RE: PH Heroes: Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V
Discussion
I had a red GTE 16V not long after passing my test. Car was awesome, although I often forgot to put the headlights on at night, as the digital dash always lit up! Some 6 months of ownship saw me hanker after something faster, but there was nothing that I liked the look off as much as my dear Astra.. So a phone call to Courteny Turbo's was made and my car was fitted with their turbo conversion (Same engine mods as done to the calibre and cavalier turbos) and I was let loose in a 220 BHP missle. Car never did handle well, even with adjustable Konis, but was featured in REVS (remember that mag) and I still have my copy... After 4 years of ownership it was replaced with a company car and sold privately.
Its a car I never forgot and often wonder if its still going these days?
If anyone owns G888 EJL, let me know.
Steve
Its a car I never forgot and often wonder if its still going these days?
If anyone owns G888 EJL, let me know.
Steve
dubbs said:
Was sure I remembered a Mk1 Astra GTE so looked it up on google and sure enough I'm right.
Come on guys.... not the first time a blatant mistake that 15 second with google can't solve. If I can do it then you certainly can when you're paid to.
:-) nice to see our old school hot hatches up there though, good work :-)
Ah, what I meant was the GTE MK2 was around since the birth of the MK2 Astra. Come on guys.... not the first time a blatant mistake that 15 second with google can't solve. If I can do it then you certainly can when you're paid to.
:-) nice to see our old school hot hatches up there though, good work :-)
Most fun hot hatch I've had. As said, engine is a stormer and with the geo adjusted correctly and decent tyres ( in the German spec Opel Kadett Gsi 16v size ) it went round corners very neatly. Like a 205 Gti in that it didn't like you lifting off in a corner suddenly ....hence the numbers that went through hedges backwards. Focus RS of their times - some mags/journos loved them ( original Autocar review, 2nd Performance Car review and the 'Car' head to head with the Golf 16v )........and some hated them. You couldn't just mash the throttle out of a corner, you had to feed the power in, your right foot was your traction control.
Brilliant cars
Brilliant cars
I raced these when they first came out. Great engine but the suspension wasn't really that well developed and they chose an odd tyre size which meant we were limited in our choice of Blue Book listed tyres.
I could keep up with the BMW M3s down the back straight at Snetterton though.
All in all a pretty good car and I managed to get one as a company car which was handy when I needed spares for the racer
I could keep up with the BMW M3s down the back straight at Snetterton though.
All in all a pretty good car and I managed to get one as a company car which was handy when I needed spares for the racer
Almost had me in tears, this did. I had the Opel Kadett GSi version as a lease car back in 1987 when I worked at General Motors in South Africa. My first new car ever! 
I remember its vicious torque steer, caught me out more than once. And pounding past Golf GTi's only to have them do the same to me when it came to the corners. The digital panel was awesome back then, and nothing better than seeing 220km/h in great big neon numbers, give or take a bit of over-reading. The rest of the dash was a symphony of rattles and squeaks. Great fun while it lasted! 
I remember its vicious torque steer, caught me out more than once. And pounding past Golf GTi's only to have them do the same to me when it came to the corners. The digital panel was awesome back then, and nothing better than seeing 220km/h in great big neon numbers, give or take a bit of over-reading. The rest of the dash was a symphony of rattles and squeaks. Great fun while it lasted! 
Had a red G-reg 2.0 8v GTE when I was 19, was my first "proper" car, absolutely loved it to bits, owned it almost 5 years and sold it with 148k miles on the clock and it still pulled like a train!!
Only thing I didn't like was the rusty rear arches which needed attention every other day.
Only thing I didn't like was the rusty rear arches which needed attention every other day.
hertfordshire1 said:
I had a red GTE 16V not long after passing my test. Car was awesome, although I often forgot to put the headlights on at night, as the digital dash always lit up! Some 6 months of ownship saw me hanker after something faster, but there was nothing that I liked the look off as much as my dear Astra.. So a phone call to Courteny Turbo's was made and my car was fitted with their turbo conversion (Same engine mods as done to the calibre and cavalier turbos) and I was let loose in a 220 BHP missle. Car never did handle well, even with adjustable Konis, but was featured in REVS (remember that mag) and I still have my copy... After 4 years of ownership it was replaced with a company car and sold privately.
Its a car I never forgot and often wonder if its still going these days?
If anyone owns G888 EJL, let me know.
Steve
Unlicensed since Oct 2000 and not sorned, so sadly probably scrapped.Its a car I never forgot and often wonder if its still going these days?
If anyone owns G888 EJL, let me know.
Steve
And I've got the Revs with it in as well!!
It's funny that quite a few references to the handling have been made here.
It's exactly the same story with the Astra VXR to the Golf GTi, but yet instead of people calling the VXR a "mad, enjoyable hot hatch", they just call it "rubbish". Even though since then, Vauxhall has come a long way.
I hope I look back on my VXR the same way this article looks back, and the comments about it.
It's exactly the same story with the Astra VXR to the Golf GTi, but yet instead of people calling the VXR a "mad, enjoyable hot hatch", they just call it "rubbish". Even though since then, Vauxhall has come a long way.
I hope I look back on my VXR the same way this article looks back, and the comments about it.
I bought a red C reg 1.8 8v back in 1996. When the car was two weeks old, the owner had taken it to Turbo Technics for a TT030 conversion. From memory the car was about 7k new and the conversion was 6k! Once saw 135 leptons on the speedo and was still accelerating hard in 5th. The second or third time I spun it (at surprisingly low speeds), I knew it had to go. Loved it to bits though.
Drove an Astra VXR round thruxton recently. My how things have changed!
In South Africa we had the Boss and Superboss GSI 16v. The Supie had 128kw with grey/black rims. VW vs Opel is a huge scene back home with plenty track and drag days still running with these cars. Which motor is faster? The GTE or Gsi Supie? I've been lookin at bringing over a Supie for a while now but the cheapest is still fetching a wopping £3-4000. Some of the modified cars run 9 sec quarter mile runs on front wheel drive. Check out "VDS 9-sec FWD Opel Superboss" on you tube to see what these puppies are capable of.
I can only dream.........
I can only dream.........
jag guru said:
I had one I bought nearly new in
1987. I preferred the MK1 ASTRA tbh. Also fast as it was, It was no
match for a Pug GTI on a typical twisting back road. Mine's used to " hop"
round corners at the back.
All engine, that's it.
If it was 87, it was an 8 valver, NOT the 16 valve - they didn't arrive till 88.1987. I preferred the MK1 ASTRA tbh. Also fast as it was, It was no
match for a Pug GTI on a typical twisting back road. Mine's used to " hop"
round corners at the back.
All engine, that's it.
16 valvers were a fair bit different on the suspension
jag guru said:
noumenon said:
I bought a red C reg 1.8 8v back in 1996. When the car was two weeks old, the owner had taken it to Turbo Technics for a TT030 conversion. From memory the car was about 7k new and the conversion was 6k! Once saw 135 leptons on the speedo and was still accelerating hard in 5th. The second or third time I spun it (at surprisingly low speeds), I knew it had to go. Loved it to bits though.
Drove an Astra VXR round thruxton recently. My how things have changed!
Do you mean 1986 ? I had one I bought nearly new inDrove an Astra VXR round thruxton recently. My how things have changed!
1987. I preferred the MK1 ASTRA tbh. Also fast as it was, It was no
match for a Pug GTI on a typical twisting back road. Mine's used to " hop"
round corners at the back.
All engine, that's it.
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