Vauxhall Monaro 5.7 | Spotted
What's better than a Monaro? A very nicely modified Monaro, of course
Quite clearly, the modern classic phenomenon isn’t going anywhere. Old cars have always appealed, of course, but with such drastic change sweeping through the industry, the previously inviolable stuff is now being cherished secondhand. Not so long ago we never really banked on losing manual gearboxes, naturally aspirated engines or steering that felt connected to something other than a microprocessor; those that had the foresight surely couldn’t have banked on the change happening quite so fast.
The only problem with a car approaching or going into, say, its third decade is that it won’t be as good as when it was reviewed. Or how you remembered it. Time and mileage will have taken their toll on rubbers, suspension and structural integrity, even if the engine may have loosened up since new. Spending too much on bringing your modern classic back to its best then threatens to jeopardise what might have looked like a bit of a bargain.
The seldom-seen ideal, then, must be a car that’s had some upgrades to keep it feeling fresh - but without so much use that they need renewing. Or with a daft asking price. And that doesn’t tend to happen much, those folk who’ve spent money improving their car are likely to keep hold of it. This Monaro could be the exception, though. It’s never far from the collective PH mind, but recent exposure to a current Ford Mustang brought the fondness back. There isn’t much more entertaining than a big V8, rear-drive, and a handsome coupe body. Muscle cars in the UK might cost £60k rather than the £30k they did at the time of the Monaro, but the appeal really is timeless.
This 5.7-litre Monaro can boast a lot more than the usual attributes, thanks to a raft of performance-focused upgrades. It’s going to sound, steer and stop better than standard, and perhaps even stand up to a track day, while still retaining much of its everyday suitability with four seats - and even a new phone-compatible screen.
There are BC Racing coilovers, as well as polybushes throughout where there used to be rubber, so it’s going to be a lot keener into and out of corners. The brakes have been upgraded as well, with a six-piston front setup and four-piston calipers at the rear - the latter replaced just this year. Lighter wheels sit on tyres also done in 2026, and the V8 thunder is enhanced with a stainless steel exhaust manifold and cat-back. A baffled sump, upgraded Mishimoto radiator and a quick shift point to a car that should really stand up to hard driving. In a manual Monaro, that ought to be a heck of a lot of fun.
And for those with bigger dreams, what a base this car could be for a more dedicated track car build, a full Supercars tribute with weight taken out, seats replaced and so on. The M3s wouldn’t know what was going on. In its current state, the Monaro looks like something that would prove pretty lovely whether saved for Sundays or used on a more regular basis. All being well, the modifications have brought it to life without making the big Vaux too extreme. Moreover, it's only £12k - or about what you’d pay for a 100k-mile Monaro anyway. With the standard wheels included, which could be sold to recoup some cash. Obviously this one isn’t for the collectors or showgoers (though it is turned out pretty nicely); for those who want a 5.7 Monaro to make every drive to the petrol station an event, this has to be it.
SPECIFICATION | VAUXHALL MONARO
Engine: 5,665cc, V8, naturally aspirated
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 333@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 343@4,000rpm
CO2: 360g/km
MPG: 20
Recorded mileage: 98,000
Year registered: 2004
Price new: £28,650
Yours for: £12,690
Here's my Monaro that I bought new in 2004 and still own. As soon as heard that Vauxhall were going to import them from Australia, I knew I was having one. Cool coupe styling, legendary Chevrolet LS1 V8 under the bonnet, 6 speed manual gearbox, very comfortable, fully equipped, fast, and sounds amazing!
Mine has a few mods - engine remap, bigger MAF and intake, headers, full stainless exhaust, uprated LS7 clutch, and AP racing brakes all around. The styling could be considered a little unadventurous, but to me, the stealth look was part of the appeal, if you want bigger wheels quad exhausts bonnet scoops wings and spoilers you could always buy the VXR version.
It's been a great car, I'll never sell it. Here it is fresh from the paint shop after I had some paintwork done for its 22nd birthday
Great drivetrain and loads aof fun, without knocking it the price does seem a tad on the high side for the mileage and the fact it's "just" a Monaro and not the VXR. Should be around 10k but perhaps there's wiggle room.
Sadly it's not just PH, some Yank throbber tried to tell me I was ruining a collectable because I stripped the 'swinger' vinyl stickers off my car and replaced the rear spoiler. They are everywhere 
Black wheels, bleugh!
Polybushes - too stiff on a road car
Exhaust system will make it droney on motorways
No extra power
Possibly also overbraked
The polybushes are however a good thing and won’t make the ride too stiff.
A full coilover kit can be overkill for a road car in some cases but you can select different spring and damper rates if you know what you’re doing.
That car has cold air kit ( a good one ) and a full exhaust, it should have been tuned but the advert doesn’t say. With that in mind that should be a 400+ hp car.
The car isn’t anywhere near being overbraked, OK it has Cadillac brakes which is unusual but in reality they won’t be much different to an AP big brake kit which was available as a factory option from HSV back in the day.
The only thing that puzzles me is the baffled sump and ARP bolts fitted to the connecting rods. I wouldn’t consider those mods necessary unless you were into drag racing.
As for the price that car is cheap, back in Australia that car would be at least double the price.
They are great fun, his has a supercharger on it and a load of other mods to the brakes, suspension, clutch etc, so its 615 bhp so it gets a move on. I think that the standard 5.7 might feel a bit lacking these days and 600 odd is probably a smidge more than you need (though great fun) I always think that an tuned N/A with around 500 bhp might be the sweet spot.
They are nice to drive, steering is good with plenty of feel, the ride is great even on the uprated suspension and people love seeing, well hearing it. Quite docile most of the time, but poke it and you know about it, its not as intimidating as it sounds, I am sure you could get yourself into a lot of trouble but in the dry at least its pretty faithful, more so than my M135i was.
Downsides, gearchange is a bit clunky and it tries to gas you through its sports cats, they can and do rust, though drivetrain parts are easy to get, trim and body panels really aren't, front and rear bumpers in particular.
I very rarely like versions of cars with aggressive body-kits bolted onto them, but in this case I think it needs it. A muscle car with absolutely no aggression to its styling just doesn't seem right.
The killer for me was the gearing. It is so long on the early cars, you'd bog down so hard in the mid range you'll get beaten by a Prius. Once you've changed down two or three gears, the moment has gone.
Great value, though would probably buy one again.
I think gearing is sorted by 05 onwards?
Always fancied a VXR8 but they hold their value a little too well!
The killer for me was the gearing. It is so long on the early cars, you'd bog down so hard in the mid range you'll get beaten by a Prius. Once you've changed down two or three gears, the moment has gone.
Great value, though would probably buy one again.
I think gearing is sorted by 05 onwards?
Always fancied a VXR8 but they hold their value a little too well!
However on my 05 CV8 I replaced the standard diff ratio with a performance version that basically had the same performance effect as a close ratio gearbox.
That particular mod together with a mild power upgrade transformed the car it became a sort of GT / muscle car.
Obviously lots of cars can run rings around a design that in reality dates back to the 1990 s, but I wouldn t swap mine for a modern car that s for sure.
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