Jump to content

"Silver Bullet" - My first vRS.....


octyal

Recommended Posts

I enjoyed having my octavia vrs, now I know you don't buy them for economy but when a 330 bmw is cheaper to run that it you know you have a problem! Lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, after much deliberating I bit the bullet in after my Discovery seriously annoyed me, that and the fact it was drinking diesel at an alarming rate (£90 to fill the tank and that would last for 2 weeks) I decided on something different.

 

How I got to fancying a vRS is probably a bit strange though, I read a feature on Pistonheads - possibly not that strange, but unusual for me (OH is calling it a midlife crisis -  maybe it is :) )

 

So, lots of looking at eBay, Gumtree etc turned up my beast, a 2005 vRS, with history (confirmed with garage that have been looking after it) that has been loved by it's previous owners. Following a 500 mile road trip (crazy I know) I had her back home, insured, taxed and ready to go.

 

Mechanically she's fine, I had to fit a new set of coils the week after I got it, other than that, just fuel, and since mid april, I have clocked up nearly 2k miles! I now have a reason to get up for work :D

 

The downside is the bodywork needs some fettling, there is some surface rust at the front of the rear arches, and the underseal has been damaged where it has been jacked under the sills, but the worst is round the LPG filler hole, where it has been done before.

 

So fast forward a bit, and today I have ordered new shocks all round from TPS, and new top mounts and anti roll bar links from the local motor factors, along with a full filter kit (pollen filter doesn't look like it's been changed for a while) and some fresh 5/30 VW spec oil.

 

There will be more to come, with plenty of pics as well

 

post-142407-0-21966100-1464184790_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoyed having my octavia vrs, now I know you don't buy them for economy but when a 330 bmw is cheaper to run that it you know you have a problem! Lol

 

Averaging 40mpg commuting on petrol, and 36mpg on lpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My vrs was a greedy git even driving it economically, averaged low 20s around town and high 20s on the motorway, my 330 and my 2.5 v6 mg zt tourer averaged 24 - 28 in town and mid to high 30s on the motorways. It was ridiculous! So I sold it on, it's now a family car and being wasted which is a shame as it was a really clean car for a 51 plate.

I've looked at them again since but I've just bought an octy 3 for a taxi so can't afford it just now and don't need 2 cars lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

That's inredibly low MPG.... 30-38 in town, and 40-48 depending how I drive on the motorway. I try not to plant my foot down all the time now and I'm amazed how much longer fuel lasts me haha! :notme:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's inredibly low MPG.... 30-38 in town, and 40-48 depending how I drive on the motorway. I try not to plant my foot down all the time now and I'm amazed how much longer fuel lasts me haha! :notme:

 

I have to drive in light shoes now, find my size 9 safety boots too big and clumpy for the pedals compared to the Disco :) Best I have seen so far was an average of 45mpg when we went to Aldershot - the country roads from the M4 didn't help or it would have been higher

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

4 months in and still loving the vRS, even more so now that lpg has dropped to 50p/litre here :) which means we are now doing more random road trips than ever before. Only niggle I haven't sorted yet is the non functioning drivers door puddle lamp. Did initially suspect the good old micro switches, however, everything else works fine, interior lights, auto lock after 30 seconds, seat belt lights etc, just the puddle lamp is off (and I have checked the bulb)

 

Other than that, 5k miles added from when I bought it. Next is the MOT in October, followed by a new set of rubber in the next few months. Next year will see the rusty patches of bodywork getting sorted out, and the wheels will be getting a refurb as well.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

First major job completed today - NSF wheel bearing. It has been grumbling away for a month or two, so had a word with the guys at work, and it was booked in for today as a feature for an upcoming issue of a popular garage magazine :)

 

Needless to say the poor guy has been at it most of the day.......Started attacking it at about half nine this morning, brake shield rotten (new one ordered from TPS for the morning, just over a tenner), need a new one so it looks good on the photos for the article. ABS sensor seized in the hub, bolt holding it snapped, no problem, will drill and tap when I refit the brake shield. Track rod end nut seized, ended up cutting it off (and the inner joint has got some play and the boot is split, sigh) - it's now finished and back together, even though the pinch bolt for the strut snapped as well!

 

Better get the penetrating oil out and douse the RH side so that it all comes across easily when it comes to doing the shocks.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Been a while since I added anything to this, it has been fairly uneventful - until the last couple of months.....

Firstly, managed to get a good price to have the rust around the LPG filler sorted after Easter, so went from this

 

 

WP_20160414_13_50_25_Pro (2).jpg

 

to this

 

IMG_20170426_184723.jpg

 

Picked it up on the Wednesday evening, no problem.......took the OH to work on the Thursday afternoon, and spotted a puddle of coolant underneath - great!

Sorted a cambelt kit and waterpump from work, thinking the pump had sprung a leak. It was supposedly changed 3 years ago by the previous owner, got it all apart, and it was the original water pump - only thing is, it wasn't leaking????

 

 

 

Anyway, managed to track it down to a split in the end tank of the radiator (which was replaced just under 2 years ago due to age). Fortunately GSF had a bank holiday deal on with 55% off, so bagged a new radiator for £40 delivered, and 3 litres of proper spec coolant for £12 delivered - result.

At this point I realised it wasn't going to be a 5 minute job to change the rad.........

 

IMG_20170502_195801.jpg

 

Total of nearly 3 hours - fortunately nothing was seized and nothing broke!

 

So now she is back to fine health. Two new rear tyres fitted last week, as the old ones were low on tread, and on the look out for some new rear springs as the old ones are quite saggy when she is loaded up.

 

Edited by octyal
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

First major refresh of the front suspension since new started last weekend. Managed to change the RH front shock, after much swearing, adapting of tools - and a visit by mr angle grinder :)

 

Anyway, started attacking it after dropping the OH off at work.......that's where the fun started. Top mount nut is a recessed 21mm with an allen head in the top, first problem, didn't have a 21mm stepped spanner - damn. Managed to get that undone with a spark plug socket, mole grips and allen key. Next problem, bottom mount into hub - badly corroded together - large chisel in the bottom, big hammer to free the bolt, and it was out - almost. Couldn't get the hub low enough to remove the shock - so out came the spring compressor to allow some more upward clearance, and it was eventually free, finally I can get the shock done........yeah right! Top retaining nut is again 21mm, but couldn't get the socket on to undo it, top mount rubber was a tad too big, plus I couldn't grip it hard enough with my mole grips. Cue lots of annoyed grunts, and some muffled anglo saxon, and a session mangling the top mount with my angle grinder so I could get a spanner on. Finally it shifted.

 

Time to reassemble then, all went back together nicely, managed to get it into the hub no problem, then realised that the stop spring platform hadn't aligned with the spring! Back on with the spring compressor and re align it then. So, after nearly 2.5 hours it was back together (all main points greased as well now, lol) and the front already feels much better. Old shock was well screwed, didn't even extend when pushed back in, and hasn't moved at all since it has been sat in the scrap heap - so definitely overdue a change.

 

Just the LH one to do tomorrow now.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LH front shock and top mount now changed. Anyone else planning to do the job I would recommend a 21mm spark plug socket and a battery impact gun, makes taking the nuts off a lot easier.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎18‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 16:20, TERKIN said:

that repair is looking clean :thumbup:

 

Cheers - have known the guy for years, and have had a few jobs done by him in the past. Improves the overall look of the car immensely, just wish I had remembered to leave him the LPG filler, could have had that done in body colour then, rather than spraying it with wheel silver :D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I am sure the cooling system on this car is cursed - or she is just getting incontinent in her old age, lol. Two weeks ago I noticed the low coolant warning flicked on, checked the level and it was low. Had a poke around the engine bay (remember further up my fun and games with the radiator....) and spotted that the top of the gearbox was wet, along with the pipe where they had spliced the LPG vaporiser in with a metal pipe joiner. Easy job I think, remove the jubilee clips, clean up the pipe and re assemble - yeah right! Next day, check the level, and it has dropped again, dammit. Topped back up, still wet on the gearbox, so remove pipe again, re clean and wrap with multiple layers of insulation tape over the join and redo the jubilee clips again (I have used the tape method to great effect as a stop gap repair). Two days later, light back again!!!  Upon closer inspection I noticed water leaking from the 3 way coolant flange on the end of the head - bingo!!!

Anyway, stripped it all down, managed to knacker the vacuum lines a bit more (new kit on order for that), and found the O ring had perished, new one from local TPS for £3.60 (half the price of the entire unit off ebay!) and job done - except the damn link pipe is still leaking, so need to sort that out now, hopefully for the last time this weekend.

MOT is booked for next Friday (29th) too, so fingers crossed - nearly 12k miles since last year, nearly 20k miles since I got it in April 2016!

 

IMG_20170917_173416.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Community Partner

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to BRISKODA. Please note the following important links Terms of Use. We have a comprehensive Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.