VXOC Astra-J/GTC

Hi guys,

I've been about for a few months now and commented on stuff here and there but want to make my own progress thread so I can document the stuff I will be doing to my car. I've not got a great deal of money at the moment so can't afford anything major but will be making some mods to my car and posting them here in the hope that it helps some other people along the way.

Here is my 1.6t (180)



The main mod i've done already is to fit a custom open cone air filter, using a k and n and custom maf housing etc.. the thread for that is here:

https://www.vxoc.org.uk/forum/Thread-Ind...r-GTC-1-6T

and a pic of how it's set up:



The air filter is working fine, and now i've begun to get a little taste for a few other little bits i'd like to do. I had a nosy at the lighting thread last week and ordered myself some LED DRL's for the front, and they look awesome but the only downside is the main headlights look blatently yellow compared to the drl's so I will be changing them in the very near future. Here is a shoddy pic of them I took last night:



Sorry about the quality of the picture, but the white/blue DRL's are clearly showing up the yellowish standard lights, the next mod on the horizon is the HID lights or maybe even just the white coloured phillips bulbs i've seen people talking about, although a little concerned about how 'illegal' they are..

And while i've been pottering about looking for stuff i'd like to do, I may have a go at wrapping the chrome door trims that look like they don't belong. I like the gloss black between the windows so will be going for that colour, wrapping doesn't look too difficult by the looks of it. I had a little read of this that seems to clear it up a little:

http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthr...ome-Strips


Other things I would like to sort out are the chrome next to the griffin at the front in the same gloss black, and that nasty grill at the front needs changing (not sure what to yet though haha).

Eventually when I save some pennies I will be going for that icebox android unit, eibach lowering springs, a loud exhaust (after looking I think it will have to be a sports cat back) I don't want it too quiet, a remap, and the RDS splitter front and rear, and nice black 19-20 inch alloys.

That's a nice list you have I look forward to seeing your progress.

Looks really good

Thanks, will take me a while to get it how I want it but at least I can keep my journey in one place.

Nice looking motor there

I am really starting to like that colour. Saw a nice example of one, tiny mileage for 9k. 2.0 gtc. Not sure I can go back to 3 doors though..Otherwise I might be tempted to pax my vx line.

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i like the yellow on the gtc it really stands out well

Thanks, this is first yellow car I've had and I'm going to go for the yellow and black look. The main issue with the 3 doors is that the doors are like aeroplane wings, it's tough getting out the car without bashing them.

(8:th-May-2016, 08:42:38)WoZLinGToN Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks, this is first yellow car I've had and I'm going to go for the yellow and black look. The main issue with the 3 doors is that the doors are like aeroplane wings, it's tough getting out the car without bashing them.

Yes the doors are tricky. I had a civic type s 3 door before my Astra. Mind you it wasn't the 3 door that made me sell it but rather than sh1te suspension or lack thereof.

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So I was unsure which way to go with the headlights, and thought I would try out the OSRAM Unlimited headlights hoping they would be white enough to match the LED DRL's I fitted.

After looking around I decided to get the 9006 fitment as there wasn't many bulbs for the 9012 they have in standard, I trimmed the right hand tab down to make it fit. I used a cut piece of card to make sure I trimmed the right amount off as shown below:


Here is the bulbs next to each other ready to be fitted:

So I was hoping for the light to be as close to the LED DRL's as possible, although it is slightly whiter I don't think it matches enough for me to keep it that way.

I didn't realize it would be as yellow as it is but it's a learning curve at least, here is the lights compared with the standard..

OSRAM Unlimited on the left headlight and the standard headlight on the right headlight.



It looks a bit yellower than it seems in the camera, suppose its a little close to the DRL than it was before. I've had a read of Cornishtaz's thread using a HID kit and am just unsure whether it would blind other drivers etc using a HID kit with reflector headlights.

Never thought I would like a yellow car but I am really like that especially with the chrome trim.....Looks bloody good as it goes :-)

I wouldn't mind having a yellow GTC, with black roof, wing mirrors and alloys...

Thanks, I love that little pic it's pretty much where I want to go with mine.

I've ordered some gloss black wrap that should be here today or tomorrow for some bits. Can't afford the Irmsher grill so going for the next best thing, wrapping that chrome trim black and still got to decide what to do with the griffin. Thinking may be yellow background black at the front, also going to wrap the chrome window trim aswell. I don't think the chrome suits the car as well as black would, in also painting the alloys black in the next few weeks.

So I decided to get rid of the chrome window trim tonight and had a blast at wrapping them in gloss black.

Has taken me all night to do them but here's the result:

Looking good mate, you must have the patience of a saint to take on that fiddly job lol.

Yea it was a pain to do but I managed to get them off without too much of a struggle, wrapping them has about worn out my finger tips haha

Looks greaat

very good work

Just ordered myself a nice cheap pedal box, anyone have any experience of these on the 1.6 turbo?

Bargain... 

Just fitted the pedal box, I must say it makes a huge difference with reducing the lag from the 1.6. It's like a sport button on steroids, I can tell it doesn't actually make it any more powerful at top end but that hesitation is gone. Got it set on sport+ level 3, I wonder how low my mpg will go now haha

I would recommend it for anyone with the 1.4 turbo or the 1.6 turbo as it really does make a massive difference, also I have managed to fit it behind the little storage box above the accelerator pedal and have found it a nice tidy little home.

Right seems that's what I need then (other than a turbo, some nitrous and a supercharger).....................credit card to the ready, CHARGE !

Few little updates, I've been ordering some bits off ebay and got myself a few bargains:









Fitted the wind deflectors, pedals, interior leds, sunglasses holder.. just need to get the glove box and boot lights on and the hids/ number plate leds on..

Not bad all for under £75 as I collected one bunch and combined postage on other.

Good work, and is that a ready made kit for led numberplate lights?

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Thanks, it came off a gtc so ready to go and meant to be error free.. I've just got to get round to fitting it. It's my next job after work tomorrow :-)

Last night I got a lovely service vehicle soon message and then an EML light. Car went into limp mode twice on the way back as well, after leaving it off for 30 secs it went back to normal. This morning I've plugged in my obd reader and got this:



I'm assuming it's something to do with my dodgy contraption of an air filter, so unfortunately the air filters had to come off today and put it back to standard. :-( I've cleared the fault code and hoping that it won't come on again

P0172 DTC P0172 00: Fuel Trim System Rich

it could be

Had the air filter back to standard today and the bloody thing put me in limp mode again with service esp message this time. My warranty runs out next month so I'm going to take it in to vauxhall in the week :-(

do you have any tuning boxes etc added

I've got a pedal box fitted but no tuning boxes

ok no problem just checking

You Better get it looked at as you say it could be the fuel pressure regulator sensor maybe but always best to get a proper diagnosis done

This may help abit
http://workshop-manuals.com/vauxhall/ast...p0172_llu/

Thanks guys, got it booked in at vauxhall on Thursday so get a lovely little combo van for the day haha

Just got my lovely back, nice and fixed. Turned out I sorted the issue of it running rich by removing the air filter and clearing the fault code.

The cutting out was due to low voltage or something from accelerator wiring (pedal box). I reckon I must have changed settings with slight acceleration or deceleration, either way I'm going to keep the pedal box off now and leave the air filter off.

Stuck 2 new tyres on the front at the same time.. happy bunny! They sorted the rattle on my exhaust as well, nice one vx!