Collection - another 90s Vauxhall

[Roverageous]

Mid 90s Vauxhalls were bloody good cars in a generally reliable, non rusty dependable, easily swappable sort of way. My Mum had a cavalier saloon on a 1995 registration 1.6 Envoy which had central locking you could operate from the boot! That's about all it had though. Keep fit windows and the like. But it was a bloody good car, only got rid of it in 2008 I think, I learned to drive in it. Never gave us any gried and was always cheap to fix / maintain when the general service stuff needed doing.

 

I had a 1996 astra (1.4 spi) as my first car which was great, if glacial and used to drink quite a lot of the old pezrul. A new vectra went into the back of that one which wrote it off, and I ended up buying a 1993 L reg Astra 1.6 MPI Cesaro. That was a really lovely car with really nice comfy . supportive seats! Went alright for a 1.6 too.

 

Then went a bit upmarket and got myself into a MK4 Astra 2.0 DTi. Again completely dependable and put 80,000 miles on that while I had it. Used to average one new brake caliper a year, but nothing else other than that. (Usual service stuff excepted).

 

I gather new Vauxhalls are all gutless & thirsty (my experience of hired ones anyway). But the old ones were great.

[Angrydicky]

Brilliant picture! Absolutely incredible both cars have survived, identical in colour and model and (presumably) local to each other as well.

[lincolndanny]

Good cars but why on earth couldn't Vauxhall and Ford do rear arches in the mid 90's?

[stripped fred]

Another vote for the mk3 here. My 1.7d estate drives really well and gives 45mpg on my usual stop start journeys. It has no major faults apart from... crusty rear arches!

[lisbon_road]

Well, this has generated some interest.  I swapped one arm for one with a better back bush but the other I will have to replace so I have ordered a bush on ebay.  I only took the car in on one day car insurance for the mot (Aviva, £19) so no desparate rush to fix the, er 'advisories' which I think need to be done before it is back on the road.

 

I need to look at the back brakes too, not so urgent, but the adjusters were not working on one side and the drum is really worn.  So with all this enthusiasm for these cars, perhaps I should remind us all about the back brake adjusters which are just dire ............... on my Sierra, you put it all together slack, pump the brake pedal and it all adjusts itself beautifully.  On the Viva it is all manual and that all works fine as well.  The Astra?  Dreadful.

 

And... as we are ranting... the previous owners spent £650 on the brake system a few years back, being told by a garage that they had fitted 'a complete new braking system'.  Whatever that it, it did not include the drums, one cylinder was leaking which seems suspiciously quick though I suppose it is possible.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I sympathise with you re the rear drum adjusters!  Some I've had work straight away, others are hopeless!

I think the trick is to get them 'almost there' before you fit the drum; make sure the cogged wheels are free to rotate and the spring-loaded adjuster is bent so it sits on the teeth properly.

 

If I find the car still has a genuine arm, I now buy the arm rear bush separately and press them in.  The ball joints last 150-200k as long as the rubber gaiter hasn't been brutalised and the front bush lasts forever.  I fitted Febi bushes to our 1.7 TDS last year and they're still perfect, probably a better bet than a (Chinese?) repro arm for £25!

[lisbon_road]

Complete agreement with Rusty there.  I've done the arms with new bushes at the back (less than a fiver for Febi).  I have had a look at the brakes and one side is horrible.  Needs a new cylinder and the adjuster is completely seized.

 

This car had £650 spent on the brakes with Kwik Fit about two years ago.  They said that they had fitted 'a complete new braking system'.  They may have fitted new discs and pads and a new master cylinder.  They certainly fitted new springs on one side at the back but not on the other side.  And one brake drum is dreadful, very scored and is eating through the linings.  Not in itself dangerous but hardly 'a new braking system'.  The cylinder on that side is also leaking a bit, so I doubt it was replaced but I can't prove it.

 

Just google Kwik Fit watchdog if you need any reason to not go there.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I mustardmitt, I'll never use Kwik Fit et al.  I think I've been put off by such places since they tried to con my father in the early 90s by poking a screwdriver through both CV gaiters on his 1986 Nissan Sunny Maxima!!

They got in trouble over that one...

 

Have a snap of the recent cylinder I replaced on our 1995 Astrisuzu  -

 

 

The best deal I could find at the time was a Pagid part from E*ro Car Pa**s at £7. 

[lisbon_road]

This is back on the road tomorrow as my WBOD, though I am not sure we need WBODs anymore.  The only salt round here is on chips.  I still have to do one bush but it is in the arm and ready to put on so an hour or so to do. 

 

Shame I can't stand the colour but I'll probably move this on soon enough.  Needs a sound system too and I can only find an old VW radio cassette that I do not have the code for!

[lisbon_road]

Got a cold so didn't do the arm for a while (or use the car).  Today I put the arm on, easy enough but not fun in the pouring rain.  Then put the VW cassette in after decoding it and must admit I am really impressed.  Sound quality is the best I have had in an old Astra though perhaps the speakers have just lasted better in this.  

 

Still floats about a bit despite the new bushes, though it isn't bad in a straight line.  Front tyres are legal but not much more so perhaps some new ones and tracking are needed.  Will use it properly tomorrow.

 

Gearbox on this has always been light and easy - much better than my M reg car.  Anyone know if there is a difference in them between 1997 and 1994?

 

Thanks.

[lisbon_road]

Well, done about 300 miles and running well.  Except, er, I just broke a key in the drivers door lock.  Been dodgy for a while.

 

Working away from home and need to get to work and home tomorrow.  So I have taught myself to hot wire it and smashed the steering lock, which isn't easy.  And smashed a fair few other bits.

 

Tomorrow, plan is to go to Harry Buckland on the way home and see if I can get a new set of locks and keys, and rather a lot of other things that I have smashed - possibly a complete steering column as it all seems to be rivetted together.  Lets hope I am lucky.  Can I recode the ecu to the new transponder chips in the new keys (that I haven't got yet) with Opcom?

 

Lets hope they have a suitable car, with half decent locks and some keys........ It does run ok now and seems to just need the transponder key to be near the ring thing that makes it work.  I guess I could swap the chip over but I do have only one key.

 

Have to leave it unlocked until all this is sorted but I won't be too worried about that.  I could have done without all this (the shitter's lament?)

 

Jon

[JohnK]

I wouldn't worry about leaving it unlocked either. The thing with cars such as the Astra is they are that easy to Hotwire etc that it's better to leave the car unlocked but disable in another way. If it's unlocked and it won't start fair enough, as opposed to it being locked and them smashing a window and having that to replace & glass to clear up.

 

I got burnt with this recently - my Transit beaver tail has a slightly dodgy door lock and I always leave it unlocked - my mate borrowed it and locked it up after use.

 

When somebody tried to nick it the night before Christmas Eve, because of this, they took out the quarter window which got glass all over the fucking place. Fortunately the battery was dead so they couldn't shift it!

[Rusty_Rocket]

Jon, just swap the chip into your new key and all will work fine.

Also, make sure you get a lockset off a similar aged car (pre-facelift had different deadlock system) and remember that central locking/ non central locking cars have different style locks/ backplates etc too! 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I wouldn't worry about leaving it unlocked either. The thing with cars such as the Astra is they are that easy to Hotwire etc that it's better to leave the car unlocked but disable in another way. If it's unlocked and it won't start fair enough, as opposed to it being locked and them smashing a window and having that to replace & glass to clear up.

I got burnt with this recently - my Transit beaver tail has a slightly dodgy door lock and I always leave it unlocked - my mate borrowed it and locked it up after use.

When somebody tried to nick it the night before Christmas Eve, because of this, they took out the quarter window which got glass all over the fucking place. Fortunately the battery was dead so they couldn't shift it!

Reminds me of about 30 years ago , I had a Mk1 Escort with a 2.0 and fruity exhaust . One night I'm lying in bed and heard it start on my mom's drive, the little scrote saw me charging out of the front door, smiled, banged in to reverse and.....

Nothing,just screaming Pinto, there was no prop on it, I'd dropped it off that day to be balanced. The look on his face as I dragged him out, he was only about 14 and I couldn't bring myself to hit him properly, just sent him off with a kick up the arse and a warning.

A couple of years ago my brother actually took the props off his 110 CSW when he was on holiday,inspired by that old Escort.

[sutty2006]

mk3 astras are great. I bought and look after an M reg 1.4i auto for a friend of the mothers.

 

RF is a Stoke on Trent registration by the way! Amazing how two almost identical cars can end up so far away together. Still, its a better love story than Twilight.

[lisbon_road]

I got a complete lock set from an R reg car in Harry Bucklands, including the cowl covers and the ignitions switch. Only one key and the plastic a bit broken, though the key itself is fine.  I might swap the chip over or perhaps it looks as if there is space to leave the remains of the old key in the transponder and use the new key or get a none chipped key cut.  Lots of options but tomorrow I should have time to sort it out tidily, did 120 miles in it today with a right bodge which I don't think would look too good if I got picked up.

[Steve G]

Hi, just joined on here and spotted your thread. Well done for getting the Astra back on the road. I have had a bit of an Astra habit over the last few years. I bought an estate that needed an engine. I ended up fitting the old 1.6 big block out of our old Cav Mk2. The roof on this ended up going very rusty so I bought a low miles Arctic to replace it. This has been a nice car but the windscreen surround has been butchered by a fitter at some point and is very rusty. I'm currently looking at this as it's full of water, not sure if it's the screen or if it's coming in through the heater.

 

It's been parked up for a few months and the steering wheel had turned a nasty shade of green ! I need to get the interior stripped out so I can see where the water is getting in.

[hauserplenty]

ALL VOXLZ R SHIT.

[/ASdogma]

Nice save. Top shite-ing. I love a good survivor story...

[sloth]

my uncle was a vaux workshop manager when i was a teenager. he had a late mk3 on a t plate, 1.6 sport. loved that car.

[Lord Sterling]

Another vote for Mk3 Astras (and general Vauxhalls of that vintage) they seem well put together, unpretentious and reliable. Good on ta for perservering with this. Also; the picture with its twin is brilliant!

[lisbon_road]

Put the tailgate lock in as that is easy.  Put the ignition lock in, easy too.  Did the drivers door lock, bit of a fiddle but I think I could do another easy.  Broke one plastic clip and had a spare in the loft - hoarding is good, right shitters?

 

The ignition switch I have I fear isn't the right one, so I may need to get another or bodge something.  And the electric window isn't going up quite right but I think I know how to adjust it.

 

Did the dodgy wheel cylinder at the back and sorted the seized adjuster, so brakes feel better now.

 

This is turning into a marathon for sure.  

[lisbon_road]

Running well. 2000 miles now. Put two part worns on the front, that helped, though it is still a bit twitchy.  And washed it, and cleaned one alloy with T cut - they hadn't been cleaned in a long time and are really stained.  Was amazed how well it came up with a quick wash.

 

To recap, I have replaced the cylinder head, gaskets and bolts.  Both wishbones with new rear bushes.  Front tyres. One rear wheel cylinder and free'd up brakes which have actually adjusted themselves (wow). Complete lock set.  New key.  Replaced front seats(were missing).  Put old VW stereo in.  Replace rear wiper motor and windscreen wash and one seat belt as all 'borrowed'.  New ebay leads.  Oil and plugs out of another car (had just put the engine back together so didn't want to risk in case rings had gone when belt slipped).  New water pump and cambelt.  Adjusted clutch.  

 

Still to do: put steering column trim back.  Perhaps sort out paint on bumpers.  Still a little light at the front.  Check rear shocks as have some in stock that might be better.  Clean other wheels and possibly touch up body.  Hoover.  Fix water leak around the aerial.  Put trim on offside doors. Fix clutch pedal noise (how hard can that be?).  Change hydraulic fluid at the front would probably be a very good idea.

 

If you think this is a waste of time, you're on the wrong site.  Er, join the club with her indoors.  

[mrbenn]

Looks well, that.

[Station]

I have a complete mk3 phase 2 lockset. To do the door handles, undo the two bolts on the backing plates, and then open and lift up the plastic handle.

[RobT]

 

If you think this is a waste of time, you're on the wrong site.  Er, join the club with her indoors.

 

Definitely not a waste of time, lots of love for 90s Vauxhalls on here. Keep up the good work!

[Lord Sterling]

Looking good there sir, any pics of the interior?

[lisbon_road]

Must admit that it is getting hard to get into gear.  It goes in ok if I double de-clutch.  Will try some oil in the gearbox tomorrow, then I s'pose it is probably the clutch?  Seems unlikely to be the gearbox.  

 

Now that would be a shame.  Engine out job on this one.  Or at least engine up and out of the way.  

 

Try the oil before jumping to conclusions.  Probably hasn't been checked in years; I don't remember doing it.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Make sure the clutch pedal is sitting slightly higher than the brake pedal.  It's adjustable at the gear box end, 10mm nut and a little retaining clip to remove first.

[lisbon_road]

That was it. Wound nut in a couple of times and it is fine. You can just pull the cable off at the back then turn it by hand. And clutch pedal oiled generously so squeak gone. Not bad for 8am Saturday.

[Burnside]

Great progress on the Astra it's looking good to me.  I had a problem with the gearchange on my Cavalier a couple of years ago mainly third gear. Was down to the gear linkage arm being worn. Managed to get a new old stock item off ebay. The diffrence it made was massive if I knew it was that bad I would of got it changed when I first brought it!