Mk2 Astra SXi Estate

***Astra Dan*** · 06-10-2008, 18:56

This is how I bought it:

Full service the next day:

Cambelt and water pump were pretty good, but I'd bought new ones for peace of mind. I plan to cover a fair amount of miles in this.

Alternator needs to come out to get the water pumps out, but it's dead easy from above:

With these clever tags on the rear seats:

That lock into these on the underside of the rear bench:

the load bed can lay flat and stable:

Big useful space:

Next up was a change of the basic interior light for a Vectra smoked one. Knowing the sneaky black ignition supply wire would be hidden. Bingo!

Compare:

Then I set to removing the old alarm/ remote locking and immobiliser (the fob was missing):

Instead of simply using a Vauxhall motor, the company had fitted a nasty Maplins style universal motor, which also succeeded in making the driver's door lock really stiff:

Looks like a bodge to me:

Out:

Pukka motor in:

The wiring is in place and doesn't need to be touched when fitting an alarm or, as in my case, a nice simple remote locking kit:

with very nice remotes:

Then you only need access to the central locking relay in the driver's footwell:

Red = 12V, brown = ground, and you only need the brown/ red which is grounded to lock, brown/ white grounded to unlock. Then it's just the two whites form the remote unit to the back of the indicator stalk or hazard light swtich on the black/ white and black/ green for the indicator flash and you're done. These units will also operate a boot pop and window closure unit.
Then finally the load cover arrived in the post:

Really finishes off the interior I think! Also I got a pair of spare number plate lights. From:

...to...:

Then in preperation of the Saab going to it's new owner (

) Benn and I travalled to Poole to get a set of correct alloys. We visited Dave's (GTE16V) dad on Sunday and got it on the ramps to see how clean it is (it is wet in the pics):

Might actually be the cleanest Mk2 Astra floor I've ever seen! the rear of the front wishbone mounts are totally clean, the rear spring cups (which are huge!) are immacualte, only one plate on the rear of the n/s sill.
Ironically today, the Estate's first dat in service, I went to my new site for a H&S course. I just manged to squeeze £36 in th tank from 1/4 full. 100 miles done today, 1/4 tank used, no issues at all. Future plans are to maybe go up a tyre size from 175/65R14 to 185/60R14, and get the driver's seat repaired as the bolster wear really annoys me. And pile the miles on!

**Benn** · 06-10-2008, 19:00

As i said weapon!

***Tom Williams*** · 06-10-2008, 19:11

Here are some more estatey goodness taken from the box tickers meet this weekend:

***GTE 16v*** · 06-10-2008, 19:22

Mk2 goodnes all round!

**Benn** · 06-10-2008, 19:59

Quote:

box tickers

Oh dear...

***Tom Williams*** · 06-10-2008, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benn

Oh dear...

What?

*Adz* · 06-10-2008, 20:21

lOOKING good mate, what you got planned??

***Astra Dan*** · 06-10-2008, 20:25

Just to use it really. My job moves 52 miles away on the 27th, so I wanted a nice reliable runabout to pile the miles on. As I also do a lot of engine changes/ tip runs/ etc I thought an estae would be handy. Plus, when it popped up mk2.com I just thought it looked awesome!

*Adz* · 06-10-2008, 20:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra Dan

Just to use it really. My job moves 52 miles away on the 27th, so I wanted a nice reliable runabout to pile the miles on. As I also do a lot of engine changes/ tip runs/ etc I thought an estae would be handy. Plus, when it popped up mk2.com I just thought it looked awesome!

oh i remember that estate i think, came from southend way well.... essex? was that the one... or am i thinking of a different one

Rysee_sri_130 · 06-10-2008, 21:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Adz*

oh i remember that estate i think, came from southend way well.... essex? was that the one... or am i thinking of a different one

kent wasnt it?

i wanted it but i was just dreaming

***Astra Dan*** · 06-10-2008, 21:50

Yeah Kent. He kindly met me at the top of the A3.

*Adz* · 06-10-2008, 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra Dan

Yeah Kent. He kindly met me at the top of the A3.

Oh was it, yeah id seen it down Southend a few times and commented on how clean it looked!

Nice one bud! u gotta great deal there!

Blitzer · 06-10-2008, 22:33

Nice looking estate!!
A good friend of mine had also an estate with an 2.0 16v engine and had 195HP!!!
Some pics of it

**CraigGreen** · 07-10-2008, 09:39

Great write up dan. Looking really cool on the LXi rims, though they have done no favours for the ride height.
Nice & clean underneath too. Get some 185/60's on there aswell.

***Astra Dan*** · 07-10-2008, 15:34

Thanks Craig. I admit from the aesthetic point of view it needs to be a touch lower, but I want to see how cheaply one can run a car and I want it to be very confortable and usable with it still loaded with gear.

**CraigGreen** · 07-10-2008, 15:38

note I didnt say get it lowered, as I knew what your response would have been...

I'm actually really interested to see how she fares over time, economy, a long winter of commuting etc & no doubt you will be up-speccing it at little cost to yourself as & when bits surface.

All you are missing from your fleet is a Belmont!

***Astra Dan*** · 07-10-2008, 19:02

Me too. As it stands I've done about 120 miles on a full tank and it's just under the 3/4 mark, so it's looking good for the economy front.

I'm not sure what else I can up-spec on it, only thing it's missing that Mk2s had is ABS, so that's a bonus I think!

vxlgsi · 07-10-2008, 19:07

that is frickin awsome, good purchase.

Dave Dempsey · 09-10-2008, 13:23

Looks good, nice to see something other than a MK2 GTE still going strong.

***Astra Dan*** · 09-10-2008, 22:18

Thanks Dave.

Little bit of mincing this week. Firstly new rear light. Old one had a previous owner defect:

Ouch! Naturally, one looks on eBay first. There was a pair, being old serperately, tenner each. With a tenner postage. Each. Sodding postage costs really spoil eBay. Anyway, looking in an old Trade Club book, they list them at £28 or somthing. Go in my local dealership and find it's still available, but not on trade club anymore, but the guy gives me 10% anyway. I also order a new wiper. 2Days later, we have:

Mmmm, new stuff rules. Whip the old light out. Opening is clean as a whistle, I give it a wipe over. Bottom of the shell behind rear wheel is showing signs of crust, but no major rust, so I take the oppurtunity to get some underseal in there:

All fitted. I also touch in the chips on the paint, you really can't tell now:

Also just before I brought the car into daily use I renewed the rocker cover gasket with a dab of RTV sealant, too. So I gave the engine a brush down with some degreaser and tipped a watering can over it:

Looks **** hot if you ask me, this really is one good condition engine I reckon. It runs just as nicely too.

I've also made a few observations over the past 145 miles. There's just something about the 18SE. I've heard people go on about the head porting is supposed to be very good as standard and that the torque curve is very good for such an old basic engine, but I've not paid much attention, till now. It's almost impossible to get the engine to labour, it's always smooth and unruffled. There's just no point in revving it past about 4, 4.5k. Whenever you snatch the next gear there's always oodles of torque to pull the the car along. This is turn means the engine remains very quiet in use which in turn makes the whole driving experience that much more unfussy and calming, especially coming from a turbo car. I'mnot saying it's got 300Lbs/Ft and does 0-60 in 5 seconds, just the engine is very capable. It's still showing above 1/2 tank of fuel, too. I don't know why this engine wasn't used in the Cavalier instead of the miserable C18NZ.
Today I took the scuttle cover out and put a few drops of oil on the rear bearing of the heater motor as it was making an awful noise on low speeds. Quiet now. Also oiled the wiper motor, rod joins and the spindles as these can run dry and literally saw through the sides of the spindles. These all look in very good order on this car. The windscreen is very likely the original one too as it's got the reg engraved in the bottom corner. This is more proof of the 89k miles I reckon.

Next things in my mind at the moment are to attemp a repair on the only tiny bit of rust on the n/s rear arch, and maybe fit some uprated front speakers. Oh, and the bulb in the ashtray doesn't work, as well as the night illumination in the front fog light switch. All little things.

Noodles · 09-10-2008, 22:33

this estate looks awesome

top work Dan

nova-myth · 09-10-2008, 23:33

I really like that, especially the kleenex design interior! Looks like a good find.

Whereabouts in kent did you pick it up from? Also love the analogue rev counter, quite rare nowadays in a mk2.

**Benn** · 10-10-2008, 07:30

Good work with the lights... looks better now you can see the chip too.

**CraigGreen** · 10-10-2008, 09:34

I love these engines too. I always wanted an early 18e in a Nova.
Looks mint under the bonnet.

**Lugy** · 10-10-2008, 09:48

Top work Mr Dan. Thats a quality looking car. I'd love it

Good shout on the underseal. Glad to hear you aren't one of the "Anti-underseal" snobs