RE: PH Heroes: Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V
Discussion
CaptainSlow said:
"too fast for the chassis" as Max Power had in their model by model reviews near the back of the magazine.
UK models mostly undertyred for sure....but after owning/driving one for several years not actually as bad as some pub experts would have you believe. The swirling/growings clouds of 'bad press' tends to obscure the good reviews....rather as happened with the RS FocusCaptainSlow said:
"too fast for the chassis" as Max Power had in their model by model reviews near the back of the magazine.
that font of motoring wisdom. kinda glad max power said that, if they'd have raved about it there would be none left now. they would all be in fibreglass heavenI bought one last year.
Find a good 'en & they're still cracking fun.
Mine has 71k on the clock & is in really good condition. It's still able to make fools out of plenty of more modern motors. Engine pulls through all gears like a dream. On the dodgy handling front, that can basically be righted by sticking decent rubber on. The standard 185/65 rubber on 14" wheels were a joke. I put 195/50 Uniroyal Rainsport 2's on with 15" GTE Champion alloys & it now handles really well.
Find a good 'en & they're still cracking fun.
Mine has 71k on the clock & is in really good condition. It's still able to make fools out of plenty of more modern motors. Engine pulls through all gears like a dream. On the dodgy handling front, that can basically be righted by sticking decent rubber on. The standard 185/65 rubber on 14" wheels were a joke. I put 195/50 Uniroyal Rainsport 2's on with 15" GTE Champion alloys & it now handles really well.
Sorry but had to revive this long retired thread after finding it.
Had a SA Boss with all the all the touring car homologation trickery fitted(5 door version too). It was already well worn and rattled and squeaked like crazy but holy moly did it go like the clappers.
Properly set up it handled very well but with 80% LSD and chassis that settled into gentle over steer in high speed corners (on a FWD car!) not a car for the faint hearted, lifting off once committed was not an option.
I was a novice driver at the time so yes I did crash it. Repaired it after the front smash only to end properly writing it off with a gravel road spin that ended with a few forward tail over nose rolls
Boy I miss that car....
Had a SA Boss with all the all the touring car homologation trickery fitted(5 door version too). It was already well worn and rattled and squeaked like crazy but holy moly did it go like the clappers.
Properly set up it handled very well but with 80% LSD and chassis that settled into gentle over steer in high speed corners (on a FWD car!) not a car for the faint hearted, lifting off once committed was not an option.
I was a novice driver at the time so yes I did crash it. Repaired it after the front smash only to end properly writing it off with a gravel road spin that ended with a few forward tail over nose rolls
Boy I miss that car....
Ah the old Astra GTE what a car. I honestly couldn't compare it to the Golf as I've never driven one, which now i come to think about it is quite a thing to admit to. Was always too into my Fords and Vauxhalls to entertain the Golf, they never appealed to me at all. Too bland I thought back in the 90s but yes nowadays there is a certain understated subtlety to the mk2 Golf.
I passed my test in 1990 and lairy looking saloons and hot hatches were what did it for me.Started with Fiestas/Capris and Cortinas but finally got an '84 XR3i, XR red,spotlights, the business.
My mate gave me a shot of his B reg mk2 1.8 GTE around '95 and it kindled the appeal of the only other marque that I'd ever contemplated buying which was Vauxhall. Perhaps it was my love of the mk3 Escort but something about the way the mk1 Astra looked caught my attention.Also loved the Opel MantaB/AsconaB aswell.
The real revelation was the engine in the GTE. That 1.8 Family II OHC motor was so much better than the CVH in every possible way and I actually found it to be a better handling car than the mk3 Escorts too.
Within 6 months I had my own mk2 GTE. A C reg 1.8 l, white and the spitting image of the one in the article. While I agree about the front end being wayward in the wet and it's tendency to wheelspin on a damp surface the problem with the handling was most definitely down to that high backend. I remember discovering about the lift off oversteer by going into a roundabout too hard, easing off and the rear stepped right out without warning but if you lowered it and took the time and effort to learn how to drive it fast it was as quick as a 1.9 GTi through the twisties,it's similar to the Capris not in it's handling characteristics but in the fact it takes balls, confidence and a bit of faith in your motor to really push it to the limit but both cars love it and respond nicely to it.
Later on I had a G plate 16v GTE, funnily enough it never seemed to have that raw edge the original 1.8 had although clearly being more powerful and having one of my all time favourite engines under the bonnet.
I would add that later on I also had an RS1600i and it restored my faith in Ford's ability to make hot hatches in a way even the S1 RS Turbo couldn't (the mk1 XR2 not withstanding obviously).
If I had to pick a favourite between the 16v GTE and the RS1600i I don't think I could but even now I wouldn't take a Golf GTi over either of those fiery, brash heroes...... oh and again a mk1 XR2 would be the other one in my top 3 hot hatch league
I passed my test in 1990 and lairy looking saloons and hot hatches were what did it for me.Started with Fiestas/Capris and Cortinas but finally got an '84 XR3i, XR red,spotlights, the business.
My mate gave me a shot of his B reg mk2 1.8 GTE around '95 and it kindled the appeal of the only other marque that I'd ever contemplated buying which was Vauxhall. Perhaps it was my love of the mk3 Escort but something about the way the mk1 Astra looked caught my attention.Also loved the Opel MantaB/AsconaB aswell.
The real revelation was the engine in the GTE. That 1.8 Family II OHC motor was so much better than the CVH in every possible way and I actually found it to be a better handling car than the mk3 Escorts too.
Within 6 months I had my own mk2 GTE. A C reg 1.8 l, white and the spitting image of the one in the article. While I agree about the front end being wayward in the wet and it's tendency to wheelspin on a damp surface the problem with the handling was most definitely down to that high backend. I remember discovering about the lift off oversteer by going into a roundabout too hard, easing off and the rear stepped right out without warning but if you lowered it and took the time and effort to learn how to drive it fast it was as quick as a 1.9 GTi through the twisties,it's similar to the Capris not in it's handling characteristics but in the fact it takes balls, confidence and a bit of faith in your motor to really push it to the limit but both cars love it and respond nicely to it.
Later on I had a G plate 16v GTE, funnily enough it never seemed to have that raw edge the original 1.8 had although clearly being more powerful and having one of my all time favourite engines under the bonnet.
I would add that later on I also had an RS1600i and it restored my faith in Ford's ability to make hot hatches in a way even the S1 RS Turbo couldn't (the mk1 XR2 not withstanding obviously).
If I had to pick a favourite between the 16v GTE and the RS1600i I don't think I could but even now I wouldn't take a Golf GTi over either of those fiery, brash heroes...... oh and again a mk1 XR2 would be the other one in my top 3 hot hatch league
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