A sad day for an old friend

[Mastodon2]

Hello all, my wife's grandfather's 1982 Astra failed it's MOT today. He has asked me to put it on ebay for him to get sell it off, but I must admit I don't really know where to start - I'll hold my hands up and admit to knowing very little about non-sporting cars from the early 80s!

The car is, I believe, a 1982 Vauxhall Astra 1.2L 3 door hatchback, it's an X Reg with 115,000 miles on it, which is only about 4000 miles a year. It has been in steady use though, several times a week, washed regularly and garaged all of it's life. Unfortunately, this has not been enough to protect it's early 80s British bodywork from the rust, and it has a fair bit of rust in the arches, patches on the doors etc, but now it has failed it's MOT for having a badly rusted sill on the driver's side beneath the door. It also failed for the front shocks having "negligible damping", which I disagree with as the car stops wobbling after the first rebound, not 3 or 4 rebounds like you normally see on a busted shock absorber. Either way, they quoted him £100 to replace them if he was interested in having the work done. It also has "spongy brakes", which according to it's owner, have always been spongy - I can't imagine a family car of this era having amazing brakes, but I think any sponginess could be cured with some fresh, decent quality brake fluid.

Unfortunately, the car is in fairly rough shape, even though the engine is solid - starts first time and runs like clockwork, which was galling to me when my Seat Leon Cupra R was sick on a weekly basis! It's the bodywork that lets it down, but it's not the kind of car that would be worth spending hundreds a year on catching all the rust as it happens.

I know the car has a lot of sentimental value, as the owner always said he'd be hanging up his keys when it eventually failed and MOT, and that day has come.

The garage that MOT'd the car suggested the owner stick it on ebay for £500 and hope a classic restorer buys it, but short of this happening I can't see there being much interest in it, it would just take too much money to get the bodywork done. As the cost of the ebay ad is relative to the price the item starts at, I wonder if it's worth aiming that high, it might be close to or just as valuable as scrap?

[Huntsman]

That model with the boot not the hatch and the 1.2 engine from the viva is pretty rare now, I'm not suggesting rarity = £££'s, but certainly worth a go on ebay.

[Mastodon2]

He did say it was rare - the salesman told him at the time they were not selling many in that spec and a few blokes "in the know" tried to buy it on the spot at a petrol station a few years back. Might be worth a shot putting it on the bay with the reserve set at the scrap value, then if someone wants it they can have it, if not then at least he won't lose any money on the advert.

[bga]

They all go at the sills. My 1984 Astra needed them doing every year from 1992 when my dad got it until 1999 when I scrapped it. Brakes were pretty dreadful at the best of times. 4-up they would develop ABS as they would be too weak to lock up with the car fully loaded.

[anonymous-user]

I am sorry to be harsh, but old does not always equal classic. That was a heap when new, and now it is just an old heap. Kill it. Kill it with fire. If you can do a few MGBs while you are at it, you may win the acclaim of a grateful citizenry.

[MarkwG]

There are some Astra & Vauxhall websites out there, I'd see if you can list it there. Someone may have it for spares, but basic spec & pretty ropey means it won't be worth much, maybe more than just weighing it in, though, & at least it'll go to a good home.

[NHK244V]

Early booted ones are rare now as already said, well TBH there were rare when new and being a 2 dorr is ripe for a red top and a good thrashing with the stick

[GoneAnon]

check ebay's fees - I think they charge a flat fee for cars, rather than a % of starting/sale price.

[52classic]

I'd say it is neither old enough or in good enough condition to guarantee its salvation.

They are starting to be interesting though and as a parts donor or a cheap intro to the classic car scene it will surely be good for someone.

Ebay for sure, but I think you'll be very luck to see £500. A good home and around £400 would be my bet.

[elephantstone]

Surely you'll get a couple hundred for it on ebay from the "stick a red top in it" crew. I think that Astra looks quite cool with its age... Does look abit rough though.

[Mastodon2]

There was a guy oh pistonheads that had an old Astra like this with a modern engine conversion, can't remember what it was, possibly a VAG 1.8t, white speedline wheels etc. Strange choice for a car to mod up, I'd have picked something with more robust bodywork!

[MX7]

A friend sold a similar Astra a few months ago, an '84 1.3 5-door with 34k on the clock as I remember, and there was little interest on Ebay. He got £500 for it in the end, with tax and MOT.

I'd try retro rides.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi

[downthepub]

Or Autoste.com - the lads there and on retrorides like all sorts of surprising stuff.

[LordBretSinclair]

MX7 said:

A friend sold a similar Astra a few months ago, an '84 1.3 5-door with 34k on the clock as I remember, and there was little interest on Ebay. He got £500 for it in the end, with tax and MOT.

I'd try retro rides.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi

£500 for a car with only 34k miles and with tax and MOT - I think that gives you an idea of what a 115k miler with no hope of an MOT will bring. Stick it on ebay with a really low starting price - good luck

[droopsnoot]

I've put a note on the Droopsnoot Group forum, some of the guys on there are into more modern stuff as well as snoots.

[gforceg]

Shirley the ashtray mounted clock makes it a quirky collectors' piece, no?

I went to look at an Astra as a college hack many years ago. I lifted the boot/hatch, lifted the carpet and gazed in wonder at the rear tyre and the driveway. Surprisingly, I walked away.

[Simes205]

Stick it on retro rides. It will be snapped up, lowered and fitted with a 2L red top. Proper OAP sleeper!

[Astra Dan]

People on here might bee interested.
http://www.mk1oc.com/forum/

Hell, I'd have a go if I had the space and the patience to weld. But with 2 Mk2s and a Nova I got enough rust on my drive already.
As said, rare shape, retro styling, it IS cool to a lot of people.
Those scruffy bits are nothing to a real enthusiast/ restorer.

Good luck.

[Flares&Chestwig]

Sorry, its awful and fail to see any upside, put it out of its misery.
PS...who fitted the aerial on the front wing...jeeze.

[Mastodon2]

[quote=Flares&Chestwig]Sorry, its awful and fail to see any upside, put it out of its misery.
PS...who fitted the aerial on the front wing...jeeze.
[/quote]

Put an ad up on Gumtree last night, had about 25 emails and 10 offers in 2 hours, asked £350 for it. Got someone offering £300 and coming to pick it up tomorrow night. Really did not expect such a good response. The guy who is coming to get it is a classic Vauxhall collector who has a couple of MK1 Astras and some old Cavaliers. It's not my thing, or perhaps yours either but it proves that there are people out there who like this kind of thing.