New Monaro VXR owner looking for tips
Discussion
Hello all,
Having just sold (well, almost gave away actually!) my beloved and trusty Vectra SRi 2.6 2001, I'm now ready to settle in with my totally impractical 'MLC' Monaro VXR 2006 (MLC = Mid Life Crisis).
I entered this phase with my eyes wide open of course (checked Insurance, Road Tax etc,) but wasn't quite ready for the apparently enormous costs for fixing what I considered to be niggling little faults; the front N/S fog lamp and the spoiler brake light (which seems to have lost a few LEDs) come to over £250 - before fitting.
So ... hope you don't mind me asking but does anyone have any experience or strategies they can recommend to get the 'best bang for my buck' in sourcing parts and, not being a mechanic, obtaining reasonable services for sensible money (I assume that the main dealer is not recommended).
Please don't take this as a whinge BTW - despite the above I think the car is brilliant and I love it.
Best wishes to all,
Ian
PS - I am in the North West (Cheshire)
Having just sold (well, almost gave away actually!) my beloved and trusty Vectra SRi 2.6 2001, I'm now ready to settle in with my totally impractical 'MLC' Monaro VXR 2006 (MLC = Mid Life Crisis).
I entered this phase with my eyes wide open of course (checked Insurance, Road Tax etc,) but wasn't quite ready for the apparently enormous costs for fixing what I considered to be niggling little faults; the front N/S fog lamp and the spoiler brake light (which seems to have lost a few LEDs) come to over £250 - before fitting.
So ... hope you don't mind me asking but does anyone have any experience or strategies they can recommend to get the 'best bang for my buck' in sourcing parts and, not being a mechanic, obtaining reasonable services for sensible money (I assume that the main dealer is not recommended).
Please don't take this as a whinge BTW - despite the above I think the car is brilliant and I love it.
Best wishes to all,
Ian
PS - I am in the North West (Cheshire)
flee bay is becoming a good source for parts. there is also a guy on here raving that breaks monaros and might be able to get you parts. other than that you can contact Wilkinshaw performance or monkfish for spares.
as for the rear break light if you handy with a soldering iron you can fix it yourself for a few quid. there is a how to on here somewhere posted by GSE2000 i think.
welcome btw. and dont forget some pics
as for the rear break light if you handy with a soldering iron you can fix it yourself for a few quid. there is a how to on here somewhere posted by GSE2000 i think.
welcome btw. and dont forget some pics
Thanks for all the kind comments guys - I've been on t'internet and have a few 'feelers' out for breakers.
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
IanLWarrington said:
Thanks for all the kind comments guys - I've been on t'internet and have a few 'feelers' out for breakers.
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
how much!!! i think there telling porkies there mate. servicing is every year or 10k what ever is first...the_ferret82 said:
IanLWarrington said:
Thanks for all the kind comments guys - I've been on t'internet and have a few 'feelers' out for breakers.
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
I guess I should invest in a Haynes (assuming there is such a thing for this beast).
As far as servicing goes, I've been recommended to go to Classic Cats in Warrington - they specialise in Jaguars (you guessed) but also, V8s; and, I hear they are both capable and reasonable - I'll let you know when they come back with a price for the service. (Unfortunately, the last service is 6 months old (the car has been garaged since November to when I bought it last week) and the Vauxhall dealer told me I needed to have the third service (only done 23k) now - and another in November! The current one is nearly £700 and the next one is being quoted as £400. I could go on holiday with the missus for that!
As I say, it costs what it costs - but I'm keen not to get ripped off.
And t84 - I've not seen any others in Warrington in the last 3 years I've lived here - so, if you see a silver one (with a dodgy brake light) that'll be me...
Best
Ian
how much!!! i think there telling porkies there mate. servicing is every year or 10k what ever is first...I would be very shocked to be charged £400 or £700 unless you needed tyres or brake pads and even then....
Thanks again - very reassuring and I am very glad I asked.
To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the car - the chap in the Vauxhall garage hadn't even see it; he quoted the cost based on the computer 'telling him' that this was the charge for service 3 - when I asked him what was included, he didn't know and said he would have to look it up - so, £700 quid for a standard 3rd service! This is great news therefore and I shall certainly be shopping around. Chester's not that far away so if I could have the details that would be brill.
I did read on a blog a few weeks ago (when I was researching costs) that some main dealers were charging £200 plus for unnecessary plug changes.
I have taken a couple of pics (it would be rude not to) and I'll post them in the next day or so. I like a very proud father just now - let's hope the baby doesn't turn out to be a monster. ;-)
All the best,
Ian
To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the car - the chap in the Vauxhall garage hadn't even see it; he quoted the cost based on the computer 'telling him' that this was the charge for service 3 - when I asked him what was included, he didn't know and said he would have to look it up - so, £700 quid for a standard 3rd service! This is great news therefore and I shall certainly be shopping around. Chester's not that far away so if I could have the details that would be brill.
I did read on a blog a few weeks ago (when I was researching costs) that some main dealers were charging £200 plus for unnecessary plug changes.
I have taken a couple of pics (it would be rude not to) and I'll post them in the next day or so. I like a very proud father just now - let's hope the baby doesn't turn out to be a monster. ;-)
All the best,
Ian
IanLWarrington said:
Thanks again - very reassuring and I am very glad I asked.
To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the car - the chap in the Vauxhall garage hadn't even see it; he quoted the cost based on the computer 'telling him' that this was the charge for service 3 - when I asked him what was included, he didn't know and said he would have to look it up - so, £700 quid for a standard 3rd service! This is great news therefore and I shall certainly be shopping around. Chester's not that far away so if I could have the details that would be brill.
I did read on a blog a few weeks ago (when I was researching costs) that some main dealers were charging £200 plus for unnecessary plug changes.
I have taken a couple of pics (it would be rude not to) and I'll post them in the next day or so. I like a very proud father just now - let's hope the baby doesn't turn out to be a monster. ;-)
All the best,
Ian
to late it is already a monster and it should be punished by hitting that peddle on the right hard To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the car - the chap in the Vauxhall garage hadn't even see it; he quoted the cost based on the computer 'telling him' that this was the charge for service 3 - when I asked him what was included, he didn't know and said he would have to look it up - so, £700 quid for a standard 3rd service! This is great news therefore and I shall certainly be shopping around. Chester's not that far away so if I could have the details that would be brill.
I did read on a blog a few weeks ago (when I was researching costs) that some main dealers were charging £200 plus for unnecessary plug changes.
I have taken a couple of pics (it would be rude not to) and I'll post them in the next day or so. I like a very proud father just now - let's hope the baby doesn't turn out to be a monster. ;-)
All the best,
Ian
My car had its 3rd service last July iirc and it was in the region of £250 including the MOT, and that was FROM a VX dealer (albeit a fairly well respected one).
Just goes to show the wild difference in prices banded around by some of these garages. In the end, just ask on here if you have any doubts.
Just goes to show the wild difference in prices banded around by some of these garages. In the end, just ask on here if you have any doubts.
the_ferret82 said:
IanLWarrington said:
Just a hastily took picture - as you see, pretty bog standard.
Ian[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/pjscQ0ht[/url]
Ian[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/pjscQ0ht[/url]it looks a bit low to be bog standard...
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