Opel Vectra B or any other continental makes apart from Beemers and Mercs has rarely been the canvas of choice when it comes to modding purposes here in Malaysia. The fact that the urban legends of these continental marquees, such as expensive to maintain and the difficulties of finding spare parts, contributes to the lack of modified Vectra scrapping the Malaysian roads. What we have here is a DTM-inspired Vectra B from standard to its prime complete with battle scars it has earned in a mere 6 month-period.

Early this year TRAFFICmagonline’s Vectra B was fully-kitted with DTM-inspired kits in Titanium Grey finish and yet the battle scars have been somewhat excruciatingly massive. I would say that for a driver who is suffering from the heavier-than-anvil-right-foot syndrome, the owner should have gotten the bodykits done in FRP instead of fibre. The damages done to the exterior are due to aggressive driving by the owner, who just couldn’t resist driving faster than the rest once he gets behind the steering.

Apart from that he has been using 2″ spacers for three months on all fours to complement the arches instead of offset wheels, which I would say more for those who are into aesthetics, looks over functionality and purpose. A wider arches or even body are usually done to provide ample space to fit in wider wheels to gain more traction hence being quicker at the corners. I would say that the feeling you get every when overtaking others at the corners is ecstatically overwhelming despite the adrenaline rushing in and render you helpless as your hands shaking your bon bon as if you’re suffering from Parkinson Disease.

The owner has always been into Conti makes and he used to own a Vectra A back in 1994, complete with BTCC Vauxhall clothing, sitting comfortably low on a set of 18″ Enkei MM2 back in year 2000. The modification was mild with a custom full exhaust system and a 264º cams to boost up the performance of the autotranny Vectra A. The untimely demise of his Vectra A four years later had him utterly depressed and at the brink of his own death before he purchased and claimed his happiness, this time in the form of the Vectra B.

It was just a streak of bad luck if you ask me how did he lost the Vectra A. The fact that he was not even in the car, fast asleep at home and the Vectra A was parked at a petrol station due to engine failure when a drunk driver managed to turn his Vios into a fighter jet annihilating a petrol pump before landing on the Vectra A. The damage was devastating.

That was then, now the owner is driving the manual-tranny Vectra B with 282º cams in DTM-kits sitting solemnly on a set of 18″ Enkei GF1. Up to now the owner has been going through 6 sets of rims as his driving style is simply merciless to three sets of the rims. While the Enkei GF1 is being repaired in the shop, the Vectra B is sitting on a set of KSpeed while a set of 18″ OZ Aristo lays await at home for its turn to be molested without mercy.

After a friendly battle of touge a month prior to MMER2009 at an undisclosed location, the endless bantering by the owner proved too much to the Vectra B as the right driveshaft broke at the end rod and the knuckle shattered to pieces in Nilai on the way back to the office from Sepang International Circuit in the wee hours of the morning. A valuable yet expensive lesson learnt yet again for those whose daily driving style is more aggressive compared to others… If you’re in love with ‘em corners and curves more than to oneself should stick to FRP material or aluminum; a cheaper alternative than the latter for bodyworks improvisation and, please, do find a suitable set of offset wheels instead of getting it done easy with spacers. ‘Nuff said… we’ve learnt the lesson, expensively, as the Vectra B sits alone, waiting for parts to get it up and running again.

text: Hage`  pix: Azham Zainol & Syafril Ismail