Astra estate mk3 k reg 1.7D opinions?

[stripped fred]

I've seen a car today that will most likely be for sale in the next few weeks. It's a k reg 1.7 estate, burgundy, 6 months mot, very good overall condition apart from rust to rear arches. Well looked after by owner, 177k and cambelt and water pumped changed at about 160k but he doesn't keep the paperwork. I'm tempted but I think it will be really slow. It's certainly been well looked after, has 4 decent Firestone tyres, nice and clean inside and has a tow bar! The central locking doesn't work so he uses the key instead. Face off CD player. He said the exhaust might need doing at some point but it seemed ok to me. I think he wants £300. Been in the family for a fair few years. He's selling as he needs a van for his wife's mobility scooter. If I don't have it i will post it on his behalf. Does anyone know much about these cars? I don't think it's the Isuzu engine but the GM one. Are they long lasting? Economical? What should I look for? It's in Loughborough, Leics.

[Six-cylinder]

I sold these new, they were long lasting but oh so slow the Isuzu TD unit was much nicer to drive.

[cms206]

I ended up with this one as a company car as recently as June 2007 when we took over the ground operations of British Airways Glasgow - of the seven cars we acquired, this was one of only two which we kept and the only one which ultimately was repainted into blue, green and white. I think it was on something stupid like 270k. Ran back and forth to Edinburgh and Newcastle in it and it was the tits compared to the Mk3 Golf it replaced as a runabout for me. 1.7 n/a diesel Merit with blue interior and no power steering... I miss it and I'd have another in a minute.

 

[stripped fred]

I sold these new, they were long lasting but oh so slow the Isuzu TD unit was much nicer to drive.

I think they're 60bhp which isn't a lot I suppose. I'm sure it would tow my caravan though as it's quite light but hills could be a problem.

[stripped fred]

I ended up with this one as a company car as recently as June 2007 when we took over the ground operations of British Airways Glasgow - of the seven cars we acquired, this was one of only two which we kept and the only one which ultimately was repainted into blue, green and white. I think it was on something stupid like 270k. Ran back and forth to Edinburgh and Newcastle in it and it was the tits compared to the Mk3 Golf it replaced as a runabout for me. 1.7 n/a diesel Merit with blue interior and no power steering... I miss it and I'd have another in a minute.

My friend's dad had a building firm and I'm sure a lot of his van's were the 1.7 na engine. Seem to remember they went well into the 200k region before he retired them.

[sierraman]

Good cars, probably better than Escort at the time. The 1.7 diesel is a slug though the economy should be good. Just be sure it runs well with no problems with the brake servo vacuum on the alternator, these can give trouble and aren't cheap or easily available now. About as simple Diesel engine as you could get now. I work on one now and again for a relative and they are a good sturdy engine.

[Rusty_Rocket]

As above really. They are very slow... but will always get you where you're going!

 

I had a K plate 1.7d 'Merit' in 1996. It was the absolute base model, but I loved it and it served me very well. They felt very solid and well built back then. It all went wrong when GM turbocharged the 17d, turning it into the weak lowblow engine.

Bosch pump as well so will be veg friendly. If it's not too rotten, go for it. 

[stripped fred]

Good cars, probably better than Escort at the time. The 1.7 diesel is a slug though the economy should be good. Just be sure it runs well with no problems with the brake servo vacuum on the alternator, these can give trouble and aren't cheap or easily available now. About as simple Diesel engine as you could get now. I work on one now and again for a relative and they are a good sturdy engine.

[stripped fred]

 

Good cars, probably better than Escort at the time. The 1.7 diesel is a slug though the economy should be good. Just be sure it runs well with no problems with the brake servo vacuum on the alternator, these can give trouble and aren't cheap or easily available now. About as simple Diesel engine as you could get now. I work on one now and again for a relative and they are a good sturdy engine.

There's certainly plenty of space in the engine bay so looks easy to work on! He started it up and it does sound like a proper old school diesel but I don't mind that.

[sierraman]

Oil filter is a fucker though if you've big hands. You need to be a contortionist to get it out without spilling oil down the back of the block.

[Albert Ross]

If it's the GM unit, watch for pressurising in the coolant expansion tank.Watch for rear arch corrosion, handbrake cable bracket coming away from the tunnel, sill corrosion, bent window regulator mechanisms. soggy shocks. (A new set transforms them) lower suspension arm bushes, TRE gaiters and play. Otherwise, a few niggles like hazard switch sticking on..... go for it.

[vulgalour]

My brother (chompysnake on here) had one and it was a pretty solid old thing.  His main criticism was that it was slow, glacially so.  Reliable as anything and would run on just about anything flammable while returning pretty good economy.  If he had one again he'd want it to have a turbo or something, anything, to make it faster.  The only break down I can recall him having was one of the diesel return things split or popped off, after replacing them he didn't have an issue again.  I think it had done something ridiculous like 250,000 miles but really didn't feel or look like it had.

 

These are from the magical period of Vauxhall when they got things right mechanically and even managed to successfully rust proof a few cars.  The styling on them has aged particularly well, they look like old cars but certainly not in a bad way.

[Jim Bell]

10 pts to Vulgalour for using the phrase "magical period" and making be think of Debbie McGee with the painters in.

[TimothyClaypole]

Never even took any pictures apart from this rubbish one.

 

 

170K on the clock - cheapest car I've ever driven daily, things broke on it but it did me well at the time (had been dole scum for a while) so cheap way back on the road to work.

 

I still feel bad that I scrapped it eventually.    

[Cavcraft]

I'm always wrong about these, but I think 'K' reg is too early for the GM Slow Blow unit.

 

I don't need to tell you to buy it, I just need to tell you to post up pictures when you have.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Yeah, slowblow came in with the '94/95 facelift. It'll be a GM 17D unit, or if you're MEGA POSH, a 17dr which had a very crude egr valve!

I still have an Isuzu-engined mk3, which is the best of the lot.. but they're hard to find nowadays

[twosmoke300]

Oil filter is a fucker though if you've big hands. You need to be a contortionist to get it out without spilling oil down the back of the block.

That's the Isuzu unit . It's even more fun if someone has left the terminal cover off the starter and you drop the filter on it and it shorts out . It's amazing how quickly you can find a 10mm spanner and whip a battery lead off when you need to .

 

The gm 1.7 d isn't a bad lump but it's gonna seem painfully slow these days

[stripped fred]

Mmm, I'm in two minds. It ticks a lot of boxes as it's cheap, hopefully reliable, well looked after, easy to work on, spacious, has a tow bar but I'm just wondering if the lack of grunt might be a step too far? I quite like an underpowered car in a masochistic way but i would at least like it be be abke to get the the legal limit without shaking itself to bits. It could be a good 'back up' car though for emergency use and to put it in perspective would cost less than a third of what I spent on my clutch and flywheel on the Alfa recently!

[Cavcraft]

Actually, if it's n/a could it not be the pre-low blow and pre-Isuzu actual Vauxhall engine, as fitted to Astra Max vans? They are incredibly tough old lumps. If you're thinking about buying an elderly n/a diesel estate and you're worried about performance, then you're looking at the wrong kind of car.

[stripped fred]

Actually, if it's n/a could it not be the pre-low blow and pre-Isuzu actual Vauxhall engine, as fitted to Astra Max vans? They are incredibly tough old lumps. If you're thinking about buying an elderly n/a diesel estate and you're worried about performance, then you're looking at the wrong kind of car.

Yes I think it is the Vauxhall engine. Not too bothered about performance as long as it can be hustled along.

[Taff]

just buy the fucker

[Noel Tidybeard]

but evryone noes that a astramaxx van is the fastest thing in the world

[stripped fred]

Have some pics!

[Cavcraft]

Multihawk tyres, shitehawk wheel arches.

[sierraman]

How fast do you want to go? Really so long as it will get to 50 in less than 20 seconds its quicker than the bus.

[155V6]

It might be slow,but there's always something slower(unless you've got an early MK3 Transit Luton with a 4 speed plus overdrive gearbox)

[dieselnutjob]

My old 305 diesel estate was only 65bhp and that used to cruise at 80mph easily enough.  It was quick enough of the line too as first gear was low.  Once first gear was done you'd had it in a race but it was often enough to get a nose ahead in city traffic.

 

Diesel horses are much bigger than petrol ones.

 

A colleague had a Belmont with that engine and it seemed ok.

 

The solution is surely to drive it and see if it's fast enough for you.

[stripped fred]

My old 305 diesel estate was only 65bhp and that used to cruise at 80mph easily enough. It was quick enough of the line too as first gear was low. Once first gear was done you'd had it in a race but it was often enough to get a nose ahead in city traffic.

 

Diesel horses are much bigger than petrol ones.

 

A colleague had a Belmont with that engine and it seemed ok.

 

The solution is surely to drive it and see if it's fast enough for you.

Good advice there. It should have a bit of torque being a diesel. I'll take it for a drive and see how it feels.

[Station]

I have an Isuzu TD estate, it's brilliant. It refuses to give up even on minimum maintenance.

[sloth]

this will be the izuzu non turbo engine, the mk3 astra never got the old 1.6 and 1.7 vaux diesels. no rocket but not bad. find a td one and wind the boost and fuel up and they fly.