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Sept 26, 2010 23:13:02 GMT
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I've been visiting the site for a four years and I thought it was about time I put my car in the readers rides. My project is a mk1 astra saloon 1200cc which I bought without an engine so I could re-shell a GTE which has been sitting in the garage for 6 years rotting! I’ve owned 6 GTEs over the years and 5 of them have been rotten so I was determined to have a solid MK1 so I bought the Minx on the strength of the shell. The 1200 never had a body kit or sound deadening on the bulk head so unlike most GTEs it is solid. I’m not a stickler to originality so it doesn’t bother me that it doesn’t say GTE on the log book . I’m a total novice when it comes to cars. I’ve bought many cars in the past with the intention of restoring them but I either lost interest or found I’ve bough a total shed. I’d just like to say a big THANKYOU to all the lads at www.mk1oc.com for the support, advice and answering all my daft questions. This is the donor.
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Last Edit: Jan 9, 2012 11:22:21 GMT by mk1minx
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Sept 26, 2010 23:14:51 GMT
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I took out the engine, struts, shafts, brake callipers, fuel tank, electronic fuel pump, wiring harness, dashboard, clocks, radiator cross member, interior and much more! Annoyingly every part I took off the donor car needed work or replacing. The struts needed bearings and a clean up.
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Sept 26, 2010 23:20:41 GMT
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One of the brake callipers had a snapped bleed nipple. After snapping a stud remover many hours of trying to remove it, I gave up and bought some uprated 16v mk2 GTE callipers from eBay, new discs and a spax adjustable suspension kit. I do like playing with clean car bits! The fuel pump had definitely seen better days. Before So I had to repair and tidy up the mounting brackets because I didn’t like the giant tie wrap that held it in place on the last car. After The fuel tank needed a clean up and a paint but was in fine working order.
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Sept 26, 2010 23:31:08 GMT
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The donor engine would require some work for it hadn’t been started in 10 yrs. So I decided to refurb the head, change the gaskets, water pump, belts, clutch, etc, etc before Jetwashed during after painted The engine was finished eventually after having to deal with snapped manifold studs and a snapped water pump bolt. Just to let you all know all the snapped stuff on the car, was already snapped it wasn’t me! Lol Time to put a clean engine in. It was nice to see the engine bay full of motor and sitting low for the first time since I bought it.
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rodney
Posted a lot
https://www.facebook.com/RD-vehicle-transport-and-recovery-services-525622614268010/
Posts: 1,677
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Sept 27, 2010 0:40:59 GMT
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what colour are you gonna do it?,.
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facebook: rodney dean / rd transport
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ZXRob
Europe
Posts: 1,193
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Sept 27, 2010 4:55:29 GMT
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Great work mate really impressed even more so as this is the first attempt at something like this. Always loved the shape of the mk1 astras one to watch for sure
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Sept 27, 2010 7:46:14 GMT
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I'm keeping the car the original smoke blue colour but it might need a respray just due to small chips on most panels. I've nearly finished the car now (nearly ready for MOT), Just got to catch up with the build thread!
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Sept 27, 2010 22:23:20 GMT
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I got a local bloke to repair and spray up the black door. The door was a GTE one so it had little studs all round the window for the extra black trim which I would not be putting on, so they needed about 15 little plated welding over the holes and a bit of rot cutting out the bottom. I’m very happy with the quality of the work but unfortunately it does stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the car. I think it’ll need more that a T-cut to match it up. Since I had the door off, I tarted up the door shut to get rid of the scratches.
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Sept 27, 2010 22:33:02 GMT
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The interior was originally a dirty, nasty light blue coloured, with damaged half door cards. The car came with a load of spare parts including full door cards in very good condition (no speaker hole hacked through them!) and GTE rear ¼ cards. Removing the rear windows to put the rear ¼ cards in was easier than I expected especially when you use silicone spray (bought to use with CV boot cone). The original front door need more holes drilling in it for the door card retaining clips and I knocked up some need door membranes to help protect them ( Don’t know how they do!). Fitted the GTE carpet which is a lot thicker and better quality to the council style ribbed carpet that was originally in it. The recaro sport seats from the donor car got a bit of a clean, replaced the damaged “tip forward” triggers. GTE steering wheel, clocks with Rev counter and original small GM tape player radio was installed. Although it won’t be wired up, it does finish the dashboard nicely and I prefer to have my modern CD player installed in the glove box, “out of sight, out of mind.” The rear solid parcel shelf got a make over with a fresh piece of ribbed carpet glued over the old ripped cardboard one, with the vents cut out. When I get round to fitting my stereo, I’ll install some nice speakers but install them under the carpet so they are out of site too but with holes clipped through the carpet to help the sound.
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Sept 27, 2010 22:50:34 GMT
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Nice!, That's a very early non tailgate model, Rare as poor quality wobbly children's play pony poo now!. Good luck with the build.
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2010 22:50:50 GMT by trigger
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Sept 27, 2010 23:15:23 GMT
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After installing the engine, It wouldn’t start which really put me on a downer after all the hard work I’d put into it so I systematically check for spark, fuel, etc. It ended up being a goosed pump. The local motor factors wanted £90 for a stupid little pump! The local scrap yard, who rips everyone off because you only go there when nowhere else has got it, wanted £45 plus VAT! Thanks to Ebay I got one from a company for £35 brand new and it is almost colour coded! As soon as it was installed it fired first time! I’d of done cartwheels if my arms could support my belly!
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2010 23:21:19 GMT by mk1minx
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Sept 27, 2010 23:21:43 GMT
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I have a couple of problems with the car such as knackered strut top bearings, and electrical fault that drains the battery in 2 days. I tried for days to find the problem but no luck so I decided to order myself new wheels to cheer myself up. I’ve never had a definite plan for what the car will be like but I know I wanted some wheels that will be fitting for it’s age. Nice new 17” wheels look nice on my modern Celica but I wanted retro for the Minx. I spoke to a bloke who works at the local motor factors who has a gorgeous mk1 golf with a set of wide ATS wheels with stretched tyres and I liked the look. I’ve always wanted black and chrome/silver wheels and retro mag landed on my door step with an article on a new wheel out called league retro star. I had to have them! Lol. They 15” x 7 ½” wide. I found out when I tried one on that although it fit, they wouldn’t go round (not good for a wheel!) it hit’s the up rated 16v callipers, so I needed 5 mm spacers for the front. I put 195x55x15’s they are slightly stretched and I’m very happy with the look.
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2010 23:37:36 GMT by mk1minx
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Sept 27, 2010 23:46:49 GMT
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A friend called me up Sunday morning at 10 am to ask me if I wanted to go to a classic bike and car show being held 1/4 mile down the same road that I live on and I never saw the posters ;D. I decided to pop down and ask them if they would like me to bring along my unfinished project. They said yes so I rushed home got it out the garage, put a passenger wing mirror, rear bumper, removed the the rear wheel spacers, give it a quick wash and hose down and was sitting in the field of the model village (tourist attraction) by 11 am. Since this is my first show I taken a car to, albeit a very small one with only 15 cars and 30 motorbikes , I felt a little nervous because mine was the newest car by far. That newly sprayed door sticks out a mile! I sat in it for nearly 1/2 hour with no interest in it. I then opened the bonnet and people started to come up and chat about it. I've been asked to take it to a big show next april because they want to see more modern classics! That suprised me because mine was the baby of the bunch. My front struts knocked and any little bump made my tires hit the rear arches, The fan was stuck on due to a dodgy rad sensor but I was happy with the last minute car show. I never thought I'd get it in a show this year even the smallest of ones, so it has spurred me on to get it finished by March so I can have many more shows next year.
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Last Edit: Sept 27, 2010 23:53:47 GMT by mk1minx
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Oct 23, 2010 22:31:31 GMT
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I know this is old but my mate now owns that mk1 celeb, it still looks the same apart from being slammed.
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1983 Vauxhall Cavalier mk2
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lotdave
Part of things
only one gerry
Posts: 356
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Car looks sweet mate love the wheel choice and keeping the baby blue paintwork was the right move. nice job mate whats the name of the wheels?
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Mike
East Midlands
Posts: 3,387
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Car looks great! I used to have a Mk1 saloon a while back, nowhere near as good as this though. It's nice to see that you've not tried to make it look like a GTE, it looks much better for it.
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Oct 24, 2010 12:52:08 GMT
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looks great
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PhoenixCapri
West Midlands
Posts: 2,684
Club RR Member Number: 91
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Oct 24, 2010 19:33:42 GMT
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Love the wheel choice, really makes it stand out - inspired choice
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antz
Part of things
Posts: 116
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Oct 24, 2010 19:48:02 GMT
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thats well nice!
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pirate
Part of things
Posts: 848
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Oct 24, 2010 19:50:54 GMT
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i had an identicle mk1 to this, loved it lol had others too. i do feel the need for another. and thats the wheels i want on my mk2 cav
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persistant retro offender. 04 laguna load lugger alfa 159 lusso beast 82 austin allegro 82 mg metro
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