Anyone know...

[Electra_the_Vectra]

Update on my original post.
I sourced a new oil pan from Vauxcentre, Essex (Great Customer Service and advice) £100 plus £6.50 postage, as opposed to £160 + vat from the dealer. A local garage 'Vauxsell' who I've used before, will fit it which involves removal of exhaust and either removal or simply loosening of a drive shaft, oil and filter. All in all, and inclusive of parts £371; not great but not as bad as I feared.
Thanks to all for the advice, and hopefully this thread will come in useful for someone else

[mucklestone]

Just thought I'd add that you are not recomended to use the space saver on the front anyway. One the handling is very unpredictable and secondly you will wind-up your differencial.

I think you are meant to jack the back up, remove the good wheel and replace with the space saver. Then jack up the front and put the rear one on the front!

[Big Dave]

I think you are meant to jack the back up, remove the good wheel and replace with the space saver. Then jack up the front and put the rear one on the front!

I would adopt this practice too should I need to use the space saver spare. I'd much prefer a full sized wheel on the steering end of the car.

However the handbook doesn't mention this other than when using tyre chains to fit the space saver on the rear and move one of the rear tyres to the front.

[Steve01]

I would adopt this practice too should I need to use the space saver spare. I'd much prefer a full sized wheel on the steering end of the car.

However the handbook doesn't mention this other than when using tyre chains to fit the space saver on the rear and move one of the rear tyres to the front.

Or you could just buy a steel wheel from the scrappy and use that instead of the daft space saver as it fits in the wheel well if you take out the bit of plastic used to raise up the space saver.

[Big Dave]

Or you could just buy a steel wheel from the scrappy and use that instead of the daft space saver as it fits in the wheel well if you take out the bit of plastic used to raise up the space saver.

I keep meaning to as I have an old 17" tyre kicking around in the garage for it to fit onto.

No good for people with Estate Vectra's though as a full sized tyre & wheel won't fit in the well, IIRC.