HubNut hates this car but I bought it anyway (Vauxhall Victor FE 2300S)

A full review of my fabulous 1975 Vauxhall Victor FE 2300.
When HubNut road tested this car a few years ago he distinctly failed to bond with it. I get his point, but I love it anyway…although not for the reasons the designers intended. Here’s why.
The original HubNut review from 2014: • Vauxhall FE Victor Roa...
Third party image credits:
1972 Vauxhall Ventora: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Charles01, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Dennis Elzinga, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
1972 Pontiac Catalina: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... N Scott E, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Music by Vinyl Silk, used with permission.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Let's clear up the stroke ratio question before anyone else tells me I don't know anything about engines. As I allude to in the video, this engine *DOES* (famously) produce a lot of torque, 139 lb/ft (versus power of 100bhp in this tune) and *IS* very oversquare, with a bore of 97.4mm (3 13/16") and a stroke of 76.2 mm (3"), an unusually high bore/stroke ratio of 1.28. Oversquare does _not_ mean low torque, it just means the Vauxhall slant four produces its torque at a relatively high engine speed of 3,000rpm. The low gearing makes the torque accessible, but means the engine is working hard at cruising speeds - again, as per my comments in the video.

[@rogerking7258]

Err... not quite. We Brits were given long stroke engines because cars used to be taxed on horsepower. However the horsepower was calculated on the basis of the bore diameter only (which is, of course, nonsense). So to get more power without putting up tax the manufacturers went for longer strokes. Back in those days a long stroke engine wasn't capable of revving much thanks to the resulting piston accelerations encountered, the narrow bores restricting valve size (on an OHV anyway) and numerous other factors, mainly involving the strength of internal components. As a result they were tuned to give power and torque quite low down the rev range. A short stroke engine removes many factors that limit revs, so it makes sense to tune them to produce power and torque further up the rev range (which will give more power, if not torque in absolute terms). It would be perfectly possible to tune a short stroke engine to do all of its work lower down the rev range, but you'd lose all of the potential advantages - so it's pointless to do so. Likewise, there have been several relatively high revving long stroke engines used in competition (the Mini engine being a good example), but a lot of work and money has to go into making it work. Incidentally, the 2.3 Vauxhall lump has an identical stroke to the 948ccm Morris Minor engine!

[@edwardm9227]

Agree with Roger long stroke has always been equated to torque (Harley Davidson) with limiting power output, burn speed window, piston speed as mentioned resulting in lower rev limit. Enjoyed your video, there were some fun if not great cars around this time, the retired gentleman across the road when I was a boy had a zodiac of this era, revue one of them if you can find one 😀

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

I love the Skoda 100 series, and i would love to see you try one out. They are not cheap today. When i got my licence the first car i tried out was a Skoda 120 and i was scared to death. Now i would appreciate it's slow motion Porsche handling, in the Skoda 100 series you really drive a car. Some times the car drives you.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@briansteffmagnussen9078 That would be interesting. A friend had a Skoda 105 when we were teenagers, it was characterful (and I mean that in a good way).

[@rattyratstuff7125]

Could you possibly attempt a video on some old Mitsubishi from the 70s? I recently bought a 78. I didn't know we got them in America under the brand "dodge colt". I think these cars are unseen gems that more people neeeeeeddd to know about.

[@zebedep]

Nice to see such a pristine example that has escaped the ravages of rust!

[@danielrussell446]

And in an extremely rare car as well

[@seanhumfrey]

What a lovely car. I am reaching for my attaché case, silk cut cigarettes and off to that meeting with the buyers from C & A. Might drop in to an Angus Steak House with Gloria from accounts on the way home. Fabulous 👍

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Perfect!

[@stephenpointon]

are you sure it wouldn't you be better to go to a Berni inn?

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@stephenpointon Berni Inn with the wife, Angus Steak House with Gloria from accounts. [Kirsten, if you’re reading this, I’m only joking.]

[@davdave3470]

It's refreshing to see these old British cars now getting fair reviews [like the Allegro] for the excellent cars they were in their time.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Excellent in certain aspects. Very disappointing in some other aspects!

[@HubNut]

HubNut hates it even more now the wiper blades are splitting. ;-)

[@GrandThriftAuto]

😂 Appalling, aren’t they! You weren’t supposed to notice... if it helps the new refills arrived this week and I fitted them on Wednesday 😬

[@HubNut]

@@GrandThriftAuto Good stuff!

[@willswheels283]

Isn’t the engine in these the same slant 4 that GM fitted to the CF van?

[@GrandThriftAuto]

@@willswheels283 Yup, same one.

[@DerekArmsden]

LOL

[@pulipoonai585]

This was later produced in India by Hindustan Motors as CONTESSA. It initially had petrol engine and later had diesel IZUSU engine with 6 speed gear box . It was in the market for more than a decade and did well. We can still find some good second hand cars in the market.

[@briforks7681]

My dad had one of the last VXs on a T,it was his first new company car and he and 7 year old me loved it.It went like the clappers and was very roomy with great seats.Only bad points were it's yellow paint faded badly and had holes in its wings by 5 years old but tbh most cars weren't much better back then.Very jealous would love to drive one and remember my dad.

[@davidshipp623]

Very much the same experience with my father getting a VX2300 when I was 10. Loved it and my father did too and he kept longer than any other car we had. Always wanted it to to be the VX490 though 😂.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Last VX we had was a ‘79 registered ex demo VX1800 estate (which followed an FE estate, and a VX2300 estate) in ember red, with a lovely beige velour interior. A really nice car, which felt very luxurious, and looked great. Sadly, the front wings were going rusty at 3 yrs old.

[@theresejardinier3913]

@@davidshipp623 Same. Like exactly the same.

[@garydunn3037]

I don't know what it was about Vauxhall's paint back then, but all their solid colours used to fade if not cleaned regularly. The yellow, red, and pale blue were the worst. I used to have to T-cut them to bring the colour back. I spent many an hour doing that. Modern cars are much better made, and the paint seems to last, unlike those from the 70's.

[@briforks7681]

@@garydunn3037 Really tempted to get a bright red car next (probably Ford or Vauxhall as I am inverted snob)as they finally seem to have sorted them getting bleached by the sun.

[@simonlloyd7557]

My abiding memory of the Victor is as a 7 year old on a camping holiday in Conwy. My Grandad had one in lime green (vinyl roof obviously). I used to get really travel sick and I was sat in the hot, cramped, stuffy back seats when i got the inevitable hot back, sweaty palms, grinding stomach and watery mouth. I was passed one of those yellow dusters to chunder into. I put it to my mouth and got a choking smell of cleaner from the cloth and begin to projectile vomit into it, puke jetting from between my fingers. My Mum took the sopping, dripping wet barf balloon from me and with no other option, threw it out of the window...straight into the face of a cyclist.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Ewww. Great story though 😁

[@kevanwillis4571]

As I remember, crankcase pressure would blow oil out of the dipstick hole. Very often the cause was a blocked/collapsed breather pipe beneath the airfilter. An easy fix and very cheap.

[@danielrussell446]

That is a keeper for sure the FE 2300s is a very rare version of the car that one looks lovely

[@settertwo]

I worked for a Vauxhall Main Dealer in 70s and 80s , Always liked them....wish I still had the Ventora and other one's....rare and worth money now

[@kevthedynamo]

My friends Dad had a Vauxhall Victor. I remember a trip to the seaside in it. I must have only been 10 years old but remember how big it felt inside. I was sitting in the back but couldn't see over the dashboard!

[@garysimpson3900]

Thanks for posting this article as it brought back childhood memories. In 1972 my father had a 1.8 saloon with a "bench seat" in the front so that must have been a De lux. In 1973 he changed it for the estate version although my father always referred to estates as "Shooting brakes".

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Glad you enjoyed it and I salute your father’s refusal to use uncouth modern terminology! In my world, shooting brakes are still very much a thing although I see them as having only two side doors, like my Honda Aerodeck (but that’s another video).

[@davidkeay1035]

Garry Simpson I had one the same bad starting in the morning but quite a good car .👍

[@kartikkumar5273]

The chassis/body and tooling was sold to Hindustan Motors (India), who then sourced a 1.8 engine and 5-speed gearbox from Isuzu to drop into it, and sold it as a Hindustan Contessa in India.

[@williamgillbanks5373]

I had the Estate with a front Bench seat and the Column gear Change, lovely car.

[@marksteventon2409]

my dad had a new one of these in 1973 £1500 on the road lovely comfy car and a good caravan tower happy days

[@crystalmethking]

My dad had one of these many moons ago. It was a big step up from his viva.

[@paulc145]

Thank you for excellent review, informative, interesting and professional. My dad ordered a Ventora in white from GB&E Vauxhall main dealer in Liverpool. Months later he was still waiting due to industrial action so cancelled it and bought a white Toyota Crown 2300 instead - supplied immediately... I remember how impressed he was with the quality and the durability of his first foreign car. He never bought British again ! We really didn't help ourselves did we !

[@dezmondwhitney1208]

My Dad's car in 1974 and the first car I drove. I liked it then and it did well then for my Dad as a comfortable family car too. Thank You for reviewing it.

[@johndonson1603]

Same, my dad's car first car I ever drove, estate version.

[@jjmac3561]

Can't be many of those left in the UK. At last a youtube car channel where the driver doesn't spend most of the time looking away from the road and into the camera as they drive on the road.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

The roads around here tend to be full of cyclists, sheep and wild ponies so attention is required!

[@jjmac3561]

@@GrandThriftAuto Exactly, tell that to the other youtubers who spend so little time looking at the road. Things happen quickly on open roads too.

[@ExtremiSS88]

This channel deserves so much more I throughly enjoyed this video

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thank you, that’s very kind!

[@darrenmeears4667]

Wow a simple Vauxhall easy to fix so what's gone wrong now we just about have to take the front end off to change a headlight bulb I'm going back to th 70s are you comeing 😆👍👌

[@chrisblay]

This really brings back memories. My Dad owned a Vauxhall Victor FE 2.3 Estate in that colour on a K plate at the end of 70’s and early 80’s. It was a rust bucket, needing regular filler and rattle can repairs. The 2.3 engine was half a V offset in the engine bay and used to really go for a car if that era. It got hit by a bus and written off eventually.

[@paulmchugh8695]

Yeh u got a can of isopon with every one !

[@michaelhansen4300]

When I moved after high school to israel I saw vauxhalls on the roads here, really liked them, but in the 80s as I married and in 85 ready to buy the 1st family Car couldn't find a Vauxhall on . So I bought a brand my dad 1st bought in 60s Opel, and for 19yrs had a 1.3 l Opel kaddett station . Changed engine twice, 4 kids loved it. I miss the car new cars aren't bad, but loved 60-80s ford's(UK) opels vauxhalls.

[@donmacalister9323]

Thank you. My father had the bright green version of the 2300S (there were only two colour options) with a black interior. It was very comfortable, especially sitting in the back, and very light. What I loved most as a teenager was sitting in the front looking out over that long bonnet. Comfortable middle class sums it up well. My father had it as his company car but had asked for a Rover. His managing director told him he had to have this. He choose the garish bright green as a protest at having to have anything so American looking, but came to love it and with the exception of a Rover 800 fastback had Vauxhalls for the rest of his life.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Great story, thanks! I don’t know whether any green 2300Ss have survived; it was a bolder choice I think - ideal passive-aggressive protest colour!

[@ray-wm7yd]

In the early 1980's I drove an estate version of this car to Imola in Italy thence to Denmark to catch the north sea ferry. A months driving without a hint of trouble

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Blimey, that’s quite a trip! I needed a day off after I drove it from Southend to Swansea, although that was with a trailer on the back.

[@mattw8332]

I love these! This one looks particularly good. I believe that by the mid 1970s, Vauxhall wanted to move away from the Victor name because the market research indicated by buyers associated that name with rust! Hence the slightly improved VX towards the end of the production cycle.

[@roberttucker805]

I would say MUCH improved. The FE never even had a proper location in the dash for a radio so it hung underneath like an afterthought. By the time the VX series came out they had improved the cylinder head and carburetor and the performance and economy were much better. I owned a early FE estate and absolutely loved it but I couldn't argue that it lacked development.

[@frothe42]

I must say the styling was of that era, looking much like a Cortina while remaining a Vauxhall. I do like the interior, very much so! I'm here in the US and I do like GM vehicles, as well as Vauxhall and Opel. GM could never manage both successfully, why, I don't know. But I do like the uniqueness of vehicles such as this Victor, made in UK 🇬🇧 for its citizens and its roads. Also a shame that it does not have overdrive, as other vehicles like BL had that as an option. A most excellent review!

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Hi , one of my favourites would be the Vauxhall Viva or what happened to it. They brought it into Australia and did the usual body things for the locals , ended up calling it a Holden Torana and put a couple of 6 cylinders in it for a while then a choice of V8s. 4.2 Ltr 253 ci and 5 Ltr 308 ci. A popular DIY up grade was the great Chev 350. As far as I remember the 6 cylinders were 2.6 ltr 161 ci, 2.85 ltr and 3.3 ltr.

[@peterobbo316]

My dad had one of these in the very same colour and trim. Bought it in 1977. he transformed the front to the typical transcontinental look with bigger headlights doing away with the indicator in headlights look and the full size front grille. He also installed the VX4/90 overdrive gearbox with overdrive. First one piece propshaft rubbed on the tunnel over heavy undulations, but soon overcame this with a split propshaft with a centre support. I loved this car from when my dad bought all those years ago it when I was 12 years old. Fantastic memories.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

The 1972 VX4/90 version actually looks quite good.

[@OberDesiah]

We had one of these in the early 80's when I was a kid. My dad loved that car. Quite sentimental for me, this.

[@alunhoskins4513]

My dad had one of these, 2nd hand, and a change from the usual Corrina and before that the Corsairs he had. I was 17 and got to drive it; I really liked it. It was a much smoother engine than the aforementioned Ford's. I'm sure it was a 6 cylinder - might be wrong - and it was badged as a Victor with 4 headlamps. Definitely not a VX490 or Ventora. A rather fetching 1970's gold too. It definitely had removable hub caps as well. I did just that, removed them when dad wasn't looking, and painted the wheels black. Something I'd seen in The Dukes of Hazard - not just Daisy Dukes😉 Great review that brought back many happy 'cutting my teeth' memories from the 70's. Thanks👌

[@raypurchase801]

Lovely car. I briefly owned a Victor HC during the seventies, with the coke-bottle styling. Bench seats. Everything accessible under the bonnet.

[@Vince_uk]

A friend of mine had one of these in the 1970's and I drove it a few times. It was a beautiful metallic lime green with a black vinyl rood and black interior I remember it well. It was a really lovely car and we made quite a few road trips in it. I pay little attention to what HubNut says he is to bust trying to flog his merch and his channel has totally lost direction in my opinion. I will subscribe to here.

[@stephenmckay5731]

Totally agree, always banging on about electric cars, and worst of all, talking about converting old (I don't like the term 'classic') cars to electric - heaven forbid.

[@user-kr7er2eg7s]

I had a 2300 as my first car in 1979. Failed my driving test in t partly because the synchro in 3rd year had gone. Then my brother leaned on the front wing an a massive hole appeared. Rusted liked anything and only 5 years old. But I still have gone memories!!

[@eeclass20]

The most direct competition was the almost total forgotten Chrysler 180/2 litre, try finding on of those now.

[@roberttucker805]

I quite like the 180. I thought they were good looking motors.

[@Zeem4]

@@roberttucker805 I like them because they look like an Avenger on steroids, and the Avenger's one of my favourite cars. Apparently the 180 was very popular with taxi operators in Spain.

[@mikemartin2957]

@@Zeem4 the 180/ 2 litre would have been a far more competitive car had it been built in Coventry ( where it was designed ) & used the Rootes designed V6( similar to Ford's Essex V6) & not let Simca anywhere near the project. Those oval shaped Bosch/ SEV headlights spoilt what was otherwise a nice style of car. The FE by comparison was a far more successful car

[@Zeem4]

@@mikemartin2957 I seem to remember* that there was also an issue of badging it as a Chrysler which had no brand identity in the UK, and didn't make any sense as it was obviously the next up in the range from the Avenger which was still a Hillman. * From reading about it, I wasn't actually born until 1978.

[@Broomehall]

Stop swearing ...... this is a family channel, you'll be saying Talbot Zagora next !

[@nigelcarr7933]

Thank you for a well balanced critique of a late model FE Transcontinental. I always thought this was a well proportioned design and deserved to sell in higher volumes than it did. The car was good value when new and in my view a more interesting alternative to the upper end of the Cortina range or lower end Ford Consuls. I have owned all of the above and share your enthusiasm and in depth knowledge of this nearly forgotten model. Regards, Nigel (56 & 3/4's

[@picardenter]

Oh, I remember those. My parents had one which was given to them by my grandparents. My grandfather had the 1.8 replaced with a 2.3. Bugger me it went for its day. The seats were so luxurious that you sank into them. It was a pretty comfy car I seem to remember.

[@rattyratstuff7125]

I just got a 78 Mitsubishi colt Galante. 1.6l 4g32. I plan on the mighty max 2.6l 4g..... I think 4g54? Same engine as the starion. Even with 150hp less than my NA 2jz. It is much more fun (imo) to make the best out of an engine from the same Era but different model. Same reason the sr20s aren't in my ae86s.

[@rattyratstuff7125]

Also had a diesel Volvo 240 wagon with a Redbook turbo swap with just shy of 320 tq. So far it was my funnest car for its uniqueness

[@TheHorsebox2]

What's not to like? Have a 62' FB Victor myself, and love it. Remember the FE coming out in '72. A very smart looking car. This video was a treat. Subbed.

[@edgarbeat275]

I nearly bought one the level below yours. The short gearing put me off buying it you and hubnut mention that. I hate under geared cars. Found your channel randomly subscribed and liked. Your calm presenting like Ian is great. You summed up the character of that car perfect. Lovely Vauxhall

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks very much indeed, glad you like it 😊 Definitely not the car if you like long legged tourers though, sadly.

[@edgarbeat275]

@@GrandThriftAuto No worries looooooooove the Lotus Elite. I am hooked. I dont hate the Vauxhall glad it's in safe hands. It was hubnut's vid when he mentioned short gearing I backed out. I would if I did go change or adapt an axel with a taller ratio. Or add a 5 speed🙂 But keeping it as is is also important.

[@dj_efk]

Easily fixed by retrofitting an overdrive gearbox, I bet this would transform the car on longer trips.

[@drivewithcare_uk]

My first car was an FE1800 on an "N" plate. I'll always have a soft spot for this car/brand for that reason alone. Mine was white with a black vinyl roof as well as one of those Webasto sunroofs. What a car. I enjoyed you're wee video 👍👍

[@michaelroxby3937]

My dad had a 2.3 in this colour. I passed my test in it, then bought it from him.

[@SkYsLiDeR9000]

I passed my test in my dad's 2.3. The examiner took about 10 minutes to strap himself in 😂

[@stephenpointon]

A you said the vx490 had the option of a laycock overdrive on 3rd and 4th that combined with the grunty low end torque made it quite a nice car. My dad had a 1971 vx490 2000 cc fd with a stage 3 tuned head, webber dcoe-40 twin choke carbs and blydenstien tube exhaust manifold. it was used as a test car for pirelli testing what became the P3 cinturato. The engine ended up being transplanted into my firenza 1600 after it's orginal engine dropped a valve on the A38 one day. that vx490 engine ended up doing over 200000 miles!

[@ClaudeSac]

giggity...

[@marksntl7632]

This series of Victors was very popular in the 70's where I grew up. I knew quite few people that had these. I seem to recall they were very reliable compared with many other British built cars at the time....

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Mine seems fairly indestructible, having had no mechanical issues apart from a blown condenser and a ropey HT lead (both of which were modern). It was well cared for by previous owners, which has helped.

[@this_is_a_tiny_town]

I know it's a completely different car but your video brought back happy memories of me as a young child, climbing aboard my dad's Triumph 2000 with the family for an exciting trip to the seaside on a nice sunny day. With Creedence Clearwater Revival playing on the tape player!

[@4-2nato5]

I own a 1974 manual one and it is a great car and a real pleasure to drive.

[@garethwalker3446]

I had the SL version with O/D new as a company car. It was a lovely car for it's age, and a brilliant motorway cruiser. Good memories. Have fun with it.

[@robedmunds7163]

Had a VX 2.3 when Kojak was on the telly and certainly felt I was driving an American car. Very comfortable ride and smooth reving engine.

[@nomdeplume798]

This was a case of an engine that was woefully underdeveloped. When tuned by Bill Blydenstein for DTV it easily produced as much power, and more torque than the 2 litre Fords in competition trim. In fact Blydenstein produced a 2.6 version which won a caravan magazine's tow car of the year award when fitted in a Victor FE estate due to its high torque figure. But at this time, as was mentioned in the video, GME was on the cusp of giving range development to Opel. Nice video and commentary.

[@BazzMann48]

Resembles an Australian Holden Torana, particularly the cabin area.

[@petersargeant1555]

And less than half of the SLR5000's engine lol.

[@levelcrossing150]

I used to work for a Vauxhall main dealers and I remember these these limited editions arriving at the garage. They had a refreshing look and were very nicely equipped. Personally I liked the Victor FD for their coke bottle design but these were introduced later which included more modern lines, and more window space to brighten up the interior. The old Vauxhall flutes were also brought back too. We were just beginning to realise that these gearboxes needed an extra cog and these were eventually brought in by manufacturers. My motor trade experience tells me that they were always good reliable cars and I would not hesitate in buying one. They are a proper Vauxhall and they must be so rare too.

[@peterthomas3405]

Thank you for an affectionate and informative video. Made me recall my Vauxhall memories, from the leather-covered front bench seat with column change, like a fireside chair but accommodating the whole family, to a sporty Cavalier and the rather good Omega. As it happens, I too am rather fond of my comfy slippers these days!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

You’re very welcome Peter, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’d certainly be glad to cuddle up to an early mk2 Cavalier and more or less any variation of Carlton, Omega or Senator. Proper comfort is sadly underrated in modern cars...

[@leonardgoldberg2879]

My late Father had two Victor FE's as company cars. The first was a 2300 N reg in bright orange which he put a thick white pin stripe on (Starsky and Hutch), and was a great car. The second was an S reg VX2300 which looked nicer but was plagued with mechanical problems. Fond memories.

[@harryviking6347]

We used to have a Vauxhall Victor in the 60s and that car performed well for many years! It was then left in a garage and picked up years later by some youngsters that restored it! I think it is still on the road!!

[@ianhand5006]

My Grandad bought one new in April 1975, HRE224N. He traded a Viva, in Riviera blue starfire (also a1975N reg), as the Viva just wasn’t right. I was with him when he collected the Viva and he said it didn’t feel right. I assume it had been dropped from the transporter or something. Anyway, the 2300S had a radio cassette as standard, which was quite something at the time. I was 8 years old in 1975.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

I’m loving all the FE Victor memories that people are posting! Thanks very much 😊

[@adeh503]

The reason hubnut doesn't like it... The sills aren't held on by duct tape and it's not hearing aid brown

[@sputumtube]

Mine was hearing-aid metallic brown!!

[@dubskj01]

My Dad was very proud of the VX490 he had while we were growing up. It managed to take all of us to Scarborough on holiday, with Granny in the back too. Quite a bus.

[@mrmhayes]

love seeing all my favourite local road being driven in the sunshine!

[@roberthorwat6747]

The FD was drop dead gorgeous, then Vauxhall replaced it with this. I was considerably underwhelmed. My brother had the FD Ventora. The overdrive kick in was great fun! My whelm for the FE has not progressed from "under" to "over" with time, nor even to merely "whelm" but a nice video anyway. A common sight once upon a time, I guess you had to own one to love one.

[@scabbycatcat4202]

I fully agree. The FD looked like the more modern car to my eye. I certainly would not have been happy to swap the FD for this. For my money the FD was a truly sensational looking car for her Era.

[@patrickhostler5939]

I applaud the fact that you both own what is now a super rare survivor AND want to keep it running. More and more I find myself edging towards a more ‘analog’ motoring experience both in cars and bikes. Modern cars are so horrifyingly complex and un-repairable even to pretty competent owners should/when they go wrong. The simplicity you talk about with the Vauxhall just makes it all the more desirable (to me at least)

[@daveabbott]

Had a 1973 Ventora, FYA505K went like snot off a stick but had to have a BP tanker following me. Ahhh - wish I had it now!

[@stevewhite1444]

Just found you, great video and love the way you present takes me back to tv car programmes 👍 Have to admit to being a Ford over Vauxhall fan but can see the positives here and in such good condition. Think I have lots more of your videos to catch up on

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks very much Steve - hope you enjoy them! No Ford videos yet but there’s a Granada kicking around here somewhere 😉

[@stevewhite1444]

@@GrandThriftAuto E30 next up next I think, I work for BMW and this is one of my favourite cars

[@stevewhite1444]

@@GrandThriftAuto E30 next up next I think, I work for BMW and this is one of my favourite cars

[@hauskalainen]

Dad had an 1800 version and it had no character. I do recall that the back passengers could not wind the windows down because the design team gave more priority to the window. Glad you picked up on it.

[@stephenmckay5731]

Yes, the 1800 was a bit gutless, but the 2300 was a whole new ball game.

[@rayjennings3637]

So good to see that she's got a good home. I had a metallic lime green VX2300 estate and loved it. I think I described it somewhere as like driving a cloud. It was so smooth and comfortable. However, as you said, it only had four gears and although it pulled my 5 berth caravan with absolutely no problems, on its own it was very boomy at motorway speed. In addition, being an estate there was precious little weight over the back wheels so handling in the wet was fun and in the dry, I could get wheelspin in second gear. Lovely car but you needed to learn how to drive it properly.

[@angus987]

The family resemblance between this and the Holden Torana of the same vintage my Dad had as I was growing up is striking. Thanks for taking me back to those days 😎

[@fugawiaus]

I was thinking the same. “What, their toranas didn’t have v8s”? Haha

[@askannav2094]

This model appears to have been the inspiration for the LH/LX Torana.. The Torana simply had different front panels & rear styling.

[@douglasbartlett1632]

This car was used to design General Motors Holdens 74 LH Torana in Australia. 🇦🇺👍

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Yes, a few people have pointed out the very strong family resemblance, which is closer than I’d realised. Don’t think they actually share any panels though?

[@douglasbartlett1632]

@@GrandThriftAuto not sure about the windscreen I once heard the Ventora's windscreen was the same the Opel Record witch was apparently used to help design the Vauxhall Ventora but check out the LH Torana's race history especially at Bathurst when driven by Peter Brock and he even once teamed up with England's Gerry Marshall

[@johndonson1603]

My Dad had a vauxhall victor FD estate from the early 70s until about 81., sky blue, bench seats. The first car I drove in about 1980. We went to France for 3/4 days when I was about 9 or 10 and slept in the back, cooked on a primus stove. Good memories.

[@motorwest]

I had one when it was a couple of years old, brilliant car!

[@dr_ned_flanders]

Came because of the name of the channel and stayed because it was great content. Thanks. Look forward to watching more.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! The new one is just out 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGSYq2aYhqmWerM

[@volvo480]

There is an old lady in a place I lived in the 90s and early 00s who brought her 1972 Viva to its last resting place in 2002, but had grown so attached to Vauxhalls she decided to contact the Vauxhall club for a replacement. They've found a 1974 Victor 2300 Automatic for her, which she still drives today. I'm not in the UK by the way, and these cars were sold new here, in LHD. There are three Victor FE 2300 surviving in this country, two have valid MOT and insurance. (now watching Ian's video and I seem to have made the same comment there! oh well)

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks Robert, that’s a lovely story - interesting that these sold in NL, I only recently discovered that Vauxhall exported them at all. By amazing coincidence, by the way, I was discussing (and indeed driving) Volvo 480s yesterday and your name got mentioned 😊 Video next week.

[@volvo480]

​@@GrandThriftAuto small world innit? 😂 I seem to have acquired some fame in repairing dodgy Volvo 480 electronics :) Looking forward to that video!

[@sputumtube]

I had one of these myself (not the 'S' version and no vinyl roof) and I loved it. Especially looking out over that huge bonnet so you always knew where the front of the car ended. I spilled a bottle of milk on the back seat and no amount of 'seats-out cleaning' would cure the smell. And because of that, nobody else would buy it either so I ended up scrapping it off. Shame.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Eek. Still, no use crying over it, I suppose.

[@ciaranmurray6623]

I learnt to drive in a Vauxhall Viva and also a Chevette so I will always be a fan of Vauxhall - just discovered your channel and am very impressed with your presentation. Clever name too. Looking forward to further videos👍

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks very much!

[@user-mn4cc6bb7t]

I actually learnt to drive in my father's Victor FE, not least because Mum's Renault had a steering column gear lever and an umbrella handbrake next to the driver's right knee that was a nightmare on hill starts. Although a very long car (14 feet 11 inches) with a 2.3 litre engine and therefore bags of power, the Victor was an easy vehicle to drive and everything seemed to be laid out in a logical manner. We had a family holiday in it touring around Norway, where the roads were sometimes quite steep and narrow but they didn't cause any issues. It was also quite roomy inside.

[@tombrehony6277]

My Dad had one of these 2300sl, a nice comfy car. In the right colour they weren't a bad looking car . Plenty of room inside and a decent boot. Spot on about the 5th gear. And reliable.

[@garyebejer1595]

Had 1 of theses back in the 80s lovely car to drive had a race with a Porsche coming back from portmouth kept the porsche at bay until the motorway where it left me standing

[@robinburn4974]

I had three, great old bangers

[@eziomary]

I had one of those in the 70s loved it to bits......fancy one now....

[@hokman1]

This car is just exactly how I like it! Saloons are the best form of car combining performance, practicality and value for money! Thanks for this review.

[@manofthehour6856]

GOOD!!! Don't let someone else's opinions dictate your own tastes, especially in cars!!!!!!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Absolutely, always. If you watch my ‘fleet walkaround’ video, you’ll see that I have indeed made some slightly eccentric choices...

[@fhwolthuis]

Gives me a lot of Holden vibes, this car. Love the colour coded interior. That front is screaming to get an angle grinder out and remove the center part of the bumper to open up the grille! Just like the shark nosed Camaros from the early 70s 😁

[@user-gdxt-7399]

Take the angle grinder and remove all the car...

[@mda5003]

I had the 1974 Victor FE 2300 and it easily did 35mpg despite being a big car - the manual choke helped. Replaced it with a 1978 VX2300 GLS which was superb but the awful automatic choke meant only 30mpg so had it changed to manual choke with a conversion kit. I've still got a Vauxhall clock that fits in the centre of the dashboard for the FE model and a set of brand new points somewhere in my garage! And a colour brochure highlighting the 'Transcontinental' Victor range.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

Can’t believe you’ve only got 1.5K subscribers, great video, narration and production style

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks! Actually I only had 500 subscribers last week 😁

[@ModernHeroes]

What a glorious machine and another excellent video!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thanks very much on both counts!

[@matthewridgeway9250]

I had a Torana SL, the Australian version. I had the 3.3 (202) with a 4 speed gearbox. They came with 4, 6 and V8 motors various gearboxes. These were raced with some good success. Very comfortable. I loved mine.

[@patrickrose1221]

As the man said " personality goes a long way " lol. Good vlog good memories, cheers pal .

[@hokman1]

this video has got the most views on your channel, you should make more vids on this car! Everybody is interested because it is a good fast and rare car.

[@jalopyuk]

Fabulous video. Really beautifully put together with some interesting intel and some nice softer moments too.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thank you - that really means a lot, your advice on the earlier films has been a huge help, although I’m very much still learning. Thanks so much for the support.

[@RussellGeorge67]

A Swedish friend of mine bought one of these in 2008 from a local. It was 34 years old and had spent the last 26 of those in a shed. We drove it to Stockholm 2 weeks later.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

I can believe that - they are mechanically very straightforward and robust, and the engines seem pretty much indestructible (if you don’t mind a minor oil leak from the rocker cover).

[@pcno2832]

The nose looks like a toned-down version of the one from the 1971 Buick Riviera; the dash looks like a shrunken version of the one from the 1979 Dodge St. Regis, but when you get around to the back, it looks like an AMC Hornet. Yes, there is a lot of quirky Americana in that car; it's kind of lovable in its own weird way.

[@philsdt3572]

We had one of these grand old buses, a red M reg 1800 in bog standard spec. My Dad part-ex'd a '68 Triumph 1300 (that drank a pint of oil a week!) against it. This was in 1979 and we had the dear old thing for a good while before chopping it in for an A plate Sierra in about '86. I remember a really hot day heading home from a holiday and it couldn't make it up the hill from the farm cottage we stayed in. We had to empty all our gear out and lug it all up the hill by hand as my Dad struggled to get the car up to the top without it disappearing into a cloud of steam! Happy days!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Glorious! I love stories like this 😁

[@nikmwh]

The CAR magazine September 1977 Road test of the VX2300 v Cortina mk4 and Toyota Cressida puts things into perspective; the VX’s high speed cruising and road holding were still best on test, despite the VX being five years older than the other cars.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

That’s very interesting, I didn’t know that. The VX2300 was able to rejoice in having an overdrive gearbox, mind you, unlike my 2300S.

[@tonymaries1652]

You say this car is a throwback to a lost age and comment that it keeps up quite happily with modern-day traffic. I just compared the basic mechanical spec to my daily driver, a fairly basic taxi-spec Skoda Octavia 3 which is the epitome of modern-day traffic. Designed over forty years after the FE Victor first saw the light of day. The Skoda is pretty much the same shape and size, the engine is about the same power although only a 1600, and the top speed is pretty similar. Obviously the Skoda wins by a country mile on fuel economy, the diesel engine will run to mileages unimaginable in the 1970s, and it and won't rust to bits in a few years. But I can't help feeling that car evolution has not advanced quite so quickly in the last forty years as it did in the forty years prior to the 1970s. Liking your review and your understated presenting style ... letting the car do the talking.

[@robenglish416]

Very nice production, high class! Found this since I follow HubNuts endeavours. Might have to follow your channel too!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Thank you, very glad you enjoyed it! Ian does a great job and is deservedly very popular but there’s plenty of room for different styles 😊

[@jerzywoking1699]

I saw that very car (I'm sure of it) at the pub on the A127. There was a meet of the "slightly sweary" forum. The same meet that was disturbed by horse carriages racing on the dual carriageway and ending in the pub car park. Anyway, just wanted to say I really liked the look of the VX4/90, but the FD model that my brother in law had was one that I really wanted. Not seen one of those for many years.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Yup, you remember right - that was back when AngryDicky still owned it. FDs are very handsome things, I agree.

[@gt40mk1]

Another great video Martin. I play the game of spot the location and you're winning hands down at the moment!

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Ha! I’m always on the lookout for a quiet but pretty filming spot 😊

[@garybrown5500]

Had a VX2300GLS (TRX418S) for probably more than 10 years. Also Had a FE Ventora before that. Rubbish gearboxes & undergeared to hide the low power output.I loved that car though & was sad to finally sell it due to needing a van.

[@manuelhung7571]

I had the VX490 variant when I was 17, so you can guess why I wanted a wide car as parents wouldn't let girlfriends in back then, it was a beast, nice big clocks, huge room inside, I put side pipes on the sills, uprated the carbs, put big dished alloys on it, big Cibie ralley lights X4, rapid for its day but an oil leak I could never solve and cops wouldn't leave me alone back then but I did drive like Senna on a promise every day. But happy memories nonetheless. I had a Mk3 Cortina after that and I cut out the rear arches and had some Jag wheels adapted to the Cortina centres fitted on the back and jacked up the suspension which wasn't as simple as the Mk2 Cortina I jacked up with just bolt on spring hangers. Had to change the springs and all sorts on the MK 3 with it having the independent rear suspension. Lost count of the number of void bushes I changed in Mk3s, Burn out the rubber with a blowtorch, hacksaw through the remaining sleeve then whack it out with a lump hammer and chisel, managed to get the removal down to around 7 mins back then. Then knock in the new one with a large socket the size of the void Bush. Eventually Sykes Pycavant brought out a tool that made it far quicker to remove and refit. Still got it somewhere in my man cave.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Brilliant! I can just picture those - a proper slice of late 70s to 80s street life 😁 I bet you had some fathers fretting about their daughters in those.

[@80s_kid.]

My Dad had a Green Vauxhall Victor 101, and after that he had a Yellow Vauxhall Victor 2.3 SL, Reg UXJ 10L, Great car, he loved it. his mate had a vauxhall viscount, i think it had a 4.2ltr engine but i'm not sure, he borrowed it one time to take me and my brother to blackpool. great days.

[@GrandThriftAuto]

Nice - Viscounts were/are very handsome things. I really like the UXJ 10L registration. It has a good heft to it.

[@80s_kid.]

@@GrandThriftAuto That's right, great cars, i remember it had electric everything, also i must have been wrong about the 4.2ltr, i just searched, the biggest engine they did was 3.3ltr so it must have been that, i remember it was a proper nice car. if i could drive i would buy another victor just because it reminds me of my dad, he died in 04 of lung cancer, he would have been 88 years old now. he was a great fella..

[@stephendodge4086]

I had the VX 2300 in the colour metalic blue in the late 1970's and if I remember correctly the number plate ended 600P. When I bought the car it was my 7th Vauxhall and it was three years old and I think I paid £600 to £700 for it from a dealer. I really loved the car and kept it for five years which is the longest I have ever had a car for, it never broke down but I did have to replace the near side front wing due to rust. I really rate Vauxhalls and I am now on my 23rd Vauxhall, I have had VX90's, Victors, Carltons, Vectras, Insignias, and Astras.

[@Lot76CARS]

Great video again, this car isn't beauty (has a face only a mother could love) but commonplace in my youth and a solid contemporary choice. Those left barely reach 30 (all derivatives). Well done for saving it.