back from the dark side

[Jackson]

or am i coming back to the dark side, i'm not really sure.
anyway i used to have a lovely green v6 calibra with rieger body kit and quadlight led tail lights.
that left me about 3 years ago and i still miss her...anyway i moved onto a dc5r integra and it's been fantastic.
thinking about getting back into an opel with a sri turbo...older shape...and whatever money i have left over is going towards a house.
my questions are...am i going to be paying as much to run this car as i did with the v6 cali?
i am hoping it wont be so bad..i know not to get parts through holden etc...is it going to be that much more than the integra to run.
other than that one issue i am quite excited to be getting an astra sri...never had a turbo b4.
also i have seen a few fairly low K turbos going for around the 12k mark...are these likely to be lemons avoided at all costs or potentially a good buy?
cheers guys :)

[poita]

wow its Ian!

its been a long time mate!

sri is going to be much cheaper to run and maintain than a V6 calibra.

tbh prob cheaper than an integra to run

[btm]

sri is going to be much cheaper to run and maintain than a V6 calibra.


not to mention, you'll actually be able to spend more time driving it than it being in pieces :p

[JohnBu]

no real problems with the SriT.

Won't be honda reliable, but I can say my hasn't been too bad.

155,000km on mine. Replaced the radiator, coolant tank reservior and rocker cover gasket. that's it.

Servicing is reasonable if you find someone who knows Opels, wouldn't be much different from a DC5.

Parts are very reasonable if you order from the UK, especially with current forex rates.

I suggest you drive one to get a feel of them, handling prob won't be as sharp, but it will be much more torquey.

Price wise, they depreciated more than hondas. Make sure the one you get has a service history and has been well maintained.

I'm very happy with mine and can't justify upgrading, unless it's a big jump to like a Golf R, Evo X or 370z.

[Jackson]

Hey poita :) it has been a long time.....that's great news for me...i will be selling the teg and getting a turbo asap then.
thanks guys...looking forward to it :)wouldn't even consider it if it were not for this forum...proly the friendliest forum i have used :)

[J]

Good evening Jackson!

Not sure if I can be of much help, but I bought my SRi-T off another forum member with 104,000km on the clock. It has now done more than 150,000km. Besides changing the oil every 7,500km (apparently only needed every 15,000km, but I just prefer to do it that way), and routine servicing (including timing belt + water pump + tensioner etc. replacement at 120,000km), the only faulty part that I had was a voltage regulator (often misdiagnosed as the entire alternator. Just beware of that!).

With upgraded exhaust from the dump pipe all the way back, a regular diet of RON98 fuel, and driving it most of the time on its low to mid range torque curve i.e. shifting up early, I get 8.9L/100km with the Mobil stuff in 100% suburban driving (50% stop-start, and 50% cruise), and 8.3L/100km with the Shell stuff. That's pretty good in my opinion! Even comprehensive insurance (when I did a comparison of different cars about 2 years ago before settling on the SRi-T) costs LESS than a superseded Accord Euro. Amazing! And given that it does depreciate pretty quick, buying a G SRi-T now would cost you less than most new small econoboxes, which is virtually guaranteed to be a good move, especially if you buy one that has been looked after.

Best way to decide whether to buy a high kay one, as with all cars, is to drive one back-to-back against a lower kay example. If there is little or no difference in terms of driving performance (meaning there may still be plenty of life with the clutch and turbo seals etc.), no major mechanical issues and tell-tale negligence eg. black/brown sludge on the inside of the engine oil cap/dipstick, torn CV boots, and the body still feels relatively tight, like mine, it could still be good buying.

Without ever having driven a DC5R, I'd say the SRi-T may not be quite as tactile at the limit, but it's pretty good as it is in standard form. Mine has the full Whiteline upgrade with Eibach Pro Kit and Koni yellows, and although the ride does get noticeably harsher with more people and/or load onboard, and I can definitely feel there is more weight shuffling around than my Corsa C, its cornering dynamics are now almost without peer. For me, the best thing about the SRi-T is a relatively good all-rounder: it can fit my friends and their gear, no need to rev it out all the time to get performance, low-ish running costs, standing out in an inconspicuous and not a "cop magnet" kind of way...it's just great!

With marriage and family coming, I wish I can help you out right now by showing you mine before I sell it. But sadly, I probably won't be able to sell it soon enough for you! :| Anyway, all the best with getting one, and do keep us posted!

[Jackson]

Thanks J for the info, very helpful
i think the insurance on an srit is going to be cheaper than for my Teg R...quite amazing for a turbo car!! depreciatioin doesn't bother me...i bought the Teg for 26k a few years back and i hope to get 20k for it now...so the way i look at it if i get a astra for 12k ish (hopefully) and i sell it a few years later for 6k..that's a loss of 6k..same as my Teg :) would prolly be able to sell it for more than 6k after a couple more years though...deprecition slows down doesn't it ?
i dont expect it to go around corners as well as the Teg that does it so so well...but nice turbo boost will make up for it and i plan to spend any money on handling mods... maybe an lsd and sus....of course i am sure that is where it will start :)
some may say i am downgrading to an Sri-T but i can't see it...they will be about the same age...same power in stock (sri-t more torque) and easy to get more out of...just as nice if not nicer inside....and i have always liked the astras....i guess it's a more common car but that too apeals to me ( just because i am in a teg R does not mean i wanna race you in your civic) so it's win win as far as i can see.... i will have to go throught the pain of selling the Teg first...i hate selling cars..so i might be a few months yet before i get my mits on one!...something to look forward to :)

[Wraith]

not to mention, you'll actually be able to spend more time driving it than it being in pieces :p

LOL so true of most Calis...think everyone his neighbors and his dog and cat knows about the Calis rep by now :D

And true of all the above advice by others, can't really go wrong with a good TS SriT :)

And also welcome back Ian, I remember both you and your old Cali well from back in the "VB the dogs" Cali forum days...

[Jackson]

VB the dogs...Wraith i have always enjoyed reading your posts re "your next car" :)
and have popped back onto opelaus just for a read from time to time...i actually have a rear strut bar that i payed too much for from tcce that i could never sell...now i can use it in the astra...just gotta get tiny thing fixed on the teg first..then my first turbo will be on it's way.

cheers guys :)

[Wraith]

VB the dogs...Wraith i have always enjoyed reading your posts re "your next car" :)
and have popped back onto opelaus just for a read from time to time...i actually have a rear strut bar that i payed too much for from tcce that i could never sell...now i can use it in the astra...just gotta get tiny thing fixed on the teg first..then my first turbo will be on it's way.

cheers guys :)

As said good to hear back from yourself and other past long term members...

Hope you get yourself a good TS turbo, are you after any colour in particular out of the 3 available ?? - let us know how it goes :)

[Jackson]

well have always loved the blue...but the go for more $...and as this is a money saving exercise i am thinking most likely silver.
And that's fine for me..like them in silver :)

[Wraith]

well have always loved the blue...but the go for more $...and as this is a money saving exercise i am thinking most likely silver.
And that's fine for me..like them in silver :)

Agree, IMHO star silver is the best colour for any TS variant but of course it's down to individual choice when it comes to colour :)

Also I didn't think the Arden blue commanded any extra coin both new or S/H ?? those 3 colours available are all metallic and the Arden blue is also the more common or numerous so plenty around in that colour, the black is the rarest or lowest number sold of the TS turbos...

Maybe someone selling an Arden blue might try asking for more, but it's definitely a buyers and not sellers market out there when it comes to selling a used car...

[Jackson]

Fair enough...have only been looking for a few weeks at seemed to me the blue was asking for more...interesting..still thinking silver :)...seena few black but don't wanna wash it every day...looks nice though in black i think.

[Wraith]

Fair enough...have only been looking for a few weeks at seemed to me the blue was asking for more...interesting..still thinking silver :)...seena few black but don't wanna wash it every day...looks nice though in black i think.

Agree again also love it in black (considered that colour for my TS turbo vert) but didn't go for it for the same reasons as yourself :)

From what I've seen S/H TS turbos in any colour are hard to 'move' or sell in any colour...I've seen lots hang around for a long time with the ask price constantly dropping...hopefully you get one for a good price :)