Re: Eurrrrrghhhhh!

In news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net, JackH decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Right. In a straight line, the ride is very firm and harsh but badly damped, which suggests spring rates being too high, and damping rates being too soft. When you turn into a corner for the first 1/3 of a steady corner it seems reasonable, but as cornering forces get higher, the spring rate seems to get lower and the damping continues to be ineffective which makes the car develop an uncomfortable corkscrewing motion even at lowish speeds.

Speedbumps are a perfect example. If you hit a speedbump at say 25 it does the incline noisily but ok if with a lot of initial compression, as the bump levels off the front of the car begins to rise due to the woeful damping. The rear wheels then begin the inclined bit of the bump just as the front is coming back to earth. The front then continues to dive as the front wheels are on the ramp downwards. The front suspension still hasn't checked the movement at the front when the front wheels are back on the normal road, and the rear end is still pitching upwards unchecked by the dampers which means by the time the rear wheels are on the normal road the car feels as though it's been on a roller coaster.

This is at just over 20 mph. The Merc will happily, and comfortably do the same bumps at 35-40 without a hint of complaint, float, or noise. Even the E32 BMW I was driving a couple of months ago - which had knackered shocks - would do them at 30ish with a bit of float.

This isnt a knackered Corsa, it's had a pretty sheltered life.

He's puddled.

The car before it [1] was an '02 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 with about 10k worth of options on. The Corsa was an antidote to the fuel bills of the Rangey, but he admits he "went overboard on the economy angle, it was like a little rollerskate when I got it, but after a few days I found myself thinking 'jesus, what a gutless little piece of shit'"

We're off looking for a 911 Turbo or something when he gets back.

[1] not exactly, he had a Volvo S80 T6 for a week which he killed, the Corsa was lent to him when the Volvo was being repaired and he somehow ended up with it.

How did he kill the T6?

Of course it does - it's a Vauxhall. You can fit all they know about ride-quality onto the back of a stamp.

Only Vauxhall could compromise ride against handling, and end up with

*neither* !

Not sure to be honest. He had it for around a week, and it suffered "total engine failure".

How?, God only knows.

They're auto only. The ECU prevents over-rev and stuff. They have knock sensors and will run on 95 ron no problem. Did he fill it with diseasel?

In news: snipped-for-privacy@karoo.co.uk, Tim S Kemp decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

He's the only person I know that shuns the Diseasel pump with as much vigourous vigilance as me.

He's also a member of the Timo school of mechanical luck.

The reliability records of "reliable" motors he's owned is enough to destroy most prestige manufactureres, yet if you give him something insanely unreliable, it'll never miss a beat.

Having never driven this car, I can only speculate:

1) It's a compromise between comfort and handling

2) when done wrong, you don't get either.

*bonus clue* Chavs often manage 2. I dunno if that's Pete's Boss in a nutshell.

The easy way to achieve (2) is to lower the car with stiffer springs and no thought. The car, when sitting on the springs, will be too high, so is now lowered by shortening them.

When bouncing, the control arms, that are designed to sit horizontal when viewed from the side, will always be tilted up for the combined effects above. and so, the wheels will drag inboard when under stress, causing horrid body roll and swerve.

One guess out of many possible faults.

It's also a Vauxhall... ;) No, no, I've been in a very reasonable Corsa and must discard that... ;) ;) ;)

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, snipped-for-privacy@quickwatchsales.com decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

He's a 43 year old millionaire who's used to stuff like Bentley Turbo Rs, not the kind of k*****ad who lowers Corsas.

More "bling" than chav :-D

It's standard, utterly, utterly, standard [1] - otherwise I'd not have driven it for the 20 miles I did before parking it up and using the Merc instead.

I'd rather pay for my own fuel than drive that bloody horrible Corsa.

[1] although it's got those bloody 'orrible stainless steel mats in.

You could replace all that with the single word "Vauxhall", and your post would still make perfect sense :)

Having said that, the Astra Coupe is rather good, and the new Astra isn't bad at all...maybe they've finally got their act together ? Ford managed it in the mid-nineties, so it's not out of the question !

New Vectra is OK too. Omega wasn't bad.