13 replies to this topic

[JLX]

Hi all. New member looking at my first VX220. Does anyone know this car? Black 2.2 FD52 APK

https://www.ebay.co....emis&media=COPY

Going on Monday, any advice please?

[hairy]

I presume you have read this: http://www.vx220.org...yers-checklist/

[stevieturbo]

That's huge money for a n/a car.

 

And no photos of underside, suspension condition etc etc front end, heater area

 

Shiny on top is nice, but not everything

[JLX]

Thanks Stevie, what would you say a good price is if I can get a good look under it? I’ve already been told the headlight button is not working.

[JLX]

How do I check the heater area? Thanks

[blackoctagon]

I don't know the car and have never seen it in person , so i'm going off the photos.

The interior looks coherent with low miles - the seat sides are not worn with people getting in an out.
There are not many marks on the sill tops and the center console.

The question is where are the miles? It's a 23 year old, 19k miles car, so that is 826 miles per year (hopefully). Was that well spread out through the year or just blasting May to August and then rested up?
Why that matters (to me at least) is that the various rubber parts - bushes, gaskets, seals etc. like use to prevent them drying out and taking a set in one position.


Don't misunderstand me- a low mile car is nice. If I were choosing a mechanically perfect car or a car with good bodywork like this one, i'd go for the bodywork because it's a pain to do yourself whereas mechanical bits are nuts and bolts stuff and you can go around it piecemeal without taking it off the road for ages.

Why was it resprayed though? New panels? Damage? Just the dreaded bubbling?
At the end of the day the panels are bolt on so fresh ones are a nice thing, but if it has been damage then you need to look carefully at the underside and around the chassis.


You could pop the headlight button panel and wiggle the switch. If it were me i'd want to see it's the switch and not the headlights. There are posts on here where people have used Vectra switches, so i'd not worry too much about that.

It's got it's EGR valve, so nobody has either had a problem with it nor decided, like some people, it's dead weight and unnecessary.

It's got good aftermarket wheels that are lighter than stock. They are not to my taste - I like stock - but I recognise them as a caring upgrade.



My look-for list would be:
Look around the radiator for leaks - that's front clamshell off if it needs changed, and sooner is better than later.
Cracks under the sills where it's been improperly jacked up.
Full set of undertrays - it should have an under-engine tray (with a little oil change flap) and an under-exhaust tray.
Tow hook will fit in the socket under the front badge. (it may have a rubber cover or bung in it - thats good) - again, clamshell off and you don't want a recovery truck trying to pull it by it's wishbones !

After that it's clunks and bangs when driving.

A notchy gearchange can be new oil needed and/or cable adjustment , but at 19k miles the cables are probably still in spec.
Test, or ask the driver to, the ABS by mashing the brake pedal. Be aware this is a strange system - it's an unusual 2 channel system (1 channel front, 1 channel rear) rather than the 4 you might be used to so it might feel odd. As long as the pedal is pulsing and you feel mildly alarmed but not actually shitting yourself then it's working fine.

It says its on a new clutch so, ironically, it may be a bit juddery unless they have bedded it in. If the clutch is on no miles then you'll do the bedding. It it's new with some miles on it it should probably be smooth and feel normal. If it is a kevlar clutch or a racing thing then it may feel smooth but odd at biting point.

Look for Spitfire Racing or other aftermarket rear tie rods. If unsure then look under the rear at what look like steering arm ball joints - if they look just like normal steering balljoints then they are stock. If they look like anything else then it has Spitfires/others and thats a sign of love.


The price is high, but you'll only know if it's worth it if you look at others to compare.

Edited by blackoctagon, 19 January 2025 - 01:19 PM.

[JLX]

Thanks for all the info, lots to check.

The VIN ends in 5025. I referenced the very long vin thread on here and it looks like 5025 was known, but in CZ? How could that be? HPI says not imported.

[hairy]

Are you sure that's the correct VIN? It looks like all the 50xx's were Opels from the list.

[JLX]

Not 100%, but that’s what my HPI check came back with, and I assume they got this from the DVLA. I’ll be sure to check this.
Also, is the engine number visible from the engine bay?

[sford]

If it's had a new clutch I would want to see the paperwork to check it's had a new slave cylinder as well otherwise you may be taking it all apart again to redo. It's one of those while you are there jobs. 

 

The front looks high but that is normally a bit of an optical illusion as when running 16 inch fronts the opening and gap look massive. You can check ride heights if you measure from the bottom of the chassis to the floor. Other than that all good points mentioned above. 

 

I would also be looking at the timing chain as although it's only done a low amount of miles the service interval for these is every 10 years or 100k miles. I know it's not done many miles but in my view worth asking and factoring in. Also check the right hand spark plug hole when looking from the back of the car, this one is known to crack easily if over tightened when changing plugs and is a new head job if it is cracked. 

[stevieturbo]

How do I check the heater area? Thanks

 

You open the bonnet and look at it

 

 

Low miles can be a good thing or bad. Low, but stored in a dry clean warm environment, probably all good. If somewhere less wonderful...maybe not so much

 

Suspension parts can rust, the inside of the fuel tank can rust ( if it has been sat for long periods with low fuel ). Just lots of things really.

 

I bought mine from a guy where it had been fairly well stored. Not a low mileage, but not massive either and had a lot of work done in the not so far past.

 

However......suspension is quite rusty, brake calipers at the front were sticky, sills broken in a few places ( some seen, some unseen ), but on balance the price wasnt horrendous based on some of the issues.

 

 

Have you actually seen this car in person ? sat in one ? Or just seen pictures ?

[JLX]

Didn’t buy it. It was quite tatty even though it had been resprayed. There was bits of body snapped and missing, and he’d sprayed it with a hose so it was soaking and I couldn’t see the quality of the paint. He actually did me a favour as the drivers sill was soaked and I couldn’t see the hard top didn’t fit properly and was leaking. The seat bolster cloth was literally just draped over and wasn’t attached at all down one side. He had it running when I arrived so couldn’t check cold start, the bonnet release lever had snapped off there were strange marks on the dash like it had been glued, just generally scruffy and not as described. He was ok though and asked why I didn’t want it.
Chassis was 5025 though so that’s weird.

[stevieturbo]

Whilst you can polish a turd, it does indeed sound like a lot of red flags there.

[hairy]

Sounds like one to avoid, thanks for reporting back.