Anyone got a VE Commodore SS or SSV?

[Reardy Mister]

Bibbs said:

Pommygranite said:

As an aside I was at the Barbagallo days on Papahet's thread and there was a 560bhp VE SS running a Walkinshaw Supercharger which was epically fast with the noise to go with it. Said it cost him $10k to get to that so imagine what you would have if you bought a V8 SS or Calais for sub-$20k and spent $10k - nice to end up with a 500-600bhp box of fun.

The red one?

That's Nick. He's currently Prez of the WA Commodore car club. 570+ @wheels at the last dyno day.

There are a few blown cars running about now.

In fact there is a tuner doing a drive in/out with a Magnuson 1900 for $10,500, or the 2300 for $12500.

1900 will be close to 600, the 2300 will be a bit more.

Plus 5k for brakes and 5k for suspension or you will do at least that in pants every time you track it.

[Bibbs]

Reardy Mister said:

Plus 5k for brakes and 5k for suspension or you will do at least that in pants every time you track it.

I thoughts that said "parts"

[Jader1973]

I had a VE V6 Calais for a while - it wasn't very exciting


In terms of fuel consumption, I do 115km a day, mostly freeway with some stop/start at the Melbourne end (Citylink). Over the years I've recorded these average fuel consumption figures:
- Series 1 V6 = 9.47 l/100km (2 SV6 wagons)
- Series 2 V6 = 9.73 l/100km (1 SV6 wagon, one Calais wagon)
- Series 2 V6 E85 capable (MY12 I think) = 9.61 l/100km (2 SV6 wagons)
- Auto V8s have averaged 10.85 l/100km (1 sedan, 2 wagons, all AFM)
- The one manual V8 averaged 10.91 l/100km

So for me there is very little difference between a 6 and a 8.

However, show either of them city centre type stop/start and the figures climb in to the teens very quickly. Even one trip through the city can see the average for a tank climb by 1 or 2 l/100km.

I lease mine, but if I had to buy one, service it etc I'd go for an SV6 wagon - no need for anything else in my experience.

Having said that, I picked this up last Friday

[papahet]

Pommygranite said:

How different do the V8's feel to the 6's and is the 8 worth the extra fuel cost?

If it is a weekend car it would be worth it. Depends on what your daily drive is like for if you would notice the difference daily. I sure as st wouldnt with my daily drive, my poxy cruze is exactly as quick as every single other car around me

Don't expect a regular Calais or SS to be sporty at all, it is a commodore with a bigger engine.

[TAS1981]

They are really not that sporty in standard guise even the V8. its so heavy that the 360bhp at the fly does not feel that fast.

However they are so easy to tune...mine is getting a 2.5" catback this weekend (fitting myself, should be interesting) and the VCM OTR turns up next week...

I'll look to get it tuned in a few months...once the missus has settled down a bit! All that would have cost me about $2.5k for probably another 40bhp I would hope and maybe a bit of fuel economy (like I care).

I would be getting brakes if I did not need to change the wheels at the same time (or buy the monstrously expensive Harrop ones)...but if I was going to spend anymore I would just get a faster car I think. Bang for buck is good on these...$10k for a supercharger drive in / out is a good price really...$30k for a 5-600whp monster is pretty good...but yeah, you'd want brakes and new suspension then...

[motomk]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Commodore-VE-2006-2012-...
Amazon might be cheaper somewhere although with the dollar slowing down, this might be ok.
There are sometimes CDs on there too with "extracts" from the actual online service manual, but none are appearing at present.

[Pommygranite]

Like your wagon Moto - the blue suits well.

Its crazy how the wheels look smaillish against the body when I bet they're 19/20's.

To the response above about $30k for 5/600bhp the 560bhp VE SS I saw a few weeks back cost $10/11k.

Feasibly you could have a 2008 SSV with 550 bhp, brakes and handling sorted for what. $35k all up. That's pretty bloody good.

[motomk]

Pommygranite said:

Like your wagon Moto - the blue suits well.

Its crazy how the wheels look smaillish against the body when I bet they're 19/20's.

To the response above about $30k for 5/600bhp the 560bhp VE SS I saw a few weeks back cost $10/11k.

Feasibly you could have a 2008 SSV with 550 bhp, brakes and handling sorted for what. $35k all up. That's pretty bloody good.

Wagon is not mine! That is Jader1973s They look like 19s on that.


I have a sedan and a Ute!

[motomk]

TAS1981 said:

However they are so easy to tune...mine is getting a 2.5" catback this weekend (fitting myself, should be interesting) and the VCM OTR turns up next week...

I have the standard instruction if you want them.

[Jader1973]

motomk said:

Wagon is not mine! That is Jader1973s They look like 19s on that.

Yup. 19s (and it is a VF). Commodores always look under-wheeled because of the huge arch gap. Except the VE that lives locally that is running 22s!

Even has "VEON22" as its plate

[TAS1981]

motomk said:

I have the standard instruction if you want them.

To fit the exhust? S'ok - All done now...its pretty good, very happy! Its a relatively tough job on your own with only a small trolley jack and a couple of axle stands, but got there in the end. Sound is awesome despite it being the mild steel 2.5" XForce..its great!

VCM OTR arrives today or tomorrow!

[TAS1981]

Correction...VCM OTR is here! Vrrroooooooooooooooooom! Hope it provides a decent induction roar though I doubt it will do what my K&N Typhoon did for my old MX-5. That was hilarious!

[papahet]

Pommygranite said:

Like your wagon Moto - the blue suits well.

Its crazy how the wheels look smaillish against the body when I bet they're 19/20's.

To the response above about $30k for 5/600bhp the 560bhp VE SS I saw a few weeks back cost $10/11k.

Feasibly you could have a 2008 SSV with 550 bhp, brakes and handling sorted for what. $35k all up. That's pretty bloody good.

That sort of spend would be fine to get you a car to trundle around in with the knowledge that you potentially have upwards of 600bhp under your right foot..it is by no means going to get you a car that has a useable 600bhp though.

$10K is going to get you a supercharger and a tune. It is not going to get you an exhaust system, fuel system, oil cooler, bigger radiator, gearbox cooler or upgraded clutch if you went with a manual. It is not going to get you sorted suspension and decent sized tyres to get the power down and around a corner and it won't get you sorted brakes to slow it down again.

I guarantee that you will only get a couple of full throttle pulls through 3rd gear before the temp gauge climbs off the top of the dial or the intake charge gets so heatsoaked the ecu decides you should limp home...a 600bhp V8 burns a fk ton of fuel and air and gets a bit warm doing it.

[motomk]

TAS1981 said:

Correction...VCM OTR is here! Vrrroooooooooooooooooom! Hope it provides a decent induction roar though I doubt it will do what my K&N Typhoon did for my old MX-5. That was hilarious!

Pictures and the exhaust too?

[TAS1981]

Can't view PB at work so used phone...hopefully it works ok...also could not rev the nuts off it as neigbours would complain so sorry for the light touch on the throttle and the st video!





VID

Edited by TAS1981 on Monday 3rd March 21:07

Edited by TAS1981 on Monday 3rd March 21:10

[motomk]

TAS1981 said:

Can't view PB at work so used phone...hopefully it works ok...also could not rev the nuts off it as neigbours would complain so sorry for the light touch on the throttle and the st video!





VID

Edited by TAS1981 on Monday 3rd March 21:07

Edited by TAS1981 on Monday 3rd March 21:10

Looks and sounds good.

[TAS1981]

So I fitted a VCM OTR at the weekend...no tune, just the intake.

Got to say, I'm a little bit disappointed with the sound and not feeling any difference in the power.

Maybe the power is more pronounced at speed or in the mid range as the flow of air increases but I also thought the sound would be more of a roar than it is....I'll get a tune and I am sure it will pick up some more ponies but got far more pleasure from fitting the catback exahust for noise than the intake. Also having driven my mates highly tuned /cammed ute before he sold it, same car, I think I will leave it there for mods. it won't ever be a race car and I will spend a fortune trying to make it one!

[Bibbs]

Sorry to hear that

Looks like I've got to opportunity to collect a better cam from a friend who's gone SC'ed.

So I'll have a look at finances once he's decided on what he's getting.

[TAS1981]

Well I am not THAT disappointed - just thought it would be throatier than it is. It's the tiniest of distances from outside to manifold now, so not likely to be too noisy. I am sure its very efficient.

I need to get it out on a long run and stretch its legs a bit. Not had a chance yet...

[TAS1981]

Had a quick chat with a bloke called Andrew at OzTrack Tuning and they do a road tune for $550 which is pretty good value in my book. Its $800 for that plus tweaking on the dyno, I don't really need a piece of paper for $250. As long as I can feel it in the butt dyno! Should go from a stock 210-225rwkw to about 245-255rwkw which is good enough for me for now!