Hello from another hopefull owner-to-be

[wingers]

Hi,

I thought I'd post on here as I can't get away from the nagging feeling that I should own one of these cars by now
About 5 years ago I started thinking about it but couldn't afford one and ended up going elsewhere, but I think the prices seem about right now and that bugging feeling has come back!

I've never had the good fortune to drive or even passenger in one of these cars but on paper it works for me, and I just like the concept as much as anything. I don't actually know much about them so will trot off to read the buyers guide in a minute, but in the mean time I was going to ask where the best places to look for for-sale ads were.
Pistonheads is always one option but there aren't many on there at the moment and none near me in the midlands.
Alternatively if there are any meets around Northampton then I'd be keen to go and have a look around.

Wingers

 

[Jamesv6]

Welcome Wingers

Many are SORNed at the moment awaiting the nice driving weather. Club meets have finished for the years, but I'm sure we have quite a few members in the Northampton area who might let you browse their Vee.

James

 

[Williams]

Welcome to v6Clio.net Wingers..

Will you be looking for a ph1 or ph2?

 

[RUSSO]

:welcome: wingers

 

[Matt]

Welcome wingers :approve:

 

[wingers]

Thanks guys. I'm looking for a ph2 really - not too fussed about colour as I like them in most colours. To be honest I don't think I'll get to choose the colour. They're hard enough to find as it is so I'll probably buy the car I want, regardless of colour.

I've had a bit of a look around on here and it seems that the cam belt is a pretty big job. how much does it normally cost and what do you do at the same time? Does £1000 cover it, including the water pump etc.?
Is there anything else to check for when buying one that could have a nasty sting in the tail if it's missed?

When it comes to the cam belt, it seems that a lot of people are suggesting to drop the engine which would put me off doing it myself, but if it is that expensive then I might consider it.I've done a lot of work on my previous cars so it's not the end of the world.
Has anyone on here done that before? How much of a pain is it and are there any OEM tools needed or is it just the usual stuff?

Wingers

 

[Jamesv6]

An example of cost from SG Motorsport

 

[wingers]

OK cheers. So it is £1000 then. It's odd that it's needed every 5 years though. Those crazy French!
I've found a few to look at now but they're all 90mins+ away from me. I guess that's how it goes with rarer cars though, in the past I've bought cars close to me as they've been easy to find.

Wingers

 

[Ed220V6]

Welcome to the mad house

 

[wingers]

Welcome to the mad house

Don't worry - I was already a permanent resident of that!

Wingers

 

[Matt]

An example of cost from SG Motorsport

That's a cracking price James :approve:

 

[GTTurbo]

:welcome:

 

[wingers]

I've just realised that it's the ph1 cambelt that needs to be changed every 5 years. Is the ph2 any different?

Also, can you perform a diagnostics check on the ecu using a paperclip or similar? You can do that with my current cars and it's a good check to do when viewing cars.

Thanks,

Wingers

 

[Matt]

I've just realised that it's the ph1 cambelt that needs to be changed every 5 years. Is the ph2 any different?

Also, can you perform a diagnostics check on the ecu using a paperclip or similar? You can do that with my current cars and it's a good check to do when viewing cars.

Thanks,

Wingers

Hi,

Phase 1 and 2 cambelt every five years. Not heard about the paper clip trick!
Might be worthwhile joining up for access to our knowledge base and buyers guide both of which should help when looking for a decent one.

 

[Jamesv6]

I've just realised that it's the ph1 cambelt that needs to be changed every 5 years. Is the ph2 any different?

No but there may be a slightly higher cost for the Phase 1

The paper clip trick is something I read about once on Electronics Lab.

 

[wingers]

It might be a Japanese car thing, or possibly a trait of older (pre-OBDII) cars.
It's really useful though as the MIL light flashes codes to tell you exactly what's wrong with the car without the need for any expensive electronic kit.

Not to worry though.

Wingers

 

[Matt]

Where does the paper clip go Wingers?

 

[wingers]

I'm sure it's different for each car but for the ones I'm used to it's used to bridge two connections in a "diagnostics" box.
You can normally do a few things such as disable the injectors to allow for extended cranking etc.
I guess it was introduced for the dealers but the knowledge is out there for DIY diagnosis too.

Wingers

 

[Duncan]

:welcome:

Best of luck with the hunt!

Best places to find them in the uk are on here, pistonheads, autotrader, eBay & carandclassic.co.uk

 

[wingers]

How does the club membership work?
Is it £10 for a rolling 12 month subscription, or does it run Jan-Dec?
I don't want to join up now if it expires in a couple of weeks.

Wingers