--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
So as I'm sure your all aware by now iv sold the cav the bmw and the vectra estate as Im sick of running 3 cars and only really using one!
I wanted one car that will fit the bill as s family car but he fun for when I don't have the Mrs and the baby with me, although there's s lot to chose from out there iv always wanted a vxr vectra I think there really cool so it had to be one!
I wanted a red one for the main reason of liking red cars and also I don't think Arden suits the vectra as well as it does the Astra and corsa and black and silver look too much like diesel models imo although there are some nice ones out there! Plus they only made around 70 red ones which makes it quiet rare too!
I wanted a nice one so found a low mileage 48k with fsh 2 previous owners in Norwich originally sold to its first owner in Norwich also so was s local car! Looked spot on so was worth the journey for it! Hadn't driven one until I went to buy it and was actually surprised its a lot better than I expected it to be!
I have some plans nothing major for now, apart from doing the dreaded timing chains for piece of mind!
Here's the piks from the sale advert!
[Edited on 02-11-2015 by --ToM--]
[Edited on 05-11-2015 by --ToM--]
[Edited on 14-12-2015 by --ToM--]
|
djgritt
Premium Member
Registered: 1st Nov 07
Location: Dorset Drives: Focus ST / Hyundai i20N
User status: Offline
|
I wish I had considered Red as well as the 2 Silver shades. Grown on me a lot.
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
First job last week was new pads front and rear, couldn't compain about that as the previous owner gave me 4 brand new tyres with the car he had them put on 3 days before he sold it the crazy chap!
Looking dirty!
Rear pads were a bit low on the inner pads!!
Front weren't as bad but did them anyway
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
timing chains are s big problem with these cars and expensive as well Vauxhall quote £2000 for parts and £2000 for labour to do the job! So your snookered really in this country! I spent some time this week doing some internet searching and managed to source the parts from a GM dealer in the states! £500 later I have all 3 chains, guides, tensioners, gears, seals, oil pump the lot on its way! I'm going to do it myself so no doubt the car will be a non runner for sale on eBay soon 
Anyway my other bits iv ordered arrived through the week so I gave it a wash today and fitted them!
Post wash piks!
Fitted my flat wipers
And then my pressed plates and surrounds 
Before
After
Had to put a bend in the front one to follow the bumper contour
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Next up was wind deflectors
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Then I debadged the boot large griffin badge and the "vectra" off the chrome strip
Before
After
Car occasionally goes into limp mode but brings on no light managed to get p0234 code from it so replaced the boost pressure sensor today as well
|
Ian W
Member
Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
|
Looks a lot cooler than I thought they did, front end looks awesome and the spoiler is spot on 
|
Mark.W
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 07
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
|
These look great with the griffin removed from the boot.
|
Jason x
Premium Member
Registered: 19th Apr 13
User status: Offline
|
I agree, has made a massive difference.
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Thanks lads! Also had the main cat and middle box took out on Thursday I'll get a video up of how it sounds when I get a chance, going to get the pre cat out soon too
|
Ben G
Member
Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
|
Looks great, Tom.
Why is the roof aerial base so chunky?
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Cheers mate!
It's to do with the sat nav mate that's all I know couldn't tell you why it needs to be so chunky though lol
|
taylorboosh
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 07
User status: Offline
|
Its like a less cool version of my gsi
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Haha it's more cooler did you paint or wrap the boot strip
|
taylorboosh
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 07
User status: Offline
|
Painted
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Going to do mine black or red haven't decided yet,
Plans next are to get it in the garage at home and get the timing chains done once the parts arrive!
Then I'm going to fit a digi dash, a lot more accurate imo
|
taylorboosh
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 07
User status: Offline
|
Lol surely the chains cant be that bad
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
There not making any noise or signs of being stretched but I'm doing them anyway because iv no record of them being done previously so if there on originals there's a 99% chance there gonna go
|
Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
|
Why are the chains a big problem? Normally you don't need to replace the chains, they may get a little noisy but they don't fail completely very often. It's the tensioners normally that cause failures with chains. Are they hydraulic tensioners on these?
On the mini chain tensioners were easy to replace without removing the chains
[Edited on 15-02-2015 by Steve]
|
ShEp
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 05
Location: Dingwall, Highland
User status: Offline
|
Chains are annoying, Be interesting to see the original chain to see the set-up, but Audi had bother with the 3.2 chains, and after some research it was found the chains were tested for strength durability and passed okay.
Then the manufacturer of the chain stamped their name on each link on the chain, therefor weakening it and they ended up having problems with them snapping
Just wonder if its the same idea with these.
[Edited on 15-02-2015 by ShEp]
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
Basically between 06 and 2010 GM had a dodgy batch of chains used on these engines, the quality of the metal on the chains was not correct and they stretch with heat over time, insignia vxrs with 4k on the clock on 10 plates have had total failure vectra vxrs with fsh and low miles have been suffering problem in this country is that vauchal don't wanna know and even if the cars under warranty they will argue the toss, it's a massive problem in the states as this engine is widely used over there by Cadillac and Chevrolet but the yanks just replace it if it shows a symptom!
They don't snap or go really rattly just stretch to the point where the timing moves slightly and brings on cam and crank shaft codes and runs in limp mode, worst case they can jump and then it's contact and engine failure.
Mines shows no symptoms but with there being s possibility I'm going to do them for piece of mind the upgrades will last the life of the engine, sourced them direct from the states at s fraction of the price Vauxhall want! Also added extra bits to the list to do at the same time again for piece of mind, oil pump etc.
Tensioners are oil fed yeah, 3 chains, 3 tensions, a load of guides too replacing the lot
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
It's down to the grade of the metal their mate of, there no a conventional type of chain either which makes them expensive , they don't look like a bike chain type like most,
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
It's also to do with the engine originally being developed by GM as a non turbo but was then turbod by Saab who fitted their own chains to their engines but kept the GM ones on GM chains so there's slso rumours that there just not upto the job power wise, a Saab 2.8t chain failure or even replacement has never been heard of
|
Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
|
Not keen on the stick on tat, lovely car though.
Can you use Saab chains? What SAAB car was the engine IN?
|
--ToM--
Member
Registered: 23rd Nov 07
Location: Wirral
User status: Offline
|
No Saab chains don't fit allthogh primearily the same engine the chains and gears set up is different, they used it in the Saab 9-3 aeros not many of them same as the vectra most 9-3 aeros are 2.0 turbo
|
