Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Gte 8v worth saving?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Gte 8v worth saving?

    Hi Everyone,

    Always had fond memories of the GTE since my dad had one back in the 90's. Wanted one for years however the scarcity of them going for sale previously put me off and I eventually forgot about them until I seen one parked up the other day, wish I had got one back then though!

    Anyway, I found one local to me on eBay that might be worth a look at however I'm not too clued up on prices for project cars as they tend to vary greatly from what I have seen.

    I'm not even sure if this one can be saved due to the extent of the rot, I know the arches and sills are available online but I'm not sure if they are just outer?

    link is here - https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F113586493440

    Seems like a high price to me considering the state of it but just want a few opinions from what can be seen in the pictures and what to look out for. Hopefully be able to view the car next week on a day off.

    I know a garage that can do the welding, the body and paint I can sort myself along with any electrics.

    Thanks

  • #2
    Whilst I would love every GTE to be saved, that one has been up for sale for a long while..

    Experience tells me that whilst there is a lot of damage visible, theres also a lot needing sorting that isnt as visible, so ?1350 would probably be a ?350 too much for a 16v project but is more like ?750 too much for a 8v project..

    On the flip side, that car with a full decent restoration will now be worth ?4-5k, maybe more if you find the right buyer. However, it will probably cost ?5k to do it if your capable of some of the work, more like ?7-8k if your paying someone else full rates for the work. Remember that things like unbroken front bumpers are now ?80-?100 each so the costs quickly mount up.

    Now, if you can get the car for ?500, put your own labour at zero cost into it and can do a lot of the paint prep then its worth a punt but Id rather you be aware of what it costs to do it right then get caught out..

    If you do get it (or another one) then please join the club, add a forum thread on here and its surprising just how motivational it can be to post a few piccies and get peoples feedback from that.

    Paul..
    My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks Paul,

      Glad I wasn't wrong about the price being seemingly high.

      Yep I have priced up some parts, seemingly body & interior trim is the hardest to source.

      I have assumed already the suspension, brakes etc will all be shot and need replacements so I'd treat it as essentially a purchase of a shell with a few added extras.

      Wouldn't be planning on selling and I'd get this done over a long timescale so overall cost wouldn't be too much of an issue.

      Will be sure to have a good look over it next week as I'd have though it would only be worst underneath and in person than what's shown. The fact it looks to have been stored inside though is slightly more hopeful.

      Comment


      • #4
        Id expect the inner arches to be shot and they are difficult to get but can be repaired, floorpan around the rear wishbone mount, along the edge with the sill too can be bad.

        Check the front inner wings at the front too. The benefit of an 8v shell is that its essentially the same as a base model shell so sometimes these can prove useful to repair where the panels arent easily gotten.

        Good luck

        Paul..
        My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

        Comment


        • #5
          Ah yes, agree with Paul completely - that car has been for sale for a long time and while you'll get a great sense of achievement from saving it, even I looked at it as a source of parts rather than a restoration. Yes, in truth, even a superficially tidy one is going to have almost the same amount of work needed to sort it out properly, if you can start out with something complete and just honestly rusty it might be better (less parts to source).

          My first GTE came out of a field in Devon, I was pretty lucky by all accounts but did the work back in about 2004-6 when panels were far easier to get.

          Your long-term resto plan is good too, you might have less temptation to cut corners and the cost becomes a secondary issue if eventually resale isn't a consideration.

          I would be inclined to look for a better base for your project, but if this one is already showing you all its faults in those photos, maybe it is viable.

          Ian.
          See my project car HERE.

          Comment


          • #6
            Completely agree with Paul.

            IMO for the condition it is overpriced as I believe a running GTE project goes for about a thousand pounds.

            I would offer 500, but pay no more than a thousand.

            ​​​​​​Going on previous experience with GTEs, if I bought any GTE as a project I would strip the car down to a bare shell so I knew exactly what work was required.

            Sorry Kerry if this sounds obvious, but these cars rot everywhere. If I had the money I would buy this as i would love another 8v GTE.

            Comment


            • #7
              we always say "value" a mk2 based on the condition of the shell, that means rust and structural integrity. on top of those risks the blue one looks like its been round arena essex on a sunday afternoon.

              cant add anything to the guys excellent posts, other than to agree sub 500 car

              Comment


              • #8
                All I can add is that the above are all first hand experts in Astra Mk2 restoration assessments but as a bit of a cheeky plug, I can now provide a welding and fabrication service (with first hand experience) for this kind of restoration at competitive rates

                Laurie

                Comment

                Working...
                X