What I purchased today ....

[joff-turbo-nova]

Well I have had an interesting day looking at my new purchase ......

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9293.jpg

It has the following specification .....

- 1.6 8v engine with 3 of the 4 cylinders working (75% isn't too bad - much better than 50%)
- Sufficient power to pull the skin off custard, but not much more
- Iron oxide as standard on rear arches and passenger side door
- Grandad style interior complete with carpet in the boot
- ICE - well its got a hole for the stereo
- Wheels - its got 4 (just) with some tyres even having what used to be called tread
- Exhaust which directs engine gases to the rear of the car and then exits in a number of differing places, not necessarily the exhaust tip
- knocking from the drop links which sounds like morse code over an uneven surface
- headlamps which are fogged up on the outside??

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9294.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9295.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9296.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9297.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9298.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9299.jpg


Well, on the shopping list, being as budget concious as possible ....

- Airfilter
- Oil & filter (plenty in stock)
- Replacement coil pack & leads (£7.00 from ebay)
- Plugs (I have some spares in the garage)
- Stereo (have a spare knocking about the garage)
- replacement drop links (£6.50 ebay)
- replacement tyres (4 for £50 off ebay)

So as I got the car for less than scrap value I'm quite happy with the lack of major faults at this time.

Fingers crossed its the coilpack, leads or plug that's causing it to run on 3 cylinders, and then back to 4 intermittently.

This is going to be my daily nail (well for the wife over the summer!) whilst I rebuild the 1.8 16v engine in the wife's Merv and then I will use it when I start on the Z20LET conversion in the Autumn.

Joff

[Vlietje]

I would have bought a bike instead! :wtf:

[Vlietje]

Headlamps with integrated foglamps, that's a cool option....

[Spudly]

Is that your parents Astra then I'm guessing lol

[joff-turbo-nova]

Is that your parents Astra then I'm guessing lol

No my dad boules around in an tdi Audi A4 - this Astra was bought from some random guy from ebay - he even delivered it to my house FOC which saved me having to sort 1 day insurance or run the risk that the tax had expired on 31st May .

I does have an MOT till the end of December which is good news !

Joff

[turbojolt]

nice house

[Spudly]

Hmm im not sure how id take the fact the guy was willing to deliver it, maybe he needed rid of it lol



I thought your rents had a 1.6 that seemed to have similar running issues to mine where it needed a new ecu set?

[gteben]

lolfunni looking nova

atleast it got air con





i remember owning a astra like that.. run forever so i wont knock them .. love the garden tho nicely cut an crisp.. can i have a square foot or your grass to go with my garden ... would look nice in the middle too show my mother what her garden did look like before me an dad concrate down an built it in to a trailer an bike area :thumb:

[joff-turbo-nova]

lolfunni looking nova

atleast it got air con





i remember owning a astra like that.. run forever so i wont knock them .. love the garden tho nicely cut an crisp.. can i have a square foot or your grass to go with my garden ... would look nice in the middle too show my mother what her garden did look like before me an dad concrate down an built it in to a trailer an bike area :thumb:

Help yourself to the grass - its all getting dug out in 2 weeks to make way for my new block paving drive which is getting rid of all the lawn ! I've worked out I can get about 7 cars on the drive and a trailer tent - I only have 4 cars at the moment so room for 3 more !!!

Joff

[John]

lol joff. get the let banged in it! sleath sleeper!

[mowgli]

he only just yanked a zlet out of a shonky astra..... lol

[John]

Re-fitting it in an even shonkier car ftw! I'm really in the mood for a steath sleeper!

[boss]

have you checked the cam mate that mite be your misfire al put money on it

[joff-turbo-nova]

have you checked the cam mate that mite be your misfire al put money on it

I will whip the cam cover off and have a quick look - but the rough running is a bit intermittant - it runs mostly on 3 cylinders, but occasionally on 4 for a few seconds, then back to 3 which leads me to think its an electrical fault rather than a mechanical fault.

When running on 4 it sounds really smooth and quiet !

Joff

[boss]

does it sound crap on idle nd ok with the revs on if so thats the prob we had

[joff-turbo-nova]

does it sound crap on idle nd ok with the revs on if so thats the prob we had

Just sounds like a plug lead is off all the time irrespective of revs.

All will become aparent when I get busy with the spanners !

Joff

[joff-turbo-nova]

Quick update...

Changed the dispack , still the same - came up with a Quad driver error on the ECU which is a terminal problem for the ECU.

Sent off the ECU and got a replacement back a few days later coded to the vehicle which was handy.

Now runs lovely and smooth without probs. Changed the plugs leads and airfilter whilst I was under the bonnet.

Got busy sorting the back box and replacement tyres today - sourced a cheapo set of alloys from ebay as well just to make it look half decent. Hammerited the drums and calipers whilst the wheels were off just to make it a bit more tidy.

Ground back the rear arches and hammerited for now to keep the rust at bay. Will do a proper job with rattle cans before I sell it on.

Also didn't like the rear clusters being so bright so sorted that too.

Sourced a replacement non rusty passenger door for £20 so that got replaced as well.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive005.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive004.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive003.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive008.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive006.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/drive007.jpg


Just need to change the drop links, oil & filter and take the head lamps out and take them apart as they have all crud on the inside of the lenses and then it will be ready for the road.

[John]

can't quite believe thats the same car! Stirling work as always joff )

[joff-turbo-nova]

can't quite believe thats the same car! Stirling work as always joff )

The pics flatter it a long, there's quite a few small scratches all over, the alloys are quite scabby in places and the rear arch hammerite isn't the same colour as the rest of the paintwork, but you;re right it looks a heap load better.

I may even give it a wax and polish - the interior needs a wet vax clean as its a bit smelly! Stale fags and a musty smell mixed up !

Joff

[John]

Reminds me of the 1.6 sxi we had a few years back, it swallowed 150k with ease. By far one of the best cars we've ever had. The only things it ever had were back box, coil pack and a handbrake cable.

[joff-turbo-nova]

Seem to have a problem with the temp gauge on the dash - i.e its showing no temp at all.

Changed the coolant temp sensor on the back on the inlet manifold for a brand new one I already had and have run the car up to temp with the fans kicking in but the gauge still reads nil.

I've taken the clocks out and cleaned the pins and put it back together but still the same - I'm now thinking about swapping the complete clocks for some known good ones?

Anyone else got some ideas?

Joff

[joff-turbo-nova]

Quick update, just had opcom up and running on the Astra and on the gauge tests the revs , speed and fuel work fine, however the temp gauge does not move , so I am suspecting a gauge failure at this point.

Will source some replacement clocks and see if this resolves the problems!

Joff

[novalew]

**edited**

astra is coming on well mate, i have a similar one as my daily

[Southie]

/\ any wrong thread gen? lol

Astra looks to be coming along nicely Joff.

[joff-turbo-nova]

Astra now ready for the road on 1st August

Changed the brake pads and one of the calipers along with the drop links today.

Then got on with cleaning the interior , hoovered , then wet vax'ed out - it no longer smells of stale fags and B.O - yay ! lollol

Got a new set of dials and good news the temp gauge now works! Also got a 2nd hand slatted grill which makes the front end look better ....


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Astra001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Astra002.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Astra003.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Astra004.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Astra005.jpg

Looks miles better than when it arrived!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/IMG_9293.jpg

Joff

[Spudly]

Looking good there Joff, miles better than when it landed, let me know when you get bored of the 1.4 and decide to xe it lol

Seriously considering it for mine when the 1.6 finally goes pop!

[Adam]

Looks pretty tidy!

[joff-turbo-nova]

Quick update did a bit of work today in preparation for the MOT.

First job was to investigate some strange knocking noises from the rear suspension. I suspected the damper bushes already so had sourced a pair in readiness.

This is the first damper.....

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Shed001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Shed002.jpg

And the second....

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Shed003.jpg

Spot the problem ! I wondered why it knocked so much lollollol

Next up was the knocking coming from the roll bar - I had already changed the link bar on both side and it was still knocking . I therefore changed the lower arm (the bushes in the original we past their best) complete with ball joint (a fair bit of play in it) , the roll bar bushes and whilst I was there brake discs.

I only managed on side today, but here's the new and old roll bar bush for comparison ......

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/joff-turbo-nova/Shed004.jpg


Just need to change the lower arm, disc and roll bar bush on the other side in the morning and it should all be ready for the MOT.

Joff

[mowgli]

i still don't understand why they changed the mk1/mk2 astra suspension design to the later setup.... apart from the need to generate parts sales.