lol my cars not shiny and car-show ready...and I refuse to fix the worn / ripped seats until I can find the exact material....which Recaro is telling me is no longer available
........never one for show and shine, but have a look.....
Vauxhall Chevette HSR
one of only 34 ever made
Factory original GRP body kit
2279cc DOHC 4 cyl, running 48mm Dellorto carbs, matched to custom SDW stainless steel tubular exhaust manifold
Custom recaro seats with rear seats upholstered to match.....all work done by Wood and Pickett in Liverpool before car was delivered
Seats are fully powered, including powered recline, heaters, pneumatically adjustable lumbar support and speakers in the headrests
Stereo by Blaupunkt.....not working but I will not replace it (trying to get it repaired)
Car is old, and shows signs of wear everywhere
this is an old pic...the rip on the side bolster has grown
front of the car is heavily chipped from chasing a Miata at Camden
Suspension is tired but I have four rally-spec Bilsteins on order from the UK
brief overview of the car
http://www.droopsnoot.co.uk/cars.htmChevette HS
Building a works rally car back in the '70s normally meant squeezing your best engine into a small family car, adding big brakes, suspension tweaks and different gearboxes and axles to create a 'homologation special', then trying to sell 400 of them. Ford had the Escort RS, Talbot had the Sunbeam Lotus, Fiat the 131 Abarth and for Vauxhall it was the Chevette HS.
The 2279 cc slant four from the HC range - with a new 16 valve head - was shoehorned into the Chevette's tiny engine bay and Vauxhall raided the parts bins, coming up with the axle, brakes and suspension from the Kadett C GT/E, a 5 speed Getrag gearbox and alloys from the Chevrolet Vega. The aerodynamics were improved with a front airdam and rear spoiler; in the Droopsnoot tradition the paint was silver, but the HPF's discreet interior was replaced by a garish tartan.
At over twice the price of a stock Chevette Vauxhall struggled to sell the - essentially handbuilt - cars; some were sprayed black and retrimmed to make the ultra-limited edition HS-X, while the last 40 or so were converted to make the HSR.
Chevette HSR
Successful though the HS was, it was obvious by 1979 that changes in technology and regulations meant it had to be updated; so it was that the HSR was born
The HSR kept the basic spec of the HS, but got a twin plate clutch and revised 'five link' rear axle location. A beautiful curved big wing body kit was added, improving the aerodynamics and removing unnecessary weight. Wheels grew from 6" to 7" wide, and a number of gearbox and axle options were homologated with the car in case they were needed.
'Plastic Fantastic' won on its maiden outing; and - particularly after development by Tony Pond and Wynne Mitchell - the HSR became arguably the best tarmac car of the early 80s, continuing to win well into the era of the Group B supercars.