smashin' motor (Vauxhall Astra Mk II (1984-93))

Member Name: evil baz

Product:	Vauxhall Astra Mk II (1984-93)
Date:	04/12/00 (164 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable

Disadvantages: Doesnt always start in the cold (because of the choke problem)

I have a Mk 2 '89 Astra, and I can honestly say it is the second best car I've had (out of the two that I have owned, and the five I've co-owned. The astra provides a comfort that I have yet to match in any car. It is like driving an armchair, I only have the 1.3 model but the speed is surprisingly good especially as the car weighs so much in the first place. The simpleness of the car, combined with its similarity to the SRi and GTE models allows it to be modified & improved cheaply without really affecting insurance quotes. I have already put GTE bumpers front and back, after spraying them myself, and it cost me less than a hundred quid. I have also modified the mirrors and am now looking into fitting a digital dash from the GTE. Now, I know it sounds like I think there is nothing wrong with this car however all cars have faults, the astra is prone to rust and if not caught quickly enough the car will soon resemble a colander. The main areas prone to this are the front wings and the rear wheel arches, if it has started here you will find it very difficult to stop, I know, cause I couldn't. However it is very easy to get replacement wings for the front and relatively cheap also (I think I paid eighteen for mine). The only snag is you have to paint it!! and unless you have the equipment yourself it can become rather expensive.
Another fault with them is the carburretors, well to be honest it is actually the automatic chokes that are the problem, they seem to fail after a time, and to find a decent replacement is an absolute nightmare.
Updated 19/02/01 : since writing this my car has been stolen it seems the astra is a little too easy to break into. Oh well easy come, easy go!!!!

Summary: