As a man who passed his test in 1990 as a whey-faced 17 year old youth, this is the stuff dreams are made of…. great episode, Jonny! Absolute time warp car, and I shared your anticipation of the contents of the Vauxhall carrier bag… nostalgia, hey? It’s a heady brew…
I owned a Nova GTE in early 90’s, bought from dealer with just 5,000 on the clock. It was the best car I ever had, the exhaust note, very firm ride and reasonable acceleration, was great as a youngster. Alas, more sensible cars came after, with a mortgage to pay.
@@BarryGibson-e6xcav Sri in white which was on a k and actually a hand me down and mine had factory hub caps aaaaarrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee factory hubs 🥴 I got that in 2001 just turned 20
What a peach of a car. Some money spent on a proper, proper detail, alloy refurb and you would have a serious, low mileage gem on your hands. What a humble family you can see in the b roll how excited they are to have it and many happy days to come.
As an American, I love videos like this one that focus on vehicles I am not very familiar with yet are very common to those of you in the car’s home market. I also have a bit of a soft spot for British made vehicles as my very first car was a ‘72 Triumph Spitfire that I purchased back in 1979
On the oposite side I'm British but love American cars. I have a 1991 Pontiac Firebird that I've had for 22 years. Loved them in the 80's as a teen watching Knight Rider and love them even more now in my 50's. 😊
@@PeterStaniforth That’s great! I don’t know if there is any truth in it but I recently heard something about the Pontiac brand being resurrected. How challenging is it for you to find parts for your Firebird? In the end, I simply consider myself to be “a car guy” and I have owned a variety of different vehicles over the years. After the Spitfire I drove a 1977 Toyota Celica GT for a few years. That was followed by a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro convertible (which sadly was stolen). My first new car purchase was a 1987 Honda CRX Si, which was a blast. These days my fun car is a Honda S2000. (I still enjoy top-down motoring all these years later).
@@VirtualGuth I've not had to buy any expensive parts recently from the U.S. as I did most of the "rebuilding" of my car during the 2000s', but I can get parts quite readily if needed. It's the shipping that's gone through the roof though, often costing more than the part itself! The spitfire was a good little car, but I had a Mk3 GT-6 for a while which was a really lovely car, a true British classic. I'd hold onto that S2000 if I were you (especially if it hasn't been modified) as I think they'll really appreciate in value in the coming years.
@@PeterStaniforth I can’t begin to imagine what parts shipping would cost given your situation these days. Here’s hoping that you can source as much as possible locally moving forward. Though I’m all for others doing as they wish with their own rides, I’ve never been really big on modifying my vehicles. I liked the S2000 just the way it came from Honda to begin with and so I searched for one that was all original, which is how I’ve kept it. Younger guys don’t often get it, but I’m old enough now that I am well aware of just how quickly original cars seemingly disappear from the roads. Naturally, the older original cars are always the ones I am drawn to first when around other’s vehicles.
Like you, I enjoy watching videos on vehicles that I'm not familiar with, I spend a lot of my time watching videos on old American cars (Vice Grip Garage being one of my favourite channels for this type of content). I have a 2013 Boss 302 Mustang here in the UK as well as a rare little Mercedes C43 Wagon. I simply love cars and bikes, rescuing the older stuff is a real passion for me, I don't like the 'comfortably numb' new stuff, you don't drive that, you simply operate it and that's no fun at all.
Depends how they were treated.. We had a number of owners who ran MK2 GTEs for many years from new.. They looked after them and the cars looked tidy at every subsequent service.. 🏁
My red top GTE rotted through from the drivers front wing and rear passenger panel over the wheel arch. Shame. I had the wing replaced but car was so unreliable it spent most of its life in Vauxhall main dear in Stockport. I eventually sold it on. Still no way as fast as my S4 Abarth 595 Comp, which is like an 80s hot hatch, nice and raw.
What a great episode! I almost shed a tear at the thought of your Uncle getting his dream car and not having the time to enjoy it. I love the idea of you enjoying it. Please drive it and love it for him. It belongs on the road... with the mud flaps attached!
Nah. Flog the mudflaps to some old duffer for his Belmont. They don't belong on a GTE. Plus they trap mud behind them which rots out the front wings and splash guards.
Proper took me back this one. I was a Vauxhall Opel guy back in the day, and had Mk1, Mk2 Astras Kadetts and Mk2 Cavaliers. SR, SRI and GTE. This is an amazing survivor.
Yeah. There are some cool cars still out there but they are not big sellers. Everyone goes for the aspirational but extremely boring and obvious choices and over time that's all we've been left with mostly.
I have many great memories of Astra GTEs, both 1 & 2.. I was a Vauxhall mechanic for 15 years, right through the hot hatch era.. We had a load of fun in these, moreso when the pre-cat 16v arrived.. Dead easy to work on.. I can fondly remember racing two 16v GTEs (on trade plates), dealer swaps, from Berwick to Morpeth, Northumberland.. And when early 90s car crime escalated, we had lines of these (and others) waiting for drop glasses, radio cassettes, lock kits, steering columns, wheels, etc.... Happy days indeed.. Another quality feature, Jonny.. Well Done 🏁
What a great example of the iconic GTE. I have never owned one myself ,but have owned quite a few of which are now classics . Including a nova MK1 , cavalier MK3 ,Calibra 16v Redtop . I currently own my second Calibra that I purchased in 2017 as a bit of nostalgia,and my trusted super reliable Astra G van that iv owned since 2010 . Also owned most fords too including Capri ,Cortina ,and escorts all mk's .Happy days 😁
Was always an RS Turbo boy but these are fantastic and to have one in that condition is stunning and want to say thanks to them for keeping it like that!
Although I’m a Ford guy, always liked the GTE. The 80’s were the best decade ever, car manufacturers today need to take a few looks back in time… I used to live in Blackheath, Lewisham was close, I remember Penfold’s Loving the Autolok, the Japanese quality Pioneer’s, TDK D90 were the best quality cassettes, brilliant video!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thats very WOW, and i was definatly in the Ford camp in that era, but a good friend of mine who also sadly passed away far too young had one of these and the memory of that has come flooding back, a week with a good detailer will see that car look like new.
Had one of these back in the day (1990 2.0 16v GTE). Loved the digital dash. Mine was also on Koni adjustables and so had hammered rear arches to allow the wheels to fit inside without the chance of rubbing on them. In my 50's now and really miss those days of going out with the mates in our cars 😪👍
Great to see the originality on this - even the period accessories, but uninstalled - perfect. Will be a great talking point at a few car shows etc, for its clean original condition. Great find - thanks for taking us all along!
Best episode out. Loved it. I had a 16v white one for 8 years in the 90s and was the best car I’ve ever had. It was quick and just wanted more every time I floored it. Engine was bullet proof. It brought so much joy to my life. You have the best iconic car ever. Keep it and love it dearly!
I watch Jonny’s various channels from Canada which is why I am constantly amazed at Jonny’s joy at seeing what he believes are long lost relics from the past. I have never heard of or seen most of them! Still enjoy watching though.
That generation of Astra/Kadett (I'm Irish, so I know it as an Opel) was, in my opinion, the best example of 1980's 'jelly mould' styling. It still looks fantastic.
Yes, the Kadett E. I had a '92 Astra F Caravan 1.4i (8V) and I was curious as to why the Corsas and the Vectras started with the letter A but the first Astra that I knew of was already on the letter F. Until I found out that Opel adopted the Astra name (introduced by Vauxhall) for their F series (and beyond) because it was launched after the fall of the Berlin Wall and keeping a military name like Kadett probably wouldn't go down well in countries that had been under the rule of the USSR for so many years. 🙂
@@Leepatrick3868 My first car memory is being in my dads Manta B GTE, dolphin grey one with a black bonnet, playing with the cassette holder while he drove home from the sausage factory he worked at. He owned 2 at one point, one had a 3.2 litre engine swap (can't remember what engine it was)
Brilliant episode! The joy and excitement on Jonny's face and the overwhelming nostalgia of encountering such a trip down memory lane came through by the bucket load - fantastic... I fell into the Vauxhall camp with a Nova SR, a couple of Cavaliers, a Calibra and a few Opel Mantas thrown in.
Wow - the connection a car can give a family across many generations is genuinely heart - warming. Growing up in the 90's, my dad owned a Vauxhall Cavalier (D reg) and this Astra just brought back all those memories, mainly due to the colour being the same as the Astra. What a family to have kept this gem stored in the dry and all the best to them getting back out on the road and making there own memories. Great video Jonny and TLBS team ❤
I've still got the Kadett E GT as my daily, but with all the 16v stuff, the digidash, the redtop, all full option cable looms, board computer, check control, electric wing mirrors, Omega Cruise Control, Saab rear axle, calibra 288mm front brakes, stainless exhaust, and lots and lots more. Love these cars and in such condition is exceedingly rare.
I used to own a Mk1 GTE in the day. What a car what an engine. My friend had many high revving Honda motorbikes and when I took him out in it he remarked on the smoothness of the engine and its almost inertia free willingness to rev. Had a Golf GTi before and that was just an awful experience what a rust bucket! It was always letting me down mechanically too, with misfires, clutch cable fraying. The brakes were appalling too. Final straw before I getting rid was structural issues on inner wings. Astra GTE plus my Honda civic Type-r really regret selling …. Happy days.
I had a 5dr 1.3L D203XRG and had it fitted with GTE bumpers, Alloys and spoiler with an SRI interior. It was also fitted with a 5-speed gearbox and a performance exhaust. Absolutely loved it! I love watching the barn finds.
In 1987 at the tender age of 20, I signed along the dotted line for a 2 year old GTE in red-$105 per month on finance and $100 per month on insurance, which sounds cheap but I was only earning $400 per month! A great car but massively understeery in the wet and although I hoped it would be a fantastic pulling machine, the car cost me so much that I could never afford to put fuel in it or go out! This episode has brought back so many memories.
Had geat memories of my June 1988 Carmine Red GTE 16V. Early 20XE Engines were between 168 BHP and 175 BHP. Mine was 173.5 BHP Standard. The first 1200 COSCAST Head cars were in that power range then detuned to 156 BHP. This information came from a Luton Technical Training Engineer. My car had the same interior but with Leather Steering Wheel with 16V logo and a higher center console and shorter gear lever and leather gear knob. It was also equipped wih rear disk brakes and twin square black exhausts. Straight line performance was ballistic. True drivers car through the bends...... go in on easily and never back off then feed in the power with respect and enjoy. De-Locked mine in 1994 because of the Joy Riding Epidemic and had an alarm and immobiliser, steering lock and wheel clamp fitted. Blocked in by a Type 2 Camper Van in my Parents Drive in Oxford. Car is on SORN
Wow. I always loved seeing those cars about and looked jealously at them driving about, whilst I was driving my Mums 1.2 Nova. What a great barn find episode. Really enjoyed watching and going on the journey of discovery with you.
I absolutely loved these, I’m definitely a Vauxhall guy. These had huge torque under steer from the front wheels when pushed hard. Loved the digital dash. Wish this was a 16 valve but the 2.0i 8v was still extremely quick.
I love those tyres. Powerful front-wheel drive hot hatch with those tyres leaving you wondering, every time you go for a drive, what does Fate have in store for me today 🤣
Oh gosh Jonny you are a lucky boy. My mate had several mk1s and a red 8v mk2. I had cavalier Sri’s. What a great period for Vauxhall if only they still made cars like them. ❤.
Wow Cavalier sri, I had forgotten about this car. God, reading the comments Opel made some great cars. Being honest, I cannot even name a special Opel made in the last 10-15 years
I can add that having several XR’s (2 2i 3 & 3i’s) the Vauxhall also seemed faster. I don’t know exact figures so for all I know they may of been very similar but the Vauxhall memories had a higher top speed thinking back. Thank god there wasn’t many if any speed cameras about back then 😂
Gareth was correct about pressing the clutch when starting up. Its what my dad taught me in the 80s. The starter motor isnt trying to turn the clutch unit and so reduces the load on the battery.
my dad had two of these, both were part exchanges but he kept hold of them for as long as possible each, both red, one was an 8v and the other was 16v. the digital dash was the coolest thing in the world to a 9 year old me, loved those cars. and the 16v still holds the record for the school run when i was running late one day, 8 miles in 9mins on winding country roads. The cassette holder brought back some instant memories of the interior
Makes me sad how many of these we broke to put parts in Novas, what a fantastic time warp and great to see your enthusiasm Jonny. One of my favourite cars on your channel
In 1991 I remember seeing a sustained and stable 130mph on the digital speedo (whilst watching for police in the rear view mirror) of an exact copy of that car on a motorway in Scotland. I bought it from a perfect car polishing anorak in Bristol who kept it under a rug in his garage, and most likely polished it more times than he went over 70moh.😂 I do wish you replace the engine oil and filter before starting the engine.😯
These barn finds are strange beasts. I've never liked Astra's then or now. But I was still willing it to start and got a warm feeling when it did. Keep up the good work Jonny.
Just Brilliant Jonny! Back in the 80's, Knight Rider hit our TV screens in the UK, and I'm sure GM thought, let's put Digital Dashboards like the Kitt car from the show in our cars, and driver's went YES! I'm having some of that in my next car. I think it was a master stroke of marketing by GM, and it worked, I could be wrong, but I don't think so. So great to see this GTE looked after by the owner, it was wonderful to see when the garage door was opened and that it had a proper fitted cover over the car, it makes so much difference. Knocked it out the Garage again Jonny with this video, and the history lesson, and the advertising footage from the time for this car. Love a happy ending. Well done Jonny and the family and the neighbour that helped get it running again. It made my Sunday.👍😃👍
I had one! 1988 E reg 2 litre GTE 8v ... memories flooding back! Yes, the engines are so solid. I had it for 120,000 miles during a period of driving that I must admit included some 3 figure speeds on virtually every drive! The 16v version of this engine got all the glory but these 8v 2 litres had tremendous torque spread and I recall reading "Fast Car" magazine stats that showed that at some speeds they had better in-gear acceleration ... the 16v excelled when revving through the gears to achieve great performance but the 8v pulled from lower in the rev range and was long legged and quick. Particularly easy to get off the line avoiding wheelspin because you didn't need revs and slip the clutch. A very underestimated car. (By the way the external grey plastics were easy to bring back to "as new" appearance using "Back to Black")
Great video, I worked for Vauxhall for more than 40 years and when I was promoted in the eighties to a management level I was allowed to get a company car. I went straight to the company car office and ordered a white Astra GTE identical to this one.
My Dad had two of these as company cars, an 8v on a D plate and a 16v, F627 MND. He used to race a guy round the corner who had a Corrado G60 on the country roads near our house, happy days. I would love to drive one, fantastic little car.
An XR2 mk2 was the best I could do at 17, 40 years later and I have a 2021 Type R with 420bhp and a ton of mods, I'm living the teenage dream all over again.
This has to one of the best gte mark 2 ever all originals in that condition huge credit to the previous owner for keeping this beautiful classic in its original condition ❤
When the Mk2 Astra came out in 1984, it looked like a spaceship compared to the Mk1. I was driving tractors from age 10, and used to drive my Dad's company cars in fields, but the cars I learned to drive on the roads in (in '89) were a 1.2 Nova, a MK3 Cavalier 2.0 CD and a Mk2 Astra 1.2 Merit. The Mk2 Astra still looks good today.
Mine ended up with a knackered head gasket and rusty fuel filler neck. Sold the car and it was wrapped round a lamppost by the new owner a week later 😢
It's quite interesting to read of the number of people who liked the dash because I seem to remember the motoring press at the time being quite sniffy about it! I would switch mine to km/h without passengers knowing ... that made for an impressive fake top speed! Great days.. GTi (several manufacturers), XR3i, XR2i, RS Turbos, 5 Turbo, GTE etc etc
Fond memories of that era the 8v didn't have the mesh in the headrests and on 16s !! Cheers Mr Smith gr8 content as always fella !! Nostalgic at its best
Back in the 90s my dad had a small business doing dealer exchanges for a local Vauxhall dealership and a local Austin rover dealership and I got to drive many hot Vauxhall's including the astra gte, cavalier 4x4s , calibras and the turbo calibra and at the time I was a ford devotee and I was shocked at how good the Vauxhall's were, even the ordinary car's were quick, many happy memories of driving those hot Vauxhall's!.
You are so right. My partner had an MG Metro and she changed to a basic 1300 Astra that was quicker, smoother and would out perform 1600 Fords. As a result of that I subsequently bought a red GTE like in the video ... superb car.
When vauxhall were proper built and simple to maintain with plenty of power on tap! I started to work on vauxhalls 30 years ago and still are! these were my apprentiship and the 2.0 seh engine was massivly understood the power torque on these engines was quick and could easily bounce off the limiter in 5th nothing like the french Sxxxe we have to deal with now now well done keep it standard no messing with it nice one jonny🚙🚙
Great nostalgia trip. I also had an 8v GTE in the late 80s. I used to live in Luton, the home of Vauxhall, so there were loads about. I remember racing my mate who had a 16v. My brakes caught fire…..almost all got stolen at some point as the security was hopeless. 😁
My second car was a Mk 1 Astra GTE and I still miss it and sometimes dream about it. A565PJL, Red, Recaros, smoked brown glass and an Alpine removable head unit and CD changer, which I still have. Peco full exhaust and manifold, K&N filter. I spent hours working on her and driving in her. Thanks for sharing. 💔
That gte is stunning, I tried to buy a mk1 white gte from 452 motor company in 1989 but couldn’t get finance on it, I had a 1989 1.3 in 1990 then in 1997 I bought a 1991 Astra cdi, that was the closest I got to a gte.
Every time I see an 80/90s hatchback I notice just how compact they actually were compared to our new "small" cars. Can we go back to when cars didn't look like they were suffering from a bad allergic reaction?
Jonny as a man of 50 this year this video bought me so much joy.. I could only afford the SRI but seeing this in this amazing condition makes me want to go buy it… beautiful car.
Thaht has to be one of the best preserved barn finds ever, car I always wanted but could never afford. Lets hope they enjoy it as there uncle would have wanted to
It is always interesting to hear British people reviewing Vauxhall vehicles as if Vauxhall was responsible for the design and engineering. The last Vauxhall design was the original Viva. All the subsequent models are market-specific rebadged Opels or from other GM divisions or partners.
Love this. Around the millennium I had a 1990 GTE Convertible in black. It was beautiful. The rubber fuel hoses that pass behind the steering rack failed on the motorway releasing fuel under pressure. A miracle it didn’t ignite!
@@MrAdopado I though at the time, ‘some poor bugger must have a bad fuel leak’, then when I left the motorway and got home I realised it was me! When I fitted the replacement fuel hoses I used a better protective outer wrap as the original was not up to the job.
Fantastic video, what a time warp of a car & so original, really nice to see, well done Jonny for finding this one, we need to see more of these barn finds.
Beautiful original car! I had an opel kadett gsi in white ( same thing but left hand drive) when I was in the army in Germany! Wish the owners all the best for getting it back on the road. Great video Jonny.
Brought back so many great memories for me, I had an F plate Astra CD in white, probably the nicest driving car I’ve ever owned, that GTE is in such awesome condition too !!
As a man who passed his test in 1990 as a whey-faced 17 year old youth, this is the stuff dreams are made of…. great episode, Jonny! Absolute time warp car, and I shared your anticipation of the contents of the Vauxhall carrier bag… nostalgia, hey? It’s a heady brew…
My other half shook her head as I exclaimed “Mudflaps! Yes!”….
A lot memories right there. Had the 16v and even a few cavalier SRI’s before I went an put the red top in a Nova, pure joy
@@BarryGibson-e6x Great Car 👍 😁 👍 Dad had MK2 Cab wIth blue GTE
I owned a Nova GTE in early 90’s, bought from dealer with just 5,000 on the clock. It was the best car I ever had, the exhaust note, very firm ride and reasonable acceleration, was great as a youngster. Alas, more sensible cars came after, with a mortgage to pay.
@@BarryGibson-e6xcav Sri in white which was on a k and actually a hand me down and mine had factory hub caps aaaaarrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee factory hubs 🥴 I got that in 2001 just turned 20
I think Johnny and Gareth have good on screen chemistry. Bring him along more often!
Right?! They looked like they worked together for a while
agreed - good chemistry!
Came to say the same. A cross between Ed China and prof Brian Cox
@@johnmunro4952 things can only get better, when i fix you! 😆
That’s exactly what I thought !
Jonny, please keep doing those mini history segments. They really set the scene and remind us why we should care. Great video !
We did 888mph on the bypass in my mates GTE one evening. I did suspect the digital dash might've been on the blink though.😉
If 88 mph let's you time travel imagine what 888 mph lets you do!
😂😂😂
Lol 😂😂😂
If it had a peco exhaust and k and n filter that speed was probably possible
Standard Vauxhall then
What a peach of a car. Some money spent on a proper, proper detail, alloy refurb and you would have a serious, low mileage gem on your hands. What a humble family you can see in the b roll how excited they are to have it and many happy days to come.
As an American, I love videos like this one that focus on vehicles I am not very familiar with yet are very common to those of you in the car’s home market. I also have a bit of a soft spot for British made vehicles as my very first car was a ‘72 Triumph Spitfire that I purchased back in 1979
On the oposite side I'm British but love American cars. I have a 1991 Pontiac Firebird that I've had for 22 years. Loved them in the 80's as a teen watching Knight Rider and love them even more now in my 50's. 😊
@@PeterStaniforth That’s great! I don’t know if there is any truth in it but I recently heard something about the Pontiac brand being resurrected. How challenging is it for you to find parts for your Firebird?
In the end, I simply consider myself to be “a car guy” and I have owned a variety of different vehicles over the years. After the Spitfire I drove a 1977 Toyota Celica GT for a few years. That was followed by a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro convertible (which sadly was stolen). My first new car purchase was a 1987 Honda CRX Si, which was a blast. These days my fun car is a Honda S2000. (I still enjoy top-down motoring all these years later).
@@VirtualGuth I've not had to buy any expensive parts recently from the U.S. as I did most of the "rebuilding" of my car during the 2000s', but I can get parts quite readily if needed. It's the shipping that's gone through the roof though, often costing more than the part itself!
The spitfire was a good little car, but I had a Mk3 GT-6 for a while which was a really lovely car, a true British classic. I'd hold onto that S2000 if I were you (especially if it hasn't been modified) as I think they'll really appreciate in value in the coming years.
@@PeterStaniforth I can’t begin to imagine what parts shipping would cost given your situation these days. Here’s hoping that you can source as much as possible locally moving forward.
Though I’m all for others doing as they wish with their own rides, I’ve never been really big on modifying my vehicles. I liked the S2000 just the way it came from Honda to begin with and so I searched for one that was all original, which is how I’ve kept it. Younger guys don’t often get it, but I’m old enough now that I am well aware of just how quickly original cars seemingly disappear from the roads. Naturally, the older original cars are always the ones I am drawn to first when around other’s vehicles.
Like you, I enjoy watching videos on vehicles that I'm not familiar with, I spend a lot of my time watching videos on old American cars (Vice Grip Garage being one of my favourite channels for this type of content). I have a 2013 Boss 302 Mustang here in the UK as well as a rare little Mercedes C43 Wagon. I simply love cars and bikes, rescuing the older stuff is a real passion for me, I don't like the 'comfortably numb' new stuff, you don't drive that, you simply operate it and that's no fun at all.
I don't think I even saw one in this good condition in the 90s. Maybe the most immaculate 'barn find' on the channel?
I had a 89 in about 95, put new arches and wings on it etc! Rot box haha spent a few grand on it and sold it for a grand!
Depends how they were treated.. We had a number of owners who ran MK2 GTEs for many years from new.. They looked after them and the cars looked tidy at every subsequent service.. 🏁
My red top GTE rotted through from the drivers front wing and rear passenger panel over the wheel arch. Shame. I had the wing replaced but car was so unreliable it spent most of its life in Vauxhall main dear in Stockport. I eventually sold it on. Still no way as fast as my S4 Abarth 595 Comp, which is like an 80s hot hatch, nice and raw.
@Mrmarkeboy, Horns of Stockport? 😂
@@danjones6279 that’s the one yes. The car seemed to live there. My work mates use to call her S**tty chitty Bang Bang.
What a great episode! I almost shed a tear at the thought of your Uncle getting his dream car and not having the time to enjoy it. I love the idea of you enjoying it. Please drive it and love it for him. It belongs on the road... with the mud flaps attached!
Nah. Flog the mudflaps to some old duffer for his Belmont. They don't belong on a GTE. Plus they trap mud behind them which rots out the front wings and splash guards.
The condition of that one is better than most were two years from new.
Nice!
Proper took me back this one. I was a Vauxhall Opel guy back in the day, and had Mk1, Mk2 Astras Kadetts and Mk2 Cavaliers. SR, SRI and GTE.
This is an amazing survivor.
Someone saying “ Astra GTE” takes you back to when the roads were full of cool cars ❤️
And Maestros
@@mrc7478 😅
Coolest I got was a Ford Mondeo 1.8 16v , in white with hydraulic timing , like sitting in a huge sofa. Didn't have the cash for the astra gte.
Yeah. There are some cool cars still out there but they are not big sellers. Everyone goes for the aspirational but extremely boring and obvious choices and over time that's all we've been left with mostly.
Had the Sri. Then a 16v gte.great in a straight line . crap around bends
I had 2 16v versions in my youth, made my heart race when you lifted the cover. What memories that has evoked.🎱
I have many great memories of Astra GTEs, both 1 & 2.. I was a Vauxhall mechanic for 15 years, right through the hot hatch era.. We had a load of fun in these, moreso when the pre-cat 16v arrived.. Dead easy to work on.. I can fondly remember racing two 16v GTEs (on trade plates), dealer swaps, from Berwick to Morpeth, Northumberland.. And when early 90s car crime escalated, we had lines of these (and others) waiting for drop glasses, radio cassettes, lock kits, steering columns, wheels, etc.... Happy days indeed.. Another quality feature, Jonny.. Well Done 🏁
When vauxhalls were good. Now look at them
peak Vauxhall! Nova, Astra, Cavalier, Senator. oh and the Astramax van that I could fit a full size pallet in the back.
And the early Nova TD which was faster than the Nova GTE...
What a great example of the iconic GTE.
I have never owned one myself ,but have owned quite a few of which are now classics .
Including a nova MK1 , cavalier MK3 ,Calibra 16v Redtop .
I currently own my second Calibra that I purchased in 2017 as a bit of nostalgia,and my trusted super reliable Astra G van that iv owned since 2010 .
Also owned most fords too including Capri ,Cortina ,and escorts all mk's .Happy days 😁
@@kevincochrane Courtesy of Izuzu👍🏻
Was always an RS Turbo boy but these are fantastic and to have one in that condition is stunning and want to say thanks to them for keeping it like that!
Although I’m a Ford guy, always liked the GTE.
The 80’s were the best decade ever, car manufacturers today need to take a few looks back in time…
I used to live in Blackheath, Lewisham was close, I remember Penfold’s
Loving the Autolok, the Japanese quality Pioneer’s, TDK D90 were the best quality cassettes, brilliant video!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thats very WOW, and i was definatly in the Ford camp in that era, but a good friend of mine who also sadly passed away far too young had one of these and the memory of that has come flooding back, a week with a good detailer will see that car look like new.
Had one of these back in the day (1990 2.0 16v GTE). Loved the digital dash. Mine was also on Koni adjustables and so had hammered rear arches to allow the wheels to fit inside without the chance of rubbing on them. In my 50's now and really miss those days of going out with the mates in our cars 😪👍
Great to see the originality on this - even the period accessories, but uninstalled - perfect. Will be a great talking point at a few car shows etc, for its clean original condition. Great find - thanks for taking us all along!
Oh the memories. Even the Fruits of the forest air freshener by Holts hanging on the dash so 90's. Brilliant.
Or the few orange traffic light air freshener
@@dubnutter didn't see that one !
@@jammyone100my bad, I thought you meant you had one with that air freshener… this video brings back so many memories for me.
Best episode out. Loved it. I had a 16v white one for 8 years in the 90s and was the best car I’ve ever had. It was quick and just wanted more every time I floored it. Engine was bullet proof. It brought so much joy to my life. You have the best iconic car ever. Keep it and love it dearly!
What a gem of a car. Glad it's staying in the family.
I watch Jonny’s various channels from Canada which is why I am constantly amazed at Jonny’s joy at seeing what he believes are long lost relics from the past. I have never heard of or seen most of them! Still enjoy watching though.
That generation of Astra/Kadett (I'm Irish, so I know it as an Opel) was, in my opinion, the best example of 1980's 'jelly mould' styling. It still looks fantastic.
The rest of the world knows these as Opel 😀 just the weird Brits not 😁
@@MaxWeninger wish I still had my Opel Manta GTE coupe
Yes, the Kadett E. I had a '92 Astra F Caravan 1.4i (8V) and I was curious as to why the Corsas and the Vectras started with the letter A but the first Astra that I knew of was already on the letter F. Until I found out that Opel adopted the Astra name (introduced by Vauxhall) for their F series (and beyond) because it was launched after the fall of the Berlin Wall and keeping a military name like Kadett probably wouldn't go down well in countries that had been under the rule of the USSR for so many years. 🙂
And they were the known as the Kadett Gsi in Ireland also
@@Leepatrick3868 My first car memory is being in my dads Manta B GTE, dolphin grey one with a black bonnet, playing with the cassette holder while he drove home from the sausage factory he worked at. He owned 2 at one point, one had a 3.2 litre engine swap (can't remember what engine it was)
Brilliant episode! The joy and excitement on Jonny's face and the overwhelming nostalgia of encountering such a trip down memory lane came through by the bucket load - fantastic... I fell into the Vauxhall camp with a Nova SR, a couple of Cavaliers, a Calibra and a few Opel Mantas thrown in.
Love this. Now That's What I Call Music 10 was the last Now compilation I purchased. Thanks for the memories!
It's the only tape I have in my '89 VW Corrado -daily driver 😅 period correct for emergency music only!
Wow - the connection a car can give a family across many generations is genuinely heart - warming. Growing up in the 90's, my dad owned a Vauxhall Cavalier (D reg) and this Astra just brought back all those memories, mainly due to the colour being the same as the Astra.
What a family to have kept this gem stored in the dry and all the best to them getting back out on the road and making there own memories.
Great video Jonny and TLBS team ❤
I've still got the Kadett E GT as my daily, but with all the 16v stuff, the digidash, the redtop, all full option cable looms, board computer, check control, electric wing mirrors, Omega Cruise Control, Saab rear axle, calibra 288mm front brakes, stainless exhaust, and lots and lots more. Love these cars and in such condition is exceedingly rare.
Heart touching story. I love my Vauxhall’s. I still own an unmodified Astra 8v GTE too, which you are more than happy to see Jonny.
I used to own a Mk1 GTE in the day. What a car what an engine. My friend had many high revving Honda motorbikes and when I took him out in it he remarked on the smoothness of the engine and its almost inertia free willingness to rev. Had a Golf GTi before and that was just an awful experience what a rust bucket! It was always letting me down mechanically too, with misfires, clutch cable fraying. The brakes were appalling too. Final straw before I getting rid was structural issues on inner wings. Astra GTE plus my Honda civic Type-r really regret selling …. Happy days.
I had a 5dr 1.3L D203XRG and had it fitted with GTE bumpers, Alloys and spoiler with an SRI interior. It was also fitted with a 5-speed gearbox and a performance exhaust. Absolutely loved it! I love watching the barn finds.
I was born in the 80s i grew up with this car. I loved them i used to see them all the time growing up in the 80s. This one is a minter what a find!
In 1987 at the tender age of 20, I signed along the dotted line for a 2 year old GTE in red-$105 per month on finance and $100 per month on insurance, which sounds cheap but I was only earning $400 per month! A great car but massively understeery in the wet and although I hoped it would be a fantastic pulling machine, the car cost me so much that I could never afford to put fuel in it or go out! This episode has brought back so many memories.
Of being skint?!
@@andrewallan5090 yep-skint and unable to pull a bird!
being skint and having car ownership dreams ... remember those days well!!!
When I was a young kid my neighbour bought the GTE in a green kind of colour and it had the electronic dash. It looked so good. 🙏
What a stunning car lovely condition, I had a Nova Sport back in the day, loved that car, he’s a lucky guy having that car, great episode Jonny
Had geat memories of my June 1988 Carmine Red GTE 16V. Early 20XE Engines were between 168 BHP and 175 BHP. Mine was 173.5 BHP Standard. The first 1200 COSCAST Head cars were in that power range then detuned to 156 BHP. This information came from a Luton Technical Training Engineer. My car had the same interior but with Leather Steering Wheel with 16V logo and a higher center console and shorter gear lever and leather gear knob. It was also equipped wih rear disk brakes and twin square black exhausts. Straight line performance was ballistic. True drivers car through the bends...... go in on easily and never back off then feed in the power with respect and enjoy. De-Locked mine in 1994 because of the Joy Riding Epidemic and had an alarm and immobiliser, steering lock and wheel clamp fitted. Blocked in by a Type 2 Camper Van in my Parents Drive in Oxford. Car is on SORN
Wow. I always loved seeing those cars about and looked jealously at them driving about, whilst I was driving my Mums 1.2 Nova.
What a great barn find episode. Really enjoyed watching and going on the journey of discovery with you.
I absolutely loved these, I’m definitely a Vauxhall guy. These had huge torque under steer from the front wheels when pushed hard. Loved the digital dash. Wish this was a 16 valve but the 2.0i 8v was still extremely quick.
I think the smile on everyones face says it all, good luck with it Sophia & Joe, enjoy!! :)
I love those tyres. Powerful front-wheel drive hot hatch with those tyres leaving you wondering, every time you go for a drive, what does Fate have in store for me today 🤣
Oh gosh Jonny you are a lucky boy. My mate had several mk1s and a red 8v mk2. I had cavalier Sri’s. What a great period for Vauxhall if only they still made cars like them. ❤.
Wow Cavalier sri, I had forgotten about this car. God, reading the comments Opel made some great cars. Being honest, I cannot even name a special Opel made in the last 10-15 years
I can add that having several XR’s (2 2i 3 & 3i’s) the Vauxhall also seemed faster. I don’t know exact figures so for all I know they may of been very similar but the Vauxhall memories had a higher top speed thinking back. Thank god there wasn’t many if any speed cameras about back then 😂
Great memories. I had a Cavaler CDI, SRI, and an Astra SRI.
Neat! My 1st car was the Belmont 4 door same year, thanks for posting 🙏
Gareth was correct about pressing the clutch when starting up. Its what my dad taught me in the 80s. The starter motor isnt trying to turn the clutch unit and so reduces the load on the battery.
Thus today, I would think all keyless starter systems will require you to depress the clutch as part of the process to start the engine.
@@Laz_Arus 👍 yep
Spot on👍
Still do it in my mk1 octavia vrs
my dad had two of these, both were part exchanges but he kept hold of them for as long as possible each, both red, one was an 8v and the other was 16v. the digital dash was the coolest thing in the world to a 9 year old me, loved those cars. and the 16v still holds the record for the school run when i was running late one day, 8 miles in 9mins on winding country roads.
The cassette holder brought back some instant memories of the interior
Sweet sweet car, always wanted one of these, almost cried when lifted the front of the cover off.
Makes me sad how many of these we broke to put parts in Novas, what a fantastic time warp and great to see your enthusiasm Jonny. One of my favourite cars on your channel
In 1991 I remember seeing a sustained and stable 130mph on the digital speedo (whilst watching for police in the rear view mirror) of an exact copy of that car on a motorway in Scotland. I bought it from a perfect car polishing anorak in Bristol who kept it under a rug in his garage, and most likely polished it more times than he went over 70moh.😂
I do wish you replace the engine oil and filter before starting the engine.😯
These barn finds are strange beasts. I've never liked Astra's then or now. But I was still willing it to start and got a warm feeling when it did. Keep up the good work Jonny.
Just Brilliant Jonny! Back in the 80's, Knight Rider hit our TV screens in the UK, and I'm sure GM thought, let's put Digital Dashboards like the Kitt car from the show in our cars, and driver's went YES! I'm having some of that in my next car. I think it was a master stroke of marketing by GM, and it worked, I could be wrong, but I don't think so. So great to see this GTE looked after by the owner, it was wonderful to see when the garage door was opened and that it had a proper fitted cover over the car, it makes so much difference.
Knocked it out the Garage again Jonny with this video, and the history lesson, and the advertising footage from the time for this car.
Love a happy ending. Well done Jonny and the family and the neighbour that helped get it running again. It made my Sunday.👍😃👍
🥃😉
It's so good it wants sorting and cherishing. It is a very excellent piece of history. Great video, well done.
I had one! 1988 E reg 2 litre GTE 8v ... memories flooding back! Yes, the engines are so solid. I had it for 120,000 miles during a period of driving that I must admit included some 3 figure speeds on virtually every drive! The 16v version of this engine got all the glory but these 8v 2 litres had tremendous torque spread and I recall reading "Fast Car" magazine stats that showed that at some speeds they had better in-gear acceleration ... the 16v excelled when revving through the gears to achieve great performance but the 8v pulled from lower in the rev range and was long legged and quick. Particularly easy to get off the line avoiding wheelspin because you didn't need revs and slip the clutch. A very underestimated car. (By the way the external grey plastics were easy to bring back to "as new" appearance using "Back to Black")
I had two of these in the 90s, a white E plate 8v and a champagne G plate 16v.....love them, great episode
Twenty seconds in Jonny. An eighties hot hatch.
A perfect Sunday.
Great video, I worked for Vauxhall for more than 40 years and when I was promoted in the eighties to a management level I was allowed to get a company car. I went straight to the company car office and ordered a white Astra GTE identical to this one.
My Dad had two of these as company cars, an 8v on a D plate and a 16v, F627 MND. He used to race a guy round the corner who had a Corrado G60 on the country roads near our house, happy days. I would love to drive one, fantastic little car.
Wicked episode Jonny… was a ford man in the 80’s RS turbo RS1600i but lived the Vauxhall GTE… what a gem of a find and the condition 👌👌
An XR2 mk2 was the best I could do at 17, 40 years later and I have a 2021 Type R with 420bhp and a ton of mods, I'm living the teenage dream all over again.
This has to one of the best gte mark 2 ever all originals in that condition huge credit to the previous owner for keeping this beautiful classic in its original condition ❤
When the Mk2 Astra came out in 1984, it looked like a spaceship compared to the Mk1.
I was driving tractors from age 10, and used to drive my Dad's company cars in fields, but the cars I learned to drive on the roads in (in '89) were a 1.2 Nova, a MK3 Cavalier 2.0 CD and a Mk2 Astra 1.2 Merit.
The Mk2 Astra still looks good today.
What a car. My Dad had a Belmont 1.8 back in the day. That interior, albeit without the digital dash, brought back so many memories. Thanks Jonny!
You can tell that car was really loved!
Wow what a find. This car is truly stuck in time! So cool.
I owned a MK2 GTE, G770WJM. The only car I've ever regretted selling.
Mine was a Black GTE G661 YHK..... what colour was yours?
@@freddysquirenaranjo4859 Aubergine.
Aubergine was by far the best colour! Followed closely by the metallic dark blue 👌
Mine ended up with a knackered head gasket and rusty fuel filler neck. Sold the car and it was wrapped round a lamppost by the new owner a week later 😢
I had a XR3i but secretly wanted a GTE because of the dash. Everyone needs a mate like Gareth. Enjoyed that, thank you.
It's quite interesting to read of the number of people who liked the dash because I seem to remember the motoring press at the time being quite sniffy about it! I would switch mine to km/h without passengers knowing ... that made for an impressive fake top speed! Great days.. GTi (several manufacturers), XR3i, XR2i, RS Turbos, 5 Turbo, GTE etc etc
An electrically actuated garage door portal ! Barn finds have never known such decedent splendour
Fond memories of that era the 8v didn't have the mesh in the headrests and on 16s !! Cheers Mr Smith gr8 content as always fella !! Nostalgic at its best
Back in the 90s my dad had a small business doing dealer exchanges for a local Vauxhall dealership and a local Austin rover dealership and I got to drive many hot Vauxhall's including the astra gte, cavalier 4x4s , calibras and the turbo calibra and at the time I was a ford devotee and I was shocked at how good the Vauxhall's were, even the ordinary car's were quick, many happy memories of driving those hot Vauxhall's!.
You are so right. My partner had an MG Metro and she changed to a basic 1300 Astra that was quicker, smoother and would out perform 1600 Fords. As a result of that I subsequently bought a red GTE like in the video ... superb car.
@@MrAdopado totally true, the 1300 astra was quicker than most 1600s and would embarrass Ford's etc, a real wolf in sheep's clothing.
Wow that car brings back some good memories, i can't believe how original and mint it is awesome find yet again Johnny 👍👍👍
When vauxhall were proper built and simple to maintain with plenty of power on tap! I started to work on vauxhalls 30 years ago and still are! these were my apprentiship and the 2.0 seh engine was massivly understood the power torque on these engines was quick and could easily bounce off the limiter in 5th nothing like the french Sxxxe we have to deal with now now well done keep it standard no messing with it nice one jonny🚙🚙
Wow, what a time piece this is. Its so special when special cars like this one are this solid and untouched. So rad!
Reminds me of my Nova SR. Bloody loved it. Had a brilliant time in it. It's a shame that Vauxhall became such a sack of crap after that era
Imagine having that now. I haven't seen one since about mid 80's. Drove them when I worked at my local vauxhall garage. The handing was amazing.
I too had a SR Nova 1991 in red spax adjustable suspension and tarox brakes, drove like a rollerskate
Great nostalgia trip. I also had an 8v GTE in the late 80s. I used to live in Luton, the home of Vauxhall, so there were loads about. I remember racing my mate who had a 16v. My brakes caught fire…..almost all got stolen at some point as the security was hopeless. 😁
What a cool little rig. Amazing survivor!
In South Africa we had the Kadett Superboss. I fondly remember them battering the competition at the illegal street races.
Oh yes.GSI.2.0.16v.great engine
My second car was a Mk 1 Astra GTE and I still miss it and sometimes dream about it. A565PJL, Red, Recaros, smoked brown glass and an Alpine removable head unit and CD changer, which I still have. Peco full exhaust and manifold, K&N filter. I spent hours working on her and driving in her. Thanks for sharing. 💔
That gte is stunning, I tried to buy a mk1 white gte from 452 motor company in 1989 but couldn’t get finance on it, I had a 1989 1.3 in 1990 then in 1997 I bought a 1991 Astra cdi, that was the closest I got to a gte.
I used to draw this car as a young teenager in the back of my exercise books at school, dreaming of hooning it down country lanes! Fabulous Jonny 🎉
Thank God you’ve finally got a compressor😅
Love it. Had a G reg Golf GTi in midnight blue. My first ever brand new car. The Hot Hatch scene was so cool back then 😊
Every time I see an 80/90s hatchback I notice just how compact they actually were compared to our new "small" cars. Can we go back to when cars didn't look like they were suffering from a bad allergic reaction?
Brings me back
I was in my vw golf 16v
My friend had the GTE
Also an nova Sr
Great days
That was the Pontiac Lemans in the USA from 1988-1993.
Jonny as a man of 50 this year this video bought me so much joy.. I could only afford the SRI but seeing this in this amazing condition makes me want to go buy it… beautiful car.
Opel Kadett here. Very popular in the 80's. Known as GSI here.
Thaht has to be one of the best preserved barn finds ever, car I always wanted but could never afford. Lets hope they enjoy it as there uncle would have wanted to
Other than a white interior, could a white body with white wheels be any more 80s?
Of course the MK2 Astra Club did (almost - Very light grey) have white seats.. And carpets!
I’d love to own and drive this car even today. These were really cool! And they still are!
Taking my son to football 2 weeks ago saw a MK1 GTE on the back of a tow truck, wanted to pull him over and buy it,
Mk1 is a true hot hatch unicorn now.
I remember a mate having 3 2.0 liter 16 valve while I had a cav SRI 130 and what great fun we had racing each other around in them
It is always interesting to hear British people reviewing Vauxhall vehicles as if Vauxhall was responsible for the design and engineering.
The last Vauxhall design was the original Viva.
All the subsequent models are market-specific rebadged Opels or from other GM divisions or partners.
And now they are Peugeots.....
I had use of my moms 1989 nova gte, 1.6i 100bhp..same interior the laser trim! Love this car …so cool
Love this. Around the millennium I had a 1990 GTE Convertible in black. It was beautiful. The rubber fuel hoses that pass behind the steering rack failed on the motorway releasing fuel under pressure. A miracle it didn’t ignite!
Same here with the fuel hoses ... high pressure fuel spraying a fine mist everywhere!
@@MrAdopado I though at the time, ‘some poor bugger must have a bad fuel leak’, then when I left the motorway and got home I realised it was me! When I fitted the replacement fuel hoses I used a better protective outer wrap as the original was not up to the job.
@@autoknight747 Yes, god knows how those fuel pipes would have coped with modern ethanol supplemented fuels!
I use to own a mk1 GTE. Loved it
Fantastic video, what a time warp of a car & so original, really nice to see, well done Jonny for finding this one, we need to see more of these barn finds.
I hope all they do is change the tires and then keep it very very tidy. Such a beauiful example must be super rare. Thank you for sharing.
Love Johnny’s enthusiasm for this car .
Awesome cars my ultimate 80s hot hatch! And a presenter that actually knows something about Astra GTEs
Always so genuine and straight on the emotional ties, love it. I hope Gareth gets a good go in it as well!
Beautiful original car! I had an opel kadett gsi in white ( same thing but left hand drive) when I was in the army in Germany! Wish the owners all the best for getting it back on the road.
Great video Jonny.
Brought back so many great memories for me, I had an F plate Astra CD in white, probably the nicest driving car I’ve ever owned, that GTE is in such awesome condition too !!
Great episode. I had a GTE convertible and it was favourite car ever. I'd forgotten how cool that dash was. Thank you.
Love the 80`s tone music on this one guys 👌 It sets the vibe tone perfectly 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌