Two estates - 1994 V6 Exclusive auto / 1996 2.5 VSX
Posted: Sun May 27, 2018 1:50 pm
Just in case, but nobody wanted the V6 when it was 100% running two years ago. That's when it was pointed out there is no such thing as an Exclusive estate, that was Slough sticking a badge onto a fully loaded VSX. Still rare though.
V6 needs a pipe. 2.5 is a parts car, but I don't want to pull it apart on the drive to meet requests. 2.5 goes if the V6 goes, ideally together.
In 1994 I bought a 1990 SED, added the V6 estate in 2001 when the SED needed a head gasket. The SED was repaired and going well enough until 5 or 6 years ago, had just passed an MOT with partial new exhaust, when it would at random leak water near the bulkhead. Parked the SED on the driveway, bought the 2.5 estate with more paperwork than I've ever had. During 2015 the 2.5 had new towbar, two new rads, new heater matrix, I welded the sills, had it ready for the MOT and it blew a pipe over the axle. I had repiped over the SED axle, but with the subframe dropped it was clear all the 2.5 rear pipework needed replacing. Towbar never used, rads did about 100 miles. The one time I rely on paperwork as evidence of a car being cared for. Big mistake.
The 2.5 went onto the drive, so the driveway SED went to Ray who I guess has since scrapped it. I carried on driving the V6, ever reliable, offered the 2.5 to be taken away and nobody bit. This was good, because March 2016 a drunk walked in front of the V6 and I needed a headlight and wing mirror that came from the 2.5.
V6 has carried on, took it for MOT a couple of weeks ago and, three out of three cars, blew a pipe over the rear axle when on max height for ten minutes. The MOT was all but passed, except for the brake test which was to follow the pit inspection. Limped it home, the pipe has now let go completely and appears to be the return to the rear from the brake valve.
Now I have two dead XMs.
The V6 is in good condition, but I had a spinal op 18 months ago and after the MOT I really didn't want to drop the subframe. Of course day after the MOT fail, I got stuck in and started by undoing the subframe mounts in the boot floor. On the SED, the single underneath bolt on the rear subframe mount snapped when I tried, I travelled 80 miles to get a replacement. So I know you have to go in through the boot floor. Which on the V6 meant rusty nuts (?), presumably not plated, which I worked back and forth until the T bolt coming up from the mount started to spin. Job abandoned.
I needed a car, I've always thought about a C8 being more practical with our family runs to France. Now I have a C8 Exclusive, leather, with the 2.2 173bhp twin turbo engine and 6 speed auto. 300 lbft, comedy acceleration for its size. 84k miles. God forbid it goes wrong, but it was cheap.
So...with various commitments I won't have time for months to sort the V6 pipe over the axle. The car has hardly worn Michelin Energy Savers and annoyingly I need to buy tyres for my bargain basement C8. Is someone itching to have the V6 Exclusive (VSX!) estate who would take it away on a trailer? To mend, not tear apart. At that point the 2.5 may as well go from the drive as I don't need the parts off that and it's affecting the neighbours' house prices.
Thought it worth mentioning in case anyone is interested, the V6 is still very nice and it may be that someone can make better use of it than me.
Otherwise I will likely garage the V6 and mend over the winter, too good to scrap. I won't say which winter though.
Edited to add - Twickenham.
Chris
V6 needs a pipe. 2.5 is a parts car, but I don't want to pull it apart on the drive to meet requests. 2.5 goes if the V6 goes, ideally together.
In 1994 I bought a 1990 SED, added the V6 estate in 2001 when the SED needed a head gasket. The SED was repaired and going well enough until 5 or 6 years ago, had just passed an MOT with partial new exhaust, when it would at random leak water near the bulkhead. Parked the SED on the driveway, bought the 2.5 estate with more paperwork than I've ever had. During 2015 the 2.5 had new towbar, two new rads, new heater matrix, I welded the sills, had it ready for the MOT and it blew a pipe over the axle. I had repiped over the SED axle, but with the subframe dropped it was clear all the 2.5 rear pipework needed replacing. Towbar never used, rads did about 100 miles. The one time I rely on paperwork as evidence of a car being cared for. Big mistake.
The 2.5 went onto the drive, so the driveway SED went to Ray who I guess has since scrapped it. I carried on driving the V6, ever reliable, offered the 2.5 to be taken away and nobody bit. This was good, because March 2016 a drunk walked in front of the V6 and I needed a headlight and wing mirror that came from the 2.5.
V6 has carried on, took it for MOT a couple of weeks ago and, three out of three cars, blew a pipe over the rear axle when on max height for ten minutes. The MOT was all but passed, except for the brake test which was to follow the pit inspection. Limped it home, the pipe has now let go completely and appears to be the return to the rear from the brake valve.
Now I have two dead XMs.
The V6 is in good condition, but I had a spinal op 18 months ago and after the MOT I really didn't want to drop the subframe. Of course day after the MOT fail, I got stuck in and started by undoing the subframe mounts in the boot floor. On the SED, the single underneath bolt on the rear subframe mount snapped when I tried, I travelled 80 miles to get a replacement. So I know you have to go in through the boot floor. Which on the V6 meant rusty nuts (?), presumably not plated, which I worked back and forth until the T bolt coming up from the mount started to spin. Job abandoned.
I needed a car, I've always thought about a C8 being more practical with our family runs to France. Now I have a C8 Exclusive, leather, with the 2.2 173bhp twin turbo engine and 6 speed auto. 300 lbft, comedy acceleration for its size. 84k miles. God forbid it goes wrong, but it was cheap.
So...with various commitments I won't have time for months to sort the V6 pipe over the axle. The car has hardly worn Michelin Energy Savers and annoyingly I need to buy tyres for my bargain basement C8. Is someone itching to have the V6 Exclusive (VSX!) estate who would take it away on a trailer? To mend, not tear apart. At that point the 2.5 may as well go from the drive as I don't need the parts off that and it's affecting the neighbours' house prices.
Thought it worth mentioning in case anyone is interested, the V6 is still very nice and it may be that someone can make better use of it than me.
Otherwise I will likely garage the V6 and mend over the winter, too good to scrap. I won't say which winter though.
Edited to add - Twickenham.
Chris