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[LC0112G]

White (and red) is/are an absolute no-no, although for £3k I suppose I could afford a full glass & interior out re-spray.

I don't really want to go more than 10 years old, so 2010-11 really is about the limit. Haven't looked at where the model year breaks are on any of the candidate cars - I'm was just trying to discover what the basic manufacturer & model options are. Quite surprised there are so few options for a RWD family saloon/estate, but it is what it is.

Depending how the MOT on the Omega goes next week I think I've got 2-3 months to find something.

[Raeturbo]

Fix the Omega whatever it costs👍👍

[Raeturbo]

Have you still got the LC?

[Doctor Gollum]

Budget is obviously a factor. The E Class estate puts an old Volvo or Peugeot 504/5 estate to shame. The 5 series estate is only used by the police because BMW priced them below the V70 and they can carry more than the 3 series. Just.

Size wise the C Class estate is a match for the 5 series in terms of capacity. The 3 series is a fine small family estate, but makes a better sports saloon.

If you're feeling brave, the E63 is starting to become reasonable.

[Doctor Gollum]

Fix the Omega whatever it costs👍👍

Does that include restoring all the metal work?

[Raeturbo]

Yes and a reshell

[LC0112G]

Have you still got the LC?

Yes. Hence I'm really looking for a 'runabout' not a 6L V8 sub 30MPG money pit.

Fix the Omega whatever it costs👍👍

Still wouldn't be ULEZ though. The Omega is nearly 300K miles, on it's second engine, second gearbox, second exhaust system. Tin worm has eaten the under wind screen area (noticed all crunchy when the last windscreen got replaced) and I don't like the look of the front chassis rails either. Current engine leaks oil (cam gaskets done 3 times twice with brand new VX cam covers). Aircon needs looking at due to disagreement with a Bambi. Heater Matrix blocked so tepid at best in cold weather. NCR2013 CD draw flap broken, and big rain water leak into the cabin somewhere resulting in a 2 inch deep pool of water in the NSR passenger footwell last winter - and it now whiffs of swamp. Rear bumper broken due to Dominoes Pizza moped running into it, and front bumper broken due to French transit van reversing into it (plus Bambi). Drivers door check strap mounting fractured out of the door. Bit of a clunk on steering lock, which I think is either the pitman arm or NSF wishbone bush and something rattly in the NSR suspension. MOT should find these last two I think. Starting to misfire again which could be oil in the plugs, or another coil pack on the way out (I think this one has lasted 5 years).

Now I accept most of the above is fixable, and I've even got many of the parts here to do it myself (heater matrix, wishbones, aircon stuff). But given it's my belief the engine needs a re-build to properly solve the oil leak, and the shell is going rusty in some difficult to repair places, and the ULEZ issue, I think it's probably time to call it quits.

[STEMO]

If your omega was a horse, they'd shoot it.

[LC0112G]

If your omega was a horse, they'd shoot it.

Bangernomics.

I prefer to throw a few hundred quid at the devil I know once a year to get it through the MOT rather than spend a few (tens of !) thousand quid on a new (to me) car which will hopefully last 5-10 years, but could come with a whole load of other issues. I'd be less bothered if there was a big Vauxhall to switch to because I sort of know what goes wrong and how to fix them from the 25+ vears of Carlton/Omega ownership. However, jumping to another manufacturer means either learning a whole load of new skills and bodges, or trusting a local indy specialist.

[Doctor Gollum]

You must have really hated that car for it to need a second engine

Mine hit 280+k on it's original drivetrain (second clutch).

The gearbox I kinda understand because no one services them and then wonders why they stop working after 120-150k

[LC0112G]

You must have really hated that car for it to need a second engine

Mine hit 280+k on it's original drivetrain (second clutch).

The gearbox I kinda understand because no one services them and then wonders why they stop working after 120-150k

First engine sucked up a load of silicone and old O rings which blocked the strainer and wrecked the bottom end. This was about 3 years into me owning it, and I hadn't done any engine work on it at that point (except cam belt), so it wasn't me that put the silicone and old seals in the sump. I had changed the GB fluid and filters soon after getting it, (and put a proper spin on filter connector on the engine  ). If I'd known the V6 had such a pi55 poor pickup I'd have dropped the sump to check and clean it.

Gearbox is/was an auto, and failed 18 months ago ish after about 280K miles. Spoke to a few GB reconditioners who agreed it was likely to be the seals on the hydraulic solenoid which presses the clutch plates together. If the solenoid seals leak it doesn't apply enough pressure to the plates, which start to slip more than they should, and then wear out so you're looking at quite a big bill for parts and labour to repair. Loads of stuff on Youtube about it, and perhaps I could have done it myself, but cheaper to just replace with a known good gearbox was the consensus on here and with them.

I know the popular view on here is that cam cover leaks are due to blocked breathers, but I've never found mine to be blocked, and I think that's only a symptom now, not the real cause. IMHO the real cause on older engines is excessive blowby of the piston rings caused by bore, piston and ring wear. The crank case only really needs to 'breathe' blowby - where else is high pressure air coming from? My first 3 Omegas (I've had 4) never leaked - infact I wasn't even aware that cam cover leaks were an issue. But an old engine is going to have more blowby, and that air has to escape somehow. Plastic cam covers are going to flex more than metal ones, and the more blowby there is the more air needs to escape. YMMV.

[Raeturbo]

Holy shit fair play to you mate👍 And I know if you had been looking after it from the start it would be in far better shape. Just a thought but do you still have any pics of my Carlton at the Haynes? Furthermore, I know how meticulous you are…. I didn’t get to finish reading your rebuild on the ABS unfortunately please send me a link too. 😒 Have a look at the Evo estate, or maybe the Stagea  at least worth looking at, 4wd but the 'dangle berries' type👍 Although I 100% agree 1 wheel drive or four wheel drive… it makes very little difference at all when you are travelling down hill. Topside is you will love it when you get to drive it back home👍 Cheers  Rae.

[LC0112G]

Holy shit fair play to you mate👍 And I know if you had been looking after it from the start it would be in far better shape. Just a thought but do you still have any pics of my Carlton at the Haynes? Furthermore, I know how meticulous you are…. I didn’t get to finish reading your rebuild on the ABS unfortunately please send me a link too. 😒 Have a look at the Evo estate, or maybe the Stagea  at least worth looking at, 4wd but the 'dangle berries' type👍 Although I 100% agree 1 wheel drive or four wheel drive… it makes very little difference at all when you are travelling down hill. Topside is you will love it when you get to drive it back home👍 Cheers  Rae.

I'm not convinced that if I'd had the car from day one it would be any better state now. It wouldn't have had some of it's faults, but would doubtless have had others.

ABS management took decisions that effectively lost the old web site/message board, and now its virtually impossible to retrieve old posts. Criminal in my view. 20+ years of info basically lost. I did whinge at the time, but to no avail.

I should have the photos I took at Haynes somewhere - I though I sent you a CD with them on? If you PM me your snail mail address I can send them again.

[Raeturbo]

Thanks Malcom, I’ll send it to you now👍

[LC0112G]

Thanks Malcom, I’ll send it to you now👍

I said snail mail.

I only shoot in RAW format, and each photo is typically 8-20MB. Even converted to JPG they're well over 1MB each. And there are probably close to 100 of them.