RE: PH Heroes: Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V

[Ojc]

morgrp said:

I hate Vauxhalls

They hate you to.

[1800turbogte]

Hi,
I own a 1985 ASTRA GTE 1.8i. With a courtenay/pace turbo conversion.
Strangely enough its white.

[rallycross]

fastfreddy said:

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

were you driving them in the uniroyle and monroe prod saloons?

[abarber]

I remeber test driving a new 16v, jumping straight out of my 1.9 205. The lack of traction was laughable, but that engine. What a cracker

[Nick-911-993]

I remember flying down the M3 in a white 16VGTE with 145 on the speedo, then clicking the speedo into kmh mode and seeing 230 on it. I'm sure it was wrong, but it felt real fast. What a great car! Not as nimble as the Golf or 205 but had a certain something about it.

[JayMan]

In 1997 I had a G reg 16V GTE in Metallic Green (non original), lowered, big exhaust, bad boy alloys.

The suspension bottomed out if there was more than 1 person in the back and they weren't perfectly balanced in the middle of the car. It handled pretty badly, the power steering groaned when on full lock. The tyres wore uneavenly.

I got 6 points within 2 weeks of each other, the first for speeding 66 in a 40 zone - sorry, and 3 for running a temporary traffic light even though it was on green and I was following everyone else and the car behind me followed me too, copper decided to stop me, ignoring the other cars, even though he was coming the opposite direction and couldnt have seen what happened (victimised by police for being stupid enough to buy such a car).

Stereo and speakers were nicked by some ASBO who screwdrivered the lock.

All this said it was like shiite of a shovel in a straight line, nothing could beat it. Felt faster than the Porsche Boxster I subsequently owned, and anything since then.

After the Points incident I sold it and got a 1.4 Golf for a year to let my licence cool off.

Glad I got it out of my system but that motor was far too hot for me.

[JayMan]

Forgot to mention, I was so brand loyal that I traded up from a Jamaica Yellow Nova SR, now that was a car!

[Vario-Rob]

Got my first provisional race licence driving one of these back when Jim Russell Driving School was based at Donnington park, happy days

[Chainguy]

JayMan said:

In 1997 I had a G reg 16V GTE in Metallic Green (non original), lowered, big exhaust, bad boy alloys.

The suspension bottomed out if there was more than 1 person in the back and they weren't perfectly balanced in the middle of the car. It handled pretty badly, the power steering groaned when on full lock. The tyres wore uneavenly.

I got 6 points within 2 weeks of each other, the first for speeding 66 in a 40 zone - sorry, and 3 for running a temporary traffic light even though it was on green and I was following everyone else and the car behind me followed me too, copper decided to stop me, ignoring the other cars, even though he was coming the opposite direction and couldnt have seen what happened (victimised by police for being stupid enough to buy such a car).

Stereo and speakers were nicked by some ASBO who screwdrivered the lock.

All this said it was like shiite of a shovel in a straight line, nothing could beat it. Felt faster than the Porsche Boxster I subsequently owned, and anything since then.

After the Points incident I sold it and got a 1.4 Golf for a year to let my licence cool off.

Glad I got it out of my system but that motor was far too hot for me.

Your handling problems and tyre wear, coupled with the non standard colour, means it had probably went backwards through a hedge at 0.8 leptons at some point in it's life before you met it.

[Urban Sports]

BazW said:

Urban Sports said:

Always get one what?

numpty that thinks his car was quicker. it isn't, it never was, it never will be. that engine even in the clio was still slower to 60 and top end to a GTE16v and that's in a much lighter car. don't believe go check the internets...the truth is out there lol. just because you "raced" one could mean anything...could've been a 1.3 in disguise, the driver wasn't even trying, the driver was crap, wasn't his car, you could be talking out of your arse etc...

Wind your neck in you sheath.

I thought it may touch a nerve with the McDonalds boy racers.

I was being a touch ironic, posing something that 19 year olds that drive Renault 16 valves and GTE's would say.

Edited by Urban Sports on Friday 26th September 17:41

Edited by Urban Sports on Friday 26th September 17:58

[Tazfan]

G503 XAN, where are you now?

[traffman]

I owned a white one then a black valver.
Loved them to bits , it was the cheapest way of owning something that would surprise all those reps in there tee dee cee ayes.

[BazW]

Urban Sports said:

Wind your neck in you sheath.I thought it may touch a nerve with the McDonalds boy racers.I was being a touch ironic, posing something that 19 year olds that drive Renault 16 valves and GTE's would say.

ironic...yep, i can clearly see that in your post most people get arsey when proved wrong and resort to insults....or are you being ironic again?

[hertfordshire1]

K50 DEL said:

Unlicensed since Oct 2000 and not sorned, so sadly probably scrapped.

And I've got the Revs with it in as well!!

Oh bugger!

thanks for the info.

Steve

[Dantxd]

Pulse said:

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.

The Astra VXR isn't a crap handler though, the only people that say it is have never driven one, and they're just quoting Clarksons thoroughly bias, "I hate Vauxhalls", review.

And look what Evo thought to their Long Termer Vectra VXR - They loved it and said it kept up with some much more exotic machinary when going cross country to a shoot - even though it had all the camera gear in it Yet people who just repeat Top Gear reviews say it's crap - they know this without driving one of course 'cos Jeremy says so!

Don't get me wrong, I love Clarkson an TG, just the silly reviews like those annoy me. The new Civic Type-R one was another one, no one mentioned that in the magazines hot hatch group test the Stig said, despite it not being the fastest (Megane R26 of course), it was the most fun - Clarkson just looked at the figures and decided it was crap.

Dan

Edited by Dantxd on Friday 26th September 23:45

[Urban Sports]

BazW said:

Urban Sports said:

Wind your neck in you sheath.

I thought it may touch a nerve with the McDonalds boy racers.

I was being a touch ironic, posing something that 19 year olds that drive Renault 16 valves and GTE's would say.

ironic...yep, i can clearly see that in your post most people get arsey when proved wrong and resort to insults....or are you being ironic again?

OK

I'm talking about something that happened years ago, and I mean like 15 years ago.

Are you really being serious, surely not.

Am I right in thinking that you are having a laugh?

Edited by Urban Sports on Saturday 27th September 00:17

[Stu R]

Folks had one of these brand new. Always loved it as a kid and thought it was so ultra modern and fast back then.

Had a drive of one more recently and have to say I found it was utter bilge.

[fastfreddy]

rallycross said:

fastfreddy said:

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

were you driving them in the uniroyle and monroe prod saloons?

Yep.

[BazW]

i'm being ironic

[mp3manager]

In Feb '86, I was searching for a white Mk1 but couldn't find a decent example. So settled for an silver 8v Mk2 on a B plate. Absolutely loved it, fantastic car for a 19 year old. B 305 MSM where are you now?