Alwayzsidewayz''s budget banger Astra
Discussion
After loosing my job with company car, I decided to change tack and get back into the wonderful world of bangernomics (Warning this is a profile about a 95 Astra, with no style or performance mods what so ever! read on at your risk.)
So armed with the locals in my best mike Brewer style I set off. After dismissing an Escort with no clutch and a rover 200 with a way short MOT. I found This.
less than 2 miles away, decent MOT, local car with only 2 owners and 63k on the clock
It was up for £495 and he took £350 cash.
This was August last year.
It had been owned by an elderly couple and it smelled like it to, I stripped the seats out and did battle with the hoover, finding to my cost the lady liked sewing, as there were loads of pins under the passenger seat. Instant accupuncture Not great fun.
Me being me, I cannot own a car without modifying it, very very sad and totally againist the banger ideology, but that just my way. But the mods had to be bargains too.
First I debadged it.
Detailed the engine bay, with house hold polish and the wifes dish cloth, not pleased was she.
The front end was de chromed a bit with insulation tape.. ( told you this was budget style!)
Clear 99p side repeaters were fitted, with the existing bulbs painted with orange paint.
Hang on to your hats readers, some big spending coming soon!
So armed with the locals in my best mike Brewer style I set off. After dismissing an Escort with no clutch and a rover 200 with a way short MOT. I found This.
less than 2 miles away, decent MOT, local car with only 2 owners and 63k on the clock
It was up for £495 and he took £350 cash.
This was August last year.
It had been owned by an elderly couple and it smelled like it to, I stripped the seats out and did battle with the hoover, finding to my cost the lady liked sewing, as there were loads of pins under the passenger seat. Instant accupuncture Not great fun.
Me being me, I cannot own a car without modifying it, very very sad and totally againist the banger ideology, but that just my way. But the mods had to be bargains too.
First I debadged it.
Detailed the engine bay, with house hold polish and the wifes dish cloth, not pleased was she.
The front end was de chromed a bit with insulation tape.. ( told you this was budget style!)
Clear 99p side repeaters were fitted, with the existing bulbs painted with orange paint.
Hang on to your hats readers, some big spending coming soon!
Edited by alwayzsidewayz on Thursday 25th March 11:55
The car came only with a FM AM radio, not even a tape unit, it is the base spec, PAS, and a sunroof is your lot.
It also has the Economy 1,6 engine only something like 70bhp and lonnnng gear ratios.
So too take my mind off the yawning sleep inducing 0 - 45mph time, I looked on Ebay for some stereo equipment.
£21.75 turned up this.
Still with the standard 2 door speakers at present, we don't need to go crazy after all.
After that extrangavance, we went more sensible and got a free steering wheel cover ( told you this was worth reading didn't I?)
Setting off the hard wearing and inviting interior.
I must point out that due to my Essex routes I have a condition which requires the purchase and display of multiple vanilla trees.
Next step was the rear lights
I found misdescribed set of GSI rears with the tinted section for 99p on Ebay, I won them and after a barter on postage I had my new lights
I then grew fed up of the damaged and mismatched hub caps and yearned for something more distinctive.
My faithful servant Ebay saw me proud again and for £6, I now owned a full set of Nova SR hubcaps.
Once fitted they set the car off a treat.
Now ready to face the world, the Astra has done sterling service, carrying 3sgte engines around the UK and being my everyday hack, with close to 50mpg
Snow was no challenge.
all was rosy up until Dec last year, when the pipe from the heater matrix snapped off, and I lost coolant.
The head gasket held on until three weeks ago bless it.
As she was due a service, we did the works ( again not banger policy, but I like the old girl now)
Cam belt, all filters, plugs, etc
This went well, but the basic sensors of the SPi engine then cried foul.
So a new crankshaft signal sender, ICV went in and all was good again.
The only fault which developed in my ownership apart from the head gasket, was the lack of flash from the stalk, we sorted this with a brand new one for £11.00
Today, this not very motoring marvel, but enjoyed in a perverse way by me, had her MOT, and duly passed first time!!
Not even an advisory to sully her good name. In fact the MOT tester even complimented me on how clean the underneath was!!
Now as I should be, by pistonhead logic, be spending my every penny on my more "fun" car, I should not reward this fine accomplishment, but I will have to defy the logic and treat the car again.
I hope you enjoyed my Astra story, its not very interesting, or fast or rare or pretty or anything really other than a 95 Astra, but it serves me well and I love it.
Thanks for reading
It also has the Economy 1,6 engine only something like 70bhp and lonnnng gear ratios.
So too take my mind off the yawning sleep inducing 0 - 45mph time, I looked on Ebay for some stereo equipment.
£21.75 turned up this.
Still with the standard 2 door speakers at present, we don't need to go crazy after all.
After that extrangavance, we went more sensible and got a free steering wheel cover ( told you this was worth reading didn't I?)
Setting off the hard wearing and inviting interior.
I must point out that due to my Essex routes I have a condition which requires the purchase and display of multiple vanilla trees.
Next step was the rear lights
I found misdescribed set of GSI rears with the tinted section for 99p on Ebay, I won them and after a barter on postage I had my new lights
I then grew fed up of the damaged and mismatched hub caps and yearned for something more distinctive.
My faithful servant Ebay saw me proud again and for £6, I now owned a full set of Nova SR hubcaps.
Once fitted they set the car off a treat.
Now ready to face the world, the Astra has done sterling service, carrying 3sgte engines around the UK and being my everyday hack, with close to 50mpg
Snow was no challenge.
all was rosy up until Dec last year, when the pipe from the heater matrix snapped off, and I lost coolant.
The head gasket held on until three weeks ago bless it.
As she was due a service, we did the works ( again not banger policy, but I like the old girl now)
Cam belt, all filters, plugs, etc
This went well, but the basic sensors of the SPi engine then cried foul.
So a new crankshaft signal sender, ICV went in and all was good again.
The only fault which developed in my ownership apart from the head gasket, was the lack of flash from the stalk, we sorted this with a brand new one for £11.00
Today, this not very motoring marvel, but enjoyed in a perverse way by me, had her MOT, and duly passed first time!!
Not even an advisory to sully her good name. In fact the MOT tester even complimented me on how clean the underneath was!!
Now as I should be, by pistonhead logic, be spending my every penny on my more "fun" car, I should not reward this fine accomplishment, but I will have to defy the logic and treat the car again.
I hope you enjoyed my Astra story, its not very interesting, or fast or rare or pretty or anything really other than a 95 Astra, but it serves me well and I love it.
Thanks for reading
Edited by alwayzsidewayz on Wednesday 24th March 20:12
Edited by alwayzsidewayz on Wednesday 24th March 20:13
Good work!
Reminds me of a friend at university who "tinted" his rear lights by removing the whole unit, dragging some tights over them, and tying a knot at the back.
Bing. Instant tinted lights that could be reverted to original in seconds.
You couldn't tell what had been done unless you looked very close, or until the tights got ladders!
Reminds me of a friend at university who "tinted" his rear lights by removing the whole unit, dragging some tights over them, and tying a knot at the back.
Bing. Instant tinted lights that could be reverted to original in seconds.
You couldn't tell what had been done unless you looked very close, or until the tights got ladders!
sleep envy said:
I've just s
t myself
only last week I sold mrs envys astra - M543OOK in the same blue, 32k miles with HGF
Wow what are the chances of that? The Astras do seam prone to HGF, but its not too hard a job, parts only cost me £65 all in for it.t myselfonly last week I sold mrs envys astra - M543OOK in the same blue, 32k miles with HGF
Scary the similarities though
and yes I have heard about the tights dodge, but I went upmarket :-)
Glad you enjoyed the read.
bazking69 said:
alwayzsidewayz said:
The Astras do seam prone to HGF, but its not too hard a job, parts only cost me £65 all in for it
I've seen 2 mechanics do one in 30 minutes in their lunchtime on more then one occasion. snotrag said:
Bravo.
although - wheres the rust? Seriously - where is it? It has to be there somewherem but I just cant see it!
Drivers side rear wheel arch, its been repaired to a decent, but horrible looking up close, standard. apart from that, and that was accident damage, its pretty damn clean..although - wheres the rust? Seriously - where is it? It has to be there somewherem but I just cant see it!
Waiting on parts for my other car, so work at a halt, decided not to waste the nice weather and give the banger a proper good valet and detail.
Quite pleased with the results really as its a £350 motor.
getting pretty attached to the thing now. Even though its a cheapie, it somehow seams to have a character, compared to all the company 307s, Golfs passats etc that I had a company cars.
Quite pleased with the results really as its a £350 motor.
getting pretty attached to the thing now. Even though its a cheapie, it somehow seams to have a character, compared to all the company 307s, Golfs passats etc that I had a company cars.
Muzzer said:
sleep envy said:
I've just st myself
only last week I sold mrs envys astra - M543OOK in the same blue, 32k miles with HGF
You drive a Porsche GT3 and an Audi and make your Mrs drive around in a 15 year old Vauxhall Astra?t myselfonly last week I sold mrs envys astra - M543OOK in the same blue, 32k miles with HGF
I like the cut of your jib sir.
you haven't seen her drive
Howard- said:
great read! May I suggest good sir, that a further £20 is spent on some new number plates? New style ones with the blue EU badge on the left. You'd be amazed at how much they freshen up the look
Edited by Howard- on Monday 29th March 12:40
New plates are needed, those on there standout and ruin the Bangerness.
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