Used car buying guide: Vauxhall Calibra

There’s currently a decent variety of Calibras on the market, with prices ranging from less than £1000 for tatty 8v cars to around £8000 for low-mileage, showroom-spec Turbo models. Calibra owners are a friendly bunch, too, and will provide guidance and advice through various forums and social media groups.

As with most cars of its era, the Calibra was an undesirable budget banger up until relatively recently, so many have been driven hard and poorly maintained. A chunky stack of MOT and service history receipts is something you should insist on if you want to profit from the inevitable hike in prices down the line.

How to get one in your garage

An expert's view

Tony Barton, Vauxhall Calibra Owners UK: “Some say the Calibra was ahead of the times when it first appeared, which is probably why it holds up well today. Early cars suffered with rot but, in 1995, they produced fully galvanised shells, which have stood the test of time. For a car only 30 years old, its numbers have dwindled significantly and they are becoming very rare now. Prices are rising because of this, but you can still pick up a nice example that won’t break the bank.”

Buyer beware...

â–  Body: Check the bulkhead around the steering rack mountings for signs of cracking, which will make itself known through shaky steering and a grinding rack when the car is stationary. Otherwise, it’s more solid than you might think. Rear arches can bubble up and plastic trim sometimes hides nasty surprises.

â–  Interior: Blocked drain holes can cause the boot floor and spare wheel well to corrode. A leaky sunroof will result in a stained, warped headliner. Switches and motors can fail but Cavalier-sourced parts are easy to find and cheap to buy.

â–  Engine: Turbo motors need regular oil changes. If you can see blue smoke at idle, it’s likely to be caused by a worn seal. The entry-level 8v is a tough motor, but the 16v ‘Red Top’ is notorious for its propensity to throw a head gasket and sensor issues plague the later Ecotec engine. The coveted 2.5-litre V6 doesn’t work as hard but spark plug changes are tricky, so make sure they’ve been carried out as needed.

â–  Gearbox: The 4x4 car’s six-speed Getrag manual gearbox is prone to failure and costly to replace. At the time of writing, there was only one F28 unit for sale online, a brand-new item priced at £3600 before shipping costs from Greece. On all models, the gearlever cover is prone to wearing, which could let dirt into the shifter mechanism. Uneven tyre wear creates a build-up of heat that can destroy large parts of the drivetrain over time, so it’s best to rotate them every 3000 miles.

â–  Suspension, steering: Wallowing through corners is a sign that the dampers need replacing. It’s likely that a loud knocking noise can be traced to a worn-out front drop link.