Brad's Vel Satis number 4

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Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Very Tall Brad » Thu Nov 07, 2013 2:31 am

Number 4

This is a chain driven (no cambelt to worry about) 245 bhp, 3.5V6 - the engine is the Nissan 350Z lump - mated to a tiptronic style auto box. Carminat colour sat nav, full leather, heated seats. cruise, speed limiter, heated screen, auto lights. auto wipers, full stainless steel exhaust system, auto parking brake, voice synthesiser, voice controlled heating/radio, elec folding mirrors, Xenon lights...blah blah.

Everything works except one rear window.

I bought it on Monday with 12 months Mot, 12 Months tax and a recent service.

As you can seee when parked up against my Avantime, these are very big cars.

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What did it cost? Less than my last suit. £880 all in.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Richard Moss » Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:13 am

Looks wise, I'd take the Avantime any day. However, the Nissan engine should be a major plus for the Vel Satis.

There are a few Vel Satises (Vel Sati ?) out here but I can't help wondering how tricky they will be to keep in good order. Local main dealers are generally not that great and the independents are usually capable of supporting nothing more complex than a 10 year old Sunny or Corolla
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Very Tall Brad » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:39 am

I think buying a spares car will be vital for those niggly bits and pieces. As a billy bonus, there are lots of spares available for the 3.5 engine via Nissan spares dealers and some neat performance tweaks via Nissan tuners.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Craig » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:21 am

Thanks, Brad, for opening my eyes to the existence of such a beast. It may not win many beauty contests, but the spec surely more than makes up for that.

And all that powaaaah! :D
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Very Tall Brad » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:45 am

I think they're really great looking cars. They were obviously designed from the inside out to maximise interior space. The seats are huge and there is plenty of room for the biggest passengers. I am very tall and I could easily wear a stetson in these cars and still have plenty of headroom. They are just 100% totally different from anything else. Since being designed, various aspects of the shape do seem to appear in other cars - look at the last shape Astra 5 door, for example. http://www.netcarshow.com/vauxhall/2005-astra_5-door/
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Craig » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:07 am

Yes, I can see similarities.

Do these suffer from the kind of electrical gremlins other Renaults (e.g. the Laguna) have been known to?
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Dickie524 » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:31 am

I have to say there was a time when, had I had the money, a Vel Satis would have been the only newly available car I would have bought.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by BennyVitesse » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:38 am

Thats is lovely, big fan of the Vel Satis and one day I will own one.

Did you see this one with the gorgeous red leather?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-52-RENAU ... 4d130eaccc
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by vito » Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:08 am

Looks like a larger Vauxhall Signum, not my bag, love the Avantime though especially in that colour combo.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Very Tall Brad » Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:13 pm

Craig wrote:Yes, I can see similarities.

Do these suffer from the kind of electrical gremlins other Renaults (e.g. the Laguna) have been known to?
Avantime - no real issues with these at all, really. I have had three and done around 80000 miles in total.

Vel Satis - all diesels are troublesome. Avoid at all costs. 2 litre turbo petrol is a bit better. The 3.5V6 is fab. As far as electrics are concerned, I have only ever had issues with the auto handbrake. There is now a simple DIY fix for this. Headlamps are expensive to replace.

Compared to Clios and Lagunas of 10 years ago, the VS and Avantimes feel like German built cars but, in the case of the Vel Satis, using much better quality materials.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Craig » Thu Nov 07, 2013 5:02 pm

BennyVitesse wrote:Thats is lovely, big fan of the Vel Satis and one day I will own one.

Did you see this one with the gorgeous red leather?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-52-RENAU ... 4d130eaccc
Hmm... red leather with that colour exterior doesn't go well, IMHO.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Craig » Thu Nov 07, 2013 5:08 pm

Very Tall Brad wrote: Avantime - no real issues with these at all, really. I have had three and done around 80000 miles in total.

Vel Satis - all diesels are troublesome. Avoid at all costs. 2 litre turbo petrol is a bit better. The 3.5V6 is fab. As far as electrics are concerned, I have only ever had issues with the auto handbrake. There is now a simple DIY fix for this. Headlamps are expensive to replace.

Compared to Clios and Lagunas of 10 years ago, the VS and Avantimes feel like German built cars but, in the case of the Vel Satis, using much better quality materials.
The more I look at it, the more I like it. The grey really suits.

£880, with a year's MOT and tax - that kind of value is very hard to beat. Great buy!
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Very Tall Brad » Thu Nov 07, 2013 8:49 pm

Talking of value, I have a friend who sells new Fords. I asked how they disposed of part ex cars which are to old to retail. He said, as you'd expect, that most go to traders or to auction. But some, he said, just can't find buyers and are scrapped such as a lovely 3 litre S Type Jag last month which they'd given £400 for in part ex. No takers and it was weighed in. This shows how 'tight' this bottom end of the market is when cars which were £30-40000 new just 9 or 10 years ago are now worth so little.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Craig » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:09 pm

That example made me feel a little bit sick - I had an S-Type 3.0 V6 SE before we moved to Devon. My favourite car to date.
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Re: Brad's Vel Satis number 4

Post by Charles827si » Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:39 pm

I saw the Avantime as a concept at the NEC back in the day. Very radical to look at then, and still is now and there is also a good dedicated UK forum.
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