1999 1.4 Astra with 190bhp!

kluivert

Happy days....

Someone has eventually made one of the best cars on the road do one of the greatest things... go faster.

It is now possible to get your 1.4 Opel Astra (98-04) up to 190bhp with a turbocharger that has been specially designed and built by Opel tuning specialists.

They sell the package.

Check out www.regal-shop.co.uk

£3950 will get you a full conversion.

Now that Opel has greater potential than Honda watch the Insurance premiums shoot up.

PowerHouseDan

Best Cars on the Road? Come again?

kluivert wrote:

Happy days....

Someone has eventually made one of the best cars on the road do one of the greatest things... go faster.

Atomic Pineapple

PowerHouseDan wrote:

Best Cars on the Road? Come again?

I am also confused, I reckon the astra is one of the worst cars on the road

fletch

GBP£3,950......that's as much, if not more than the car is worth! :eek:

Nom-IzZ

Im pretty sure that insurance would be more on a 1.4 Turbo'd Astra then on a Type R Teg? Firstly Im sure any insurance company with any sence would want a full independent engineers report? Does the cost of the conversion include uprated suspension etc?

Btw 190 bhp seems a bit much, I presume a n/a astra only has about 80 bhp as standard?

bazz26

kluivert wrote:

Happy days....

Someone has eventually made one of the best cars on the road do one of the greatest things... go faster.

A bold statement open to abuse here.

kluivert wrote:

£3950 will get you a full conversion.

That is over €6k, it would probably be cheaper to go out and import a similar Astra Coupe turbo.

kluivert wrote:

Now that Opel has greater potential than Honda watch the Insurance premiums shoot up.

True about the insurance premiums.

As far as I know Honda use normally aspired engines and no turbo or superchargers. Civic Type R is 2.0 with 197bhp, no turbo afaik.

skibum

draffodx wrote:

I am also confused, I reckon the astra is one of the worst cars on the road

Have you actually driven one?
I had one (99 1.4 5 door) for about a year and a half, in that time I put up about 35,000 miles. (Including a "quick" trip to the french alps, non stop each way except for petrol, food, driver changes and ferries.)
the car never gave me any trouble, was pretty nippy for a 1.4 with a boot full of computer spare parts, printers etc, handled very well was a joy to drive, and was very comfortable.
I'm not an Opel / vauxhall nut, I prefer VW, but I can recommend these cars.
The chassis / suspension was developed with lotus, which probably explains its ride.
Don't forget that after spending €5,700 on the turbo, you will have to spend another wedge on the suspension, brakes and tyres if you don't want to wrap it around the first tree you see.

Standard 1.4 16v had 90bhp AFAIK

Scruff

kluivert wrote:

Someone has eventually made one of the best cars on the road do one of the greatest things... go faster.

While i own a 99 Astra and am quite happy with it i dunno if i'd call it one of the best cars on the road....might be good for that class but not best on the road.

As for fast, i dunno. it gets speed rattles when it goes over 90.I'd prefer better pickup. The thing doenst even start to move till i hit i hit 4k fevs in 3rd\change into 4th. Heavy car the Astra.

That said i do really like it. might be better after the big service its due.

5500

Seems alot for the conversion for a turbo only,as someone else said youd spend another huge wedge on upgrading your breaks suspension fueling ect to stop the car falling to pieces.

As for honda's there all N/A,they run high compression so arent really suited to Turbo and supercharging but the kits are readily available for them tho for around 2000k from the states.

Ive only ever seen 1 integra and 1 civic over here turbocharged so its still rare

blastman

Yep, the Honda VTEC system with high-revving engines gets the BHP up, no turbo or supercharging required!

I know of a few guys in the UK with serious turbo-ed Hondas making 300+ BHP. Everything else in the car has been uprated to cope, though.

Boggle

Have you actually driven one?
I had one (99 1.4 5 door) for about a year and a half, in that time I put up about 35,000 miles. (Including a "quick" trip to the french alps, non stop each way except for petrol, food, driver changes and ferries.)
the car never gave me any trouble, was pretty nippy for a 1.4 with a boot full of computer spare parts, printers etc, handled very well was a joy to drive, and was very comfortable.

Yeah, I've the same model still - parked in Ireland that is! - and she's sweet to drive... Plenty of go when needed, handles lovely and quite comfortable. What more do you want for the money?

Can also vouch for the good reliability bit - apart from having to change the water pump when I did the timing belt I didn't have to spend a penny on it.

colm_mcm

this is just so ridiculously stupid!. If you want a fast car then why would you buy an old shape Astra, a car about as sexy as a colostomy bag. As for getting 190bhp form a 1.4 engine.... I'd love to know how driveable or reliable this thing would be. Could a 1.4 Astra's suspension or brakes handle the potential speeds that 190bhp would allow.

As for the Arstra being one of the best cars on the road..............

I can't see Honda (or Ferrari) being worried

skibum

colm_mcm wrote:

As for the Arstra being one of the best cars on the road..............

I can't see Honda (or Ferrari) being worried

For what you can pick one up for, running costs, insurance they are good value, but there is a slight difference between a small family car that you can get for a couple of grand, and a ferrari :rolleyes:

colm_mcm

there is also a huge difference between an Opel Astra 1.4 and........

kluivert wrote:

..........one of the best cars on the road

furthermore

kluivert wrote:

Now that Opel has greater potential than Honda watch the Insurance premiums shoot up.

I seriously doubt that just because somebody strapped a huge turbo to a lame engine that the 1.4 Astra will now be seen as the performance car of choice for thousands and send insurance premiums rocketing!


nobody doubts that base-spec astras make sense if you need a humdrum family car, but to suggest that it is one of the best cars on the road is absolutely nuts, it's not the best car in its class or even the best Opel on the road!!

Atomic Pineapple

yeh drove a 00 1.4 astra for a month, never again, hated the car, just didnt feel right on the road or something but thats just my opionion.

i definatly wouldnt trust it with 190 bhp in it!

TempestSabre

draffodx wrote:

yeh drove a 00 1.4 astra for a month, never again, hated the car, just didnt feel right on the road or something but thats just my opionion.

i definatly wouldnt trust it with 190 bhp in it!

Shouldn't feel like that. Any recent Astra I've driven handles quite well. Probably something not right with it.

Guy:Incognito

skibum wrote:

For what you can pick one up for, running costs, insurance they are good value, but there is a slight difference between a small family car that you can get for a couple of grand, and a ferrari :rolleyes:

But that wasnt what he said, he sadi it was one of the best on the road. Nothing was mentioned of cost, engine size, marque etc. So the inclusion of Ferrari is valid.

On the astra note, i wouldnt call it particularly riveting and certainly no where near best on the road, in fact i'd wager it's closer to the bottom than the top.

What exactly do they do with this 190bhp? do 0-6 in 3 seconds, continue to 75 and cruise like that for the rest of the journey (reduce speeds in example to reflect the road be driven)

kluivert

Ok in reality terms putting a tubrocharger to a 1.4 engine makes no sense at all and defeats the purpose of having a economical car...right...

Off course the brakes and Suspension would need to be upgraded, as will as the coolant, fueling, engine management, engine internal upgrade (pistons, flywheel, cambelts etc). and maybe the transmission if it cant handle 190bhp but id say it could.

So why did Toyota put a turbo in the 1.3 Starlet....for fun and enjoyment...

If i think the Astra is a good car thats my opinion ok...

Anyway the company who have developed with Turbo have been Opel tuners for a long time, personally i wouldnt waste my money on it, However if i could afford it i would buy the New Opel Astra VXR and then upgrade the car to an achieveable 360bhp.

Id like to see some scooby fans keep up with that...

bazz26

Yes the standard Astra VXR has 220bhp afaik and 360bhp is probably achievable from a conversion.

The standard Scooby WRX has 230bhp and STi has 280bhp afaik. These could probably achieve similar bhp with a similar coversion.

The Mitsubishi Evo VIII had 265bhp, there was also a Evo VIII FQ320 special edition which had 320bhp. The standard Evo IX has 280bhp. These were straight from the factory.

The FQ standing for "****ing Quick" apparently.

colm_mcm

kluivert wrote:

Id like to see some scooby fans keep up with that...

the scoobys will have all wheel drive, you'll just have lots of torque steer and wheelspins!

Con_316

kluivert wrote:

Happy days....

Someone has eventually made one of the best cars on the road do one of the greatest things... go faster.

It is now possible to get your 1.4 Opel Astra (98-04) up to 190bhp with a turbocharger that has been specially designed and built by Opel tuning specialists.

They sell the package.

Check out www.regal-shop.co.uk

£3950 will get you a full conversion.

Now that Opel has greater potential than Honda watch the Insurance premiums shoot up.

W.T.F. Dude? 190 out of a astra? Sh1t , i had one of those and sold the little bast*rd, if only i'd had psychic powers.
But seriously, How many people do you honestly tink will ever declare that upgrade, and secondly, It takes ages before insurers catch on to these new developements.
Didnt Van Aaken or some place do a mental durbo conversion of A ford KA 1.3 and a 1.6 focus?

kluivert

If you wanted a good project, dump a 2lt into a Corsa and then add the Turbo charger.

jayok

kluivert wrote:

If you wanted a good project, dump a 2lt into a Corsa and then add the Turbo charger.

Brings to mind: "Power is nothing without control"

Cyrus

kluivert wrote:

Ok in reality terms putting a tubrocharger to a 1.4 engine makes no sense at all and defeats the purpose of having a economical car...right...

Off course the brakes and Suspension would need to be upgraded, as will as the coolant, fueling, engine management, engine internal upgrade (pistons, flywheel, cambelts etc). and maybe the transmission if it cant handle 190bhp but id say it could.

So why did Toyota put a turbo in the 1.3 Starlet....for fun and enjoyment...

If i think the Astra is a good car thats my opinion ok...

Anyway the company who have developed with Turbo have been Opel tuners for a long time, personally i wouldnt waste my money on it, However if i could afford it i would buy the New Opel Astra VXR and then upgrade the car to an achieveable 360bhp.

Id like to see some scooby fans keep up with that...

by the time you got a vxr with 360 bhp to actually put even half of that power down and move forward mr impreza would be long gone

kluivert

4wd V 2wd off course it would.

Ok the VXR v Golf GTi no contest.

Anyway the point is 1.4 with a turbo.

Any Scooby fan worth there weight would always say that the RS is the model to go for and it is, especially with the US Block under the hood

Big Balls

kluivert wrote:

Ok the VXR v Golf GTi no contest.

Don't think so mate.

The VXR can't get the bloody power down cause there's so much torque steer.

5500

Does the VXR come with an LSD

colm_mcm

Vauxhall are doing a brochure for the VXR in braille (i'm not messing)

kluivert

Big Balls

Top Gear done a race and the VXR won hands down NO CONTEST..

Torque steer my back end.... Have you driven the VXR yet...

Big Balls

kluivert wrote:

Big Balls

Top Gear done a race and the VXR won hands down NO CONTEST..

Torque steer my back end.... Have you driven the VXR yet...

You must've been watching a different Jeremy Clarkson to me so. CAUSE HE SAID IT WAS A PILE OF POO due to the handling and torque steer and would still take the GTI over it.

I'd love to see a VXR owner's face after owning the car for a year and then going to trade it in too.

colm_mcm

Clarkson is just entertainment, and he is often way wide of the mark. that said, the Golf should be much better second hand.

Robbo

It's all a bit clearer now, this is the *real* reason Opel have been holding out on a WRC car. They wanted to make a FWD, pikey-charged 1.4 that was going to blow Subaru and Citroen into the water...

Big Balls

Robbo wrote:

Citroen