AnnoyingPentium's *an Vectra*: MaxGiffer.

[Split_Pin]

Here was mine:

2.0 LS with CDX leathers and wheels, letterbox exhaust, SRi centre console, black B and C pillars.

It decided to shit its steering rack right when we were skint and expecting our son. I kept it in a lock up for a year but a massive fuck up by EDF energy and resultant enormous bill meant it had to be scrapped. It needed a timing belt and the PAS pipes were also rotten.  I took off all the nice bits and sold them separately.

I'd have another!

[Cheezey]

It could have been a very early 2000 car. He bought it summer 2001 from the short lived Caledonian Motors where Nelson’s Honda / Shell garage was. It had slightly unusual alloys on it. I’ve got a corrupt external hard drive on my desk taunting me that has pictures of it on it. I’ll see if I can find a hard copy picture later. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Now that's confused me! I always thought a Club was a post 2000 model only and there were definitely no GLS's made after that date. Seems it was an intermediate model between LS and GLS then!

Dougie Rankine would know for sure!

My 2000 brochure lists Club between LS and GLS at the time.

Weird your Dad's didn't have rear headrests @Cheezey as I always thought that was an Envoy only thing.

Mind you, my Granda's LS had four electric windows... 

[Cheezey]

A very quick photo of a photo

[AnnoyingPentium]

Thanks to a relatively mild* December, there hasn't been much presence of gritters down this way. As a result, I've not really put this into hibernation like I had planned on doing to keep it away from the road salt.

It's been used less since the return of the Fabia, but still enjoyable regardless. Longest trip it has done for a little while was to Glasgow and back today.

Looks deceptively clean here as well, thankfully.

One of my mates had come up from the Lakes and we met up with another from up the coast a bit, sometimes it's nice not to have the slowest car.  (even if the combined age of the Fabia and the Swift is still less than the Vectra)

There's something soothing about driving this car, I feel very much at home anywhere I go. It still retains the 'Vauxhall smell' which is oh-so familiar to me. Everything about it is just the way I remember these being. it's daft being nostalgic over a bloody Vectra, but it's a good 'un.

It just keeps on going, and going, and going. Keep thinking about what I'd want to do with it long-term, and I'm not sure really. It's great, but I keep seeing better spec ones and thinking I'd like a slice of that... he says as he's writing a note to put on a BASE Envoy tomorrow. Problem is, it's increasingly difficult to find another clean one, as such I'm just as well sticking to what I've got and know. Anyway, have some artsy shots...

[Wibble]

I’d stick with what you’ve got Ryan. It’s clearly a good one and, as for that Vauxhall smell, my Senator still has it too.

[AnnoyingPentium]

10 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I’d stick with what you’ve got Ryan. It’s clearly a good one and, as for that Vauxhall smell, my Senator still has it too.

I'm inclined to agree really, it's had the big ticket jobs done and it isn't rotten, so it's one up on quite a few others.

[AnnoyingPentium]

As the lead car on Mission Nexia, this performed spectacularly. Reckon it averaged 38mpg on the way down, and about 46mpg (just over 10 miles to the litre) using my fag packet calculations.

Quality!

[AnnoyingPentium]

Since the last post I threw some steel wheels and mismatched Halfords trims at it for MaxGiffer spec.

However, I've not really gelled with them, so the alloys have been refitted.

Been gathering up the parts I need to get her completely sound again. Needs shock absorbers, bushes in various places, the auxiliary belt tensioner I've been putting off for ages (nearly two years), timing belt and water pump, rear drop links,  some front and rear discs and pads (rears are original from 1998!), and I'll do the idle control valve on Saturday. 

Overall, not a bad wee list to work through. I'll get there once the Fabia has been MOT'd.

[Imhotep]

Looks a lot smarter on the alloys regardless mind, would be leaving those on for sure.

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 minutes ago, Imhotep said:

Looks a lot smarter on the alloys regardless mind, would be leaving those on for sure.

Agreed. The steels are always handy next winter, mind you. I didn't pay much for them, £50 for seven wheels, reckon I'd get some of that back by weighing in the extra three.

[Imhotep]

37 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Agreed. The steels are always handy next winter, mind you. I didn't pay much for them, £50 for seven wheels, reckon I'd get some of that back by weighing in the extra three.

Aye, useful as winter wheels. I need some for the MG myself for next year, but it’s getting warmer thankfully, so enjoy the car looking better 😎

[Lord Sterling]

On 18/12/2024 at 23:34, Wibble said:

I’d stick with what you’ve got Ryan. It’s clearly a good one and, as for that Vauxhall smell, my Senator still has it too.

I'm with Wibz on this. It's a great car and has had the big ticket stuff done as you said. It's great so stick with it. The likelihood is, if you sell, it might never see the road again or become modded so badly like a Frankenmotor, het left for dead and scrapped. They're still not really seen as classic motors and sadly that negative Clarkson stigma still sticks with these cars.

17 hours ago, Imhotep said:

Looks a lot smarter on the alloys regardless mind, would be leaving those on for sure.

Aaaand again, I'm with Imhotep on this one. I was surprised to see it on steelies and cheapo poundland wheel trims! You might have liked them a bit better had they been period-correct wheel trims because deep down I think you know it deserves the best.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

I'm with Wibz on this. It's a great car and has had the big ticket stuff done as you said. It's great so stick with it. The likelihood is, if you sell, it might never see the road again or become modded so badly like a Frankenmotor, het left for dead and scrapped. They're still not really seen as classic motors and sadly that negative Clarkson stigma still sticks with these cars.

Aaaand again, I'm with Imhotep on this one. I was surprised to see it on steelies and cheapo poundland wheel trims! You might have liked them a bit better had they been period-correct wheel trims because deep down I think you know it deserves the best.

100% on all fronts, Mo.

It'll definitely stay a long time yet. It's not really put a foot wrong in 34,000 miles.

[tooSavvy]

13 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

100% on all fronts, Mo.

It'll definitely stay a long time yet. It's not really put a foot wrong in 34,000 miles.

AVAS agrees..... 🎉

🚙💨

[Lord Sterling]

1 minute ago, tooSavvy said:

AVAS agrees..... 🎉

🚙💨

AVAS..... 🎊 🎊 🎊 🎊 🎊

🚙💨

[Rustybullethole]

20 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Agreed. The steels are always handy next winter, mind you. I didn't pay much for them, £50 for seven wheels, reckon I'd get some of that back by weighing in the extra three.

Some places will give a better price for steel wheels as #1 shearing. Not a great deal of wonga in them though better than nowt. 

So is a Vectra a Cav or a Carlton? I've lost touch. 

Looks tidy👍🏽

[AnnoyingPentium]

44 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Some places will give a better price for steel wheels as #1 shearing. Not a great deal of wonga in them though better than nowt. 

So is a Vectra a Cav or a Carlton? I've lost touch. 

Looks tidy👍🏽

Aye, I offered them up on here at one point too, but regardless a little bit back on the extras is fine.

Underneath it's an adapted version of the GM2900 platform used on the Mk3 Cavalier. @Ghosty and I agreed it's clear the Vectra B is a development of the Cavalier, rather than an all-new car. Good either way.