Love for the old Vauxhalls

[fred]

I daresay this has been covered before
but these old wagons need a salute
always overdone by Ford
We need a uprising of old Vauxhall splendor

My most loved car ever



Big Bertha





Old Cresta PB



Ye old FE



Unsung hero Senator



Viceroy



sorry for the repeat, just looks like my old much loved Venny

[fred]

Magnum



Ye old VX/490



The Cresta = love em

[spineynorman]

Now this is my kinda thread



In my opinion, better looking than the Opel equivalent.



A re-badged Monza, I drove the last one ever built as my daily for about 6 months. So late it was delivered to the dealer with an Opel badge on the tailgate because they'd run out of Vauxhall ones!



No Vauxhall thread is complete without one of these:

[K5]

Only now are the older Vauxhalls starting to be appreciated when there's not that many left. Values are creeping up but still way behind old Fords.

[dbizzle]

Jan 21, 2013 23:51:25 GMT fred said:

always overdone by Ford

Eh...?

[MK2VR6]

Thanks for sharing the photos. It's great to see Vauxhalls getting some limelight for a change! I didn't know anything about Big Bertha, so have just had a quick dig. 5 litres of Holden V8, based on a Ventora shell, only lasting 6 races before a 140mph blaze of glory. Looks and sounds hard as nails, and still looks fantastic today. I reckon someone needs to build a replica....

Spineynorman - what's the story with the last built Monza then?

* Edit - would add some photos, but on my phone...

[woodenspatulas]

Old nail is another old vauxhall worth a look at. Its been raced and restored recently and i think its heading back to the track soon too.

I grew up wanting a Monza, in the deep red colour with anthracite wheels. 3ltr engine of course

Just spotted a Carlton Estate on autotrader that I wouold love to be able to justify buying, but have no room for

[spineynorman]

Jan 22, 2013 10:04:23 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Spineynorman - what's the story with the last built Monza then?

It was the last ever Royale coupe. Right at the end of the run of the Royale they ran out of bits, and made the last 96 cars with the 3.0 injected engine out of the Monza instead of the carbed 2.8 the Royales had as standard. Mine (well, my Dad's really!) had the series 2 Monza interior instead of the earlier Royale one, and apparently was ordered with factory air con but turned up without it so had an aftermarket air con kit fitted by the dealer where the glovebox should have been. Sadly I don't have anything to back up my claim that it was the last one ever made, I'm just going on what I've been told by members of the Autobahnstormers - seems the car is fairly well known to them. My Dad eventually part-exed it against a Bitter SC...

[MK2VR6]

Jan 22, 2013 16:06:10 GMT spineynorman said:

Jan 22, 2013 10:04:23 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Spineynorman - what's the story with the last built Monza then?

It was the last ever Royale coupe. Right at the end of the run of the Royale they ran out of bits, and made the last 96 cars with the 3.0 injected engine out of the Monza instead of the carbed 2.8 the Royales had as standard. Mine (well, my Dad's really!) had the series 2 Monza interior instead of the earlier Royale one, and apparently was ordered with factory air con but turned up without it so had an aftermarket air con kit fitted by the dealer where the glovebox should have been. Sadly I don't have anything to back up my claim that it was the last one ever made, I'm just going on what I've been told by members of the Autobahnstormers - seems the car is fairly well known to them. My Dad eventually part-exed it against a Bitter SC...

Interesting that VX had to scrabble in the parts bin to get it completed! What was its fate beyonf that? Hopefully it's survived the interim.

[MK2VR6]

Bit more on Big Bertha:

By 1974 Vauxhall were well advanced with a prototype Ventora FE V-8 road car, both the FD and FE models being designed with this possibility in mind. Vauxhall were keen to promote this venture by developing a racing car first, which could double as a promotional display car. In the event, the road car never made it and “Big Bertha”, as the racer was aptly called, had a very short life indeed. Designed by aerodynamics expert Frank Costin and Vauxhall stylist John Taylor, the car used a front mounted Repco Holden 5 litre V-8 producing nearly 500bhp, De Dion rear suspension and was clothed in a sensational show quality fibreglass “replica” FE body some 10 inches wider than the original. The car proved to be a handful even for the burly Marshall and in only its fourth appearance disaster struck. New brake callipers had been fitted after practice but the usual locking wire not applied to the pad retaining pins. The result was a major fright for Marshall and a badly damaged car. Blisteringly fast though it was, with the V-8 road car project already cancelled there was little point in persevering with this heavy car which was compromised for racing by the now unnecessary need to look like a road car.





Check out the rear DISH!


I see Big Bertha died and gave parts to Baby Bertha.....




And here's rare footage of driver, Gerry Marshall, giving the droop snoot some beans:


Curse word the mk1 Escort - these beauties are the shiz!

[spineynorman]

Jan 22, 2013 16:20:16 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Jan 22, 2013 16:06:10 GMT spineynorman said:

Interesting that VX had to scrabble in the parts bin to get it completed! What was its fate beyonf that? Hopefully it's survived the interim.

Yep, it's still about somewhere. It was getting slightly scruffy but still totally sound when we had it, mechanically it was perfect. I'll have a word with my Dad, see if he knows where it is now!

[ExJarkle]

This thread needs more Mega bertha. It was conceived as Baby Bertha's replacement and would've had a space framed chassis, a fiberglass body and an 8.1 Reynolds Chevy engine. The prototype is currently being rebuilt by David Cousins and should be finished in the next year or two.

[v8ian]

There was a vid of Big Bertha on trials somewhere on the internet, a totally stunning piece of kit, I cant find it tho, I think it must have been removed, I might be wrong but I think the Ventora was written off at silverstone not far from where Gerry had his Fatal heart attack,
I never realised it was 11" wider than stock, which is why the FE never really worked when trying to modify one, the proportions must be considerably different, I would love to try and build a replica one day..
Its a great shame that the special saloon series fell apart, when we raced baby bertha had just been introduced to the series---- vauxhall started the win at all cost mentality, and building purpose built cars that were really out of the league of the average Joe who raced in that series and never stood a chance against them,

[1430MK1]

Twin Turbo Aston Martin powered Magnum









www.classicmobilia.com/Pages/JohnPopeSpecial.aspx

[ExJarkle]

^900bhp and road legal. John Pope cracked 180bhp on a 'test run' on the m1 in it, plus he had an eight track that he used to listen to mid-race.

[MK2VR6]

Jan 22, 2013 19:37:39 GMT ExJarkle said:

^900bhp and road legal. John Pope cracked 180bhp on a 'test run' on the m1 in it, plus he had an eight track that he used to listen to mid-race.

Quality - top bloke!

[shagracer]

a few vauxhalls i took last year at camerton


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr


Camerton classic car show 2012 by shagracer, on Flickr

my dad only ever had vauxhalls

[stefan]

ell this is mine, no special saloon but unusual being a manual


Have also had a Droop Snoot Firenza and a HS Chevette along with alot of Vivas and Magnums

I would love to do a big berther rep, did not know that it was 11" wider than stock

[fred]

1430MK1

That - That is a monster Awesome piece of mad engineering at its best

[v8ian]

Big Bertha, I have spent a bit of time looking the the video of it testing, the film was at snetterton I think, and the film was removed from YouTube for copyright reasons, so I would guess it was owned by DTV or Vauxhall who threw a wobbly.
I'm not doubting you, but I'm still trying to see where the 11" are in the car, from what I remember of the regs the A posts and screen surround had to be stock steel & size. the profile of the car had to be stock except for spoilers/air dams. this was to stop roof chops etc,