RE: Shed Of The Week: Vauxhall Omega V6

[B'stard Child]

I love big old Vauxhalls and Opels and I've not seen many manuals that aren't ex polac but I'm owt on this one (or any Omega of this era).

They rust in strange areas, the V6 has a water cooled oil cooler in the centre of the V and gives all the signs of head gasket failure when it lets go and oils up the water or waters up the oil. They aren't that easy to work on compared to the old straight sixes and they look very bland....

[Martin 480 Turbo]

Thats depressing. Shouldn't a shed bring a smile to your face?

[8Ace]

Funkycoldribena said:

Troon said:

PLEASE don't advocate repeated re-gassing to keep a leaky A/C system working. The load of R134a in your car is equivalent to the same greenhouse effect as several thousand miles driving (it's 1300 times worse than CO2, so even at a heavy 255g/km an 800g A/C load is the same as 4100km driving).

Yeah,boil your tits off and save a polar bear cub,you know it makes sense.

Don't be obtuse.

Just drive along with the windows open. The AC will keep your toes cool and then the cold air will go out of the car to offset the global warming. Win win.

[psymonr]

Article said:

Autobarn

Has dumbing down gone too far?

[pSyCoSiS]

A local garage lent me one as a courtesy car a few months back. It was an 'R' reg 3.0 MV6. Gold with the standard black shaded alloys and velour interior.

Pleasantly surprised with it. Smooth ride and a raspy engine.

There are plenty of alternatives at this sort of Shed price, but it's still (or was) quite a bit of car for the cash.

[Dannbodge]

Great cars. I spent a lot of time in the previous shape one as a child.
My dad had a 2.5 V6 CDX (Albeit M reg) one from new and my uncle now runs it without any issues.

When he goes to scrap it it's coming my way so I can nick the number plate then scrap/sell it to the drift boys.

[otolith]

My folks had one years back, a 2.5 automatic. I quite liked it, big comfy seats and quick enough. I liked the V6, though it maybe could have been smoother and quieter for a car like that.

I was actually behind one the other day, a 3.2 being driven painfully slowly by an elderly chap. I ended up nipping round him as he merged onto a 70mph dual carriageway at 30mph.

[ChasW]

I ran a manual V6 for 3 years 60k miles as a company car with no problems whatsoever. MPG varied from 22 to 31 and averaged around 26. The build quality was quite good. Previously we had run a Carlton 2.0 auto estate and that as the family hack and that was flawless, apart from one rust spot, for the 20k we put on it having bought it 3 years old. The big Vauxhalls were decent cars around that period.

[MajorMantra]

psymonr said:

Has dumbing down gone too far?

"Autobarn" would be a good name for a purveyor of luxobarge sheds actually.

This SOTW does absolutely nothing for me I'm afraid, it's just too bland looking, especially in silver.

[ianwayne]

I bought a 2.0 litre version of this (an R reg) with 60k miles on it for £450 off ebay in 2013. Always though they were a bit of a bargain. Ran it for 5 months. Rarely saw 30 mpg. Even changed the cambelt myself. Sold it for... £450. Good old bus but the manual gearbox requires pudding stirring. And the aircon and electric sunroof worked. No leather though.

Watch out for rust just inboard of those sill covers and behind the rear door closures.

[Frimley111R]

Limpet said:

Nope. I worked for a company when they directly replaced a fleet of ultra-reliable Carltons with these. Within four months they'd sent them all back. Chronic unreliability doesn't even begin to cover it, and that's when the wiring and the oily bits weren't getting on for 15 years old....

When they worked, they were nice cars, mind.

Probably had everything fixed/replaced by now though

[V8 TEJ]

smaybury said:

Can anyone confirm what the annual VED would be on one of these things?

Lol

[soad]

"This advert has been withdrawn from PistonHeads by the seller"

Sold then?

[VolvoT5]

I learned to drive in the pre face lift version of the Omega.... a 3.0 manual but in police spec (white, cloth trim and very few toys). Bargetastic and a bit tail happy. Not sure I would want to downgrade to the 2.5/2.6 version to be honest. I normally vastly prefer autos to manual but the lazy manual seemed to suit this car.... wonder what happened to them all....... rusted to death probably?

[StarmistBlue400]

2smoke said:

I've been looking at these recently in an attempt to re-live my 6 cylinder Carlton memories. VED rate is a show stopper for me though...

My Dad had a Carlton 2.6CDX from new. It was a lovely car with a smooth VarioCam (I think was the term) engine which sounded nice. He really wanted a GSI 24v but dont think he could afford it.

He used to let me drive it on early morning fishing trips (I was only 16, Private roads obviously)

[E65Ross]

My dad was given one of these 12 years ago when his BMW 330 went in for a service.

The omega was st then so I'm pretty sure it will be now, too.

[Tame Technician]

!!THANK YOU PISTON HEADS.!!

For picking my fathers omega as shed of the week.

Sadly you did this a day to late, it sold to a man from essex for £465 last night on ebay. He collects Saturday so you never know, my reinstate add if he doesnt show.

Thanks to all the Omega haters out there, funny stuff. I actually owned this car for two years before selling to my Dad.

No they are not very much fun to drive, apart from when raining, a slow effortless drift is possible on a damp roundabout. They are actually alot more repliable than you would think from what you read. German engineering dont forget.

This was the only Manual one (apart from Gordon Brown, who had a diplomate/gov spec special 3.2 manual)

Bring on the hate, I know the car drives really well and it is very good mechanical condition. Check out my profile if you think I dont know what I'm talking about.

Thanks Again TT

Edited by Tame Technician on Friday 10th July 13:56

[legless]

Tame Technician said:

This was the only Manual one (aprat from Gordon Brown, who had a diplomate/gov spec special 3.2 manual)

Not quite right. My father worked in the traffic division of Staffordshire Police, and they had a large fleet of Omegas. All were 3.0 and 3.2, and 90% of them were manual boxes.

EDIT: Forgot to say, they had a couple of unmarked 3.2s in Elite spec with the manual box too. I believe they were mainly used by senior officers.

Edited by legless on Friday 10th July 14:04

[B'stard Child]

StarmistBlue400 said:

2smoke said:

I've been looking at these recently in an attempt to re-live my 6 cylinder Carlton memories. VED rate is a show stopper for me though...

My Dad had a Carlton 2.6CDX from new. It was a lovely car with a smooth VarioCam (I think was the term) engine which sounded nice. He really wanted a GSI 24v but dont think he could afford it.

That would be "Dual Ram" - Switched inlet tract valve at 4000 rpm to improve bottom end torque without compromising top end (only fitted to 2.6 12V and 3.0 24V engines)

On all the 6 bangers fitted with Dual Ram they are controlled by a solenoid and operated by vacuum and it's easy to tell if it's working or not.

If the engine is flat as a witches tit after 4000 rpm and won't reach the red line in any gear then it's stuck shut. (probably cause no vac, perished/damaged pipe or kippered solenoid)

If the engine is gutless below 4000 rpm and then takes off after that then it's stuck or wedged open (it's sprung closed) (or the flap has fallen off and it's in the manifold it's too big to do any damage (the screws that hold it on however will have been swallowed and spat out the exhaust if you are lucky)

So it really does make a difference across the rev range.

[B'stard Child]

legless said:

Tame Technician said:

This was the only Manual one (aprat from Gordon Brown, who had a diplomate/gov spec special 3.2 manual)

Not quite right. My father worked in the traffic division of Staffordshire Police, and they had a large fleet of Omegas. All were 3.0 and 3.2, and 90% of them were manual boxes.

EDIT: Forgot to say, they had a couple of unmarked 3.2s in Elite spec with the manual box too. I believe they were mainly used by senior officers.

Edited by legless on Friday 10th July 14:04

I believe that TT is referring to it being one of very few 2.6 Elite manuals - not 3.0 or 3.2 V6's that were popular with the boys in blue in many counties

Having said that I don't think he's right on that either