Monday 14th November 2016

PH Carpool: Vauxhall Monaro CV8

From watching Holdens at Bathurst to owning the real thing, this PHer is loving the muscle car experience

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Name: Joe Taylor
Car: Vauxhall Monaro CV8
Owned since: August 2014
Previously owned: Lexus IS200, Fiat Punto

Why I bought it:
"Way back in 2003 when I was a teenager, I tuned into the Bathurst 24 Hours to see how British GT champions Rollcentre Racing had got on with their Mosler MT900R. My attention was quickly drawn to the pair of Holden Monaros that dominated the race. A couple of glowing Top Gear reviews later and I decided that one day I would have to own one . A decade later, I was finally in a position to make that happen. 

"Once I started looking, I found that the best cars go quickly, missing out on a couple of good ones that had been on sale for less than 24 hours each time. However, I soon found a less than perfect but still reasonable condition model in the same tune it left the factory. This was important to me as although I'm not adverse to modifications, I wanted to sample the car as Holden designed it first."

What I wish I'd known:
"I knew the cars tended to suffer from a lack of rust proofing, so I made sure that the car I bought had no obvious body rust. What I hadn't realised was that everything else under the floor was equally susceptible to corrosion. Having replaced most of the brake lines and power steering system, the car is now in a reasonable condition."

Things I love:
"The noise of the V8. The torque of the V8. The V8 in general. Pushing the loud pedal pulling onto a fast bit of road just doesn't get old. The standard exhaust is a bit too quiet, so I've had a Wortec replacement fitted. It's loud enough to properly hear the engine, but not so loud that my neighbours will hate me. 

"In terms of driving, the car is at its best on fast A-roads as it flows nicely through larger radius corners. You can enjoy it on a B-road though the car's size, weight and tall gearing can make it bit of a handful. Having said that the torque range of the engine means that it'll pull cleanly out of a slow corner whatever gear you're in. This also makes overtaking quick and easy.

"I'm also a big fan of the cupholders, which Holden borrowed from Saab."

Things I hate:
"I wouldn't say hate, but it does annoy me that the car never seems to be working perfectly. There's always something, even if it's really minor."

Costs:
"A 5.7-litre V8 was never going to be cheap to run, but I can live with 19mpg at 6,000 miles per year. Standard servicing is cheap, but the car is pretty heavy on other maintenance requirements -  pipes corrode and leak, and the car is now at an age where the suspension components are wearing out. Tyres are reasonable at £130 a corner, though for some reason the rears wear much faster than the fronts..."

Where I've been:
"It's my only car, so there has been a lot of commuting through the Midlands and various motorway runs at weekends. I've also done plenty of mileage around the easily reachable country roads in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. 

"Other than that, I hit 139mph over the mile at Thunder Road, finishing an honourable 39th overall and last-placed Holden. This earned me the wooden spoon, although being the least powerful V8 competing by quite some margin, this was to be expected.

"Now that I've refreshed the aging suspension, a few trips to Wales and Yorkshire are in order."

What next?
"Nothing short term, which is a good thing since I can't keep my mind made up for more than five minutes! Maybe a C63 AMG, or perhaps a Cayman. But then if I'm going mid-engined, why not an Elise? Or perhaps I should stick with a V8 and get a Mustang, but then if I'm getting  Ford should I go for a Focus RS? Or maybe I should stick with Holden and get a Ute. Decisions, decisions!"

[big_rob_sydney]

I lived in Oz for around 35 years, and owned a previous version to one of these. Never again.

It seemed like every second time I drove it something would break. Appalling quality control, and the very first version of these which had the gen 3 engines made in Canada used almost as much oil as petrol.

I wouldn't own another one in Oz, where every second mechanic has spares lying around, so there's no chance I'd own one over here. It was funny, but my mechanic actually cried when I sold mine to someone from out of town...

And on a positive note, I'd recommend you buy the C63, as they're a great car, built in a similar vein. You'll get access to spares much more easily, and the quality control would have to be better.

[99t]

Funny, I've had no issues with mine that I wouldn't consider entirely acceptable given its age and rather high mileage.

Certainly no litany of daily niggles. Just lucky I guess?

[ACB85]

Looks lovely, seriously wanting one of these as my next car! Do you think someone who has always bought German but was pleasantly surprised by Ford, would manage ok with the build quality? After my ST I re-evaluated what made me love cars, theatre; boost gauges, great recaro seats and noise over the actual fit and finish of the car....

Compared with other V8s of a similar age they look a great bargain. I've always hankered after S4/RS4 V8s, this just sits better with me. Knowing a fairly simple V8 will work without coking itself up or needing a monster engine out job if anything timing chain related crops up.

[V88Dicky]

Here's my old one, a later VZ version;







I bought it when it was 9 months old and ran it for over nine years, had it properly undersealed early on and it turned out to be extremely reliable. In fact the only thing that went wrong in all that time was a £25 oil pressure sender. Someone out there got a good one, I miss it's old school charm.

And the noise

[anonymous-user]

And here's mine which I've owned from new:





Slightly modified in the engine department but even standard they are great cars that get under your skin. I can heartily recommend.

[J4CKO]

wormus said:

And here's mine which I've owned from new:





Slightly modified in the engine department but even standard they are great cars that get under your skin. I can heartily recommend.

Now I am not a big fan of private registrations but yours is one of the rare ones that I like, and a lovely looking car as well.

[anonymous-user]

J4CKO said:

Now I am not a big fan of private registrations but yours is one of the rare ones that I like, and a lovely looking car as well.

Thanks. I also think they're naff but this always makes me smile and suits the car.

[Mr Tidy]

Great write-up on a lovely car OP!

Definitely on my list of "I'd like one of those one day" cars.

[DCLXIV]

Thanks all, it really is a great car to own, despite the occasional British Leyland build quality. As I mentioned in the article, it never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Incidentally, though I wrote that a couple of months ago, I'm still no closer to deciding on my next car.