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Ascona 400 (VBH 788W) info


Global-i
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Hi

I have just returned home from the rally day at Castle Combe.  There was a decent Opel showing this year, I don’t remember seeing many in previous years.

Anyway this got me thinking back in the early 90’s I owned an Ascona 400 (VBH 788W), currently showing as not taxed since 1989, which must have been when I took it of the road as the original motor died with the usual piston lands issue.

Unfortunately I had to it sell as an unfinished project. Does anyone on here know what happen to it or have any info?

Martin

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Hi Martin,

The information I have is a little old now - dates back to 2005.

Chap I bought my Ascona from had owned quite a few at one time and another, at least four, maybe five or more Ascona 400 and a few Manta 400 examples. 

One of his cars was VBH 788W, along with TVS 578W which was at Rally Day on Saturday.

He confirmed that VBH 788W was sold abroad and then its new owner converted it to left hand drive. I don't know the date when it was sold (obviously prior to 2005) but think it may have been to Germany. I suppose there is every chance it still exists somewhere on the Continent; the owner of the white Manta 400 road car at Rally Day is a member of the Opel 400 club and it is possible he may know someone who owns or has more information regarding the car. Posts here as H-400 - I will send a message to let him know you are looking for information.

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Hello Martin,

Herman from Belgium here. I was also a (unexpected) participator of the "400" meeting at the Rallyday.

About your ex-Ascona400: The more info the better: Was it a road-car? Narrow or wide body? Picture? Needed the car a paint-job (so it would maybe 

look different). The VIN and so on. 

Know also some Ascona400's in Holland, Maybe?

And about the piston thing: This weekend I had to fill my "400" up and heard directly the engine was "pinging" at low revs. That kills an engine.

In Belgium I use 98octane and if posible 100 and 102 octane. (Germany)

The Octane of the petrol I used was 97, thought the engine could handle with it.

Stopped the car and pulled of the vacume-tube to the distributer and plugged it. So the advanced timing on low revs was blocked.

Problem solved . Will fil it up with higher octane petrol...

Grts, Herman.

 

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On 26/09/2017 at 08:14, Danny D114BCW said:

Great advice, i always us the Shell V-Power over here, its more expensive but my GT/E runs miles better on it. What the story on your 400 Herman?

Back when unleaded was introduced in the UK around 1988 information on which cars could run on it was initially hard to come by (pre Internet days). Vauxhall issued an information sheet listing which models were suitable. The Manta GTE was, if built after 1986 (if I recall correctly) as it had the hardened valve seats or whatever. However, it was recommended that you use 'Supergreen' only. This was the 99 RON grade rather than the normal 95 RON stuff. It wasn't every petrol station that had Supergreen pumps back then as most still stocked 3 & 4 star leaded. It was harder to find it in the supermarkets, but it did eventually start to be stocked with the demise of 3 star petrol. 

I ran my GTE on Supergreen for almost 10 years without incident. 

Presumably Shell V Power is today's equivalent. 

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Thanks for the info mantatarga, xx-SG-02 certainly looks like the right car cage and all, the arches where bonded on and then feathered in with filler to make it look cleaner.  When it was sold it had a newly built Swindon race engines phase 2.5 motor this was not fitted at the time of the sale. I’m guessing the motor went to a different home?

Are there any better photos anywhere on the internet?

Regards

Martin

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10 hours ago, Global-i said:

Thanks for the info mantatarga, xx-SG-02 certainly looks like the right car cage and all, the arches where bonded on and then feathered in with filler to make it look cleaner.  When it was sold it had a newly built Swindon race engines phase 2.5 motor this was not fitted at the time of the sale. I’m guessing the motor went to a different home?

Are there any better photos anywhere on the internet?

Regards

Martin

 

Yes the motor went to a different home as xx-sg-02 has a standard injection engine fitted now.  There are some more photos on the web I will search and paste a link if I can find them.   When the LHD conversion was done the car had a complete new bulkhead from Opel to convert it to LHD. 

Regards.

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Hi Martin

I spoke with the owner of your Ascona-400, and took some pics of it.

The car is in rather good condition, has got an engine with the standard injection and the present owner 

did the rebuild to LHD himself. We had a nice talk but pictures say more than a thousand words:

29osu86.jpg

288v7yg.jpg

21e1c9y.jpg

23t06dt.jpg

cizkg.jpg

 He's gonna mail me a picture of the original number-plate.

Grts!

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