Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

First experience yesterday of "competition" motoring. Local car club had an open day in mid Northumberland where visitors could for a fee experience a few laps in an autocross car. I opted to be driven by someone who knew his stuff. This was in what was still just about recognizeable as a Corsa with a 2-L redtop (?) motor squeezed in which the man told me had been tuned to produce 175 bhp. Considering that this was tuned for racing rather than road use this didn't seem that much more (well say 17%) than what I guess my own might produce when pushed, though the power-to-weight ratios were streets apart and the feel (and noise levels) totally different.
In retro the impression I had was how vulnerable the passenger would be in the event of having to get out quick in the case of a fire or accident. You are wedged in beside a thick reinforcing bar across the doorway and I don't know how I'd have exited without help especially if the car was not on an even keel. I couldn't even get the helmet to quick release. Almost a feeling of claustrophobia but I suppose the regulatory people know what they are doing.
I get the feeling that there's a kind of a pecking order: autocross, rally cross, full blown rally .. What I experienced, bombing round a bumpy field sideways, was probably rather tame in the grand scheme of things. It would be nice to experience the next stage up, but rather more difficult I assume without the right connections ...

Corsa redtop? I'd rather do it on a push bike...

Not something I've ever experienced but I'd imagine it would have been rather quick.
Though seeing the NCAP vids on youtube of Corsa's any form of substantial impact I doubt getting out of the car would be the top of your priorities.

Still, all new experiences are a chance to learn.

As I said it would be nice to "upgrade" - someone said there was quite a lot of activity at Croft south of Darlington if anyone knows it - and if so I'd expect of course to have the experience in the luxury of a rally (cross) Mk3 Cav. Hints / pleas to all on circ.

[In defence of Corsas it would probably be easier for the driver to eject in the case of fire / accident than for the passenger or depending on one's viewpoint]

I did Autocross for a few years in Guernsey. It is their version of banger racing really. There they basically race on a beach in a kidney shaped track and the cars are gutted down to basics, everyone wore a helmet and cars had a basic safety test (no sharp edges, seatbelts worked) but other than that it was free reign. Needless to say rollovers weren't uncommon and it was tremendous fun, if you don't mind getting sand everywhere.

If anyone is interested, I have some pics: My team 'Speedfreaks':
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davekirwi ... 875126964/

And general Guernsey autocross photos:
2008
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davekirwi ... 749727909/
2009
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davekirwi ... 875229110/

Telegram Sam wrote:As I said it would be nice to "upgrade" - someone said there was quite a lot of activity at Croft south of Darlington if anyone knows it - and if so I'd expect of course to have the experience in the luxury of a rally (cross) Mk3 Cav. Hints / pleas to all on circ.

[In defence of Corsas it would probably be easier for the driver to eject in the case of fire / accident than for the passenger or depending on one's viewpoint]

Aye, depends on the setup of the cage in the car I guess as to how easy it is to get in and out of any vehicle.

Cavalier342 wrote:Corsa redtop? I'd rather do it on a push bike...

Corsa B. Tuned Red Top. Rear-wheel drive. Check it. Amazing car.


Link

And I'd still rather do it on a push bike.

Cavalier342 wrote:And I'd still rather do it on a push bike.

You are being deliberately dismissive. The Corsa in the video is a brilliant build by one of the country's leading rally teams; 250bhp from a naturally-aspirated C20XE that revs safely to 8500rpm and manages 0-60mph in under four seconds is nothing to sneer at.

Yes I am. To me that's boring.

Cavalier342 wrote:Yes I am. To me that's boring.

Your just simply weird.

I think Humbucker's Corsa B was streets ahead of what I experienced and I can only dream of being in the passenger seat (for a start it looked a lot more comfortable than what I was sat in). Where can one get a slice of that kind of action?

humbucker wrote:Corsa B. Tuned Red Top. Rear-wheel drive. Check it. Amazing car.

Nice video, some great action, love to do this.

Telegram Sam wrote:I think Humbucker's Corsa B was streets ahead of what I experienced and I can only dream of being in the passenger seat (for a start it looked a lot more comfortable than what I was sat in). Where can one get a slice of that kind of action?

Listen to that engine screaming its nuts off!

You could probably rent a ride in a rally car. I imagine there are 'red letter days' that offer that kind of thing.

I treated Mrs Humbucker to a day of driving a selection of supercars around a racing circuit. If you can book that, then you're bound to be able to book a ride on a rally stage.

I'm off to the Nurburgring next week, and I'm hoping to jump into an instructor's car as a passenger in order to experience the 'Green Hell' at high speed.

When is a Corsa not a Corsa? When it's got RWD? (Or when it's churning out 250 bhp?)
How / where can I get a gear shift like that for my F16?
I can't unfortunately pop over to the Nurburgring much as I would like to but if anyone knows of any rally experience opportunities preferably in Northern England (Kielder Forest would be ideal except that the driver might get lost) I'd appreciate being tipped off.

Poor Mrs H. What she must have to put up with is heart wrenching

West Yorkshire suit you? http://www.extreme-rally.co.uk/

Take your pick: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rally ... 20uk&rct=j

If you want a shorter shift Sam try getting one of these.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400742008564? ... 1436.l2649

I suspected that the Corsa gearshift was one of those hi-tec electronic (?) Porsche-type ones that changes gears in nano-seconds. Must have a re-look but if I could get the same results for £24 from eBay I reckon that would be a bargain. On the other hand that might be a mite optimistic.

humbucker wrote:Corsa B. Tuned Red Top. Rear-wheel drive. Check it. Amazing car.

I have just seen the original YouTube on my PC. One of the most gripping videos I can remember - and I would argue quite a bit more so than something similar taken from a computer-controlled Formula One car on a race track (agree/disagree?). Pity we can't hear a bit more of the instructions that the co-driver was feeding.

The only comparable thing I can remember seeing once was a Shell or BP sponsored one of Nuvolari or Hans Stück or someone in the between-wars Auto Union, that great beast of a thing with a massive engine at the back and the driver all exposed up front. Glorious sound. In both cases I reckon the drivers had the same problems staying on the road. Nostalgia ...