RE: PH Blog: Astra timeline
Discussion
damn...an astra GSi..always wanted 1 for some reason...i knew they weren't fantastic but i loved the looks and they were rapid in a straight line. An old bloke at work had a blue jreg one, he lowered it, tweaked the engine and used to race it....and he'd come to work in it...he was my hero as a teenager. Had an '89 SRi which was a much better car than you would think, just over 100bhp but was light as a feather and went like the clappers, i loved it. Always prefered the "sporty" vauxhalls to sporty ford's ...drove a few fords and they weren't as nice inside and never seemed quite as quick.
Love the mk1 - back in 85 I had a lowly Y reg 1300LS that I added white wheel covers to.
I was 18 and it was a pretty great car at the time but I longed for a gte.
A couple of yrs later I bought a golf gti 8v mk2 a D reg. had a few races with mk2 gtes, never really troubled my gti. Then I bought a R5 GT Turbo - that was the most fun.
I also recall going into the Dorking Vauxhall dealer and looking at a Mk1 GTE on their forecourt. I was 19 yrs old but arrived in a 3 or 4 yr old Astra. The salesman told me that I couldnt afford the GTE - hence why I bought a Golf GTi.
I was 18 and it was a pretty great car at the time but I longed for a gte.
A couple of yrs later I bought a golf gti 8v mk2 a D reg. had a few races with mk2 gtes, never really troubled my gti. Then I bought a R5 GT Turbo - that was the most fun.
I also recall going into the Dorking Vauxhall dealer and looking at a Mk1 GTE on their forecourt. I was 19 yrs old but arrived in a 3 or 4 yr old Astra. The salesman told me that I couldnt afford the GTE - hence why I bought a Golf GTi.
Edited by Gazzab on Tuesday 12th June 09:19
Clivey said:
stuff...
U really are massively missing the point,i hate the mk4 Golf with a passion,only got it because is better (as you said) than an average 1.2 corsa/clio and brings an ridiculous good MPG.you'd get a mk2 Astra over a 205 etc well that's your problem
,or really you like them better than the majority,nothing wrong with that.really no trolling here,my uncle owned one,the shock absorbers lasted 100 km,the whole bodywork rusted within 8 years,and was not the only one,other were about the same.
I don't know much about the mk3 but it was introduced in 1991 were the 80's hatches were in their last breath,later comings like the Clio 16v/williams 106 Gti are used even today and give nowadays hatches a run for their money.
If you compare the VXR with only the GTI and MPS you are missing the best,the VXR really was an old school feel hatch,but a new car with an old technology don't match,time to move on,thing that is shown in this latest Hot astra,which now is up with the best of its class,lesson learned.
And for the last pictures as i said i was comparing it with the best not some chav s
te.Edited by Hoygo on Tuesday 12th June 10:52
I spent some time in a Mk1GTE and a Mk2GTE 16V when they were new. I always preferred the Mk1. Yes it was slower but it felt better sorted. The chassis of the Mk2, especially in 16v guise really wasn't up to the job. I actually had the front suspension come loose on the Mk2 (a known fault apparently, according to the main dealer at the time) I also seem to remember that the Mk2 had a rather horrible digital dash that was unreadable on any kind of sunny day!
At that time I also sampled various Escort XR3s and RS Turbos. (new) and whilst I liked the normally aspitated CVH in the XR3 the turboed RS was not pleasant (nor reliable). Escort interiors felt like they were made of egg boxes compared to the MK1 Astra! I loved the Pug 205 GTi 1.9, but it was troublesome. I had a massive soft spot for the Citroen AX Gt, but it was tiny and really did feel like it was made of cardboard! Bizarrely I also liked the MG Maestro, especially in Tickford Turbo guise. The 2.0efi was torquey and fun, whilst the turbo was much faster than the Astras, and handled really rather well (provided you kept to the right type of tyre and kept an eye on the front geo) The looks were challenging to be sure, but the chassis (and the interior) were well up to the mark.
Golf Gti? Aside from the Mk1, and the Mk216v I've never clicked with them. Happy days those 80s were!
At that time I also sampled various Escort XR3s and RS Turbos. (new) and whilst I liked the normally aspitated CVH in the XR3 the turboed RS was not pleasant (nor reliable). Escort interiors felt like they were made of egg boxes compared to the MK1 Astra! I loved the Pug 205 GTi 1.9, but it was troublesome. I had a massive soft spot for the Citroen AX Gt, but it was tiny and really did feel like it was made of cardboard! Bizarrely I also liked the MG Maestro, especially in Tickford Turbo guise. The 2.0efi was torquey and fun, whilst the turbo was much faster than the Astras, and handled really rather well (provided you kept to the right type of tyre and kept an eye on the front geo) The looks were challenging to be sure, but the chassis (and the interior) were well up to the mark.
Golf Gti? Aside from the Mk1, and the Mk216v I've never clicked with them. Happy days those 80s were!
Edited by andymadmak on Tuesday 12th June 11:32
khushy said:
MKI - brilliant car
MKII - epic 16v
MKIII - wtf happend?
LATEST VXR - nice
MKII - epic 16v in its original (non-cat) form, slightly less epic in cat form?MKII - epic 16v
MKIII - wtf happend?
LATEST VXR - nice
I'd still love to have a Mk1, cracking cars - loved the chassis on my Mk1 1200S (4 door, not 5), handled well for something with such skinny tyres.
alfettagtv2000 said:
I never had a GTE but an early mk2 1.3. It was still a fun car though and went better than a 1.3 should!
bulkhead mounted steering rack felt poor and used to split the bulkhead in some cases...
It's one of the first things to check and sort if you're buying an old one. The soundproofing used to hold damp like a wet sponge in that areabulkhead mounted steering rack felt poor and used to split the bulkhead in some cases...
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Wow, some serious thought went into that article.
First was the mk1, then the mk2, then the mk3 & then there were some others that vauxhall couldn't find for the photos do I won't write about them.
Cheque please
Cheeky! First was the mk1, then the mk2, then the mk3 & then there were some others that vauxhall couldn't find for the photos do I won't write about them.
Cheque please
Thought I did write about them, though, albeit briefly...
Anyway, joking aside, those were actually pics taken by our esteemed editor Mr Trent, who popped in to Luton the other day to see the heritage fleet...
The Astra GTE and the Cavalier 2000GSi are my two fav Vauxhalls of all time - great design, perfect lines - just a shame that the cam-belt on the GSi was made of (over) used, fat ladies knickers!!!!
The cost of cam-belt-snap damage min c£3000!!!!!!
But EPIC fun when working and the first really-cool white cars.
khushy
The cost of cam-belt-snap damage min c£3000!!!!!!
But EPIC fun when working and the first really-cool white cars.
khushy
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