View Full Version : 1993 Astra 1.7d non turbo
paul080803
10-04-12, 09:13 PM
Sorry for long post!!!
I am thinking of getting a cheap second car, dirt cheap! Mainly to go to work and back in, up and down the motorway and to collect parts for the nova in.
My daily is an E46 M3 that returns 24mpg running v power so not the most economical car! I can afford to run it all year, 12k miles pa, but would prefer not to for many reasons! Plus it is not the kind of car I want to lug nova parts around in!!!
I reckon that with a cheap car to do approx 9k a year in that would save me £2k a year on fuel, servicing and tyres etc on the M. So over the 3 years I will save approx £6k so worth doing!
Bearing in mind a second ins policy will be starting again with no claims bonus it needs to be ins friendly, and cheap enough to make it financially sensible. I have found a stunning mk3 Astra merit estate for £300 with a load of ticket and history, seems to fit the bill perfectly. I can insure it for £650 and with the tax should owe me £1150ish for the year. With the running cost for year 2 and 3 I reckon it will cost me about £2500 so saving £3500 plus less depreciation on the M keeping its value up etc.
So, what is the 1.7d (I think vauxhall not Isuzu) engine like? I am thinking 50mpg round town and 60mpg on a run or am I wrong? Clearly it will be very slow, but just a workhorse. It also has a towbar, will it tow a nova track car ok? Laden trailer weight will be about 1000kg.
Or am I being crazy?
GM diesel engines are babba, you want something with a 1700 izuzu td :thumb:
paul080803
10-04-12, 09:27 PM
GM diesel engines are babba, you want something with a 1700 izuzu td :thumb:
What is wrong with them? I know nothing about these 1.7 diesels!
Theyre just underpowered and very prone to going wrong lol
The izuzu lumps are bombproof, make good power figures as standard and are stupidly easy to tune too :thumb:
Count Vaux Alot
10-04-12, 09:38 PM
What he said!
AVOID A GM DIESEL :) (get an isuzu like the others have said)
paul080803
10-04-12, 09:50 PM
Ok then, Isuzu it is lol lol
paul080803
10-04-12, 10:02 PM
Bargain, a 1.7td Isuzu engine is £25 cheaper to insure!!! :thumb:
Valuable advice clearly lol
paul080803
10-04-12, 10:13 PM
Valuable advice clearly lol
:cool:
That's probably due to insurance claims when the GM unit falls apart lol
paul080803
11-04-12, 12:45 PM
Found a local car to me that may fit the bill. It is a 1998 'S' plate 1.7 TDS. So will that be the Isuzu TD engine I am looking for?
Is there anything, apart from the usual, I need to look for on these?
If its an s plate it'll be a late registered f. The Astra g came out on r iirc. Yep the tds is the isuzu engine, check with the seller though as ive seen a few over the years advertised as tds, but were in fact lowblow crap. Check for corrosion, rear arches, sills and bulkhead seam. Lower arm bushes/arb links/ball joints wear. Everything else is prob just wear and tear stuff.
paul080803
11-04-12, 01:44 PM
If its an s plate it'll be a late registered f. The Astra g came out on r iirc. Yep the tds is the isuzu engine, check with the seller though as ive seen a few over the years advertised as tds, but were in fact lowblow crap. Check for corrosion, rear arches, sills and bulkhead seam. Lower arm bushes/arb links/ball joints wear. Everything else is prob just wear and tear stuff.
Spot on, it is a late f. It is a hatch, and I was after a estate but it is so cheap I can live with that. Doing a reg check and insurance quote it comes back as a tds, the seller is pretty sure it is isuzu engine. Am I correct in thinking the Isuzu engine should have DIESEL in red across the rocker cover?
twistysnovagte
11-04-12, 05:05 PM
well i have to say having owned a 93 gm 1.7D diesel,i can honestly say it was faultless the only problem i had was a oil leak from the sump which cost a fiver to replace then was as god as new until the shell began to rot around it!
fair enough the 1.7td isuzu will have more grunt, and will probaly be better on the towing part of things,but i wouldnt just easily dismiss the GM lump,i was easily getting 50mpg and run it down to birmingham a few times and sat at 75mph no problem.
to be fair they are a little lame but ive took mine on quite a few trips and never had a problem.....would happily buy another if it came to it.
never owned the 1.7td so couldnt comment on them.
mine
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa168/twist6151/DSCF1450.jpg
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa168/twist6151/DSCF1554.jpg
Count Vaux Alot
11-04-12, 06:18 PM
The isuzu says 'turbo' in red on the rocker cover iirc
Count Vaux Alot
11-04-12, 06:23 PM
As so
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/Count85/Nova%20TD/Nova%20TDI/NovaTD105.jpg
I've done quite a bit with these engines in various vehicles so if you need any help give me a shout :)
blue_peg_16v
11-04-12, 08:17 PM
Theyre just underpowered and very prone to going wrong lol
The izuzu lumps are bombproof, make good power figures as standard and are stupidly easy to tune too :thumb:
Not blue peg proof though managed to break the one in my old van lol
paul080803
11-04-12, 08:43 PM
I went and had a look, and the engine is:
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/paul080803/IMG_2803.jpg
So is that Isuzu or GM? Turbo is on the front so Isuzu?
its an izuzu :D. bring on the power
paul080803
11-04-12, 09:02 PM
its an izuzu :D. bring on the power
Just what I wanted to hear!
Will need a couple of tyres soon, bloody good clean and a rocker cover gasket but I reckon I can get it for about £250 with MOT till end September! Bit rusty on the arches, nothing major and dented and scratched but ideal for what I want it for.
Count Vaux Alot
11-04-12, 10:05 PM
Yep bargain - i converted my mk3 Astra estate from gm to isuzu and it was one of the best work horses I've had!
paul080803
13-04-12, 06:06 PM
Agreed on £250, subject to test drive. So going to have a look at it tomorrow morning and see what it is like.
What mpg should I expect? Around town and on a run?
hendrix
13-04-12, 08:17 PM
Mine was running 25psi and I returned 44mpg on the motorway. 35k miles with no issues (except when I had the turbo running 30+psi and it went bang). That was in a cavalier with a heavy full boot
paul080803
13-04-12, 08:26 PM
Mine was running 25psi and I returned 44mpg on the motorway. 35k miles with no issues (except when I had the turbo running 30+psi and it went bang). That was in a cavalier with a heavy full boot
Sounds like in a standard Astra I am sensible to expect 50mpg then
hendrix
13-04-12, 08:29 PM
yeah depends on each engine and how tired it is but yeah I dont see why not
i don't get all the 1.7D non turbo hating. We used to have a few mk2&3 astra vans & the non td's were absolutely bombproof. The low blows were awful, but one van was truly amazing, run 20mls with no water.. Jumped a canal bridge just as the driver was cogging it down.. Cambelt jumped & 3 followers snapped.. Running again within 30 mins. Finally put a rod thru the side when the driver tried to go thru a flooded ford at 35mph.. As for isuzu, the eat alternators
paul080803
14-04-12, 03:14 PM
Well I went and drove it today, clutch needed replacing and n/s driveshaft was screwed so I left it.
Went and picked up a golf estate, 1.9 tdi. Suits my needs better, so happy with that. Hopefully will be a good workhorse for the next couple of years!!
Mine was running 25psi and I returned 44mpg on the motorway. 35k miles with no issues (except when I had the turbo running 30+psi and it went bang). That was in a cavalier with a heavy full boot
...and needed to be followed round by a chimney sweep lol
its a good job that internet bloke didn't try to shag it.... he'd still be washing the soot off
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