3.2 Buyers guide?

[rf9rider]

I`m about to start looking to buy a 3.2.

Apart from the usual Frontera faults, anything specific to check on these models?

[V6POWER]

I assume u know about the dash/speedo issue where the needle drops to 0mph?
mine has it and so do most from what i can gather.

[V6POWER]

Also check when the cam belt was last done. Should really be changed every 45,000 miles because if it needs doing it gonna cost you £350-£400.
Then just the norm, Front shocks because of wieght there prone to go in my opinion, track rod ends, inner/outer cv boots ect.
Iam sure some one on here will no doubt give you a full check list.
What ive mentioned is just the things that were nackerd on mine when i got it.

[rf9rider]

Cheers for that.
I`m well aware of the speedo/dash problem, had mine out a few times.

[andysd1]

look out for the pitching in the engine, usual sign is the air intake gaskets, cost around £25 each, and yes you will need two, seams its a common fault on the v6, its also an easy fix, but dont tell the seller,

[V6Jon]

The exhaust !!

Check it carefully, Cat's (I believe) are about £200 each, and there are two.

Behind them your best bet is a custom Stainless system which will cost you about £350 upwards I believe, but look around there are plenty of posts from people who have had one made.

Only other thing that springs to mind with the V6 is to be carefull what you are getting if it has an LPG system fitted.

Jon

[voodoocars]

Fuel consumption.....

[rf9rider]

[rf9rider]

[andysd1]

[rf9rider]

[andysd1]

oops
viewtopic.php?f=46&t=34540

[bigdazz]

Quick Summary of the Vauxhall Frontera

OVERALL
Neither fish nor fowl. It wants to be a real off-roader but hasn't got the ground clearance or full-time transmission. Equally, it's a little too unrefined to cut it as a motorway cruiser or easy-to-drive shopping car. Best to think of it as a handsome and full-size toy-car and one that has the ability to cope with most things you can throw at it, whatever the weather.

WILD FRONTERA

Vauxhall launched these three and five-door off-roaders in late 1991 into a market deep in recession, yet they were immediately a smash hit. Sales of GTi-style cars had crashed after insurance companies pushed premiums through the roof. Suddenly, all those twenty-something buyers needed a new type of vehicle to turn their attentions to and they found it in the Frontera.Vauxhall didn't exactly create the off-road/leisure vehicle market but they certainly made it more accessible. The Frontera comes in two forms that appeal to two different buyer groups. The Tonka-toy looks of the three-door are as irresistible to as many people as the five-door junior Range Rover styling.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

History of the Frontera


The Frontera, though assembled in Luton, is actually a rebadged Isuzu design, but more so than the Isuzu Trooper/Vauxhall Monterey (RIP) twins. The engines are a successful mix of European and Japanese, like the styling.There were three models at the October 1991 launch – a 2.0-litre three-door Sport, a 2.4-litre five-door and a 2.3-litre turbo diesel five-door. The first change came in September 1993 when the 2.0-litre engine gained fuel injection. The model retained the Sport name but gained electric mirrors and windows. Apart from a couple of very limited-run special editions and a short-lived but desirable open-topped Sport version, there were no further changes until April 1995 when new engines arrived, including a 2.2 and a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.For the 1997 model year, driver and passenger airbags became available and the 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine was swapped for a 2.5 with more power and torque. A new dashboard lifted the appearance of the interior and addressed all the ergonomic criticisms that had been thrown at it since the 1991 launch. The line-up was replaced by an all-new range (including a V6 derivative) in October 1998. This featured more modern styling and a new 2.2-litre (Opel rather than Isuzu) direct injection diesel engine. The 2.2-litre petrol engine from the old model was retained and the 3.2-litre V6 from the (now defunct) Monterey was borrowed for the replacement flagship Estate model. This 3.2-litre engine was also added to the three-door range in October 2000 in the Sport RS model.Late 2001 saw further changes to the Frontera line up, with a V-shaped grille, clear light lenses and new designs of alloy wheels adopted. The Olympus models, previously special editions, were subsumed into the mainstream range whilst the 3.2-litre engine was now offered in both three and five door body styles. By early 2004 it was all up for the Frontera.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

Vauxhall Frontera Road Test

Or perhaps off the road? The Frontera isn't really at its best either way. It does a fair job both in the mud and in Sainsbury's car park but suffers from being a bit of a compromised vehicle. The weight is considerable, with that heavy transmission to carry around, but most of it is down low in the vehicle so stability is not as bad as some top-heavy rivals.You'll notice it's slightly truck-like to drive, if you've come from, say, a GTi, but then you can't drive your hot hatch through a muddy field, can you?Like all vehicles of the type, be prepared to accept that the Frontera wasn't really designed to sit quietly and be totally stable at 80mph on the M1 and you'll be more forgiving of its limitations.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

Buying a Vauxhall Frontera


For a time the Frontera had a bad name for quality with owners descending en masse on Vauxhall HQ to complain. Mechanicals are generally tough, though like the interiors, so there's no major concern with the durability of either. But look out for leaky rear doors, oil leaks, rattly crankshafts, clattery camshafts and noisy wheel bearings.Be careful, as always, with the turbo diesels. If the engine has had a hard life it'll blow lots of smoke, even when warm. Turbo rotor seals are vulnerable to abuse so get the car checked by someone who knows what to look for. Better to be safe... With any off-roader, the most important thing is to check that the vehicle hasn't been badly abused if it's gone off the beaten track. Scuff marks on the paint, small dents and touched-up black paint on the bull-bar (if fitted) are all tell-tale signs that your chosen machine has spent some time off the bitumen. All are OK, just something to help get the price down a little.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

Vauxhall Frontera Typical Pricing

You can pay as little as £2,000 or over £14,000, depending on the age and condition of the model you choose. Apart from the most recent Fronteras, the most expensive cars tend to be the 2.5-litre turbo diesels. A 96N-plate five-door 2.5-litre can be yours for around £3,700 or £200 less if it's a three-door.New Fronteras from October 1998 start at just under £5,500 for a three-door 2.2-litre Sport. The V6 Limited starts at around £5,800; add £500 for automatic transmission. The 2.2 DTi (turbocharged and intercooled) diesel runs from about £5,700 as a three-door Sport to £11,500 as a late-plate Limited automatic estate.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

Vauxhall Frontera Parts

(Based on a Frontera 2.2 16v '95') A full exhaust system is about £320. A clutch assembly will be around £105, while a new starter motor will be just under £75. An alternator should be close to £120, a radiator is around £115, a front headlamp is about £50 whilst front brake pads are in the region of £16 and rear shoes £19.
Used Vauxhall Frontera for sale

[rf9rider]

Thanks all.
Found one local to me, having a look next weekend.

[nitromotor]

listen for any rattling from the cats,also the engined should run smooth and quiet, if its had an LPG conversion make sure its a multipoint system, and finally during test drive listen for any play / back lash in the rear diff.

[rf9rider]

[V6Jon]

The V6 exhaust parts are :

Two manifolds, into
Two catalytic converters, into
A 'Y' pipe, into
The main large silencer section, into
The tail section which has a small resonator.

The Main silencer seems to be the troublesome part. When I gave up waiting and went for a stainless system about four months ago mine had been on back order from VX (only people who make them) for over seven months.

Jon

[rf9rider]

Thanks for that, i was looking into stainless systems, so how much of a job would it be to remove the cats?

Was told by the MOT man that as long as the cats are fitted for the MOT (he doubted if it would pass the emissions test without them) i could remove them and run a complete stainless system with twin outlets for that lovely V6 sound.

Was thinking of having removable sections made where the cats fit, depending on where they fit under the Fronty?