Not sure if this is the right place for it, but with the recent flood of people introducing themselves as potential buyers for a Vee, I thought I'd share my experience of buying my Ph1 two years ago and all the things I know now that I wish I had an eye for way back then.
1. Steering wheel - If it's an original Ph1 wheel, check for signs of blistering or perishing. If it has an aftermarket wheel (like mine), then it costs £250+ for a new replacement including the airbag.
2. Air filter - Mine had a ghastly aftermarket induction kit where the pod fan is supposed to be. Not a nice setup like this LINK, but a real piece of crap:
[album]8405[/album]
New replacement OEM Ph1 air filter, including all ducting, mounting brackets, etc.: £900
New side pod fan: £250
3. Undertrays - I was missing the rear undertray that shields the engine compartment. A new one costs £900 for the plastic section and £500 for the metal heat shield section. I sourced both (combined item) from a breaker for £200.
4. Paintwork - Check that all the panels match in colour and that you don't need any bodywork done. Look for tell-tale signs of overspray. I found flecks of silver paint on the boot rubber seals. It took a professional master detailer (Magpie) to point out that my Vee looked like a checkerboard. I couldn't see it before, and I ended up going for a full respray (albeit a colour change), which cost £2600 in labour and £500 in materials.
5. Bumpers - For the respray, I needed new bumpers as the originals were cracked and badly repaired by the previous owner. OEM bumpers are £1700 (rear) and £880 (front). I got some repros from eBay for £250 each. They needed a bit of fiddling to fit, but they were an excellent alternative.
6. Boot carpet - Does it have one? Mine didn't, but having never inspected a Vee before, how was I supposed to know? Got one from SG Motorsport.
7. Toolkit and Jack - Does it have one? Again, mine didn’t. A new toolkit from Renault Parts Direct (RPD) costs £90, and the toolkit cover and straps cost £76.
8. Brake calipers - Not long after I got mine, the rear brake caliper seized up. A refurb for the rear pair (and respray) cost £150. Not sure how you inspect this while viewing a Vee.
9. Brake discs - The rears on mine were badly worn, so I spent £398 on an RPD OEM special.
10. Engine fault - I was plagued with an engine fault that sounded like coils but ended up being a faulty throttle body. Scott at SG did a great job fixing it, while the Renault main dealer just fumbled in the dark. It cost £500+, but thankfully, it was covered under the trade seller warranty.
11. Wheels - What is the condition of the wheels? If they are curbed or worse for wear, a refurb will set you back about £350. I'm looking to get mine done by The Wheel Specialist.
Listing it all out like that, I must have been wearing a blindfold when I bought the little Vee.
Anyway, I made some (stupid) mistakes and paid for them later. But now, I have the motor I really wanted.
Hope this helps any potential buyers out there when looking at Vees.
And maybe other owners can share their own "lessons learned" experiences.
1. Steering wheel - If it's an original Ph1 wheel, check for signs of blistering or perishing. If it has an aftermarket wheel (like mine), then it costs £250+ for a new replacement including the airbag.
2. Air filter - Mine had a ghastly aftermarket induction kit where the pod fan is supposed to be. Not a nice setup like this LINK, but a real piece of crap:
[album]8405[/album]
New replacement OEM Ph1 air filter, including all ducting, mounting brackets, etc.: £900
New side pod fan: £250
3. Undertrays - I was missing the rear undertray that shields the engine compartment. A new one costs £900 for the plastic section and £500 for the metal heat shield section. I sourced both (combined item) from a breaker for £200.
4. Paintwork - Check that all the panels match in colour and that you don't need any bodywork done. Look for tell-tale signs of overspray. I found flecks of silver paint on the boot rubber seals. It took a professional master detailer (Magpie) to point out that my Vee looked like a checkerboard. I couldn't see it before, and I ended up going for a full respray (albeit a colour change), which cost £2600 in labour and £500 in materials.
5. Bumpers - For the respray, I needed new bumpers as the originals were cracked and badly repaired by the previous owner. OEM bumpers are £1700 (rear) and £880 (front). I got some repros from eBay for £250 each. They needed a bit of fiddling to fit, but they were an excellent alternative.
6. Boot carpet - Does it have one? Mine didn't, but having never inspected a Vee before, how was I supposed to know? Got one from SG Motorsport.
7. Toolkit and Jack - Does it have one? Again, mine didn’t. A new toolkit from Renault Parts Direct (RPD) costs £90, and the toolkit cover and straps cost £76.
8. Brake calipers - Not long after I got mine, the rear brake caliper seized up. A refurb for the rear pair (and respray) cost £150. Not sure how you inspect this while viewing a Vee.
9. Brake discs - The rears on mine were badly worn, so I spent £398 on an RPD OEM special.
10. Engine fault - I was plagued with an engine fault that sounded like coils but ended up being a faulty throttle body. Scott at SG did a great job fixing it, while the Renault main dealer just fumbled in the dark. It cost £500+, but thankfully, it was covered under the trade seller warranty.
11. Wheels - What is the condition of the wheels? If they are curbed or worse for wear, a refurb will set you back about £350. I'm looking to get mine done by The Wheel Specialist.
Listing it all out like that, I must have been wearing a blindfold when I bought the little Vee.
Anyway, I made some (stupid) mistakes and paid for them later. But now, I have the motor I really wanted.
Hope this helps any potential buyers out there when looking at Vees.
And maybe other owners can share their own "lessons learned" experiences.
Last edited:
