About Courtenay Sport

Courtenay Sport…….. Welcome to our blog.

  • Vauxhall/Opel Performance Tuning
  • ECU Remapping – Petrol and Diesel
  • Workshop Facilities
  • Fitting Centre
  • Rolling Road and ECU Datalogging
  • Engine Rebuilds
  • Brake Upgrades
  • Engine Transplants
  • Suspension Upgrades
  • Intercooler and Radiator Upgrades
  • LSD Fitting
  • Gearbox Overhaul and Repair
  • Silicone Engine Hoses
  • Routine Servicing to Manufacturer’s Schedule
  • Courtenay Enhanced Servicing
  • Tech2 Diagnostic Checking
  • Vauxhall Software/ECU Updating and Re-programming
  • MOT Testing Arranged
  • Customer Waiting Area – Tea and Coffee Available
  • TV and DVD player – Wireless Broadband

Our Premises

Our Waiting Area and Showroom

Our Workshop
Thanks to Martyn Williams for the above three images
For those of you who do not know us, we trust that the information on our website will give you an insight into who we are and what we do. For those of you who already know what we do, this site will keep you up to date with our products, conversions and ongoing developments. Whether you choose one of our turbo uprgrades, ecu remaps, suspension or brake upgrades, engine transplants, engine reworking or a full engine rebuild we are confident that you will enjoy the journey home.In addition to our Performance Tuning work carried out in our own workshop facilities, we can fit any of our products in our workshop, we are able to offer routine servicing to manufacturer’s recommendations or suggest and carry out an enhanced Courtenay service,schedule, carry out engine fault diagnosis using Vauxhall Tech 2 diagnostic equipment, offer rolling road services in our purpose built dyno cell and arrange MOT Testing.

Please visit our site regularly to keep up to date on our product development, new products, latest news and special offers.

How Courtenay began……

For anyone who knows cars, Courtenay is a name that has been synonymous with Vauxhall for a good number of years. First in Norfolk, then nationwide and finally internationally. Courtenays started as a Vauxhall dealership in 1984 in North Walsham, under Chris Courtenay and with the influence of his motorsport background it widened its remit to include performance tuning, most notably turbocharging, with results that gained the company national recognition and coverage in countless specialist car magazines and on television programmes.One of the many cars that was instrumental in spreading the Courtenay name was a Vauxhall Nova that was capable of 150mph and at the time was one of the quickest accelerating front wheel drive cars in the country. The owner and builder of this Nova was Jon Shield, who had joined the Company in 1984.

Jon has always been involved in the performance side, and when he moved with the Company to its previous site he became Service Manager. Jon used this time to gain a real in-depth knowledge of tuning and modifying Vauxhalls, as demonstrated by his Nova, which used a 2.0 litre 16 valve Vauxhall engine, installed and turbocharged by Courtenay, and with their software controlling the engine management system. Since then, Jon’s cars have included a Calibra 3.0 V6, a throttle bodied 2.0 16v Nova Sport, an Astra G XEV turbo, an SRi Astra Turbo (one of the limited edition of 500), a Vectra ST200, and more recently a VX220 2.2 16v, 2 Astra VXR’s, a Lightening Yellow VX220 2.2 and 2 Corsa VXR’s.

As a result of Chris choosing early retirement, Jon took the opportunity to buy the business with his partner, Sarah, and they have continued the business it in its winning ways, more recently being involved with projects for Vaxuhall Special Vehicle Operations, Lotus Cars with the development of the VX220 Turbo Sprint car, 888 Race Engineering producing performance products for several of the VXR range of cars and also in racing in the Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup with an Astra VXR. Racing for us began in 2009 when we were asked by Adrian Churchill to improve on his competitive but very poorly mapped Astra and we were glad to help out. This partnership developed into full race support and saw us win the 2010 Championship. Following on from this success we ran the same car 2011 in the renamed championship, the Production Touring Car Trophy, and again won the championship. 2012 saw us compete in the championship and 2013 we are concentrating on Time Attack, as well as enjoying track days around the country for fun.

The Courtenay workforce consists of two experienced mechanics, David ‘Percy’ Postle who has been with the Company since its infancy, and Mark Ratcliffe who has a wide knowledge of Vauxhall products from his days at a local dealership. Mark Ashford and Mark Watts both have extensive knowledge of Vauxhalls, having owned and driven countless Vauxhalls and are the voices on the end of the phone to deal with sales and general enquiries, along with Jon.  The end result is the knowledge and capability to transplant engines, gearboxes and running gear from one Vauxhall to another, and developing our own Turbo installations and brake and suspension upgrades means that Courtenay know Vauxhall’s literally inside out. With the kind of knowledge and skill that go into producing such enthusiasts’ dreams, our Courtenay team can service standard cars with ease, from changing the engine oil to changing the engine itself, from routine servicing on a Corsa to building a 500+bhp turbocharged Astra, Corsa or VX220, Courtenay remains THE place for Vauxhalls, standard or modified.

The Courtenay History File………

1984 Courtenay Turbocharge their first 1.8 Astra GTE.
1986 The year when, as a Vauxhall dealership, we first had a turbo conersion for every car in the Vauxhall range.
1987 Courtenay 230 BHP Water Injected Opel Manta launched as a complete works package.
1988 Courtenay build first turbocharged 2.0 XE 16v Astra and market it 4 years before GM!
1988 Courtenay release 15″ ET49 wheel to tame torque steer problems. Universally acclaimed by the press!
1988 Courtenay Senator Turbo used extensively as the pace car to Thunder Saloon Championship in which John Cleland drove for Vauxhall.
1989 Carlton GSi Turbos built for celebrities, including John Cleland and Barry Maguigan.
1990 Courtenay Senator Turbo is stolen and used as a getaway vehicle for a bank job. Subsequently found, restolen and never seen again!
1991/92 Courtenay build first 250 BHP and 300 BHP Astras.
1993 Courtenay build first Nova 2.0 16v Turbo. Tested at Millbrook by Tim Harvey at 150 mph!
1994 Courtenay Nova Turbo was the fastest accelerating front-wheel drive car tested by EMAP. Just 5.3 seconds to 60 mph!!!
1994 Courtenay Twin Turbo Cavalier V6 developed.
1995 Courtenay become first tuner to have a vehicle featured on Top Gear – their Nova Turbo.
1996 Courtenay build first Astra Mk3 4×4.
1997 400 BHP 4.0 Carlton produced.
1998 Courtenay supply the power for the 320 BHP Turbo Caterhams. Their power to weight ratio of 550 BHP per ton was 50 BHP better than a Maclaren F1 car!
1998 Courtenay commissioned by Vauxhall Special Vehicle Operations to build Omega turbo for the Police.
1999 Courtenay joins forces with TVR to build the Twin Turbo TVR Griffith. With 500bhp it was powerful enough to scare anyone who was in it!
2000 Courtenay build Throttle Bodied Nova 2.0 XE for Top Gear’s Vicki Butler-Henderson to drive in Jeremy Clarkson’s video, At Full Throttle.
2001 Courtenay’s ex Vicki Butler-Henderson Nova wins various sprint competitions acheiving a ¼ mile time of 13.6 seconds.
2002 Courtenay launches the turbo conversion for the Astra Mk IV X20XEV engine, prior to Vauxhall’s launch of the Astra SRi Turbo and GSi Turbo models. This conversion of the X20XEV engine is subsequently followed up Vectra and other models using this engine.
Courtenay prepare a modified Astra SRi Turbo (Z20LET) for Special Vehicle Operatons.
2003 Courtenay joins forces with Vauxhall and Lotus Engineering to develop and produce the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo Sprint based on the already popular VX220 Turbo. The only tuner to be involved with Lotus on this project.
2004 Our 20th Anniversary. 20 years of Performance Tuning Vauxhalls.
2005 Courtenay involved with Special Vehicle Operations to improve the performance of the Vectra 3.0 V6 CDTi.
First UK company to transplant a Z20LET engine into Corsa B.
2006 Lead the way in transplanting the Astra VXR Z20LEH engine into Astra G chassis, along with M32 six speed gearbox.
Courtenay Sport team up with with 888 Race Engineering to produce a range of performance tuning items for VXR models.
2007 Courtenay build 400bhp Z20LEH and Z20LET turbocharged engines.
Courtenay Sport’s mapping engineer builds 602 bhp Opel Speedster (VX220) Turbo in Germany, which achieves a 9.9 second standing start quarter mile time.
Courtenay Sport Supercharge the Z22SE engine in an Astra G – The first UK Supercharged 2.2 Astra G.
2008 Klasen’s Speedster Turbo, built by Courtenay’s mapping engineer, achieves fastest car of the day at the Performance Vauxhall Show at Santa Pod.
2009 Our 25th Anniversary Year – 25 years of Vauxhall Tuning.
25th Anniversary Open Day Sunday 5th July –  >> Picture Gallery <<
and read the Total Vauxhall Feature >> Here <<
Courtenay Sport launch Astra VXR and Corsa VXR Sprint Editions – >> Information <<
Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup Involvement – remapping a Race Car! – >> Information <<
Klasen’s Speedster 2.0 Turbo achieves 650+ bhp running OE (Original Equipment) Bosch 1.5.5 management.
2010 Courtenay Sport back Adrian Churchill for the full season racing in the 2010 Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup Championship. Read about our 2010 Season.
Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup Champions in our first full season.
Courtenay Sport joins with Westfield to offer ecu remapping on the factory built Westfield Sport Turbo.
Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup Championship Winners
2011 Courtenay Sport again back Adrian Churchill for the 2011 Production Touring Car Trophy.
Courtenay Sport win the 2011 Production Touring Car Trophy, back to back championship winners. 2011 Season.
Courtenay Sport are the main sponsors of Total Vauxhall Live, track day based show offering track time and passenger rides in our race prepped Astra VXR.
Courtenay Sport produce 480bhp Astra VXR
2012 Courtenay Sport Racing is formed, running multiple cars for 2012.
Courtenay Sport promote 2011 racing success and the 2012 PTCT season at Auto Sport International at the NEC
Courtenay Sport again called upon by Vauxhall Special Vehicle Operations to provide uprated components for the Police Spec Insignia 2.8T VXRs
2013 Astra VXR with Methanol Injection and GTx3076R turbo – Mapped to 559bhp
Courtenay Sport Racing backing the DCE Motorsport Astra VXR entered into the UK Time Attack series, driven by Will Watson.
2014 Vauxhall/Opel Performance Tuning and Modifying for 30 years.

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