lunchtime browsing today: the digital dash here sends this into orbit www.carandclassic.com/make-an-offe... - ThreadSky

midnightdorifto.bsky.social • 6 days ago

lunchtime browsing today: the digital dash here sends this into orbit

https://www.carandclassic.com/make-an-offer/1990-vauxhall-astra-gte-16v-4a55r4

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Comments

antonyingram.bsky.social•6 days ago

It's a shame these are deeply average to drive because they look fantastic.

mwoodski.bsky.social•6 days ago

okay but what about in period???

antonyingram.bsky.social•6 days ago

Not great then either. Quick, as 150bhp was pretty spicy in the mid/late 80s, but not much in the handling department, and nasty gearshift too which took the shine off the engine.

mwoodski.bsky.social•6 days ago

man

that’s disappointing.

kolbenkopp.bsky.social•6 days ago

Opel somehow seemed to mostly care about
spec sheets. Bet it's fixeable with modern OEM+ upgrades though.

But the C20XE <3. Old fart and pink specs at work, but what an engine. Punchy, driveable, efficient. Fritz Indra has become a bit of a grinch in old age, but he really knew his stuff.

robinm.bsky.social•6 days ago

What Car? Liked it in a 1989 group test against a Golf GTI 16v and a 323 turbo 4x4

robinm.bsky.social•6 days ago

antonyingram.bsky.social•6 days ago

Engine doing a lot of heavy lifting there given the three blobs for handling/ride!

Trouble is when I drove it in the 2010s too, 150bhp no longer felt that special, so it didn't even have that in its favour.

petrospect.bsky.social•6 days ago

It is pretty fun to me how truly ancient the Astra looks, too, vs the GTi.
Think low attrition of the normal cooking version vs the Golf is what does a lot of this too.

mwoodski.bsky.social•6 days ago

old magazines ruled

midnightdorifto.bsky.social•6 days ago

this is heartbreaking

mx83.bsky.social•6 days ago

Time for mods

f1ruaraidh.bsky.social•6 days ago

Horrible handling but the Cosworth KB cylinder head (at least in the early ones) made it a terrific engine.

As many a kitcar will testify!

jonbradbury.com•6 days ago

It’s doubly disappointing when as 18 yr olds and they were current, these, 3i etc were dream cars. Then you drive them both and go “balls”

boosplodge.bsky.social•6 days ago

First 100mph drive(disused airfield) was in the 1.8 gte engined Astra Sri. I thought it was great.
Might be disappointed now I guess.

jonbradbury.com•6 days ago

Would probably been better if hadn’t driven stuff that didn’t suffer the wheelspin/torque steer to Vauxhall levels or not as wooden as the 3i, before that would have probably thought wonderful

tibsgte.bsky.social•6 days ago

Wheelspin/torque steer is part of the character. I actually enjoy it as part of mine, more theatre, and takes more skill to get the most out of it.

jonbradbury.com•5 days ago

I don't mind some, but I've always found Vauxhall levels grossly annoying. Even a 90hp 1.8 Vectra C, actually try and make quick progress out of a dry corner in 2nd, no I'm just going to wheelspin FFS

throttlesteerer.bsky.social•6 days ago

My driving instructor won one, some driver of the year (or something) prize, apparently. Said it would light up the fronts in 3rd. Fast forward to when I’m selling new Vauxhalls. The mk4 GSI turbo did the same. Style > Substance. It was the GM way.

jonbradbury.com•6 days ago

Mk4 turbo coupe to market harborough whilst utterly chucking it down is still emblazoned in my memory as one of the worst ****ing drives of my life.

midnightdorifto.bsky.social•6 days ago

L C D E L E C T R O N I C S

not-meowth.bsky.social•6 days ago

Vaporwave dream car lol

retronymous.com•6 days ago

everything's computer (complimentary)

prof-hinkley.bsky.social•6 days ago

I'm a huge fan of liquid crystal displays

salguod.bsky.social•6 days ago

Displayed right above a mechanical odometer. 😄

dwegmull.bsky.social•6 days ago

I get the impression that odometers were required to be mechanical (at least in some countries) well past the point when 7 segments displays became available. I assume this explains the odometer location of the Aston Martin Lagonda…

salguod.bsky.social•6 days ago

Or simply permanently recorded and tamper proof and the electronic tech took some time to evolve to where that was possible or cost effective.

dwegmull.bsky.social•6 days ago

That is a good point: affordable one time programmable memory with enough capacity and reliability was probably lagging behind display technology.

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