thoughts please

[Deleted]

I currently have sitting at work a mk2 astra 2 door estate which requires a fair bit of welding for its MOT,

every time I look at it I cant help thinking it would make a smashing pickup lowered with a nice set of wheels etc,

I have been told though on the astra mk2 forums the 2 door estates are quite rare so don't know if I should look for a van instead to convert....

your thoughts or views are appreciated.....




its a 54,000 mile absolute base model not even a fag lighter lol, but its a 1.4 and it goes extremely well

[MR TIKI]

I reckon it would make an awesome pick up,lowered with banded steels and some colour walls.Its your car so do it if you want, unless you can sell it to a 'rare Astra fanatic' for the kind of money that means you can do what you want to something else.
I like the shape of these they look useful,the hatchbacks always put me in mind of a sinclair c5 from the side ;D.I had one and was tempted to take out the roof mid section to complete the look !
your monkey bike would look Ace on the bed while you're roll'in low and slow,thats got to be reason enough to fire up the angle grinder!

[RetroMat]

That looks very tidy for a MK2, i recon it would look far cooler as a slammed estate than a DIY pick up.

[BiAS]

Hardslammed, on wide steels, either way estate or pickup.

Pickup should be quite easy, trimmed d pillars welded to the back of the b pillars, gives you a cab back complete with heated glass, box frame round the butt. It's one of the easier estates to pickup cos the profile's pretty much the same all the way along.

Having said that......... Hardslammed poverty spec opel ised kadett wagon ticks a whole heap of boxes, simply add Schmidt rims and it's formula euro look.

P.S. Isn't this in the wrong place?

[trg1984]

pickup conversion can either go very well or very badly imo. id probably keep it as an estate, u could still fit ur bike in it anyway

[grizz]

Keep as is, unless Chip Foose is you uncle and can get it onto Pimp my whetever..... DIY Trucks rarely look good, because people do not put enough though or effort into them.

HTH

[reanimation]

Oooooffff, I one of these came up near me very cheap. i'd jump on it hard! (even though i don't need another car ) wanna swap a likkle Fiesta van? ;D

[Deleted]

it was cheap as it goes.... reanimation, no wouldnt swap it for a fiesta van as cant stand em (less its the mk2 with the pod dash), the reason I considered the pickup look was the fact although it looks clean it actually needs sills both sides and the rear arches are starting to go a bit thin in places, (although not hanging out like most mk2's)
needs a fair bit of work for mot, all flexi hoses, two tyres, cv boots etc...
yeah bike fits in it well and I can actually sleep in it quite comfortably with the rear seats down...
decisions decisions.......

[reanimation]

Yeah I'm going off em too! ;D Well sort of! not sure if i could really swap it anyway! one day i'll propper pimp the nippy little fugger.

No these Astras are a lovely shape, i'm getting really quite perverse about em!
They look great, but, if you are gonna save it from the scrapper, and really want a pickup one, then go for it its your car, and you'll end up with something really unique, with lovely long doors. Its a bit advanced, but have you considered making a convertable back, like a Land Rover? That way you get teh best of both worlds. a kind of truckman top and pick up. they manage to make convertable pick up sport trucks so its all poss with some carefull choppings in the first place. this could be pretty awesome...

[qwerty]

rottie007 said:

yeah bike fits in it well and I can actually sleep in it quite comfortably with the rear seats down...
decisions decisions.......

Think you've come up with a whole new cool option! CAMPER!!

[reanimation]

Vote Camper.

[Deleted]

what we talking here....

torcars type with small fittings and pop-top??
owned a couple of suntor campers and have a reasonable idea what they do to them....
could be interesting....
lol

[Deleted]

so anyone know how I could go about making a fibreglass replica of the roof???

[qwerty]

rottie007 said:

what we talking here....

torcars type with small fittings and pop-top??
owned a couple of suntor campers and have a reasonable idea what they do to them....
could be interesting....
lol

Sounds like a plan to me. Something like a little Bedford rascal could provide a Suitably sized pop top....... Maybe some fixtures and fittings as well.

[reanimation]

pop up real roof would be mega trick, similar to the removable top idea i had. would keep it sleek on the move, and tall on site. Must admit though I had cheat camper in mind, pop some curtains or blinds up seth style, and sleep!, maybe just a trick drop down tailgate shelf for cooking on or sumat...

[Ministrone]

[reanimation]

^ The seed of which my Astra van/estate love grew from. Wish I'd bought the one Cavmad had now!

[Deleted]

omg thats as rough as a badgers.........
lol
yeah pop-top might be a challenge... (makes it more fun to be sure)
so the worlds first mk2 astra campervan
could be very interesting, would need side opening rear doors though not a tailgate to be properly practical...(another challenge)
would ideally like to custom build some bedchairs like my a60 had where the seat could be folded dead flat to join the back ones to form bed yet still be used as a normal chair for driving.
would then give space for the fittins in the back as I wouldnt need to sleep BEHIND the front seats...

[BiAS]

That's top quality luggage Live chicken beats a Radio Flyer every time!

[Davenger]

Keep it as an estate, I'd be worried about all the strength that'd be lost by chopping that much metalwork out