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Lacking any Merit: MK2 Astra estate now for sale


Brodders

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Nice.  Is it wearing Mk2 Cavalier trims?  I understand the standard Mk2 Astra Merit full-size trims have a habit of flinging themselves off without warning.

In my experience that is true of all plastic wheel trims and also the Triumph's expensive stainless embelisher rings which are littered in ditches and hedgerows across the north east of Scotland...

 

Nice car that Disastra, reminds me of the sort of stuff that was motoring around Leeds when I was young.

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Nice.  Is it wearing Mk2 Cavalier trims?  I understand the standard Mk2 Astra Merit full-size trims have a habit of flinging themselves off without warning.

 

Well spotted!  They are from a Mark 2 Cavalier L

post-20295-0-20999800-1513821023_thumb.jpg

 

It should have these:

post-20295-0-02514500-1513821052_thumb.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61090099@N04/8510841456/in/album-72157632866597214/

 

Anyway, nice purchase!

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Lovely, even better in estate form. Please keep it well secured at all times though, they are apparently incredibly easy to TWOC and were once the most stolen car in Britain.

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These are much better than they look! More driver legroom than the contemporary Cavalier for a start and of course the basis for the fastest van ever.

 

As for that failing boot strut, just having the one always seemed an economy too far. All those asymetric stresses on the door hurt my engineering sensibilities.

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My mate Martin Stanford's mum had one of these in the 80s and, consequently, a lot of under 9s away fixtures were completed in the back of one.  I was strangely fascinated with the concept of the 3dr estate.  Even as a young child, I realised it looked like a 'funeral car'.

 

Great buy

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You absolute winner.

 

I so nearly pounced on this on eBay, but decided 1 crap VX estate was enough!

These things are such a product of their time.  Dull paint colours, doudy grey bumpers etc, they just scream 80s to me and were everywhere for years it seems.  Then, overnight they disappeared :(

 

I went through three in the early 90s, all were 'end of life vehicles' but the engines were always so punchy and enthusiastic, they totally overwhelmed the woeful handling and steering.  But that was all part of the charm.  They are simple, rugged vehicles that are big inside and small on the outside.

DIBS WHEN YOU'RE DONE!

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We had one in that colour, but it as a 1.4 saloon with petrol engine and it was an excellent drive, really willing to be pushed through the gears. We eventually sold it when the peugeot-of-last-resort came to live with us. The Astra took umbrage and blew its head gasket within a week of being sold so I gave the guy his money back and sold it for more to a breaker. A car to be loved :)

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I took a 1988 Vauxhall Belmarsh Merit 1.3 in p/x against an E30 nearly 20 years ago, and apart from being ugly it was alright. It was willing, good on fuel and when I got it broadside and clipped the back wing against a bin lorry I had a severe case of idontgiveafuckitis. Only a small dent.

 

Ran it for a month and sold it via admag for £495.

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The driving position and general ergonomics of 80's Vaux stuff was just so good. I miss these and Mk2 Cavaliers.. they were just the perfect fit for me.

This.

I owned an ‘86 1300L Astra in faded burgundy in my last year couple of years at uni. I’d ‘upgraded from a beige 18 year old Jetta to a 13 year old Astra, and I loved the thing. As Talbot mentioned, the ergonomics were spot on - Vauxhalls that era were bloody lovely to drive.

This is mine after reaching down to turn up the volume to The Cardigans ‘My favourite game’, and having to choose between a bus stop signpost or the back of a car turning right. It was ok though - we ‘pulled out’ the slam panel and front crossmember with a car jack, stuck on a secondhand bonnet and FL bumper/bonnet and roped it down for almost 12 months as the slam panel still didn’t quite line up.

Look after yours - great purchase!

post-4721-0-64823500-1513854349_thumb.jpeg

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