View Full Version : corsa B handling?
Though i would post it up here as im guessing some of you guys have had one, is the corsa B any better at handling than a nova lets say if the same suspension etc was fitted? i know theres only one or two differences in the suspension area but does it make it a better handling car?
Only reason i ask is im looking to build a track car in the near future and finding a decent nova for a reasonable price is near impossible, ive had a look in seen a few corsas that are in pretty good condition and prices are a lot better for me, another plus is the corsa needs little welding strengthening wise, and second hand parts are easier to find etc.
let me know your thoughts and any experiences you may have had, also anyone seen any corsas with a type R EP3 engine fitted at all?
Cheers:thumb:
TeddyThom
29-04-12, 12:39 PM
The corsa is the heavier of the two... By a considerable amount.
i would say the corsa will handle better due to the wider track
TeddyThom
29-04-12, 12:43 PM
But in all fairness with a good suspension set up, surely both would be as good as each other??
But in all fairness with a good suspension set up, surely both would be as good as each other??
on that logic every car must handle the same then? even cars with the same floor pans but different bodies handle different so why would two cars with a different although similar handle the same? they wouldn't. as to wether its a massively obvious difference i doubt it
cheers, i know it is heavier but it would be stripped out etc as it would only be for track use, ive been looking at clios etc but looking for a car thats easy to work on, lots of parts available and doesnt need welded every year, also the price has a lot to do with it as i would hardly get to use it a lot (work offshore) so lots of cash sitting doing fek all would get the wife moaning about it, also the corsa seems a good idea as one can be built cheap and finding a good shell/car in very good condition seems to be not that hard, only thing i am worried about as ive had several novas on various suspension set ups and i would say that they are not a good handling car (compared to fiesta mk2/clio etc)unless maybe if you spent stupid money, and think maybe the corsa is the same as its nearly the same car if you get what i mean, confused.com:cry:
turbojolt
29-04-12, 01:08 PM
I'm thinking of doing the same thing mate you can get a 1.6 16v sport for 500 quid the same spec novas are going for well over 1200 quid now days
use the corsa, please.. parts are cheaper, and more plentiful. i always thought that early corsas handled very much like novas, as in when all their suspension/brakes & tyres weren't shot... i drove a delivery miles corsa (i used to work at a car hire place) and i thought it was hilarious, ok, it was on 165/13 tyres, but it handled fantastically well.. for 1993
turbojolt
29-04-12, 04:21 PM
use the corsa, please.. parts are cheaper, and more plentiful. i always thought that early corsas handled very much like novas, as in when all their suspension/brakes & tyres weren't shot... i drove a delivery miles corsa (i used to work at a car hire place) and i thought it was hilarious, ok, it was on 165/13 tyres, but it handled fantastically well.. for 1993
is there any job you haven't had? lol
What kind of set up was you thinking of running mate?
yeah tour both thinking the same as me with the money etc, im thinking the handling would be the same but not sure as i've only had one in it was a diesel which hardly moved, one thing that i can remember about it was the clutch pedal being to close to the brake which was annoying with work boots on, i was looking at several cars for a track toy but new house and getting a newer daily (audi A3 tdi) so i cant go spending ****loads in one go, but thinking over 2 years or so i should have it all done properly and built :)
turbojolt
29-04-12, 05:12 PM
You don't have to spend a fortune to have a half decent handling car just buy 2nd hand parts lol
i got spax rsx coilover on my corsa b sri
fully polly bushed
tis a bit twitchy on corners tho lol
What kind of set up was you thinking of running mate?[/QUOTE]
not to sure tbh, i would have to see what other people are running and see what people say, im sure bilstein or kw are suppose to be good, the long term plan would be a tuned c20xe on jenvey boddies,, quaife diff, good coilovers/bushes/uprated arb's and 4 pot brakes and a cage and buckets, the last thing i would like to get which should be possible in a few years is a quaife box, but as said im looking to do it a bit at a time, probably start on suspension and brakes and get the engine fitted so i can use it then just keep an eye out for second hand boddies/cage etc
turbojolt
29-04-12, 05:24 PM
There is a guy on here called collin he is always breaking track cars keep a eye out in the traders section
i got spax rsx coilover on my corsa b sri
fully polly bushed
tis a bit twitchy on corners tho lol
this is what i tell loads of people when they say its got this and that so it must handle amazing, my last nova had spax adj and was fully pollybushed etc and i had it set up a few times but the handling was never really there as it just skipped and bumped everywhere, and in the wet well it was just scary, i also had on avo coilovers which didnt go down well either and lasted a week before being sold on, the best set up i would say i had for road use was new standard dampers and chassis dynamic springs on standard bushes, in the end i wished i never tried to 'uprate' them as it was a waste of time, but this is only going to be a track car so it should be a bit different with no holes/bumps etc
yeah i always keep an eye out, knowing me i'll probably end up with the boddies first with no car as im really needing to get started lol
turbojolt
29-04-12, 05:35 PM
yeah i always keep an eye out, knowing me i'll probably end up with the boddies first with no car as im really needing to get started lol
Sound like me lol if you want to keep the cost down why not get a 1.6 corsa do the brakes wheels tyres and suspension strip it out ect and then move on to the xe
paddy quinn
29-04-12, 05:37 PM
handling iis all in the drivers ability
handling iis all in the drivers ability
well done best joke of the day:thumb:
in yes you are correct to a certain degree but you cant just stop a car from understeering cause your a good driver, well infact you can by driving slower but theres no fun in that, in rest asured this driver has plenty of ability dude ;)
my setup was cheap anthing was better the gmax shocks n 60 springs lol
turbojolt
29-04-12, 05:46 PM
handling iis all in the drivers ability
That comment is retarded
is there any job you haven't had?
i have worked for a total of 10 different employers. some of these jobs were saturday fill in jobs, like the hire car thing..(mate of a mate) i have within these companies, done a great many things. i've worked for my brother since 1995. in this time, i have been in haulage twice, and plant & construction, groundwork, agricultural contracting, vehicle repairs, plant repairs, have done office, and hands on jobs. since i've been back on the wagons (a few weeks) my work is pretty constant, but up to that point, i really didn't know what i'd need to be doing most days
For what it's worth I thought my XE Corsa on Hottunong coilovers handled far better than any XE Nova's I've had on Gaz/Avo coilovers etc. Chassis is stronger, track is wider, also don't think there is a great difference in weight over the front end as the Corsa has no inner wings, splash guards etc.
Ive had a few of both Corsa's & Nova's & IMO the Corsa's handled better. Espcially in standard form, they were a right hoot lol
For what it's worth I thought my XE Corsa on Hottunong coilovers handled far better than any XE Nova's I've had on Gaz/Avo coilovers etc. Chassis is stronger, track is wider, also don't think there is a great difference in weight over the front end as the Corsa has no inner wings, splash guards etc.
On the subject of low budget coilovers, years ago when me & my friend built a Civic Turbo (EK shape) he had Jamex coilovers on it for a bit & then changed to Tein ones & both of us thought cheapo ones were far better handling wise!
And also Corsa B front lower valance isnt made from a twelvty tonne piece of box section either lol
handling iis all in the drivers ability
In that case,you need a job at an F1 team,tell the developers and designers to stop wasting money and to just get better drivers eh?! lol
turbojolt
29-04-12, 09:51 PM
In that case,you need a job at an F1 team,tell the developers and designers to stop wasting money and to just get better drivers eh?! lol
lmfao :thumb:
this is what i tell loads of people when they say its got this and that so it must handle amazing, my last nova had spax adj and was fully pollybushed etc and i had it set up a few times but the handling was never really there as it just skipped and bumped everywhere, and in the wet well it was just scary, i also had on avo coilovers which didnt go down well either and lasted a week before being sold on, the best set up i would say i had for road use was new standard dampers and chassis dynamic springs on standard bushes, in the end i wished i never tried to 'uprate' them as it was a waste of time, but this is only going to be a track car so it should be a bit different with no holes/bumps etc
it depends if you want it handling on track days or b-roads. from your comments about not liking spax or avo's im going to say you want b-road handling. it which case you want bilstein big piston dampers, b6 or b8 i think. ive had them for a while now and love them, they are really strange in that the quicker you go the more stable it feels
Even though Nova has slightly narrower track it will handle better imo.
BUT, like you said Corsa doesn't need as much work and readily available. If you're planning a 2.0 conversion then Corsa is a much easier base to work with.
Here is vid of my 1.6 Tigra on track, bog standard engine with mix and match of suspension bits chasing a Corsa B:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KswYogKpLAY&feature=plcp
timbo1980
30-04-12, 11:03 AM
Nick if you need cage ,buckets @ conversion bits i have in the garden shed that i mite be persuaded to sell
cheers for all your thoughts people, so from everyones past experience it seems that the corsa is slightly better for handling, well that sounds good to me now need to start collecting and keeping an eye out for good second hand stuff parts, thanks again
Nick if you need cage ,buckets @ conversion bits i have in the garden shed that i mite be persuaded to sell
arite tim hows it going? i'll need to come in past in see how your getting on and have a talk about what im planning in see what you think, be a bit easier now as ive just moved back out to your neck of the woods, ill give you a shout when i get home which should be in 12 days or so dude :)
paddy quinn
01-05-12, 01:10 AM
That comment is retarded
your face is retarded but you dont see me complaining do you
turbojolt
01-05-12, 08:07 AM
your face is retarded but you dont see me complaining do you
not till just then :roll:
handling is down to drivers preference.
grip & cornering ability is more difficult to quantify
TeddyThom
01-05-12, 11:44 AM
In that case,you need a job at an F1 team,tell the developers and designers to stop wasting money and to just get better drivers eh?! lol
Major lollol
been having a look around into corsa handling, heard a few people on another site on about moving the bottom of the strut forward 10mm or so by machining a bit of the back of the tiebar? there will be more to it than that but im not sure tbh, they said it was a lot better at handling with this mod and with epas fitted, anyone on here any info or done this sort of thing? i'll sign up as a member on the other site at some point in see what its all about, think it was (autovaux) i seen it on
its a well known mod. it needs doing properly. reading up on suspension design before attempting anything like this is a must.
you any links or anything that may help? will ask the boys on other site later but more info the better
it increases the castor angle, and by moving the wheel forward, will slightly alter the weight balance. i'd put it down as a mod to do after you have done all the other mods.
paddy quinn
01-05-12, 03:02 PM
not till just then :roll:
gotta start somewere
turbojolt
01-05-12, 04:28 PM
gotta start somewere
Let's not try and ruin this thread with stupid comments mate the guy is clearly interested in building this and it looks bad on the club
I wouldn't do the tie bar mod, it puts extra stress on the tca bush
Its OK if everything is rose jointed though
handling is down to drivers preference.
grip & cornering ability is more difficult to quantify
THIS! handling is not a measured constant, like power and torque. Its all about the handling ability, and setup and drivers preference as mowgli has said.
Amount of people i know that have said that there polo/corsa/clio/any car thats on bumpstops on coilover 'handles like its on rails mate' Yea ok lol.
New bushes and decent tyres will help radically. Also having allignment setup correctly will help the handling (ability).
Having the correct poundage springs and the right dampness settings will also help. But as to say which one will handle better, its down to taste, but imo i believe the corsa will be a better base to start with :thumb: Sad as it sounds i started a 2d model of a nova front end on cad, to measure camber change and bump steer under steering conditions, but i got bored so i gave up lol
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