Astra GTE 16v
- Thread starter 8YARWY
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I was on the fence with it, the shape never seemed quite right somehow but otherwise a great car, classic 80's hot hatch.
I had ‘D’ reg 1.8 then a 2.0 8V and then a 2.0 16V
After that I had the later GSi 16V.
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I thought the Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI was a great bit of kit, styling and performance but let down by corrosion in the end, still would have loved one.
They had a red GTE on "Bangers & Cash " a while back, looked very nice in Red.
Calibra 16V I had 2 off, one ecotec and later I bought a porous Coscast red top 16v, which I stripped down and had the oil galleries repaired.
Then 2 Cavaliers one 8V and one ecotec 16v
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Sounds like you have a bit of a soft spot for Vauxhalls.
Lol I’ve had a few in the early 90’s.
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Mate of mine selling this for you Vauxhall nuts out there.
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Used to love a fast Vauxhall. Have had two MK1 Astra GTE's, a 1.8 MK2 and then the 2.0 16V. Returned to Vauxhall a few years after selling the "valver" and got a Nova SRI and promptly put a 20XE in to go drag racing.
They don't make a decent fast Vauxhall hatch these days (IMO) sadly.
They don't make a decent fast Vauxhall hatch these days (IMO) sadly.
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I owned a GTE as well. My 2nd car ever owned with my first being a mk1 Golf GTi.
TX.
TX.
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The 8V of course, the fastest oneAh but 8V or 16V
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TX.
The 8V of course, the fastest one
TX.
I always found the 8 valve to be the torquier engine low down.
The 16V liked to be wound up
Liked em both but the wow factor of the red top 16v SFI engine whenever people asked to see it, won out for me.
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Did someone say crusty Vauxhalls!!! I've had my Astra GTE 16v since 2004 and it's still chugging along although it's not exactly stock behind the exterior but I have tried to keep it standardish looking. Fully road legal but 30mins is enough as it loud, hot and rather uncomfortable but mightly good fun to blast around in 
The wife has owned her Astra mk3 since 1999 which I plonked a 3L V6 lump in a few years ago just because.
The wife has owned her Astra mk3 since 1999 which I plonked a 3L V6 lump in a few years ago just because.
I chose to be slightly different and went with a 1.8 CD. It had slightly softer suspension and more toys but it was still as quick as the GTE. Got pulled on my way home from work way back when for cocking the rear inside off the ground going round a roundabout a bit sharpish.
I was mainly a Ford person, but when it came to replace my 1988 Ford Orion Ghia 1.6Injection in 1992 (it was the disappointing/insulting facelift of my previous 1984 one!), Ford dealer laughed when I mentioned "so no 16 valve engines yet" and also laughed when I moaned about generally a lack of 4X4 in their cars, so I grabbed a slightly used VX Cav GSI 4X4 2000 16V, and that car, in my experience was a lot better planted than my next car which was a new 2000 VW Passat 4Motion (B5 A4 quattro in plainer clothes) - actually that 2000 VW Passat 4Motion was the first and only car where I felt like I was "sitting on it" as opposed to the 1991 VX Cav GSI 4X4 which I felt I was "sitting in it" and now my 2010 S4 which I feel like I'm "sitting in it". The suspension on that Passat 4Motion was terrible, my error, my next error was replacing my wife's Ford Fiesta 1.6i with the Zetec engine and so 90+PS with a heavier and gutless new 2002 VW Polo 1.4 16V with a claimed 75PS - a truly horrible hateful car that begged for cash to repair it at every turn! Her replacement car, a new 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI 110PS sorted out that error - eventually!
Reminds me of the one I had back in the day
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Yup - had a white H reg 16v
Previous owner was a fighter pilot (I kid you not lol) as a result engine was quite 'loose' lol
Remember skinning my knuckles changing the bulbs in the dash when they failed - right PITA that was
Still was a great car & a great experience to own one
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Ooh, this brings back great memories! My dad purchased a brand spanking new one in 1986 in red to replace a Rover 213, and I went with him to pick it up. 2 days before we went to the dealer, he was rear ended, and the rear bumper on the 213 was ripped off completely, but my dad still turned up at the dealers with the knackered rear bumper in the rear seats to seal the deal! Haha
After we picked it up, I was in awe of the digital dash, and the first thing we did was to go to the local petrol station to fill it up, but my dad couldn’t get reverse on the gearbox, he thought it was knackered, but we somehow got out of the petrol station and drive right back to the dealer without reversing… this is where the salesman showed us the reverse lockout under the gear knob, he forgot to tell us about it.
Unfortunately, this GTE was stolen recovered 3 times in my dad’s ownership, and my dad decided to let it go because it had bodywork damage on the third time… but a few year later, my dad would see it again in its original condition at a car park, as he was looking for parking space, and the Astra GTE came flying and into the space my dad was trying to park in. My dad got out his car to confront the driver and saw the reg plate, smiled and moved on.
2 days before we went to the dealer, he was rear ended, and the rear bumper on the 213 was ripped off completely, but my dad still turned up at the dealers with the knackered rear bumper in the rear seats to seal the deal! HahaAfter we picked it up, I was in awe of the digital dash, and the first thing we did was to go to the local petrol station to fill it up, but my dad couldn’t get reverse on the gearbox, he thought it was knackered, but we somehow got out of the petrol station and drive right back to the dealer without reversing… this is where the salesman showed us the reverse lockout under the gear knob, he forgot to tell us about it.
Unfortunately, this GTE was stolen recovered 3 times in my dad’s ownership, and my dad decided to let it go because it had bodywork damage on the third time… but a few year later, my dad would see it again in its original condition at a car park, as he was looking for parking space, and the Astra GTE came flying and into the space my dad was trying to park in. My dad got out his car to confront the driver and saw the reg plate, smiled and moved on.
I had a D reg Astra GTE, was amazed by the digital dash, the Pug 1.9gti in white I had was quicker but the Astra felt a bit better screwed together.
My all time favourite car was one of my firsts, Mini 1275gt Clubman, but I sold it to fund a motorbike, sigh
My all time favourite car was one of my firsts, Mini 1275gt Clubman, but I sold it to fund a motorbike, sigh
I've never had a Vauxhall in my life but a few of my mates had GTEs / GSIs back in the late 90s
I bought a Daihatsu charade GTTI as my first car now who remembers them and
later moved on to have 3 Renault 5 turbos after that .
I bought a Daihatsu charade GTTI as my first car now who remembers them
andlater moved on to have 3 Renault 5 turbos after that .
Astra GTE digi dash you say, behold. I had to keep the LCD dash in my track car as they look so darn cool and yes it fully works although the RPM resets to zero when you hit the 7K dash limit as my engine has a hard cut 8K so I fitted an Autometer auxillary gauge to sort that ikle issue
I sort of know the LCD dash inside and out having fixed a few in my time, lol.
My mate still has his Lotus Carlton which I've had the pleasure of working on when the thrust washer decided to start chewing itself so we took the engine out for a bottom end refresh, now that was an enjoyable mission.
RESPECT!!! Ran a few of those in 1991, Harvey - Tamworth to Hethel was my usual run.
Fabulous machines but I was never brave enough to purchase one.
We ran/owned Lotus cars from 1970 to 2012 and know only to well the foibles of Lotus motoring.
The Lotus Carlton is a 'typical' Lotus - 'we'll build it, let the customer develop...
AND BRILLIANT in every way....
PS: it is why I am 45bvtc (1971 Lotus Elan Sprint Type 45 with a Big Valve Twin Cam)
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Oh, and the GSi (here on original registration plate) was swapped for an 8L S3 (already in the garage and alongside one of the last MG Metro Turbo's), and we've been Audi, Audi, Audi ever since....
A GREAT - faultless - car nevertheless....
A GREAT - faultless - car nevertheless....
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