Hiya,

I know most people don't like corsa's but i'm thinking about buying a redtop converted corsa to play about it.

Has anybody :

Owned ?
Drove?
Built?
Had a play with one and what was you in?

Thanks

Jay

 

They are either done properly, or bodged.
They are quick little things and you will surprise a few people.
If you want something to rag about in they are great fun for not much cash.

 

cheers Big G

 

You can do them yourself fairly easily if you can handle a spanner, and there are loads knocking about so you should be able to find a guide somewhere.
If you look at 1 thats been done, just double check everything is right with it, if its been bodged you will get no end of trouble with 1 thing leading to another and it will drain the fun out of it.

 

put together properly theyre fantastic cars, 6.5 to 60, 140mph, 35mpg and easy to work on.

I had one as a daily driver and did 15k miles in 11 months without any issues, but then I built it myself using a lot of new parts such as bearings and cables, bushes etc.

 

Ive got one in my garage at the moment. I bought it of a member of our local group as he'd lost interest in in. I'm in the process of stripping it and rebuilding it to get it better prepared for trackdays. Ive got the dash out to get it flocked and luckily havent found any bodges so far with the wiring etc etc. Cage is next.

Like has been said above, build them right and they should be as good as gold. Mine will be having a c20let fitted in due course.

Buy one done and save yourself a load of time and money. Just be prepared to give it a good going over to satisfy yourself its been done right.

 

were building 3. using them as track cars. fucking brilliant fun,

 

great fun, very easy to build, i've done more than i remember now
i can now do them drive in drive out the same day they're that easy,
and thats not bodging anything, i've never had 1 break down due to something i've done(or not done), i've just done that many i know where everything is,
great little cars for very very little money
you'll struggle to find anything with the same performance and reliability for the same money

 

have had alot to do with xe corsa's and nova, they go like fuck for not alot of outlay, but even with very good suspension and tyres, to me, they seem a little unnerving through the bends.
Cracking fun though.

 

just run sightly softer springs on he front and decent tyre
then you just need a lot of bottle and dont be shy

 

lol, i think its because i am used to my 205!
For some reason unkown to man, that was the best handling car i, or any of my mates have ever driven!
I do like a good valver corsa though!

 

ive got a redtop astravan mk3 in matt black was a hell of a crack. had it passed +140mph.

 

ive got a redtop astravan mk3 in matt black was a hell of a crack. had it passed +140mph.

 

I've built a couple, and a couple of nova 2.0 16v's, quite suprising just how quick they are, you will upset a few people in them. There's not a lot to 'em TBH, wiring is only about 5 wires, build 1 yourself and then you know it's right I only had around £500 in my last 1 including buying the car!

 

They vary a lot in standards as its down to who put them together.

My mate is a fussy cunt and we did nearly 3 grand on the conversion for his, that included a basic engine rebuild, decent brakes, roose hoses, really good condition 6 speed box, DIS engine etc etc

Or you can throw one together for literally a tenth of that with scrapheap challenge parts.


Done well, they are very good cars IMHO

 

What 6 speed box did you use. Cheers Charlie

 

F28 out of an Cali or Cav turbo, I would think.

 

Spot on, use a conversion kit to run FWD as well.

 

Ive had a XE Nova and a XE Corsa and found them fun, but over rated. Some people really do make them out to be really quick cars when in fact they really arent. IMO of course.

Both drove quite nicely but got bored with the performance quickly, Cowboi on here built his own and found the same thing, so turbo'd it and its MUCH more fun.

 

Yeah it was on an F28.

steveboyslim on here can get discount for people on Quaiffe diffs for this box too if anyone else is interested in doing the same.

Diff is the biggest single improvement you can make to a trackday XE corsa IMHO.

 

They arent quick compared to modified turbo cars no, sub 7 seconds to 60 is quick compared to MOST things on the road though, and driven steady 40mpg is possible.

 

I have a LET one. Though I stuck it away in a barn in 2006 and not driven it since

Half expect a barn find post with my car in it popping up one day

I am on with building an engine though, so will deffo be back on the road before summer.

 

Im hoping to do one at some point, well a LET in a nova instead of a corsa. Its on my list of things to do.

Ive worked it out and ill be looking around £5000 from start to finish including a good GTE/GSi as a base. yes it can be done cheaper but i think you'd need £5000 do to a proper turbo with the right bits in my opinion. Of course for an XE nova/corsa you can knock £1000-£1500 ish off that in my opinion, but you cant scrimp and scrap if you want a proper one that will last a while and not rip itself apart after 10 miles.

 

Is it white by any chance mate and knocking around alot around 5+ years ago?

 

No mate it is Ford Dark Aubergine, with White compo's on. Have had it six years now!

 

Sounds good mate. Ive been in a few before and there soooo much fun. Drove the white one i mentioned a few times before it was sold to someone round here. So hard to get the power down at times but thats part of the fun in a wierd sort of way.

 

S1RST, I think 5 grand is a realistic figure to do a good nova LET with.

 

Yeah fighting with the car is certainly half the attraction in an odd way

If you need to know anything if you do your nova project give us a shout. A few of us with them!

 

Yeah im hoping so mate. If it goes over then so be it, but i reckon i wont be too far off. lt depends on the base car and the cav/calibra that i buy i suppose.

 

Yeah will do mate, cheers. Ive done loads of research into it, and to be honest i know a fair amount about whats involved as i planned to do it before i got the escos. Im sure they'll be plenty things that ill need help and advice with though when it actually comes down to doing it.

 

You definately wont regret the move mate if you upgrade from an escos to a nova

 

I've not driven an xe version, but i have driven a nova with a vectra v6 in, instant license loser imo.

 

S1RST - Hurry up and get cracking on then mate!

I'm gonna keep pestering you until you go and buy a Nova now

 

Or I'll swap my car and cash for your EsCos when mine is done, I fancy a downgrade