£1000 Vectra SRI daily shed

[7 5 7]

whytheory said:

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.

65mph, even 70mph is pretty good tbh, just before the VVT kicks in, seems to be happier when sat at cruise at this higher speed - I knock off the cruise on the hills if I have too, as it plummets when engaged.

Still, good value that mate, not alot at all in the grand scheme of things is it, they do seem to eat suspension parts I heard, but still cheaper than a deposit on a lease

[7 5 7]

Well....one emergency stop, pushed it over the edge - blew a brake line on the M5, RAC confirmed as a corroded hard line.

Full recovery home, 300 miles away (I am stuck in Cornwall...) RAC have been utterly amazing, and giving me a hire car while I get the car back...over the next few days.

So, first hiccup with the Veccy

[A500leroy]

7 5 7 said:

Well....one emergency stop, pushed it over the edge - blew a brake line on the M5, RAC confirmed as a corroded hard line.

Full recovery home, 300 miles away (I am stuck in Cornwall...) RAC have been utterly amazing, and giving me a hire car while I get the car back...over the next few days.

So, first hiccup with the Veccy

Thats it, scrap the thing!

Seriously though, that could happen to anything ( more likely with a landrover badge and registered in the last 5 years)

[7 5 7]

Hyundai Kona.....well it's alot newer, this is my Vectra for a few days - Newest car I've ever had tbh

[7 5 7]

Picked the Kona up from Plymouth, then did a family stop over in Taunton, Somerset for a quick coffee.

200 miles home from there, 56mpg, mightily impressive for a 1.0 petrol hybrid, terribly uncomfortable car though, must be the seats, tried every setting, but I could not get comfortable.

So that's (Vectra 1 - 0 Kona) on the comfort score anyway.

[aust240378]

Damn sorry to hear about your brake issue, exactly the same thing happened to me! except it was on the MOT testers ramp a couple of years ago.

They pressed the brakes down hard and all brake fluid pissed out everywhere. I'd been lucky as I was light on the brakes but am happy it was fixed on the ramp

[A500leroy]

7 5 7 said:

Hyundai Kona.....well it's alot newer, this is my Vectra for a few days - Newest car I've ever had tbh

Id sooner have the Vauxhall.

[7 5 7]

aust240378 said:

Damn sorry to hear about your brake issue, exactly the same thing happened to me! except it was on the MOT testers ramp a couple of years ago.

They pressed the brakes down hard and all brake fluid pissed out everywhere. I'd been lucky as I was light on the brakes but am happy it was fixed on the ramp

Yeah I have read this is an issue on the Vectra C's - especially above the fuel tank, hopefully get it back in few days, don't actually know where it is - it's with the RAC Logistics team at the moment.

[7 5 7]

A500leroy said:

Id sooner have the Vauxhall.

it's not too bad in all honesty, mainly just the bewildering array of infotainment that I am not use too, but it's terribly uncomfortable, reasonably nippy 3 cylinder though, but it's a car.

Looking forward to the Vectra back tbh, like a well worn lovely armchair in a country pub, by comparison. My wife thinks the opposite! Ha!

[7 5 7]

Hyundai 'Corona' Kona gets returned tomorrow, will I miss it??...hmmm, I will miss the infotainment system, but that is all tbh, it's not a bad car and I think Hyundai have really got something going at the moment with their range, and the 3 cylinder engine does sound quite cool in all honesty.... anyway the Vectra, the poor bloody Vectra!

It's back, after 3 days in storage in St Austell, it's on the ramps now down the road and should be done by tomorrow or end of the week.

Looks like a bigger job than we both (my mechanic) thought. It's not going to be beer money to fix as the internet sometimes says about these jobs, plus another section needs attention too....well 16 years on the road and approaching 150k y'know, it's gonna happen.

But, it's going to be repaired - I need the car back ASAP, it will be cruising down to Cornwall again next weekend to finish off what I didn't get to do, for some house clearing tasks.

I really haven't got the appetite or time to go hunting for another car at the moment...*cough* there is a few Insignia petrols down the road..reasonably priced....as it did cross my mind to chop it in, while I was driving back in my Kona!

My mechanic persuaded me not too in the end, and said see how we go over the next year with it.

Plus I have my brand new X4 budget tyres I need to at least get my wear out of!

So, that's where we are at with this.

[7 5 7]

Should be getting the shed back today...all being well, massive delay getting it on the ramps fitting it in, is what it is, been so fun juggling 1 car with my work/my wife's work and child duties...not! it will be a nice welcome back for It.

First big strike against it though, so let's hope it has a good year at least left in it, as the wife really wants me to swap it for something a little newer....I'm resisting as much as I can at the moment.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Wednesday 2nd August 08:36

[Shaw Tarse]

New title okay OP?

[7 5 7]

Shaw Tarse said:

New title okay OP?

Ha yeah needed shed in it, thanks

[Shaw Tarse]

Had space to leave SRI

[whytheory]

Had an Insignia previously and it didn't feel as well made as as this generation of Vauxhall

[7 5 7]

whytheory said:

Had an Insignia previously and it didn't feel as well made as as this generation of Vauxhall

Yeah, they do feel pretty robustly built these Vectra's, very hardwearing, I looked at an insignia a few weeks back, came up cheap locally, the boot size was a disappointment in comparison too, one reason I have this Vectra, is due to its massive haulage capacity.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Thursday 3rd August 20:03

[7 5 7]

Mileage currently around 142,600 as of today, quiet start to the week for driving.

Got a Cornwall jaunt Saturday morning (3am start), so 600 miles stick on then, and around.

Then up to Edinburgh in couple of weeks time also.

Couple of tips runs this morning, glad I have it back.

[7 5 7]

Mileage 143,500, yeah 1,000 miles since last week

Uneventful update - Front sidelight bulb out, and rear number plate bulb out, simple fixes I will remedy this week.

"Knock Knock who's there....this friggin' ageing leggy Vectra, that is who"!!!... yes, we have even more knocking going on, guessing its the droplinks, near the front - happy to ignore and see if the MOT picks up on them on the 4th, next month.

[The Bearded Tit]

Good to see you decided to keep it after the brake issue. Can't help but wonder how much better that Hyundai would've been if it wasn't an SUV - I mean, it's an i30 carrying around 50kg of plastic.

Could be worse I suppose. The Ford Kuga is around 300kg heavier than the Focus on which it's based, and doesn't really give you anything extra.

Anyway, I digress. Love the Vectra

[7 5 7]

The Bearded Tit said:

Good to see you decided to keep it after the brake issue. Can't help but wonder how much better that Hyundai would've been if it wasn't an SUV - I mean, it's an i30 carrying around 50kg of plastic.

Could be worse I suppose. The Ford Kuga is around 300kg heavier than the Focus on which it's based, and doesn't really give you anything extra.

Anyway, I digress. Love the Vectra

Yeah only cost me £100 or so to fix it, was abit of a pig, as it was above the fuel tank where it had gone too - seemed daft to offload it for such a little job, was more the inconvenience as to where it happened location wise in the UK.

Yeah, the KONA was like driving a plastic bag, didn't gel with it at all, and all the infotainment and driver aids, especially the lane departure thingy, were more a distraction than an aid to me.