advice for a potential VX220 neophyte
Discussion
Hi there fellow VX220 owners
Im in the throws of selling my cherished 7 xflow [ive had 4 of them incl a 240bhp VX HPC which was bonkers ] and am thinking along the lines of buying a more modern car -narrowed down to either VX220 or maybe honda S2000 or mabybe even a BMW Z3M .I dont want an elise as i dont fancy a k series engine and cant afford the newer version with toyota engine -also im told the build qaulity of the elise is shabby .So in essence i see the VX220 as an elise with better engine and better build .
I drive an early V220 NA a few years back and was v impressed with the engine torque ,box and handling .
So i have a few questins which im sure some of you can answer :
1.Is there really that much diff between NA and turbo in terms of driveability [ie useable] torque spread and everday performance for road use [it will be a summer weekend toy not my main tin top ]-ie is it really worth the extra money for the turbo for those of you who have owned both
2.Are there any other diff between the NA and turbo aside from engine spec -ie any diff in terms of suspension and brakes and transmission ?Has anyone had a turbo failure yet and after how many miles .
3.What if any upgrades to either NA or Turbo are worth having -ie which ECU remaps or other engine upgrades make the car more driveable in terms of useable torque and flat spots ?What about suspension upgrades like dampers -are they worth having in terms of road driving or do they just make it more twitchy on country B roads[which will be most of my use] and less compliant over bumps -remember im coming out of a 7 so i don't expect too much in terms of a complaint ride but i would like progressive handling and decent brakes .Im big into brakes as to me thats a key safety point when driving quick in terms of tractors and grannys suddenly appearing from nowhere .Are there any cooling system iussues for the occasional hot day up here in Scotingland?
Do these upgrades affect future saleability -ie do folk prefer to see an original car which hasnt been tricked up .
4.Is a full VX dealer SH essential and does it affect resale
5.What are the key recalls to look out for ?
Anything else i need to bear in mind that i havent mentioned ?
Has anybody out there had say a VX or an elise or S2000 to compare with ?
If i let my heart rule id buy a precat Griff but i just cant be doing with all TVR bils and unreliabilty .
Thanks in anticipation -sorry ive so many questions !
Im in the throws of selling my cherished 7 xflow [ive had 4 of them incl a 240bhp VX HPC which was bonkers ] and am thinking along the lines of buying a more modern car -narrowed down to either VX220 or maybe honda S2000 or mabybe even a BMW Z3M .I dont want an elise as i dont fancy a k series engine and cant afford the newer version with toyota engine -also im told the build qaulity of the elise is shabby .So in essence i see the VX220 as an elise with better engine and better build .
I drive an early V220 NA a few years back and was v impressed with the engine torque ,box and handling .
So i have a few questins which im sure some of you can answer :
1.Is there really that much diff between NA and turbo in terms of driveability [ie useable] torque spread and everday performance for road use [it will be a summer weekend toy not my main tin top ]-ie is it really worth the extra money for the turbo for those of you who have owned both
2.Are there any other diff between the NA and turbo aside from engine spec -ie any diff in terms of suspension and brakes and transmission ?Has anyone had a turbo failure yet and after how many miles .
3.What if any upgrades to either NA or Turbo are worth having -ie which ECU remaps or other engine upgrades make the car more driveable in terms of useable torque and flat spots ?What about suspension upgrades like dampers -are they worth having in terms of road driving or do they just make it more twitchy on country B roads[which will be most of my use] and less compliant over bumps -remember im coming out of a 7 so i don't expect too much in terms of a complaint ride but i would like progressive handling and decent brakes .Im big into brakes as to me thats a key safety point when driving quick in terms of tractors and grannys suddenly appearing from nowhere .Are there any cooling system iussues for the occasional hot day up here in Scotingland?
Do these upgrades affect future saleability -ie do folk prefer to see an original car which hasnt been tricked up .
4.Is a full VX dealer SH essential and does it affect resale
5.What are the key recalls to look out for ?
Anything else i need to bear in mind that i havent mentioned ?
Has anybody out there had say a VX or an elise or S2000 to compare with ?
If i let my heart rule id buy a precat Griff but i just cant be doing with all TVR bils and unreliabilty .
Thanks in anticipation -sorry ive so many questions !
lots of questions, mostly answered on vx220.org.uk 
i have a turbo, and in a nutshell it is faster on the road than an na due to more power, but round a track std to std an na will pip it due to it being lighter and slightly more nimble.
turbos do go, although usually when cars are tuned due to the heat - about 5-600 plus fitting for a new one, but certainly not a regular problem.
labour is not cheap on the vx due to layout, so if you are a diyer bills are very cheap, if not expect to pay around 50-60 an hour for labour, and there to be a good few hours to fix things ie radiator is a clam off job and they are a major weak point.
lots of tuning options, none particularly cheap, check out plansmotorsport, courtenay sport, thorneymotorsport for prices. failing that, ask/research over on.org site
i have a turbo, and in a nutshell it is faster on the road than an na due to more power, but round a track std to std an na will pip it due to it being lighter and slightly more nimble.
turbos do go, although usually when cars are tuned due to the heat - about 5-600 plus fitting for a new one, but certainly not a regular problem.
labour is not cheap on the vx due to layout, so if you are a diyer bills are very cheap, if not expect to pay around 50-60 an hour for labour, and there to be a good few hours to fix things ie radiator is a clam off job and they are a major weak point.
lots of tuning options, none particularly cheap, check out plansmotorsport, courtenay sport, thorneymotorsport for prices. failing that, ask/research over on.org site
ok -that's a useful site with lots of faq's and nice buyers guide -cheers
So if its a turbo -would you get the stage 1 remap to obviate flat spots for road use -ie does it make the driving more pleasureable or is it really only for track stuff -indeed if a car has had the remap then im guessing its been tracked at some stage .
Any other upgrades youd go for then in terms of enhancing the car for road use ?
Regards,brian
So if its a turbo -would you get the stage 1 remap to obviate flat spots for road use -ie does it make the driving more pleasureable or is it really only for track stuff -indeed if a car has had the remap then im guessing its been tracked at some stage .
Any other upgrades youd go for then in terms of enhancing the car for road use ?
Regards,brian
mine's going in for stage 4 courtenay soon... but I have kept mine standard for 2 years except for mintex 1144 pads and 16" wheels up front which make a huge difference to handling and braking.
I would say keep it standard for at least 3-6 months then decide what you want to do. handling is cheaper and the better option to sort first, although they are pretty good out of the box (hence me keeping it standard for 2 years).
stage 1 or 2 will sort all the flat spots and make it sound better, but your money is better spent on fresh disks and 1144 or pagid pads if money is tight
be warned though, they can bite, especially the turbos due to the heavy lump of iron in the boot, hence my advice to get used to it before searching for more power etc
I would say keep it standard for at least 3-6 months then decide what you want to do. handling is cheaper and the better option to sort first, although they are pretty good out of the box (hence me keeping it standard for 2 years).
stage 1 or 2 will sort all the flat spots and make it sound better, but your money is better spent on fresh disks and 1144 or pagid pads if money is tight
be warned though, they can bite, especially the turbos due to the heavy lump of iron in the boot, hence my advice to get used to it before searching for more power etc
Ironing out the flat spot on the turbo by having a remap certainly doesnt mean you would only do it for track use.Having a remap really improves throttle response in my opinion and gets rid of the quite annoying flat spot.
You would be looking at around £500 for the remap.The most popular and useable upgrade for the turbo would be to go one further and have a full exhaust system which ups power to around 240-250bhp and really improves the noise depending on which backbox you go for.Your talking around £2k for the full system with remap.
The turbo is significantly quicker than the n/a on the road,certainly in a straight line theres no competition.The n/a has better handling,the turbo being slightly heavier and softer suspension which is fine for road use.
Brake upgrades are around £1500 if i recall if you want really top brakes,although changing the standard pads to mintex 1144's all round would make a big difference from the pretty poor standard brakes.
Popular suspension upgrades are nitron adjustables which greatly increase the handling for the cost of around £1k.A turbo with this upgrade would really take advantage of its extra power over the n/a on a track.Like vxsmithers correctly pointed out if both cars were standard on a track there would not be much in it even with the turbo's extra 55bhp.
I would say fsh is pretty essential,not necessary full vauxhall history though.I would want one that had been serviced at an independent specialist if not vauxhall.
You would be looking at around £500 for the remap.The most popular and useable upgrade for the turbo would be to go one further and have a full exhaust system which ups power to around 240-250bhp and really improves the noise depending on which backbox you go for.Your talking around £2k for the full system with remap.
The turbo is significantly quicker than the n/a on the road,certainly in a straight line theres no competition.The n/a has better handling,the turbo being slightly heavier and softer suspension which is fine for road use.
Brake upgrades are around £1500 if i recall if you want really top brakes,although changing the standard pads to mintex 1144's all round would make a big difference from the pretty poor standard brakes.
Popular suspension upgrades are nitron adjustables which greatly increase the handling for the cost of around £1k.A turbo with this upgrade would really take advantage of its extra power over the n/a on a track.Like vxsmithers correctly pointed out if both cars were standard on a track there would not be much in it even with the turbo's extra 55bhp.
I would say fsh is pretty essential,not necessary full vauxhall history though.I would want one that had been serviced at an independent specialist if not vauxhall.
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