Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Toledodude1973]

Reading the latest issue of practical classics the Omega came in at number 5  in the above list:
It stated :number on the road first quarter 2016 = 10,197       
               number on the road first quarter 2018 = 5,213
A 48.9 % decline at this rate Omegas won't even reach classic status ! Is it rust killing them or just running costs?
Its quite a rapid rate   They might not all have been scrapped some could be sorned.

[VXL V6]

Both reasons i'd say. Most are in banger territory now and few people will spend money on them.

Then there's those of us who still can't find anything in budget that matches or exceeds them in order to replace them.

Shame GM never gave us a proper mass production replacement....

[Toledodude1973]

I'll continue to keep mine as long as possible ,hopefully not costing too many millions

[BazaJT]

Must say if it were not for my recently discovered sentimental streak I'd have scrapped my Elite when it failed its last M.o.T. rather than spending the money I have done to get it repaired.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I was a cold hearted bastard when I discovered rotten sills on mine and got rid of it. 

I expect that one day when Omegas are worth squillions, I'll be full of remorse.   

[tunnie]

I've always said the Omega won't become a classic, nothing special enough about them. Perhaps if they made the V8 version, that would have changed things. 

Rust is killing them, I'll keep mine as long as possible, but I think within next 3 years the front chassis will rust into holes, much like Terry's and it will be scrap. 

[Terbs]

Whilst mine is shining like a shilling up a sweeps arse, under 80,000 and rust free, and continues to pass MOT's without any problems, I shall keep it.
I have made it well known to my cynical friends, that had the Omega still been in production, in much the same format, had a 14 reg Omega been on the forecourt next to my Mazda 6, in the same condition, the Mazda would have only had a passing glance !!!!!! Its still a pleasure to drive

[Toledodude1973]

Totally agree,Terbet there will be some keepers if the government doesn't condemn them as evil before then

[Webby the Bear]

I've spent lots of time on mine. There's nothing that even comes close imo. It's expensive to run on fuel but touch wood is very reliable everywhere else.

[redelitev6]

Car tax is what's going to kill big engine cars , it's only going to get worse 

[dave the builder]

I remember 10 or so years ago ,when loads of carltons where being scrapped and ebay was full of them . I scrapped 2 because i lost storage when i moved 

10 years on ,carltons are rare now ,yet only the GSi models are worth anything .
look on howmanyleft and there are loads of gsi and lotus  ,in comparison  to very few low spec daily driver 1.8,2.0 cars
in order to keep a 15+ year old car on the road ,you need to spend time and money underneath it ,protecting from rust . most people don't ever look underneath cars ,spend ages polishing the body etc while the underside is eaten away .
I have to say , i'm very disappointed with the factory rust protection on the late omegas .
some will survive ,owned by hardened enthusiasts ,most will be scrapped in the next 5 years ,which is a shame
Now is the time to stock up on cheap parts while so many are being scrapped IF your prepared to spend time and money rustproofing and intend to keep an omega for the future

[Webby the Bear]

I've took care of all my rust. I had the sill covers off and was pleased to only find one bubble spot. Sorted it. Emptied a tin of underseal over them. Done 👍

[dave the builder]

I've took care of all my rust. I had the sill covers off and was pleased to only find one bubble spot. Sorted it. Emptied a tin of underseal over them. Done 👍

Have you treated the inside the sills and inside of chassis legs etc outer sills are easy to repair 

[Webby the Bear]

I've took care of all my rust. I had the sill covers off and was pleased to only find one bubble spot. Sorted it. Emptied a tin of underseal over them. Done 👍

Have you treated the inside the sills and inside of chassis legs etc outer sills are easy to repair 

Of course. Everywhere checked and then blasted 👍

[TheBoy]

Then there's those of us who still can't find anything in budget that matches or exceeds them in order to replace them.

Sub 10k for a sub 10yr old, sub 100k mile replacement just doesn't exist.  I spend about a year looking.

[tunnie]

Car tax is what's going to kill big engine cars , it's only going to get worse 

Not so, car tax for past few years has been based on ticket price. If over 40k you pay extra for 5 years, everything sub 40k (excluding electric stuff) is the same.

Car share buddy's 3.0 twin turbo petrol BMW is just £130/yr for road tax, less than half cost of my 3.2 

So find a new car with a V8, with a sale price of sub £40k and it's cheapo tax. 

[Viral_Jim]

Tough to do. 

Off the top of my head - Mustang V8. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Production of internal combustion engines is going to cease within 2o years or so. As things stand at the moment cars produced after that wont be subject to v.e.d.

So, it isnt likely to be car tax that kills big engined (or any engined) cars, but enforced obselescence.
No doubt there will be some kind of exemption for the relatively small classic scene, which may well be for wealthy nostalgic people.

[Viral_Jim]

Nah. I reckon supply and demand will sort it out long before cat tax kills em.

I mean, fundamentally, to get petrol, you have to go half way around the globe, dig down a mile or so and extract some toxic liquid. Then you refine it, which takes a lot of energy. Then you transport it half way round the world, store it underground and then pump it into another underground tank. Store it and then sell it.

Just as soon as the economies of scale disappear it'll be £5/litre before you know it. Just fine for an occasional classic, totally impractical for daily transport.

I'm sure Rods2 will be along shortly to explain how wrong I am because of EROI, or that this will cause the world to end.

Nevertheless I stand by my prediction

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Rightly or wrongly, that rationale was accepted some time ago, hence the decisions to stop production of internal combustion engines in the future. 
My lifespan is likely to be similar (at best) to the i.c.e so Im not too bothered. 

[redelitev6]

Car tax is what's going to kill big engine cars , it's only going to get worse 

Not so, car tax for past few years has been based on ticket price. If over 40k you pay extra for 5 years, everything sub 40k (excluding electric stuff) is the same.

Car share buddy's 3.0 twin turbo petrol BMW is just £130/yr for road tax, less than half cost of my 3.2 

So find a new car with a V8, with a sale price of sub £40k and it's cheapo tax. 

Not talking about new cars , old cars like late model V6 Rover 75s are very expensive to Tax , that's going to kill demand as banger economics are just not going to apply , and what about LEZ compliance ? £12.50 a day to drive in London and no doubt other local authorities will be going to follow suit , older polluting engines are going to become a liability

[Doctor Gollum]

Rover 75 is hardly an old car

Smelling of wee is not a measure of classic status

If you truly want a banger, buy anything over 40 years old, service it, fit reasonable tyres and make sure that the brakes and lights work.

[Kevin Wood]

Rover 75 is hardly an old car

Smelling of wee is not a measure of classic status

If you truly want a banger, buy anything over 40 years old, service it, fit reasonable tyres and make sure that the brakes and lights work.

No, it was a no-cost option on those, IIRC.

[Nick W]

Rover 75 is hardly an old car

Smelling of wee is not a measure of classic status

If you truly want a banger, buy anything over 40 years old, service it, fit reasonable tyres and make sure that the brakes and lights work.

You missed out the most important part:


MAKE SURE YOU USE IT AS YOUR DAILY DRIVER! If you treat it as toy, then it will never be reliable.