edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Lets start with the vehicle details: 1993 Vauxhall Astra (Mk3) 'LS' (no idea what that bit means), 5-door hatch, C14SE engine (1400cc multipoint injection, from factory it would be about 80bhp, now days half those horses have probably died or escaped). Standard FWD, 5-speed manual box. Thats the basic details sorted, now a bit of background. Around 2-3 years ago the wife bought another Fiat 126 on eBay, it was a fair trek away and the plan was to tow it back on my van (54 reg Vauxhall Movano), but due to my neglect the cambelt snapped. My car at the time was a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk3 1.7TD, but didn't have a tow bar fitted. The wife had a quick look online for any car with a towbar going cheap, and came across this Astra, I can't remember if I paid £200 or £250, either way, I bought it... Although I can't pretend to be a massive fan of Mk3 Astras, I have owned a few. Whenever I'm stuck for a car, an Astra always turns up to tide me over. To be fair they are good cars. However, the more I used this car, the more I enjoyed it. Mainly because I had driven diesels for the previous few years, and it was nice to be back in a petrol again. Also the road tax was half the cost of the Cav. I decided to get shot of the Cav, and keep the Astra. With the Movano off the road, and the Cav gone, the Astra had to step in as a work vehicle. No chance of keeping it tidy! I possibly then went a little bit too far and starting taking it down greenlanes. A few other bits have changed, all carpets and underlay have been removed, no headlining, vinyl'd side windows, etc. I would post up all the photos, but there are literally hundreds. But to bring this up to date, it currently stands on massively oversized tyres/wheels (from 175/70r13 to 185/65r15) which lift it 1" all round, a 2" spring lift on the rear, and a 1" spring lift on the front. So front is +2", rear is +3". Front tyres are an AT / autograss type pattern, rear are cheap M&S. Also painted up the wheels with Wickes Cream paint. This is from this weekend at PVS: I will post a few more bits later on, there is a whole 'build' thread on the Owners Club forum, but you'd have to be really bored to go through all of it! www.mk3oc.com/forum/threads/1993-phase-1-1-4i-no-33.78536
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Jun 14, 2016 12:33:23 GMT
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My father-in-law had one of these and it did epic mileage loaded to the gunnels with tools. Trojan old thing. How does the mechanical end hold up to green laning and oversize grippy tyres?
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Jun 14, 2016 13:30:40 GMT
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That's brilliant *n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 14, 2016 17:02:28 GMT
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The oversized grippy tyres have been fine so far, in fact now my speedo is actually accurate!
I've recently rebuilt the front struts, apart from the shocks which still seem fine. One top mount looked like it might have been an original part. The coil springs, front and rear, are stiffer than standard, which I think helps. Before I replaced the front springs, the shocks kept bottoming out.
I had one CV joint fail rather spectacularly, but the rubber was split.
It goes through front wheel bearings a bit quick, but it's always in water!
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 14, 2016 17:11:03 GMT
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Last Edit: Jun 14, 2016 17:13:16 GMT by edessex
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 14, 2016 17:13:59 GMT
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I tried to embed those videos, but it wouldn't work, might be because they are hosted on Facebook.
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 14, 2016 17:24:45 GMT
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I don't have great videos, as they are all dashcam ones, mainly poor-res, but these might give you an idea of the use: Slightly flooded road: Ford at night, water over the bonnet and hitting the windscreen: Another FB one, following some random 4x4s... www.facebook.com/eajmatthews/videos/10156502110805007/
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Jun 14, 2016 19:47:53 GMT
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Have you raised the air intake?
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 14, 2016 19:56:47 GMT
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Sort of, the elbow and filter box needed replacing, so being a tight git I just bought a large and cheap cone filter, and whacked it straight on the intake. Aux belt started flicking muddy water on it, so cut both ends of a catering size baked bean can and stuck that over it.
So air intake is now towards the rear and top of the engine bay.
However, on several 'damp crossings' if I lost momentum or stalled, I'd be buggered.
A snorkel is in the making...
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 18, 2016 20:55:39 GMT
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Jun 18, 2016 22:24:38 GMT
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Love the videos! What you guys need there is the highly sophisticated flood warning system we have here... Green means, "You're okay if you take it steady, but you won't, will you?" Yellow is, "If you've got a 4x4, go for it, but don't try it in your Vios. Well, we did warn you" And red means, "Oops, now we've discovered that water doesn't compress, better get it on OLX.com.ph as 'guarantee 100% flood free' a bit sharpish"
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Jun 19, 2016 11:46:27 GMT
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Have you considered the possibilites of flipping the rear axle upside down? It is ten years ago now, but I sorta remember that I looked into it on an 86 Belmont I had and thought that it would raise it quite a bit....
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username. )
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 19, 2016 18:23:04 GMT
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What you guys need there is the highly sophisticated flood warning system we have here... We have depth markers, like this one, but only on fords. They are also very inaccurate. But nothing on roads prone to flooding, the simple coloured 'markers' you guys do would be great here!
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Last Edit: Jun 19, 2016 18:23:40 GMT by edessex
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 19, 2016 18:30:19 GMT
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Have you considered the possibilites of flipping the rear axle upside down? Originally I never gave it a thought, I've only really heard about flipping axles on the Mk1 Caddy's to lower them. But, someone mentioned it a month or so ago, and I had a quick look underneath, and decided I'll probably give it a try. It's difficult to see through the mud, but the ends of the axle would drop down very well, and would stop the axle beam touching the ground on most ruts. So my plan is to wait until the MoT (Oct/Nov), see what it will need to pass, which shouldn't be much if anything at all, and then flip the axle after that. I'll probably get another one from a scrapper, and will have to weld the spring mounts on the other side. Got plans for the front too. I've had several engine issues, so don't want to put too much work in, to find I can't get it through the emissions test.
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 19, 2016 18:37:13 GMT
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In hunting for a photo of the back axle, I found some other random ones. This is the current air filter... These are the current front tyres: ...and a random photo of the Astra at work:
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Jun 19, 2016 19:53:37 GMT
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We have depth markers, like this one, but only on fords. They are also very inaccurate. But nothing on roads prone to flooding, the simple coloured 'markers' you guys do would be great here! Accurate? You want accurate? At least the ones in the UK have a datum point, i.e. normal water level, and use measured sticks. No, there are two problems as to what happens here: One is that each Barangay (think miniature town council, can be a small as a dozen houses or large as several thousand) is responsible for their own rings, so to speak, so the width of them may be similar within that bit, but completely different next door. The other is when told to go and paint rings, that's exactly what they do. So down in Intramuros, where I go to Immigration, there is a lovely painted pole with nice even rings but it sits on an 18" high kerb. So you can still contemplate the crisp edges of the green to yellow join long after your Vios has come to a shuddering halt!
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 19, 2016 20:07:30 GMT
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Lol, okay, so both systems work in theory, but not in practice! :lol:
It's not uncommon for ours to be 12" out.
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,996
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Jun 20, 2016 11:16:07 GMT
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1 of the roads by me floods so often it has those markers along it How do you find those tyres on 'normal' roads? I take it that they are mud and snow tyres
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edessex
Part of things
Posts: 514
Club RR Member Number: 42
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Jun 20, 2016 11:23:07 GMT
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You have a good council (or Parish council) then! ...or a councillor knackered a car driving through it...
Really they are designed for Rally/Autograss, but are road legal so fall into the M&S category. They aren't quite as soft as real winter tyres, but are softer than standard (summer) road tyres as they are remoulds.
They are much better than I expected, but one is about half worn and you notice it on mud and on wet tarmac.
Bear in mind that it is only a 1.4 though, and boaty as standard. If you were to fit these to a fast car, and try cornering at speed in the wet, you'd quickly find yourself in a ditch. But on this car they act no worse than summer budget tyres on tarmac.
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where did you get the springs? the tyres look tasty off the rim proper gravel rally shoulder to them. welcome to the RR lift club!
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