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View Full Version : Magna Vs the rest Modern Motor July 1985!



Tessa403
12-01-2006, 12:51 PM
Give me a minute or 100 and it will be up soon.

Magna SE V Ford Telstar GL V Commodore Berlina V Camira SL/X 1.8 V Bluebird TRX series 3 V Corona Avante 2.4.

Performance:

Top Speed:

Telstar 2.0 5 speed.

162 kmh

Camira 1.8 efi 5 speed.

176 kmh

Commodore 3.3 carb 5 speed.

175 kmh

Bluebird 2.0 carb 5 speed.

158 kmh (4th as 5th was 157kmh)

Corona 2.4 efi 5 speed.

169 kmh

Magna 2.6 carb 5 speed.

174 kmh (4th as 5th was 163kmh)

400 Metres

Telstar: 18.27

Camira: 17.68

Commodore: 17.81

Bluebird: 18.86

Corona: 17.48

Magna: 17.35


0-100kmh


Telstar: 12.78

Camira: 11.13

Commodore: 12.09

Bluebird: 13.98

Corona: 10.87

Magna: 10.73

Accomodation

We sat three averaged sized people in the back of each of the cars to see how comfortable, or otherwise they were. In each case the lengthy Ewan Kennedy legs were put into the drivers seat, which meant that it had to be put back to its rearmost position in every car. I found the legroom in the front of the Commodore, Telstar and Camira to be good but in the Magna, Corona and Bluebird would have preferred another notch or two in the seats adjustment. Car designers often cheat slightly by restricting front seat travel in order to gain extra bit of knee room in the rear. The FWD cars have more width at front foot level because the gearbox in the RWD design intrudes into the passenger compartment. The Commodore is particularly bad in this respect because it has to allow for engine options up to the 5.0ltr V8. The rear seat of the Magna was a clear winner in this test. Next is the two Holden’s in second place. (The Camira is really a very clever design) Fords Telstar is next in third. In comparison with the other cars in the group the Bluebird and Corona are just not in the race – both are cramped in all aspects.

Handling on the road.
We tested the cars handling traits under difficult conditions for them around the tight right hand corner at the end of the straight at Oran Park. To makes things interesting the track was wet and greasy. The Magna was a slight disappointment. Until then, under most conditions it had behaved in a neutral manner with a touch of under steer when driven hard. Pushed hard into the greasy Oran park corner it under steered badly with the front slewing wide as the front heavy bias really took control of the car.

Not the other cars were angels under the same conditions. The Telstar also under steered as did the Bluebird but the Nissan always felt controllable. The Corona was great fun, it could be prodded into under steer or over steer at will.

The two Holden’s came out best. The FWD Camira under steered gently but always felt as through it would hold a tighter line and therefore be safer. The Commodore tended to hang it’s tail out, but kept a tight line and was easy to control.

On the road the Magna is a superior car to its rivals (dumb dumb we know that!) It is quieter than anything this side of a high priced European. The high gearing gives the car a theoretical top speed of 240 kmh at 6000 rpm. The Magna doesn’t break any new ground in keeping noise down what it does is keep the noise outside the passenger compartment. We wonder if this design approach is a sound one as it would be better not to create the noise in the first place. The A pillars could be smoother and we were surprised to see that then roof gutters are exposed as the Colt has wind cheating concealed gutters which keep the noise down.

Winner/losers

The Magna is the winner in almost every way. The Magna is the pacesetter amongst Australian Designed cars (remember that although the car was originally a Japanese Sigma it had enough local input to qualify it as Australian).

Perhaps the FWD Corona and Bluebird will do a better job and beat the Magna at its own game. We wonder if either of these cars will take the cunning step of increasing the width to better suit the needs of Australia…

The Commodore is only a little way behind the Magna in interior space, quietness and ride comfort. The Commodore with its bigger engine feels more comfortable to drive at times.

The Camira has an almost sporting feel about it, drive it hard and it will reward you.

The Telstar is a bit bland against this collection.

The Corona Avante has high levels of ride and comfort but it deteriorate suddenly if pushed hard. The 2.4 has too much torque for the chassis to cope.

Finally the Bluebird. A car with character that will appeal to the person who finds the average Japanese car dull. The new engine is not the leap forward we expected, but the car’s performance is good nonetheless.

TM-Terror
12-01-2006, 10:28 PM
how the hell can a POS camira beat a 3.3L commodore
thats a suprise!

mad lanté
13-01-2006, 01:57 AM
the last gen camiras where quite zippy, had a power to weight of 11.xx, they used the same motor in the n13 pulsars

Ascension
13-01-2006, 08:45 AM
The magnas back seats had more room then the commodore? are you serious, what commodore are we talking about? VN?

mad lanté
13-01-2006, 09:00 AM
vk...

Tessa403
13-01-2006, 09:04 AM
The magnas back seats had more room then the commodore? are you serious, what commodore are we talking about? VN?

Did you even bother to read the tittle of the thread....... Magna Vs the rest Modern Motor July 1985! Now unless they tested a VN mule.... :nuts:

...walks away shaking head.... :rant:

mad lanté
13-01-2006, 09:45 AM
waaachhh

lol

Phonic
13-01-2006, 01:02 PM
Nice artical Tessa, keep them coming.

helloyo
13-01-2006, 05:35 PM
how the hell can a POS camira beat a 3.3L commodore
thats a suprise!

camiras aren't all bad. my dad bought one a year or two ago to take to cape york (from sydney). he bought it for bugger all so that if he broke down up there he wouldn't have to pay thousands to tow the 4WD back down. although he didn't go all the way the camira didn't miss a beat and made it 7000km in 9 days, many of those km on corrugated dirt roads.

ICUH8N
13-01-2006, 05:38 PM
camiras aren't all bad. .

yes they are

Bruno
13-01-2006, 06:10 PM
Camira's almost bankruped GMH, the reason so many of them look good is because most of their lives they are being fixed.

Even my old VB Comode, totally overloaded to the point where I had a to ram rubber between the roof racks that has collapsed and the roof. I drove it from Darwin to Melb with no problems, except that it was so hot that at one of the petrol pumps they could not sell me super because it was so hot the petrol had vapourised in their underground tanks. But I took it easy and it keept going.
I have also driven my then 6 month old Falcon ute from Sydney to Darwin in 53 hours, including sleep.

And I agree with the artical and wish the drivers seat would go back another 5 cm, has anyone done this to their TN?

cartman02au
14-01-2006, 06:29 AM
how the hell can a POS camira beat a 3.3L commodore
thats a suprise!
Trust me, I have owned a 253 bombadore and a 1.6L Camira and the Camira was the pick of the two in every respect.

cartman02au
14-01-2006, 06:32 AM
the last gen camiras where quite zippy, had a power to weight of 11.xx, they used the same motor in the n13 pulsars
The JE 2.0L EFI was quite a good engine. The problem with the earlier Camira's was Holden's build job. Elsewhere in the world they received high acclaim!
Actually the other way around, the N13 used the JD 1.8L Camira engine

mad lanté
14-01-2006, 08:28 AM
Actually the other way around, the N13 used the JD 1.8L Camira engine
ahh i knew it was something under thos lines

FFEEkY
14-01-2006, 11:27 AM
camiras aren't all bad...............
yes they are

:stoopid: :bowrofl:

They would have tested either a vl or vk commodore. if its a 3.3, then the vk.

Maccy D
14-01-2006, 01:43 PM
cartman02au, the N13 engine is slightly different to the JD, to start with, the JD was leaded and you can not interchange computers between the two cars as it wont work.

The_Monk
14-01-2006, 06:43 PM
yes they are

I second that...

My grandpa had a late gen camira wagon. Blew an engine. Replaced the engine and two months later... Blew an engine...

Tessa403
15-07-2006, 09:57 AM
Bump I'm going to have more of a look around the place and hopefully post a few more.

mightymag
16-07-2006, 06:08 PM
I can tell you that the Nissan Bluebird 158 Kays top speed:bowrofl: Yeah right i know i own one and ive had the speedo bouncing way over 180 kays


So thats a lie what Wheels/motor says

Tessa403
16-07-2006, 07:33 PM
Thats an Aussie Bluebird not one of the imported later models.

I think the 85 one still had the old 200B engine not the twin spark Gazelle engine.

Nemesis
16-07-2006, 07:57 PM
Lol! we've gotten our mates Bluebird TRX Series 3 Auto up to 150ks :D And another Mates Pintara (R31 body CA20E) up to 160ks :D

adz89
17-07-2006, 12:43 AM
1985 was the year the Magna won Wheels Car of the Year wasn't it??? By looking at those results it appears evident that the Magna was a clear leader in every respect. Only now did I realise that a 1st Gen Magna (manual) can beat a VB - VK V6 Commodore. Maybe one day I'll spend a few hundred buck, by an ok 1st Gen Magna and try it (We'll see :D).

Because I wasn't alive during 1985 I just wanted to know as to how well the 1st Gen Magna's sold in comparison with Commodores/Falcons/etc. at that time?

Thanks :D

mightymag
17-07-2006, 07:29 AM
The L20b Still has some go for a car that old 70KW the Ca20s has 73kw then you have the Fuel injected Ca20E has 75KW Not much but it depends if its a 4 or 5 Speed

M4DDOG
17-07-2006, 08:11 AM
My project car will be a 1st gen carby manual, twin webbers, zorst etc. should go pretty dang hard.
Good to see they had a good start! The commodore is weak, my TR could keep up with my gf's VH 3.3. Though they were 3 speeds (auto vs auto).

Tessa403
03-04-2007, 03:05 PM
Bump, for the newbies.

Neo
03-04-2007, 03:16 PM
Bump, for the newbies.

Thought you got rid of your first gen? :P

I have to agree on the cabin space, I've been in a VK, it's crap. :)

Gemini
03-04-2007, 03:54 PM
Im surprised that we beat the commie but then again the 3.3l is a push rod isn't it ?

Deanimus
03-04-2007, 05:39 PM
If only the magna won it more often, as in tr-ts, to give it the credit it deserves.
In my old 87 it had so much esp for back then!!!