Damn you Ronnie McB look what you made me do!!

Spured on from McB's Project cars + my boredom of the holidays, I bought my very first project car:

Its a 1998 Vauxhall Omega Reflection 2.5 V6, Auto, 136k - Usual bits on this model, Air-con, ABS, TC, Carbon Firbe Dash bits.

I paid £350 notes for it, Service history up to 80k then maintained privatly (no docs) - Lots of old MOT's.

Cambelt Replaced @ 118k
Steering Idler Arm Replaced @ 132k

Its quite tatty all around though  - Rust spots around it, huge one under a GB sticker, needs a few inteior trim bits.

Hope I have done the right thing, and there is a profit in her. Was very nevous going down to get it thinking, i don't need this car, can i make any money is it gunna be crap ect...

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My list of things to fix so far are:

Brake Pads - Very Warn - Think this is also causes slight wheel wobble under breaking

Coolant Flush - Its fine on a normal drive but reaches 100 in towns and the EM light comes on. Looks like a leaky hose pipe into the coolant tank. Also coolant looks orange!? - This may have affected the oil??

Battery is dead - Even after a 55 mile drive back its still dead, multimeter reader set on 9v was way into the red!

Sunroof is completley dead - Dead battery not helping?

Height adujustable seats just clunk, you can see it trying to rotate the screw thing but just moves few mm then clunks?

Oil Change - Its black, the filler cap has no "mayo" underneath, but some dried oil. The car has stood still for a few months outside (baked oil in the heat? I hope!) - As she drives like a dream, performance is very good.

2 Rear Tyres are barely legal - Need to be replaced -  Front ones plenty of tread left & even ware

Air-con dead - Condensor in good condition - hopefully just a re-charge.

Back plastic cover on the rear bumper for tow point missing (down to the scrappy )

1 Front Fog light is smashed (again scrappy for that)

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Good bits are she drives sweet as a nut, very very fast, good pickup. Smooth changes, revs right up to 6k... she flys!!

New mid section exhaust, rest in good condition - Just needs a touch of Hammerite silver on the back pipe.

Most of the body work is fair, alloys are in excellent condition.

Interior is good in the back, good in the front just needs a good clean.

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I'd like to know what your thoughts are? Good buy (£350) ? Dud car? - Is there a profit, are the things need doing not worth it on this age car?

Mechanical jobs I'm sure you'll manage fine, but ohhh, that rust....Good luck

Coolant orange - that'll be someone has used long life red antifreeze, no probs there...

good luck fella, if the mechanicals are good you should make some £ as long as your diy ing the work.
Or you could break it  sorry!

are you planning to tackle the rust?

Hope you keep us well informed of progress!

Markie wrote on 29. Jul 2006 at 19:47:



Doing all the work myself, AT shows similar age millage ones going for well over 1.5k not if they sell at that price.

Yup defo going to sort the rust make her much more saleable, going to a place called ColourMatch in Banbury. Give them the VIN plate colour code, and they mix you up the right colour paint for your car.

Marks DTM Calib wrote on 29. Jul 2006 at 19:57:


Great. Cheers for that.

Think its just age both going, I can see the worm drive you mentioned, and the motor does move it a lil bit. - Creating a nice big document will all the info here to work on it tommorow.

Excellent maintance guide DTM fogot about that, since the battery did not get any decent charge on a 55 mile run i think your right.

Can I be twit and ask were is the alternator in the engine bay?

Thanks

Good luck Tunnie.....im sure you can make a profit out of it 

Keep us posted on how your progressing 

Taxi Driver wrote on 29. Jul 2006 at 20:18:



Thanks TD.

I will get loads of pics too during my work, and add them to our current maintaince guides & make new ones