Ωega B Caravan '00 - Tuunikala

[Tuunikala]

Anyways, time for another not-so-retro-but-in-a-way-is car thread.

A little less than a year ago I bought myself an Alfa. And now the time has come to pass it on. Since I found someone who was willing to pay the price I wanted, it's sold. Basically.

But since I actually bought a new car (Kia Optima SW GT-Line), I actually have no need for a second-hand car. I still have the Corrado-Project, for which I have no time. So why?

Well, the Optima arrives in October. In one month, I drive around 1000-2000 miles. Unfortunately, I can't cover the distances via bus or train, because I have a small dog and I like to be the master of my time. So, a replacement for the Alfa was needed. Why it needed to be an old Barge with a V6? No idea.

One of the reasons might be, that I work at a joint dealership. I work as a Kia Warranty master (hence the Optima), but we also are a GM dealer. That means: lots and lots of know-how, special service tools, cheap parts and even a bodywork department. All of that means, that I should be daft not to drive one of our brands.

So, without any further notice, here it is:


































Yes, oh yes. It's an Opel Omega B Caravan, 3.0 V6, from the great year of 2000. Well equipped, also has some service history from its long-term German owner and some bills from Estonia. Mileage is a measly 228k kilometers, which is actually correct. And that's something you don't see every day. Wasn't altered after leaving Germany and every piece of trim and whatnot actually shows. Nothing is badly worn, everything is tight.

The X30XE, coupled with an automatic gearbox runs almost as sweet as a nut. I've scheduled it for a routine maintenance for this Friday, where all of the fluids and filters will be changed. Also will replace the battery and even refill the ac. It has been standing for over a year, so no MOT. For an MOT it needs:
New rear brakes (In the boot already)
A new backbox (ordered from Germany)
And yes, a full service. Also, need to clean up some oil leaks and whatnot, to make it look presentable.

After that I'll be attending a local owners' club summer meet, and just keeping it tidy. Adding some optional extras, having some paintwork done, adding parts that are missing and just making it presentable. Giving it a good polish is one of the things.

So, any feedback is well appreciated and yes, I'm very happy. Sometimes, and old, lazy barge is just the thing that is missing..

Also, if there are any extras that you see missing and you might be able to help me get them, let me know. A color screen with the 4cd changer NCDS is one of the things.

So, yes.

[grizz]

That is a very smart car.

[jimspolicev8sd1]

I had a 2000 ex police 3.0 v6 manual estate (caravan). Good fun car. I did the cam cover gaskets and the oil cooler which was a pain.

[Tuunikala]

Jul 9, 2017 19:54:58 GMT grizz said:

That is a very smart car.

Why thank you Grizz. The overall tidiness and good looks was actually the reason I went to look at the car, even though the pictures from the advert were "adequate".


And Jim, I've heard about the horror stories about the engine in general. There are some leaks here and there on mine as well, but hopefully I'll fix the cam cover leaks with parts from a Saab.

Ahh, the joys of working at a dealership..

[Tuunikala]

Well, it's been a while. So let us get back on track. Starting with what was done back then. First order of business was to get the car ready for its MOT.

It began with ordering a new windscreen with OEM seals, new back box (old was only 2 straight pipes which made it unbearable to drive), replacing the rear brakes and changing the ABS ECU.

Then I decided to have a small service done, by changing all of the oils, filters and whatnot. And well, that lead to changing the cam belt, water pump and whatnot. But since I was working at the dealership, that meant that my car was dead-last in queues. So that came in due time. More on that later.

But small things were done.

An example of the old spark plugs:


Also changed the crank sensor, which was a bit iffy.

Then the battery gave up, so got a new one of those as well.

I should specify that the car was meant to be a temporary car, which was planned to go on sale after a new MOT. Well..

Anyway, then some small things needed to get done. I didn't have a handle for the trunk floor and also no load cover. Some money later:



Also since my original grille was looking a bit past its best, I got a temporary one:


Then I got new fixings for my old Omegas roof bars and this is what came out of it:


Then I had the new front screen fitted with some new wipers, had the car washed, ready for its first outing, which was to our local Omega Club summer meet.


We had our own little 4-star hotel.


That's actually the absolute biggest plus of the Omega. It's huge. I'm 1,83m tall and when I'm lying down in the back, my feet don't reach the hatch.

But that trip turned out as a little mini road-trip. After one night at the summer event, we drove from Tallinn to Viljandi, where there was a Folk event on Saturday. At around midnight I asked my other half: why stop here? And since I didn't get a good reason why stop, we got back in the car and drove to Riga. We stayed the night in a parking lot next to the seaside, which was lovely. And we had lunch in Riga.


After lunch we headed back. We went shopping on the border and, well:



It was actually full under the load cover. After our government raised the tax on lager and strong alcohol, it's always sensible to stock up on the Latvian border. Price of beer is like this: 24 case of beer on the border: 8.99€. In any store in Estonia: 24.99€. And that is with every singe alcoholic product. I won't get started on the price of fuel..

Anyway. That takes together July. I'll get back with August in a short while.

[Tuunikala]

August came and went.

In late July I went and got some parts. That included better doors, chrome grille in good condition, NCDC 2013 with color screen and a climate control unit without worn out letters. Had the doors resprayed and fitted them with new split pins and strikers. All OEM parts. And I started fitting them with various levels of success.

Also the full service was done, camshaft belt was changed, water pump, gearbox oil with filter and also the ABS ECU at 227004km. Again. And that left me with a funny situation.


I found out that the Y-series ABS ECU-s don't work with the X series engines. The ABS ECU gave all of the other ECU's false information. But at least I had a working speedometer and cruise control. But we'll come back to this.

Took a nice picture:


And another one:


Ordered new number plates:


And bought a house:


Which has left me in a bit of a financial state, but all was okay. I was happy, SWMBO was over the moon. And also thrilled about the Omega! Which is always a win. Now I'm in a state where SWMBO loves the Omega and also the Corrado. And that's great.

In the beginning of the thread I mentioned that I will be getting a new Kia Optima. Well, in August I went to see how things were going with it. And, well, they forgot to order it. So I called it off and bought a house with 2,8 hectares of land, and also with side buildings. And that is good when a man needs a shed, or garage, or a sauna. Which I now have. Although it needs some TLC and a bathroom. I was happy.

And on that positive note came September.

Most memorable day was this:



Remember the gearbox oil change and the wrong ABS ECU?
Well, it turns out that when a man has his gearbox oil changed for the first time in 220k km, and also fits a wrong ABS ECU which screws with the engine ECU and transmission ECU, it may help with ending the automatic transmissions life. Which happened. So I lost 2nd and 3rd. And so, the gearbox was removed and sent off to be repaired. And that cost me 1,6k€. The car was 1,4k€. That puts things into perspective. 

And so, the gearbox will be refitted on Monday. And more news will come after that.

We are now back on track. And that's nice.

[neilsdavies]

That's bad luck with the ecu wreckng the gearbox! How did it do that?

[Tuunikala]

Nov 15, 2017 21:02:51 GMT neilsdavies said:

That's bad luck with the ecu wreckng the gearbox! How did it do that?

Due to the fact that the oil change wasn't dynamic, that meant that all kinds of old muck was travelling around the gearbox. And since the ABS ECU sent false signals everywhere, it made the gearbox slip 2nd and 3rd gear while changing. That slipping went worse and worse with time and one day it packed up. And that's very possible..

[düdo]

That's a tidy well looked after Omega. You'll be able to haul bags of cement around for your new house. Handy working in the Opel dealers too.

I've become quite familiar with this engine - German design built in England. I fly the flag as it leaks!

[Tuunikala]

Nov 16, 2017 9:08:43 GMT düdo said:

That's a tidy well looked after Omega. You'll be able to haul bags of cement around for your new house. Handy working in the Opel dealers too.

I've become quite familiar with this engine - German design built in England. I fly the flag as it leaks!

Well.. I actually quit last month and at the moment I'm working in the family firm, repairing forestry machines. Also moved town due to the house thing.

But yes, the Omega is very handy for many things. But.. Only clean things can come in the interior. Cement bags and whatnot can be moved around on either a trailer or my work van, a T4 Transporter.. I'm a bit pedantic..

BUT! I read on your thread that maybe an Omega is landing in your shed. Is it the face-lift model? And does it have some goodies I might not have? I would be interested in bits and bobs, if it's better than mine..

[düdo]

Nov 16, 2017 11:11:48 GMT Tuunikala said:

Nov 16, 2017 9:08:43 GMT düdo said:

That's a tidy well looked after Omega. You'll be able to haul bags of cement around for your new house. Handy working in the Opel dealers too.

I've become quite familiar with this engine - German design built in England. I fly the flag as it leaks!

Well.. I actually quit last month and at the moment I'm working in the family firm, repairing forestry machines. Also moved town due to the house thing.

But yes, the Omega is very handy for many things. But.. Only clean things can come in the interior. Cement bags and whatnot can be moved around on either a trailer or my work van, a T4 Transporter.. I'm a bit pedantic..

BUT! I read on your thread that maybe an Omega is landing in your shed. Is it the face-lift model? And does it have some goodies I might not have? I would be interested in bits and bobs, if it's better than mine..

I must compliment you on your excellent English.

I didn't think you'd be using your nice Omega as a builders truck! Let the trailer take the punishment.

Yes, probably an Omega is coming but it's a question of timing as I'm not ready for it yet. I'm going to collect the freebie '98 Astra convertible on Saturday and that will have to be processed and stored.

Anyway, the Omega is a B1 saloon, 1997 I think, so that's pre face-lift? I really haven't checked the car at all.. only the engine so I don't know the spec except it's tidy and dark green! If it happens I'll post up some details and pictures. There are a handful of well-kept MV6 Omegas around here in the ownership of elderly people - I stay friendly and keep tabs. One can never have enough 3.0 V6 engines.

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 15, 2017 17:25:02 GMT Tuunikala said:

After lunch we headed back. We went shopping on the border and, well:

You're drinking A.Le Coq I see. What's it like and is it worth ordering a few from Beers of the World?

[Tuunikala]

düdo Why thank You. I guess the time spent reading different car forums over a period of 10 years has really helped me with the technical part of English. I actually knew a bit of the language when I went into first grade. Must thank MTV for that.

But then You'll be getting a preface-lift Omega. If it has an LSD, that might come in handy. Who knows, we might get some snow this year and an LSD would really help me with sophisticated winter driving. Wouldn't want to spin only one of the rear wheels now, would we.


Frankenhealey Yes. A.Le Coq is actually really good. It's brewed in Tartu and it has a really nice taste. Not too strong, more like a soft, silky kind of beer. Goes really well with barbecues or coming from a hot sauna and having a break with an ice cold Premium. But there might be some small differences from batches. From what I've experienced, some batches might be a bit stronger than others. So if it's possible to get it, definitely worth a try. And if You can't find it online, let me know. Maybe I can send some over.

Also a fun fact: the Premium and Premium Exports are different volumes. Regular, home market Premium is 4,7%, Export is 5,2%. There is a small different in taste as well, personally I've gone now with the Export. And it has almost nothing to do with the recent rise of taxes..

[Tuunikala]

Well, time for a small update.
On Saturday, this happened:

On Sunday, this was purchased:


And today, this happened:


The car was off the road for over two months. I had forgotten what it was like to drive a barge. Today, after a full 7 hour workday in at my old dealership, the refurbished gearbox was fitted, the correct ABS ECU was fitted, winter tires were installed. And I got to drive it home, the whole 155 kilometers from the dealership to my current home. And I loved every single minute of it.
The dashboard has never been like this. First of all, there ABS and TC lights were on, no cruise control and no speedometer. Then, there was speed, but no ABS and TC. Then, there was speed, no TC and the tachometer was "a bit" non trustworthy. 7k/rpm was not considered truthful.
But now, it's all okay. All is well. The car drives like a dream. You can't even hear it when it's in idle. I was standing behind the car when it fired up, an electrician was standing at the front. And we thought the car stalled. But it was just so quiet. I'll try to get it on video tomorrow. Also, a full interior detail is in order, not to mention a full wash. I haven't washed it for over two months. And it bothers me. Nor have i wet-vacuumed the interior. That's all planned for tomorrow to have the car looking fresh and ready for a fresh set of photos.. But for now, enjoy these!

[little feat]

Nice to another one of these underrated cars being cherished and enjoyed.
Very rare over here in Ireland now due to the grossly unfair and expensive road tax system in this simple little country.
I've had mine for nearly 16 years now bringing it over from UK when we moved here . It was also going to be used as a general hack whilst building our house but in the year I had it before we started building I got to like it too much and bought a van to do the work it was intended for .
Mine is a manual but I've driven an auto version and they suit it perfectly . It's semi retired now being used only in the summer months due to the tax system I mentioned but I still maintain it as I would a new car .
It would cost a lot of money to replace it with a new(er) car but in truth it's as nice if not better to drive as our almost new yeti.
I'll hang on to it for a while yet.
Lovely colour you have so enjoy it and keep the updates coming .

[Tuunikala]

Nov 20, 2017 21:27:07 GMT little feat said:

Nice to another one of these underrated cars being cherished and enjoyed.
Very rare over here in Ireland now due to the grossly unfair and expensive road tax system in this simple little country.
I've had mine for nearly 16 years now bringing it over from UK when we moved here . It was also going to be used as a general hack whilst building our house but in the year I had it before we started building I got to like it too much and bought a van to do the work it was intended for .
Mine is a manual but I've driven an auto version and they suit it perfectly . It's semi retired now being used only in the summer months due to the tax system I mentioned but I still maintain it as I would a new car .
It would cost a lot of money to replace it with a new(er) car but in truth it's as nice if not better to drive as our almost new yeti.
I'll hang on to it for a while yet.
Lovely colour you have so enjoy it and keep the updates coming .

Really like the color of Your car, not to mention  the state of it. Looks really good!

And I know, they are very underrated. Don't know why, really. You can buy a bottom of the barrel one here for about 2-300€. A decent one for 800-1500€. And the really tidy looking ones for 1600€+. But I'm happy with mine. Although the paint is a bit mismatched, it looks lovely, there is a little bit of rust (Opel). But overall, a similar BMW is sometimes even more rusty, not to mention the chavs those have gone through. An E-class is also somewhat the same, but even more rust issues. And a Passat is like a belly button, everybody either has one or has owned one (but not me).

Overall, great cars these.

But, I thought yesterday that a cleaning day might be in order:



But since it was like this outside:


I only did the interior. But since it was dark, I only have some pics of the progress.
Rear seat before:



Half done:






All done:




A bit was done under the bonnet as well:



And I thought I had a relatively clean car.. Hopefully will get it looking showroom fresh at the end of today. And then more pictures will come.

[Tuunikala]

So, today was spent on the finishing touches.
First of all, snowfoam!


Then waxing:


And then, the final result. Felt like I was taking pictures to sell it on..
















Now all I need is snow, snow and snow, so I could go snowboarding. And have an excuse to fit my roof bars and ski box on top..

[rob112]

That looks great

[timmy201]

Very nice. We had a Holden Commodore wagon recently, a LWB version of the Opel. Ours had the 3.6L V6, they did have the option of the 5.7L LS1 and a 6 speed manual too. I do miss it, it was such a smooth comfortable car and could fit nearly anything in the boot.

img.retro-rides.org/i/v/timmy201/d7f614430352.jpg

img.retro-rides.org/i/v/timmy201/9a6c74742b3a.jpg

[Tuunikala]

I actually have a dream. Where I'll become a bit wealthy and import a 5.7 V8 Holden. In order to do a full swap and enjoy the Omega as it should've been. That's the dream.
But, in other news:

Hopefully Saturday will be the day, where I'll fit it and enjoy some better tunes..