£1000 Vectra SRI daily shed

[7 5 7]

A500leroy said:

Tow bar and trailer you mean.

I've always fancied a car with a towbar tbh...

[7 5 7]

139,500 now, only managed a few hundred in the past couple of weeks or so...I say only.

June is looking pretty busy mileage wise with work, few heavy trips.

But, doing what it does best yesterday, X6 roof panels mine and the neighbors, it was ratcheted down after the image was taken of course.

I did have a £30 expense though!!! New front plate, as literally it was falling to pieces and proper interior mats, fed up of the non spec ones slipping under foot, felt these were a good upgrade.



Total costs over 15 months = £160 per month, its costing me.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 17th May 12:02

[7 5 7]

200 mile round trip to Holyhead, Anglesey today, the words out as I past X3 more Vectras on the way over

400+ miles in a weeks time to Edinburgh and back, it's taking some mileage this cockroach!!

Edited by 7 5 7 on Friday 26th May 14:02

[7 5 7]

You may of seen, or not I had some concerns over the last X2 remaining 5 year old Bridgestone tyres I am yet to replace on the car.

Having inspected them further this morning, taking them off the car to rotate, the inside shoulder is worse than the outside for being perished/cracked.

So, with this in mind and my heavy mileage (they may have been ok, but now I know, its on my mind) I have booked it into ATS on Friday for some new ones.

No expense spared of course, £120 for X2 fully fitted, with TopCashBack 2% back I will be happier with fresh ones.

So, it is still hovering around £160 p/month on this Vec, even with this expense factored in over 15/16 months - so still quid's in, and still very happy with this for the time being.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 31st May 13:10

[7 5 7]

Garage had the unpleasant task of letting me know (sarcasm) I couldn't have what I ordered, so I can try and match the same on the front axle, so, Delinte is what they said they have in stock, funny how if this was a car I actually cared about, it would bother me, but I really don't, these will work just fine.

[7 5 7]

140,000 miles

My daughter doesn't understand the shed way, so was constantly saying "...daddy, dirty car, dirty car..."

So I gave in, and had to give it a wash - tbh it's been a loyal old thing, it deserved abit of TLC, and I added a full body T-cut too with what I found in the shed, won't be getting another one for a while now!

Edited by 7 5 7 on Tuesday 8th August 08:36

[7 5 7]

Now, I did say I was going to do MOT roulette with this, but managed to have some downtime and get the Vectra in for an undercarriage inspection, as it's been banging around like a swingers party at the rear for some time, as it's been such a good car it deserved a look in.

So, needs rear shocks, stabilizer and rollbar bushes!

Not too bad, will be booked in soon.

Another 500 miles scheduled for next week.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 21st June 15:06

[aust240378]

7 5 7 said:

Now, I did say I was going to do MOT roulette with this, but managed to have some downtime and get the Vectra in for an undercarriage inspection, as it's been banging around like a swingers party at the rear for some time, as it's been such a good car it deserved a look in.

So, needs rear shocks, stabilizer and rollbar bushes!

Not too bad, will be booked in soon.

Another 500 miles scheduled for next week.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 21st June 15:06

That's not too bad, it's serving you well! It will keep going, Mine was way more reliable than my 3 E46 BMW's who'd have guessed

[7 5 7]

aust240378 said:

That's not too bad, it's serving you well! It will keep going, Mine was way more reliable than my 3 E46 BMW's who'd have guessed

Yeah, it's not doing too bad, parts all ordered, £70 all in, so cheap the parts for these VX's.

One thing my mechanic did say, was the cam-phasers are rather rattly still, and I do think they are leaking a little oil, as found some leakage when I was underneath the car, rather not go down that route to replace as these are quite a costly job, so may be the end if these ste themselves, may never happen so, it will will keep plodding on I am sure.

It has been rather reliable and has completely changed my view on the marque tbh, would happily (like yourself) grab another one if this borks (but an estate one), the wife won't be happy like if I did ....I just love knocking about in cheap cars now!!

[7 5 7]

Mileage 142,000

Rare bit of down time on the car it's had new rear shocks and D bushes, the car is transformed!!

What a difference new ones make to the handling, they were well and truly buggered the shocks were!

So, as you were, I will keep piling the miles on the Vec!

[7 5 7]

Be sticking another 900'ish miles on it next week, on its errands (North West and the South West/Cornwall...again, end of next week) - ride is very plush now, well, plusher than it was with the new rear shocks - still pretty wooden the SRI springs tbh.

Its booked in for its MOT in September, had to book it in when it think it is free to go in, not unduly worried about anything now, will have another 2,3k on it before then, all easy motorway miles - oil leaks haven't returned either, so, happy that's fixed.

But so far, this Vectra is becoming abit of a cockroach!

It coming out at now - £150 per/month over 17 months of ownership all in - still friggin' cheap motoring!

[soad]

I quite fancy one of these, as a second car. Being bigger, certainly feels safer than a hatchback (been rear ended in one, at low speed).
But currently between jobs.

[Glosphil]

7 5 7 said:

Been a busy 3 weeks, 44mpg average though, who needs a diesel...I am starting to maybe think I do, if this keeps up.

Have you calculated the mpg or are you just believing the readout?

[7 5 7]

soad said:

I quite fancy one of these, as a second car. Being bigger, certainly feels safer than a hatchback (been rear ended in one, at low speed).
But currently between jobs.

Yeah, they are proper tanks in all honesty, bigger than you think, certainly feel safe and remarkably well built, and dirt cheap as you have probably gathered.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 12th July 19:24

[7 5 7]

Glosphil said:

Have you calculated the mpg or are you just believing the readout?

Yeah I did when I first got it used Fuelly App, which is pretty accurate for fill ups compared to the readouts, but got bored to keep it up

But reading around, 45/50mpg is very common on these 1.8 VVT's especially on the motorway where it's spends 80% of it's time at 65mph, they are really quite frugal for what they are.

[aust240378]

7 5 7 said:

Yeah I did when I first got it used Fuelly App, which is pretty accurate for fill ups compared to the readouts, but got bored to keep it up

But reading around, 45/50mpg is very common on these 1.8 VVT's especially on the motorway where it's spends 80% of it's time at 65mph, they are really quite frugal for what they are.

I reckon that's about right for the 1.8VVT, I've been calculating when I've filled up, the worst I have had is 41mpg, the best is 44mpg and I reckon there's a bit more to be had if I actually made the effort. For comparison the 2.2 direct was about 5mpg less .

[7 5 7]

aust240378 said:

I reckon that's about right for the 1.8VVT, I've been calculating when I've filled up, the worst I have had is 41mpg, the best is 44mpg and I reckon there's a bit more to be had if I actually made the effort. For comparison the 2.2 direct was about 5mpg less .

Yeah I routinely, when on business mileage make an effort to eeek out as much as I can on the motorway, 49/50mpg is really as high as I've got it - which I think is mighty impressive for a big heavy family car, which is usually lumbered with a boot full of gear too.

Still can't justify chopping this car in yet, still ticks alot of boxes as a good solid, simple tool of a motor, to pile the miles on.

[whytheory]

This is mine, 85% motorway... need to get better at sticking at 60mph because it'll do 45/47mpg then.

I have just given mine a full service including a thermostat (which hasn't solved my wondering temperature gauge) and I also replaced a spring it didn't strictly speaking need.

Despite unnecessary parts I've spent only £1850 (purchase+servicing) on it so far and covered ~7500 miles.

[aust240378]

7 5 7 said:

aust240378 said:

I reckon that's about right for the 1.8VVT, I've been calculating when I've filled up, the worst I have had is 41mpg, the best is 44mpg and I reckon there's a bit more to be had if I actually made the effort. For comparison the 2.2 direct was about 5mpg less .

Yeah I routinely, when on business mileage make an effort to eeek out as much as I can on the motorway, 49/50mpg is really as high as I've got it - which I think is mighty impressive for a big heavy family car, which is usually lumbered with a boot full of gear too.

Still can't justify chopping this car in yet, still ticks alot of boxes as a good solid, simple tool of a motor, to pile the miles on.

That is impressive, I'm going to make an effort to get closer to 50pmg Just out of interest what have you had out of a tank? I think the most I ever did on the 2.2 was 460 miles, Is 500 achievable on one tank do you think?

[7 5 7]

aust240378 said:

7 5 7 said:

aust240378 said:

I reckon that's about right for the 1.8VVT, I've been calculating when I've filled up, the worst I have had is 41mpg, the best is 44mpg and I reckon there's a bit more to be had if I actually made the effort. For comparison the 2.2 direct was about 5mpg less .

Yeah I routinely, when on business mileage make an effort to eeek out as much as I can on the motorway, 49/50mpg is really as high as I've got it - which I think is mighty impressive for a big heavy family car, which is usually lumbered with a boot full of gear too.

Still can't justify chopping this car in yet, still ticks alot of boxes as a good solid, simple tool of a motor, to pile the miles on.

That is impressive, I'm going to make an effort to get closer to 50pmg Just out of interest what have you had out of a tank? I think the most I ever did on the 2.2 was 460 miles, Is 500 achievable on one tank do you think?

I think I have easily had 450 out of it, definitely. I routinely do Edinburgh and back in a day with work, that's 458 miles round trip.

Will give it a proper test this weekend I think, I am doing North West to Cornwall - 610 miles round trip, so I am hoping to do that in one tank....

Edited by 7 5 7 on Monday 17th July 13:26