taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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I will confess an affection for the early 8v Corsa. Mechanically and structurally it's a Nova (or Corsa A) with single point fuel injection instead of a carb.
They're simple to work on, the engines are bulletproof and they rust.
I guess they're not valued because the model ran until the late 90's and there are still plenty of later B's on the road. But the first ones are now over 20 years old and someone has to look after them. The Hall Effect dizzy ones are my favourite.
I was once even offered a job by an independent breakdown firm when I got one going that he'd struggled with for hours.
Such is their fate that today I have been given (yes given - for no money) a '94 1.4 GLS with 40k on the clock. I am preparing to crawl beneath it and discover what joys lurk beneath...
Anyone else think the time will come when even the humble Corsa will earn some affection?
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I have always thought they were bland and horrible, sorry not to my taste at all. Especially when driven by youths with stupid exhausts on and they try to race everything in their rice mobile.
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I have always thought they were bland and horrible, sorry not to my taste at all. Especially when driven by youths with stupid exhausts on and they try to race everything in their rice mobile. Vauxhall is a European brand, not an Asian one. Edit: check out points one and two of the MO: home.retro-rides.org/?page_id=17014*n
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Last Edit: May 22, 2015 7:21:29 GMT by penski
Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,970
Club RR Member Number: 56
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I love them, the quantity of modded ones in Europe means that budget coilovers are available, which are easily modded to fit K11's :-)
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so much potential most things have been tried and done with them, not many gsi's left , have been tempted at getting a 1600 sport on several occasions
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May 22, 2015 13:15:26 GMT
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Always disliked them really, but starting to really like the surviving very early ones. Particularly the GSi in either of these colours
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Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern
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May 22, 2015 13:24:50 GMT
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Great memories for me.
My old man replaced his Nova SR with a brand new Caribic Blue SRi in '94. Then, 6 months after I passed my test, my Mum replaced her '93 Astra 1.4 estate with a Corsa B 1.4 Premier 5dr in that lovely Green. I 'ran it in' - the parenthesis is because no-one told me about partial throttle so, whilst I never went over 4,000 RPM for the first 1k, I was barely ever off full throttle! ;-)
I did a better job of running in that car's 1.2 16v replacement in '99.
Good old Choices 1,2,3 and GM card points. My folks really did live the dream!
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@pistonbroker on Twitter
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raymod
Part of things
Posts: 13
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May 22, 2015 14:16:53 GMT
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Love the corsa gsi and the early sri.
Just sold my corsa gsi last year regret it a little now.
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May 22, 2015 16:28:38 GMT
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I think learning to drive in an early Corsa B turboless diesel put me off them for life, but I'm sure that like what happened to Nova's (Corsa A) they will eventually shake off their tarnished image and the sportier variants be quite sought after and valuable.
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1990 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 // 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 16v // 1992 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 // 1999 Peugeot 306 Meridian HDi Estate
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taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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May 22, 2015 17:20:08 GMT
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Thanks for some encouraging comments guys - appreciate it.
Not everyone's cup of tea to be sure. As it happens the car has done 37k, it's the multiple injector with the DIS module instead of a dizzy. Every panel has a smallish dint, but it looks to be a good solid little runabout that won't worry about being parked in Tescos (other supermarkets are available). Should make an ideal old car to drive and not have to worry about.
I think I might just change the timing belt though....I suspect it's the original, which is now 21 years old.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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May 22, 2015 17:59:08 GMT
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Everything had potential, as we say, but I'm old enough to remember these were rubbish new and aren't (yet) old enough to be remotely close to being a modern classic. The chav image has not helped either, but each to their own, glad that someone loves 'em!
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omega
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,060
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May 22, 2015 18:35:53 GMT
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my mrs had a 1.2 sxi for about 8 years was 100% reliable only ever cost a few quid for the mot but................ I hated the thing it was curse word to drive had no sole but she loved it they are shopping cars and that's all they fit for.
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May 22, 2015 18:36:25 GMT
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The basic early ones in apricot or apple green would look great slammed over split rim Ronal Teddies .
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You've been telling me you were a genius since you were seventeen ... in all the time I've known you I still don't know what you mean !
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pOG
Posted a lot
SHATNER'S BASSOON
Posts: 1,340
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May 22, 2015 22:57:48 GMT
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Hmm.
Ms_Pog had a Corsa of this ilk, bought nearly-new 15 years ago. It was, without a doubt one of the most offensive cars I have ever driven. Horrible, wheezy, clattery 3-cylinder engine that seemed to have been lifted from some sort of agricultural machinery, keep-fit steering, absolutely zero mod-cons. And rust. By cripes did it rust. Dead by the time it was eight years old, having been passed on to her sister, mother and finally some youth in a baseball cap. Bleurgh.
Show me a decent 1400SRi / Sport or GSi though and I'd be tempted. FICKLE.
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mikeymk
Part of things
'85 Polo Coupe S 1.6 16v
Posts: 931
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May 22, 2015 23:08:02 GMT
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Do not buy one without driving it first.
I bought a 1.4 SRi thinking it was a Nova SR in a groovy swoopy skin. I have no idea how GM got it so wrong. It was as lifeless to drive as the Nova was lively.
I then drove a mate's Merit, as i was fitting a new starter for him. This was even worse, the steering weighed an absolute ton and being used to my '85 Polo i actually failed to make a turn and had to proceed straight on!
Both cars were totally stock, with correct tyre inflation, running fine.
Whilst under my mate's car i was horrified at the rotten front chassis legs, and advised him to get shot of it.
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As with saxo's, clio's etc i had a bit of a dislike for corsa b's, not because of what they were, it was for what they had become......... A chav chariot, now they have pretty much shaken the image I can appreciate a nicely modified one, they have a nice shape to them and lots of potential
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Bacon
Part of things
Posts: 437
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Someone i know has a 10,000 mile 1 owner example Corsa B sat in one of his lockups, sadly its a Cat C, afaik its been fully repaired, but its a basic model only i believe
Probably not worth a great deal
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Last Edit: May 23, 2015 6:29:21 GMT by Bacon
Proprietor of Heavitree Raw Feeds in Exeter.
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taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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Someone i know has a 10,000 mile 1 owner example Corsa B sat in one of his lockups, sadly its a Cat C, afaik its been fully repaired, but its a basic model only i believe Probably not worth a great deal I had a car like that once, laid up and forgotten until I just needed a set of wheels for a few months. I repaired it, drove it and then sold it to our window cleaner for £300 because nobody wanted it. It was a 1972 Mk 1 Escort. With hindsight, not one of my better decisions. But at the time people just weren't interested in an old Ford shopping car. That Corsa probably isn't worth anything now, and they'll never be a classic, but I have a hunch that in a few years tidy original examples will start to go up in value as the generation who grew up with them, trashed and abused them, reach the age of nostalgia and want to buy back into a car that isn't riddled with body control modules and canbus systems.
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they are shopping cars and that's all they fit for. There are a fair few rally drivers and drag racers who would disagree with you... *n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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