Autosport / Pistonhead Show pics – (56k don’t bother)

[termietermite]

PS Did Pon'iac ever race at Le mans?

Only on the HA roundabout 

1986  Spice Pontiac Fiero N°70   Spice Engineering Martin , Bellm...   + de détails

1987  Spice Pontiac Fiero N°111   Spice Engineering Velez , De Henning...   + de détails

1987  Spice Pontiac Fiero N°127   Chamberlain Engineer... Jones , Duxbury...

[Lord Pig-Pen]

Dont mean to sound like some know all.... but cant any one remember the Chevette or Magnum! The Holden mention is............... Not a Torana in sight!!)

Anyone need panels for a MK2 Astra....  The 1.3 auto in my garden is rust free, vlm,  and one owner from new.... cheaper than buying em from GM!....

[Brad Zarse]

Lotus Carlton was a joint venture between Lotus, and Vaxhaull (Holden/Opel) - I think the idea was a different engine, and a series of chassis tweaks by the Lotus boys - I believe the results were seriously spectacular, although in my opinion it's still a dog ugly car.

The car above the Zonda is a Vauxhall (Opel) Astra GTE.
Commonly driven by chav's, the astra boasts very little power, and generally speaking handling that resembles wobbling a spoon in porridge. This is often caused by owners who feel the need to add expensive suspension parts to the rusty bulkheads in a view to racing up and down long straight roads. 

The design was copied by Daewoo a few years ago, but surprise surprise, nobody wanted to buy one....

If you go to Swindon retail outlets, they can often be found "cruising"

That’s a bit low isn’t it? The GTE 16 had one of the best engines, Vauxhall / GM ever produced – the C20XE (redtop) (these where also found in calibras, cavaliers, astra GSI’s) the handling was to be desired but with a few tweaks they can be transformed. Yes a lot where killed by chavs but there are enthusiasts that have them mint still ( picture is the example! )

Daewoo did copy the plans and make there own model of the car, but most mk2 astras are now dead, but the engines live on as they get placed into novas, corsa, escorts, you name it there in it!

I guess it's all about opinions - I have a thing against Vauxhalls - always have, I guess I always will have - they have a strange aroma which makes me feel travel sick, and yells "i am dull and boring" (the car, not neccessarily the owner!) - they just don't do anything for me. The only Vauxhall I have ever remotely liked was the VX220, and thats effectively a Lotus with different body parts....

No offence meant, but lets face it, Astra's are more commonly found being driven by chav's than anything else...

Maybe I'm just forever converted to the Japanese way?

[Andy Zarse]

I tend to agree about THe General, Brad. I suppose what has always annoyed me is that they were never designed to be any more that just about adequate. The Mk III Astra (sorry Kev!) is a case in point. I never had one but drove plenty in the early 90's. They were so built down to a price as to be completely cynical in taking the pants down of the buyers. They didn't hold a candle to my various Rover 200s. The only thing you could say was that they were better than a Mk4/5 Ford Escort which has to be one of the nastiest cars built in the last twenty years.

My last eight cars have been Jap, the have some fantastic attributes, OTOH, I'm not blind to their faults. They never seem to handle quite as well as an equivalent Euro car, and if I'm honest they are a pretty sterile bunch. Mind you, at least they usually start when you put the key in them on a cold morning.

[Kev_mk3]

I tend to agree about THe General, Brad. I suppose what has always annoyed me is that they were never designed to be any more that just about adequate. The Mk III Astra (sorry Kev!) is a case in point. I never had one but drove plenty in the early 90's. They were so built down to a price as to be completely cynical in taking the pants down of the buyers. They didn't hold a candle to my various Rover 200s. The only thing you could say was that they were better than a Mk4/5 Ford Escort which has to be one of the nastiest cars built in the last twenty years.

My last eight cars have been Jap, the have some fantastic attributes, OTOH, I'm not blind to their faults. They never seem to handle quite as well as an equivalent Euro car, and if I'm honest they are a pretty sterile bunch. Mind you, at least they usually start when you put the key in them on a cold morning.

Its ok, I will be the first to say that the mk3 astra has some of the worst handling out there in standard form and you have to spend good money to make it any good. There are some many things that really get on my nervous with these stupid cars but I still love them ( im on my seventh one! ) I have driven mk4 astras and there is no feel in them what so ever – to me they are the last of the driver feedback astras!

I love ALL Vauxhalls as ive had a nova saloon, corsa, astras & vectra but how many old escorts do you see compared to the astra? Sod all!!

To put you in a thought for the afternoon – the Cav turbo & escort Cosworth where out at the same time but the Cav was around 7mph quicker – there are only about 700 LEFT where as the Cosworths go for silly money and are more desirable!

TBH my next car is going to be VAG as ive always been around VW’s and its time I had a chance.


Jap cars are good but don’t do it for me really!

[Lord Pig-Pen]

Having just changed the cam belt on the Chavalier for a very lowly sum, old sh*t vauxhalls are ok.. mine has 130k left in it!! Hya

[Kev_mk3]

Having just changed the cam belt on the Chavalier for a very lowly sum, old sh*t vauxhalls are ok.. mine has 130k left in it!! Hya

mines done 115k and still pulls like a train, pitty the bottom end is starting to grumble - no problem as if it goes pop ive a V6 engine sat in the garage waiting to go in