VAUXHALL ASTRA GTE MK1 CAR PERFORMANCE SPORTS TURBO
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Rolling Resto the story of the SpaceKadett + RACE PREP VIDEO
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SpaceKadett
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Joined: 09 Jul 2008
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Location: South West Ireland

PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes I'm a terrible man for making big sweeping changes rather than nailing a few small faults. This phase of the project can be a little tough as the problems arn't bad enough to take prority so it takes a long time to get around to them. But this is a big pay off, I'm away for the weekend now without the car, but when I get back I will get that new car buzz for a while and that's worth a lot.
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok I was away for a bit longer than I thought. That webber carb started giving trouble and with a couple of big trips ahead I bought a 1988 Honda Civic off a neighbour. I know, I know but at least I kept it eighties. I did an overseas trip and a hell of a lot of running around in it. I was also preparing my Talbot Camper for the new test they've brought in for them in Ireland. It passed last week and as soon as I came home from that I knew it was Civic out and time to get Kadetting again. Sold on the Honda at the weekend and reinsured Kadett today, booked an NCT (MOT) for it and will collect tax disc on my next trip to city. Carb problem was that he manifold for the webber carb is blocked by an old frost plug which was pushed all the way in. The water was blocked and the petrol was evaporating from the carb.

I found this simple solex on a 1.2 I'd put aside and found an OHC manifold for it. I stuck it on this evening and the car fired up for the first time in months. I drove it up and down the driveway where the car is kept. It put a stupid big smile on me that I couldn't hide. I can't wait to get it out on the road again. Going to do a bit of tidying before test. Back to camper for now. Off to spectate the Killarney International Rally which is crossing our doorstep this weekend. Best locations are in the mountains, so going camping. Took the Kadett last year.

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mitch1965
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Joined: 05 Apr 2007
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Location: Derbyshire (south), United kingdom

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nic to know this will be back again very soon, surprised about the webber though, never worked on webbers so does that mean its fooked now? Confused
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It'll be hard to get out, like one of those puzzle games. If I get the right long nose pliers I might be able to sort it. I'm mad to get a bit of road use out of the car so if it's running well with this one for I while, I'll leave it. Will be interested to see what fuel economy I get as that's quite important to me these days.
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Thu May 10, 2012 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pre test clean up begun.
Front panel looked pretty shoddy after a winter outdoors. So I sanded it down and gave it a lick of paint. I don't mind brush painting the areas that are normally black on the SR's. This pretty much covers all the bits that rust.

Looked a bit better after a couple of hours.

Of course it would be ideal to strip the car put it on a spit and do this all properly. But I don't have the resources to do that. So as the title suggests, for better or worse this is a Rolling Resto.

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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 1.3 SR engine is destined for another project so it was whipped out and put into storage this morning. I've got this nice low mileage 1.2 OHV so I got that mechanically fitted today. I still have a few ancillaries to find and connect up.
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spacekadett passed National Car Test yesterday after I welded a new earth for the wipers, reclamped the back of the exhaust, tightened the handbrake, made new radiator brackets, adjusted the gear linkage, re earthed an indicator, filled the rear washers, fitted a new slider to driver side window winder mechanism, tightened up the front bumper made new reverse light connector, filled the passenger rear arch rust, fitted wiring loom clips along the back of the engine bulkhead, fitted new passenger brake hose, new rear shoes, freed brake pistons and blead the system, found a spare wheel and secured it, adapted boot strut mounting to take modern Astra Sruts, rehinged the parcel shelf, reattached the bonnet pull mechanism, fitted a different coil and new condensor, hoovered and washed the car.

Just your usual Kadett maintenance really

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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SpaceKadett is going great at the moment, with the old 1.2 OHV fitted. A little slow but makes all the right noises and runs like a clock. It did a couple of long journeys when my other transport let me down. Only problem at the moment is the rear silencer is rattling on the bodywork as it's flexing but not leaking much sound, so not too bad. I'll get it a new one for Christmas I think and do a little bodywork in the spring and finally get a set of alloys on it. It'll be back on those old 13's that you see in the pic when it was still Royal Red. I can fit the cast off tyres from my other car and keep the fleet running costs down. I've the camper keeping me busy too.
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So I got a new rear silencer and that's somewhat civilised the sound of the car although it still has a nice rasp.

Did they always sound like this and cars have just got so quiet nowadays I just can't remember. There are no leaks and it's a completely standard 1.2 engine in it.

I picked up a doner Astra Mk2 off a work contact it's a 1.8 Injection but it's automatic. It came with good tyres, so spaceKadett is finally on alloys again. Athough they're not quite right for the age of the car if I get it up to a friends house where he has a tyre changer I might get the tyres onto the SR rims I have.

Incidentally that's the 'Kachinq' hillclimb and sprint car I built last year in the foreground also on 4 spokes. It keeps me motive when doing jobs on Kadett.
I'm going to go for an early NCT(MOT) in about a months time so I'm sorting out a few weak spots from last year.

I've just upgraded the brakes to the ventilated ones off that Astra. They are a vast improvement on what I had, which were always seizing. I need to do a few bushings and will finally do something about the ride height this year. I'm going to get all running gear fully sorted before I go transplanting that 1.8.

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MK1minx
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Location: Anglesey

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the CD alloys on your Kadett, I think they suit it at least they aren't Venoms laughing
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WheelyBigCheese
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Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 982
Location: Wirral

PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice progress, I don't comment much on build threads but I do read through them and I'm happy just seeing Astra's being tinkered with. Brakes will make a big difference
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took a lot of work to get the Spacekadett throught the NCT this year but finally through and able to use it daily again. I decided to try a video of some of the work I have done. Here is one about the wipers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GHrZbUQsZc&list=UU3T5RYfOFQs4KxiNBEY-Q2g

Another thing was to get the dash lights working

and to get a set of fogs working because I had foolishly left the switches in from a higher spec model at a previous test.

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bighed
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done on all the hard work. I bet you smiling from ear to ear now.

big grin big grin big grin big grin
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SpaceKadett
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bighed wrote:
Well done on all the hard work. I bet you smiling from ear to ear now.

big grin big grin big grin big grin

Thanks, yes I am big grin
The car feels really tight for now, but I'm going to have to try to keep on top of it.

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nelson c.
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Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 311
Location: Portugal

PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work mate, and thank you a lot for your "how to fix your windscreen wipers" it was a great help removing mine, I have never been able to remove mine.
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