Discussion
Thought I'd pop up a thread regarding this absolute beast of a car.
This is my nan's 2003 Vauxhall Corsa with it's might 1.0 engine. She was planning to scrap it but the car only has 55k on the clock, had a new clutch less than 5k ago and there's nothing wrong with it.....apart from it having not been cleaned in literally years!
Mouldy...
Against my usual detailing stance, I stopped in at the first jet wash I could find, went over the entire car and used the dreaded scratchy brush. Just to aim to get the bulk of the dirt out of the way.
Original plates were letting it down, don't think they'd ever been off the car.
I then gave the outside a thorough wash and a simple hand polish. I used Dodo Juice Need for Speed which is a polish and wax. No point going to town on it but looked loads better.
The black plastics were quite faded as well so gave them a once over with Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel.
Before
After
Interior was the next task. This was really grim but a couple of hours of vacuuming got it there. Here's some before photos.
Came up alright though.
It came up looking pretty good in the end.
I simply fitted some new plates, it cost £200 to get through the MOT including the MOT itself and an oil/oil filter change.
Sold on for £800 as a first car for someone. Not the most PH of cars I know but nice to see it live on and put some money back in my nan's pocket.
This is my nan's 2003 Vauxhall Corsa with it's might 1.0 engine. She was planning to scrap it but the car only has 55k on the clock, had a new clutch less than 5k ago and there's nothing wrong with it.....apart from it having not been cleaned in literally years!
Mouldy...
Against my usual detailing stance, I stopped in at the first jet wash I could find, went over the entire car and used the dreaded scratchy brush. Just to aim to get the bulk of the dirt out of the way.
Original plates were letting it down, don't think they'd ever been off the car.
I then gave the outside a thorough wash and a simple hand polish. I used Dodo Juice Need for Speed which is a polish and wax. No point going to town on it but looked loads better.
The black plastics were quite faded as well so gave them a once over with Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel.
Before
After
Interior was the next task. This was really grim but a couple of hours of vacuuming got it there. Here's some before photos.
Came up alright though.
It came up looking pretty good in the end.
I simply fitted some new plates, it cost £200 to get through the MOT including the MOT itself and an oil/oil filter change.
Sold on for £800 as a first car for someone. Not the most PH of cars I know but nice to see it live on and put some money back in my nan's pocket.
CornedBeef said:
Well done that man for going through all that work, and giving back to your nan.
I remember really wanting a Corsa C back in 2007 when I passed my test, that or a Mk2 Clio Dynamique. What I instead got was a 1995 Clio 1.9D
Thanks mate. I didn't want to see the car scrapped when it's fundamentally sound, a bit dirty but my nan was a but stuck what to do with it. I remember really wanting a Corsa C back in 2007 when I passed my test, that or a Mk2 Clio Dynamique. What I instead got was a 1995 Clio 1.9D
Having owned two MKI Clios, I'd pick either over the Corsa haha. There was nothing wrong with the car but I just didn't take to how it drove. I've been used to small cars over the years but this one was really bloody uncomfortable! haha
My mum has one of these, owned since new in 2003, also with 60,000 odd miles mostly accrued by my brother and I. Her's is the Active, with the blue seats and blue seatbelts (and I mean blue - Royal blue 
). It's crap. The seats are hard and unsupportive, the gearshift vague, the clutch vague, the steering vague (and oddly like its wound on an elastic band - it pings back to a neutral position). But having said that, it has got my brother and I through learning to drive, a few close encounters with trees, kerbs etc. that mum knows nothing of, and its quite fun hustling its 60-odd hp along in second gear everywhere.
Well played for saving this one and passing the returns back to your nan.
). It's crap. The seats are hard and unsupportive, the gearshift vague, the clutch vague, the steering vague (and oddly like its wound on an elastic band - it pings back to a neutral position). But having said that, it has got my brother and I through learning to drive, a few close encounters with trees, kerbs etc. that mum knows nothing of, and its quite fun hustling its 60-odd hp along in second gear everywhere. Well played for saving this one and passing the returns back to your nan.
Everyone i know whos owned a Corsa C has crashed it.... must just be too hot to handle... or my friends are bad drivers.
I have a fond memory of being under one of these in the NEC car park fitting a camshaft position sensor for a mate who got stuck there haha! Same colour as well.... good on you for bringing it back to life tho!
I have a fond memory of being under one of these in the NEC car park fitting a camshaft position sensor for a mate who got stuck there haha! Same colour as well.... good on you for bringing it back to life tho!
An elderly relative had a 2003 SXI or SRI version for about 10 years from new.
I don't think they spent a penny on it until the rear window seals leaked and they ended up with a paddling pool in the rear footwell. Which they remedied by drilling a plug hole though the floor
They part ex'd it for a Polo GTI and the salesman valued it at a grand. I spotted it at a car auction a few weeks later and started something of a bidding war amongst the local boy racers. It made about £2k with only 38k miles on the clock.
I don't think they spent a penny on it until the rear window seals leaked and they ended up with a paddling pool in the rear footwell. Which they remedied by drilling a plug hole though the floor
They part ex'd it for a Polo GTI and the salesman valued it at a grand. I spotted it at a car auction a few weeks later and started something of a bidding war amongst the local boy racers. It made about £2k with only 38k miles on the clock.
Love seeing a shed have a makeover. Ironically, I run around in my late-Nan's old car. She bought it brand new, a 2005 Fiesta 1.4L, after winning a small amount on the lottery. The day she picked it up she somehow reversed it into a brand new snot green Focus ST on the forecourt, claiming she didn't see it
Her legacy lives on as I still use it and I've given it a full makeover like yourself - she's just tipped 20k miles!
Thanks for all the positive comments chaps. It's not the most interesting car but it's a motoring tale of sorts. I was very pleased with the outcome.
She was talking of scrapping it but I said I'd either offer her £50 for it, tart it up, sell it and surprise her with the proceeds. Instead I sorted the EML that was on and did the bits and pieces above as I didn't want to see it scrapped.
She very kindly gave me some money for my troubles despite not doing it for any kind of reward.
Considering I had a Renault Clio of a similar era, the Clio was a hell of a lot nicer to drive.
She was talking of scrapping it but I said I'd either offer her £50 for it, tart it up, sell it and surprise her with the proceeds. Instead I sorted the EML that was on and did the bits and pieces above as I didn't want to see it scrapped.
She very kindly gave me some money for my troubles despite not doing it for any kind of reward.
Alias218 said:
...the steering vague (and oddly like its wound on an elastic band - it pings back to a neutral position).
That's the perfect description of the steering and one part of the car I really didn't like. The steering is vague but the wheel almost tries to spring back to the middle position but not in a nice way. Not in a way that you could if you wanted, let it slide through your hands like you could with some cars. Considering I had a Renault Clio of a similar era, the Clio was a hell of a lot nicer to drive.
Stuart70 said:
Definitely the PistonHeads good guy of the day award for you, for helping out your Nan.
Have a virtual beer
Completely forgot about this thread. Thank you mate I appreciate that. Have a virtual beer
The car is still going although there was an issue with the clutch master cylinder which got repaired but the car is still serving my mum's neighbours son as his first car.
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