xjlee
Part of things
Posts: 294
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Mar 11, 2012 17:13:10 GMT
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To all the thousands of astramax's that used to be about? They were the stuff of legend, the outside lane warrior on motorways and they were the fastest thing in the world ;D But, where have they all gone? I wanted a nice car based van an i did fancy one, but for a number of reasons i've wound up with a xsara enterprisevan, which is a bit poo but awesome on fuel Are car based vans a dying breed? As pennance...
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Mar 11, 2012 19:59:29 GMT
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have seen 3 or 4 on ebay recently. Mainly they are an old van now and most of them will have been run into the ground.
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hamps
Posted a lot
www.medwayrscentre.co.uk
Posts: 2,077
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Mar 11, 2012 20:36:14 GMT
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I absolutely loved my astramax diesel mine was gte look, was a great thing
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Mar 11, 2012 20:40:43 GMT
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My dad used to have one years ago. It had been owned by a milkman before him so you can guess what it smelled like! And it didn't start well once warm so he used to leave the engine running all day, diesel was cheaper back then. It served him well though, cant remember last time I saw one.
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77 Dolomite 1500hl
94 Mini Italian Job
06 Vw Caddy TDI, dropped on 19's
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ud-uk
Part of things
Living the French dream!
Posts: 340
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Mar 11, 2012 20:44:53 GMT
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I was given a brand new Astramax in 1990 as a company vehicle to replace the Fiesta 1.1 Pop Plus I had been using, what a contrast, that Vauxhall was so fast. I remember a Top Gear episode with Clarkson driving a new supercar with an Astramax right up his ar*e, it was a great van, I guess 99% of them were knackered long ago.
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1991 Transit Dormobile, The Sweet Bus - SOLD - Now trading in the Bristol area
1991 Mercedes 230 CE - SOLD
1987 Renault Express van - SOLD-
1995 Vauxhall Calibra SE4
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Lawsy
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,615
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Mar 11, 2012 21:01:17 GMT
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i grew up with my dad having vans form work, first one i remember was a Y reg escort van, then it went to astra's, mainly the normal van instead of the astramax, but they were awesome, they just moved and went so so well..
they then got one of the corsa fronted combo's (astramax replacement) and it was a huge letdown, slow and not as roomy - major error, they then went to the mk3 astravans and some of the magic was lost, i remember passing my test in 93 and dad letting me use the mk3 astra he had at the time, i loved it..
Had a few vauxhalls in my early driving years, thne went on to veedubs, just got back in a vauxhall diesel, familiar smell, similar layout (even tho its a 2000 vectra) and its liek an old friend is back....
making me want another mk2 astra tho, especially a van if one ever turns up that isnt completey knackered.
good post and great memoris..
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crazymonkey
Posted a lot
ummm....what was I doing again???
Posts: 1,981
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Mar 11, 2012 21:26:15 GMT
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last time I saw one was about 5 years ago (at least). Sure I wasnt the only one that had seen the modified ones from revs and wanted to build one.
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whoever said dogs were man's best friend....obviously never heard of cable ties
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Mar 11, 2012 22:32:03 GMT
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I'd completely forgotten they even existed!
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Remember the days when sex was safe and motorsport was dangerous. Vintage bling always attracts pussy.
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barrett
Part of things
Plastic cars with metal doors BEST
Posts: 390
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Mar 11, 2012 23:51:58 GMT
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Like all old commercial vehicles, they get worked hard until they fall apart and then get scrapped. I hadn't seen one still working for ages until I spotted this mega late example a few weeks back. Looked to be a minter, relatively speaking, and still with those lovely trims! Vauxhall / Bedford Astramax by barrogance, on Flickr
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Somebody find me a Watling. £££ waiting! (Seriously, I want a Watling. Help me plzzzzz)
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Foxy
Posted a lot
Making pink manly in the north!
Posts: 1,913
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I actually saw a red one of these thrashing around the industrial estate in wakefield when I was working there. It sounded hot, was lowered and running 17s. All the guys I work with thought I was sick when I was stood there drooling and barely making sense through my neanderthalithic grunts of pleasure.
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I'm the handsome fella with the cheesy white specs or is that the cheesy fella with the handsome white specs?
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I had a 1.7d van with GTE front end, it was dieing so we swapped it for an Orion which died about a month later
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Some days you just need to take a grinder to an inanimate object, just to make your day a tiny bit better!!
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I had one when "G" reg first came out, I thought it was the business, it was the 1.6 and was seriously quick in its day, it would wheelspin like crazy in the wet, and kept up with just about anything! loved it, it was replaced with a diesel which was nowhere near as much fun, but was amazing on fuel. Not seen one for years, the last one I saw was a disabled jobbie.
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Jan 21, 2016 23:52:13 GMT
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Just got myself one of these, dragged it from a shed it had been stored in for over ten years. For MOT on saturday, will get some pics up then if it passes!
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What happened.....deanflowers
@deanflowers
Club Retro Rides Member 81
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'The reason i have pulled you over is to say how incredible and absolutely awesome that is'
Mercedes W109, Mercedes W140 S280 SWB & S320 LWB, W201 cosworth kitted, clk230 Kompressor, w109 300sel, Lincoln Continental 1964, BMW E30 Tech II tourer, MK1 Golf Clipper, BMW E31 840ci sport, JAGUAR XJ40 3.6, Kangoo van, Volvo 740GLE estate, Maserati Quattroporte GTS
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Jan 22, 2016 17:19:49 GMT
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Post Office and pretty much all the utility companies used them around Stoke when I was growing up. Remember once coming across an abandoned one that was so rusty the back door fell off in my hands. And I kicked a hole through the sill. That and general abuse accounted for probably 99.5% of them getting scrapped.
See also: Maestro van, Escort van, Citroen C15, Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot 305, Renault Extra...
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jan 22, 2016 17:39:55 GMT
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Jan 22, 2016 18:42:02 GMT
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Even the first gen corsa combo's are getting rare now. Can't remember the last time I spotted one.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jan 22, 2016 18:47:03 GMT
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Even the first gen corsa combo's are getting rare now. Can't remember the last time I spotted one. I see them daily around here. Was one for sale the other week for £150 with mot left on it for a few months. Bought myself an Astra G van instead, proper beat up thing. Hope to leave it standard looking but fit a B204 and have a little play. Think I'll have to hit eBay for some "limited to 70mph" stickers.
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joe90
Yorkshire and The Humber
Posts: 1,027
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Jan 22, 2016 22:18:25 GMT
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Just got myself one of these, dragged it from a shed it had been stored in for over ten years. For MOT on saturday, will get some pics up then if it passes! Check the inner wings and the front cross member for rot as these were bad areas on the astra/astramax vans, along with the inner a outer sills and bulkhead to floor. Bryan
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pOG
Posted a lot
SHATNER'S BASSOON
Posts: 1,340
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Jan 22, 2016 23:15:09 GMT
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Even the first gen corsa combo's are getting rare now. Can't remember the last time I spotted one. I see this one alot - we recently bought it for Mrs_pOG's dad to use for the next for the next few months till he retires. Odd to think it's twenty-three years old. It's a lovely little thing, absolutely no frills, with keep-fit steering & non-turbo 1700 isuzu lump, but a pleasant enough thing to drive (certainly much better than the 3-pot Corsa Mrs_pOG used to have). I'd like to hope that there's some lowness and ronal turbo's in it's future once it's done plumbing...
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Last Edit: Jan 22, 2016 23:15:40 GMT by pOG
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