Martin's Saxo VTR

[Martin_172]

Bought this at work this week, done just over 60k, is 100% standard which i didn't think still existed!, Standard suspension, standard airbox, even has the standard stereo in the boot which ill stick back in! no 6x9s in the shelf etc lol

looks proper tidy underneath, I don't know a lot about them but a quick read up points to rust where the rear beam meets the boot floor, under the ecu and fuse box and sills all of which appear to be spot on!

it needs a bit of love to the bodywork as all of them seem to do given how thin they are, some dings, some scrapes, a dent in the rear quarter and the lad said he's never washed it in the 2 years he's owned it, has a couple of suspension knocks but ill give that a good going over anyway!

not sure what my plans are, tempted to just do a minor restoration on it (rear beam, suspension, brakes, underseal, bodywork), I couldn't insure one when I was 17, enjoy its old skool thrills and keep it in the garage and see what happens with the values over the next few years!

Tips? things to watch out for? stuff to check?

 

[Stay Puft]

Rear beam are the weak point iirc. I had a black VTR at 18, what a car! And had my first crash in it. Enjoy!

 

[Ben]

I had a 1.4 Westcoast as my first car because I couldn’t afford to insure a VTR. I bloody loved it.

 

[gez 172]

These are the S2 106 Rallye equivalents for a fraction of the cost. 😎😍

 

[Ant1]

Nice matey! Not seen another as clean as mine underneath until now!

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Like that! What sort of money was it, if you don't mind me asking?

Would like a Saxo/106.

 

[BREMBO]

Nice! Would really like a Mk1 VTS.

 

[Jekyll]

Love it mate.

Oddly I've been looking at saxos this week and mk1s especially!

 

[Martin_172]

Like that! What sort of money was it, if you don't mind me asking?

Would like a Saxo/106.

I paid £1k for it, looking at the previous sold eBay auctions I would say if it was average condition that's probably bang on the money for what its worth but having had a look around it id say its probably a good deal!

 

[Donny_Dog]

Rot:
Front bumper hangers, uUnderECU, Under fuse box, underside strut tops, corners of boot floors, lower section of wheel arch/tub where the rear torsion bar sits (both sides).
*Edit, forgot sunroof drain. Get that done asap.

Mechanical, nothing worth worrying about at all. It can all be fixed cheaply & easily.

Electrically these are starting to show their age. ECU's starting to pack up, sensors (TPS etc) but it's all resolvable. Original parts are difficult but OEM can be a mixed bag, but cheap enough to throw the parts cannon at.

I still have a range of spares if you need anything suspension wise etc. Or any advice.
Also have a spare owners book I was going to eBay, if you don't have one.

Looks good though. £1k isn't anything if it's not rotten.

 

[Louis]

Awesome buy. Always wanted one as my first car but ended up in a clio instead!

Saxperience was all the rage. That forum still about?

 

[Typhoon]

Nice matey! Not seen another as clean as mine underneath until now!

Weird flex but ok

 

[Donny_Dog]

Saxperience was all the rage. That forum still about?

Just.
I'm the only one with a build thread!

 

[Ant1]

Weird flex but ok

?

 

[Louis]

Just.
I'm the only one with a build thread!

What a shame! Take this forum still being so active for granted really.

 

[Ben]

Saxperience still looks the same as it did 15 years ago haha.

 

[Donny_Dog]

What a shame! Take this forum still being so active for granted really.

Totally agree.
Saxp hosting was up, I offered to pay for it. The former posts on there are worth keeping in my opinion. But someone must have renewed it.

 

[Bluebeard]

This came in at work??

I thought you were the manager of a supermarket??

 

[Pep]

This came in at work??

I thought you were the manager of a supermarket??

They’re made out of bean cans so makes sense it got mixed up in a delivery?

 

[Martin_172]

This came in at work??

I thought you were the manager of a supermarket??

see changing career thread haha

the mrs has warned me not to make a habit of this, every time a customer now mentions something not been worth repairing my ears perk up

 

[Donny_Dog]

Subtle goal @Martin_172 ??????
It'd be a shame to leave it looking standard...

 

[dave120]

Please leave it standard! Cool looking wee car as it is. Modifying it would ruin it

I had a Mk1 VTS many decades ago. Loved that car.

 

[Martin_172]

Brought it home today, let the fun begin. What a great driving little car! It will be staying 100% standard and purely be a restoration to enjoy!

 

[Daz...]

Excellent stuff, these cars are so much fun to throw around when standard.

 

[Louis]

Brought it home today, let the fun begin. What a great driving little car! It will be staying 100% standard and purely be a restoration to enjoy!
View attachment 1503746

Belter

 

[Martin_172]

Good old saxo! Looks like I need to re seal the sunroof

This prompted me to have a clear out so I could keep it inside

Just fits!, Looks tidy under the bonnet too

 

[Matthew]

Get some trim restore on the bumpers, used to love doing that as they are so grey and flat.

I had two Poseidon blue VTRs back in the day. A mk1 and a mk2. They are just ace.

 

[Martin_172]

Get some trim restore on the bumpers, used to love doing that as they are so grey and flat.

I had two Poseidon blue VTRs back in the day. A mk1 and a mk2. They are just ace.

paint works a long way away from applying trim restorer haha! stay tuned!

 

[Hxrry]

I've been on the hunt for one of these for a while and I'd say you've grabbed an absolute bargain there mate. Looking forward to seeing a progress thread of some sort.

I honestly feel like these will rocket up in value.

 

[Martin_172]

I've been on the hunt for one of these for a while and I'd say you've grabbed an absolute bargain there mate. Looking forward to seeing a progress thread of some sort.

I honestly feel like these will rocket up in value.

i think your right, looking at the 106 rallye along with GTi and VTS prices i think the value will soon follow!

 

[Hxrry]

i think your right, looking at the 106 rallye along with GTi and VTS prices i think the value will soon follow!

I'd settle for a VTS, I'm sure they're rarer?

 

[Donny_Dog]

Take the head lining out. The sunroof drain will be blocked and likely rotten.

 

[Matthew]

There’s always been a lot of VTR / VTS snobbery.

20 more BHP, and 8 more valves. And you have to double, if not tripped the price for a VTS.

 

[imprezaworks]

Get some trim restore on the bumpers, used to love doing that as they are so grey and flat.

I had two Poseidon blue VTRs back in the day. A mk1 and a mk2. They are just ace.

Was it you with the grey/black saxo

 

[Donny_Dog]

There’s always been a lot of VTR / VTS snobbery.

20 more BHP, and 8 more valves. And you have to double, if not tripped the price for a VTS.

Now wait just a second there.

The VTR gearbox final drive is different.
The VTR black tops were 90bhp and the silver tops are 98bhp.

So Martin is losing 22bhp over a VTS that's near 1/4 of peak power. Well worth tripple the price 🤔 and he hit a higher theoretical top speed.

In truth, it is a numbers game still. There were 40k VTRs on the road in the UK and near 7k VTS's.
As the VTS was their top spec, stands to reason they command more, as there are less + more desirable etc. Similar thing to the 205 1.6/1.9 debate.

There are other differences between them, which aren't arguably noticeable. At least, unless you're as sad as I am.

 

[Matthew]

Was it you with the grey/black saxo

Yep

 

[Donny_Dog]

Yep

View attachment 1504045

 

[Philip.]

Lol at the sunroof problem. Remember have the same in mine.

Loved my Saxo back in the day. 18 years old and absolutely hammering it every day.

 

[Matthew]

What a shame 😩 haha

 

[Martin_172]

Not had much time to do anything with this so its just been tucked away but I took it to work today and gave it a fresh Oil filter, oil, air filter, fuel filter, and NGK plugs - and as a bonus found a fully stamped up service book in the glovebox! I've ordered a timing belt kit and water pump for it but didn't have time to get it done, maybe next week.

The paint work was in a pretty bad state even though it passes the 2 meter test. Just a few years of neglect, never getting washed and a few dings. I'm going to get it into the body shop to get some paintwork done on some areas so I gave it a proper good clean, blasting out all the grime from the window seals etc, went over it with the clay bar and then ran the rotary over it so I could see what's good and what needs attention. So far looks good and came up very well. It needs a bit of paint on the NSF corner where its got a scuff in the bumper, a tiny bit of rust bubble under the rear wiper where the glass bonds in so ill get the rear screen removed, repaired and refitted its had a small knock on the OSR quarter right on the rubbing strip that has pushed the quarter in a tad so ill get that repaired. Lastly it looks like someone has reversed it into a bollard or something and the towing eye has been shoved over a little and damaged where it comes through the rear bumper so ill straighten that out and probably put a bumper on it if I can get a good one.

For a car that's coming up on 18 years old and looks like its all original underneath it drives really nice but I can feel a bit of play in the steering and the suspension is SUPER soft! although it seems to control rebound still?! so I think after the bodywork is fixed ill refresh the steering components, shocks, springs, arms, bushes etc! - sticking to standard parts.

that's it tucked away again, bit brighter now! ill do a proper detail with the trims etc restored once the paint work is done