Total Vauxhall

12
350BHP VXR HYPERCAR-HUMBLING POWER-PER-LITRE! KEEP COOL IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO COOLING ASTRA GSi MK4 TURBO TUNED TO PERFECTION MANTA TURBO ÜBER-COOL RETRO OPEL: ADMIT IT, YOU WANT ONE! SPORT HATCH TAKING THE Z18XER 3-DOOR TO ITS LIMITS MONARO 500 WE LET JAMIE LOOSE IN VAUXHALL’S V8 BEHEMOTH THE PERFORMANCE VAUXHALL MAGAZINE JULY 2012 ISSUE 137 £4.35 MOVE OVER! KW SUSPENSION MAIN MAN’S ULTRA RARE KADETT DRAG STRIP BATTLE TASTY OPEL AERO SHOOTOUT AT CRAIL RACEWAY THIS AGGRESSIVE CORSA B TURBO WAS BUILT IN A GARDEN, UNDER A GAZEBO!

description

Totall Vauxhall

Transcript of Total Vauxhall

Page 1: Total Vauxhall

350BHP VXRHYPERCAR-HUMBLING POWER-PER-LITRE!

KEEP COOLIN-DEPTH GUIDE TO COOLING

ASTRA GSiMK4 TURBO TUNEDTO PERFECTION

MANTA TURBOÜBER-COOL RETRO OPEL:ADMIT IT, YOUWANT ONE!

SPORT HATCHTAKING THE Z18XER3-DOOR TO ITS LIMITS

MONARO 500WE LET JAMIE LOOSE INVAUXHALL’S V8 BEHEMOTH

THE PERFORMANCE VAUXHALL MAGAZINEJULY 2012ISSUE 137£4.35

MOVE OVER!

KWSUSPENSIONMAINMAN’S ULTRA RARE KADETT

DRAGSTRIPBATTLE

TASTYOPELAERO

SHOOTOUT ATCRAIL RACEWAY

THISAGGRESSIVECORSABTURBOWASBUILT INAGARDEN, UNDERAGAZEBO!

Page 2: Total Vauxhall

THE PERFORMANCE VAUXHALL MAGAZINE

vauxtech

06 TOTAL VAUXHALL

this month

98 Q&AOur experts answeryour technical questions.

08 CORSA VXRBig-bhp road rocket takes off.

34 CORSA B TURBOSuperbly finished home-build.

42 VIVA VAUXHALLShow-and-strip action at Crail.

50 ASTRA TURBOSpot-on spec and details.

56 KADETT C AERORare restored-and-perfected open-topOpel owned by a suspension guru.

64 LEGACY: MONAROJamie takes the Vauxhall HeritageCentre’s VXR500 out for a spin.

68 MANTA TURBOC20LET-powered rally-rep beast.

74 ASTRA SPORT HATCHIt’s blue, it’s fast, but it’s not a VXR!

86 CORSA C MEETWe join the Corsas at Brean Sands.

08 CORSA VXR 50 ASTRA TURBO

34 C20LET CORSA

68 MANTA TURBO

56 KADETT C AERO

DOWNLOAD

TOTALVAUXHALL

SUBSCRIBE FROM JUST

£8.99!WWW.TOTALVAUXHALL

.CO.UK/NEWSSTAND

ENGINECOOLING

All you’ll everneed to know!

TECH92

Page 3: Total Vauxhall

TOTAL VAUXHALL 07

contentsJuly 2012 issue 137

every month

104 STAFF CARSAll the latest goings-onwith our fleet of Vauxhalls.

120 CLASSIFIEDSA selection of Vauxhalls,Opels and parts for sale.

42 VIVA VAUXHALL

64 MONARO VXR500 74 ASTRA SPORT HATCH

16 NEWSThe latest news from the Vauxhall andOpel scene, including Vauxhall’s baby!

20 SNAPSHOTPhotos and stories from theGM archive.

22 MONEY NO OBJECTFast, stylish and hugely economical –the Eco Speedster had it all!

24 OLD SCHOOLTotal Vauxhall feature cars from backin the day, and where they are now.

26 LETTERSSomething to say about the world ofVauxhalls? Send it our way.

30 GEAROur guide to all the latest Vauxhall-related products hitting the shops.

112 HALL OF FAMEGot a cool Vauxhall? Send us somepics and it could end up here.

116 CLUBSClub listings, plus we have a chinwagwith a club representative.

122 NEXT MONTHWhat to expect in the August 2012issue of Total Vauxhall.

Page 4: Total Vauxhall

64 TOTAL VAUXHALL

In the second part of our series Jamie take the hairyMonaro out for a spin, almost literally!

excited by the prospect of driving the500bhp Aussie beastie.

First though, a bit of history: being arelatively modern car by the collection’sstandards, the VXR hasn’t had to berestored at all. In fact it was used forpress demonstration work before beingadded to the collection. That probablymeans it led a hard life before being‘put out to pasture’ in the heritagecollection. Let’s face it, given a car likethis and a tank full of fuel they don’thave to pay for, the vast majority of

Yeah, you can drive itwherever you want, justbe a bit careful as it’s wetand the superchargerreally gives it an edge.

Those were the words uttered byAndrew Body, one of the curators atthe Vauxhall Heritage Centre as hehanded me the keys to the collection’sMonaro VXR500. Wet was a bit of anunderstatement; torrential wouldprobably have been closer to themark, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t

In the second part of our series Jamie take the hairy Monaro out for a spin, almost literally!

MONARO VXR500journalists aren’t going to think twiceabout giving it a bit of stick.

The 500 edition of the Monaro VXRwas actually dreamt up by Vauxhall inan attempt to shift the last fewremaining examples. It consists of aWortec supercharger bolted onto theLS2 V8 and uprated brakes andsuspension. Other than the (obviously)enlarged AP Racing brakes and asmattering of badges it’s very hard todifferentiate between the 500 andregular Monaros. That illusion lasts

LEGACY

until I start up the engine though,straight away you can hear the highpitched scream of the supercharger andthe idle certainly sounds like that of a500bhp car!

Out on the road two things becomeapparent immediately; one is just howbig and heavy the Monaro is – I findmyself eyeing gaps I normally wouldn’tthink twice about with extremesuspicion. Second is that I clearlycouldn’t be trusted to run thiscar as a daily driver; traffic jams

THE BEST OF VAUXHALL’S HERITAGE COLLECTION

Words: Jamie | Photos: Dan Pullen

Page 5: Total Vauxhall

TOTAL VAUXHALL 65

Give it a chance and this car will chewyou up and spit you out. Brilliant!

Page 6: Total Vauxhall

66 TOTAL VAUXHALL

LEGACY

became just an excuse to rev the6-litre V8 to hear the

supercharger howl, and the petrolgauge drops at a terrifying rate!

It’s not a demure car that fades intothe background either. Car fans giveknowing nods, M5 drivers look slightlyworried and move out of the way andPrius owners, once they realise whatthe Monaro is, howl with eco-rage. Thatsaid, it isn’t exactly an over-the-top careither, certainly not in terms of itsvisuals. Granted, its super-aggressivesnout and sheer length make it standapart from your common or gardenCorsa, but it’s nowhere near asattention-grabbing as, for example, aLotus Carlton. That is until youaccelerate hard and the LS2 basicallyshouts, “I’m here and I don’t reallyvalue my driving licence!”.

Not that any of this matters thoughas piloting the Monaro is one of thebest driving experiences I’ve ever had.Power delivery is incredibly rapid –helped along by the extra grunt of thesupercharger that kicks in at about

2000rpm and makes sure that there’suseable power in all six gears. Vauxhallclaimed a 185mph top speed at launchand I’m inclined to believe them.

Power delivery is every bit as savageas you’d expect. Depress theaccelerator and the world outsiderapidly blurs and the air fills with thatevocative supercharger squeal, a noisethat I refuse to believe would everbecome everyday or ordinary. All thatpower is available in any gear too. I feelobliged to sample sixth on themotorway and expect the final gear tobe simply for lazy cruising. In factnothing could be further from the truth,the Monaro keeps on pulling as if therewas a seventh cog in its arsenal!

The V8 is coupled to a wonderfullychunky six-speed transmission andDana Spicer LSD. Anything other than ahefty gearchange would simply feelwrong in a car of this size and weight.Though it’s a heavy gearchange itmanages to tread the fine line betweenweight and usability well; every changeis a joy, no doubt helped by Holden’s

363mm front discs are crucial if you planon driving the VXR8 more than once

Page 7: Total Vauxhall

TOTAL VAUXHALL 67

TECH SPECENGINEGeneral Motors LS2 5976cc 16-valve V8,Wortec supercharger

POWER493bhp

TRANSMISSIONSix-speed manual ’box, Dana Spicer LSD

SUSPENSIONUprated AVO suspension all round

BRAKESAP Racing kit, 363mm front discs andsix-pot calipers, 330mm rear discs andfour-pot calipers

WHEELS & TYRES9x19in alloy wheels and tyres

EXTERIORVauxhall Monaro coupe body inmetallic silver

INTERIORLeather interior and lots of toys!

Ripspeed system. The only slightlyannoying aspect of the car is thelocation of the indicator stalks on theright-hand-side of the wheel and theirreversed nature. Flick up to signal left,down to signal right. Coming from aEuropean car means I spend most ofthe day putting the wipers on insteadof telling other roads users whichdirection I’m going in! Then again, thisprobably makes perfect sense in theMonaro’s Aussie homeland so I can’tcomplain too much.

In truth I get nowhere near beingable to exploit the Monaro’s trueperformance potential, Luton towncentre is far too busy on a Tuesdayafternoon and even the surroundingB-roads aren’t exactly my own. Thatsaid the small sample of the car I doget is enough to convince me it’s aVauxhall I need to own at some point inmy life, especially as they’re still a bit ofa performance bargain. Buy one. Buyone now and then give it to me!

As you can see, Vauxhall made noeffort to hide the supercharger

Here you see just how insanelylong the Monaro actually is

Interior is comfy but not quiteup to European levels of luxury

Page 8: Total Vauxhall

MULTI-CYLINDERMAYHEM

98 TOTAL VAUXHALL

I want a Mk4 or 5 Astra butwhatever one I get I want totransplant a V6 engine into

it. Can you tell me what needs doingand the best cars to use (donor andtransplantee). Help me Total Vauxhall,you’re my only hope.Benners, Bristol

AWe’ll stick our neck out here andsay that based on the question,

you seem unsure of the basics so thatwould suggest the actual task ofdoing said transplant could prove tobe a serious challenage. The nextthing to ask is, why? Yes the V6 is alovely smooth engine and 200bhp iseasy achievable however it’s arguablymuch easier to buy the likes of a Mk4Astra GSi Turbo or a Mk5 SRi Turbo orVXR, all of which come with 200bhpand a huge tuning potential. You couldalso buy a Mk4 that’s been converted,that would be the easier option if yourmechanical knowledge is limited.

If however you want to go downthat route, then the Mk4 is the betteroption. For a start it’s much cheaper tobuy (£1000 will buy a nice SRi) and asthe Mk5 has canbus wiring, the Mk4 isalso easier to fit another engine ofsimilar era. The V6 came in numerous

vauxtech:Q&AAll your tech questions answered by our expertsvauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:vauxtech:

POST: Total Vauxhall Q&A, Future Publishing,30 Monmouth St, Bath BA1 2BW

EMAIL: [email protected] TV FORUM:www.totalvauxhall.co.uk /tvauxhall-forum

There are better power options than a V6transplant, but they have a unique feel

Mk4 Astras will accept a V6 of thesame era with not too much trouble

guises in numerous models. Firstcame the 175bhp 2.5-litre V6 in theCalibra, Cavalier and lower-specVectras followed by the 195bhp 2.5-litre V6 MSD engines in the Vectra GSi.The 2.6-litre V6 then appeared in laterVectras and some Omegas. Finally, the3-litre and 3.2-litre V6 came in theOmegas and also the first of theVectra Cs. The best ones are the MSD2.5-litres or the 3-litres, all of whichare readily available as a complete caror on a pallet.

It’s by no means the easiestconversion, bearing in mind the V6 isa big old engine too but it can and hasbeen done. Depending on what caryou start with and what engine you fitwill vary what’s needed to make it fitand run. Given this, it’s probably agood idea to research the topic online.There are numerous people on thelikes of Migweb, Vauxsport, AstraOwners Club and so on who havecarried out this conversion and thereare also several ‘How To’ guidesonline. You really need to be 100%sure that this route is for you and bearin mind it’s not a simple plug and play.Also, remember your insurer may notcover you on such an extrememodified car. Best of luck with it.

Page 9: Total Vauxhall

THEREALWORLD

TOTAL VAUXHALL 99

Hi gents. I’d love to bewriting in to ask aboutfitting a Garrett to my VXR

or enquiring about 19in wheels on aNova but for me those days are longgone! Seems I’m now middle-aged,got the wife, kids and the mortgageand a Vectra B SRi 140 that is slowlydying on me so it’s time to startlooking at new cars. I reckon theVectra is pretty worthless so I won’tbe trading it in and so have £3000to spend on something that suits myneeds as a family man but is alsointeresting enough to satisfy the18-year-old lad in me. So to speak.I’ve been doing a bit of looking butI’m really struggling to findsomething that ticks the boxes justnow. It has to be big, quick,economical and have a bit potentialfor tuning. Sorry for being vague,but hopefully you can help!Darren

AWelcome to real life, it catchesup with all of us at some point

and you’re certainly not alone. Plus,the guys running 450bhp VXRsusually all have a ‘normal’ secondcar to use and abuse daily. Sadly notall of us have that luxury and so withan expanding family and waistline,there comes a point where you needa good all rounder but don’t want tohead off to buy a Citroën Picasso justyet. The good news is cars aregetting cheaper and these days£3000 will buy you somethingdecent that ticks all the boxes anddoesn’t require a Swiss account torun it and yet still has lots ofpotential. We had a look, did somesums and picked a couple of cars

that are totally different yet appeal tous for the same reasons.

First up, probably the obviouschoice for many... the Vectra C. Inhatchback and estate guise they’rehuge, well built, safe and most of allthey are cheap. We found numerousfacelift cars for well under £3000 inthe classifieds. Granted, the basemodels are a bit dreary but for thatsort of cash you could have a nice, lowmileage SRi 1.8 16V. With 140bhp,cheap running costs and a goodreliability record they aren’t as bad asthey may sound on paper. You couldalso have a slightly higher mileageCDTi 150 however buying a bad onecould end up being a costly exerciseas they do suffer a few commonissues. The running costs of the 1.8-litre engine are OK; it should do35mpg with the CDTi getting nearer45mpg which at today’s prices meansthe diesel would save you £400 basedon 10,000 miles a year. Then again, it’sa bit dearer to buy and insure so it’sswings and roundabouts.

If fuel economy isn’t a massiveissue, i.e. if you’re not doing 40,000miles a year, then it might be worthconsidering something with a biggerengine, bearing in mind these daysthat people seem scared of the fuelcosts and bargains can be had. Wehad a look and found several low-mileage, tidy Vectra C GSis with the3.2-litre V6 engine for around £2000.One of the bargain buys of the yearin our opinion. Similarly, the Signumoffers incredible value for money.Basically a Vectra estate, the topspec Elite with average miles can behad for roughly the same money.

Finally, thinking outside the boxhere, we found a 2003 Omega Elitewith the same 3.2-litre engine andevery conceivable extra and a mere30,000 miles for £2300. Look hardenough and you’ll get an estate forsimilar cash. In terms of economy,the V6 will still nudge 35mpg on arun but bear in mind you’re savingalmost a £1000 already. Our choice,big RWD V6 barge every time.

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TotalVauxhall

TWITTER:www.twitter.com/TotalVauxhall

The Vectra CDTi gives you decent economyand a cheeky remap can add to the fun

QMy 08-plate Zafira 1.9 CDTi150 is only averaging

between 28 and 30mpg. I’vefitted a K&N replacement filterand also replaced the faulty EGRvalve. Do you have any ideashow I can improve matters?Stuart

A That sounds aboutright for town driving,

if a little low. On a runyou should see nearer45mpg. There arenumerous things thatcan affect fuel economysuch as lack ofservicing, under inflated

tyres, a heavy right foot ora fault with the car.

QHas anybody got a coilpack for a Mk4 Astra GSi

Turbo? It looks like mine is onits way out.Mark

A Coil pack failures arepretty common on

modern petrol Vauxhalls. Buyingone second hand can be falseeconomy. Best bet is ring theguys at Autovaux and they’llsupply one new part for £75.

QI’m after some ideas forstart-off mods for a LET

engine. Eventually I will bechasing big power, but for nowI want to see how things gobefore I start parting with bigbucks! Thanks.Slick Nick

A Make sure that it’s makingfull standard power first.

There’s no point in chasing morepower if it’s already down on theclaimed factory figures. Get holdof a full service kit and cambeltkit, and check that it’s running100%, and if it is, then you canthink about sorting out anexhaust, front-mountedintercooler and a remap/chip(Z20LET/C20LET), and afterthat you should be looking ataround 250bhp.

QThinking of a cheap car formy missus that is also

something for me to fiddle with.Why don’t many people dothings with Tigras?Steve

A The Tigra A is a great littlecar plus being Corsa B

based, they’re cheap and easy tomodify. We’re really not sure whythey aren’t that popular,especially given Specky runs9-second quarters at nigh-on150mph in his!

Ouick fixes

Page 10: Total Vauxhall

CLEARTHINKING

SNAILTRAIL

vauxtech:Q&A

TOTAL VAUXHALL 101

including VAT via Autovaux. You willalso need a fitting kit again whichAutovaux can supply for £79.50including VAT. Labour times to fit itwill be around 2 hours minimum butthis can vary plus also bear in mindthe parts will be a bit dearer via thedealer but you could be looking ataround the £600 mark either way.

With regards to the timing belt, ona vast majority of multi-valve enginesthe timing belt is scheduled forrenewal every four years or 40,000miles (whichever occurs first) andwith yours on 75,000, it’s pretty muchdue but then again if it was last doneat say 30,000 miles then it’s actuallyoverdue. The water pump will wear sogenerally, most garages advise it bereplaced at the same time. Bear inmind, if it fails it’ll take the timing beltwith it and in turn, pistons will smashvalves and you will cry. For all thepump costs (around £25 to £30) it’swell worth doing. Timing belts comein a kit along with the two idlerpulleys and the tensioner, againAutovaux supplies these for around£60 all inclusive.

So, start adding it up and thentake into account the labour plusthings like coolant and yes, it will beon it’s way to £1000. Your fast car canbe dear to run at times and if youcan’t afford to look after it properlythen it’s perhaps not the car for you.Neglecting little issues usually endsup with a huge bill. A smaller bill toput things right is better than a hugebill for rebuilding the engine shouldthe worst happen.

AWow! That’s got to be a first forthe Q&A section! A young driver

who drove a standard car, built upsome experience and NCB thentraded it for a performancemodel and also knowsthat power is not the beall and end all. We’reimpressed already,great attitude and asensible head clearly.

Anyway, to the pointin question... alreadyyou have a brilliant little carboth in terms of power, handling andlooks. They produce 130bhp asstandard so are good for 0-60mph inaround 8secs and will do 125mph.Which is enough. Styling wise theylook great with 16in alloys, M3 stylemirrors and rear spoiler as standard soimproving on that isn’t that easy. AnIrmscher grille, and a light window tintwill enhance what you have withoutgoing overboard. Colour depending,perhaps have the wheelspowdercoated in anthracite or if youlike, some mental lurid colour like

Hi guys. I’ve been driving fora year and had a Corsa C SXiwhich I left standard, got my

first year in and some NCB, so nowthat I’m 18 I’ve traded it in against aCorsa C SRi 1.8 16V. I’m loving thenew-found power!

I want to start modifying it andhaving spoken to my insurancecompany, they’ll allow chassis andstyling modifications (for a price!) butthey won’t entertain any mods thatincrease the power.

So, I was hoping you could suggestsome cheap, effective way ofimproving what I have and making it abit faster but not actually make itmore powerful. If that makes sense! I’dalso like to change a few thingsstyling wise, but nothing chavvy! If ithelps, I used to race karts when I wasyounger so I’m pretty confident atthrowing the car around and I’m fullyaware smoothness equals speed, asdoes a lack of weight and a decentchassis. Bet you weren’t expecting meto say that, eh!Alice

Turbo problems can be alarming – andrepairing or replacing will be pricey

Dyno Rod orange! Chassis wise, againas standard they’re great little cars butas always there is much that can bedone. In terms of suspension, there isa huge choice out there from budgetcoilovers to full-blown race-spec kits.We’d be going down the Eibach/Bilstein route as it offers a superbcompromise between handling andride comfort. Plus, as you’ll know anexcessively low, stiff ride isn’t thatgreat in the real world and its craproad surfaces. With the braking, thestandard 260mm front discs and240mm rears are fine but a set of fast

Hello. I hope you can helpme. I have a 56-plate AstraVXR that I bought a year ago

with 60,000 miles on the clock. Thecar is standard aside for Eibachlowering springs and a 3in exhaustfrom the turbo back. These were onthe car when I bought it.

Recently, the car has been smokingfrom the exhaust when it’s hot. It’sblue smoke but it goes away when Irev the car. I took it into my localVauxhall garage and they said it’s theturbo and I need a new one. They alsosaid I need a timing belt and theythink the water pump has gone faulty.Does this sound right to you? The carhas only done 75,000 miles. Theyquoted me over £1000 for the work. Ithink they’re trying to rip me offbecause I’m young and have a fast car.A mate says they’re just trying to sellme stuff I don’t need. Can you give mesome advice please.Daniel

A I hate to be the bearer of badnews, but that all sounds pretty

plausible. The KKK K04 turbo on theZ20LEH is stronger than the unit fittedto the earlier Z20LET however it toosuffers some issues especially athigher miles. From what you describe,blue smoke at idle when warm, itwould suggest the seals inside theturbo have started to leak. This meansoil (under pressure) seeps into thecompressor body and burns offcreating blue smoke. They can berebuilt however a brand new unit canbe had for a very reasonable £365

road compound pads, fresh fluid and aset of braided lines will help reducebrake fade and improve pedal feelafter prolonged use.

Finally, tyre choice is a prettyimportant. No point having big powerand an awesome chassis if you have aset of ‘ditchfinders’ fitted. Good tyresare a must, especially given ourchangeable climate. There’s a massivechoice but we’re fans of Maxxis, Toyoand Continental here at TV Towersthough if you’re really serious, stick aset of Toyo R888 cut slicks on andhope it doesn’t snow.

Page 11: Total Vauxhall

TRACKINGSORTED

SILVERSURFER

vauxtech:Q&A

102 TOTAL VAUXHALL

pints so a Nova or Corsa probablywouldn’t suit us despite them beingthe obvious choice. Instead, I wasthinking along the lines of a Mk3 AstraGSi 16V but my brother in his wisdomthinks a cheap Vectra V6 would be thebetter choice.

Given we’ve budgeted about £1000to buy the car and then £500 to get ittrack ready, any ideas what would be agood buy and what we should do oncewe have it?Kenny and Alan

Calibra could be had for next tonothing too. Regardless of what youget, out of the box they’re alreadypretty capable cars. The C20XE isgood for 150bhp as standard and anexhaust, improved induction andcams will push that up towards to170bhp mark and yet will still bereliable enough to deal with a goodfew track events.

The same rules apply withsuspension and brakes; the Cav andMk3 Astra share a similar set-up. A-40mm suspension kit can be had foraround £200 new, PU bushes for thelower arms and steering arms willtighten the handling up no end, andre-drilled 280mm Cavalier V6 orTurbo discs and calipers will fit onand be more than capable if you usea set of fast road pads, change thefluid and pop a set of braided hoseson. Then put it on a crash diet andsource a set of decent 15in tyres andreally, what more do you need? Itmay also be worth keeping the cartaxed and MoT’d as this will alsomake transporting it much easier andalso much cheaper. You’ll also earnmany more man points if you buy awhite Cavalier GSi and then deck itout in proper ’90s BTCC livery.

the front wheels, they do actually driveextremely well. Earlier cars were255bhp and later cars were 280bhpthanks to revised engine managementsoftware. Physically, they are the samething and so on that note a stage oneremap will achieve similar resultsregardless of the original power.Typically a stage one remap will seearound 300bhp and 400lb/ft of torquewhich lets face it, is massive and willmake for a seriously quick carespecially as the twin scroll turbocharger setup means the power isavailable from very low down in the revrange and it keeps going to the redline.Beyond stage one, you will need tostart looking at upgrading othercomponents. Plugs, a decent exhaustand improved induction are the start of

things and beyond that you’llbe looking at an Insignia VXR

turbo and enlarged intercooler and asignificant invoice.

The VXR already sits on lower,uprated suspension from the factorywhich along with the 19in wheelsmakes for a firm ride so be aware thatany changes could make things worseor better depending on yourpreferences. Assuming your dampersare in good shape, we’d be tempted toopt for an Eibach Pro-kit via the likes ofLMF Vauxhall. This will drop the rideheight and tighten up the handlingwithout making it impractically low andso firm that the dog will protest.Obviously after fitting, the geometrywill need checking and adjusting to getthe very best from them and to avoidyou wearing tyres unevenly.

In terms of which tuner to use,these days it’s almost like football and

I write to you as an old manin need of some guidance!I’ve just bought myself a

Vectra VXR estate with the 280bhpversion of the 2.8 V6 twin turbo andthe 19in wheels. Having driven ‘run ofthe mill’ non-Vauxhall cars for the past20 years, needless to say the powerand handling are a breath of fresh airalthough I’m not sure my wife or thedog agrees. Now, I made the mistakeof joining VXRonline, well when I say‘mistake’ that’s a bit unfair as it’s aterrific site, lots of friendly people butalso full of information that couldthreaten my wallet! I’ve been readingabout remaps and also suspensionkits and the general opinion seems tobe, do it! The last time I tinkered witha car was my old 1300 Chevette soneedless to say I’m a bit out of touchwith modern tuning. Give me a set oftwin carbs and a live back axle anyday. On that basis, can you perhapsadvise what I should be doing andwho I should be speaking to as thereseems to be a lot of conflicting adviceout there regarding tuners.Geoff

A Superb choice of car and certainlydoesn’t deserve the bad press it

was given on the telly. They areextremely capable, massive and verywell equipped and despite their bulkand the fact there’s 280bhp going via

Courtenay Sport01692 404313www.courtenaysport.co.uk

TX Autosport01279 550032www.txautosport.co.uk

LMF Vauxhall01858 433599www.lmfvauxhall.co.uk

Regal Autosport02380 558636www.regal-auto.co.uk

Autovauxwww.autovaux.co.uk

A&M Conversions01244 818868www.amconversions.com

Mid Point Garage01606 834598www.midpointgarage.co.uk

Contacts

Hi folks. Another ‘what car’question for you today. Meand my brother are

thinking about building a track carfor this summer but so far, can’tdecide on what would be best. We’vegot about £1500 to spend all in andwe’d rather not go down the route ofswapping engines though we’requite happy to tackle brakes,suspension and rip an interior out.

There is one issue – neither of usare strangers to a pie and a few

each ‘team’ has their loyal band offollowers and sadly, some of the fanslike to bad mouth other teams. Inshort, all the main tuners, i.e.Courtenay, Regal, MPG and A&MConversions are brilliant at what theydo and all offer similar services. Itreally comes down to convenience andwho you feel the most comfortable todeal with. Give them a ring, have achat and take it from there. Good luck.

A To be honest gents, I think theanswer is staring you in the face.

One of you wants an Astra GSi 16V andthe other, a Vectra B. So, best of bothworlds... a Mk3 Cavalier. On one handthey have the simplicity of a Mk3 Astraand on the other, they have the size ofa Vectra B. £1000 will buy you a tidy,last of line C20XE (Red Top) equippedcar and you’ll probably have plentychange left over to modify it. Hell, forthat budget you could get yourself anhonest Cavalier GSi2000. In fact a

Mk3 Astra GSi multiplied by Vectra V6equals Cavalier GSi2000. That’s maths

Page 12: Total Vauxhall

22 TOTAL VAUXHALL

ECO SPEEDSTERIt doesn’t seem that long ago that a sports diesel seemed a wacky idea...

Diesel is really only justshaking off the stigma ithad for most of the 20thCentury, that of badsmells, bus-like sounds

and smog-like levels of pollution.Fortunately Vauxhall’s current rangeof diesel engines is excellent (even theones supplied by Fiat), returningfantastic mpg, good performance andwith huge scope for tuning. The firstmodern Vauxhall to really make dieselpower interesting though was 2002’sEco Speedster. Two stats stand outabove all the others – 111mpg and160mph. Even if you’re not botheredabout saving the planet those are veryimpressive figures. You’d need to visit

the pump so rarely you might wellforget how one works!

Clearly the Eco Speedster wasbased on the VX220 but, unlike theproduction car, it came with a tiny1.3-litre CDTi engine featuring commonrail and variable geometry turbotechnology. The engine was a 112bhpversion of the Corsa engine thatoriginally made only 70bhp.

Words: Jamie | Photos: Vauxhall Archive

Vauxhall went on to test the car atOpel’s Dudenhofen test track, runningit continuously for 24 hours at fullthrottle. It clocked an average speed of140.7mph, a top speed of 160.2mphand impressively managed 31.4mpg inthe process. A 24 hour economy roadtest yeilded a crazy 111.2mpg!

The Eco Speedster was important forVauxhall as it demonstrated thecompany’s dedication to the fuel andlaid the foundations for their currentrange of world-class diesel engines.Getting hold of the car now wouldcertainly be a laugh – there’s no reasonwhy you couldn’t amuse yourself bysearching the Autobahn for a Porscheto scare in your 1.3-litre diesel!

moneynoobject

Want one do ya?BUILT 2002NUMBER PRODUCED 2CHANCE OF OWNING Very slim,you’d have to steal itPRICE N/AWHY YOU WANT IT? 160mph inan eco car?

Eco Speedster’s VX220 roots areobvious, but it’s even lower and sleeker