Project Phoenix

[TINTIN]

Well here we go, a thread that i never thought would happen, Tintin with a restoration project. I have always liked to buy my cars complete and roadworthy but last week i broke my rule and purchased a rather incomplete Mk3 Astra sport. The story begins like this.

A few months ago my wife drops the bombshell that in the early part of December she is going to supply me with a mini me The one snag being we then need a car to transport said mini me and equipment around. Well as some of you may know, a 200sx's boot isn't the biggest so the first sacrifice to be made is the Purple popping monster. After a lengthy discussion it was agreed that the Datsun would be replaced with some thing a little more practical. My first plan was to replace her with a Skoda Octavia Vrs estate, then i realised that finacially that wasn't going to happen, shame Idea number 2 was a Honda Civic VTIS but having viewed three i realised that the chance of getting a good one was going to be near on impossible. They all had very high milliage and either needed mechanical or cosmetic work to get them to a satisfactory condition. Back to the drawing board and a Vectra came to mind. You can pick them up cheap enough but some sacrifices needed to be made. I went a took a look at a 1.6 8v vectra in green and to be fair felt as much compassion for it as i would a dose of the clap.

A few calls around and i am informed of a poorly Astra going very cheap, top marks for the South coast posse again. Having had many text and phone calls with several members it was agreed that i would make collection of Mike Warners old Mk3 sport. The car is missing many parts including the front bumper, indicators and grill. Door mirrors are a distant memory for the poor old thing, several items of inner trim, the parcel shelf and boot carpet. All of this thank to some theiving git who felt they needed it more than Mike himself.

A week ago myself and the Father in law roll up at Mike's, connect a tow rope to the Astra and cart the bugger back to my Mums were it will start a new life and hopefully be risen from the state that it is in. With any luck i should have a reasonable roadworthy, complete and legel car for the sum of £500. I will endeavour to keep up with this thread and add pictures as i go along, that is if i can find some body to add them for me as my dial up connection is as unstable as a taliban terrorist

[Benn]

Yay a good car atlast....

Where the pics dude?

All sounds good tho dude,

[TINTIN]

Can't post pics as by the time my connection has uploaded them my kid will be driving them selves. If you prepared to post them up i'll e-mail them to you as i get them

[TINTIN]

Well yesterday i spent the day trying to source the required bits. Three scrap yards later and i only had bits that really were not too important at this stage. Having arrived home a little down trodden i figured a good bit of colour matching was called for. The paint has faded big time in places but after a lot of polishing, many panels are coming up nice again. A good buff with a machine and all should be good. No pics as yet though as i forgot my camera, doh! I have many ideas running through the old grey matter and all i need is the money to support them. first things first, lets get her on the road and being used.

[Benn]

yeah send them to my ntl account,

[TINTIN]

Bumpers sourced, BIG thanks to Roger and the grill is on order Project pale piss is going in for MOT tomorrow and should hopefully be on the road as of the end of the month. She's polished up well although i still have some work to do. Photo's to follow once i have mailed them across to the big gay bear

[Byron]

it lives on!

[GTE 16v]

Wheres the pictures then?

[TINTIN]

In Benns box............... for want of a better phrase

[TINTIN]

Well today went well. Took the Phoenix down for the MOT and she went straight through. NO advisories other than my centre section rubbers are worn and considering shes been sat for longer than i would like to think she went straight through the emmisions test. All i can say is the former owner really must have taken care of her. She looks pretty damn solid underneath as well so i cant see many upcoming issues with the worm for a while, what a result. Hopefully soon some body will host the pics for me......... please Benn, pretty please.

[Benn]

Chirst. Its yellow...

[GTE 16v]

is it coming to the meet today?

[Benn]

Justed txt him...

[Tom Williams]

It did not make it cos Mark his nissan!!!!

[Benn]

It did not make it cos Mark his nissan!!!!

what?

[GTE 16v]

pmsl, He is talking Bennish!

[bowman]

Same as mine! I just chucked a v6 in it too.... Love them in yellow...... Gsi kit on it way ?

[TINTIN]

The Astra is yet to be taxed hence no driving yet. The only spot of rust that can be seen is on the nsr arch which you can see in the pic. Having had a good look underneath she seems pretty solid also. All in all i'm a happy little bunny with it although she's going to take some getting used too going from the Datsun to a asthmatic snaillmao

[Dom]

pmsl, He is talking Bennish!

lmao - you beat me to that one lmao

[Benn]

i hate you all.

[Tom Williams]

Mark

think of the money you are saving with pineapple passion

[TINTIN]

That almost sounds kinky Tom but your right. The insurance should be afraction of the SX, fuel cost reduction should be easily noticable and i'll be more welcome at PV next yearlmao NOt to mention i stand less chance of picking up any speeding ticketslmao lmao

[Tom Williams]

I am sure PPP can break a 30mph speed limit!!!

[TINTIN]

Lets hope so. Hopefully my mate will fail a valver so i can get me a new lump

[TINTIN]

Well today was the usual pilgrimage to the scrappy to get ppp a new heater regulator pack type thing. Having visited several scrap yards and pocketed many juplicate's of the same thing i finally found one that worked. AstraDan had originally looked at it for me and had discovered the original was some what rusty including the plug. Having cut myself a some what ample length from a scrappy doner i managed to cut and shut that and now have all four blower speeds working I have a few spare reg packs as well now

My external temp sensor has never worked, in fact it wasn't even there so a couple of those were pocketed only for me to find that the wireing was damaged when they nicked the front bumper That will have to be "borrowed" on my next pilgrimage

Rear headrests have been sourced with inner sleeves ready for the rear bench. These unfortunatly were too big to be borrowed so a heart £7 was given. These will be fitted just as soon as i pluck up the courage to poke holes in my seat.

Oh, and a new boot lock outter rubber/gromit aquired to so Dan doesn't point it out againlmao