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Buying Vx220....
tegwin - 20/3/10 at 06:21 PM

My sister is tempted to buy a VX220.... We are going to look at one tomorow so she can actually try sitting in one etc..

But appart from the normal car stuff to look at, is there anything lotus/vauxhall specific that I should be checking?

I know the floors corode under the matts... but anything else?

eddie99 - 20/3/10 at 06:23 PM

Can't help im afraid but get an elise, there better

jack_t - 20/3/10 at 06:23 PM

dont buy a turbo they have a habbit of setting on fire

bob tatt - 20/3/10 at 06:26 PM

check for any smell of petrol in the cabin. brother in law had one started to smell ofpetrol small leak on the tank, a right barsteward of a job to get out not sure if it was engine out but it was mega bucks to sort.luckily he had a warranty but he saw the bill. apart from that he ran it for 3 years with no other problem.
rob

scootz - 20/3/10 at 06:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
Can't help im afraid but get an elise, there better


Had both, and £ for £ I would have to disagree completely!

Things to check... quite a few accident damaged cars out there. Most are not a problem as they were mainly GRP repairs, but have a look a the points where the suspension meets the chassis... if there's any sign of a repair in this area, then walk away!

Nothing else immediately springs to mind.

scootz - 20/3/10 at 06:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
I know the floors corode under the matts... but anything else?


That issue was sorted out fairly quickly... was the glue they were using. Floors were fixed under warranty and they just used pop-fasteners for securing the mats.

loggyboy - 20/3/10 at 06:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
Can't help im afraid but get an elise, there better


It is an Elise! (albeit a S1), just with a vaux badge, meaning less money/more value, and better engines (compared to the rover lumps in most S1s)

[Edited on 20/3/10 by loggyboy]

eddie99 - 20/3/10 at 06:41 PM

Lotus > Vauxhall dammit, support one of the last british cars!!!

tegwin - 20/3/10 at 06:55 PM

Chears for the replies

Was there an issue with the wheels at some point as well? With some not having been hardened properly... so they were fracturing?

plentywahalla - 20/3/10 at 06:56 PM

Vauxhall owned by Americans ... Lotus owned by Malasians ... Where's the difference??

No such thing as a truly british car anymore.

tegwin - 20/3/10 at 07:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by plentywahalla
Vauxhall owned by Americans ... Lotus owned by Malasians ... Where's the difference??

No such thing as a truly british car anymore.


I was going to say Morgan.... But with the demise of rover Powetrain.... they cant use British engines any more

Humbug - 20/3/10 at 07:15 PM

I thought the Vauxhalls were supposed to be better... apart from the name!

Ask Fozzie - she and Stu have/had one

CraigJ - 20/3/10 at 07:19 PM

If its a turbo make sure the turbo is ok. they let go at around 50-60k on the z20let. Im repairing one next week for a mate. he is having me fit a VXR unit instead.

Fozzie - 20/3/10 at 07:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
Chears for the replies

Was there an issue with the wheels at some point as well? With some not having been hardened properly... so they were fracturing?


There was a problem with the N/A's ages ago they should have all been recalled and changed IIRC they were for the N/A's built before 03.

Turbo's have a habit of catching fire?

We have owned one for 4 years and are members of the VX220 site and can't recall any doing so.

The VX's were built at the Lotus factory in Norfolk......they are slightly (IMO much more ) more refined than the Elise .....

Word of warning .... they can be a bit of a beast in the wet .....

Oooo just seen Humbugs post.....

And CraigJ .... spot on......

The best advice I can give you, is to go on the VX220 site, they have a section on what to look for......and make a more informed opinion...

http://www.vx220.org.uk

HTH
Fozzie

speedyxjs - 20/3/10 at 07:51 PM

No offence Fozzie, Scootz and infact anyone else who has/had a VX220 but i would buy the Lotus just for the reason that it has a lotus badge and not a vauxhall, and i prefer the looks of the lotus. All IMHO of course

MK9R - 20/3/10 at 07:57 PM

Yes S2 elise (not s1) and vx are same car in essence, but with different engines, bodywork and few more refinements on vx. But vx does weigh a fair bit more due to the above. If it was a track car i' have the elise, if its an everyday road car then the vx probably. Lotus keeps it value better due to the badge

Confused but excited. - 20/3/10 at 08:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by plentywahalla
Vauxhall owned by Americans ... Lotus owned by Malasians ... Where's the difference??

No such thing as a truly british car anymore.


Oblate spheroids!
There's loads being built by guys and gals here.

scootz - 21/3/10 at 12:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MK9R
But vx does weigh a fair bit more due to the above.


A bit, but not a 'fair-bit'...

NA VX220 weighs 870kg. Turbo VX220 - 930kg

NA S2 Elise 860kg. SC S2 Elise 910kg.

Fozzie - 21/3/10 at 12:36 AM

Just a bit of trivia.....and a question...
AFAIA....age for age the VX220T is more powerful than the Elise....

and

If the vx220 wasn't a good design, how come Lotus are using the 220 chassis and the z20let and calling it Europa?

Fozzie

MikeRJ - 21/3/10 at 09:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
Can't help im afraid but get an elise, there better


It is an Elise! (albeit a S1), just with a vaux badge,


And a longer wheelbase,
and different suspension
and different body panels
and different interior
and different engine
and different gearbox
etc...etc..

You might as well say a Ford Ka is just a Fiat 500 with a Ford badge!

CraigJ - 21/3/10 at 10:09 AM

Also the 2.2 has a cam chain. these go at as little as 70k. Last one i did had snapped and took almost all the valves plus 8 guides. The chain kits are about £100 each(cam chain + balancer shaft chain).

tegwin - 21/3/10 at 02:05 PM

Went and had a look at it this morning..

Full Vaux service history.. but the body is not in wonderful condition..

The area just forward of the rear spoileret right at the back of the car on top of the clam had been badly repainted... apparently that area usually gets water damaged???!!?

The other odd thing was the foot sized crack in the passenger side sill.. looks like someone stood on it!!

Cant decide if I should use the bad bits to knock the price down quite a bit.... or go elsewhere...