Astra CDX to C20XE, broken but being fixed!

[Carlos]

Okay, im new to MK3OC, im actually new to this whole format of things altogether, so some advice would help, cuz navigating this site is a bitch when youre new.
Anyway, got a 2 litre ecotec, with a C20XE redtop in.
Had the car four days, blown up twice, so me and some other mk3 owners have decided to make a bit of a project.
Basically,, going to be honest, im on here for help and advice as im only 18 and havent come from the biggest mechanical background, and living in the middle of nowhere means theres no decent garages anywhere nearby.

Right

HID Xenon Angle Eye headlights, JDM De-badged front grill

Cav GSI alloys, 40mm GMax lowering kit, MK4 clear side repeaters

Finally, the important (and broken) part, C20XE 2 Litre redtop, heads gone (well funked up), waters full of oil, oil is full of water.

List of problems
Well, heads gone obviously, if anybody knows a cheap place to get a head kit (water pump and water servo too, as well as manifolds), and somewhere half decent and cheap to fit it, PM me or write back, cuz you WILL save my life

SECONDLY, that curly hose connecting the engine to the radiator got burnt through by my manifold, so need a new hose for that, and i think ill go for a heatshield too haha..
any ideas again anybody and youll do me a huge favour.

What I plan for the Future
Well, need some advice here, wanna get a decent cam set for it, and a port and polish for the engine, once again, anybody has any info on that ill be much obliged. Also, your opinion on if i should get it done or not would be helpful, i wanna be running the car around the 200bhp mark.

The car has a derestricted airbox and pipercross panel filter, as well as a piper stainless steel de-cat and ngk plugs.

Would anybody be able to recomment anything to improve performance up this end?

Anyone that can help in any way, shape or form will go down in the legend books. AND if their advice helps and they wanna go, ill let em spank it down pod at next years PV if im running it by then.

Im going for reliability and power before worrying about the looks!

Thanks y'all, ill update you on what i can when i can.

 

[Kev_mk3]

cracking base to start with and in the best colour IMO welcome

 

[Space Cadet]

It looks really nice as it is mate, small bits and pieces ftw!

regarding the engine, your best bet is to find someone breaking a car with a redtop head on ebay and see if you can get that then just new gaskets etc!

Someone on here, maybe more, will help at a price, most on here are always up for helping others etc so you might get lucky there mate

Anyway hope you get this sorted as it looks really smart

 

[Carlos]

cracking base to start with and in the best colour IMO welcome

Thanks bud, its going to be a long old haul, but cant wait to get to some shows!

 

[Alex]

to MK3OC

Your not far from me as i'm in Northampton.

For the first one it could either be just the head gasket or the head may have gone porous on it, but no real way to check other thant to take the head off and get it pressure tested.

For the rad hose I've got a spare one knocking about if your interested

 

[Carlos]

to MK3OC

Your not far from me as i'm in Northampton.

For the first one it could either be just the head gasket or the head may have gone porous on it, but no real way to check other thant to take the head off and get it pressure tested.

For the rad hose I've got a spare one knocking about if your interested

Yeah mate very interested, you want paying for it? pick it up tonight? want to get to work on it straight away..

and is there anyway of getting a new more reliable head, or are they all pretty much jus the bog standard ones?

thanks

 

[Alex]

Yeah you can pick the hose up tonight, I'm not home from work till 9pm though, drop me a PM and we'll sort it.

You could try and find a coscast head as these are less prone to going porous if it is that, but the gm heads can be sleeved if they have gone porous

 

[Nathan...]

there is the GM (porous, not so good head) or the COSCAST (better head) and we all know we want the best head...

Welcome to the site! as for the engine work, expect to be shelling out a few pennies for that list!!

 

[Space Cadet]

there is the GM (porous, not so good head) or the COSCAST (better head) and we all know we want the best head...

Welcome to the site! as for the engine work, expect to be shelling out a few pennies for that list!!

Mines better than yours

 

[Carlos]

there is the GM (porous, not so good head) or the COSCAST (better head) and we all know we want the best head...

Welcome to the site! as for the engine work, expect to be shelling out a few pennies for that list!!

Haha,, if its anywhere near my insurace is then i think itll have to be a month by month build as im being fisted atm.. but yeah,

you recommend a coscast head? where can i pick that up from? do i still need the head bolts? can get them from local vauxhall retailer?

what about water pump and water gasket?

im really sorry for sounding so thick, i just havent had a good enough car upbringing

and thanks everyone for all your help (Y)

 

[Space Cadet]

When replaced the head on dads car we got all the parts of a company on ebay iirc, all the head bolts came together then all the gaskets came together as well

I'll talk to dad and see if he can get me a link as he might have what you're after

 

[Alex]

If you change the head you'll need new head gasket, head bolts, inlet and exhaust manifold gaskets.

Which you can get from your local VX dealer, or from AutoVaux, same for the water pump really, as imo it's better to use GM parts if you can.

 

[Carlos]

RIGHT, update, cars bin karted home on the back of the greenflag mans truck, happy days. got some pics of my old astra too, **** quality but a picture is a picture.. so before i go more into the future of this car, lemme go into the past of my mk3 history (short, being that ive been driving 9 months)

So, car number one

Vicky the vauxhall, a 1.4i Cesaro 5door, and I think its fair to say, I loved this car more than you could physically love a human child.

When I bought her, she only had the debadged grill, and this car replaced my mrs
Shortly before I crashed her, i got some cusom made coilovers, which i didnt think existed,

Speedbumps became an enemy, and police hated me, etc etc.

Naturally being 18, i knew i was the greatest driver since Ayrton Senna, so i was amazed when this happened..

i still stick with the arguement that the tree hit me anyway.



So that got scrapped, unfortunately.

And in my hurry to get a new astra, i ended up with this..

Four different wheels, one was the original, one was the spare from a vw polo?

debadged it myself, tried to get the grill from my old astra, didnt realise my new one was a facelift and it didnt fit (Y) happy days again

so as you might be able to see, help with string.

might even see the cable tie aswell.

dewipered and debadged, couldnt find a grommit, so souldered in a penny instead (Y)
well thats the past, so abit on the future, and for me, 1st project car.

 

[Space Cadet]

lmao, that has to be the best update i've read in a while

That red car, is a shed! but i have 4 of those alloys for sale if you're interested lmao

 

[Carlos]

Okay, so the pic below isnt clear, but basically...

you may be able to see on the manifold a big wet patch, thats where it burnt through the radiator water feeder.
SO, need a heatshield, or somesort of custom pipe to avoid it or wont be burnt through by the manifold.

Any links/support would be appreciated.

Finally, are these pressed steel style german plates actually legal? have them on the front and rear of the car..

police havent said anything, but then again this has either been blown up, at pod, or at a garage, and police dont really look there any more..

Thanks mk3 lovers, been using it a day and you're already helping me start a project (Y)

heres the final pic of the car at my house.

Oh yeah, my parents said, and i quote 'if you buy another car, especially if its another mk3 astra, were kicking you out',
so if you ever have the displeasure of meeting them, were telling 'em its my mates and im looking after it because he lives in a flat in the centre and itll get stolen. haha, hero award and man points go to me for makin up that story.

 

[Space Cadet]

lmao

 

[Laurence]

Its a wonder people wont get scared to help you now, because if you get it back on the road you might kill yourself judging from that one picture

 

[Carlos]

Its a wonder people wont get scared to help you now, because if you get it back on the road you might kill yourself judging from that one picture

haha we were all 18 once
ive learnt my lesson.

 

[Carlos]

Big thanks to alex for the radiator feeder hose, one part down, about 100 to go

 

[Alex]

No probs mate