Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Well as a lot of you know by now, I bought VegasPhil's redtop Corsa toward the end of last year.
TBH I don't have huge plans for it - just a few subtle tweaks here and there and get it running as mechanically sound as I can.
So a very abridged history from the start of Phil's ownership (images pinched from Phil's project thread)
Back in the day - standard 1.2 8V Vegas:
DEPO smoked headlights, badgeless grille, lowered and Corsa C SXi alloys:
Cav Slabs temporarily (still really like it on them!) Irmscher smoked rear lights and Blueflame 6x4 Oval:
Sport Interior fitted:
Post 97 Bumpers and SXi alloys refurbed in Volvo Dark Grey Metallic:
XE Time! Enter the donor car:
[mg]http://www.corsasport.co.uk/carimages/9217/calibra_2.jpg[/img]
An full respray:
Inc. semi smoothed boot, aerial removed and few other subtle touches:
Black trim sprayed in Volvo Dark Grey Metallic:
Full Powerflow exhaust also fitted, but no pics.
Whiteline ARB fitted:
And Porsche D90's fitted which made it look awesome:
Then I bought it toward the end of last year. Trouble was I was awaiting insurance policies to expire on both my vehicles so I could change NCB's around etc, so the car had to sit on my drive for 2 agonising months!
GSi steering wheel, new leather gatiers, Alpine CD / MP3 headunit and Richbrook Titanium gearknob fitted:
New plates with motorbike font, flatblade wipers and Tigra scuttle. The scuttle and mirror base plates were sprayed satin black - thanks to Tom @ Lemass 
My ongoing mini project (ie complete before show season hopefully!) is to tidy up the engine bay.
First up was a polished manifold heat shield & arch liners:
The cone filter had seen better days too as the car was run with no arch liners with the D90's - therefore it had become pretty rusty. So started looking into fitting an airbox.
Big thanks to ojc for sorting me out with a C16XE top half for it's bigger inlet, I got the other half of a 1.2 16v B in a scrappy, and de-restricted it:
I've also had a full service by Jamie @ Lemass (top bloke - shrek on here) all filters changed, couple of sensors and general check over. He also fitted a boot pop that runs off the rear wiper to save me climbing over the back seats!
One night I went over a bump and the EML came on. Tracked it down to find it was a snapped wire on the inlet temp sensor in the air intake. This has been ghetto fixed for the time being, and will be sorted properly soon.
Thermostat had been leaking so set about replacing it. That was not anywhere near as straight forward or cheap as it was meant to be though!!
Purple arrows point to the issues. Bottom arrow: rounded off bolt, top arrow, sheared off bolt. And to top it off, that housing is no longer available from Vauxhall 
Big thanks to unionjack30 on here for sorting me out a replacement and posting it to me ASAP as the car ended up being off the road for about a week (it's a daily driver!)
New bolts and gaskets were ordered from Vauxhall and new thermostat fitted.
Whilst the car was off the road, I fitted the airbox, and a polished oil cap:
(not the ghetto fix on the inlet temp sensor! I picked up a new plug from the scrappy today, so it will be fixed soon)
The drivers side seat has always had a ripped bolster:
a bargain £10 at my local scrappy and I had a new back rest with no rips:
Plenty more to come - new suspension, wheel refurb, exhaust change and more engine bay tidying.
Thought I'd better get a thread up though as many people have asked me to 
Cheers,
Rich
[Edited on 31-07-2010 by Rich H]
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Mark.W
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Registered: 3rd Jan 07
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
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Your getting there mate 
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Ant B
Member
Registered: 4th Jan 09
Location: Woodford Halse, Northamptonshire
User status: Offline
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that is such a nice car
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Cheers
Few more bits to go mechanically over next month or so, and hopefully the exhaust toward the end of next month (funds and time permitting).
Obviously a full detail etc will be carried out closer to show season too!
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rbailey88
Member
Registered: 27th Jul 09
Location: cheshire
User status: Offline
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looks mint, them bumper tops and arches are really tempting me do the same on mine.... top corsa!
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Generation
Member
Registered: 7th Jul 09
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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Love this car. Was you not tempted to chnage whole of drivers seat? as bottom half has a little wear from what I can see, and looks alot darker too?
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Cheers
Seat colour match is perfect in person - shitey BB camera pics. Plus bottom of seat is in far better condition than most others I see All needs shampooing when the weather improves anyway
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Generation
Member
Registered: 7th Jul 09
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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Oh good! Make sure you get a pro to give it a good wash Good to see someone is looking after it
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taylor2008
Member
Registered: 3rd Nov 08
Location: wolverhampton
User status: Offline
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looking good mate fair play, did you come across anywere that sold the backing plate for the thermostate that you had to replace? i need 1 asap aswell
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cjohnson
Member
Registered: 27th Apr 08
Location: silsden,west yorks.Drive: Astra van
User status: Offline
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Looks great as always. Good to see it's still being looked after! Wish I knew where my old motor was now 
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Darryl H
Organiser: South Central
Premium Member
Registered: 19th Nov 09
Location: Camberley Drives: Porsche 944
User status: Offline
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looks awesome mate is it gunna be at PVS or Billing this year?
|My Corsa|SC|My Instagram|
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Taylor - check out my wanted thread I made in classifieds - a couple of other members said they had one (spankyjames was one iirc) or Autovaux did actually source one for me and buy it in, but I'd already got one sorted by then lol.
daz - Yup, definitely PVS, and possibly Billing - just need to sign up to Just Opel Vauxhall if I am
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Well a small update - no pics.
New 2.0 8V sump gasket, exhaust manifold gasket, new manifold studs & nuts & modified gear linkage all fitted today. New plug fitted to inlet temp sensor as well to rid my amateur bodge.
Was meant to be a day of new suspension but yet more rusted nuts and bolts and missing parts have caused big issues again
Rear window finally sealed up too so it doesn't leak like a sieve 
Will get there in the end.
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shaunmods
Premium Member
Registered: 12th Mar 07
Location: Glascote, Staffordshire
User status: Offline
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Looking good Rich What suspension set up have you gone for? Hope you get the fitting issues sorted ok
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Jenko_Sport
Member
Registered: 25th May 06
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
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Which bolts you have problems with on the suspension Rich, ive never had a problem and ive fitted ALOT of different suspension to numerous corsa's over the years lol
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Shaun - Bilstein B10 courtesy of Mark @ Jamsport who got it shipped in from Germany for me.
Jenko - every single bastard one as they're rusted to hell with no grease. 1's snapped, 1's seized and I'm also missing the rubber top mount cup things that go between the spring and the top mount.
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Jenko_Sport
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Registered: 25th May 06
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
User status: Offline
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And here was me thinking Phil had built this car properly maintained regardless.
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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 No comment.
It's certainly being maintained regardless of cost now that's for sure. £800ish spent to date.
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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And so the shite continues...
New suspension on after obtaining new standard legs from a Corsa in the scrappy to raid for bits (at the cost of £40! ) ride height at front is barely changed, rear now sits marginally higher.
But main issue was tracking was so out, the car was literally undriveable - full lock fouled on the front ARB and the wheels were at funky angles. Jamie at Lemass managed to adjust the tracking enough for me to limp it home after some severe fun and games with the track rod ends - which yup, were rusty and one was so dangerously adjusted that it's a wonder it hadn't all fallen apart 
Managed to limp it home 55 miles from Lemass this evening with the tracking still majorly out - gotta get myself to a laser tracking place ASAP!
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Generation
Member
Registered: 7th Jul 09
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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I was outside Lemass today hahah, Sounds like having alot of problems well played to sticking with it, at least you have other means of transport, so if works needs to be done, you're not completly stuck
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Shrek
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Registered: 2nd Nov 06
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
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Rusted bolts FTL
That was alot of work that got done tonight, glad i could get it sorted for you mate, just pissed off that it was so badly adjusted before, i mean to have the track rod end on the rod 2 turns is just stupid!!
Least we're getting there with the work now soon it'll be ready for the shows!
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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FTL indeed Jamie - again massive thanks for your work tonight mate!
Got 2 bookings this morning, then hoping like hell I can get to the tracking place this afternoon.
Car is just parked in my road atm as I can't get it in the drive as it involves full lock a few times which is still pretty much impossible lol.
All fun and games hey?!
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Fad
Member
Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Rich H
It's certainly being maintained regardless of cost now that's for sure. £800ish spent to date.
Eeeeeek
They are great when working but such a pain when they aint.....well seeing as its not and every day car every penny you put into it will just prolong anything happening.
Hopefully the suspension will be sorted as that Bilstein kit is proper
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Make that nearer £1k now tbh - after last night / today and next week!!
Took to get tracking done today which was out by a ridiculous 23mm on the drivers side!
Track rod nut on that side is so rusted on it isn't shifting, so now need new track rod arm / end which isn't going to be done till next Thursday.
Car drives in a straight line now thanks to some dodgy levelling up on the other side, but steering wheels now 90degrees out!
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
User status: Offline
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remove the wheel and put it back on level, have to do that on mk1 golf as they only have adjustment one side of the steering racks.
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