Matt's PH1 C18XE GSI

[dark-ryder]

my biggest problem is that if its really bad then its gonna have to come off the road for me to get it done properly. problem with that is i still need car!

ill get it stripped out and update with some pics

 

[HARBER07]

I really hope you restore this to its former glory mate. Will be gutted if this ends up being broken for parts like all the others .

 

[vauxhall_astra]

I really hope you restore this to its former glory mate. Will be gutted if this ends up being broken for parts like all the others .

+1

 

[dark-ryder]

Well the hope is that i can, ill just have to wait and see how bad it is..

The car gets used daily to get me everywhere and i dont have access to another car if it breaks. im gonna get the inside stripped tonight and have a look.

If anyone wants any parts please see by breaking thread for the 1.8 sport as i have a feeling im gonna need the garage back!

 

[HARBER07]

Well it can't be any worse than mine!. I welded 13 pattern panels in plus any I had to make up myself!. Probably equates to about 20 panels in total !

 

[dark-ryder]

The inner rear wheel arch is rotten from half way towards the bar of the car, would all fall out if u pushed hard enough.

Plan is to buy another car as my daily runner and bring the old girl off the road to be restored over time.

Chances are she will hibernate over winter and I'll start once we get some dry weather and lighter nights as there's no power or decent lights round the garage lol

 

[HARBER07]

Good to hear!

 

[dark-ryder]

Finally something is going to start happening with this old girl after being hidden away in the garage for the last 3 years!!

I've not done anything to it since it went in other than steal a few bits to keep the Coupe on the road, which was written off a year ago. Now rocking around in a E46.

Plan is to pull the car out at the weeknd and start stripping and prodding around its arse to find out just how rotten it is. if it can be saved then it will, if not then i have something lined up as a "replacement" (still a ph1 gsi)

will get some pictures up over the weekend, i have a feeling that they are not going to be very pretty!

 

[savage16v]

Holy crap, good to see an update

 

[Andy_Mk3]

Glad you still have it, hopefully it's not too far gone.

 

[dark-ryder]

Thanks Andy - i have a feeling that the back end is completely shot, it was rotten before it went in the garage and has just sat there for 3 years so i imagine it to be much worse.

if the shell is too far gone then i will be taking everything off and scrapping the shell. i have another ph1 lined up that will replace it (also a C18XE) and will have pretty much a whole GSI worth of spares, so in the not to distant future i should be back on the road in a GSI, which has been a long time coming!

 

[sirusmk3]

Nice one hope it's not too shot lad

 

[dark-ryder]

Cheers guys, im expecting the worst for sure - nothing was done to the car prior to it being stored so i have a feeling that the 3 years its been in there will have taken its toll!

Really looking forward to getting started, been a long time since ive played with old Vauxhalls

 

[Andy_Mk3]

At least it's been in a garage though.

 

[joycey]

Looking forward to pics!

 

[dark-ryder]

OK, so not as big an update as i wanted to do but thats mainly becuse i couldnt get the car all the way out of the garage by myself - so had a poke around the back, which is pretty bad but will let the pictures to the talking.

Drivers side before poking

IMAG0748 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Rear

IMAG0749 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Passenger side before poking

IMAG0750 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

IMAG0752 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Part of the drivers rear corner came away with the bumper

IMAG0768 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Pertol Flap

IMAG0765 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Drivers rear corner before poking

IMAG0751 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Drivers rear corner after

IMAG0754 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Passenger side

IMAG0756 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Passenger side misisng inner wheel arch

IMAG0757 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Passenger side top mount

IMAG0759 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Passenger side inner arch

IMAG0762 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Drivers side boot floor.

IMAG0763 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

Boot floor

IMAG0764 by Matt Goodall, on Flickr

So all in all it is pretty bad and if im honest far to much for me to repair. Mainly due to the location of the garage and it not having any power and also the fact i don't own (or have ever used a welder) or generator to power it.

so the plan is to strip it all down, keep the body kit, interior and running gear and move forward with the other one that i have lined up. it will be a shame to see this go but id rather put money into a solid shell and keep it in good condition. if anyone wants this shell just let me know!

 

[BenAstra]

I think you're making the right decision. For someone who has the access and ability to repair that, it's fine but otherwise sometimes it's better to build on a fresh shell

 

[astranaut]

Ouch that rear end has seen some salty wet action lol

 

[dark-ryder]

it sure has!

i got the car for £500 nearly six years ago and the body work was tatty then, had it on the road just over 3 years so all in all its not done me bad!

 

[Andy]

A bit of chicken wire and paper mache and it will be fine.