one I ended up cutting the arrch out and making a new glass fibre one - again easy fix. I must say I do have fond memories of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger_Irrelevant Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 I love these cars. Don't know much about them except that the slant 4 is meant to be a good engine and pretty much bulletproof. I agree about the rust tho. They seem to have quite a good club/enthusiast following as well if you like that sort of thing. I say go for it. It's a charitable act to keep one of these old girls on the road. I'm nobody's style commentator, but I reckon they're becoming cool again also. Especially the 2 door 'fastback' twin light variants. Might be worth a check around to see what's involved in making it run on unleaded cos I guess it might not already. What age is it? Are we talking tax exempt? Nice bonus if it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted June 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Well, following the change in the vehicle taxation stuff, it's got to be a pre 1973 vehicle to qualify. The 25 year rolling bracket for tax exemption doesn't exist any more. The Firenza was manufactured from 1971 - 1973 after which it became the Magnum, so if it's a Magnum then it's taxable. Firenza, possibly not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobby Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 This could be an ideal chance for you to wipe the dust off your spanners and get them used Especially once you say "get it!" and then it breaks IMO its got to be worth getting. From previous posts, do you have a welder in your family? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted June 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Yep, I used to spend most weekends under my Mk 2 Escort with a Mig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 I had an Astra SRi back in about 1990. Not exactly classic but quite fun at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I had an Astra SRi back in about 1990. Not exactly classic but quite fun at the time. [/ QUOTE ] You chav ! I went got something more classy ... Cavalier Sri on a D plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I had an Astra SRi back in about 1990. Not exactly classic but quite fun at the time. [/ QUOTE ] You chav ! I went got something more classy ... Cavalier Sri on a D plate. [/ QUOTE ] Ker vall ee ay Mate, I'd have dragged you off the lights, no worries, speshully with my Vanilla Ice at full volume. (I made my own 3/4 MDF parcel shelf to accommodate my massive rear speakers. Think I spent more on that sound system than I did on food, clothes and rent. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobby Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 [ QUOTE ] although you have to remember the current safety rating would probably be negative stars. [/ QUOTE ] Rusty doesn't worry about this sort of thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyds Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 www.retrocarclub.co.uk might have some information and apparently fitting a 2.0 XE "red top" from an Astra/Cavalier GSi is possible... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger_Irrelevant Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 I may be talking uter bollocks here, but isn't the Vauxhall slant 4 a distant relative of the Lotus twin cam? If so, i say forget the redtop & just tune the bugger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyds Posted June 21, 2007 Report Share Posted June 21, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I may be talking uter bollocks here, but isn't the Vauxhall slant 4 a distant relative of the Lotus twin cam? If so, i say forget the redtop & just tune the bugger! [/ QUOTE ] The Chevette HS/HSRs used a twin-cam slant four, which is similar in some respects to the lotus slant-4 twin cam, as used in the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, the problem with this engine is that it's expensive to tune, needs specialist care and deep pockets. The red top is cheap, will bolt up to the 'box out of an 1800cc manta, and will fit with a bit of fiddling to the mounts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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