The majoy problem is parts. In the case of every single car and club you can think of, Minis, Landies, MGBs etc, thwere seems to be a large industry of remanufactured parts. Sadly, with the Royale/Monza, theres basically what is left of the ex-dealer stock from the 70s 80s, and then the odd QH ball joints etc.. and things which are also left over from the time when the cars were still in production.
New wings - £200 each.
Inner wings - basically don't exist.
Interior trim, fabrics - find a donor vehicle.
Wishbones, weld up and repair your own, or pay £300 for (admittedly excellent) re-furbed ones.
New carb? - If I want a set of carbs for an E-Type Jag, I can walk into several specialist auto shops in this country and buy an exchange one, or one off the shelf. The Pierburg carb on a Royale is a horrifically complex affair which was only ever used on one other vehicle... the Rolls Royce Camargue. Sadly Camargues are not as abundant in scrap yards as they once was..
Though the Royale died in 1982, the Monza lived on until '86, however, just like a FL 3.2 Omega Elite compared with a 2.0 8v PFL Omega GLS, there are so few components common (even the
fuel tank was different!) that aside from panels, the wiring, diff, interior and much under the skin if totally different. A Lotus Carlton engine will drop straight in, though, as they're all based on the same engine!
The Autobahnstormers has recently managed to start getting some repair panels remanufactuered, somehow, so I believe. To the prospects are looking up compared with 5-10 years ago. But they cost similar amounts to restore as some 70s Italian exotica, more in many cases, and when you're done command the classic values of a used tissue. In no way am I saying don't own one, they're brilliant, a glorious example of when styling was capable of making some bloody beautiful shapes with basically a ruler! This was the last car Vauxhall in the UK made any serious contribution with the styling, before being shut down and Opel doing all the work. I love them as cars. It is, in all but name, a grandfather of the Monaro, wearing a tweed (or should that be crushed velour?) jacket. It's a Senator coupe. I really really like them
Have a look up Derek GM6 spares. He has everything that there is left, basically
PS I also note yours is a series 1 (yes, in spite of selling in such tiny numbers, they
did give it a mini-facelift in 1980) which is great, as they're even rarer than the S2s
The blue looks stunning, too, so much fresher an interior than the greys and blacks all cars have now.
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Topic: Back with a Vauxhall. (Read 4295 times)