RE: SOTW: Vauxhall Omega 3.0 MV6
Discussion
My old man was a bit of a character.
One day in his later fifties, he decided to retire. However, being the colourful and spontaneous chap he was, he did so suddenly and did not feel it was neccessary to inform my mum beforehand.
To compound this bold move, he arrived home to explain this to my mum in a brand spanking new estate Vauxhall Omega V6. He had called into the local Vauxhall dealership on his way home and spunked his tax free cash lump sum on the Omega on a whim! This was mid nineties and the car cost him just shy of £30k, which was a lot of dosh back then.
Unsurprisingly this was not well received by my mother and soon led to his return to bachelordom, with a large divorce payout to make and a car that depreciated like a stone. IIRC I read somehere that the V6 Omega carries the honours of being one of the fastest depreciating cars ever made! Shrewd move dad...
Still, makes me laugh now. Can you imagine the look on your wife's face as you pull up onto the drive in £30k of new car and announce 'honey - I've retired!'
One day in his later fifties, he decided to retire. However, being the colourful and spontaneous chap he was, he did so suddenly and did not feel it was neccessary to inform my mum beforehand.
To compound this bold move, he arrived home to explain this to my mum in a brand spanking new estate Vauxhall Omega V6. He had called into the local Vauxhall dealership on his way home and spunked his tax free cash lump sum on the Omega on a whim! This was mid nineties and the car cost him just shy of £30k, which was a lot of dosh back then.
Unsurprisingly this was not well received by my mother and soon led to his return to bachelordom, with a large divorce payout to make and a car that depreciated like a stone. IIRC I read somehere that the V6 Omega carries the honours of being one of the fastest depreciating cars ever made! Shrewd move dad...
Still, makes me laugh now. Can you imagine the look on your wife's face as you pull up onto the drive in £30k of new car and announce 'honey - I've retired!'
Alfa159Ti said:
Unsurprisingly this was not well received by my mother and soon led to his return to bachelordom, with a large divorce payout to make and a car that depreciated like a stone.
What a heartless cow. Sure, she did the right thing in giving him back his freedom. What more could a man want when he retires? But to take money from him? Bet the old gold digger thought she was going to be creaming off his retirement cash for a long time! Good on the old boy for throwing it at a big, expensive car rather than keeping that old crone in jewelry and nights out for the next decade.TEKNOPUG said:
Had an ex-plod model. Not MV6, non-facelift model, so about 205bhp. Manual, LSD, TC, pagid brakes etc. Huge inside (easily fit a couple of bodies in the boot so always got pulled at border crossings). Went pretty well, took it too the 'ring. Slow and sideways! But well balanced due to length. 145+ of autobahn. Very comfy on motorways and long journeys. Cam cover gaskets go, leak oil into plugs, causes misfire, blows CATS, destroys DIS pack.......change cam cover gaskets as soon as you buy one!
Sold mine to a drifter for £400. £1k is probably a bit over-priced. I'd look for a manual if I was you. Very few private cars spec'd with manual but should be able to pick up a non-white liveried ex-plod (undercover, special protection etc) model if you hunt around.
A drifter as in drifting cars or drifter as in Rambo ?Sold mine to a drifter for £400. £1k is probably a bit over-priced. I'd look for a manual if I was you. Very few private cars spec'd with manual but should be able to pick up a non-white liveried ex-plod (undercover, special protection etc) model if you hunt around.
I've had two in 2.5 guise. Decent motor's. The last one was an estate i bought when i needed a temporary trackday tow car. Massive load area for all tools and fuel etc and the self leveling rear suspension handled the trailer/track car well. The only thing was the cruise control didn't work with the trailer hooked up. I paid £900 for it, had my use and put 10k on it and sold it for £1200. Win win.
uncle tez said:
TEKNOPUG said:
Had an ex-plod model. Not MV6, non-facelift model, so about 205bhp. Manual, LSD, TC, pagid brakes etc. Huge inside (easily fit a couple of bodies in the boot so always got pulled at border crossings). Went pretty well, took it too the 'ring. Slow and sideways! But well balanced due to length. 145+ of autobahn. Very comfy on motorways and long journeys. Cam cover gaskets go, leak oil into plugs, causes misfire, blows CATS, destroys DIS pack.......change cam cover gaskets as soon as you buy one!
Sold mine to a drifter for £400. £1k is probably a bit over-priced. I'd look for a manual if I was you. Very few private cars spec'd with manual but should be able to pick up a non-white liveried ex-plod (undercover, special protection etc) model if you hunt around.
A drifter as in drifting cars or drifter as in Rambo ?Sold mine to a drifter for £400. £1k is probably a bit over-priced. I'd look for a manual if I was you. Very few private cars spec'd with manual but should be able to pick up a non-white liveried ex-plod (undercover, special protection etc) model if you hunt around.
Fine shed. Running a 2.6 with an LPG conversion as a daily for my OH at the moment. She's doing a lot of motorway miles for work and it just eats them effortlessly. Other than wear and tear parts it's cost me nothing over 12 months. Fairly entertaining if you drive it hard too, despite it's weight and the wallowy suspension.
V88Dicky said:
You'd be surprised just how similar these are to the old Commodore, they share a lot of panels and parts;
I think you'll find that the Vauxhall/Opel cars are significantly narrower, and usually have more sophisticated suspension, and are quite a LOT better built and finished. The base model Holdens had 3.8 V6 and the V8s were mostly Holden's own Aussie 308 cu.inch lump made in Melbourne. Much more fun than the relatively puny engines in Omegas of the same vintage. I once owned a base model (VS series) Commodore in 1999, with the basic 210bhp 3.8 litre V6. It was bloody fast and had entertaining handling (mine was without traction control and witha live rear axle). It's a pity they never sold any officially in UK because they were great fun (if a bit agricultural). Anyways, this Omega does look like a great Shed. I likely :-)
J4CKO said:
Cant argue with that for a grand, looks tidy, probably reasonably quick as well, what are the figures on these, about 7.5 to sixty, 145/150 mph ?
I think the 4-speed auto drops that figure to around 9s. Still not sluggish though.I saw this ad a few days back - I'm looking for a good 'shed' around this money, with low miles, good history, and a bit of grace and pace.
Thought it was good value, until I did an insurance check and the auto-evaluation came up with £395!
I'm being drawn to a T5 S60...
SimonV8ster said:
Owned one for 6 years, no problemns at all. Think the V6 is pretty bomb proof, heard the early diesels weren't that good and the 2 litres were not powerful enough for the car.
The early diesels used a slightly lower powered version of the BMW 2.5 litre straight six fitted to the e36 325TDS and e34 525tds.A friend of a friend bought a Cadillac Catera and mentioned that it was an European car with a BMW engine, at which point I asked him how he found driving a diesel engined car in Connecticut, and then had to explain that while his Cadillac's 3.0 litre petrol V6 was a European engine, only the straight six diesel was a BMW unit.
ITech said:
It's nice, but not as nice or reliable as a Jag x300 or BMW e38
X300 maybe but E38- not so sure about that! They are generally pretty reliable. Oil coolers can go, breather pipes need the occassional clean out to prevent the rocker covers leaking, prettyu hard on wishbones. All in all nothing too bad.
Ours never caused any real grief.
My old MV6 estate - great barge, served me well for 3 years:
(spot the PH sticker
)
ETA: Very helpful owners forum too: http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php
(spot the PH sticker
)ETA: Very helpful owners forum too: http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php
Edited by BazMV6 on Friday 20th January 13:41
i buy and sell cars and let me tell you these ARE a good car,i used them myself in the 90"s i preffered them to the BMW and AUDI"S for a start the interior was nicer,and thr ride was very good,in fact as good as todays cars,i went for the 2.0 petrol had one with 155,000 5 years old and a CDX 98,000 5 years old,today i would be going for the 2.2 petrol cd/cdx for around £900 on 2002 in good nick,there ok on petrol but look for poor idle its very common, they look bit dated now but you wont regret buying one,although i am on my third A4 now a black 2006 s line 170 diesel with leather/nav but remember the Omegas with good feelings
I forget where, would've been either London Herts Kent or Essex, but in the last month or so I actually saw an undercover Omega, 03 reg - going on 9 years old! Dark blue saloon. 
I love these, not sure why but if insurance was a bit more reasonable I'd definitely get an estate. Ho-hum
I love these, not sure why but if insurance was a bit more reasonable I'd definitely get an estate. Ho-hum
This is an interesting read on a 1000+ bhp omega!
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2102...
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2102...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff