VauxFest - 31st Aug & 1st Sept 2019

[Robsey]

Almost three months away, and following on from the first VauxFest event last year.

At the original home of the VBOA rallies of old, Billing Aquadrome, Northampton.

Details are here
http://www.vauxfest.co.uk

Who is thinking of attending this event.?

Remembering that it is not a formal club stands event.
You just turn up, and park up next to the person you followed in through the gates.

I went on the Saturday last year, however I understand that there was a much better turn out on the Sunday.







I hope we will see lots of friends / members and their cars from Vauxhallcavalier.com,
Cavalier and Chevette Club and
Cavalier Corner facebook group.

[James McGrath]

We'll be coming along to this one on both days too.

It was much better on the Sunday last year, it had a real buzz to it. Considering that it was the first year of the event, it was a brilliant weekend.

[Robsey]

I think that I will probably do the Sunday this time.

1 - James McGrath, Mike and Lizzie,
2 - Robsey and Mandi- Sunday only.

[iangsi]

I'll be there Sunday only

1 - James McGrath, Mike and Lizzie,
2 - Robsey and Mandi - Sunday only.
3 - Ian - Sunday only.

[Robsey]

Only two weeks now guys and gals...

Time for the final push to get your jalopies ready.

Spit and polish... and all that.

Mine needs the dash and centre-console refitting. And a few mods fitting / finishing.

[James McGrath]

Was planning on taking the Diplomat out to show for once. The radiator has decided to spring a leak however.
Not sure what car I'll be in now. Maybe V6? That's not very healthy at the moment either.

[Mk3alan]

I'm planning on visiting Sunday only.

Alan

[Robsey]

Looks like I chose the right day afterall.


It will be good to see you all, and put the world to rights again.

Fingers crossed for good weather.
I still recall the images of VBOA at Billing about 6 or 7 years ago under several inches of water.
(It was 14th & 15th July 2012 - cancelled at 3:30 am 14/07/12 due to flooding).

UPDATE - I seem to recall that Mandy has also promised to bring our little puppy for Lizzie to see.



(Plenty of XXL poo bags at the ready - lol).

[Mk3alan]

Looking forward to the event!
Is there a parking plan or are we all in the general car park?

Alan

[Robsey]

From what I understand it is all general parking.

Last year was by special arrangement to celebrate 30 years of the Cavalier.
(My fault...) that is why only the Cavaliers were grouped together - nothing else.
It would make sense to put models into groups, even if there is no specific club grouping.

I was thinking of looking at the VauxFest website to see if anything was different from last year.

UPDATE - It appears that we are in the same field(s) as last year.
Shell-duck 1 and Shell-duck 2
One is for camping the other is for general display.

So much the same as last year.

[Mk3alan]

That's great! Makes more sense as well rather than being scattered around.

Alan

[Robsey]

I suppose it all depends upon turn-out.

The more that attend, then the more scattered we will end up.

I am sure we shall find out tomorrow.

[Robsey]

Well we more or less managed to get quite close together.
Five Cavs from this forum, and a few that I recognised, but couldn't place a name to the car.

Bizarrely, it was our great dane Ebony who seemed to attract the most attention, dragging me around the field... as you do!!.

Here she was, watching me load the wife's powered wheelchair into the boot.



So here are a few Cavs from today...

Most of the forum gathering - sadly, Mk3Alan had already left before the semi-official photoshoot. - so from L to R.

Lizzie's V6 CDX, My very adulterated LS, Mike's CD, and IanGSi's..... er GSi.



The other end of the line, earlier in the day.
With Alan's nice maroon example.



My personal favourite of the day.
A stunning Expression.
It belongs to Martin Roughley of the Cavalier Corner facebook group.



My second favourite was an immaculate red Astra Mk2 GTE, but I didn't get chance to photograph it. Didn't photograph much at all.

Anyway, back to the pictures.
And more Cavaliers.











The event organiser's (I think) mini fleet... one of each. Mk2, mk3 and a mk1

[Robsey]

A modestly quiet day, but it was nice to meet the whole of James' family.
(Lizzie, Mike and Carol).

And good to see Alan and Ian again.

The total shockers of the day were a baby pink Zafira...

And a 1973 Opel Manta that had been modified and looked half painted... strewth. No idea how he gets on with speed bumps.



Something from the mono-chrome psychadelia era.

I have to say close in line for the prize of "Most Battered With An Ugly Stick" were two Vectra-C's very badly chavved up.
Yikes.

I did find it odd to find a bmw in amongst 3 Zafiras. (I think they were all on day-release from the local juvenile detention centre). lol.

[Robsey]

Ebony showing her interest in a Manta-B



More Manta-B goodness.



A lovely Carlton mk1



Cavaliers mk1 and 2



I arrived just after midday, to find that some people were already starting to leave.

By 5pm, there were only a few cars left.

Most notably four Cavalier mk3's.

Ours, Lizzie's and Mikes,
And way over in the distance was a late attending 1994 1.8 LSi in Polar Sea Blue.
(M782 URO) Totally original, like mine was ten years ago...except for what appear to be Cesaro / MotorSport wheels.

(This one seen earlier on the right below)

[3cav3]

Looks like a good show, I'll have to try and make it one year. Particularly nice to see all 3 MKS of the cavalier together.

[Robsey]

It is still much smaller than the VBOA gathering in July.

But at least with VauxFest we can be with other Cavalier Mk3s without having the cost implication and politics required to have a club stand.

Distance wise, VBOA and VauxFest are both in Northampton, so not much difference in distance or travelling time.
About 2 1/2 hours down the M1 from my home...
A bit of a slog, but cruise control makes it a more relaxed journey

It would be nice to see the AstraMax there next year.

[Cavalier342]

Nice photos, looks like finding a space to park in was never going to be an issue. Can park a 747 in there with room to manoeuvre.

[Robsey]

As said, a lot of people started leaving just after midday,

so by mid afternoon, you could have landed a whole fleet of 747s in there...

[Robsey]

Something that is quite amusing, is seeing how confused our male senior citizens get when looking at my car.

At VauxFest, there was an elderly chap who spent a good ten or fifteen minutes looking at Lizzie's 1995 CDX saloon, and my 1994 LSi hatch. Both on M plates.



He kept going from one, to the other, and back again several times, looking more and more perplexed.

I am sure he couldn't work out why they were so different.

-----------------------------------------

Had a similar issue at Trowell services heading north on the way home.

Elderly chap walks past the front of the car, turns back and looks at the front again.

Walks a little further on, and then heads towards the back to have a look.
He then walked off into the distance, looking none-the-wiser.

Neither chap came up to me to seek the answers to their obvious empuzzlement... both just walked away clueless.

[Cavalier342]

Probably couldn't figure out what the Angel eye headlights were.

[Mk3alan]

Had a good journey there and back, just over 2 hours each way. Enjoyed the show good to see some familiar faces but sad didn't have a chance to chat with some! All visitors seem to be friendly!
Got a couple 'good buys' - dash cams for £1 each with plugin power supply, and they both work!

Alan

[Steven715]

It was lovely to once again meet up with James and Lizzy again although I think I may have boad them to tears, James was also going to introduce me to Robsey unfortunately this didn’t happen sadly, hopefully our paths will cross next year and hopefully meet other forum members.
Part of my ear bending rampage to poor James was I would like to get to learn the X20XEV engine and F20 Automatic gearbox as fitted to my MK3 more, I would love to share that information that I collect with the rest of you to firstly the more expert and experienced amongst you can put me right and secondly help other people without a tech one better diagnose there car with a very cheap oscilloscope, so watch this space.

Back to the show it was nice seeing all Vauxhall’s there and especially the Cavaliers which are more my favourite, I also had to laugh at the BMW that was in the line up someone had purchased a Vauxhall badge from the auto jumble and stuck it over the badge they even written Vauxhall at the back it was a fantastic show and I was really able to enjoy it more this year as I stayed overnight and meet up and chatted to many people.

The mini club stand of the 3 Marks of the Cavalier was kind of happened by accident, the MK 1 and MK3 Cavaliers belong to Richard who organised the show, my car( the MK2) was parked further down the lineup when night time came I moved my car there as I was sleeping nearby for my pice of mind more than anything

Here are some random pictures that I have taken,many of these was for a friend that want available on the Sunday

[Robsey]

I am surprised you did not see me...
I was the numpty strapped to a big goofy black great dane dog.

For a change, although I took them with me, I did not fit the Robsey number plates.

For some reason, I feel a bit "girlie" fitting them... although the name Robsey doesn't scream masculinity either - lol.

----------------------------------------

I definitely saw your car. I always keep an eye out for mk2s.
I have never hidden the fact that I wished that I had restored our 1987 mk2 1300 base saloon rather than the mk3.

Broke my heart to send it to the crusher all those years ago. It was vandalised and rotted out.

----------------------------------------------

Indeed looking forward to next year's shows.
We shall definitely get chance to talk then.

I am sure James did not mind one bit. He is an amazingly helpful, friendly lad with encyclopaedic knowledge.
It was myself and my missus that pestered Team McGrath in 2018.

[Steven715]

I am surprised you did not see me...
I was the numpty strapped to a big goofy black great dane dog.

For a change, although I took them with me, I did not fit the Robsey number plates.

For some reason, I feel a bit "girlie" fitting them... although the name Robsey doesn't scream masculinity either - lol.

----------------------------------------

I definitely saw your car. I always keep an eye out for mk2s.
I have never hidden the fact that I wished that I had restored our 1987 mk2 1300 base saloon rather than the mk3.

Broke my heart to send it to the crusher all those years ago. It was vandalised and rotted out.

----------------------------------------------

Indeed looking forward to next year's shows.
We shall definitely get chance to talk then.

I am sure James did not mind one bit. He is an amazingly helpful, friendly lad with encyclopaedic knowledge.
It was myself and my missus that pestered Team McGrath in 2018.

Ahh yes I remember the Great Dane me and my whole family see the dog and commented in affection, now I know who you are, I will make an effort to come over and talk to you.

Unfortunately I think we all have had cars that we let go for some reason or another only to regret it later on, it’s the way it is regrettably.
At least you still have your MK3 these will have there time very soon I think. One day you will be able to see my MK3 in all it’s dented glory

Nah your talking nonsense re your name