Mat - Vauxhall Astra 1.9SRI

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Mat Hunter

Vauxhall Astra  1.9SRI

Instagram: @Tigger_sri_mat

Meet Matt: Transforming a Vauxhall Astra into a Custom Showstopper

Hi, I'm Matt, a 31-year-old from the steel city of Sheffield. By day, I work full-time as part of the prep team at Motorpoint. By night, I'm a professional boxer and a proud dad to my amazing little lad, Brooklyn. My journey into the car scene began at 14, collecting "Max Power" magazines and watching "The Fast and the Furious" movies.

My First Ride and the Birth of Tigger

The Vauxhall Astra wasn't my first car. My first ride was a Corsa B, gifted by my nan after I passed my test. I bought the Astra completely standard nine years ago, primarily as a family car. Initially, I had no intention of modifying it. However, I soon fell in love with the car and began making changes, starting with the wheel colour, lowering it, and adding window tints. I wanted to make it unique and stand out. How many orange Astras do you see on the road?

The Story Behind Tigger

In 2018, while heading to the Performance Vauxhall Show with friends, we were told to bring mascots for our cars. The only one I had was Tigger, so along he came. The whole show, everyone was calling it the "Tigger Astra," and the name stuck. Let’s be honest, everyone loves Tigger.

Full Spec List

Lighting and Paint

• One-off custom pearl orange spray job by JS Customs
• Custom headlights with color-chasing halos
• Daytime running lights
• Engine bay, intercooler, and fog lights all color-chasing
• One-of-a-kind rear light builds with Blue Ghozt systems, the only set made custom-built for the 5-door by Monkey Wrench
• Custom lighting throughout the boot build and starlight roof lighting kit, all finished in Malito black material by REDesign Customs

Engine Mods

• Stage 2 setup
• Hybrid 1756 turbo
• 4-bar boost sensor
• 80mm mass airflow
• Uprated intercooler and pipework
• Big-end bearing gearbox rebuild, also fitted with gripper differential
• Stage 3 clutch kit
• 2.5-inch straight-through exhaust with dual exit Cobra back box

Interior

• VXR Recaro bucket seats
• Full SMD light conversion
• Three-gauge set: boost, battery voltage, and oil temp
• Orange wrapped plastics
• Carbon fibre dipped steering wheel
• Head unit upgraded to a Pioneer App Radio 3
• Infinity mirror in the air ride setup

Audio

• Full custom audio install with rear seat delete
• 4 x 10-inch Bassface S10 Indie subs
• 3 x 8-inch Vibe Black Death Series X mid-range door speakers
• 2 x Black Death bullet tweeters per door
• 2 x Vibe powerbank amps to run door speakers
• Edge Xtreme 5000-watt amp to power the subs

Body Work

• VXR bumper smoothed with the DAP R lower splitter
• Bonnet vents with 20mm bonnet spaces
• Smoothed rear bumper with custom lower splitter
• Bola B1 alloys custom dipped in shadow chrome
• Full round tints with wind deflectors
• Full V2 air ride system with a two-tank setup and orange powder-coated tanks
• 440cc compressors custom-built into the boot build

Maintenance and Sponsorship

All bodywork is maintained by my sponsor, Splash Detailing, who provides me with all the products to protect the paint and wheels. JS Customs in Leeds helps keep Tigger in top-notch condition for shows with their bodywork skills. All mechanical work is completed by my good friend Josh Osbourne at Phantom Autoworx.

Dream Car

If I could own any other car, it would be the R34 GTR 2.5 Twin Turbo. I've always loved this car since I was young.

Thank you for reading my story. Follow my build and adventures on Instagram!

Follow Mat's Build

Instagram: @Tigger_sri_mat

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UKTM no: UK00003572459