I've caused a bit of chaos on the Astra forum...

[Maxxed_Ross]

Well it looks like I've upset a few of the boy racers in the Astra world


You constantly see posts about owners of 1.7cdti engines trying to get more power out of them. Now normally I'm all for that sort of thing - but after spending a fair stack of cash most end up with under 150bhp

Now for those of you not clued up on Astra engines you can buy exactly the same cars, for near enough the same money as a standard 1.7cdti that comes with a 1.9cdti that puts out 150bhp straight from the box - with the added bonus of having a few more toys inside, bigger brakes and a much bigger scope for tuning to well over 200bhp for the same money as they are spending struggling to get to 150bhp.

Not to mention the insurance benefits of having that power on a totally standard car against declaring all the mods on the 1.7 to get it there.

Am I getting old or does anyone else see that as a bit silly?

[Malteser]

And whats wrong with the 1.7td lump? All Ive done to it is a slightly larger turbo, and uprated injectors and I love the way it drives. Will soon be tuning the fuel and boost once gauges are in and that should give me a bit more. Overall, about 130 euros spent.

http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthre...ighlight=rover

Just pulling your leg buddy. I personally dont mind cause everyone has their own opinion but at the same time you do have a point. Why not start with a bigger engine and spend less to get more.

[Maxxed_Ross]

nothing wrong with the 1.7 at all, I had one in my van... but it was never going to be tuned anywhere like Susans 1.9 estate ended up being tuned.

For me you modify a car to make it better... not to make it like a car you could go out and buy off the shelf

[carmadbaker]

Not getting old mate, just wiser ;-) makes perfect sense to me!

[stamford]

Same as Dan's comment, just wiser with it Ross. I have the 1.9CDTi and in standard form it is 150. I am the same, start with the better platform and add to that. However the younger ones don't always get it and think the smaller cc's will keep premiums down, but I would bet my car that 99% of them are not declaring the mods, or all of them hence the 1.7 being used.

I originally wanted the V6 version but after comparing figures I went for the 1.9 as once it was mapped it would have the same figures as the V6 but with better economy. Plus cheaper to maintain than the V6 diesel. But this sort of thought process is lost on the younger ones.

[Maxxed_Ross]

So if it's lost on the young ones I must be old

I knew it!

[Mark S]

the 1.9 is a fiat lump whereas the 1.7dti was an isuzu lump.

I thought there was a bout a grand difference between them?

The 1.9 will blow its M32 gearbox, they fail as early as 40k and most have destroyed themselves by 70k.
The 16v 1.9 will most likely give you egr problems, swirl flap problems which if your unlucky will ingest into the engine and chew up the turbo on the way out, and if your really unlucky and the water pump seizes, it will strip the camblet and give you major engine problems.
So there's 4 reasons to be careful.

The 8v 120bhp will tune to 160-165bhp which makes it fly and feel almost as quick as the 16v, without the water pump issues or swirl flap issues.

The 1.7 is cheap as chips, you can pick up an ex police 3 or 5 door in white for 1500quid, 3 years old with full history.
These have discs all round air con and sri seats.
A set of wheels, a remap and a bit of tarting up can provide a really cheap 3 yr old car.

The 1.7 will never be quick and will be passed by many a milk float and push bike.
ther stock 75bhp will usually only make 90bhp with just a remap, but they are reliable and will do 50mpg all day long.

Trying to get 150bhp from one is just plain stupid as one is much better buying the fiat powered 1.9 version.

[Ritchy]

I find tge 1.7 pretty agricultural compared to the 1.9

[peterzs]

Hi Ross, welcome to the club.

Older and wiser I reckon.

But remember you are only as old as feel.

[p_b82]

well no-one would embark on a project and tune a diesel to more than the factory limits now would they *cough cough*

Don't get me wrong, there is throwing good money after bad if the research and the development has been done, but if there are still unknown's then people will always push the boundaries, whether it is 'sensible' or not.

the L-series for example, put in a set of the SDI's and get it remapped, and leave everything else as it is, and you increase performance and factory figures by about 40-50%... that is cheap as chip it is only when you wanted to go further does things start to cost... as we have all discovered.... and that should now be less as some of us have worked out the failure points\reasons now for the benefit of the 'many'

If mods are not declared then they are stupid though i agree but declaring mods isn't that expensive now as lots of brokers provide cover for it now - my ZS is only £500 a year insurance in Bristol in BS6* currently with all mods replaced like for like,fully comp, protected no claims, commuting, 12k miles etc (*quite a high risk postcode even if the area i lived in wasn't)..... My 1.4 58 plate fiesta zetec with 8k annual miles, mirrored no claims no mods is £370....

As to whether i would make the same mods to my car a second time, the answer is of course no... if i had a crystal ball, and spotted the headlift due to a poorly spec'd turbo sold without any real testing having been done on it - i would have stayed well clear!

But I might have gone down the twin turbo route instead for a fraction of the cost i spent working out those issues and blown it up in a different way

Oh and for some it is the challenge that makes it worth while... i know some-one that used the manual injection pump, normally only good for 85bhp and got it to spit out dam near 140 or thereabouts...

not sure if the above means i am old or young, but at 31 i am now a lot wiser than i was when i started the project regardless !