"MGS27V served the first three years of it’s life trundling around the confines of the Vauxhall assembly plant in Luton… So when Steve Thompson (my Vauxhall Dealer sponsor) spotted it in a Vauxhall ‘closed auction’ he submitted a successful bid for this low mileage ‘twin rear wheel’ machine.. His plan was to equip it with a ‘wind out’ side awning and fit an overdrive unit to augment the standard 4-speed ZF gearbox which should have eased the burden on the low compression 2.3 single cam ‘slant 4’ engine.. The CF was re-painted into GM Dealer Sport colours and initially put to use on all rounds of the British Open Rally Championship as a mobile shop selling GM Dealer Sport clothing.. However, as soon as the deal was done to support my efforts competing on the ‘Astra Challenge’ the CF was quickly pressed into use as a Service Barge to support my efforts on all rounds of the BTRDA Championship .. I covered many miles at the helm of this CF mostly towing the Astra, it handled way better than a Transit, but the lack-luster performance of the front and rear drum brakes frightened the ‘bejesus’ out of me on more than one occasion.. Sad to report that the overdrive lasted about 10 minutes and never worked again, so whilst 60mph was comfortable, 70 was loud and 80mph had the valves bouncing .. This CF’s major claim to fame came along in 1984 when Jim McRae had an off-road excursion on the Scottish Rally and wiped the rear wheel arch off his Manta 400… Dealer Sport’s ‘Mr Fix It’ Tim Ashton snuck up on the CF in a service area, drilled the rivets out the rear arch and within a quarter of an hour the arch sat proudly attached to Jim’s Manta and was last seen heading out to compete on a stage.!.."
- Stuart Nicholls
Source: www.facebook.com/groups/174383183915390
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