My Old Astra Coupe

Hadez

Hello one and all.

I'm new to playing with the z22se but will hopefully get some great tips over the coming weeks/months on one of my first full on car projects.
I have a Y reg (2000) Astra Coupe Bertone 2.2 that had the ol timing chain snap on it. Since it has sat on my driveway for about 3 years not doing anything the time has come to do something with it. I am trying to learn more about engine rebuilding and tuning and as my Astra is free to try and play with it will be my first project.
Over the coming year I intend to see what horsepower I can get from the 2.2 and how I can get that power down in an Astra Coupe chassis. All ideas and suggestions welcome, although the engine work I intend to bend Vockys ear on as he seems to be the man in the know around here for that much. Loving the Harrop builds going on.....

Hope to speak to you ALL alot more over the coming months for ideas and help. :ugeek:

Jim
aka Hadez

Matt

Hello Jim, welcome to the site.

blue_se2

Hello and welcome to the site we love pics on here so keep us upto date when the mods start :thumbup:

dodger

Hi Jim, Welcome to the forum

Hadez

I will certainly keep a diary and as many pics as I can take.
I'll be relying on feedback on alot of it anyway so it will be a must.

I will be commencing the breakdown of the car in the next 4 weeks, just need to get my old mans sports car out the way first.
Once thats all tucked away nicely I'll be stripping the coupe down and trying to shed alot of the weight of the car. Again I will need advice and help on rollcages and weight saving before I go crazy with the plasma cutter...... :clap:
Then it will be get the engine out clean it all up and see what sort of a state it's in. Guessing I will need to overbore as the timing chain failed at around 85mph on the motorway. notsure.gif

Once I know what sort of state the block and heads are in I will then decide exactly how to progress with this. My father is an old school mechanic so hoping to pickup a few tricks along the way, but the final goal will be getting an Astra Coupe to go as fast as I can using the 2.2 alloy lump. Been looking at the turbo or supercharger route but thats way down the road yet. I would also like to speak to someone who knows more about the Astra Coupe chassis and similarities to other vauxhall chassis such as the vauxhall calibra which I believe the Bertone Astra was the replacement for?? dunno..

My ultimate goal will be to get myself in the motorsport arena, with a 16 year background in IT and a fond love of anything with a combustion engine I wanted to combine my 2 favourite things and see if I could make a living out of it all one day.

I also own a Subaru Impreza UK Turbo which is being rebuilt right now by a local specialist to be a 500bhp monster. But thats another story for another day.

vocky

Hello and welcome to the site cheers..

you should be able to tweak your engine to around 300bhp with a GM sc, probably the easiest and cheapest route too :thumbup:

the Harrop is only required if you want around 380bhp :wtf:

Hadez

Ah Vocky,

Good to speak to you, read quite alot about you. I take it you are Neil.H thats mentioned everywhere?
If so I will be bending your ear alot, as I intend on doing 95% of the work myself, including the porting and polishing. Only work I will be farming out is any MAJOR engineering work. Rebores, skims etc....

I would love to look at the harrop build, what sort of cost are these SC's bringing?
Obviously I know about the additional costs in forging and balancing the bottom end in prep for the Harrop. But I'm guessing the SC itself is quite a few pennies.

My other big issue will be getting the power down in a FWD car, anyone know of any GM 4x4 drivetrains that might squeeze under the coupe? Maybe an old calibra 4x4 setup? What about Saab drivetrains?
Would also consider a RWD setup if it will fit under the coupe......

Jim
aka Hadez