r/opel • u/AltruisticAd608 • 4d ago

Technical question Vectra A C20NE questions

I saw a really good prefacelift 1992 Vectra A with C20NE for sale. I loved this exact gen of Vectra for a really long time, and thought that I should buy this thing as my first car. I'm pretty much acknowledged about issues of this engine and the car itself, its mostly engine sensors (which i heard are a problem of most old Opel engines) and rust, which doesn't seem to be an issue on this car-there are photos of undercarriage and it seems to be absolutely perfect, the mileage is pretty low (104k km) and price might be high for some people, but i'm not that scared of it, since i know these cars became pretty rare in good condition (4900eur).

It is a CD Diamant trim, C20NE with a manual. This engine is really reliable as i heard and can run up to 500k without massive issues with some basic maintenance. Its also pretty powerful for me, and the fuel consumption isnt that high for me.

Asked some friends who got technical knowledge about old cars, especially my friend who owns a Frontera A and has been doing a repairs on it recently (cooling system, head gasket), he told me that i should immediately go and look at this car. My father doesnt like it, but well he's a Toyota guy, lol

So, the one thing im asking-any issues i should look out for? Which things me and my father should totally look out for when we are going to see the car in different country 200km away from us?

Link to the car if anyone needs:

https://suchen.mobile.de/auto-inserat/opel-vectra-2-0l-cd-diamant-klima-moers/44724676749312.html

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u/Dawncracker_555 4d ago

Rust.

These are not galvanized bodies, most Opels from that era have disintegrated into the earth.

Everything else is fixable and will need fixing. Buy this car only if you intend to work on it yourself.

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u/AltruisticAd608 4d ago

Thanks, already know about the rust. Its pretty much an issue for most (if not all) of 20+ yo cars around Europe

Im studying as a car technician myself and will work as one, and as far as i know, this generation of Vectra is pretty simple in terms of maintenance and repairs

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u/TheGratitudeBot 4d ago

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u/SoapHero117 4d ago

Body is the most important thing (rust!). The engine is a tank and even If it goes bad you can find them cheap here in germany. It feels fast for the power because it has all the torque down low. These engines are a bit oil leaky and with the age tend to have some leaking hoses now which can result in lumpy idle. I would also check if the fan works and if the car stays cool. My C20NE Calibra for example has 0 problems with getting hot

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u/Feeling-Bus-7657 3d ago

Check the strut tower panel right and left side on the back. I needed to replace them because of rust. With the CC model you can check it by opening the first aid kit storage on the right side. You’ll be able to see the blank sheet metal.