astra gte 16v vs 205 1.9 gti
Discussion
hey all, just picked up a mint 90 gte 16v to park in the garage beside my 91 205 1.9.
its a standard unmodified 1 owner car with 67k...looking for a while and was begining to think there were none left like this, had to give 3grand for it!!
interesting comparing it to my 205, much more refined especially at speed, and a fair bit quicker. but the 205 handles so much better and has nicer feel.
lookin forward to getting it onto some of my favorite roads!!
its a standard unmodified 1 owner car with 67k...looking for a while and was begining to think there were none left like this, had to give 3grand for it!!
interesting comparing it to my 205, much more refined especially at speed, and a fair bit quicker. but the 205 handles so much better and has nicer feel.
lookin forward to getting it onto some of my favorite roads!!
Pleased to hear it!
I think that in the fullness of time original ‘Hot Hatches’ whether it be Pug Gti’s, Renault 5 turbo’s, Astra GTE’s will start to fall more definitely into the classic car camp as the blokes that bought them (like me) get older and start to reminisce.
If both are good clean and original which by the sounds of it they are I reckon that in years to come both will most certainly start to appreciate.
Not to say they are not well worth enjoying in the meantime of course but I know when I saw a mint low mileage 309 GTI recently I was most tempted to buy it and put it away for a rainy day. Add in an occasional Hoon to take me back to being 21 and it looked like a winner were it not for more pressing motoring projects of the wafty American V8 engined nature
.
The boxy old 309 was the first car I mastered driving sideways, a most valuable like skill I am led to believe.
Enjoy!
I think that in the fullness of time original ‘Hot Hatches’ whether it be Pug Gti’s, Renault 5 turbo’s, Astra GTE’s will start to fall more definitely into the classic car camp as the blokes that bought them (like me) get older and start to reminisce.
If both are good clean and original which by the sounds of it they are I reckon that in years to come both will most certainly start to appreciate.
Not to say they are not well worth enjoying in the meantime of course but I know when I saw a mint low mileage 309 GTI recently I was most tempted to buy it and put it away for a rainy day. Add in an occasional Hoon to take me back to being 21 and it looked like a winner were it not for more pressing motoring projects of the wafty American V8 engined nature
. The boxy old 309 was the first car I mastered driving sideways, a most valuable like skill I am led to believe.
Enjoy!
vario-rob said:
309 GTI
Ah yes, they were excellent. Other really good but overlooked hot hatches of the time were the Strada 130TC Abarth and the good old MG Meastro 'effy'.
Anyone remember the giant test from 'Car' magazine back in the mid-eighties entitled 'exploding the GTI myth'? Of the ten cars tested, the Golf, Escort and Astra came last.
205 1.9GTi Pug
>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Thursday 21st July 18:07
Ah Ha! The MG Maestro!
My mum ran one of those lil’ beauties in period Longbridge Silver with the talking computer thing in the dashboard.
“Caution, low few elle”
Although disappointingly not in a broad brummy accent, rather a rather sultry female tone if I remember rightly
That was actually the mighty 1.6 version but I also had the pleasure of bolting myself into a Maestro Turbo once which in its day was on a par with driving a Saturn 5 rocket, absolutely thumpingly bloody fast little car.
Other period pieces would surely include the quirkily effective BX 16V which perhaps is slightly a bit big for true ‘Hatch’ status but none the less was highly effective weapon.
Another car which was a joy to throw about was my original Delta 1600 injection, which was really my first proper car and another out of the underrated school.
Quite agree about the Strada, I always wanted one but could never get anywhere near insuring one even back then.
Happy days!
My mum ran one of those lil’ beauties in period Longbridge Silver with the talking computer thing in the dashboard.
“Caution, low few elle”
Although disappointingly not in a broad brummy accent, rather a rather sultry female tone if I remember rightly
That was actually the mighty 1.6 version but I also had the pleasure of bolting myself into a Maestro Turbo once which in its day was on a par with driving a Saturn 5 rocket, absolutely thumpingly bloody fast little car.
Other period pieces would surely include the quirkily effective BX 16V which perhaps is slightly a bit big for true ‘Hatch’ status but none the less was highly effective weapon.
Another car which was a joy to throw about was my original Delta 1600 injection, which was really my first proper car and another out of the underrated school.
Quite agree about the Strada, I always wanted one but could never get anywhere near insuring one even back then.
Happy days!
vario-rob said:The 1st ones (March '83 to April '84) had the 'R' series engine, an updated Maxi engine basically, chain driven. Later they upgraded to the 'S' series engine from the Montego, but it had terrible fuel evaporation problems which they attempted to fix with a big cooling fan and some crude ducting, it was shortlived and the Lucas injected 'O' series followed (Oct '84), very lusty engine indeed. I sold them at the time and one of the mechanics made an MG Ambassador, grey/red interior, all the MG logos and grille and alloys etc, lucas injected 'O' series
the mighty 1.6 version
I stand (sit actually) in awe, BG has served up what can only be described as Pistonheads Golden Fleece, an MG Ambassador! I can really picture this one; tell me about the choice of alloys? Should I be thinking along the lines of the original Maestro on this with those rather odd looking four spoke things measuring a whacking 13” diameter?
And let’s not forget the hyrdo gas onto which the four shirt buttons would have been attached
After my first post on this one, I recalled my uncle having one of the very first boxy GTE’s which also had a digital dash and if I remember correctly a couple of lovely Recarros in it and was a pretty damn good bit of kit for its day.
MG Ambassador, now that opens up a whole new front of dreafullness……………
And let’s not forget the hyrdo gas onto which the four shirt buttons would have been attached
After my first post on this one, I recalled my uncle having one of the very first boxy GTE’s which also had a digital dash and if I remember correctly a couple of lovely Recarros in it and was a pretty damn good bit of kit for its day.
MG Ambassador, now that opens up a whole new front of dreafullness……………
I stand (sit actually) in awe, BG has served up what can only be described as Pistonheads Golden Fleece, an MG Ambassador! I can really picture this one; tell me about the choice of alloys? Should I be thinking along the lines of the original Maestro on this with those rather odd looking four spoke things measuring a whacking 13” diameter?
And let’s not forget the hyrdo gas onto which the four shirt buttons would have been attached
After my first post on this one, I recalled my uncle having one of the very first boxy GTE’s which also had a digital dash and if I remember correctly a couple of lovely Recarros in it and was a pretty damn good bit of kit for its day.
MG Ambassador, now that opens up a whole new front of dreafullness……………
And let’s not forget the hyrdo gas onto which the four shirt buttons would have been attached
After my first post on this one, I recalled my uncle having one of the very first boxy GTE’s which also had a digital dash and if I remember correctly a couple of lovely Recarros in it and was a pretty damn good bit of kit for its day.
MG Ambassador, now that opens up a whole new front of dreafullness……………
LOL, I once cut up an old brochure for the Allegro Equipe and overlayed it with the bits I had cut out of a brochure for an MG Maestro...I give you...the MG Allegro 
Actually, the Ambassador was rather good, it was a silver one to start with, 2.0HL, easy converison I think. I cant remember the detail on which alloys though.
And as for the Allegro Equipe, the less said the better. 1750 'R' series Maxi engine with twin carbs, and alloy wheels that were actually porous so the tyres went flat.
I've just remembered the Austin/Rover sales training literature for the Equipe, they were comparing it to the Escort XR3 and how much better the Allegro was. Propaganda worthy of Goebbels.
>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Thursday 21st July 19:43
Actually, the Ambassador was rather good, it was a silver one to start with, 2.0HL, easy converison I think. I cant remember the detail on which alloys though.
And as for the Allegro Equipe, the less said the better. 1750 'R' series Maxi engine with twin carbs, and alloy wheels that were actually porous so the tyres went flat.
I've just remembered the Austin/Rover sales training literature for the Equipe, they were comparing it to the Escort XR3 and how much better the Allegro was. Propaganda worthy of Goebbels.
>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Thursday 21st July 19:43
15 years ago I did my competition licence with the now defunct Jim Russell Driving School at Donington in an Astra GTE.
For one week solid that little car was hammered mercilessly by the 20 year old Vario-rob in pursuit of his National and to the best of my knowledge the car didn’t not so much as grumble once.
Given it was 1990 and having the looked at the chronology in the previous post it was the jelly- mould style Astra all of which were supplied without a sun roof and made very competent cars to learn race craft with.
I seem to remember the course director advising anybody against buying a GTE of that age without a sunroof as in all probability it had been supplied to his race school!
On my return I was the pretty keen to change my 309 GTI for one for the obvious poke advantage and remember well taking the salesman out with me for a test drive having one week earlier Hooned one through lower Craner at over a ton. He was a very unhappy salesman afterwards
BG- All Agro Equpie, truly a leviathan in the embryonic world of the early Hot Hatch, you wouldn’t have wanted to mess with one of those little beauties would you? Other BL detritus of the period of course includes the MG Metro with its gravestone head rests and red piping and of course the Uber lethal MG Metro turbo.
You may know more about this one than me but as I recall it there was a one make series for the Metty turbo? The start of the first race was met by most gearboxes being removed from the engine as combinations of power, torque and Longbridge caught up with it leaving most of them stranded on the grid?
For one week solid that little car was hammered mercilessly by the 20 year old Vario-rob in pursuit of his National and to the best of my knowledge the car didn’t not so much as grumble once.
Given it was 1990 and having the looked at the chronology in the previous post it was the jelly- mould style Astra all of which were supplied without a sun roof and made very competent cars to learn race craft with.
I seem to remember the course director advising anybody against buying a GTE of that age without a sunroof as in all probability it had been supplied to his race school!
On my return I was the pretty keen to change my 309 GTI for one for the obvious poke advantage and remember well taking the salesman out with me for a test drive having one week earlier Hooned one through lower Craner at over a ton. He was a very unhappy salesman afterwards
BG- All Agro Equpie, truly a leviathan in the embryonic world of the early Hot Hatch, you wouldn’t have wanted to mess with one of those little beauties would you? Other BL detritus of the period of course includes the MG Metro with its gravestone head rests and red piping and of course the Uber lethal MG Metro turbo.
You may know more about this one than me but as I recall it there was a one make series for the Metty turbo? The start of the first race was met by most gearboxes being removed from the engine as combinations of power, torque and Longbridge caught up with it leaving most of them stranded on the grid?
vario-rob said:
I seem to remember the course director advising anybody against buying a GTE of that age without a sunroof as in all probability it had been supplied to his race school!
That was obviously his favourite joke: I got the same line in 1991.
Talk of MG Maestro reminds me of Chris Goffey's favourite story. On the launch he was flinging one of these machines round some mountain road when the MG was caught out by an unexpected patch of gravel, or somesuch, and careered over the edge. It barrel rolled down the mountainside losing bits and pieces as it went. When it finally came to rest CG extricated himself from the smoking wreckage and as he did so from within there came a plaintive cry of 'Low Oil Pressure'!
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