Saxo VTS Lifeline. Variations. Mk1 Mk2?!
Discussion
I have about 2k to purchase a cheap (ish) run around that I don't mind leaving in carparks and can be pretty easily fixed 
I think the VTS suits best. Quite nippy but small and economical (ish!)
I know there was the first model Mk1 released in 1997. It has a flat face and keypad immobiliser. Then in 1998 they updated the face slightly giving the grill a broader 'grin.' Was there any other alterations between the first R-Reg compared to the S and T-Reg? As far as I am aware they did a final version of the Mk1 late in 1999 giving it white dials and the slightly newer wheels rather than the VTR ones.
In 2000 they released the Mk2 with a very wide grin and wrap around headlights. What were the updates?! What had they changed? What were the changes between the Mk1 range that got altered slightly in those first few years? I would be looking at buying a 1997/98/99 as these are within budget.
So my question is... what were the alterations between all these variations?! Is there anything I should be looking out for? Is a car past 100k going to be a sh*tbox?
Any help or knowledge much appreciated.
I think the VTS suits best. Quite nippy but small and economical (ish!)
I know there was the first model Mk1 released in 1997. It has a flat face and keypad immobiliser. Then in 1998 they updated the face slightly giving the grill a broader 'grin.' Was there any other alterations between the first R-Reg compared to the S and T-Reg? As far as I am aware they did a final version of the Mk1 late in 1999 giving it white dials and the slightly newer wheels rather than the VTR ones.
In 2000 they released the Mk2 with a very wide grin and wrap around headlights. What were the updates?! What had they changed? What were the changes between the Mk1 range that got altered slightly in those first few years? I would be looking at buying a 1997/98/99 as these are within budget.
So my question is... what were the alterations between all these variations?! Is there anything I should be looking out for? Is a car past 100k going to be a sh*tbox?
Any help or knowledge much appreciated.
The main difference between a mk1 and mk2 is that they made it slower and gave it a new front, they also updated the interior to get rid of the nasty seats you get in the mk1, tbh mate you are going to struggle to find a saxo vts that hasnt been ragged after all it is a 'boy racer' icon lol
I don't mind too much if it has been thrashed. As long as oil has been regular. In the scale of running my RS, Saxo bits can't be that expensive can they?! 
I just want a daily runabout but with a bit of 'go' about it. Something I could track in a few years time
From my research it seems to be dodgy electrics (aren't all cars given bad electrics?!
) and gearboxes go and engine mounts. Other than that a bit of Head Gasket issues.
Is there something terrible I am missing?!
Why is the Mk2 slower?
I just want a daily runabout but with a bit of 'go' about it. Something I could track in a few years time
From my research it seems to be dodgy electrics (aren't all cars given bad electrics?!
) and gearboxes go and engine mounts. Other than that a bit of Head Gasket issues.Is there something terrible I am missing?!
Why is the Mk2 slower?
MK2 is slightly slower I believe as they added some weight to it.
Dunno much about lifespan and what to look for etc, but I had a mk1 vts and its a fly machine on a decent budget. Watch out for the insurance tho if you're a young'un - from memory I think it was group 14 or thereabouts, compared to vtr which was about group 7 or so.
vts mk1 is the one to go for IMO
Dunno much about lifespan and what to look for etc, but I had a mk1 vts and its a fly machine on a decent budget. Watch out for the insurance tho if you're a young'un - from memory I think it was group 14 or thereabouts, compared to vtr which was about group 7 or so.
vts mk1 is the one to go for IMO
shaunyvts said:
The main difference between a mk1 and mk2 is that they made it slower and gave it a new front, they also updated the interior to get rid of the nasty seats you get in the mk1, tbh mate you are going to struggle to find a saxo vts that hasnt been ragged after all it is a 'boy racer' icon lol
Not sure about that, 'cos of the insurance, the boy racer breed always got vtr's then spent £££ chavving them up in the hope to be a vts. vts insurance was often out of reach, so they got left alone. Well mostly.
The difference is that they changed the position of the cat on the Mk2. its in the manifold instead of under the car.
You wouldn't notice any difference performance wise between a mk1/mk2 as its the same engine. the interior might have changed but not by much.
Parts are cheap and readily available as well so it won't be difficult to get bits. they are also quite easy to work on.
VTS's had 15" wheels so you can get larger brake discs and calipers under them (283mm).
But like has been mentioned, they will likley have been thrashed but if its been looked after then it shouldn't matter that much.
I recenlty sold my saxo (Mk1 VTR 29K) and it was loads of fun.
You wouldn't notice any difference performance wise between a mk1/mk2 as its the same engine. the interior might have changed but not by much.
Parts are cheap and readily available as well so it won't be difficult to get bits. they are also quite easy to work on.
VTS's had 15" wheels so you can get larger brake discs and calipers under them (283mm).
But like has been mentioned, they will likley have been thrashed but if its been looked after then it shouldn't matter that much.
I recenlty sold my saxo (Mk1 VTR 29K) and it was loads of fun.
banx22 said:
The difference is that they changed the position of the cat on the Mk2. its in the manifold instead of under the car.
You wouldn't notice any difference performance wise between a mk1/mk2 as its the same engine. the interior might have changed but not by much.
Parts are cheap and readily available as well so it won't be difficult to get bits. they are also quite easy to work on.
VTS's had 15" wheels so you can get larger brake discs and calipers under them (283mm).
But like has been mentioned, they will likley have been thrashed but if its been looked after then it shouldn't matter that much.
I recenlty sold my saxo (Mk1 VTR 29K) and it was loads of fun.
that's incorrect, the VTR cat and mani changed, the VTS didn'tYou wouldn't notice any difference performance wise between a mk1/mk2 as its the same engine. the interior might have changed but not by much.
Parts are cheap and readily available as well so it won't be difficult to get bits. they are also quite easy to work on.
VTS's had 15" wheels so you can get larger brake discs and calipers under them (283mm).
But like has been mentioned, they will likley have been thrashed but if its been looked after then it shouldn't matter that much.
I recenlty sold my saxo (Mk1 VTR 29K) and it was loads of fun.
There are a few changes that occured with the VTS over it's life. The face lift only adds weight in the bonnet area, about 5kgs, this helps with frontal crash protection, which isn't the VTS's forte (though 3 NCAP starts, you can get worse!) At the time of the facelift there were no real mechanical changes, though the annoying keypad imobiliser was ditched. The head got a small redesign and flows a little better, leading to early Mk2 cars on the W and X plate showing a slight power increase
Next up came the the swap between the 1 plug and 3 plug ECUs. the 3 plug is the same unit as used in the C2 today. The VTS also got some nice emisions reduction stuff, the EGR valve and two lambda sensors to keep the emissions down. It didn't work, it's in band F.
In all honesty, all models are nigh on the same power (within tollerences certainly) however the 3 plug ECU does occasionally decide to kill itself, for some unknown reason. Why? Unsure, It is rare though, and all parts are cheap (ECU is about £200 recon'd)
Late cars got EBD, which makes no difference, side airbags, which are god safety wise, but robs the buckets of support and that's about it.
In general, they're all the same and round a track would be near as damn it the same car and set the same sort of time.
I'm currently flogging my modified example, for 3k. It's probably a bit to track based for your needs but it's stood up to the daily grind well. Engines are mega strong (I only know of 2 bottom end failures, 1 running a Garrat T4 and aiming for 440bhp and another running silly nitrous)
Gearboxes fail if abused, though fine if not, the real issue is that they were originally designed for the Visa and thus not for 120lb of torque. Diff bearings go with track work but on the road should be perfectly fine.
Image is one of the reasons I'm selling (the main one is that I work in the city now, I don't need a daily car and I need a Porsche 968 before it's too late!)
You will find that people will expect you to drive like a retard and thus cut you up, swear and abuse you first. I had a diesel Megane for a week and the different way people respond to you is amazing!
There are still ones out there with one mature owner (citroens are popular with oldies and what 65 year old could say no to about 4k off a 12.5 grand car) so keep an eye out for one of them and enjoy it for what it is, a fab little hot hatch
Cheers for that quality info! That's the sort of stuff that is so hard to find
People generally seem to only know about their own Mk of car and manufacturers rarely point out the elements they have 'fixed' through progressive generations!
I think I can live with the immobiliser thing. Even though I always thought it would be a pain!
If I worried about NCAP I wouldn't leave the house in the mornin!. I'm a long way off being able to afford a safe and quick car
I might be interested in what you have... send me linky!
Ultimately I was planning on tracking it but wanted standard over Winter!
People generally seem to only know about their own Mk of car and manufacturers rarely point out the elements they have 'fixed' through progressive generations!
I think I can live with the immobiliser thing. Even though I always thought it would be a pain!
If I worried about NCAP I wouldn't leave the house in the mornin!. I'm a long way off being able to afford a safe and quick car
I might be interested in what you have... send me linky!
Ultimately I was planning on tracking it but wanted standard over Winter!
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