RE: SOTW: Opel Senator

[Vince70]

It's to good a car for a shed or daily hack, it deserves plenty of gallons of wax oil and a nice garage and a occasional waft about at weekends.

[Ftumpch]

It really amazes me that these cars command so much affection in the Northern hemisphere. Here in Australia the Holden Commodore incarnation was always thought of as the default choice for travelling vacuum cleaner salesmen and middle-ranking public officials, and not something that was bought by driving enthusiasts.

I understand as well that these were the basis of the Bitter SC. Blimey, but wasn't that supposed to be some sort of dream car for the discerning petrolhead?

So perhaps given the love elsewhere we need to reassess our position on these old barges. It might just save the Australian car industry!

[Cerbieherts]

Mandatory Fields said:

I know an old man who's had a V6 Senator since new, drives it daily and has kept it in mint condition, has the plate A13 SEN on it, I have so much respect for him

Not a v6. They had a straight 6. The v6 went into the omega.

[vidfletch]

Eightiestastic! Love it!

[jamesson]

405dogvan said:

I'm sure this has been addressed, but the motor industry was really slow to shun the cassette - cars still had those WELL into the late 90s (I had a Rover 600 hirecar around 98/99 which had one for sure).

Hell they've only just started putting DAB radios in as everyone else is giving up on it

My 2004 Audi A3 has a cassette player. Shame I don't have any cassettes!

[splitpin]

jamesson said:

405dogvan said:

I'm sure this has been addressed, but the motor industry was really slow to shun the cassette - cars still had those WELL into the late 90s (I had a Rover 600 hirecar around 98/99 which had one for sure).

Hell they've only just started putting DAB radios in as everyone else is giving up on it

My 2004 Audi A3 has a cassette player. Shame I don't have any cassettes!

Similar here; pretty sure my then new 2002 Mini had a cassette as standard and I paid extra for a single CD player; still got it, still playing CDs on it.

(And whatever did happen to that huge box full of cassette tapes - where the heck did I put it? )

[acme]

Cerbieherts said:

acme said:

My Dad had three from new in the 80's in succession, the first one at least being an Opel, all 3litre CD's with the digital dash! As for reliability they were a lot better than the 635CSI he bought afterwards, that had a new gearbox and two ECU's, all within 18 months from new! Incredibly that car D88TWC was taxed 'til early this year! It had 60kmiles in 1988! Anyone know of it's whereabouts or how I can trace it?

Anyone mention the Monza!!

http://www.4starclassics.com/Opel-Monza-GSE-For-Sa...

None of these were fitted with the digital dash. The Monza was though. The later 3.0 Carlton came with a digital dash also The one pictured was known as the royale,the last variants (early 1986)were known as senators. The straight six is a torquey old thing but agricultural. The rover v8 slits straight in there and bolts up to the manual 'box fitted to these, Monzas, earlier (non ohc 5 speed) Mantas and mk1 cavaliers. Nice to see one after all these years, but better sheds on the market for a grand....

Edited by Cerbieherts on Friday 21st September 23:28

As both Wolands Advocate and I said these did have a digital dash;

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=FS...

[Cerbieherts]

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

[B'stard Child]

Cerbieherts said:

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

Swapping from analogue to digital or vici verki on Senator A or Monza's is relatively easy

If a digital dash is fitted the original loom (for an analogue dash) just has an extra adaptor extension loom to make it suitable for the digital

Hardest bit to go from digital to analogue is running the cable for the speedo although it just fits in place of the pulse sender unit on the gearbox speedo drive.

In later Senator B and Carlton it's a lot more work although it's well documented on the net

I'm not a fan of the digital dashes - not so clear at a glance and suffer from visibility issues in bright sunshine (but they are very 80's)

[masermartin]

jamesson said:

405dogvan said:

I'm sure this has been addressed, but the motor industry was really slow to shun the cassette - cars still had those WELL into the late 90s (I had a Rover 600 hirecar around 98/99 which had one for sure).

Hell they've only just started putting DAB radios in as everyone else is giving up on it

My 2004 Audi A3 has a cassette player. Shame I don't have any cassettes!

I went to look at a VW Bora Highline, 2005; it should have had all the toys, but didn't have a CD changer - that meant it was stuck with the standard Cassette head unit... in 2005... for nearly £17,500 new!

[acme]

Cerbieherts said:

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

You had me doubting some very old memories, which given the last of the three was 1986 it wouldn't be a surprise if I was wrong! On the one I posted the link to I'd have thought it would be a miracle if it still worked fully?!

[B'stard Child]

acme said:

Cerbieherts said:

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

You had me doubting some very old memories, which given the last of the three was 1986 it wouldn't be a surprise if I was wrong! On the one I posted the link to I'd have thought it would be a miracle if it still worked fully?!

The only weak point I know on the digital dashes is they have a nasty habit of flicking randomly between kmh and mph - the selection switch in on the dash itself - nice function but when it starts playing up it's easily bypassed to make it permenant mph

[Matt Bird]

Has anyone else seen this Monza?

http://www.4starclassics.com/Opel-Monza-GSE-For-Sa...

Looks stunning, and it's got a digital dash!

[tali1]

acme said:

Cerbieherts said:

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

You had me doubting some very old memories, which given the last of the three was 1986 it wouldn't be a surprise if I was wrong! On the one I posted the link to I'd have thought it would be a miracle if it still worked fully?!

Also Digital dash was specfic to top CD model only.

[Cerbieherts]

tali1 said:

Also Digital dash was specfic to top CD model only.

Ah, o.k, makes sense now, I remember welding a few up for MOT's a very long time ago while working at my uncles garage...sheesh...time flies!!

[Wolands Advocate]

acme said:

Cerbieherts said:

Wow! I stand corrected! I've only ever seen them fitted with the traditional analogue gauges. Thanks for the info

You had me doubting some very old memories, which given the last of the three was 1986 it wouldn't be a surprise if I was wrong! On the one I posted the link to I'd have thought it would be a miracle if it still worked fully?!

Likewise!

[GBB]

KM666 said:

Well i'm 22 and would consider one, this one over the one featured however, its got a bigger engine... (and much bigger mileage)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

Good find.

Last owner for 16yrs, I'd lay money they were over 65.

[tali1]

Cerbieherts said:

tali1 said:

Also Digital dash was specfic to top CD model only.

Ah, o.k, makes sense now, I remember welding a few up for MOT's a very long time ago while working at my uncles garage...sheesh...time flies!!

CD stood for Computerized Dashboard







(Ps i might have made that up);)

[carinaman]

I'm not sure about the red Humbrol paint on that Green 3 litre.

[B'stard Child]

tali1 said:

Cerbieherts said:

tali1 said:

Also Digital dash was specfic to top CD model only.

Ah, o.k, makes sense now, I remember welding a few up for MOT's a very long time ago while working at my uncles garage...sheesh...time flies!!

CD stood for Computerized Dashboard







(Ps i might have made that up);)