Vauxhall Viceroy

[Torsten2001]

I've been offered one, FOC of course, it's been off the road for 10 years under cover, what should I be looking for? What tends to happen is I get over excited and miss the rusty bits!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Front wings and sills rot off these for a pastime. The engines aren't very good, six cylinder all iron 'cam in head' boat anchor 2.5 with (iirc) the dreaded four barrel Solex. These suffered from terrible bore/ring wear and breathe like hell after 70-80'000.These were an up market Carlton rather than a downmarket Senator. I've not seen one for 10 years or more.

[pompei]

I know absolutely zero about these, except they must now be exceedingly rare - but I don't know if their rarity equates to value?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Viceroy value formula:17 pence per known survivor x 0.98 Even rarer is the 80-82 Opel Commodore Berlina which was the Kraut version. Late ones (X and Y reg) had injection.

[Cavcraft]

Viceroy value formula:

 

17 pence per known survivor x 0.98

 

Even rarer is the 80-82 Opel Commodore Berlina which was the Kraut version. Late ones (X and Y reg) had injection.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I make it £10.32.

[nigel bickle]

I bought an old white one earlier this year -nostalgic reasons. (Had a nice blue one 20 years back -as a tow car). This one had new front wings fitted just prior to layup some 10 years back.Once home -I realised 'rose tinted' had come into play. Although I could have legalised it reasonably easily -it just took too much throttle (read: fuel) to get it to move; petrol was clearly cheaper in those days.It had a little grot in the sills, other than that no real sweat. But it felt deeply uninspiring -too heavy for the lump. Towing with it -no way.Sold it on -with some grief admittedly -but I covered my costs.Unless you're hooked- I'd leave it.Their sole good point -that I could see -is rarity.

[r.welfare]

The engine is a dog. Something like just over a hundred horses from a 2.5-litre straight six is malaise-era Yank output...will run like your Senator with the handbrake on.Rust in the usual places for these - sills, rear suspension attachment points, round the strut tops in the engine bay ( ) and "chassis" legs running either side of the engine.Worth saving only because of rarity and because you are an old car perv, of course. Might be worth transplating the interior into your Senny if it's a more lurid shade of velour!If you must have an early version of these cars, can I humbly recommend an S-X plate Opel Rekord? 2-litre 4cyl cam-in-head lump is more than enough and produces only about 5bhp less in stock form (plus you can tune it with parts from the Manta boyz), while using a supertanker's-worth less fuel. I loved the two I had.Bigstraight6 had a handle on a mint one, wonder if he ever picked it up?

[MrRegieRitmo]

Are they rarer than Vauxhall Royales?I take it they were the equivalent of what the Elite was to the Omega?

[r.welfare]

Not quite Reg, using the Omega range as an example:4-cylinder > Carlton2.5V6 > Viceroy3.0V6 > RoyaleAlthough, to be fair, comparing a 2.5V6 Omega to a Viceroy is being exceptionally flattering to the Viceroy...Yes, they are far rarer than Royales. Only sold for 2 years (1980-1982), and I'm pretty sure a reputable source (A-Z of Cars of the 1980s) indicated they sold approx. 2,000. A Viceroy (should) make a Tagora look common...

[CortinaDave]

I remember a green W reg one that lived near me for a few years in the mid 90's. It was the only one I've ever seen, so i cant imagine the survival rate to be higher than single figures

[Mash]

 

[garycox]

I really like these old Vauxhalls, if it's not too rusty it's definitely worth saving IMO...

[Owain-328i]

Yes quality, however id rather a Royale to be fair.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Not quite Reg, using the Omega range as an example:4-cylinder > Carlton2.5V6 > Viceroy3.0V6 > RoyaleAlthough, to be fair, comparing a 2.5V6 Omega to a Viceroy is being exceptionally flattering to the Viceroy...

Oh so you mean in terms of engines there was no correlation between Carlton/Viceroy & Omega/Elite? I was only thinking in terms of the Viceroy being an uprated Carlton the same way an Elite was an uprated Omega rather than comparing the engines directly.A few years ago at a small but very good local car show called 'Fieldgate classic car show' I saw a silver X reg Opel Commodore in mint condition. Opels were the mainstay of the Fieldgate show due to the organiser of the show being heavily involved with Autobahn-stormers. So there was always a plethora of Monzas in the main but Mantas would turn up along with GSI Carltons, Lotus Carltons & sometimes more obscure things like the Commodore.A very knowledgable guy used to travel all the way down from Sheffield every year for this show, mainly because he was a friend of the organiser, but he told me all about the myriad of models in the GM range, including Viceroys. I had him on one thing though, he swore blind there was no such thing as a MkI Carlton estate, I knew better though, for instance wuvvum had one, but I'd seen them long before that. He had to take my word for it though.Back to Viceroys, I'm sure I saw a couple of them locally a few years ago, a white one went whizzing past us on the dual carriageway & I saw a red one in Worthing, they stuck in my mind due to looking identical to a MkI Carlton (which I'm a fan of) but with the front end of an early Senator / Royale.

[Torsten2001]

I make it £10.32.

Nice, £10.32 in profit allready!

[Torsten2001]

Their sole good point -that I could see -is rarity.

Just my bag!

[Torsten2001]

Yes quality, however id rather a Royale to be fair.

Alas there is only a Viceroy and I ain't fussy!

[mk2_craig]

Nice score Torsten!! I posted this Royale koop earlier this summer, although its impact was diminished by the 204 estate, prefacelift Mk2 Grandad and derelict Regata estate I also saw that week

 

 

It is the last one left on Jersey (it may have been the only one ever registered here) and looks very nice indeed, although shortly before I finally got the camera on it the big Vaux sadly received a non-period registration mark and horrible modern number plates.

 

Interesting how the front lamps were deemed worthy of wipers, but the tailgate glass wasn't.

[r.welfare]

Oh so you mean in terms of engines there was no correlation between Carlton/Viceroy & Omega/Elite?

Yes. Carlton - 2L 4cyl. Viceroy - 2.5L 6cyl. Royale - 2.8 & 3L 6cyl. I don't see the Elite as a separate model to the Omega BTW, just a high spec job. Although you are sort-of correct in that IIRC it was the only Omega with a 3L V6 in the early days, the MV6 came later. I had an Elite and it was nice, mind.

A few years ago at a small but very good local car show called 'Fieldgate classic car show' I saw a silver X reg Opel Commodore in mint condition. Opels were the mainstay of the Fieldgate show due to the organiser of the show being heavily involved with Autobahn-stormers.

Wonder if it's still registered with the club - they've shifted emphasis towards Lotus Carltons these days. I must admit I felt a bit of an outcast at Billing on their stand with my Rekord and Mk1 Senator.

I had him on one thing though, he swore blind there was no such thing as a MkI Carlton estate

Definitely were! He might have meant Royale estates. There was also a sole Viceroy estate, built for the Queen to carry her corgis. It's now in the Vauxhall Heritage collection.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Oh so you mean in terms of engines there was no correlation between Carlton/Viceroy & Omega/Elite?

Yes. Carlton - 2L 4cyl. Viceroy - 2.5L 6cyl. Royale - 2.8 & 3L 6cyl. I don't see the Elite as a separate model to the Omega BTW, just a high spec job. Although you are sort-of correct in that IIRC it was the only Omega with a 3L V6 in the early days, the MV6 came later. I had an Elite and it was nice, mind.

Well my thoughts were based on the fact that the Elite was simply called Vauxhall Elite as if it was a model all by itself, was the MV6 called Omega MV6 or just Vauxhall MV6?What then was the difference between a late Elite and an MV6?

[mk2_craig]

Well my thoughts were based on the fact that the Elite was simply called Vauxhall Elite as if it was a model all by itself

I don't think it was, Regie; Elite is a trim level that Vauxhall have used on Astras and Vectras too. Think of it like Ford's Ghia designation and you're about on the right lines. You could get an Omega Elite with the 2.2 DTi engine so it wasn't exclusively a V6.

[MrRegieRitmo]

[stormee]

Viceroy, great car, never heard of. Must have had the same market as the Commodore C over here, the Rekord sold Record numbers, Commodore C was just a niche model. I find it quite attractive, never liked the straight lines of the Rekord frontend, with the Commodore appearance, it was plain to see a 6-cylinder.Market competence wasn't the luck for the Commodore C, though. It found itself a weak place within the Granada 2.3 GL, BMW 520/525 and MB250 range.Pity, the Commodore C could never come up to the quite sportive ambitions of its predecessor, the Commodore B GS and GS/E!

[r.welfare]

We had the Commodore GS/E over here, the coupe had a bit of a following (and still does, but there aren't many left). Certainly had some circuit racing success late in it's life (1977/78) with the likes of Gerry Marshall and Tony Lanfranchi behind the wheel.Reg - you're right, the early Elites did just say "Elite" on the back. But it wasn't differentiated from the regular Omegas by different styling (like the Senator was to the Carlton), unless you could "square exhaust tips" (I kid you not). Shiteload of kit though, although I thought it had some strange ommissions for a 1995 top of the range car - dual zone aircon but no climate control, electric seats but no memory function, etc. Still, for the £300 I paid for it (99% depreciation over 12 years!) I couldn't really grumble.

[CortinaDave]

my mate has a 1999 elite on a t plate he paid a bag of sand for a while back. Fantastic level of shitey toys. My particular favourite is the button that makes a little blind come down over the back window.Brilliantly useless.

[MrRegieRitmo]

O/T but what really is the difference between air con & climate control? All I know is I've had a car with the former but I very much doubt the latter as it sounds too advanced. Let's face it, most of the cars we like on here usually have neither!

[r.welfare]

Climate control uses sensors in the interior to maintain a constant temperature (which you set) by manipulation of the heater fan power, amongst other things.Aircon merely dehumidifies the air, and obv. cools it if you select "cold" on your temp dial.Old BMW E28s, and the Mitsubishi Sigma I had, were equipped with "thermostatic temperature control" which was like climate but without the a/c. Setting the Sigma's dial to "Auto cold" in the height of summer put the fan on a setting that would blow you into the boot Later Omegas ('96 model year on) have climate, but apparently it's prone to breaking down. My a/c had no gas in it anyway. I do miss the heated seats though, esp. today!Cortinadave - ah, mine was an estate and therefore the button where the electric blind operation was happened to be the only switchblank on the entire dash...

[Torsten2001]

Well I went to see it today and I really can't see me getting it in to shape but for anyone interested it is free, comes with lots of paperwork, is fitted with a new lead free head and is really pretty solid apart from a touch of plod in the rear arches, the owner broke another car for spares so it is complete with there's a van load of spares to go with it plus lots of new stuff, anyone braver than me fancy a restoration? I'll bung it on RR too!

 

 

 

 

[nigel bickle]

Cant see that 'on the road' again -even if it is free. Good luck