Description
I ordered this GSi in October 1998 from Perrys in Broadstairs, Kent and was quoted a 20 week leadtime which turned out to be spot on as I picked it up from the dealership on 13th March 1999. As well as the pearlescent paint (Polar Sea Blue,) I optioned the electric sunroof, passenger airbag and cruise control. It is number 1378 of approximately 1600 phase 1 GSi's made.
I kept the car until June 2002 when I sold it to the brother-in-law of the Aftersales Manager at Perrys Canterbury. He kept it until 2011, when he emigrated to New Zealand and sold it to the 3rd owner. He kept it until 2014 when he sold it to the South East Regional Organisers of the Vauxhall Drivers Club, who I know well. He embarked on a full body restoration to deal with the small elements of rust that were starting to appear.
Then in April 2018, I bought it back making me the 1st and 5th owner. To make it perfect, I managed to source a brand new genuine GM rear bumper from a company in Ireland, and had that painted and fitted to the car with it’s original rear valance. I also had the front bumper repainted due to a few stone chips, and had the top part of it finished in the proper black coating to match the new rear bumper. I also got hold of a set of new old stock side rubbing strips so the car looked factory-fresh once more. The rear wheel arches were also redone as some tiny rust bubbles were starting to appear. I also had all the wheels refurbished and got some original wheel centres to finish them off, and fitted a new set of genuine boot badges and original floor mats.
In March 2019 (it’s 20th birthday) it went into Perrys in Canterbury for a full service and cambelt change. They also fitted the new suspension kit I had bought, consisting of Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers – these being the best combination for the Vectra due to offering excellent ride and handling whilst returning the car to almost standard GSi ride height.
Since then I’ve used the car very rarely – only for the occasional local car show including Vaux Valves at Brands Hatch last year where John Cleland signed the sun visor for me! I fitted a new top engine mount last year as the original had perished and as the tyres were getting old I got a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport 5’s fitted in May this year – I even sourced a set of the original metal valves it had from new. The spare has a new Pirelli P Zero Nero that I had fitted a couple of years ago when the wheels were refurbished. I’ve also replaced parts as necessary, such as exhaust hanging rubbers and I had two brake pipes replaced for the MOT this year. I then had a power steering pipe burst so that has been properly replaced. At the same time the garage fitted a new old stock genuine GM steering column universal joint that I managed to find in Spain as the original had worn out.
The car is completely standard, except for a K&N panel filter. The backbox is from a phase 2 model that I bought and fitted in 2000 as I thought it looked better than the standard Irmscher split oval one. Everything else is as it was the day I picked it up from the dealership, including the CCR600 radio cassette and glovebox mounted CD changer. Everything works on the car except the air conditioning which I’ve never got round to sorting due to the very limited usage the car has.
I've decided it is time for a new owner because it only covers a couple of hundred miles a year and it should really be used and shown more often. The history with the car is immense! I started a folder when I first bought it and kept every invoice. That folder has been maintained throughout its life so there is the complete history there along with every MOT certificate. I’ve also filed all the documentation from when I bought the car, such as the original order form, delivery invoice, letters from the dealership and from Vauxhall thanking me for buying the car, warranty paperwork, etc. The handbook pack also still has all the original books including the Recaro seat warranty certificates.
I had my personal number plate assigned to the car when it was new. When I sold it in 2002 it was issued with T908 RKR which is what it will probably get back when I again take my plate off.
There appear to be less than 50 of the original phase 1 Vectra GSi models on the road today, and this is particularly rare being a saloon with a factory fitted sunroof. It is in excellent condition throughout and will satisfy any Vauxhall purist who is looking for one of the best examples remaining.
