Featured Sylva Star

[RedStar]

Paint? is the gel coat that bad? or do you want a change of colour?

It would be nice to keep the car as original as possible with regards to external colour I think......its up to you!

[MaRkStar]

Now registered as a 'Vauxhall Sylva Star' with original manufacture date 1976 so hopefully historic vehicle tax may apply soon?

Be interested to see where you get with historic tax because currently and for some years it has remained at vehicles manufactured before 1st Jan 1975. This is a real bug bear for me too as for mine the original date of manufacture is 1st April 1975 doch!! They were at one stage moving it forward one year, per year, but stopped some time ago. So be interested to see how you get on with it.

Regards paint, mine has had two colour schemes after the original green, I got a mate to rebuild the bonnet as the bulge was coming off and he said that the original gel coat was quite patchy in colour. Alas he's not around anymore so can't ask him what paint he used.

[mgh369]

Yep will keep to original green but gel coat is scratched and starred in a few places and has badly repaired accident damage to front left wing so needs a repaint once I have re-done the repair. Going with original BRG and matt black bonnet. Also had a guy replicate the 'Sylva Star' decals for when its finished.
On the historic tax front I believe it's now a rolling 40 years? So April 1975 should qualify 01/01/2016?

[RedStar]

I can see on your pictures you are using the Armstrong red max shocks on the front of your Star - just bought some for mine funnily enough. What are your thoughts on them?

[MaRkStar]

On the historic tax front I believe it's now a rolling 40 years? So April 1975 should qualify 01/01/2016?

Top banana, you are right, just checked out the VED website and found this...

The exemption cut-off date in Schedule 2 of the Act will be changed to 1 January 1974 to apply from 1 April 2014 as announced at Budget 2013, and to 1 January 1975 to apply from 1 April 2015 as announced at Budget 2014. This will be legislated in Finance Bill 2014. The cut-off date will be rolled forward by one year on every 1 April in each subsequent Finance Bill.

So roll on next year, the car should go tax free woohoo

[mgh369]

Re shocks - Armstrong Red Max adjustables 4 settings mine on No 2 and about as much feel as an iron bar. Wish I had gone with Gas Spax as I did on the back but being a cheapskate went for the Armstrongs!.

[RedStar]

is the answer then to put the front shocks on the lowest setting? should also increase oversteer!

[RedStar]

also, what tyre pressures are you running? - saying that.....is there a recommended tyre pressure for Sylva Stars/Leaders?

[mgh369]

Shocks maybe try reducing setting but bit of a b*****r to adjust. Tyre pressures am running 36 psi front and rear on the basis weight distribution is pretty much 50/50. Seems to ride well on this with tyres 175/60/14 front and 195/60/14 rear.

[Edd]

Wow, 36PSI! I run between 16 and 20 on Striker, and at 20 the ride is way too hard really!
Would have thought a leader would be similar.
Edd