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[holcomser]

Just joined so hello everyone.

Looking for a lot of advice as the last Vauxhall I had was a 2.0 Auto Cavalier in 2006 and wished I had never sold it but that's life.

Anyway I am looking to buy an Omega Automatic saloon and are trying to seek advice on what model, engine size, year, yes or no mileage, things to look for really any owner advice in general.

I'm 67 years old and would like a bit of luxury to drive around in and to enjoy.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Chris

[TheBoy]

V6 of some description if you want an auto.  Preferrably the older 2.5 or 3l, rather than the newer, gutless, thirsty 2.6/3.2 ones.

Your trouble will be finding a clean one now, as GM used 1980s Ford anticorrosion on them .


Rust aside, the v6 suffer oil leaks from the cam cover gaskets, especially when fitted by garages and dealers.  All models suffer front suspension sagging and bush failures.

Are you prepared to DIY on it?

[Andy B]

Hi
What The Boy says but this might be useful too

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90482.0

[deviator]

If you want luxury, look at the trim levels too. It might be an idea to find the minimum trim level that has the toys you really want. Elite/CDX are amongst the top trim levels.

With these cars, as suggested, rust is the killer. I will also add, (and I'm not trying to put you off) you can pretty much expect any Omega you buy will need work, budget for this.

[Lizzie Zoom]

If you want luxury, look at the trim levels too. It might be an idea to find the minimum trim level that has the toys you really want. Elite/CDX are amongst the top trim levels.

With these cars, as suggested, rust is the killer. I will also add, (and I'm not trying to put you off) you can pretty much expect any Omega you buy will need work, budget for this.

Very true

My 3,2 Elite has cost £17,951 over 8 years now to buy then maintain to the best levels possible.  But it is worth it for the luxury of what the Omega at this level is.  This year again passed the MOT with flying colours, with no advisories and the Main Vx dealer garage staff who I have done business with for almost 20 years often comment on the great condition of my, still low mileage, almost last to be built, 2003 Omega.

With some DIY attention that I am capable of, I keep her going and 'control' any rust on the chassis as much as possible, so far keeping it at bay.  You may think £18k is a lot to spend overall on an old car, but try and buy an equivalent modern type care, with all the extras you need, and keep that running over 8 years for less. Indeed the interest on buying the new car initially, that you will quickly lose on depreciation, will add a sizable chunk to your bill before you start!

So, as said, if you want one of these now rare cars be prepared to pay out to keep it going in the best condition possible.  They are NOT a car to skimp on when it come to maintenance - they will quickly deteriorate and fail.  But a little and often care / expense makes all the difference.

All the best with your hunt

[Rangie]

Got to agree with Lizzie find a good one and be prepared to spend on it to keep it up to scratch, I sold mine a few years back & purchased a V8 Merc to replace it looking back I should have kept the Omega mine was a 2.6 CDX manual , very comfortable and up to 32 mpg on a run , good luck with your search hope you find a good one.

[deviator]

My 3,2 Elite has cost £17,951 over 8 years now to buy then maintain to the best levels possible.

Wow. Just wow. I think and I accept I could be wrong, but I think you've spent more on your Omega than I have on every car I've owned, including maintenance for the last 25+ years. It's a close call if I could include the insurance I've paid in that time as well.

Credit to you for keeping a car you want running. But when it's put like one lump sum, it seems an awful lot.

EDIT - No I couldn't get the insurance in that as well.

[ronnyd]

If you didn't spend all your hard earned on the Omega, you'd only go and squander it on food and rent.

[holcomser]

A big thank you to all you lovely people who have replied with your advice. I am not really in to car diy, home diy no problem so it would be garage all the way.

It looks like its try and get the best I can and take it from there really. Will start looking round and let you all know if I have any luck.

Thanks again.

[Doctor Gollum]

If you aren't into getting your hands dirty, the Omega may not be the best choice

[STEMO]

A big thank you to all you lovely people who have replied with your advice. I am not really in to car diy, home diy no problem so it would be garage all the way.

It looks like its try and get the best I can and take it from there really. Will start looking round and let you all know if I have any luck.

Thanks again.

You're making a mistake. If you are unwilling/unable to perform maintenance tasks, and rely on a garage to do the work for you, it will cost you an arm and a leg to keep it running. That's without factoring in the cost of bringing it up to a decent level when you first buy it.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I have spent close to £3000 in mine to get it how I want it over the last 4 years. That was doing all the work myself.
Dread to think how much garage labour costs would have been on top of that.

[Nick W]

A big thank you to all you lovely people who have replied with your advice. I am not really in to car diy, home diy no problem so it would be garage all the way.

It looks like its try and get the best I can and take it from there really. Will start looking round and let you all know if I have any luck.

Thanks again.

You're making a mistake. If you are unwilling/unable to perform maintenance tasks, and rely on a garage to do the work for you, it will cost you an arm and a leg to keep it running. That's without factoring in the cost of bringing it up to a decent level when you first buy it.

The other problem is that a good car is unlikely to be too rotten, but could easily need all the same, expensive work that a much cheaper one would. You could spend close to £1000 for the parts to make a reliable car that drives properly.

[amba]

Bought mine 7 years ago for 1k from back street dealer in Luton who didnt really know what it was tbh.It was in a poor state mechanically but body work was straight and MOT history read well only having 2 former owners and only failures on tyres and bulbs.

Got it home and spent as much time as I could spare going from back to front replacing brakes/suspension/tyres ,also lots of silly little broken bits on the inside costing around 1.5k.

Have now driven it for the past 6 years and done over 130k miles with only the usual wear out bits like brakes/tyres etc....recon have spent another 3k over that time which would of spent on any car I imagine as less than £500 a year with the high mileage I cover.

I can say without doudt its the best car I have ever owned and still get comments from people about how few of them are now on the road and how well its cared for and looks which is some thing for a 18 year old car.

If you dont intend to do alot of the service work yourself you would be wise seeking a different car as they need a good knowledge which sadly few garages now have and will just see it as a cash cow

[johnnydog]

Some of the latter posts have been a good attempt in deterring you from even buying one! Having previously owned a Cavalier,  they rust in the similar areas - rear wheel arches, sills, and the Omega rusts on the front chassis members / rails which are partially visible from under the front wheel arches.
Having said that, the aged old advice is the same, look at as many as you can (although there won't be that many around), go for the best spec you can, and if you aren't particularly mechanically minded, take some one with you who is), read all the write ups you can on here and the internet, and when you find the right car, it will jump out at you.
2.0 and 2.2 engines are underpowered in my opinion. I have owned 2.6's,  3.0's and 3.2's V6 Omegas - they all are great to drive, the V6 sounds well, the 2.6 does perform well, but personally speaking, I prefer my 3.2's over the 3.0, both of which have the edge over the 2.6. If it is toys you are after, then the later 3.2 Elite is the King, wheras GLS and CD models have quite low spec levels.
Just do you homework, don't buy the first one you see (get the general flavour of the Omega with the first one you look at -  unless it's a gem of course!). Be prepared to pay over the odds for a good example with plenty of decent history.
I've been involved with 'classic' cars for over 36 years - decent Omegas are becoming less and less, but that applies to most other cars of so called 'classic' status. One will eventually turn up if you aren't in a rush....there are good ones out there that will, at some point, come up for sale, as generally their owners are of (cough!) more senior years.....
No doubt there will be other ''helpful' advice to come.....
This a a brief but worthy read...
https://not2grand.co.uk/not-2-grand-cars/the-vauxhall-omega/