Hi everyone,
I've recently bought a black VX220 NA 2003. I drove it back to Norwich from just South of Newcastle yesterday! Unfortunately I only have this rubbish picture for now, she's covered in 250 miles of grime:
I've come from MR2 ownership, and the VX220 is certainly a step up in performance and step down in practicality.... Engine has a lot more torque so you don't need to rev the tits off of it all the time.
She has been well looked after, and doesn't show her 71k miles at all. Car has a full history and has been regularly serviced. Timing chains were replaced at 61K. Engine pulls very well and goes up and down through the gears nicely. However, she has a few problems!
1) No heating whatsoever! I was pretty frozen yesterday after a five hour drive through the rain. Both heater controls are stuck. If the weather isn't too bad at the weekend I'll get the dash out and try to get the heater out in one piece as well and seal everything up. If this isn't adequate I'll cough up for the T7 heater.
2) She came with both a hard and a soft top. Not sure about the soft top but the hard top leaks pretty bad. Going to put new upper seals on the hard top as they aren't stuck on too well. Hoping I can source something through work for this.
3) Is on original toe links. I have ordered the Elise Parts kit which I will fit ASAP.
4) Dash has weird leather covering on. Going to strip this and paint body colour when weather improves.
5) Light control buttons don't illuminate
Interestingly, I found this post from 2010 from a previous owner:
I'm starting to get the hang of getting in and out of the thing. If I could get it watertight and get a little heat in there I'll be very happy.
Plan is to drive it until Winter and the swap back to the MR2. I'm going to book myself onto the first track evening at my local track Snetterton which I believe is in May.
