VX220 Turbos, Buyers guides?

[Mikeyboy]

I'm thinking of getting a VX Turbo as a track day car and I've been trawling the web looking for a buyers guide that talk about potential mechanical problems to watch out for and cannot find any.

Lots telling me what they drive like but none about what might go wrong.

Can anyone here point me in the direction of a good one?

[pincher]

vx220.org has (or did) have several guides on there.

[Mikeyboy]

Thanks, the guide there these days seems to be just for the NA version.
Does the info hold except for the obvious engine type issues?

[steveavxt]

Track problems are limited TBH and are very similar between N/A & Turbo.

Main big one is standard Hub carrier bolts shearing if you are running Sticky tyres. Others involve standard brake pads and fluid fading due to temps, ABS being a bit early coming in, rear track rods failing. All which can be avoided by upgrading parts.

My turbo does a fair bit of tracking (5 this year so far with another 6 planned) and I've had no real issues but then mine is quite heavily uprated. I did have a track rod bolt snap but that was due to the wrong uprated kit being fitted.

Uprating the VX takes it from being a quick road car to an amazing track weapon which takes quite a car to beat. I am rarely passed on a track day by anything less than a powerful well setup caterfield.

Edited by steveavxt on Wednesday 14th July 14:42

[Mikeyboy]

steveavxt said:

Track problems are limited TBH and are very similar between N/A & Turbo.

Main big one is standard Hub carrier bolts shearing if you are running Sticky tyres. Others involve standard brake pads and fluid fading due to temps, ABS being a bit early coming in, rear track rods failing. All which can be avoided by upgrading parts.

My turbo does a fair bit of tracking (5 this year so far with another 6 planned) and I've had no real issues but then mine is quite heavily uprated. I did have a track rod bolt snap but that was due to the wrong uprated kit being fitted.

Uprating the VX takes it from being a quick road car to an amazing track weapon which takes quite a car to beat. I am rarely passed on a track day by anything less than a powerful well setup caterfield.

Edited by steveavxt on Wednesday 14th July 14:42

Thanks for that.

Out of curiosity how much is a good set up going to cost in addition to the car (as an average I guess)?

[vxsmithers]

under £300 on some disks and pads will help the most if standard, then about £1k for better shocks and a geo will see you good. Most of the other oe kit is up to the job unless you're a track god / test mule for other undeveloped products

16/17 wheels for tyre choice as well - under 1k from memory incl tyres

just get a decent independent to give it a once over for the usual problems - done to death on .org

for more power 250 bhp is approx £2k, a reliable 300/300 approx £7k if you can't use a spanner.

servicing is cheap too - just paid £130 for a 7th year service, 4th/8th year is the expensive one £400 i think?

[Mikeyboy]

vxsmithers said:

under £300 on some disks and pads will help the most if standard, then about £1k for better shocks and a geo will see you good. Most of the other oe kit is up to the job unless you're a track god / test mule for other undeveloped products

16/17 wheels for tyre choice as well - under 1k from memory incl tyres

just get a decent independent to give it a once over for the usual problems - done to death on .org

for more power 250 bhp is approx £2k, a reliable 300/300 approx £7k if you can't use a spanner.

servicing is cheap too - just paid £130 for a 7th year service, 4th/8th year is the expensive one £400 i think?

Thanks for this. Well I'm certainly no track god so that little list helps very much.
OK now to get the money together.

[steveavxt]

Mikeyboy said:

Out of curiosity how much is a good set up going to cost in addition to the car (as an average I guess)?

It depends how far you want to go, here my rough costs;

Brakes - £500
Suspension - £2K
Wheels & Track tyres - £900
Power - £2K

This will get you to 250bhp with a handling package that was pulling over 1.5 lateral g on the final corner before the main straight at Anglesey.

You don't have to spend that much but it's worth it in my eyes.