Hi Neil further to your phone call to me, I have some more information for you..
The gear lever assy is a Europa part and it has a lift cable to select reverse, also the outer cable stop at the gear lever end is different to VX. The cost for the assembly is £588.48 :? . So I have emailed my man at Lotus to have a look at one in the stores for me, to see if it comes with the cables it’s not such bad value as the cables alone are £390.
I have also been looking into the drive shafts and have found that on the Astra and Zafira you can buy an inner M32 CV joint separately. I am just trying to find out if the spline on VX shaft is the same F23 CV to M32 CV.
I will advise as soon as I find out.
Shame that other box turned out to be a 6 speed auto
Cheers Jon