What A Find! 1983 Vauxhall Astra GTE MK1 - Garage Stored For 25 Years

[@jaylynch5192]

Well I never 😮all the gte-s I had and never new thouse tools were there

[@UKBarnFinds]

They were probably already taken off, if you bought them secondhand 😂

[@neilmustow368]

So original this GTE

[@UKBarnFinds]

Sure is. That toolkit was something else. The icing on the cake!

[@rthompson938]

My very first car purchase was this vehicle and I loved it in '83 easy to work on and very reliable mine was in Polar white and badged as the Opel Kadett.

[@UKBarnFinds]

I must admit, they do look good in white.

[@TheGreatest1974]

The dash would have been considered very modern for the day. Nowadays cars are like the space shuttle inside.

[@UKBarnFinds]

They did go through a sparse stage in the 80's, for sure. I guess it was all about economy back then. Look at some of the 60's cars and they were beautiful.

[@robmorris1365]

Had the same car in this red, which l think was called Carmine, as a demo at Brown's of Loughton LPU 1Y. Absolutely loved it. So fast for its day

[@jamesblaydon9109]

Had one of these in red paid a staggering £500 for it … and from memory paid £7 for a Center cap from Vauxhall in Cambridge oh 1991 …

[@andygardner3470]

I had a black one as my first car i bought. Fantastic other than terminal under steer in the wet. Recaro seats were amazing. If i remember i think i added a jetex exhaust system which made it sound awesome.

[@UKBarnFinds]

Those seats did look comfy. I didn’t dare sit in them, not because I was worried about damaging them or anything like that, but because I might like it too much and end up bidding 😂

[@glenlittlefair4767]

Brilliant. I had 3 x Mk1 Astra GTEs in the 80s and not one the be had the tool kit. Didn’t even know they existed.

[@UKBarnFinds]

This one was amazing. Everything was so clean inside. Pretty sure it had never been opened before.

[@terryhosker1298]

I had a red one from new loved it wich i had kept it Better than escort XR3

[@UKBarnFinds]

Seems to be so much love out there for the Astra GTE, both here and on our other social media channels. I’m really excited to watch this one go under the hammer now.

[@David-tt2mt]

Early '80's perhaps the most exciting decade for drivers, battle of the hot hatches... VW Golf Gti, Peugeot 205 Gti, Ford's XR2 & XR3 and of course the Vauxhall GTE.

[@UKBarnFinds]

It was certainly a great era to be alive. I wonder if the youth of today are able to enjoy their crop of cars in a similar manner?

[@David-tt2mt]

@@UKBarnFinds if they can afford to drive them that is!

[@UKBarnFinds]

That's true!

[@TheGreatest1974]

What a superb survivor. Just goes to prove how well a dry garage can preserve a car. The same car left outside would be wrecked by now. Very important if you are going to park a car up to get it in a dry place. 👍🇬🇧

[@UKBarnFinds]

Absolutely. Most 80's cars would be dust by now, left outside. I hope you had a chance to see our Cavalier video, too. That's an incredibly solid car! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqHHhYWfa5mAhZI

[@BullyBoxer]

considering the condition What’s really more impressive is this is a very early car .

[@UKBarnFinds]

I can't wait to see it auctioned now. I've genuinely got no idea what it might fetch.

[@nealjoyce8696]

The car I wanted as a new driver but couldn’t afford but would love it still today ❤

[@matterhorn1975]

Those grill spot lights weren't standard where they?

[@UKBarnFinds]

Hoping someone with a better knowledge of Vauxhalls will answer this one for me.

[@patorkestra]

It's a Hella spot light grille.

[@kevinisaac9139]

I had one from new same colour then a white one with the lower top gear loved them I would love one again 👍👌

[@UKBarnFinds]

They seem to bring back a lot of memories, all of them good 👍

[@butchmeister80]

Would love to clean and polish this

[@davidyoung9561]

I have a mk1 Astra GTE in my garage that I bought over ten years ago as a project.

[@paulfisher7911]

wow its so good to see this

[@UKBarnFinds]

Thanks. I feel really lucky to see some of these cars, even the ones we don't bid on.

[@paulfisher7911]

@@UKBarnFinds yes the mk1 gte was always my favourite so it was good to see . i wonder how much it will fetch

[@gnarlycharlie80]

How many are there left on the road these days? They are iconic!

[@davidrumming4734]

Brilliant Did you know the very earliest mk1 astras had round headlights. There was a mild facelift introducing the square ones. Also on the mk1, they made a very rare saloon variant which was effectively a hatchback with the glass fixed in place…bit like the original mini.

[@hassyg4083]

wonder if it was stored in a heated garage

[@UKBarnFinds]

Possible. It was certainly dry, which is always a bonus.

[@davidhathaway8271]

Was the engine bay tool box only found on the GTE ? Cheers.

[@UKBarnFinds]

I honestly don't know, but I hope someone who does will pick up on this comment and reply.

[@patorkestra]

As fat as I know it was just the GTE that had the toolkit there, on lower spec models the washer bottle was there, the GTE needed a larger washer bottle for the headlight washers, which was located in the passenger side front wing, below the headlight.

[@patorkestra]

I think it was, in lower spec. models that was the location for the washer bottle. The GTE's washer bottle is larger to cope with the headlight washers,& sits under front wing