Vectra C bangers?

[sierraman]

I’ve seen a fair few of these knocking about cheap. I’m not on about the 1.9 diesel, quick as they are most left have been cabbed to fuck or suffering from various problems which involve taking engines and gearboxes out. Forgetting that crap, what’s people’s thoughts on the petrols? Saw a 2.2 Direct SRI up for throwaway money apparently these can return some half decent economy. Are these the new Uber banger?

[Snipes]

I've rock a petrol facelift but the 2.2 has a few issues (I think chain is the man one but direct injection seems to generally be a problem nowadays) and the 1.8 strikes me as possibly underpowered, despite the VVT.

[sierraman]

Yeah but we’re talking £500 here. It’ll see £200 at the bridge, we’re not talking long term motoring here. Run the bastard till it blows!

 

They seem a lot of car for the cash though.

[lanciamatt]

I work for vauxhall, best engine in vectra c is 3.0v6 diesel. Avoid 2.2 petrol they are poor. I've got a thicker chain on my Raleigh burner bmx than what they got. We used to get them in at 20k with the chains snapped

[Split_Pin]

For £500 there are hundereds of different and more interesting cars to buy.

 

I've never driven one but they are one of the most depressing looking cars.

[Cavcraft]

1.8 petrol: bit slow (but there if you really push it) and quite good on juice. 5 speed box, can be a problem.

 

2.2 petrol or diesel: avoid.

 

2.0DTi: not as bad as some will tell you.

 

1.9 120: ace.

 

1.9 150: GLF but DMF's gonna get you.

 

The 1.9s have 6 speed boxes and they all have cruise control.

 

Aim for a 120 diesel, best of the lot imho.

[sierraman]

For £500 there are hundereds of different and more interesting cars to buy.

 

I've never driven one but they are one of the most depressing looking cars.

There’s a lot of interesting stuff I’ll agree but I’m talking disposable family transport here. Pay nothing and run it till it fails big time then scrap it. Say 12 months motoring for a couple of hundred quid.

[Split_Pin]

Can't go wrong with that I suppose!

[sierraman]

Driven a Vectra 150 SRI, quick car but the Mondeo TDCI I had felt quicker but it had been chipped so probably on par paper.

 

They remind me a bit of the way Maestros we’re viewed years ago, run then till they drop and start again. I’m a Ford man through and through but there seems more decent ones left than the Mondeo.

[Captain Furious]

Not saying there aren’t, but what are the hundreds of other cars for 500 quid that are more interesting

 

Because I was looking for exactly that on the autotrader the other day and the choice was dismal, albeit I had narrowed it down to quite a close radius from home.

[Captain Furious]

I mean, not that I’m holding up the vectra C as some kind of interesting measuring stick or anything, I think they’re pretty dismal too, and have the worst indicator stalk I’ve ever driven

 

But, the best I found for that money was a 1 owner, full ford history 03 Mondeo 1.8 pez in resale silver, and that didn’t exactly have the heart racing either.

[Split_Pin]

Where are you looking man!

 

Jaguar s type

Rover 75

BMW e36

Megane MK1

Peugeot 406

Volvo s60

Volvo s70/v70

Volvo s80

Saabs 93 or 95

 

All available within the 500 quid barrier and plentiful.

[sierraman]

£500 buys you transport, not a style statement. You run these things to get about, at that money for modern stuff with to go wrong, injectors, DMF etc, were talking an oil change at best and bodge the rest. Forget the mentality of buying a life partner for £500, worrying about what might happen in 50,000 miles. When it’s only costing you a couple of hundred for a years worth you can use it for hauling rubble to the tip or rev the bastard off it when cold.

[rantingYoof]

You can also get the 3.2 V6 in the Vectra in GSi flavour if economy is not your priority.

 

Not sure if Vauxhall finally got on top of having sensible cambelt intervals, mind, so it could be 40k/4yrs if the tensioners remained chocolate.

[Split_Pin]

You can also get the 3.2 V6 in the Vectra in GSi flavour if reliability is not your priority.

 

 

[sierraman]

Those 3.2 were unbeatable in a straight line.

[rantingYoof]

Aaaand I've just remembered they also came with a 2.0 turbo. I couldn't find one for sale, so have the same engine in the Vectra-estate-based hatchback in Design spec all for half a bag of sand...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810301960262

[Captain Furious]

Maybe just nobody within 30 miles of me was selling any of those, it seemed to be all fucked Foci, Ka's, Xsara Picasso’s, Micras and other shoddy nonsense on its last MOT before the bridge

 

I understand the concept of running cars you don’t give a fuck about until they die (or present you with a repair bill that forces you to put them down) I did it with a Vectra B 1.8 years ago. The car was actually quite clean, but it drank oil like a bastard, I used to top it up from my mates waste oil supply he’d drained out of his good cars. It still felt like it was draining my soul every time I drove it, although carefree parking was fun.

 

I’d want it to have some redeeming feature or characteristic even if it’s only purpose was transporting my lazy ass from A-B

[Bren]

I work for vauxhall, best engine in vectra c is 3.0v6 diesel. Avoid 2.2 petrol they are poor. I've got a thicker chain on my Raleigh burner bmx than what they got. We used to get them in at 20k with the chains snapped

Our v6 cdti started using half a litre of coolant a day - either head gasket or EGR cooler. Only after this happening and doing some research did I realise its a common problem - it afflicts saabs as well. Quite a few V6 cdti's for sale with coolant issues.

 

2.2 is poor - thirsty, not that powerful and problems with timing chain and High pressure fuel pump. My local VX specialist would'nt go near our V6 cdti and when the fuel pump went on my mates 2.2 signum he was told that the fuel system would have to be stripped and cleaned due to swarf from the pump.

 

Buy a 1.8 petrol or a 150 diesel and use it until it drops.

[Kiltox]

1.8 petrol is the only one for longevity IMO.

I had a 1.9 120 estate that was an absolute minter, it munched its DMF at 70k miles.  Cost it's previous owner a fortune.  

1.9 150 I took in part ex against that car, had done about 130k and the DMF etc seemed fine but it had dodgy injector seals and was a bit baggy.

1.9 120 saloon I bought cheap, ex-MoD and low mileage.  DMF started rattling and it was generally a bit fucked despite looking the part.   Punted it down the auctions at a loss in the end.

 

Generally I would steer clear of the diesels even though they were nice to drive.  

[warren t claim]

Although I'm ashamed to admit it I've had two Vectra Cs, both in SRI 150 CDTI flavour.

 

Both went like hell but the first one was both fast and economical with the DPF and EGR removed although it smoked even more than I do. 55mpg was the norm even ringing its worthless neck. 132mph flat out on the GPS too.

[SiC]

Much prefer the Saab 9-3. A Vectra-C with an interior that isn't a flat slab of plastic and seats that you won't need a continuous chiropractor appointments to resolve a bad back. Also far better NVH as they packed a lot more sound deadening material in.

[Kiltox]

Vec C seats aren't actually that bad - nothing compared with Astra H 

I did a few thousand miles in the part ex car I mentioned above in a short period of time and found it reasonably comfortable.

[twosmoke300]

2.0 /2.2 dti is the one to go for if you have to .

Pretty depressing cars mind. They have an appetite for springs and Susp arms / bushes

[DVee8]

Aaaand I've just remembered they also came with a 2.0 turbo. I couldn't find one for sale, so have the same engine in the Vectra-estate-based hatchback in Design spec all for half a bag of sand...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810301960262

I found a couple

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Opel-Vectra-2-0T-16v-2004MY-SXi/163272301390?hash=item2603c99b4e:g:j4QAAOSwUflbpkk3:rk:2:pf:1

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-05-VAUXHALL-VECTRA-2-0i-16V-TURBO-ELITE-RARE-CAR-12-MONTHS-MOT-MASSIVE-SPEC/253881477841?hash=item3b1c83ead1:g:LWcAAOSwckBbmopc:rk:1:pf:1

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Aaaand I've just remembered they also came with a 2.0 turbo. I couldn't find one for sale, so have the same engine in the Vectra-estate-based hatchback in Design spec all for half a bag of sand...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810301960262

Assuming that's not fucked, it strikes me as all the car anyone would ever need. Fast, economical, massively spacious, comfortable. It just ticks all the " being a car" boxes.

Would I buy it?

No, why? I have no idea, I'm not even a Vauxhall hater particularly and I've driven a few Vectras over the years, that, early XJ40 indicators aside, were perfectly nice cars. But I'd never buy a Vectra or Signum, that's why they're cheap, I suppose - they're just unlovable.

[beko1987]

I'd like a vectra B one day, never really liked the c, we've had a few as pool cars at work when they were current and they all just seem a bit 'shit lads, we need a fleet car, fuck, nail something together sharpish"

[Cavcraft]

If you're going to get a the turbo, get the '100 Edition' version

 

 

 

Whoever mentioned the indicator stalks was spot on. When we came back from Scotland in ours, my daughter and I counted how many times in a row we could them to work as a normal car, instead of not cancelling or just going three times. Anyway, I think the record was 27 times.

 

They're very roomy cars, easy and nice (sorry) to drive, parts are stupidly cheap and readily available and they feel really 'solid'. My missus loves ours, she even gave me the money to buy it.

[HH-R]

At banger money and if you're prepared to frag it come breakage time I'd go either on the engine you fancy and throw caution to the wind, or just go on face value and the condition a particular car is in. If it's lasted this long then how it has been looked after will probably mean more than inherent design flaws.

 

Don't forgot the video of it going into the crusher when the time comes though, always nice to see another one of these off the roads.

[Snipes]

I can never get on the look of the pre-facelift. I like them in old boy Elegence trim but otherwise it would have to be facelift for me.

Obviously I'd 100% rather spend 50% and get a mint Carina E. Wouldn't everybody?