My VX220 Turbo
Discussion
Bought in September last year and is my 6th VX and second Turbo.
It was a total steal, and when it was delivered I was surprised at how good it was. It did need a tidy up which the guy selling it was too daunted to do. These were relatively simple jobs if you know what you're doing, which I would consider myself to. I promised myself that I would not spend a penny on it. Up to now I've been unable to keep to that promise!
My main aim is to prove that these aren't expensive cars to run or maintain. Granted, some of the jobs are a total f
k on but it's all part of the ownership experience
This is a photo of it the other day...
Since buying it I have bought/replaced:
Dashboard
Starter button
Covered dashplates in carbon fibre
New pads and discs
Serviced
Changed timing belt
New expansion tank
4 new tyres
Fixed rattley windows (this is the job that took me the longest!)
Rear badges
Fully carpeted
Front and rear towing eyes
Rocker cover gasket
mk1 MX5 sun visors fitted
There are also other items which are seemingly mundane, but have proven quite costly:
To obtain a new alarm fob, I had to replace the alarm system at a cost of £110 as the previous owner did not have the alarm code key.
He also only supplied one key. I had to get a security pass from the dealers for £30 which is only needed for the 4 digit code to program a new key. Fortunately the key did not have to come from Vauxhall themselves as I bought one from eBay and programmed it myself with the OP-COM reader I bought from eBay.
To turn the airbag light off (as the airbag had been deployed) I had to purchase a new airbag from Germany, and also a airbag ECU reset was needed to reset the whole system. This was circa £250 all in.
Planned and booked for next week:
Cobrasport precat
PDTuning remap
In the future:
Get the bubbling rear clam sorted
Although this is quite some money that has been spent it wasn't all necessary but all of the expenditure is upfront so there will (hopefully) be no surprises in future as I intend on keeping the car for some time.
It was a total steal, and when it was delivered I was surprised at how good it was. It did need a tidy up which the guy selling it was too daunted to do. These were relatively simple jobs if you know what you're doing, which I would consider myself to. I promised myself that I would not spend a penny on it. Up to now I've been unable to keep to that promise!
My main aim is to prove that these aren't expensive cars to run or maintain. Granted, some of the jobs are a total f
k on but it's all part of the ownership experience This is a photo of it the other day...
Since buying it I have bought/replaced:
Dashboard
Starter button
Covered dashplates in carbon fibre
New pads and discs
Serviced
Changed timing belt
New expansion tank
4 new tyres
Fixed rattley windows (this is the job that took me the longest!)
Rear badges
Fully carpeted
Front and rear towing eyes
Rocker cover gasket
mk1 MX5 sun visors fitted
There are also other items which are seemingly mundane, but have proven quite costly:
To obtain a new alarm fob, I had to replace the alarm system at a cost of £110 as the previous owner did not have the alarm code key.
He also only supplied one key. I had to get a security pass from the dealers for £30 which is only needed for the 4 digit code to program a new key. Fortunately the key did not have to come from Vauxhall themselves as I bought one from eBay and programmed it myself with the OP-COM reader I bought from eBay.
To turn the airbag light off (as the airbag had been deployed) I had to purchase a new airbag from Germany, and also a airbag ECU reset was needed to reset the whole system. This was circa £250 all in.
Planned and booked for next week:
Cobrasport precat
PDTuning remap
In the future:
Get the bubbling rear clam sorted
Although this is quite some money that has been spent it wasn't all necessary but all of the expenditure is upfront so there will (hopefully) be no surprises in future as I intend on keeping the car for some time.
Lordbenny said:
soad said:
Nice, how does turbo compare to n/a version? Much more capable i suspect?
In a straight line.....but not round the twisties!!! 
Great car you have, be good to get your opinion on them in a nutshell.
BTW, what the MPG like on the Tubby vs the N/A, parkers has them down as the same each - 33mpg?
The NA is a much more nimble car with it being lighter and having (ever so slightly) harder suspension. The engine pulls through all of the rev range and gives you confidence in the corners as you know the power is always going to be on the end of your toe. The engine is the Z22SE which is the same ecotec 2.2 as the Astra, Vectra and Zafira. Common problems with them are the timing chain, which needs replacing every 70k miles or so. Other than that they are seemingly bulletproof.
The Turbo (affectionately known as the 'Tubby') was made to be slightly more liveable, meaning that it has softer suspension, more soundproofing and central locking. The engine is the same Z20LET turbocharged unit that is in the Zafira/Astra GSI etc. The engine isn't as responsive as the NA but once the Turbo has spooled up the acceleration is superb. There is a flat spot at around 3.5k RPM and this is due to the emissions testing for the EU however it can be easily remedied by a new precat and remap. Handling is a little softer and feels slightly less 'balanced' than the NA, and personally I think this is due to added weight combined with the softer suspension.
Both cars are impressive and the difference in performance around a track are negligible as both have their pros and cons. I prefer the rawness and chuckability of the NA compared to the Tubby and the NA gave me so much confidence in the bends than the Tubby ever will. If, like me, you have no intention of tracking it and just use it on roads then both are equally liveable day to day. Having a larger engine in the Tubby means that the bootspace is compromised, but only slightly.
In conclusion, the Turbo is quicker in a straight line but the NA handles better. Both will leak, rattle, have bubbling rear clams and poor heaters. They will also both put a huge smile on your face and £ for £, you won't find a better car for the money.
The Turbo (affectionately known as the 'Tubby') was made to be slightly more liveable, meaning that it has softer suspension, more soundproofing and central locking. The engine is the same Z20LET turbocharged unit that is in the Zafira/Astra GSI etc. The engine isn't as responsive as the NA but once the Turbo has spooled up the acceleration is superb. There is a flat spot at around 3.5k RPM and this is due to the emissions testing for the EU however it can be easily remedied by a new precat and remap. Handling is a little softer and feels slightly less 'balanced' than the NA, and personally I think this is due to added weight combined with the softer suspension.
Both cars are impressive and the difference in performance around a track are negligible as both have their pros and cons. I prefer the rawness and chuckability of the NA compared to the Tubby and the NA gave me so much confidence in the bends than the Tubby ever will. If, like me, you have no intention of tracking it and just use it on roads then both are equally liveable day to day. Having a larger engine in the Tubby means that the bootspace is compromised, but only slightly.
In conclusion, the Turbo is quicker in a straight line but the NA handles better. Both will leak, rattle, have bubbling rear clams and poor heaters. They will also both put a huge smile on your face and £ for £, you won't find a better car for the money.
Lost soul said:
p4cks said:
My main aim is to prove that these aren't expensive cars to run or maintain.
Have they got a reputation for being expensive to run ? 
p4cks said:
The NA is a much more nimble car with it being lighter and having (ever so slightly) harder suspension. The engine pulls through all of the rev range and gives you confidence in the corners as you know the power is always going to be on the end of your toe. The engine is the Z22SE which is the same ecotec 2.2 as the Astra, Vectra and Zafira. Common problems with them are the timing chain, which needs replacing every 70k miles or so. Other than that they are seemingly bulletproof.
The Turbo (affectionately known as the 'Tubby') was made to be slightly more liveable, meaning that it has softer suspension, more soundproofing and central locking. The engine is the same Z20LET turbocharged unit that is in the Zafira/Astra GSI etc. The engine isn't as responsive as the NA but once the Turbo has spooled up the acceleration is superb. There is a flat spot at around 3.5k RPM and this is due to the emissions testing for the EU however it can be easily remedied by a new precat and remap. Handling is a little softer and feels slightly less 'balanced' than the NA, and personally I think this is due to added weight combined with the softer suspension.
Both cars are impressive and the difference in performance around a track are negligible as both have their pros and cons. I prefer the rawness and chuckability of the NA compared to the Tubby and the NA gave me so much confidence in the bends than the Tubby ever will. If, like me, you have no intention of tracking it and just use it on roads then both are equally liveable day to day. Having a larger engine in the Tubby means that the bootspace is compromised, but only slightly.
In conclusion, the Turbo is quicker in a straight line but the NA handles better. Both will leak, rattle, have bubbling rear clams and poor heaters. They will also both put a huge smile on your face and £ for £, you won't find a better car for the money.
Great post.The Turbo (affectionately known as the 'Tubby') was made to be slightly more liveable, meaning that it has softer suspension, more soundproofing and central locking. The engine is the same Z20LET turbocharged unit that is in the Zafira/Astra GSI etc. The engine isn't as responsive as the NA but once the Turbo has spooled up the acceleration is superb. There is a flat spot at around 3.5k RPM and this is due to the emissions testing for the EU however it can be easily remedied by a new precat and remap. Handling is a little softer and feels slightly less 'balanced' than the NA, and personally I think this is due to added weight combined with the softer suspension.
Both cars are impressive and the difference in performance around a track are negligible as both have their pros and cons. I prefer the rawness and chuckability of the NA compared to the Tubby and the NA gave me so much confidence in the bends than the Tubby ever will. If, like me, you have no intention of tracking it and just use it on roads then both are equally liveable day to day. Having a larger engine in the Tubby means that the bootspace is compromised, but only slightly.
In conclusion, the Turbo is quicker in a straight line but the NA handles better. Both will leak, rattle, have bubbling rear clams and poor heaters. They will also both put a huge smile on your face and £ for £, you won't find a better car for the money.
And I love your car, I cannot wait until a I own a VX. Will probably go n/a though.
Chunkychucky said:
Do they do a supercharger kit for the N/A cars? I am sorely tempted, but worry that after a couple of months I may begin to feel the need for more grunt.. 
They do yeah. Circa £2k but cheaper if you can source the parts from the USA yourself. And the NA is plenty fast, but the torque on the Turbo is highly addictive!
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