MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v [LUTON] Review and Drive

MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v Review and Drive.
In this video i visit my home place Sundon Park in Luton and the car i'm driving is the MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE and i think its safe to say that i can call it a car review.
Ironically not only is Luton the Home place for me but its also the home of Vauxhall. The Astra GTE is a fantastic car in many ways and although it is rather old and outdated its still an exciting and impressive thing to drive.
These cars are known for 2 main things in my opinion, the red top 16 valve engine and the Digital 'digs' dash.
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[@CalvinsCarDiary]

Hi guys thanks again for popping back and watching. Hope you enjoyed it. If you're new to my channel I upload a new vid every Sunday at 7pm so if you subscribe I'll see you again next Sunday. Also you can check me out on Instagram at instagram.com/calvinscardiary To those who already sub, you're bloody brilliant, thank you 👌

[@lac7448]

Rember them ol girl Calvin...Luton boy myself

[@stubird6176]

Nice one mate loved this review 👍🏻👍🏻 I had a cavalier gsi2000 and what a car that was 😉

[@robdixon3953]

Calvin .... great review of a great car. You're right ... growing up in Luton it was an aspirational car back in the day.

[@1066gaz]

The first astra gte 16v's were the fastest of its time and none of the other hot hatches could touch it with 156bhp 0-60 7.4 & 137mph and still the performance is very respectable today. My friend had one and I wanted one of these,but was too expensive and got a mk2 3 door astra sri 1.8 instead. Same colour as the champion as well and extremely rare now. It was lightweight, great feel to it & was very reliable and easy to work on. The gearbox and clutch on it did nearly 200,000 miles with no issues at all and used no oil when i eventually sold it. The front wheel bearing were over engineered as well and still perfect with no play in them coming upto 200,000 miles. The later mk3 & mk4 astra's were very heavy in comparison and were a bit numb to drive but still great nonetheless. I think the astra gte 16v and the astra 1.8 sri were the best vauxhall's ever made in history. Total legends just like the gsi's.

[@Inazuma68]

I had 2 of them with 15“ wheels. For me the best car I ve ever had. So many memories 👍

[@leeboycharming759]

Was a Cavalier man myself, SRi 130's then GSi 2000's. Drove a few GTE's back in the day though. Good video pal, brings back memories 👍

[@davebird5050]

I had an F plate(88) GTE-16v back in the day in polar white...what a car, performance was phenomenal for 2.0 litre 16 valve Red top lump tuned by Cosworth 👌

[@martytdd1606]

Always loved this model but my most memorable experience with it happened in 1995. Travelling in the back of my buddy's dad's 1992 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX along the motorway from Belfast to Derry, the Sierra was pretty much maxed out at 120 something, lovely dry sunny day we were like 19 or 20 at the time thinking we were king of the road. When all of a sudden an Astra GTE also in white pulled up along side us, I distinctley remember the driver look over at us, smile and took off like a scalded cat. We all felt a tad deflated especially my mate who was driving, just watching the white Astra dissapear into the horizon. We still laugh about it to this day, we're in our 40s now lol, but I still remember consoling my mate saying 'there's nothing you could've done' that car is light and has 150 HP lol. Flying machine for back then definitely.

[@toppledgod]

I remember in the 80's and 90's thinking that the MK2 Astra was one of the prettiest cars on the road; today it has stiff competition but I still consider it to be up there in respect of looks.

[@rossbeake5779]

Love the passion mate, be great to see more 80's 90's stuff

[@thomasmorley4966]

Nostalgia; priceless. Those Astra interiors bring back alot of memories. Lets see some more car's from this era Calvin

[@Kadaf1]

I grew up in Luton also and bought a J reg white GTE when I was 18. I probably had my car when you had yours lol , maybe we crossed paths . Best car ever , I will never forget it

[@ronmccullock1407]

Fantastic video mate, the Astra GTE was better than the XR3i

[@vistron888]

That particular shape and dash was designed in 1984. It was very modern for the time. I remember the motoring press were not fond of the digital display but then they were much older people whose youth would have been in the 60s and 70s. What I loved about Vauxhall engines was the torque and the free revving engines. Fords at the time had really rough motors. Back then you felt connected to the car. Even a Peugeot 306 from 2000, the chassis and drivetrain can be felt. Modern cars have all been softened up. I don't feel the same interaction. Everything seems so remote.

[@yowhatsmyname6393]

I can relate to your comments although I'm into my old fords, the sentimental value of owning something you grew up with is an unbelievable feeling. Great vid.👍

[@cowsarsc]

They also did a 1.8 8v astra gte from 1986 available with 5 doors but they were very rare

[@stuartrhodes7352]

Yep I had one, still remember the reg C431 gtx,my mates said it was a lookalike cos of 5 doors👍

[@naz.tanzeem5982]

My mate's brother had a gte i was 13 at the time loved looking at the car everytime i went to his house.

[@jameswheeler9752]

Strange one, but one that a lot of people can relate to. The 90s smell when you get in, I get it every time i get in my Mk3.5 Golf.

[@MarkReading]

OMG - I had 2 of those - the 8v and the 16v - both in white. Absolutely loved them both and the digital dash was epic :)

[@Harbinger-1996]

The GSI was the daddy for me😉 i grew up in this era and my mum has a blue cavalier Sri red top!! Wouldn’t want it any other way! And what you said at 7:30 was spot on, THEN the old guy respecting the motor.... ahhhh I love this video man!!!

[@andrewdavies6020]

Astra’s are part of my history with my brother and dad I love them, a very good tool in the day

[@SloMoShort]

In the 80's and 90's there were a group of car thieves in Luton called the GTE Boys

[@BM_PAZ]

This is a car from my youth as well as the R5 GT turbo, 205 Gti 1.9, UNO turbo, Nova Gsi etc...I personally had the 205 1.9. Don't be fooled by the low power, remember these cars weigh as much as a packet of crisps and with not even power steering on some. Good times.

[@andrewnorris5415]

I had an AX GTI. Also much faster than it seemed on paper.

[@Zeus-kj7nn]

Totally agree. We all used to race these around, no fear of speed cameras too!

[@joelbates8243]

My Dad had a MK1 GTE and a 205 GTi 1.9. Pretty cool to have a Dad that has owned arguably the coolest hot hatch of the 80s, and the coolest hot hatch of the 90s. Some may argue the coolest hot hatch ever.

[@marcnicol7031]

My Dad owned one of these back in the early 90's bright red when I was only 7 years old,seeing this brought back so many memories.

[@kpr1969]

Started working at Vauxhall Ellesmere Port in Feb 89 just when these came out amd a couple of months after passing my test and one of my first jobs was taking cars off the end of the line and getting the radios fitted.. was dream land for a 19 year old kid getting to drive sri’s, gte’s and these 16v’s.. good times all round

[@69bock69]

wanted to hate these cars! but fell in love with that red top 16v , best n/a engine I've ever driven. cosworth developed! with panel filter and cheap exhaust these things hitting 180bhp back then

[@tomstickland]

I had a rainbow interior 8v in red. It was a lot of fun.

[@bloodyknuckles9181]

Old cars capture a time period and do have a soul you jump in turn the key and your in your late teens again priceless memories !

[@hyperhart100]

As you know Calvin I've got my Uno Turbo, a lot of peoples wondered what I was smoking when I bought it but as it's something I've wanted for 23 years it had to be done. Yes it's not the fastest thing out there but the smiles it gives me and the attention it gets is priceless.

[@The_Angry_BeEconomist]

not fastest, but certainly the most hair raising experience

[@timtec3000]

Greater Manchester Police had these due to the amount of them used in crime, I spoke to one TVCU officer and he preferred it to the Sierra Cosworths they had!

[@Stanners13]

Really took me back to my Astra GTE i had back in 1988 on e plate ferrari red! I would say three things the digital dashboard, engine, and bucket sports seats

[@davekennedy6315]

I used to LOVE my red 88/89 GTE 16v (Coscast head, no cat) Astras certainly didn't have the greatest chassis among Hot Hatches of the era, but that 2.0 16 valve engine was an incredible engine! The motor media of the time rated it as far and away the greatest 16 valve engine of the era. I used to do 130+mph in that car every single day that I owned it (down the A120 in Essex!) and the car shrugged it off like it was nothing! Granted it was always a scary experience, you certainly knew that you were doing that speed as it would be doing around 6000/6500 rpm at that speed! I never tuned my car but that engine had great potential, fitting a pair of carbs was said to increase power from 156bhp to 190bhp with no other mods (over 200bhp with a decent individual throttle bodies set up!) A company offered a ITB and other mods package that gave around 220bhp (the same output as the Calibra Turbo!) even offering a mad package that gave around 270/300bhp! (although I think that also added head mods, cams etc) Cosworth worked wonders on that design, thats for sure! I remember a 300bhp turbo GTE in Max Power (a hugely modded by Courtney Turbo Championship edition with leather interior!) and can only imagine what that beast must have been like to drive haha!

[@electrician1602]

Love the nostalgia of 80's/90's car's. I get a thrill when I see an surviving sierra, metro or cavalier. My first car was a 900cc fiesta and I loved it. I dreamed of having something like a GTE or an XR3i. Now 41, I've just bought a 4.2 V8 A6, a mid life crisis perhaps, but I'm living the dream.

[@darranjsamuel3063]

Just catching up on your earlier videos Calvin 😁 the Gte is from my era , good old days ( I had hair and sanity back then lol ) and awesome cars for the time when Vauxhall’s where on top of their game . I loved my Vauxhall’s ,I had 4 mk2 cavillers, a mk1 & mk2 Astra & my favourite was my Calibra ❤️ actually owned it for 5 years, had a cheap Irish plate LLZ7633 ( same colour as your calibra ) always regretted selling that car 😩 thanks for bringing the memories of special times back 😁👍

[@Zeus-kj7nn]

I was there mate, Astra Gte, Pug 205 GTI, RS Turbo, Renault 5 Turbo, Cav' Sri and Gsi and if you had a little more coin, how about the BMW E30 325i in Dolphin Grey!? The list goes on and on.. Only owned a Cav' Sri though lol, but I was right there in my late teens, early 20s. Cars were simply just magic back then, they had their own character and were simply more fun to drive in their own distinctive way. Like Calvin said, not the quickest by today's standards, but boy if I jumped into one of those beauties now, I would be high with nostalgia and love for them all. Great video.

[@TheMirrorGuy]

I had a Cavalier SRI, a MK 1 GTE, a MK 2 GTE convertible, and now a MK 4 Convertible 2.0 Turbo. If I had the money and garage space I would love to have a GTE again.

[@MrBarryaird]

Just popped up on my feed, takes me back to your old days with the JK video bro. Loved that lotus carlton

[@DanHughesNC]

I was about 9 when my friend's step-dad got this car. I was so jealous. The dash was mind blowing, every time I walked past it I had to check it out. He had a car phone in there too.

[@teatimetel174]

i stole one of these off a garage forecourt.same model colour. .it had sold sticker on it.the dealer had the boxes on the windows with the car keys in them.ended up dumping it in a street with keys in it.yes an idiot i was.

[@harms2000]

These old skool / retro cars have a character about them and that's what makes them so special. You don't get that with the newer stuff. Plus they bring back so many memories for so many people.

[@grimreaperbadboy]

I had cavalier gsi 2000 easy to work on like the Astra

[@AJ-ms1oi]

Great car, I had one between 2000 and 2004, white 16v, 1989 F Reg. tuned to 189.9BHP and 179lb. Quick car, even for the modem day. STI WRX beater. :-)

[@benkay8295]

So glad I've got a minter. Basically same as this one but with 63,000 miles on the clock.

[@cw4910]

Bought a clean white 20v just over 20 years ago for £150 in pound coins, was “chipped” is what we used to say back then. Still have to appreciate the odd one you see about now

[@leeelliott175]

It maybe an old car but come on its still bad arse!! Quality motor, especially the H reg version, so many good memories about these cars,your so lucky mate

[@Pablo-sr2zx]

One of my top 5 cars ever I just love these and also the digital dash wasn't to keen on the 18 I but the 20 I and the 20 I 16 valve were the one's to have

[@SAYLA786]

lovely car. Brother owned a astra gsi and a gte with a 2.5 v6. brings back some memories

[@mikerayner5938]

Good job Calvin. I bought my Tvr for exactly that. To drive a car that I loved at a point in history and other people enjoy seeing them on the road. Keep it up mate👍

[@rouman7]

Loved mine I Had 3 gtes burnt all golf gtis. And the Essex boys cars escorts xr3is also loved the Capri 2.8i back in the day

[@rouman7]

GTE.?... it means greater than expected.

[@biggaG75]

I had a white C reg 1.8 5 door GTE had it for 3 years loved it..

[@bluebell6276]

Probably the best car I had years ago flying machine for its time ,bulk heads used to crack from the power steering rack.they used to sound the bollocks with a janspeed exhaust

[@chrissanchezdronetrek8392]

wow that brought back memories.i had a black one in spain .it was a opel gsi and i loved it so much .thanks for the video brought back good times

[@BigAlFiGala]

I loved my old GTEs, i had a white one, a grey one, then a blue one. I'd love to have a wee blast of one again. Everyone used to get well excited at the digital dash. I do remember the electric windows were as slow as a fortnight lol

[@TheGorillahands]

I was fortunate to have one, 16v in champagne colour, very unusual colour looked stunning, love em would very much like one again.

[@BigDave1965]

I built them in the 80's when I started at Vauxhall, if you compared it with the basic merit version it was a luxury sporty model. I remember having a job of fitting the rear quarter interior trim. There was a strip of foam that got in the way, we often ripped it off to make the job easier. I later bought a new astra sx looked the part but the trim rattled like hell (maybe that bit of foam was important)

[@thetinysideoftiny7625]

Hahahahaha Brother, I can FEEL your joy...you're having the time of your life driving this Astra....worth watching just for the grin on your face :-) My brother had the US version Pontiac Lemans...I can say that he does not share your joy...lol...our version was painfully slow and void of most factory options.

[@darrengurney8782]

Love these cars, had one exactly the same when I was 21 I am now 47. white best colour for the car I had great times great video cheers

[@PillSharks]

They also did the 1.8... 8 valve engine, I had a 5 door one which I believe is very rare now! In fact my mate also had the 5 door one... both lucky to be alive! I’ve never seen one since I sold it to a local lad who took it off the railway bridge landing it on the railway Lines! Luckily it was a closed line, he wasn’t so lucky and needed surgery on his face! Mental times!! My reg was D676 EHW and my mates was D191FFX. I’ve still got the original engine in my garage...

[@Richiewah]

Great vid, and I’ve gotta agree with everything you said about old cars, up until recently I drove a 205 GTI 1.6 and then a 1.9 as my daily driver and loved every second!

[@davidhaygarth4763]

So reliable too. Unlike todays cars

[@16vgte24]

fastest boy racer car of its era.

[@solbarrass7669]

My dad had one a white one with a big spolier and a nice body kit with bbs alloys on it was low loud and it was fun to be in i used to love watching the digi dash light up and then he swaped it for a cavlier gsi 2000 4 wheel drive also in white it wasnt as good as the astra but it was still a nice car as that was lowered and had all blue tubes around the engine body kit and some momo alloys on it but he wishes he didnt swap his astra gte

[@nonsheep5823]

Love it memory lane , used to nick 2 a week in and away in 30secs before the moss 706 alarm ever rang big up the stopsley old boys we smashed it in the day.fair play calvin

[@stephenr6427]

your a legend love the gte with the wheel trims old school rules and i love the carlton

[@jamespreston5757]

there not wheel trims there the wheels they do look like trims though

[@EGGLOVER2010]

Great vid cal, spot on as always

[@joedaman8436]

Loved the Digi dash on these cars, the only problem was they only read up to 135mph, then you don't know how fast your going?? Lol. You could wheel spin these in 3rd gear, but the chassis what's shite, they'd just slide out on you, massive understeer, hence why with the Mk 4 astra the got Lotus to sort out the handling, still a fantastic engine, shame it used to slide everywhere, would kill any Ford except the Cossie... still love this car, this was when 16v had a meaning, no turbo needed 👍

[@carlb3715]

This is a fking incredible review man. I've been watching videos of all the old cars I wanted when I first learned to drive back in late 90s. None of them conjured up all the feelings and explanation why they're special like you did. Awesome man. Hopefully you bump into an old Nova GTE/GSI or a Nova 1.4SR too :)

[@Vtecminivan]

Blast from the past! Owned 1 exactly like this and crashed it 🤦‍♂️ then went for Sierra sapphire coworth. Good old memories!

[@snorkelthump]

Mad, my brother used to prowl round Houghton Regis, Luton and dunstable in his white GTE. was a beast in its day

[@JB-F10-M5]

I had 2 GTEs Red Top Power was legendary for the 90s 😎🏁

[@J4Z666]

Had a white 16v G reg loved it but steering was a bit shot - If I had space on the drive I'd buy it back for the the 3K I sold it for back in the ninetees :) - good video thanks Calv.

[@websurfer1585]

I loved these cars back in the day, also XR3 !

[@LP64000]

So pleased I found this, what a quality video. Nicely done mate. 👌

[@user-ee5xs6lg1t]

ASTRA GTE, awesome car

[@2strokemxclassics]

Gte valver loved these cars in the 90,s never owned one.was a 205 gti man myself

[@peterolley7159]

This car reminds me of the raving days ,,,at the time this was a fucking fast car but didn't handle as well as the golf gti and the rs turbo !

[@jaypick424]

I always wanted one of these growing up. Definitely brings back some memories!

[@alexmoran731]

Great video👍🏽

[@alexmoran731]

Good to see a car video about something that is not the latest and greatest

[@ArcadeCabNBud]

my mate had one of these back in the day, was pretty quick for its time

[@starwin2000]

I used to work at a Vauxhall main dealer back in the 80’s/90’s and that was when Vauxhall’s were one of the best makes, me being a mechanic the cars were much easier to work on and you didn’t need a bloody laptop to fix em lol, tho Vauxhall’s did have a computer called tech1 & then Tech 2 which helped in the later years as they started getting technical. Anyway... I done a project car way back as I owned a mark1 Astra SR 1.6 and managed to get hold of a 2.0 16v red top engine and gear box complete, big mod but the engine plopped strait in and it was only three wires and fired up 1/2 a turn, when I eventually got the fuel lines the right way round lol The car was great and wish I took pictures of the transformation and videos! It’s like all them yesteryear days when your growing up and all the things we used to get up to you’ll never get them good ole days back!! I’ve PDI’d loads of them Astra 16v and the 8v back in the day and the cabriolet Astra 20 8v, top down on road test with your apprentice lol makes me smile just thinking about it ????? Great video 👍🏻

[@seanbyrne8767]

My mate had 3 of these Bad boys and a Cavalier 4x4 turbo and an older SRI 130. All very nice & clean, Sure he's dad had a nova gte what he squeezed a 2l turbo calibre engine in

[@fusionreactor1357]

Luton, the Islamic haven and shining star of multiculturalism in England. I must book a holiday there.

[@andymax1697]

I remember being 16 living in Birmingham an a guy had a red one I thought it was amazing back then. An i still do fantastic video mate

[@StephenButlerOne]

My friends big sister had one. My mum had an xr3i at the time, so we woido argue over who's was better. Both great cars looking back.

[@paddybee4685]

I had a standard m2 Astra, loved it. I bet that older fella had one in his day, or worked at Vauxhall in Luton.

[@andyparsley3744]

Would love to have my silver golf mk2 16v on a 89 g reg again, loved that car.

[@beckygair2272]

Nice video Calvin I am also a Sundon Park bod Spent my childhood in Sundon Park Excellent video

[@darrennewport857]

Great car Astranomical.... had my one nicked in Bristol, Gutted...

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

Really pragmatic review, I enjoyed it.

[@danielaitken7960]

Brought a smile to my face watching this. Had 3 GTE growing up. Great vid 👍

[@porkiechops7689]

Spot on this video mate, totally agree with everything you say! Nice touch from the old chap as well complimenting it! Personally I have no history with them but I can see why people love them!

[@Smoovindecat]

Excellent video! Loved these motors 👍🏽

[@hotrocks888]

Hey Calvin, I'm a new viewer and subscriber to your channel. Keep it up, I like what your doing and how you present your videos.

[@vincentsgardens870]

very recently subscribed to chan after watching the lotus carlton vid mate what a wicked car wen was kid me mate had the sri 8v and was cool as hell had like burberry coth on center of seats took me back in time this as even tho this is the gte model cheers

[@daveyofyeshua]

Along with my 350z, i drive a 92' Nissan Sunny and it's great, so much character and drive it as much as my other car 😊 good video again fella

[@losboxing7837]

Awesome thanks

[@dlite1972]

Stumbled on this video and so glad I did. I had a C reg white 8 valve gte when I was 20 years old. Back then it cost me £1500 lol. Back in the early 90s these cars were for the well off, no pcp back then. You really did feel special to have this or a rs turbo back in the day. It’s too easy to get into a hyper hatch now.

[@sarahwebster8927]

Still run one of these everyday

[@LeaderNUFC]

You near Yorkshire Sarah?

[@aimeelarryfahey7045]

great review love the astras mk2

[@G4RY1159]

Traffic police always struggled keeping up with their Rover Fastbacks . Apparently! Said a friend.

[@ifiindouptgoflatout]

once the 16v felt quick back then, got to drive o e a couple of years i was a bit gutted as i yust to love them , and it showed my age 😂🤫 , your wright you should of hung on to your lotus canton tho 👍🤜

[@stevesas632]

That's a great car review right there.