VT series Commodore SS - Any good?

[richard300]

So... Finally the flights are booked and the deposit paid on our accommodation. And on 30th March 2015 we fly out for a new life in South Australia!

The wife will have a company car - but my thoughts are on something for myself.

The budget for my 1st car isn't high. Originally $5000 but hat didn't seem to offer anything interesting, so its been upped to $7500. At this price, i keep finding myself drawn to the VT series Commodore SS.

From what i can gather they use a 5.0 litre LT1 and most seem to have an Automatic transmission (which is fine with me)... Now, the interior looks rather bland on these, but i do like the way the 'SS' looks - with its subtle bodykit and 5 spoke alloys.

Are they any good? I imagine that unstressed LT1 is good for high mileage?
Are they regarded as been anything (remotely) special??

I would be using it daily..... The plan being to short list several cars the week before i fly out, with a hope to view as soon as i am over the jet lag!

[Jader1973]

richard300 said:

So... Finally the flights are booked and the deposit paid on our accommodation. And on 30th March 2015 we fly out for a new life in South Australia!

The wife will have a company car - but my thoughts are on something for myself.

The budget for my 1st car isn't high. Originally $5000 but hat didn't seem to offer anything interesting, so its been upped to $7500. At this price, i keep finding myself drawn to the VT series Commodore SS.

From what i can gather they use a 5.0 litre LT1 and most seem to have an Automatic transmission (which is fine with me)... Now, the interior looks rather bland on these, but i do like the way the 'SS' looks - with its subtle bodykit and 5 spoke alloys.

Are they any good? I imagine that unstressed LT1 is good for high mileage?
Are they regarded as been anything (remotely) special??

I would be using it daily..... The plan being to short list several cars the week before i fly out, with a hope to view as soon as i am over the jet lag!

You need to be aware of a few things:
- V8s are normal here, not special.
- Commodores are the weapon of choice for bogans (chavs).
- Any V8 VT is highly likely to have been thrashed doing burnouts - avoid anything with different wheels on the front and rear (they fit steelies to the rear for burnouts)
- Do not buy from anyone under say 25, who wears a baseball cap backwards, has tattoos, or piercings, or is known by their nickname e.g. Daveo, Shaneo.
- Avoid anything with a Monster Energy/Metal Mulisha/Transformers/any other crappy stickers.

Having said all that, I fully understand the appeal - they look really good with the rear spoiler removed and given a subtle drop over large wheels e.g.


(okay that is a V6 Berlina on gas, but you get the idea)

Or this, which is just about passable (I'd worry about the stickers):


Bits are easy to get - they made hundreds of thousands of the VT to VY shape.

Later VT II cars (2000 on IIRC) had the 5.7 engine - you should be able to get one of them for your budget. Actually you'll get a VY for $7,500.


Worth noting that the V8 was available in other versions to like, Berlina and Calais (and even the base spec IIRC).

Check Carsales.com.au - you'll find lots.

You've got me looking now

Edited by Jader1973 on Wednesday 12th November 06:25

[Jader1973]

Forgot to say - watch for silly number plates. In Aus you can make your own.

Combinations like: CUL8R, DONTRY, UWISH, TRYIT, DAVEO, V8WINR, ULOST etc etc are all danger signs.

[Pommygranite]

They're the australian equivalent of a Saxo VTR with a maxpower bodykit

[Coatesy351]

The 5 litre is not an LT1 its the final incarnation of the holden v8. It is long lived if its had regular oil changes.

Vt series 2 (mid 1999) have the lS1

As other people have said generally avoid one owned by young people like the plague. They also like to chew rear tyres out especially if they have been lowered incorrectly or have worn rear suspension bushes. Leaking power steering is common although usually more annoying than anything else. Make sure the aircon works too.

Make sure auto trans fluid is nice an clean and not black or smelling burnt.

There not really anything special but easy to maintain and cheap to get parts for plus loads of go fast bits available for either engine if that's your thing.





http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/athol-park/cars-van...

Edited by Coatesy351 on Wednesday 12th November 08:14

[richard300]

Oh..... A chav mobile is far from what i am after!

I was thinking of buying something as standard as possible and in a dark metallic with standard wheels - Just like this:

http://resources.carsguide.com.au/styles/cg_hero_l...

Here is the UK i am a serial Jaguar XJ owner - But I cant imagine being in one in Oz for at east 12 months. Plus i like the thought of fully embracing Australian culture and having a 'home grown' car - BUT chav is definitely not the image i want when driving down the road or turning up for a job interview.

[Coatesy351]

Bogan is not really the same as Chav, Bogans have jobs usually so the can afford to spend money on cars motorbikes and going on holiday to bali. Just avoid badly modded ones and you will be fine. If the advert is full of terrible grammar and spelling and uses words like fully sik avoid... You could always get a berlina, calais or statesman too. My mate just picked up a 2003 wk 5.7 statesman for $7500 its very tidy 183,000 kays.

Edit

Avoid stuff like this!

Edited by Coatesy351 on Wednesday 12th November 08:28

[Jader1973]

Pommygranite said:

They're the australian equivalent of a Saxo VTR with a maxpower bodykit

Technically it is the Australian equivalent of one of these


but lightly wider and with a V8.

However I know what you mean

richard300 said:

Oh..... A chav mobile is far from what i am after!

I was thinking of buying something as standard as possible and in a dark metallic with standard wheels - Just like this:

http://resources.carsguide.com.au/styles/cg_hero_l...

Here is the UK i am a serial Jaguar XJ owner - But I cant imagine being in one in Oz for at east 12 months. Plus i like the thought of fully embracing Australian culture and having a 'home grown' car - BUT chav is definitely not the image i want when driving down the road or turning up for a job interview.

They won't care what you turn up in to be honest. They'll hear your accent and realise you don't know any better

[motomk]

Used to own a VT II SS, ie the LS1 powered one. Some non-modded ones might appear occasionally. From VX to VY, a lot had to have the engine rebuilt because of piston slapping but I would say most would have been done by now.
For a non thrashed thing maybe try and get a Statesman, Berlina or a Calais and then go from there...make sure it has the LS1 onboard, ie VTII onwards or WH onwards for the Statesman.
The VX series II 2001 onwards has the better rear suspension. My friend regularly swaps the newer suspension over into older cars.
Parts are cheap compared to other things. You can raid ebay or the local parts place.

http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Holden-B...
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Holden-...
http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Holden-B...

SV8 which is half an SS, bit desirable by the drag people too.
http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Holden-C...

V8s in SA for less than $10000

[Hasbeen]

It might be worth looking for one with a tow kit. That is a tow pack, as distinct from just having a towbar fitted.

Many of us had them to tow a horse float, or a sky boat. This is not heavy work for them, & in most instances they probably only towed something short distances, a couple of times a month.

I used one to tow a horse float, & it was driven very gently when towing, so as to look after the horses. Mine probably towed the float less than 1200 kilometres in 89,000 kilometres, & was simply a hack to drive to work otherwise.

I even had a staff member we gave one to, who got better than 8 L/100Km out of the thing, so he must have been very gentle with it.

So there are some good ones around, just look carefully.

[Google [bot]]

Hasbeen said:

It might be worth looking for one with a tow kit. That is a tow pack, as distinct from just having a towbar fitted.

Many of us had them to tow a horse float, or a sky boat. This is not heavy work for them, & in most instances they probably only towed something short distances, a couple of times a month.

I used one to tow a horse float, & it was driven very gently when towing, so as to look after the horses. Mine probably towed the float less than 1200 kilometres in 89,000 kilometres, & was simply a hack to drive to work otherwise.

I even had a staff member we gave one to, who got better than 8 L/100Km out of the thing, so he must have been very gentle with it.

So there are some good ones around, just look carefully.

Sage advice. Come to tow your horse float or your sky boat and find you don't have the tow kit and you're fked. I wouldn't worry though, most Aussies have both so most will have the optional tow kit already.

[Jader1973]

Chevrolet Badges!!!!

I forgot Chevrolet badges.

Sign of a true bogan.

Avoid at all costs.

As motomk says, Calais, Berlina, Statesman, or Caprice are less likely to have been molested.

[richard300]

Thanks for the advice chaps.....

What are the differences between the Berlina/Calais/Commodore - Is it just styling tweaks, is it to do with one being the luxury, one being the every-man and one being the Sporty one?

[Jader1973]

richard300 said:

Thanks for the advice chaps.....

What are the differences between the Berlina/Calais/Commodore - Is it just styling tweaks, is it to do with one being the luxury, one being the every-man and one being the Sporty one?

Commodore has two distinct model lines - sport and luxury (with a couple of base specs below SV6/Berlina).

Sport covers SV6 and SS.

Luxury covers Berlina and Calais.

I'm not 100% sure about VT etc but on VE/VF the V8 Calais is basically an SS without the sports bodykit and interior, and with some extra kit.

Check redbook.com.au for spec comparisons etc.

ETA the Calais is a separate model.

Edited by Jader1973 on Thursday 13th November 23:00

[ezakimak]

richard300 said:

Thanks for the advice chaps.....

What are the differences between the Berlina/Calais/Commodore - Is it just styling tweaks, is it to do with one being the luxury, one being the every-man and one being the Sporty one?

Commodore = base spec, manual air con controls, cup holders in centre console, cloth seats, single cd audio with crap speakers, will have central locking, power steering, no satnav, basic body. Lived with a few of these as work cars early in my carrier. The cloth seats will likely be shagged by now and unsupportive.

Berlina = not exactly sure, slightly better trim on seats which will be the same shape as the base spec just a harder wearing cover, may have leather depending on options, probably a few more speakers, slight body kit consisting of lowered side sills and deeper front air dam which is not overtly sporty. May have climate control. I think these also had some retractable cup holders in the dash face as well as electric windows

Calais = builds on the spec from the Berlina, my grandparents had an early VT Calais for ages which they traded a Merc for. So I know that even in the first generation (VT I) guise that it had upgraded audio, CD stacker in the boot, think it had climate control, leather seats, chrome detailing around the windows, larger wheel and tyre package over Commodore. Some will likely have things like sunroof at this spec, xenon headlight became an option at some point, fog lights, electric memory seats such that depending on which set of the two keys you grab, the seat will move automatically to the last positon that set of keys recorded the seat in.

The sports models SS I think are similar in spec to the Berlina, but may have some of the Calais options on them. The seats on the V8s had a bit larger side bolsters, FE II (or FE2) suspension was a slightly firmer spring and damper package that sat a bit lower, you got this on the V8 which could also be specked on V6 models and I think was also included when the Tow pack was optioned.

V8 versions had bigger brakes as well from memory but there is heaps of ways to upgrade these at a cheap price, as even the HSV options will bolt on. Generally the VT brakes were vastly improved over previous generations. V8 versions normally got an LSD rear end as well.

VT 1 generation had the 308 cubic inch holden v8 (5 litre), which is similar in design to the venerable small block chev. Iron block, iron heads, push rods, 2 valves per cylinder, wedge shape combustion chamber, 2 or 4 bolt main bearing caps, fuel injection, log style inlet manifold with single throttle body. Rev range was probably up to around 6000rpm stock.

VTII got a revised rear suspension which reduced the toe in on the rear wheel when the trailing/swing axle compressed under bump movements. It’s a very basic rear suspension design. The updated suspension gave better handling along with improved tyre wear. VTII also got the first of the LS1 engines out of the corvette, 5.7 litre capacity, alloy block, alloy heads along with a 6 speed manual transmission which gave an overdrive 6th resulting in 1500rpm at 100km/h to improve fuel economy.

If you are only looking on line, at that price point that might only be 20% of the cars available as just about every car yard in the major cities would have a commodore on the lot at that price point or under which would not be advertised online.

[smack]

Jader1973 said:

- Any V8 VT is highly likely to have been thrashed doing burnouts - avoid anything with different wheels on the front and rear (they fit steelies to the rear for burnouts)

I think that applies to most Aussie V8's.....