a11ym's Vauxhall Monaro VXR LS2
Discussion
OK, here goes – please be gentle, it’s my first time starting a Readers’ Cars discussion 
Inspired by the contributions made by other PHers in sharing the tales of their car ownership, I’m trying to reciprocate by sharing mine. I’ve enjoyed reading other’s stories and very grateful to those who’ve taken the time to provide entertaining reading. No promises that mine will be as exciting as most others (in fact, I can promise it won’t!), but I’ll try my best to make this worth a quick read.
So, where to start?
TL:DR Summary: Man buys V8. Loves it. It’s not financially ruined him (yet).
Without further ado, my 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR:
Before I start on mine, a little background to the Monaro in general. I think most PHers know what they are, but for a brief overview and history Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Monaro#Third_... does a decent job. Built by Holden in Australia, the 1st-generation Monaro appeared in the late-60s followed by the 2nd-gen arriving in the 70s. There was then a 20+ year gap until the early-2000s and the 3rd (and final) generation Monaro appeared in Australia. Someone at Vauxhall evidently took a liking to them and approx. 800 were officially shipped over and sold via UK Vauxhall dealers from 2004-2007.
The UK got 4* main variants:
CV8: 5.7 litre LS1, 329bhp/333ps, 343lbft, big boot, single-sided exhaust, plain bonnet. 240 brought to the UK
VXR: 5.7 litre LS1, 379bhp/382ps, 376lbft, big boot, single-sided exhaust, plain bonnet, bumpers/skirts etc. 62 brought to the UK
CV8 ‘facelift’: 5.7 litre LS1, 349bhp/354ps, 369lbft, small boot, dual-sided exhausts (single pipe each side), bonnet vents. 142 brought to the UK.
VXR ‘facelift’: 6.0 litre LS2, 397bhp/404ps, 390lbft, small boot, dual-sided exhausts, bonnet vents, bumpers/skirts etc. 356 brought to the UK.
(* excluding the VXR500 limited edition which was a facelift VXR with a Harrop supercharger installed onto the LS2 engine by Vauxhall dealer Greens in conjunction with tuners Wortec, producing (as you’ve guessed) 500bhp as standard.)
All UK models were built in 2004 and 2005 although the very last were registered on 07 plates which makes it difficult to determine the variant from date first registered alone.
My Monaro
Mine’s a 2005 ‘small boot’ facelift VXR, the most common variant. So-called ‘small boot’ because GM relocated the fuel tank from underneath to inside the boot to satisfy American crash testing, allowing GM to sell it as the Pontiac GTO in the States. Downside is the boot is comically small in relation to the overall vehicle size. Relocation of fuel tank also made it easier for the dual-sided exhaust on the later models, but due to the number with non-standard exhausts it’s impossible to use exhaust setup as an indication of model. Mine got the 6.0 LS2 rather than the 5.7 LS1 in the other variants, although all are lovely big V8s so it doesn’t really matter, especially as few cars remain standard. As a bonus, being a pre-March 2006 car mine benefits from the lower VED compared to the later registered cars.
So, why did I buy a Monaro?
My previous car was a 2012 R56 MINI Cooper S. Yep, really. Obviously very similar to the Monaro… So why swap into something so different? Basically, three reasons: 1) why not; 2) I'd always wanted a 'proper' V8; and 3) I needed a bigger car for my growing family. Obviously, a Monaro was the only answer.
Not entirely sure how Monaros first appeared on my radar. Haven't seen the oft-mentioned Top Gear clips so it wasn't that, so was probably evo's longtermer Monaros in 2005/06 that got my attention: proper engine, unusual, and realistically attainable for me - although still beyond my reach at that time.
My days of 2-seaters had ended when kids arrived 7 years ago, and options for a v8-engined, family-friendly car I could use as a daily/family car were limited. Nothing within budget appealed at the time, so I sensibly bought an e90 330i for family duties but only after considering several V8s during my search. The 330i went after a few years as family life left no opportunity to enjoy it for fun (I get my thrills elsewhere on a mountainbike). I accepted my temporary fate and used our campervan as my sole vehicle.
Sensible dad car - too boring:
...and drove this instead - at least it was interesting!
After another couple of years I'd had enough of that and bought the aforementioned MINI in 2016 as a cheap way back into a fun car. But I still longed for a V8.
This is what my Monaro replaced:
Fast-forward to mid-2018 and my 'hand was forced' by my kids outgrowing the MINI. I considered bigger, sensible replacements - the sort of thing a sensible(ish) dad with a nod towards driving enjoyment typically drives. Looked at everything from an M135i or Golf GTI to more random things like a mk1 Focus RS (really enjoyed it on a test drive). But I still needed to scratch my V8 itch. Life's too short to drive a boring car! How many more times was I going to let the chance pass me by, especially with the way the future's looking for cars like this? Brave pill swallowed (a whole tub of them), big boy pants pulled on, and I started looking.
I thought about other 4-seat V8s – mainly Audi S4 and S5s – but the potential bork factor scared me! I’m not hugely hands-on with the mechanical bits, so anything simple, i.e. with less to go wrong, appealed more. Plus folk say a simple car suits a simple owner
. Hopefully I’ve made a low-risk choice with my Monaro.
November 2018: The Search
After several months of researching, thinking, and finally doing the man maths, I spotted a Monaro that appealed and made contact. It wasn’t perfect: age-related stone chips at the front and some scratches above the front number plate, but mechanically great. Pre-sale inspection highlighted surface rust on the underside but chassis legs, etc all good. Exhaust tips in a very sorry state. But overall a great place to start from. Things escalated quickly and a deal was provisionally struck to part-ex the MINI. This was new territory for me (buying from a dealer) having bought and sold almost all my previous cars privately. Car wasn’t known to any of the Monaro groups I’d joined but I was comfortable judging by the information and photos from the seller. Worried that as soon as I saw the car I’d become incapable of rational thought, I arranged an independent inspection of the car which reported nothing untoward. Especially helpful with it being a 3.5hr journey from home.
December 2018: "What the hell is that?"
^ That was my dad's response when I rolled up to collect the kids after collecting my Monaro
Collection day involved a 3hr+ drive south from Stirling(ish) to County Durham to view and collect. Took the scenic route via the A68 through the Borders rather than the more obvious A1 or M74 options. MINI 34.0mpg on the way there; Monaro 26.6mpg on the way back – I’m not doing it right. To be fair conditions were soaking wet, close to freezing, and foggy, and the next most powerful car I’ve driven before this was my 258bhp 330i so I wasn’t exactly pushing on. Lots of unplanned wiper action too – I’m sure I’ll get used to the column stalks being the opposite way round (not driven anything similar with them this way round before).
Collection day:
All great. 5 days later I parked it up for an extended holiday in (ironically the Monaro’s home country) Australia with family, and didn’t see it again until after Christmas…
January 2019: Honeymoon Period
Back home after leaving my new-to-me Monaro parked on the drive for almost 4 weeks during a Scottish winter. Parked outside rather than garaged as we’d sold our nice, modern house with heated garage, and were waiting on entry to our ‘new’ 140+ year old doer-upper. Moving house is obviously also the perfect time to swap a modern turn-key-and-drive car for an older, potentially temperamental big V8… Anyway, ye of little faith it started no problem – why wouldn’t it?!
Jan 2019 - temporary home between house purchases (no garage
)
Very little happened for the next few weeks as we finally got the keys and moved house late-January during which the Monaro was sidelined. The only addition I made during this time was blind spot mirrors on my rear view mirrors. These mirrors always scream out ‘driving school car’ or ‘scary driver’ when I see them on another vehicle, but the Monaro’s mirrors are truly shocking: tiny and the magnification effect of the lenses gives a very poor view behind you. Mine are angled downwards for a view of the rear wheels for reverse-parking though, not as a substitute for over-the-shoulder checking when manoeuvring.
February 2019: Rust…
Of course I couldn’t switch off from thoughts about the car (“I own a V8 woooohooooo!!!!”) while getting settled in our new home. I’d put enough aside to reasonably ensure any nasty surprises could be covered, and also to cover the first job I deemed essential: underseal. It seems GM didn’t tick the ‘underseal’ box on the options list when importing Monaros, and as a result they can be incredibly rusty underneath. Mine had a good amount of surface rust but thankfully known potential problem areas such as the chassis legs were fine. As I planned to use mine in all conditions, I settled on full antirust treatment and Dinitrol application from a localish company (Preserve & Protect) with a good rep on the Scottish PH sub-forum. It took a few days and came back looking a lot better underneath.
I've heard of safe driving but this is ridiculous...
Before:
After:
Around this time it also developed a knock from the front suspension. Easily sorted with new top mounts and bearings, the originals being a known weak point, so I went for heavier duty Pedders replacements.
Old top mounts sitting proud due to knackered rubber:
OK, I think I’ve written more than enough for now. Life settled down in the new house and I got on with enjoying my Monaro. I’ll continue this later but feel free to ask anything you want about the car and I’ll answer what I can.
-a11ym
Inspired by the contributions made by other PHers in sharing the tales of their car ownership, I’m trying to reciprocate by sharing mine. I’ve enjoyed reading other’s stories and very grateful to those who’ve taken the time to provide entertaining reading. No promises that mine will be as exciting as most others (in fact, I can promise it won’t!), but I’ll try my best to make this worth a quick read.
So, where to start?
TL:DR Summary: Man buys V8. Loves it. It’s not financially ruined him (yet).
Without further ado, my 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR:
Before I start on mine, a little background to the Monaro in general. I think most PHers know what they are, but for a brief overview and history Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Monaro#Third_... does a decent job. Built by Holden in Australia, the 1st-generation Monaro appeared in the late-60s followed by the 2nd-gen arriving in the 70s. There was then a 20+ year gap until the early-2000s and the 3rd (and final) generation Monaro appeared in Australia. Someone at Vauxhall evidently took a liking to them and approx. 800 were officially shipped over and sold via UK Vauxhall dealers from 2004-2007.
The UK got 4* main variants:
CV8: 5.7 litre LS1, 329bhp/333ps, 343lbft, big boot, single-sided exhaust, plain bonnet. 240 brought to the UK
VXR: 5.7 litre LS1, 379bhp/382ps, 376lbft, big boot, single-sided exhaust, plain bonnet, bumpers/skirts etc. 62 brought to the UK
CV8 ‘facelift’: 5.7 litre LS1, 349bhp/354ps, 369lbft, small boot, dual-sided exhausts (single pipe each side), bonnet vents. 142 brought to the UK.
VXR ‘facelift’: 6.0 litre LS2, 397bhp/404ps, 390lbft, small boot, dual-sided exhausts, bonnet vents, bumpers/skirts etc. 356 brought to the UK.
(* excluding the VXR500 limited edition which was a facelift VXR with a Harrop supercharger installed onto the LS2 engine by Vauxhall dealer Greens in conjunction with tuners Wortec, producing (as you’ve guessed) 500bhp as standard.)
All UK models were built in 2004 and 2005 although the very last were registered on 07 plates which makes it difficult to determine the variant from date first registered alone.
My Monaro
Mine’s a 2005 ‘small boot’ facelift VXR, the most common variant. So-called ‘small boot’ because GM relocated the fuel tank from underneath to inside the boot to satisfy American crash testing, allowing GM to sell it as the Pontiac GTO in the States. Downside is the boot is comically small in relation to the overall vehicle size. Relocation of fuel tank also made it easier for the dual-sided exhaust on the later models, but due to the number with non-standard exhausts it’s impossible to use exhaust setup as an indication of model. Mine got the 6.0 LS2 rather than the 5.7 LS1 in the other variants, although all are lovely big V8s so it doesn’t really matter, especially as few cars remain standard. As a bonus, being a pre-March 2006 car mine benefits from the lower VED compared to the later registered cars.
So, why did I buy a Monaro?
My previous car was a 2012 R56 MINI Cooper S. Yep, really. Obviously very similar to the Monaro… So why swap into something so different? Basically, three reasons: 1) why not; 2) I'd always wanted a 'proper' V8; and 3) I needed a bigger car for my growing family. Obviously, a Monaro was the only answer.
Not entirely sure how Monaros first appeared on my radar. Haven't seen the oft-mentioned Top Gear clips so it wasn't that, so was probably evo's longtermer Monaros in 2005/06 that got my attention: proper engine, unusual, and realistically attainable for me - although still beyond my reach at that time.
My days of 2-seaters had ended when kids arrived 7 years ago, and options for a v8-engined, family-friendly car I could use as a daily/family car were limited. Nothing within budget appealed at the time, so I sensibly bought an e90 330i for family duties but only after considering several V8s during my search. The 330i went after a few years as family life left no opportunity to enjoy it for fun (I get my thrills elsewhere on a mountainbike). I accepted my temporary fate and used our campervan as my sole vehicle.
Sensible dad car - too boring:
...and drove this instead - at least it was interesting!
After another couple of years I'd had enough of that and bought the aforementioned MINI in 2016 as a cheap way back into a fun car. But I still longed for a V8.
This is what my Monaro replaced:
Fast-forward to mid-2018 and my 'hand was forced' by my kids outgrowing the MINI. I considered bigger, sensible replacements - the sort of thing a sensible(ish) dad with a nod towards driving enjoyment typically drives. Looked at everything from an M135i or Golf GTI to more random things like a mk1 Focus RS (really enjoyed it on a test drive). But I still needed to scratch my V8 itch. Life's too short to drive a boring car! How many more times was I going to let the chance pass me by, especially with the way the future's looking for cars like this? Brave pill swallowed (a whole tub of them), big boy pants pulled on, and I started looking.
I thought about other 4-seat V8s – mainly Audi S4 and S5s – but the potential bork factor scared me! I’m not hugely hands-on with the mechanical bits, so anything simple, i.e. with less to go wrong, appealed more. Plus folk say a simple car suits a simple owner
. Hopefully I’ve made a low-risk choice with my Monaro.November 2018: The Search
After several months of researching, thinking, and finally doing the man maths, I spotted a Monaro that appealed and made contact. It wasn’t perfect: age-related stone chips at the front and some scratches above the front number plate, but mechanically great. Pre-sale inspection highlighted surface rust on the underside but chassis legs, etc all good. Exhaust tips in a very sorry state. But overall a great place to start from. Things escalated quickly and a deal was provisionally struck to part-ex the MINI. This was new territory for me (buying from a dealer) having bought and sold almost all my previous cars privately. Car wasn’t known to any of the Monaro groups I’d joined but I was comfortable judging by the information and photos from the seller. Worried that as soon as I saw the car I’d become incapable of rational thought, I arranged an independent inspection of the car which reported nothing untoward. Especially helpful with it being a 3.5hr journey from home.
December 2018: "What the hell is that?"
^ That was my dad's response when I rolled up to collect the kids after collecting my Monaro
Collection day involved a 3hr+ drive south from Stirling(ish) to County Durham to view and collect. Took the scenic route via the A68 through the Borders rather than the more obvious A1 or M74 options. MINI 34.0mpg on the way there; Monaro 26.6mpg on the way back – I’m not doing it right. To be fair conditions were soaking wet, close to freezing, and foggy, and the next most powerful car I’ve driven before this was my 258bhp 330i so I wasn’t exactly pushing on. Lots of unplanned wiper action too – I’m sure I’ll get used to the column stalks being the opposite way round (not driven anything similar with them this way round before).
Collection day:
All great. 5 days later I parked it up for an extended holiday in (ironically the Monaro’s home country) Australia with family, and didn’t see it again until after Christmas…
January 2019: Honeymoon Period
Back home after leaving my new-to-me Monaro parked on the drive for almost 4 weeks during a Scottish winter. Parked outside rather than garaged as we’d sold our nice, modern house with heated garage, and were waiting on entry to our ‘new’ 140+ year old doer-upper. Moving house is obviously also the perfect time to swap a modern turn-key-and-drive car for an older, potentially temperamental big V8… Anyway, ye of little faith it started no problem – why wouldn’t it?!
Jan 2019 - temporary home between house purchases (no garage
)Very little happened for the next few weeks as we finally got the keys and moved house late-January during which the Monaro was sidelined. The only addition I made during this time was blind spot mirrors on my rear view mirrors. These mirrors always scream out ‘driving school car’ or ‘scary driver’ when I see them on another vehicle, but the Monaro’s mirrors are truly shocking: tiny and the magnification effect of the lenses gives a very poor view behind you. Mine are angled downwards for a view of the rear wheels for reverse-parking though, not as a substitute for over-the-shoulder checking when manoeuvring.
February 2019: Rust…
Of course I couldn’t switch off from thoughts about the car (“I own a V8 woooohooooo!!!!”) while getting settled in our new home. I’d put enough aside to reasonably ensure any nasty surprises could be covered, and also to cover the first job I deemed essential: underseal. It seems GM didn’t tick the ‘underseal’ box on the options list when importing Monaros, and as a result they can be incredibly rusty underneath. Mine had a good amount of surface rust but thankfully known potential problem areas such as the chassis legs were fine. As I planned to use mine in all conditions, I settled on full antirust treatment and Dinitrol application from a localish company (Preserve & Protect) with a good rep on the Scottish PH sub-forum. It took a few days and came back looking a lot better underneath.
I've heard of safe driving but this is ridiculous...
Before:
After:
Around this time it also developed a knock from the front suspension. Easily sorted with new top mounts and bearings, the originals being a known weak point, so I went for heavier duty Pedders replacements.
Old top mounts sitting proud due to knackered rubber:
OK, I think I’ve written more than enough for now. Life settled down in the new house and I got on with enjoying my Monaro. I’ll continue this later but feel free to ask anything you want about the car and I’ll answer what I can.
-a11ym
RenPug said:
Love it. I really miss my Monaro, didn't want to sell it but needs must at the time. Still keep looking in the classifieds regularly for another. Hope you enjoy it.
Oh I'm enjoying it for sure. Unless circumstances at work change, I can't see any reason for me to sell in the foreseeable.Macron said:
Excellent write up!
Thanks MattyB_ said:
Awesome, I loved my VXR8 with the same engine. It was everything a car shouldn't be - large, noisy, thirsty and with a stupidly large engine.
You'll never get tired of repeating to people how big the engine is. 6 litres? Six?? Yes, 6!
Yeah, even muggles (non-car people) at work have raised an eyebrow when I reply when queried about engine size. I enjoy it You'll never get tired of repeating to people how big the engine is. 6 litres? Six?? Yes, 6!
neutral 3 said:
An acquaintance had one. We put it up on the ramp a few years back and it too was really starting to rot, so an underside inspection and Waxoyl etc is essential on these.
Agree - absolutely essential. Mine'll be used throughout Scottish winters so needs as much protection as possible. Place that did my Dinitrol offer free yearly checks and will top it up if necessary. Cliff J said:
Beautiful, it’s a car I’d always wanted, especially after going to Australia in 2012 and hearing all the V8 Holdens out there.
I’m not sure I would buy one now, I have a BMW 4.4L V8 E64, it’s also loud, thirsty, expensive, heavy, all that, but has quenched my desire for now.
A Holden Ute... now that might be a different proposition
I can only see your Monaro appreciating in price now, I could be wrong but they’re relatively rare still.
Coincidentally e60 545i/550i's were one I looked at before I bought my e90 330i. And yes, I used the 'less depreciation will offset the running costs' approach in justifying the Monaro I’m not sure I would buy one now, I have a BMW 4.4L V8 E64, it’s also loud, thirsty, expensive, heavy, all that, but has quenched my desire for now.
A Holden Ute... now that might be a different proposition
I can only see your Monaro appreciating in price now, I could be wrong but they’re relatively rare still.
Veeayt said:
Great car, love it. I wish you all the best with it, but something tells me it isn't what SWMBO expects as a family car
Mrs a11y_m knows me well enough by now. Her dad's still won't speak to me about the Monaro though as he didn't (and still doesn't) approve. Of the Monaro that is. Not me. Well, maybe could be both...haggishunter said:
Looking good Ally. Saw it a couple of months ago.
Thanks . It’s Alan, used to have the flying yellow banana (Ibiza Cupra), isn’t it?Mr Tidy said:
Fantastic choice of car for family transport, and a great write-up. 
Cheers. It’s got 4 seats and (looks like it has) a big boot – perfect for family (it's a topic I'll cover in a future update: living with a Monaro as a family car)marksx said:
Cracking thread, cracking car. I've had 3. Been bitten badly by the last two, bit I'd still have another if finances allowed.
Oh dear, doesn’t sound like good/reliable experiences Ph1listine said:
Was so tempted by one of these, great purchase and this is the definition of depreciation-proof! Bet it's easy to get sideways as well?
Sideways? I wouldn’t know…. 
SlowStig said:
Monaro looks awesome, wish I had got one myself when they were still cheap(ish)...
Values were lower a few years back and I regret not buying one then, hopefully they’ll continue to rise although I’m happily hoping they’ll at least suffer little or no depreciation. In fact, I’m relying on it not depreciating too much so I can justify the running costs SlowStig said:
I nearly had a stroke when I saw your E90 though, I had a white 330d which went off to its next owner up in central Scotland!
Ha, definitely not the same one! I was perhaps a bit harsh in my comments about my 330i: it was fantastic for what I needed at the time: manual, nice toys, practical, reliable (barring the DSC ECU failing on the way home from hospital with my firstborn…) and – after I’d added the M Performance exhaust – sounded great. Bought it from a BCA 50 miles from home and only had one key. By lucky coincidence the previous registered owner lived only 2 miles from me. Dropped by the address, knocked on door, I see woman in hallway ending a phone call to answer the door. Gives me a strange look: “that’s my ex-husband’s old car, I’m just off the phone to him – do you want a word?” She called him back, handed the phone over and I had a good chat about the car. He’d never got around to changing registered address despite separating years previously and moving to Aberdeen 150 miles away. Even better, he’d dropped the 2nd key into the Aberdeen BMW dealer where he’d traded it in a few weeks previous (and who’d subsequently sent it to auction). Called the dealer and they posted the key out to me. Result.AndrewGP said:
Brilliant write up and a superb car, truly a dying breed now. Great job on getting the under seal done too!
Looking forward to more updates
Thanks. The dying breed aspect was one of the things that helped me finally take action and buy one: we’ll not see their like again. And yes, underseal. The temptation to spend the money immediately on an exhaust was strong, but I managed to resist and did the sensible thing first. The folks at Preserve & Protect in Johnstone did a brilliant job of it.Looking forward to more updates
haggishunter said:
Guilty as charged Ally. I do miss all the runs and shenanigans!
I still recall a snowy drive to the Green Welly and back in my new-to-me Z4 with zero RWD experience. And a separate time being forever grateful for a few passenger laps with you at after I’d stood out in the cold & wet for far too long. Happy days.spreadsheet monkey said:
Do you still have the VW van in your household as well?
I wish we did . Sold a few years ago – it was too small to work as a campervan for us with 2 x kiddies. Gutted. We’d owned it almost 10 years and taken it from a bare panel van to a full campervan, built to our spec. If you’re interested (and if PH allows pimping other sources) I’ve got a start-to-finish thread here: https://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/threads/ally-jos-t5-ca... Replaced it with a very non-PHy caravan…Fishy Dave said:
Fantastic car, thanks for sharing. I looked repeatedly at these for years before choosing a Corvette with LS2. I should have taken one for a test drive at least. It was only the weight that put me off, suspecting they would be pretty heavy on consumables on track?
Weight’s around 1650-1700kg according to source, so I think your suspicions are right! As standard fairly softly sprung and not a natural track car, but imagine it’d be a (expensive) laugh. Brakes on my VXR are NOT cheap, and that’s enough to put me off track use. MedwayMonaro said:
I've had my 2 kids in the back of mine with their oversized seats, once is 10 months and the other is 3, so it can be done. It took some effort to find a suitable rear facing child seat as the seat belts are quite short, but I'm sure the later small boot cars have ISOFIX points. Mine is a big boot VXR so no ISOFIX.
I should know about ISOFIX but genuinely can’t remember! I installed the kid’s seats when I collected my Monaro and haven’t had them out since. I use very slim/non-bulky Britax seats, non-ISOFIX, that I used in the MINI – they gained the kids a good bit of room being as slim as they are, not really an issue in the Monaro.
UPDATE 2
February 2019: Exceedingly practical
On my first post I finished up in mid-Feb 2019 with my (yes, all mine!) Monaro fully undersealed and in regular use. I’ll touch more on living with it as a daily driver in a separate update but first I’ll mention how my Monaro fits with the other big love in my life: mountain-biking (sorry Mrs a11y_m).
I’m sure some PHers will be horrified with the following photo but I’ve said before, I always planned to use my Monaro in all conditions: a garage queen or weekend toy mine will never be. We’ve got a van for bike carrying duties but its nice to be able to use the Monaro occasionally and enjoy the drive on the way to a ride, especially as I’m often in the Scottish Highlands or Borders. Although Thule roofbars are readily available, they’re not cheap or particularly quick to fit, and I didn’t want the hassle of taking them on and off all the time. I’d had roofbars permanently on my MINI but it would’ve been wrong doing the same to a Monaro. So a suction rack it was then…
I’m a sucker for you:
N+1 rule is a GREAT rule (if you know, you know):
Close up:
I admit I was VERY apprehensive using it for the first time, however after a few uses I got over the fact there’s no mechanical connection between the carrier and the car. I still avoid hard cornering/direction changes with the bike onboard, where possible. Extra bonuses are this rack will fit pretty much any vehicle with a solid roof, and its small enough to stash in the ‘small boot’ so it’s always there.
I’ve had some interesting reactions from other MTBers rocking up in the Monaro for sure. Mild abuse/banter from my more eco-minded cycling buddies though who don’t appreciate my efforts towards global warming, but I’m comfortable with other efforts I make so I’m going to enjoy the V8 while I can
February 2019: Exceedingly practical
On my first post I finished up in mid-Feb 2019 with my (yes, all mine!) Monaro fully undersealed and in regular use. I’ll touch more on living with it as a daily driver in a separate update but first I’ll mention how my Monaro fits with the other big love in my life: mountain-biking (sorry Mrs a11y_m).
I’m sure some PHers will be horrified with the following photo but I’ve said before, I always planned to use my Monaro in all conditions: a garage queen or weekend toy mine will never be. We’ve got a van for bike carrying duties but its nice to be able to use the Monaro occasionally and enjoy the drive on the way to a ride, especially as I’m often in the Scottish Highlands or Borders. Although Thule roofbars are readily available, they’re not cheap or particularly quick to fit, and I didn’t want the hassle of taking them on and off all the time. I’d had roofbars permanently on my MINI but it would’ve been wrong doing the same to a Monaro. So a suction rack it was then…
I’m a sucker for you:
N+1 rule is a GREAT rule (if you know, you know):
Close up:
I admit I was VERY apprehensive using it for the first time, however after a few uses I got over the fact there’s no mechanical connection between the carrier and the car. I still avoid hard cornering/direction changes with the bike onboard, where possible. Extra bonuses are this rack will fit pretty much any vehicle with a solid roof, and its small enough to stash in the ‘small boot’ so it’s always there.
I’ve had some interesting reactions from other MTBers rocking up in the Monaro for sure. Mild abuse/banter from my more eco-minded cycling buddies though who don’t appreciate my efforts towards global warming, but I’m comfortable with other efforts I make so I’m going to enjoy the V8 while I can
marksx said:
Monaro and a mountain bike. Perfect.
Indeed haggishunter said:
I think we made it most of the way to Glencoe in a blizzard before the sensible head reappeared.
I recall that miserable day at Knockhill! Were you not out taking photos too? I’m planning on some more track time in my new (old) motor next year.
It be interested to hear your thoughts and costs of the under sealing process, I’m rather interested.
Pics from that PH run to Tyndrum/Glencoe: https://www.flickr.com/gp/a11y_m/2z50o0I recall that miserable day at Knockhill! Were you not out taking photos too? I’m planning on some more track time in my new (old) motor next year.
It be interested to hear your thoughts and costs of the under sealing process, I’m rather interested.
Pics from that rainy KH, inc a few of you Alan: https://www.flickr.com/gp/a11y_m/7N92g0
And I’ll add a proper write up of the undersealing I went for very shortly. I’ll also be at the TT breakfast meet at Larkhall on 29th Dec, happy to chat/show you the underside then perhaps!
Mr Tidy said:
Some great photos there OP.
It's always good to see a car like yours being used properly rather than tucked away as a garage queen!
Thanks! It's always good to see a car like yours being used properly rather than tucked away as a garage queen!
RazerSauber said:
That's a brilliant bike rack, where did you get it?
SeaSucker is the posh brand (£250ish for a single-bike rack) who pioneered the idea for car use I think. I heard good things about copycat/ripoff RockBros racks on STW forum @ ~£65 – no complaints from me: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rockbros-Universal-Car-...Rensko said:
Useless fact - ISOFIX wasn't 'legal' in Australia until 2014. Much of the local product (Commodore, Falcon etc) did not come with the mounting points as they never met our strict design/safety standards. Using an ISOFIX seat prior to 2014 was a big no no - they could not be purchased or used in Australia legally!
That's a strange one - I think common thought has always been that Australia was ahead in terms of car seat safety. We visited Sydney/Brisbane in Dec 2018 and our (at the time) 6yr old was less than impressed at being back into 5-point harness - having being used to a normal seatbelt in the UK. Seem to recall anchor straps over the top of the backrest and into the boot too?UPDATE 3
February 2019: Underseal – more info
Thought it’d be helpful to expand on my previous comments about undersealing my Monaro. As mentioned, Monaros like to rust when they’re in the UK:
Before:
Not pretty. That’s what 14 years and 56k miles of use by the previous owner (based in north of England, I believe) does to the underside of a ‘factory undersealed’ Monaro.
I’d decided even before buying a Monaro that rust treatment and underseal would be top of my list. Seems crazy having to do this to relatively new vehicles but hearing other Monaro owner’s stories was enough to convince me this would be the first thing I’d have done. After a good bit of research and finding the pros and cons of different approaches, I decided on Dinitrol. Not many choices in Scotland but luckily a well regarded company was <50 miles from me. Coincidentally in the same town I grew up in and <1/2 mile from my childhood home. Preserve & Protect in Johnstone: https://preserveprotect.co.uk/portfolio/vauxhall-m... (I’ve no connection to them). Their Facebook history showed a good variety from valuable classics to new MX5s and Dacias(!), and recommendations from fellow Scottish PH users provided reassurance.
Their process is (quoting them here, and as per Dinitrol guide lines):
- Wheels come off (including spare wheel).
- Removal of all arch liners and any underbody guards.
- All flaking rust will be removed, various methods are used dependant on overall condition.
- Steam Clean the full underside/arches of Vehicle using a degreaser to remove any dirt, grease and salt.
- Once dry and we have a clean surface to work with, Treat any rust with Rust Convertor (leave to cure overnight).
- Injection of Cavities with Cavity Wax, all doors treated as part of the process.
- Treat the full underside of vehicle with Underbody Wax (Clear, Grey, Brown or Black finish).
They typically need the vehicle for 2-3 days. I took it through for an inspection, confirmed the price (ballpark cost known beforehand, subject to the inspection), and left them to it. Was ready for collection 4 days later but logistics/life meant I left it with them a full week. They also masked off parts such as the brakes and the exhaust to prevent any smell issues from overspray etc. Really good attention to detail and Mark and Sam were lovely folks to deal with too. Kept me updated daily with heaps of photos via WhatsApp - really, really good customer care.
This was the end result on mine, with the black finish:
No complaints at all. I’ll return at the 12-month point for a free ‘health check’ where they’ll top up anything as necessary, e.g. if anything’s been disturbed through work on the car, speed hump scrapes to the underside etc.
Obviously it would’ve been better if the car had been undersealed from new, but I’m happy I’ve done the best I can at this stage to slow further onset of rust. Money well spent in my opinion
February 2019: Underseal – more info
Thought it’d be helpful to expand on my previous comments about undersealing my Monaro. As mentioned, Monaros like to rust when they’re in the UK:
Before:
Not pretty. That’s what 14 years and 56k miles of use by the previous owner (based in north of England, I believe) does to the underside of a ‘factory undersealed’ Monaro.
I’d decided even before buying a Monaro that rust treatment and underseal would be top of my list. Seems crazy having to do this to relatively new vehicles but hearing other Monaro owner’s stories was enough to convince me this would be the first thing I’d have done. After a good bit of research and finding the pros and cons of different approaches, I decided on Dinitrol. Not many choices in Scotland but luckily a well regarded company was <50 miles from me. Coincidentally in the same town I grew up in and <1/2 mile from my childhood home. Preserve & Protect in Johnstone: https://preserveprotect.co.uk/portfolio/vauxhall-m... (I’ve no connection to them). Their Facebook history showed a good variety from valuable classics to new MX5s and Dacias(!), and recommendations from fellow Scottish PH users provided reassurance.
Their process is (quoting them here, and as per Dinitrol guide lines):
- Wheels come off (including spare wheel).
- Removal of all arch liners and any underbody guards.
- All flaking rust will be removed, various methods are used dependant on overall condition.
- Steam Clean the full underside/arches of Vehicle using a degreaser to remove any dirt, grease and salt.
- Once dry and we have a clean surface to work with, Treat any rust with Rust Convertor (leave to cure overnight).
- Injection of Cavities with Cavity Wax, all doors treated as part of the process.
- Treat the full underside of vehicle with Underbody Wax (Clear, Grey, Brown or Black finish).
They typically need the vehicle for 2-3 days. I took it through for an inspection, confirmed the price (ballpark cost known beforehand, subject to the inspection), and left them to it. Was ready for collection 4 days later but logistics/life meant I left it with them a full week. They also masked off parts such as the brakes and the exhaust to prevent any smell issues from overspray etc. Really good attention to detail and Mark and Sam were lovely folks to deal with too. Kept me updated daily with heaps of photos via WhatsApp - really, really good customer care.
This was the end result on mine, with the black finish:
No complaints at all. I’ll return at the 12-month point for a free ‘health check’ where they’ll top up anything as necessary, e.g. if anything’s been disturbed through work on the car, speed hump scrapes to the underside etc.
Obviously it would’ve been better if the car had been undersealed from new, but I’m happy I’ve done the best I can at this stage to slow further onset of rust. Money well spent in my opinion
Mr Tidy said:
I finally found the photo I was looking for - back in June after a local Classic Car meet this turned up with 3 bikes on the roof, but sadly I didn't get a photo while they were still on it.
But they just took the bikes off, got into the Lycra then went off for a ride and left the car in the car park (as you would)!
Wow, even I'd not be brave enough to stick a bike carrier on that - gorgeous car.But they just took the bikes off, got into the Lycra then went off for a ride and left the car in the car park (as you would)!
daniel-5zjw7 said:
great thread and great car! your situation really resonates with me as a man with family and despite being a proper petrolhead most of the time goes down the cautious sensible route. I've recently done the same as you and for once acted with near reckless abandon in purchasing a big manual v8 as my daily
Thanks. Your choice for family-friendly daily makes my Monaro positively sensible - good effort! I perhaps gave up my 2-seater too soon when my first kid arrived, but at the time figured a semi-sensible 330i was a good compromise we could use for the whole family rather than decamp into the wife's car. But now with 2 x mini-a11y_m's, a 4-seater is essential. Have you got a thread about your C5?daniel-5zjw7 said:
I know I'll remember this car above everything else when cars go to the wall and I'm driving a hairdryer.
THIS. Most definitely this. I hate the term but in this occasion it's true: YOLO. Chances of me getting to own a similar car in future are slim, so make the most of what we can, while we can marksx said:
The undersealing looks a good job. So long as it's a good base with any rust removed or treated you're sorted for a good few years there.
Fingers crossed. Did as much homework on the company before I took the plunge, so I'm confident they've done a fairly decent job before they applied the underseal.daniel-5zjw7 said:
Yea with two kids you would have had to go 4 seater sooner or later anyway!
...
A few mods such as bonnet, intake and exhaust. Do you have any plans for upgrading the monaro at all?
I would’ve loved to keep my Z4 for longer, partly for the open air aspect (and hence am jealous of your Corvette!). Thought very briefly about a 4-seat convertible but there’s nothing at all that appeals to be in that genre. Open-tops have to be 2-seaters to me. Plans? Ooooh I’ll come to that in updates, but nothing too serious – kids and house (and mountain-bikes…) swallow up most of my £££ as it is without the running costs of the Monaro!...
A few mods such as bonnet, intake and exhaust. Do you have any plans for upgrading the monaro at all?
molineux1980 said:
I have to settle with a Swift Sport and MTB combo. Still fun though :-)
That’s not a bad combo. Swift is one that passed me by but always hear good things about them.UPDATE 4
March 2019: Winter Rubber
I’m up north and winter can be quite nasty – not Ned Stark/white walkers nasty but certainly more severe than most of the UK.
I’m a big believer in winter tyres and was keen to get some for the Monaro. I appreciate they don’t make sense for everyone so I won’t get all evangelical about them, but they make sense for me and I’ve had them on all cars for the past 15 years or so. Unfortunately buying my Monaro at the start of winter 2018/19 left me no time to sort some out before the snow hit during Feb/March. But I struggled through and to be far the Monaro handled it well. Remember Pirelli’s marketing slogan? “Power is nothing without control”… well, I had the power at least
[Elsa]Let it Snow[/Elsa]
I wasn’t really looking and planned to wait and pick up some over the summer months, but then a set of 18” wheels from an early CV8 appeared on eBay at a good price. OEM wheels rarely appear for sale with there being so few Monaros around so I couldn’t ignore these. The seller of the wheels had an interesting ‘Monaro’: a 1961 Vauxhall PA Cresta body on a Monaro chassis and running gear – these conversions are his living (PM Customs, although I can’t find them online now) and the modern Monaro wheels didn’t suit, so he’d replaced them with something more suitable: https://i.imgur.com/Kv9HmMF.png
Trial fit to check they fit over the VXR’s slightly larger brakes:
For tyres, rather than full winters I decided on Michelin CrossClimate+ all-seasons. I’d been impressed with all-seasons on our van and Mrs a11y_m’s previous car, so decided they were a fair compromise for all-round winter use especially as I don’t plan to use the Monaro in the snow unless I really have to. All-seasons out-perform full winters in non-snow conditions without giving away too much in the few times I’ll encounter snow. Also, although it didn’t play a part in my decision, the Monaro handbook states winter tyres can’t be used but doesn’t say why – perhaps being Australian it just doesn’t ‘do’ snow?! I’m happy with 1” smaller wheels giving more sidewall protection for the alloys against winter potholes etc too, although I expect being smaller will limit my options if I wanted to upgrade the brakes in future. By the time I’d got sorted with powdercoating and getting the tyres mounted winter was over, so I stored them away before finally fitting them in November 2019.
Is anyone wheely getting bored of these dad-joke captions yet?
And jumping ahead and completely ignoring the chronological order I was planning to add these updates in – here’s how they look on the car after I fitted them at the end of November 2019. I’m very happy with them:
March 2019: Winter Rubber
I’m up north and winter can be quite nasty – not Ned Stark/white walkers nasty but certainly more severe than most of the UK.
I’m a big believer in winter tyres and was keen to get some for the Monaro. I appreciate they don’t make sense for everyone so I won’t get all evangelical about them, but they make sense for me and I’ve had them on all cars for the past 15 years or so. Unfortunately buying my Monaro at the start of winter 2018/19 left me no time to sort some out before the snow hit during Feb/March. But I struggled through and to be far the Monaro handled it well. Remember Pirelli’s marketing slogan? “Power is nothing without control”… well, I had the power at least
[Elsa]Let it Snow[/Elsa]
I wasn’t really looking and planned to wait and pick up some over the summer months, but then a set of 18” wheels from an early CV8 appeared on eBay at a good price. OEM wheels rarely appear for sale with there being so few Monaros around so I couldn’t ignore these. The seller of the wheels had an interesting ‘Monaro’: a 1961 Vauxhall PA Cresta body on a Monaro chassis and running gear – these conversions are his living (PM Customs, although I can’t find them online now) and the modern Monaro wheels didn’t suit, so he’d replaced them with something more suitable: https://i.imgur.com/Kv9HmMF.png
Trial fit to check they fit over the VXR’s slightly larger brakes:
For tyres, rather than full winters I decided on Michelin CrossClimate+ all-seasons. I’d been impressed with all-seasons on our van and Mrs a11y_m’s previous car, so decided they were a fair compromise for all-round winter use especially as I don’t plan to use the Monaro in the snow unless I really have to. All-seasons out-perform full winters in non-snow conditions without giving away too much in the few times I’ll encounter snow. Also, although it didn’t play a part in my decision, the Monaro handbook states winter tyres can’t be used but doesn’t say why – perhaps being Australian it just doesn’t ‘do’ snow?! I’m happy with 1” smaller wheels giving more sidewall protection for the alloys against winter potholes etc too, although I expect being smaller will limit my options if I wanted to upgrade the brakes in future. By the time I’d got sorted with powdercoating and getting the tyres mounted winter was over, so I stored them away before finally fitting them in November 2019.
Is anyone wheely getting bored of these dad-joke captions yet?
And jumping ahead and completely ignoring the chronological order I was planning to add these updates in – here’s how they look on the car after I fitted them at the end of November 2019. I’m very happy with them:
UPDATE 5: Sitting comfortably? (March 2019)
One thing that was annoying me since buying my Monaro was a partially collapsed bolster on the driver’s seat base. I guess the previous owner may have been of ‘generous’ frame (powerfully built director perhaps), and entering/exiting the car had flattened the bolster. Unlike previous BMWs I’ve owned, the leather itself was fine – it was the foam that was knackered. I found a local traditional furniture upholsterer with a guy who worked on car seats and was happy to tackle mine, including removing and refitting the seat. He did a great job, replaced the foam in the bolster, and I now have a perfect driver’s seat again. It made a much bigger difference than I expected.
Driver's seat - note the car's origins with the embossed logo rather than 'VXR' embossing that most have:
Saggy bolster:
The seats themselves aren’t as supportive as they look and – as I find with most car seats – don’t go low enough for my liking or my 6’1 height. But wow they’re comfy. I’ve done some long driving stints and they’re the comfiest seats I’ve had in 20+ years of driving. The driving position felt weird to me at first, especially compared to my previous MINI. You sit what feels like too high, the low window line betraying the older generation of design and making you feel a bit on top of the car. And I’ve no idea where they nicked the steering wheel from – a bus??? It’s bloody massive. I’d love to replace it with something smaller but wouldn’t know where to start while keeping the airbag, controls, etc so probably a non-starter for me.
Bus steering wheel:
If the seats were heated that would be the icing on the cake, so might be something more realistic for a future project. I’ve fitted generic heating pads to non-heated seats before myself but its an invasive job undoing the covers and a PITA getting them refitted perfectly after, and I’m trying not to tinker too much unnecessarily
One thing that was annoying me since buying my Monaro was a partially collapsed bolster on the driver’s seat base. I guess the previous owner may have been of ‘generous’ frame (powerfully built director perhaps), and entering/exiting the car had flattened the bolster. Unlike previous BMWs I’ve owned, the leather itself was fine – it was the foam that was knackered. I found a local traditional furniture upholsterer with a guy who worked on car seats and was happy to tackle mine, including removing and refitting the seat. He did a great job, replaced the foam in the bolster, and I now have a perfect driver’s seat again. It made a much bigger difference than I expected.
Driver's seat - note the car's origins with the embossed logo rather than 'VXR' embossing that most have:
Saggy bolster:
The seats themselves aren’t as supportive as they look and – as I find with most car seats – don’t go low enough for my liking or my 6’1 height. But wow they’re comfy. I’ve done some long driving stints and they’re the comfiest seats I’ve had in 20+ years of driving. The driving position felt weird to me at first, especially compared to my previous MINI. You sit what feels like too high, the low window line betraying the older generation of design and making you feel a bit on top of the car. And I’ve no idea where they nicked the steering wheel from – a bus??? It’s bloody massive. I’d love to replace it with something smaller but wouldn’t know where to start while keeping the airbag, controls, etc so probably a non-starter for me.
Bus steering wheel:
If the seats were heated that would be the icing on the cake, so might be something more realistic for a future project. I’ve fitted generic heating pads to non-heated seats before myself but its an invasive job undoing the covers and a PITA getting them refitted perfectly after, and I’m trying not to tinker too much unnecessarily
UPDATE 6: Foglight replacement and front numberplate (June 2019)
I’m unsure when it happened, but my driver’s side front foglight lens was totally smashed. Discussing with other owners apparently they’re rather fragile and susceptible to stone strikes, so when I found out a replacement was £80ish per foglight with a high chance of smashing again, I decided to do something different. A fellow Monaro owner pointed me to these: LED foglights with a LED ‘halo’ DRL ring around them. I wasn’t convinced I liked the DRL ring but figured for £10/pair I’d give them a try but not bother wiring up the DRL bit. Promptly ordered and fitted without an issue, despite being round lights into an oval hole - a little bit of creativeness to hold them firmly in place. Without speaking too soon, as I write this 6 months after fitting they're still intact - it's good to know if they do break or stop working that replacements are only £10/pair.
eBay link to lights: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142865290145
Original foglights were slightly oval:
New foglights installed (new numberplate too – legal with excess trimmed down to the bare minimum):
Round peg in an oval hole:
After a few weeks (OK, it was months – finally got my finger out and finished off the wiring in November 2019…) I decided after all to connect up the DRL bits. I added a generic DRL controller (fancy all-in-one relay unit) from Amazon XXX so that they automatically switch on with the ignition. I’m embarrassed to admit, but I quite like them. Being honest though, I mostly drive in daylight with my sidelights on at all times (old skool Volvo style) anyway so no real point to me having DRLs.
DRL controller: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0045HYGZ4/ref=cm_sw_e...
DRL d
head:
DRLs with sidelights on:
And as shown above, I fitted a smaller front numberplate at the same time. I’d fitted pressed plates front and rear when I bought the Monaro, but the front one annoyed me with the overhang on the mounting plinth. I know many Monaro owners fit slightly smaller plates helpfully supplied by a friendly performance parts centre with good Monaro connections, but – being Scottish and hence tight – thought I’d try with an old standard acrylic plate I had. Much Dremeling and filing later and I had a still-legal-but-smaller front plate. It doesn’t look much smaller on the car, but side by side it’s quite a difference:
Cut-down plate vs standard:
Small plate, on a drive over the Duke’s Pass, Aberfoyle:
(can you tell it's that period between Christmas and New Year and it's quiet at work?)
I’m unsure when it happened, but my driver’s side front foglight lens was totally smashed. Discussing with other owners apparently they’re rather fragile and susceptible to stone strikes, so when I found out a replacement was £80ish per foglight with a high chance of smashing again, I decided to do something different. A fellow Monaro owner pointed me to these: LED foglights with a LED ‘halo’ DRL ring around them. I wasn’t convinced I liked the DRL ring but figured for £10/pair I’d give them a try but not bother wiring up the DRL bit. Promptly ordered and fitted without an issue, despite being round lights into an oval hole - a little bit of creativeness to hold them firmly in place. Without speaking too soon, as I write this 6 months after fitting they're still intact - it's good to know if they do break or stop working that replacements are only £10/pair.
eBay link to lights: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142865290145
Original foglights were slightly oval:
New foglights installed (new numberplate too – legal with excess trimmed down to the bare minimum):
Round peg in an oval hole:
After a few weeks (OK, it was months – finally got my finger out and finished off the wiring in November 2019…) I decided after all to connect up the DRL bits. I added a generic DRL controller (fancy all-in-one relay unit) from Amazon XXX so that they automatically switch on with the ignition. I’m embarrassed to admit, but I quite like them. Being honest though, I mostly drive in daylight with my sidelights on at all times (old skool Volvo style) anyway so no real point to me having DRLs.
DRL controller: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0045HYGZ4/ref=cm_sw_e...
DRL d
head:DRLs with sidelights on:
And as shown above, I fitted a smaller front numberplate at the same time. I’d fitted pressed plates front and rear when I bought the Monaro, but the front one annoyed me with the overhang on the mounting plinth. I know many Monaro owners fit slightly smaller plates helpfully supplied by a friendly performance parts centre with good Monaro connections, but – being Scottish and hence tight – thought I’d try with an old standard acrylic plate I had. Much Dremeling and filing later and I had a still-legal-but-smaller front plate. It doesn’t look much smaller on the car, but side by side it’s quite a difference:
Cut-down plate vs standard:
Small plate, on a drive over the Duke’s Pass, Aberfoyle:
(can you tell it's that period between Christmas and New Year and it's quiet at work?
)Edited by a11y_m on Monday 30th December 15:32
marksx said:
I really need to take this thread out of my watch list. It's making the itch worse
Second that about the seats, not supportive bit amazingly comfortable. After a horrendous 16 hour trip home from Germany through the snow of 2010 I got out of the car without an ache.
I think they got the wheel off an old fishing boat.
4th time lucky? Second that about the seats, not supportive bit amazingly comfortable. After a horrendous 16 hour trip home from Germany through the snow of 2010 I got out of the car without an ache.
I think they got the wheel off an old fishing boat.
I'm used to the steering wheel by now, but it always feels strange if I've been driving my van then jump back into the Monaro. In comparison, my Transit has a really nice, leather trimmed, small steering wheel - far nicer to hold than the Monaros.
irocfan said:
have a check on that - IIRC there is an exemption if the #-plate recess is smaller than a standard UK plate. In other words you can go smaller (was an issue about 15 years ago WRT classic Yank metal which couldn't fit a normal UK plate, understandably owners didn't want to cut chrome etc and so exemptions were made. I think this exemption covered ALL 'grey' imports).
You're right - there is an exemption. I'm just unsure how the Monaro sits in the "import" sense given it was officially imported by the manufacturer! Louise at MW Performance seems to be the go-to person for the slightly smaller plates, and tried her hardest to sell me a set when I was ordering oil filters. One of the Facebook groups helpfully lists the following document which I' m led to believe acts as the 'get out of jail free' card: https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Number_Plates_-_R...As the VXR has a sticky-out plinth for the numberplate rather than a recess into the bumper like the CV8 version, I've no real need of a smaller plate other than vanity. Which is obviously important!
SturdyHSV said:
If your MOT place is unfriendly, swap a standard sized one on as required but if you're not an arse I think places tend to be a bit more understanding of 'interesting' cars.
Oh it's OK, I've got a friendly place - new to me and his first question when I enquired about MOT for the Monaro was 'does it still have the cats?' Think i'm in good hands there UPDATE 7: Paintwork improvements (September 2019)
Apologies in advance, but I’m going to use the work ‘detailing’ in this update – if it’s not your thing then please just gloss over this (see what I did there) and move on to my next update.
With a house move earlier in the year and life in general, I’d not had a chance to do anything about the Monaro’s paintwork. There was always something more important(*) to get done. However, I wasn’t willing to go through a winter without the paintwork getting some sort of protection on it, so I cracked on. Paintwork itself was in reasonable condition: some swirl marks, a couple of very minor battle scars, although the front bumper/bonnet was showing every one of those 59k or so miles. Not much I can do about that at the moment, but I set about the paintwork.
(*) according to Mrs a11y_m, and she's probably right...
Basically, what I did was:
- washed it;
- detarred using Autosmart Tardis;
- clayed using Meguairs Quick Clay;
- machine-polished using a DA6 random-orbital polisher, various pads and polish grades;
- coating of Poorboys White Diamond glaze (to further hide any small marks);
- waxed x 2 coats of Collinite 476s;
- glass polished then sealed with Rain X.
More than happy with the results on a 14 year-old car, it’ll never be perfect but it’s more than good enough for me. I like a car that’s easier to wash too, so having it waxed just makes life easier, especially over the winter months. Through trial and error I’ve settled on using Bilt Hamber Auto Foam in a garden sprayer as a pre-wash: spray it on, leave it 5 mins, blast it off with pressure washer. It does a great job of speeding up cleaning without the mess of snow foam, and negates the need for contact washing unless the car’s really dirty.
OK, enough detailing chat. Normal service will now resume, but only after the inevitable post-detailing photos
Apologies in advance, but I’m going to use the work ‘detailing’ in this update – if it’s not your thing then please just gloss over this (see what I did there) and move on to my next update
.With a house move earlier in the year and life in general, I’d not had a chance to do anything about the Monaro’s paintwork. There was always something more important(*) to get done. However, I wasn’t willing to go through a winter without the paintwork getting some sort of protection on it, so I cracked on. Paintwork itself was in reasonable condition: some swirl marks, a couple of very minor battle scars, although the front bumper/bonnet was showing every one of those 59k or so miles. Not much I can do about that at the moment, but I set about the paintwork.
(*) according to Mrs a11y_m, and she's probably right...
Basically, what I did was:
- washed it;
- detarred using Autosmart Tardis;
- clayed using Meguairs Quick Clay;
- machine-polished using a DA6 random-orbital polisher, various pads and polish grades;
- coating of Poorboys White Diamond glaze (to further hide any small marks);
- waxed x 2 coats of Collinite 476s;
- glass polished then sealed with Rain X.
More than happy with the results on a 14 year-old car, it’ll never be perfect but it’s more than good enough for me. I like a car that’s easier to wash too, so having it waxed just makes life easier, especially over the winter months. Through trial and error I’ve settled on using Bilt Hamber Auto Foam in a garden sprayer as a pre-wash: spray it on, leave it 5 mins, blast it off with pressure washer. It does a great job of speeding up cleaning without the mess of snow foam, and negates the need for contact washing unless the car’s really dirty.
OK, enough detailing chat. Normal service will now resume, but only after the inevitable post-detailing photos
UPDATE 8: service, MOT and sourcing parts for an uncommon car… (November 2019)
With the 12-month anniversary of me owning my Monaro approaching, a service and MOT was due at the start of December. Rather than leave it to the last minute and risk issues arising from the MOT, I booked it in at my local trusted garage early-November to give a bit of breathing space to resolve any issues if required.
Before buying a Monaro I became aware that finding parts and spares etc isn’t actually that difficult in a lot of cases. There’s a great community of owners both on PH and Facebook, with a huge amount of collective knowledge and help offered up. It’s one aspect that contributes hugely to ownership in my opinion. Chances are if your Monaro has a problem or you need to source a part, someone else has already been through the same and is more than happy to share their experience. Using all this knowledge I’d already accumulated service parts in advance to make things easy.
Just some of the suppliers that are around to help:
- Rock Auto: US-based but mega quick and easy postage with import duties paid up front.
- Pedders UK: mainly suspension bits, run my Roger who used to run Monkfish specialists.
- MW Performance (Louise)
- LS Performance Parts (Carl & Isaac)
My list for servicing included:
- oil (GM-branded 5w30 – 20 litres for £48 via a friendly dealer which is enough for 3 changes, with it needing 6.2litres)
- oil filter (OEM GM 92142006 filter, £12 via MW Performance)
- spark plugs (NGK BPR6EF x 8, £16.80 Eurocarparts)
- ignition leads (AC Delco 9748RR, £48.94 delivered from Rock Auto)
- diff oil (Castrol Syntrax 75w140 x 2ltrs, £30 eBay)
- coolant check (but was fine so didn’t need replaced)
- and the MOT identified a driver’s side tie rod end was needed (Pedders UK, £24.91)
Spark plugs and leads weren’t strictly needed based on mileage/time, but I had them done for peace of mind given what they cost. Diff oil isn’t a service item but is a recommended item to change – the diffs on these are clunky at the best of times and mine had clunked a couple of times so I figured it was worth the cost. I considered having the gearbox oil changed too but decided it felt OK and will leave it until next year.
I’m capable of basic mechanical work on cars, but with my time being taken up with the house I got my local trusted garage to do the lot. Although the guy’s a VAG and Harley Davidson specialist (unusual combo!), he was our neighbour during the 5 months we rented between house moves and I had many spontaneous car chats with him during which I established he’s a decent bloke.
Costs:
- MOT: £50
- Labour: £205
- Parts (regular oil/filter service): £28
- Parts (extra as per schedule – spark plugs, leads & diff oil): £95.73
- Parts (for MOT – tie rod end): £24.91
So £404 in service parts, labour and MOT in total. My only other essential cost during the year was £108 for front strut mounts (5851 Pedders Strut Mount) and bearings (5030 Commodore Strut Bearing) from Pedders and the £90 labour to have them fitted back in February. So not a bad total for the year?
In conclusion, to anyone who’s reading this and thinking they fancy a Monaro you’ve got no need to worry about sourcing service bits for them. Body panels though… thankfully I’ve had no need to, but less than common as you’d imagine.
With the 12-month anniversary of me owning my Monaro approaching, a service and MOT was due at the start of December. Rather than leave it to the last minute and risk issues arising from the MOT, I booked it in at my local trusted garage early-November to give a bit of breathing space to resolve any issues if required.
Before buying a Monaro I became aware that finding parts and spares etc isn’t actually that difficult in a lot of cases. There’s a great community of owners both on PH and Facebook, with a huge amount of collective knowledge and help offered up. It’s one aspect that contributes hugely to ownership in my opinion. Chances are if your Monaro has a problem or you need to source a part, someone else has already been through the same and is more than happy to share their experience. Using all this knowledge I’d already accumulated service parts in advance to make things easy.
Just some of the suppliers that are around to help:
- Rock Auto: US-based but mega quick and easy postage with import duties paid up front.
- Pedders UK: mainly suspension bits, run my Roger who used to run Monkfish specialists.
- MW Performance (Louise)
- LS Performance Parts (Carl & Isaac)
My list for servicing included:
- oil (GM-branded 5w30 – 20 litres for £48 via a friendly dealer which is enough for 3 changes, with it needing 6.2litres)
- oil filter (OEM GM 92142006 filter, £12 via MW Performance)
- spark plugs (NGK BPR6EF x 8, £16.80 Eurocarparts)
- ignition leads (AC Delco 9748RR, £48.94 delivered from Rock Auto)
- diff oil (Castrol Syntrax 75w140 x 2ltrs, £30 eBay)
- coolant check (but was fine so didn’t need replaced)
- and the MOT identified a driver’s side tie rod end was needed (Pedders UK, £24.91)
Spark plugs and leads weren’t strictly needed based on mileage/time, but I had them done for peace of mind given what they cost. Diff oil isn’t a service item but is a recommended item to change – the diffs on these are clunky at the best of times and mine had clunked a couple of times so I figured it was worth the cost. I considered having the gearbox oil changed too but decided it felt OK and will leave it until next year.
I’m capable of basic mechanical work on cars, but with my time being taken up with the house I got my local trusted garage to do the lot. Although the guy’s a VAG and Harley Davidson specialist (unusual combo!), he was our neighbour during the 5 months we rented between house moves and I had many spontaneous car chats with him during which I established he’s a decent bloke.
Costs:
- MOT: £50
- Labour: £205
- Parts (regular oil/filter service): £28
- Parts (extra as per schedule – spark plugs, leads & diff oil): £95.73
- Parts (for MOT – tie rod end): £24.91
So £404 in service parts, labour and MOT in total. My only other essential cost during the year was £108 for front strut mounts (5851 Pedders Strut Mount) and bearings (5030 Commodore Strut Bearing) from Pedders and the £90 labour to have them fitted back in February. So not a bad total for the year?
In conclusion, to anyone who’s reading this and thinking they fancy a Monaro you’ve got no need to worry about sourcing service bits for them. Body panels though… thankfully I’ve had no need to, but less than common as you’d imagine.
UPDATE 9: Ownership community
As mentioned a big part of Monaro ownership for me has been the community that goes along with it. Certainly makes it easier in maintaining the car and solving any big or little problems that might arise. So far I’ve only met a few other PHers with Monaros and VXR8s at their national meet in Stirling back in August - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... – but fortunately for them I wasn’t able to join the drive due to family commitments, so arrived like this:
Next time I’ll arrive without a bike on the roof
Owning something fun has also encouraged me into more regular contact with friends I’ve made through car ownership over the past decade. The arrival of kids had inevitably meant I was far less often managing drives or even just beers with them, but the Monaro’s encouraged me to get along to a couple of local breakfast meets which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. An interesting car is by no means a requirement to go to any meet up of course.
bd Tesla parked next to my anti-Tesla (although I actually don’t mind them, and owner was good for a chat):
Not clean:
Not clean at all:
December breakfast meet:
As mentioned a big part of Monaro ownership for me has been the community that goes along with it. Certainly makes it easier in maintaining the car and solving any big or little problems that might arise. So far I’ve only met a few other PHers with Monaros and VXR8s at their national meet in Stirling back in August - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... – but fortunately for them I wasn’t able to join the drive due to family commitments, so arrived like this:
Next time I’ll arrive without a bike on the roof
Owning something fun has also encouraged me into more regular contact with friends I’ve made through car ownership over the past decade. The arrival of kids had inevitably meant I was far less often managing drives or even just beers with them, but the Monaro’s encouraged me to get along to a couple of local breakfast meets which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. An interesting car is by no means a requirement to go to any meet up of course.
b
d Tesla parked next to my anti-Tesla (although I actually don’t mind them, and owner was good for a chat):Not clean:
Not clean at all:
December breakfast meet:
UPDATE 10: Everyday life – 12 months with a Monaro
I’ve previously mentioned my Monaro isn’t a second or third vehicle for me like it is for many owners: it’s my only car, so it was important that whatever I bought fulfilled the brief of a family vehicle as well as my own selfish reasons. So, what’s it like living with a 14-yr old Monaro as an everyday car, with young kids?
Answer: easy
Yes a more modern mundane car would be easier as my wife’s Qashqai with all its mod-cons shows so clearly, but we (PHers) rarely buy the obvious choice, do we? Just me then. Genuinely I’ve not found the Monaro paerticularly difficult to live. I don’t use a car for the daily commute but it still gets a lot of daily use for after school activities, family outings, weekly Tesco shops etc as well as longer drives at the weekend. Yes, I do more than your average car owner/leaser in looking after my car, but I don’t shy away from using it either.
You’ll be unsurprised to hear that a 14-year old car based on a late-90s design has a few niggles/characteristics, but nothing that precludes using a Monaro as a daily in my experience:
Mirrors: as mentioned in an earlier update, the rear view mirrors are hopeless. Sounds like a minor complaint from me perhaps, but I found them bloody useless. They’re tiny and whatever design the mirror glass is means the magnification effect gives a very poor view of what’s behind you. Biggest issue I found was not being able to see the rear wheels when reverse-parking, so to avoid painful kerb encounters I added small blindspot mirrors angled downwards to give a good view of the rear wheels for manoeuvring. Cheap and easy solution. Another small niggle is that the mirrors aren’t heated – I think many of us don’t give heated mirrors a second thought, but going back to unheat ones shows what I difference heated ones make. Keeping them clear of condensation/rain is more of a challenge for sure.
Headunit: wow. The standard headunit in Monaros is a 6-disc multichanger in the dashboard and sounds pretty damn good – there’s plenty of speakers and (I believe) a couple of subs buried away somewhere. But no RDS, no DAB, no Bluetooth, and the CD player would only play actual CDs and not MP3/data discs. Not even an aux-in so no way to play music other than CD. How quaint. Obviously you could argue with that engine there’s no need for music but I felt otherwise
I wasn’t keen to spend heaps on a flashy headunit solution, but equally I wanted Bluetooth for calls and music streaming as well as some way to play music from an external source. Fortunately the Monaro accepts a standard 2-DIN headunit with a simple facia adaptor, so there’s a wide range of options. Having had Pioneer stereos back in the day, I chose a fairly basic one with DAB, Bluetooth and USB slot which accepts a 64GB device. No touchscreen as I hate trying to use a touchscreen on the move. External mic, DAB antenna stuck to inside of the windscreen, a wiring harness to retain my steering wheel controls, and subtle looks that match the Monaro well. Perfect.
Before:
After:
Bootlid: again, might sound like I’m being picky, but if you’ve been smacked in the back of the head with a falling tailgate while unloading the shopping I’m sure you’ll change your mind! The original struts wouldn’t hold the bootlid up and the slightest breeze would sent it slamming shut. Age played a part but apparently Vauxhall didn’t uprate the struts to account for the weight of the big rear spoiler added to VXR bootlids… After a particularly bad incident drew blood (and I inadvertently taught my eldest daughter a new phrase), I replaced mine with new struts from SGS Engineering. With hindsight I wish I’d gone for a higher rating than the 700N force rating of the OEM equivalents I bought, as it feels like a stiff breeze would still bring the bootlid crashing down, but they’ve helped for sure. But I’m now comfortable enough that they’re strong enough to risk this:
^^^Obviously I didn’t drive like this – I made sure they were completely inside the boot with the bootlid closed before driving off
BIG doors: not a Monaro-specific issue, but one that affects every 2/3-door car with longer front doors. Not an issue for normal passengers, but introduce young kids and child seats and they can be an utter pain. Thankfully mine are well beyond baby seats but at the time I got my Monaro my youngest still needed help clipping in her seatbelt which meant me contorting myself into the rear of the car to help. I can’t imagine living with a rear-facing baby seat in a car like this though.
The upside to having kids has been using the wider parent and child parking spaces to minimise the chances of picking up door dings from careless people, but with mine now being 4 and 7 I do feel a bit guilty using these spaces and have gone back to parking at the farthest spaces from the shop entrance to reduce the ding risk.
Rear legroom/space: obviously any replacement for my previous R56 MINI was going to have more rear legroom, but the Monaro is still pretty cavernous. Based on similar underpinnings to the Omega it’s got a lot of space inside, so I’ll never have to worry about the kids outgrowing the space in the back. An added bonus is the 2 individually sculted seats provide perfect support for kid’s seats, and the seatbelt receivers are located perfectly for young kids to access rather than being buried in the seat bench like many cars are (even my wife’s latest-shape Qashqai is terrible for this. So Monaro beats family-favourite on this occasion. Although the space in the rear is big, accessing it can be an issue for passengers which brings me on to…
Rear seat access/egress: this one IS annoying. I live in Scotland. Where it rains. Frequently. The front seats are electrically adjustable and accessing the rear seats requires you to wait around patiently while the seat motor whirs the seat forwards. And all the time you’re getting soaked while you wait. Brilliant.
Rear seat area is perfect for 2 x kids seats, once you’ve waited impatiently for the front seat motors to move the seat forward:
Epic A/C: perhaps showing its Aussie roots here, but the air conditioning is truly epic! I wasn’t expecting super-chilled A/C in any 14 yr old car, but my Monaro’s is superb. Luckily it works well as it’s helpful for my next item…
Dampness: might be the age of the car and slightly perished door or window seals, or might simply be a small leak somewhere that I’ve yet to track down, but my Monaro does steam up slightly inside when parked outside on colder nights. Again, not specific to the Monaro I guess but it’s something else that simply isn’t a concern with a new, ‘normal’ car.
Road tax
OK, so who’s surprised that VED on a 6.0 V8 costs more than your average family car? If so, get out now. Emissions of all Monaro variants are in region of 360g/km which puts them in the top band for road tax. However, being an 05-plate mine falls into bank K (201-225 g/km also includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006) so avoids the top whack that later Monaros attract. What this means is that my most recent VED was £325 for the year rather than £570 for an identical but newer Monaro, and that £245 saving goes some way towards fuelling the beast.
Insurance: Ok, I accept I don’t live in central London and that at 41 I’m getting old and (apparently) more mature, but even still I’m surprised at insurance only costing me a few pounds more than my previous MINI Cooper S. I accept I don’t go full Bogan in the car that often, but I’m surprised it’s not the sort of car that attracts a high rating in all cases. Maybe I’m just lucky? Certainly not complaining about it. I’m tempted to renew my IAM for sts and giggles though – I did my advanced test in my Z4, so could continue the less-appropriate car theme by turning up in a Monaro…
And...
MPG: I can’t talk about using a Monaro as an everyday vehicle without mentioning fuel consumption, can I? Figures in isolation mean little as everyone’s use and driving style differs, so best to compare it to my previous vehicles where use has been similar:
Average mpg for ownership:
- Monaro VXR 6.0: 20.4mpg
- R56 MINI Cooper S (184ps): 33.2mpg
- BMW e90 330i (N52 258ps): 25.7mpg
- BMW e85 Z4 3.0 (M54 230ps): 30.3mpg
I personally think anything starting with a ‘2’ is extremely respectable for a big V8-powered heavy beast, as long as the 2 is followed by another digit. What it means in reality is that my Monaro costs me £825 in fuel for the 3,000 or so miles I do a year on average, compared to the £500 my MINI would cost. Is that extra £325 spent on fuel worth it? I’d say HELL YES
So that’s the everyday stuff covered off. I’ll try to get back to more PH-worthy content now
I’ve previously mentioned my Monaro isn’t a second or third vehicle for me like it is for many owners: it’s my only car, so it was important that whatever I bought fulfilled the brief of a family vehicle as well as my own selfish reasons. So, what’s it like living with a 14-yr old Monaro as an everyday car, with young kids?
Answer: easy
Yes a more modern mundane car would be easier as my wife’s Qashqai with all its mod-cons shows so clearly, but we (PHers) rarely buy the obvious choice, do we? Just me then. Genuinely I’ve not found the Monaro paerticularly difficult to live. I don’t use a car for the daily commute but it still gets a lot of daily use for after school activities, family outings, weekly Tesco shops etc as well as longer drives at the weekend. Yes, I do more than your average car owner/leaser in looking after my car, but I don’t shy away from using it either.
You’ll be unsurprised to hear that a 14-year old car based on a late-90s design has a few niggles/characteristics, but nothing that precludes using a Monaro as a daily in my experience:
Mirrors: as mentioned in an earlier update, the rear view mirrors are hopeless. Sounds like a minor complaint from me perhaps, but I found them bloody useless. They’re tiny and whatever design the mirror glass is means the magnification effect gives a very poor view of what’s behind you. Biggest issue I found was not being able to see the rear wheels when reverse-parking, so to avoid painful kerb encounters I added small blindspot mirrors angled downwards to give a good view of the rear wheels for manoeuvring. Cheap and easy solution. Another small niggle is that the mirrors aren’t heated – I think many of us don’t give heated mirrors a second thought, but going back to unheat ones shows what I difference heated ones make. Keeping them clear of condensation/rain is more of a challenge for sure.
Headunit: wow. The standard headunit in Monaros is a 6-disc multichanger in the dashboard and sounds pretty damn good – there’s plenty of speakers and (I believe) a couple of subs buried away somewhere. But no RDS, no DAB, no Bluetooth, and the CD player would only play actual CDs and not MP3/data discs. Not even an aux-in so no way to play music other than CD. How quaint. Obviously you could argue with that engine there’s no need for music but I felt otherwise
I wasn’t keen to spend heaps on a flashy headunit solution, but equally I wanted Bluetooth for calls and music streaming as well as some way to play music from an external source. Fortunately the Monaro accepts a standard 2-DIN headunit with a simple facia adaptor, so there’s a wide range of options. Having had Pioneer stereos back in the day, I chose a fairly basic one with DAB, Bluetooth and USB slot which accepts a 64GB device. No touchscreen as I hate trying to use a touchscreen on the move. External mic, DAB antenna stuck to inside of the windscreen, a wiring harness to retain my steering wheel controls, and subtle looks that match the Monaro well. Perfect.
Before:
After:
Bootlid: again, might sound like I’m being picky, but if you’ve been smacked in the back of the head with a falling tailgate while unloading the shopping I’m sure you’ll change your mind! The original struts wouldn’t hold the bootlid up and the slightest breeze would sent it slamming shut. Age played a part but apparently Vauxhall didn’t uprate the struts to account for the weight of the big rear spoiler added to VXR bootlids… After a particularly bad incident drew blood (and I inadvertently taught my eldest daughter a new phrase), I replaced mine with new struts from SGS Engineering. With hindsight I wish I’d gone for a higher rating than the 700N force rating of the OEM equivalents I bought, as it feels like a stiff breeze would still bring the bootlid crashing down, but they’ve helped for sure. But I’m now comfortable enough that they’re strong enough to risk this:
^^^Obviously I didn’t drive like this – I made sure they were completely inside the boot with the bootlid closed before driving off
BIG doors: not a Monaro-specific issue, but one that affects every 2/3-door car with longer front doors. Not an issue for normal passengers, but introduce young kids and child seats and they can be an utter pain. Thankfully mine are well beyond baby seats but at the time I got my Monaro my youngest still needed help clipping in her seatbelt which meant me contorting myself into the rear of the car to help. I can’t imagine living with a rear-facing baby seat in a car like this though.
The upside to having kids has been using the wider parent and child parking spaces to minimise the chances of picking up door dings from careless people, but with mine now being 4 and 7 I do feel a bit guilty using these spaces and have gone back to parking at the farthest spaces from the shop entrance to reduce the ding risk.
Rear legroom/space: obviously any replacement for my previous R56 MINI was going to have more rear legroom, but the Monaro is still pretty cavernous. Based on similar underpinnings to the Omega it’s got a lot of space inside, so I’ll never have to worry about the kids outgrowing the space in the back. An added bonus is the 2 individually sculted seats provide perfect support for kid’s seats, and the seatbelt receivers are located perfectly for young kids to access rather than being buried in the seat bench like many cars are (even my wife’s latest-shape Qashqai is terrible for this. So Monaro beats family-favourite on this occasion. Although the space in the rear is big, accessing it can be an issue for passengers which brings me on to…
Rear seat access/egress: this one IS annoying. I live in Scotland. Where it rains. Frequently. The front seats are electrically adjustable and accessing the rear seats requires you to wait around patiently while the seat motor whirs the seat forwards. And all the time you’re getting soaked while you wait. Brilliant.
Rear seat area is perfect for 2 x kids seats, once you’ve waited impatiently for the front seat motors to move the seat forward:
Epic A/C: perhaps showing its Aussie roots here, but the air conditioning is truly epic! I wasn’t expecting super-chilled A/C in any 14 yr old car, but my Monaro’s is superb. Luckily it works well as it’s helpful for my next item…
Dampness: might be the age of the car and slightly perished door or window seals, or might simply be a small leak somewhere that I’ve yet to track down, but my Monaro does steam up slightly inside when parked outside on colder nights. Again, not specific to the Monaro I guess but it’s something else that simply isn’t a concern with a new, ‘normal’ car.
Road tax
OK, so who’s surprised that VED on a 6.0 V8 costs more than your average family car? If so, get out now. Emissions of all Monaro variants are in region of 360g/km which puts them in the top band for road tax. However, being an 05-plate mine falls into bank K (201-225 g/km also includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006) so avoids the top whack that later Monaros attract. What this means is that my most recent VED was £325 for the year rather than £570 for an identical but newer Monaro, and that £245 saving goes some way towards fuelling the beast.
Insurance: Ok, I accept I don’t live in central London and that at 41 I’m getting old and (apparently) more mature, but even still I’m surprised at insurance only costing me a few pounds more than my previous MINI Cooper S. I accept I don’t go full Bogan in the car that often, but I’m surprised it’s not the sort of car that attracts a high rating in all cases. Maybe I’m just lucky? Certainly not complaining about it. I’m tempted to renew my IAM for s
ts and giggles though – I did my advanced test in my Z4, so could continue the less-appropriate car theme by turning up in a Monaro…And...
MPG: I can’t talk about using a Monaro as an everyday vehicle without mentioning fuel consumption, can I? Figures in isolation mean little as everyone’s use and driving style differs, so best to compare it to my previous vehicles where use has been similar:
Average mpg for ownership:
- Monaro VXR 6.0: 20.4mpg
- R56 MINI Cooper S (184ps): 33.2mpg
- BMW e90 330i (N52 258ps): 25.7mpg
- BMW e85 Z4 3.0 (M54 230ps): 30.3mpg
I personally think anything starting with a ‘2’ is extremely respectable for a big V8-powered heavy beast, as long as the 2 is followed by another digit
. What it means in reality is that my Monaro costs me £825 in fuel for the 3,000 or so miles I do a year on average, compared to the £500 my MINI would cost. Is that extra £325 spent on fuel worth it? I’d say HELL YES So that’s the everyday stuff covered off. I’ll try to get back to more PH-worthy content now
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