military cars etc

[AlienFTM]

Whats a Chevette :??? ..............a small Chevrolet ?

 

....I think not :rofl:

 

I always assumed the Chevette was an Anglicised Opel Kadett. Maybe they wanted a name not too dissimilar from the Opel name but wanted to throw in a V (I nearly wrote "stick the 'V' which might have been misinterpreted) and this was the best they could manage in a hurry?

 

At least they didn't choose "Chavette".

[Tony B]

Vauxhall Chevette, or Shove it as it came to be known was a little thing of about 1300 cc if I remeber. I do know they had a nasty habit of blowing up the clutch, litterally it would disintigrate on hills without warning. Happned to a friend of mine in Devon.

 

 

This is the 4 door salloon version, which if I rember was the military choice, there was also the hatch back, very common and an estate. The Estate was used by MDP at one stage and I think the Opel version in Germany.

[Phil P]

There was a guy about 12 years ago who shared a unit with us who had a a Bedford SB crew bus that was painted yellow and was ex Boscombe Down and had all the various duties on the blind. I don't know what happened to it. I remember Leavesley International having several Chevette estates for sale. All black and ex Royal navy. I nearly bought one with a blown engine with the intentention of fitting the 2.3 engine, but 'er indoors told me I had enough jobs to do. (Usually involving wallpaper!!)Standard Triumph resumed production of the Vanguards after receiving and order from the MOD. There were a few Standard Ensigns in MOD service.

 

In the late 60's whilst hunting round a scrap yard for an engine for a dragster we were building we came across an ex USAF Cadillac ('54 ish model) minus engine etc and painted pale blue.

 

Phil.

[Snapper]

Interesting what you say about the Chevette, which was something of a rally car in my day in the forests before the introduction of the Opel Manta in 1982 with the Vauxhall Opel Rothmans team and then others. The smooth Frenchman, whose name escapes drove the thing on the Int'l stage - hold on it was Guy Frequelin - and our dear old Jimmy McCrae - Colin's dad - drove them here. I digress. Lots of people used the Chevette, notably Russell Brookes and Terry Kaby in the UK. They were good rear-wheel sliders in the old Group 4 spec sense. Remember the sales pitch - the Vauxhall Chevette is whatever you want it to be...but not an Audi Quattro. Vorsprung Tough****z, as they say in...well, who cares?

[G506]

Sorry if I'm going off topic a bit, but about 10 years ago I am absolutely sure I saw an advert in the MV press (W&T or MVT green sheet) for a Jaguar MK10 for sale, which I seem to recall was described as left hand drive, with black paint work, (which sounded to me like a possible ex BAOR staff car) needing restoration and located in Kent (I think).

Does anyone know of this car, or have I just been sniffing too much olive drab paint lately?

[goanna]

Velox - latin word meaning swift . Wyvern -A mythical creature - a two legged dragon - an heraldic sygil .

 

How did a XC falcon ute end up in the UK ?

 

Mike in OZ

[Phil P]

I remember the late great Jerry Marshall racing a 5 litre Repco engined Ventora called 'Big Bertha.' I was standing on Woodcote when he totalled it in front of us. The engine etc ended up in a Firenza called 'Baby Bertha' that won more Super Saloon races than any other car. I believe it is still around 25/30 years after. I remember that Mk10 being for sale. I ran for cover because they were the most ill handling Jag ever made. Yep even worse than an XK120. I used to service/repair one. It would eat power steering boxes before we discovered that the relief valve in the new pump was jammed. Happy days?

 

Phil.

[snowtracdave]

How did a XC falcon ute end up in the UK ?

Mike in OZ

Hi Mike . Don't know the whole story but I'm told it belonged to a guy from Norfolk who lived over your side of the world for a while & when he came back home it went in the container with his furniture and stuff and landed up back in Norfolk . It's been through the hands of several people over here , I bought it from a lad in Chiswick a couple of years back & have been accumulating panels & bits to rebuild it ever since . I'm told that there are actually quite a few that are more rotten than mine but I'm a little doubtful :-D The owners club say it is (probably) the only XC ute over here . There is also an XB being restored at the moment & an XA on the show circuit somewhere .

Dave