Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => Omega Gallery => Topic started by: Sam Burton on 23 January 2013, 22:54:45

Title: Technically Not An Omega But My Other Vauxhall Project :)
Post by: Sam Burton on 23 January 2013, 22:54:45

Hi Guys here is my picture story starting from 23rd June 2009

A Good friend of mine had a very battered and bruised MK3 1.7TD LS Van His trade by day was a plasterer so you can imagine the state of the inside as well as the outside :S.

As well as being a Plasterer he was a keen Footballer so since i live opposite a football field and do the odd bit of car valeting on the side i got to know him quite well so one day whilst sitting at the bar in the Football Clubhut he came in from outside dripping in sweat
"Blimey i feel light headed, need some sugar i think?" he said
"How about a Mars Bar Barry" i said
"Yer thats a brilliant idea but i don't want to mess up my stock taking!"
"Oh shut up Barry ill buy you the bloody Mars Bar"
"Oh thanks mate much aprrieciated, I Tell you what do you still want my Van"
"Yes why?"
"Ill swap you!"
"OK Deal!"

And from that Day i purchased a 1996 Vauxhall Astravan LS 1.7TD(Low Blow) for a 55p Mars Bar :D

From that day nothing but pure effection (and Money) has been spent on the van and since i was only 15 when i got it i didnt have a very large budget to play with so i Brought a half decent set of Hubcaps from Halfords for £15 and cleaned it up with loads of T-Cut, Wax and good old Henry Hoover
(http://s17.postimage.org/jt0hk5erj/5814_117360147363_2053292_n.jpg)(http://s17.postimage.org/dj9taw4qn/5814_117360152363_4816742_n.jpg)
(http://s11.postimage.org/hrt9n8yqr/5814_117360157363_827673_n.jpg)(http://s13.postimage.org/4w17akitj/5814_117360162363_5415064_n.jpg)
(http://s9.postimage.org/o2vuu359b/5814_117360172363_5284052_n.jpg)

After about 7 months i finally left school and started as an Apprentice Mechanic so had a regular income, So i started treating the van to some luxuries including Chrome faced Angel Eyes and 15" Sport Wheels
(http://s9.postimage.org/q8zcg2nhb/38145_405255647363_3622119_n.jpg)
next in line was a locally sourced CDX Front bumper with Fogs and splitter (In gold :S)
(http://s11.postimage.org/lfi7kslpf/74882_449475782363_4067720_n.jpg)
(http://s16.postimage.org/7iuhws3xh/206303_10150113104062364_7070292_n.jpg)
after hunting high and low i could not find a CDX Estate rear bumper so had to resort to a paint LS rear bumper (in gold again - weird coinsidence) so after collecting i decided to paint both bumpers together so here is me and my otherhalfs little brother prepping the bumper ready for paint
(http://s16.postimage.org/q458h6rc5/208123_10150113104127364_4926668_n.jpg)(http://s8.postimage.org/gfdyl05g5/205645_10150113104207364_6550280_n.jpg)
(http://s12.postimage.org/n4i40z1yl/207425_10150113104277364_2294921_n.jpg)
primer done and dry basecoat was next, Basecoat done and dry clearcoat was next and then ... Heavens opened
(http://s12.postimage.org/xjoa9vz59/200143_10150113104682364_4751124_n.jpg)(http://s11.postimage.org/4dc1wujmr/199108_10150113104352364_6753056_n.jpg)
luckily the clearcoat was in a dry enough state that it didnt leave any water marks in the final finish so when the rain eased off we removed the prep material
(and also turned van around)
(http://s17.postimage.org/ewacf4cn3/206994_10150113104847364_2881127_n.jpg)(http://s9.postimage.org/bu9gazzof/196731_10150113104757364_6861874_n.jpg)
not bad for an aerosol Job :P
the following day weather was much better so a few pictures were in order
(http://s16.postimage.org/92v8hfmxx/206287_10150136320817364_3067261_n.jpg[/img[img]http://s7.postimage.org/auh9lrjtn/207923_10150136322097364_1282875_n.jpg)
(http://s8.postimage.org/ahs64lbpx/218097_10150136321432364_2141786_n.jpg)(http://s11.postimage.org/qunayay8z/243222_10150183835027364_8029045_o.jpg)
Pretty nice if i dont say so myself :)
(http://s7.postimage.org/hfz366ihn/242156_10150183839812364_4210429_o.jpg)
i left modifying for a while untill about 5 months later when i invested ina set of 16" MK4 SXI wheels
(http://s9.postimage.org/3mpw8z1b3/262491_10150249126412364_1295847_n.jpg)(http://s11.postimage.org/3phhq1ihv/308412_10150249579462364_2895031_n.jpg)
(http://s15.postimage.org/3ms8l5t1n/281507_10150232065297364_8153589_n.jpg)
i then removed the side strips
(http://s11.postimage.org/vj7w78ctf/2011_10_13_13_24_43.jpg)
Unfortunatly this was the last picture i took before i sold it...

Title: Re: Technically Not An Omega But My Other Vauxhall Project :)
Post by: Sam Burton on 23 January 2013, 22:58:16

Untill the 28th October 2012 when i brought her back!!!
this is how she spent our year apart she had a spoiler fitted got LOW!! and sat on god awful wheels
(http://s10.postimage.org/w6mf7l4hl/2012_09_29_20_26_34.jpg)
(http://s11.postimage.org/no1y65skj/2012_09_29_20_26_43.jpg)
(http://s11.postimage.org/no1y65skj/2012_09_29_20_26_43.jpg)
then she was sold to the owner about 5 months ago and for that 5 months sat in a barn looking very sorry for herself
(http://s16.postimage.org/yjm2qkwdh/mms_img_1790980971.jpg)
then last friday 16th November 2012 she was back in my hands OMG SHE WAS UNBELIEVABLY DIRTY
(http://s16.postimage.org/qs9y5rhlx/IMAG0062.jpg)(http://s13.postimage.org/69fz3ebt3/IMAG0064.jpg[/img

Now the Proper work starts!!
GSi Front End and Angel eyes back in
[img]http://s18.postimage.org/mql1up7d5/IMAG0065.jpg)
so then onwards and upwards 5 stud conversion so the 18" vectra c wheels can fit on snuggly :)
(http://s14.postimage.org/hrh1q82td/IMAG0071.jpg)
it turned out to be tighter on the back than i thought but may have been because i fitted MK4 Rear Hubs without realising so this weekend coming MK3 rear hubs will be fitted so hopefully pull it in a little more
(http://s11.postimage.org/62vamoogz/530962_10151076014527364_264194069_n.jpg)


Update 24/11/12

Spent Saturday in the lovely damp and drizzily weather sorting the fronts out so now is mobile again but still havent had a chance to sort the rear hubs out a task for next weekend as i run out of hours in day light and dryness so just ended up sorting the frong legs out
(http://s9.postimage.org/9tbigmkvj/IMG00039_20121124_1411.jpg)
(http://s7.postimage.org/evp2pd8ij/IMG00040_20121124_1411.jpg)
then finally dropped it back down on to all 4 and it starting to look the part now
(http://s7.postimage.org/u8rp99umz/IMG00041_20121124_1421.jpg)

So Currently with rusty arches and an embarrasment state to her MK3 Astra Brothers and Sisters, Ive decided to focus my attention on the old girl So hopefully going to be running a C25XE 2.5 V6 Engine from a Calibra/Cavalier so will have a bit of grunt to go with the looks.... Hopefully  :y
[/B]

Title: Re: Technically Not An Omega But My Other Vauxhall Project :)
Post by: Sam Burton on 23 January 2013, 23:04:55

Here is the Van on the first weekend of me buying it back ABSOLUTLY COVERED IN FILTH and thats just the Van  ;D (Oh and the stupid headlights have been put back in) I cant think where i've put the Omega in this video

http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/may2011omega/media/astraCleanday_zps6631cb00.mp4.html (http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/may2011omega/media/astraCleanday_zps6631cb00.mp4.html)

Title: Re: Technically Not An Omega But My Other Vauxhall Project :)
Post by: x25dt on 24 January 2013, 19:49:15

Had one myself, love the astra  :y

Title: Re: Technically Not An Omega But My Other Vauxhall Project :)
Post by: symes on 24 January 2013, 21:21:36

Wow nice Astra Van :y :y My old man's got one he's never cleaned inside or out it rust is held together by the dirt But in all the years he's owned it :o :o Pity vx never did Omega van  :'(