Back again, no more Miata

Nocturnal

Nocturnal

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2008
Messages
695
Location
UK
Car(s)
'88 Toyota MR2 NA + '92 Mazda RX7 FD
I can't remember the last time I came on here, but I overheard someone mention it oddly enough earlier on when I went clutch-hunting, and made a point to remember to look on here again when I got home. So, here I am.

Some of the older among you (and those of you with eyes who can look at my sig) might remember I used to drive and race a '91 NA6 MX5 which I loved more than anything, for around 3yrs. I can't remember the exact date I stopped posting here, although I figure it was actually around the time of the accident itself, as I had a lot going on at that time and pretty much stopped using the internet at all for a while. This was she, a few days before the crash:

http://img717.imageshack.**/img717/9595/32248197.jpg

As you can probably tell by now, this is going to turn into somewhat of a sob story. After surviving countless race circuits, and endless country roads all around Europe, she was killed on a road no more than a mile from home. After a fuel spill on a roundabout I used to use for work, the council had covered it in sand. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to tell anyone about it. After several near-misses on the roundabout according to Police, my crash was inevitable. After changing lanes on the roundabout itself (which is blind in the direction I was travelling) to let a people-carrier over-take, I hit a large chunk of sand, and lost control of the front end. After fighting for grip, the front end bit as the rear end hit the sand. I got a tank-slapper which I knew I was never going to correct, and shortly after, I cleaned out a lamp-post. I got out with whip-lash, my passenger (with the OEM belts) got out with minor head injuries (though a lot of blood), but as you can see, the car was a write-off.

http://img140.imageshack.**/img140/4090/79644595.jpg

Knowing I was about to join the air force, the council delayed any claim I was trying to make until it was detrimental to my application to continue it. I sure felt grateful for all those years of council tax I've been paying.

Anyway, moving on. At around this time, my brother had bought a MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE, kind of like a mid-life crisis purchase as it was his very first car. However, up until after Christmas, the car sat there doing nothing. It needed a head rebuild and head gasket, as well as a few other little bits. I graduated from my basic training in January, and received a phone call from my brother. He knew my hunt for an FC RX7 wasn't going well, and at the time I'd put a deposit down on an E34 BMW 520i. A comfortable, if soul-less, car. He offered me the title to the GTE provided I pay for the work that needed doing. I decided that, as we hadn't seen each other in a very long time, it would be better for us to do the work together over some charcoaled food and some beer.

http://img32.imageshack.**/img32/3643/35137485.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.**/img163/5541/28273669.jpg

The spec for the car, as she stands now, is:
-Magnex 4-2-1 exhaust manifold
-S/S mid-section with silenced de-cat
-Powerflow s/s backbox
-Uprated (poss. 264 dur.) cams
-Unknown ECU chip
-Calibra disc rotors and calipers with EBC yellow stuff pads
-Cavalier GSI wheels (15x7J ET38) with 195/50 Toyo T1Rs
-SFI induction with ''power-cap''

This is pretty much the spec my brother bought the car with, and two dyno sheets with the history read 184bhp without the power-cap, and 192bhp with it. Given the power-cap (no, I'm not entirely sure what the hell that is, either) is no longer with the car, we threw the 192bhp sheet away. Given that we're not entirely convinced the 184bhp sheet is that accurate either, we binned that, too.

I bought a Rallye-Designs 330mm dished suede steering wheel, but other than a proper detailing session, all I've really done is drive it since. So last week, some of the parts we ordered started to arrive. These include a bank of Yamaha R1 carbs, an ITG ''sausage'' filter, a set of red Samco hosing, and an R1 fuel pump. My brother is in the process of ordering the manifold and sorting the ignition, and I'm in charge of replacing the dying clutch. It's not as easy as it sounds though, as some bright spark among the previous owners has removed the inspection cover on the gearbox and didn't think to replace it. The clutch hasn't worn, the water on the road has come up through the inspection cover and rusted it, meaning I need to find another before I bother with a clutch. Unfortunately, they're rarer than hens teeth it would seem, and in the mean-time I've snapped both the clutch cable (which I then replaced) and the clutch cable release arm (which I've since welded), and I've managed to secure some free track-time on Tuesday. :rolleyes:

Anyway, enough waffling, here's some photos. Although this is a joint project between my brother and I, I am still actively looking for an FC RX7.

http://img51.imageshack.**/img51/7249/35360969.jpg

http://img52.imageshack.**/img52/8121/91205113.jpg

http://img594.imageshack.**/img594/269/23107769.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.**/img202/8937/83106074.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.**/img198/3416/28413817.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.**/img339/6994/44844832.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.**/img97/6996/79256044.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.**/img517/9359/97250464.jpg
 
It's chavtastic but in a good way. The challenge is to screw the dash up by going over 130mph as it can't handle higher speeds (IIRC). I love that shape Astra, even with Daewoo's attempt to spoil it.
 
Haha, ''chavtastic'' is actually the exact word I said when he offered me the GTE in January! I remember the day when these and RS turbos littered the local retail parks on a Sunday night. I don't know what's happened to them though, there's reportedly less than 500 left in the UK now! I'll give the dash a good going-over on Tuesday, though to be fair it confuses itself sometimes anyway.
 
Wow, terrible end to a really nice Miata.

...The Astra does have a digi dash, though, so it's not that bad a trade. ;)
 
The digi-dash, despite its' faults, still makes me smile every time I turn the ignition on. As childish as it is, I usually still chuckle when I hit 88mph, too.

Hah, sorry mate, I meant no offence with the E34 remark. The car really wasn't for me I'm afraid, though in fairness it looked nothing like the one in your sig!
 
Are the rear wheels actually that much small than the front, or is that some kind of optical illusion :blink:

It's certainly unique.
 
They're both the same size. The problem with the rear arch being tighter is that lower-offset wheels scrub. The car originally came with Rota Slipstreams (15x7.5J ET30) but they scrubbed like hell. The GSI wheels are a temporary measure until we find some BBS RS'.

I also found this fifth gear clip on you-tube of Tiff Needell driving the GTE and RS-Turbo back to back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf214j7ev1k
 
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My mother owned a '87 Kadett... the best thing about it was the vast boot. But then again, her car was a 1.3 l 3-speed automatic. Yours, however, is fantastic in comparison. And the digital dash is phantastically 80s. :) Keep it as rust-free as you can, I really like that car. :)
 
That's the best Astra in the world. It's not saying much, but it is. A classmate of mine has an 80's white Kadett sedan with that engine and a lot of rare Irmscher goodies. I actually think that car has more character than the Miata. :) Not a lot of FWD cars get my approval, but that one does :)

-Now get rid of those blue headlight bulbs.
 
The bulb actually only looks blue when on the side-lights as in the pic, otherwise it looks white. I actually have a set of HIDs (as the OEM lights are shocking!) but we're struggling to get them wired up without it constantly blowing the offside bulb. You're right though, the car certainly is a lot of fun to drive.

Level - I had looked into getting another Miata, and I'm still not categorically dismissing the idea as there's a white 1.8L round the corner from my house, with gold watanabes which is selling very cheaply. However, I think the MX5 scene is pretty saturated at the moment, and my old NA6 has inspired a lot of replicas here in the UK. I'd also want something more powerful than the Astra, and for this in an MX5 I'd be paying upwards of ?3k for a mildly turbo'd 1.6L, or upwards of ?4k for an MP45 s/c'd car. I've always wanted an FC, and both EGi's and T-IIs are selling for less than ?2k...provided you can actually find one for sale. Just before the crash, I was in talks about swapping the MX5 for a white FC EGi. Though the deal never went through because of the accident, the car came up for sale again last week so I'm very tempted to buy it. Besides, a good friend of mine has just bought a 284bhp BEGI-kitted MK1 MX5, I couldn't deal with being so much slower than him!
 
am i the only one who never heard about GTE? over here they were called GSE, or is that another edition?
 
bone said:
am i the only one who never heard about GTE? over here they were called GSE, or is that another edition?
Click to expand...
Probably country specific. Here in Germany, the hot hatch versions were called GSi.
 
bone said:
am i the only one who never heard about GTE? over here they were called GSE, or is that another edition?
Click to expand...

DanRoM said:
Probably country specific. Here in Germany, the hot hatch versions were called GSi.
Click to expand...

It's like the Astra badge - they change some things sooner than others. The top of the line Kadett traditionally was the GT/E. This was changed to GSI in germany with the advent of the Kadett E (Astra Mk2). After this, there was an Opel-Vauxhall exchange of naming systems - the Opel Kadett became an Astra, and the top of the line Vauxhall Astra was renamed to GSI.

@Nocturnal: The car looks brilliant, but it is relatively clean so i'd wonder if it would make sense to try to rebuild it to stock form. Because of the late-80s chavving craze, stock GT/Es are quite a rare sight, this would in some weird way make the car more unique than any other mod could.
According to wiki, less than 1000 GSIs remain on germany's roads, and one can only assume that most of them are carbaged in some way or another.
 
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crap, i also meant GSi, no such thing as GSE
 
Shame about the Miata. That did look like a nice car.

And I do approve of the Astra - its the only Astra model I like, and especially in GTE form as it then doesn't look too boring. And my parents had one a while back (long before I was born - they bought it, dad went away to work at sea, then my mum crashed it a week later :p).
 
Cheers again for the replies. Grip - We had contemplated keeping it concours, there certainly aren't many about in this condition. We decided in the end though to make it a fast road car, the exterior will be left pretty much as it is bar the wheels, and potentially a suitable front lip if we find one. We're still trying to source either a plain black, or GTE champion interior, though we're undecided on a half-cage or not. The car will be used on the track, so we have to keep that in mind.
 
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