Jack's White Astra GSI

[Jack]

I was going to keep this to myself for a bit, but with the amount of advice I've been/will be asking for, it seems pretty obvious what's going down. lmao Might as well share it with you guys.

After a few months of enjoying the Mondeo (read: comfortable, reliable, climate control, easy on the wallet... lmao) and saving a few pennies, I decided it was time to start another project.



After the last Astra I've always quite fancied another one, and low and behold not a week after I started casually looking cars does this crop up:



Definitely very overkill, but it looked solid enough. Unfortunately we had a bit of a game with the guys who were going to collect it for us ("it'll definitely be before the end of the week" being the catchphrase for almost three weeks on the trot). In the end I told them to sack it off and Turbo Gav fetched it for me.



As it stands at the moment, it's the shell with cage, homebrew loom, homebrew dash, seat, steering column, front struts, GSI beam and a handbrake.

Long term, I'm 90% sure it'll end up being a V6 running MegaSquirt. I already have an engine mount, a V6 block and a V6 loom to hack up, and I've already pulled all the insulation off and started tracing wires and cross-referencing them against diagrams. I'll be keeping it 4-stud. Everything else is open for debate.

Short term, it's mobile but reluctant, as it has no rack. lmao I've ordered a reconditioned manual rack for it and I've just got off the phone to Vauxhall who are getting me some new mounting rubbers. I'm going to investigate how feasable or necessary it would be to make some spreader plates for the bulkhead, just because there will never be an easier time to do it.

I will take some photos when I get a chance, unfortunately the camera on my current phone is a POS so it will be a case of getting photos when I remember.

Progress will be slow I'm afraid, as I'm juggling a job and finishing my degree (dissertation in progress ).



Sorry Ron for stealing your photos.

[humbucker]

nice one jack, soon you'll be able to hit the road etc etc... ok ok bad joke i know... hehe

what v6 block you got? 3.0?

[djivesp]

O HAI JACK
I knew this would happen hehe. You just cant keep something like that to yourself, otherwise your conversations with lou will start to go something like:
lou: what do you want for lunch
jack: OMG OMG i got the astra rolling yesterday
lou: what do you want for christmas
jack: OMG OMG OMG i got megasquirt
lou: come to bed big man
jack: OMG OMG hold on i'll just gotta finish looking at turbos
lmao
i miss my ex(ex)

[Jack]

what v6 block you got? 3.0?

Indeed it is. Going to see if I can source a gearbox and then mount everything up and make sure everything's happy before I take the plunge and buy a short engine, as I can move a block around by myself with a crane.

[Jack]

lou: come to bed big man
jack: OMG OMG hold on i'll just gotta finish looking at turbos
lmao

lmao That never happens. She has just come to accept that nagging makes me carry on looking at turbos just to annoy her.

[GeorgeGt]

3.0 litre... nice and megasquirt. Will make a nice project.

[Jack]

Hi George, not sure yet whether it will be a 3.0 or not. I saw a 3.2 from a Signum on ebay a couple of weeks ago for a mere £600. lmao

[humbucker]

let me know, i might be able to help you out with cams and heads for 3.0 if i still have 'em when you're looking. and i might know someone with manual 3.0 gearbox to help out...

[Jack]

Cheers, but I'll probably end up buying a complete engine. I haven't got a lot of space, and I definitely haven't got room to store a car and build an engine. It will have to be a purchase > van > engine crane > into car job. lmao

Not given the gearbox a lot of thought. It might have to be an F20 with an F18W fifth gear.

[tom_moran]

lol!! nice one jack! i thought that was the one ronnie was breaking! so you got the shell after he sold everythign then?

[Jack]

lol!! nice one jack! i thought that was the one ronnie was breaking! so you got the shell after he sold everythign then?

Indeedy. It was originally going to be just the shell, but he kept offering to leave bits on and jacking the price up. lmao

[spanishfly]

White Astra GSi's were the quickest! I miss mine, more for looks over drive though!

[Fow16v]

nice one jack will be watching this, looks like a tudy shell you go there

[djivesp]

I have some shekshy legs for you - buff, no hair, ready for collekshions lmao

[Kev_G]

cracking work Jack, when its complete wanna swap lmao

[Jack]

I have some shekshy legs for you - buff, no hair, ready for collekshions lmao

Cheers doodle, will have to pop over one evening and grab them!

[Jack]

cracking work Jack

I haven't do anything yet! lmao

I've just nipped round the corner to see it on my lunch break and given the engine bay a quick wipe down and a quick paint. I'll do a proper job of it at the weekend, but there are a few patches of surface rust that I wanted sanded down and painted ASAP.

[humbucker]

Cheers, but I'll probably end up buying a complete engine.

but they're so cleeeeeeeannnnnnn...!! *sniffle*

[ANDYRACER]

Shexy!

What happened to that red corsa boyo?

[Jack]

It was seriously ****ing rusty, so I put it on ebay and a nice man came with a trailer and took it away. lmao

[ANDYRACER]

Fair play, and the cavalier?

[Jack]

That went as well. I was only holding onto it for sentimental reasons. Seemed a bit silly to keep it.

[djivesp]

ahhh, sentimental reasons. First time you had rumpy pumpy in the back?

[Jack]

ahhh, sentimental reasons. First time you had rumpy pumpy in the back?

Nah, that was the Land Rover. lmao

[djivesp]

lmaolmao. No sea-sickness from all the rocking ?? lmao